Sam Doble
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Samuel Arthur Doble (9 March 1944 – 17 September 1977) was an English rugby union full-back who played international rugby for England and club rugby for Moseley.[1] He was a Birmingham PE teacher, teaching at Northfield Comprehensive School. Doble was awarded three caps to play for England.[2] He, however, suffered a sudden death in 1977 from cancer at the age of 33.[3]
Rugby career
[edit]Doble first came to public attention when he scored 581 points for Moseley in the 1971/72 domestic season.[4] His debut was an 18–9 victory over South Africa in Johannesburg, in which he scored 14 points.[2] England were on the back foot early on when they lost prop Stack Stevens to injury and had to contest seven-man scrums for twenty minutes. However, the visiting side's makeshift front row did not lose one strike against the head and England gradually took control of the game when Stevens returned. With the forwards keeping the Springboks at bay, Doble scored four penalties and converted Alan Morley's second half try from the touchline to help England to a most unlikely victory.[citation needed]
Despite his heroics in South Africa, Sam played in just two more matches, a 9–0 loss to New Zealand early in 1973[5] and a 25–9 loss to Wales in the following Five Nations campaign. England were outscored by five tries to nil, but Doble signed off his international account with two penalties to augment a drop goal by Dick Cowman.[citation needed]
Death
[edit]In 1977, Sam died after being diagnosed with melanoma a few years before. His life was honoured with a special match between the Rugby Writers International XV and Moseley later in the year. Thirty years on, the victorious England side of Ellis Park '72 met up at Twickenham to watch Clive Woodward's England beat South Africa 53–3. Doble was the only player missing from the line-up.[citation needed]
Memorial match
[edit]Moseley v International Rugby Writers XV Sunday 27 November 1977[6]
Moseley 19 points International Rugby Writers XV 43 points[3]
Moseley
15 C A Meanwell; 14 A Thomas, 13 M K Swain, 12 B J Corless, 11 P Beddoes; 10 M J Cooper, 9 C J Gifford; 1 T F Corless, 2 G N J Cox, 3 W H Greaves, 4 R Field, 5 B Ayre, 6 J C White, 8 N C Jeavons, 7 D G Warren
Scorers
Tries: P Beddoes, B J Corless, C A Meanwell
Conversions: M Cooper (2)
Penalties: C A Meanwell
International Rugby Writers XV
15 J P R Williams (Bridgend/Wales); 14 P J Squires (Harrogate/England), 13 S P Fenwick (Bridgend/Wales), 12 T G R Davies (Cardiff/Wales), 11 A R Irvine (Heriot's FP/Scotland); 10 P Bennett (Llanelli/Wales), 9 G O Edwards (Cardiff/Wales); 1 F E Cotton (Sale/England), 2 P J Wheeler (Leicester/England), 3 G Price (Pontypool/Wales), 4 W B Beaumont (Fylde/England), 5 A J Martin (Aberavon/Wales), 6 T J Cobner (Pontypool/Wales), 8 D L Quinnell (Llanelli/Wales), 7 A Neary (Broughton Park/England)
Replacements J Webster (Moseley/England), A Ripley (Rosslyn Park/England), A G Faulkner (Pontypool/Wales), R W Windsor (Pontypool/Wales), A Old (Sheffield/England)
Scorers
Tries: T G R Davies, T J Cobner, A R Irvine, A Neary, P J Squires (2), P Bennett (2)
Conversions: P Bennett (4)
Penalties: P Bennett (1)
Touch Judges: G Bannister, D Jones
Referee: N R Samson.
References
[edit]- ^ "ATV Today: 11.02.1972: Interview with Sam Doble, Moseley Rugby Full Back". MACE Archive. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b Bartlam, Norman (1 November 2011). The Little Book of Birmingham. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5390-0.
- ^ a b Godwin, Hugh (2 December 2007). "Miracle at Moseley: The noble cause in memory of Doble". The Independent. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ The Guinness Book of Records. Guinness Superlatives. 1981. p. 275.
- ^ England down to All Blacks. The Age. 8 January 1973. p. 10.
- ^ 'A fantastic team'. The Glasgow Herald. 1 November 1977. p. 25.
External links
[edit]- Links about Moseley at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 October 2009)