Ian Peel
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Position | Loosehead Prop |
| Date of Birth | 24/01/1976 | |
| Place of Birth | Otley | |
| Height | 5' 11" (1.80m) | |
| Falcons Debut | v London Irish (H) 27 September 1998 | |
| Previous Teams | Wharfedale | |
| Honours | North U21, England Students | |
As Duncan Madsen once said, props don’t often feature as the pin-up boys of rugby, but few players have done more for the Newcastle cause in the last six years than Ian Peel. On either side of the scrum, whether in the starting line-up or as a replacement (a third of his league appearances have been from the bench) Peely has always given 110% for the cause and was rewarded with the joint captaincy in the summer.
As a 21-year-old Peel joined the Falcons in the summer of 1998 from Wharfedale as one of three seemingly uninspired signings by the Champions, the others being full-back Peter Massey and wing Michael Wood. The start of the season saw a big injury to Paul Van-Zandvliet, and Nick Popplewell and George Graham, both loose-heads, took turns to play tight-head as we waited for the November arrival of Marius Hurter. However, neither of these experienced internationals appeared up to the job as we lost 2 of our opening 3 games, and when the young unknown Ian Peel was brought in at tight-head away to West Hartlepool at the beginning of October, the ship steadied. We lost only one of the five matches, away to Gloucester, until Hurter’s arrival.
Over his first four seasons Peely was usually a bit-player, although he did start in the Tetley’s Bitter Cup Semi-final at Richmond in 1999, and came on as a replacement in the Finals of 1999 and 2001. Never one to bang on the gaffer’s door and demand his place, rather just keep working hard to earn his place in 2001/02 he only made a measly six starts, before his big break came the following year with the arrival of Andrew Blades as forwards’ coach. Peel was switched to a specialist loose-head and hasn’t looked back since, becoming one of our most consistent and underrated players, making his 100th Premiership appearance at home to Leicester in April 2004. Now as joint-captain, Peel is one of the seemingly indispensable players who are leading the Falcons drive to get back to the top of English rugby.
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