No county boundaries

He plays for the county, a worrying phrase offered in the changing room in reference to the 6ft 7in mountain of a teen with a five o’clock shadow from the opposition, who’s not long from placing me headfirst into the mud before leading his school to victory against my team of scrawny 13 year olds.

My senior school rugby career lasted but one match and I left that institution with the impression that county teams were only for the athletes who were hoping to springboard into a top flight sports career.

So when I hear of a county selection shoot happening in my rural corner of England, I think back to that oversized boy and think that it’s not