National League Rugby Discussion Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk > Clubhouse chat
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Tom Smith
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

IMPORTANT Remember to read the rules of the board and abide by them when posting.

Tom Smith
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
KnightsBoy View Drop Down
World Cup Winner
World Cup Winner
Avatar

Joined: 31 Oct 2010
Location: Doncaster
Status: Offline
Points: 2877 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KnightsBoy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tom Smith
    Posted: 07 Apr 2022 at 06:34
Sad news, 
Back to Top
All the Way View Drop Down
World Cup Winner
World Cup Winner


Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 574 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote All the Way Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Apr 2022 at 08:17
Very sad news. Only got to see him play once, when Saints were in the equivalent of the Championship. But I will always remember him for '97 Lions Tour. He made a huge impact at scrumtime and with his ball carrying and mobility in the loose.
RIP
Back to Top
Steve@Mose View Drop Down
World Cup Winner
World Cup Winner
Avatar

Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 2868 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve@Mose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Apr 2022 at 10:28
'Scotland's quiet colossus never more extraordinary than in face of terminal illness'

Quote
Tom Smith was 5ft 10in tall, but when talking to those who knew him and who played with him you would hear of a man who was somewhere closer to 10ft 5in tall.

A quiet colossus, a revolutionary in new-age propping in the late 1990s, quite possibly the greatest Scottish rugby player of the professional era and, in the words of a fellow front-row immortal Jason Leonard, one of the finest Lions in history.

The news of his passing on Wednesday at the sickeningly young age of 50 shocked the world of rugby. It's not that people expected him to overcome the horrible cruelty of his 2019 colon cancer diagnosis, but that was the dearest wish and it was given hope when he appeared at Murrayfield last autumn.

When bringing out the match ball on the day Scotland played South Africa, Smith gave the impression of a man who could pull off the greatest miracle. Flanked by his kids, it was easier to suspend reality and conclude that he had years left in him, not months.

What dignity and strength he had that day - and every day. What class.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.