The Great Number Tens - Hardcover

The game of Rugby Union football first took on a wholly identifiable modern shape just a century ago. In 1893 a New Zealand team played its first matches under the banner of its newly-formed union; in the same year the referee was deemed a game's sole arbiter; in 1894 points values were consolidated to read as they do today; in 1896 the first British tour to South Africa was made; and in the mid-1890s the vital position on the field - fly-half - evolved out of the fledgling game's need for more organization, specialization - and drama. Linking the development of the fly-half with the evolution of the game itself, this chronicle of international rugby's Number 10s celebrates the centenary of their "invention" by two bold little brothers and copper-ladlers from West Wales. The book delves into the lives and talents of the great fly-halves of rugby history, and considers which of the present-day stars in that position may have a decisive influence in the 1995 World Cup. Frank Keating has won eight Fleet Street awards for his work as a journalist. His other books include "Half-Time Whistle", which was runner-up for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.