Description

Book Synopsis

Murrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotland – winner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby. Will Carling’s England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain – snarling, brutish and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogs – second-class citizens from a land that’s become the testing ground for the most unpopular tax in living memory: Thatcher's Poll Tax. In Edinburgh, nationalism is rising high – what happens in the stadium will resound far beyond the pitch.

The Grudge brilliantly recaptures a day that has gone down in history when a rugby match became more than a game. This is the real story of an extraordinary conflict, told with astounding insight and unprecedented access to key players, coaches and supporters on both sides (Will Carling, Ian McGeechan, Brian Moore and the rest). Tom English has produced a gripping account of a titanic struggle that thrusts the reader right into the heart of the action. Game on.

Fully revised and updated, this special hardback edition is published to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Scotland’s most storied rugby season.

The Grudge: Two Nations, One Match, No Holds

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    A Hardback by Tom English

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      Book details

      Publisher Arena Sport
      Published 30 January 2020
      ISBN-13 9781909715837
      978-1909715837
      ISBN-10 1909715832
      Also in:
      Sport Rugby Union

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Murrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotland – winner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby. Will Carling’s England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain – snarling, brutish and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogs – second-class citizens from a land that’s become the testing ground for the most unpopular tax in living memory: Thatcher's Poll Tax. In Edinburgh, nationalism is rising high – what happens in the stadium will resound far beyond the pitch.

      The Grudge brilliantly recaptures a day that has gone down in history when a rugby match became more than a game. This is the real story of an extraordinary conflict, told with astounding insight and unprecedented access to key players, coaches and supporters on both sides (Will Carling, Ian McGeechan, Brian Moore and the rest). Tom English has produced a gripping account of a titanic struggle that thrusts the reader right into the heart of the action. Game on.

      Fully revised and updated, this special hardback edition is published to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Scotland’s most storied rugby season.

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