David Duckham pictured playing for an Invitation team against
Oxford University.
David John Duckham, combined grace and power to become one of
England's
finest wingers, lighting up an otherwise dismal period for
English rugby in which
his team were often second best to the
magnificent Welsh sides of the 70s.
He specialised in scoring tries from
broken play. The Coventry winger made an
instant impact on his
international debut, scoring a try against Ireland in 1969
. A big,
strong man he had the rare ability to sidestep and totally wrong-foot
opposing defenders. He was reknowned for his outside swerves and inside
cuts,
which are perfectly exhibited in the Barbarians v All Blacks
encounter of 1973;
widely regarded as the game of the century.
With the ball in both hands, Duckham is seen stepping out
of tackles before
making the ball available to teammates. In this game,
Duckham would once
again join up with fellow British Lions from the
successful tour to New Zealand
in 1971. Duckham had been an integral
part of the tour in which a hard fought
series was won 2-1. His tour
record makes impressive reading - 11 tries
including 6 against a
West-Coast Buller Combined side (5 in the first half).
These were his
finest hours, as he revelled in the competitive nature of the
tour and
the talented company. Success was never replicated on the home front
although he did captain the Coventry side in its 1972 cup triumph. He
was capped
36 times for England but was only on the winning side on 10
occasions;
indicative of the quality of English rugby at the time.
However he had earnt
the respect of his contemporaries - his
autobiography is called 'Dai for England'
a reference to the fact that
many Welshmen reckoned he played like a Welshman.
Not a bad compliment! (John Lovell)
David Duckham died on Monday 9th January 2023 aged 76.
For his club, Coventry, he played 12 seasons from 1967 to 1979.
Pictured below.
Career Record: Played 36: Won 11, Drew 2, Lost 23. Test Points: 36. Tries: 10
1969 v Ireland (Dublin) L 17-15 (FN)
1969 v France (Twickenham) W 22-8 (FN)
1969 v Scotland (Twickenham) W 8-3 (FN)
1969 v Wales (Cardiff) L 30-9 (FN)
1969 v South Africa (Twickenham) W 11-8
1970 v Ireland (Twickenham) W 9-3 (FN)
1970 v Wales (Twickenham) L 17-13 (FN)
1970 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 14-5 (FN)
1970 v France (Colombes) L 35-13 (FN)
1971 v Wales (Cardiff) L 22-6 (FN)
1971 v Ireland (Dublin) W 9-6 (FN)
1971 v France (Twickenham) D 14-14 (FN)
1971 v Scotland (Twickenham) L 16-15 (FN)
1971 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 26-6 (Centenary game)
1971 v Presidents XV (Twickenham) L 28-11
1972 v Wales (Twickenham) L 12-3 (FN)
1972 v Ireland (Twickenham) L 16-12 (FN)
1972 v France (Colombes) L 37-12 (FN)
1972 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 23-9 (FN)
1973 v New Zealand (Twickenham) L 9-0
1973 v Wales (Cardiff) L 25-9 (FN)
1973 v Ireland (Dublin) L 18-9 (FN)
1973 v France (Twickenham) W 14-6 (FN)
1973 v Scotland (Murrayfield) W 20-13 (FN)
1973 v New Zealand (Auckland) W 16-10
1973 v Australia (Twickenham) W 20-3
1974 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 16-14 (FN)
1974 v Ireland (Twickenham) L 26-21 (FN)
1974 v France (Paris) D 12-12 (FN)
1974 v Wales (Twickenham) W 16-12 (FN)
1975 v Ireland (Dublin) L 12-9 (FN)
1975 v France (Twickenham) L 27-20 (FN)
1975 v Wales (Cardiff) L 20-4 (FN)
1976 v Australia (Twickenham) W 23-6
1976 v Wales (Twickenham) L 21-9 (FN)
1976 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 22-12 (FN)
David Duckham playing for Coventry Rugby Football Club against
Leicester Rugby Football Club at Welford Road (Leicester) on
14th September 1974. Photograph taken by George Herringshaw.