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The amazing Scottish TV commentator Bill McLaren commentated on the game for the BBC for over 50 years. The much loved Bill prepared assiduously before EVERY game he was to broadcast. His family tell us he would often start on Monday for a game to be played the following Saturday. The result were these handwritten 'Big Sheets' about every player and official to be involved. He left nothing to chance. It was often said 'Bill knew mre about each player that they knew about themselves!' Note how he used different coloured pens to separate each fact. That there so there was no 'searching' for them during a live telecast. This 'Big Sheet' was drawn up for his call of the All Blacks v Barbarians Club at Twickenham in 1993. Details of the scores, scoring, players, referees and reserves and even those who were to sit in the official box are all found here if you look closely. After this game Bill would file the sheet away and two days later would begin another sheet for his next call.
26 September 2014
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With Cavaliers players banned a very young NZ team, under their captain David Kirk, and with 11 new test players, beat France 18-9 in Christchurch.
GACHASSIN, JEAN
Lourdes and France
32 internationals for France 1961–69
Physically one of the smallest players to ever appear regularly in international rugby, Gachassin was also a brilliant exponent of the best running skills of back play. He appeared for his country in four backline positions: first as a wing in 1961 and later as a fullback, centre and flyhalf.
Gachassin was only 1.62 metres tall (5 ft 4 ins), and weighed 63 kilograms (9 stone 12lbs). One journalist listed the following nicknames for Gachassin at one or another time in his career: the ‘Pocket Wing’, ‘Peter Pan’, the ‘Mighty Atom’, or the ‘Bagnères Flea’. Nevertheless, he was one of the most popular figures in French rugby in the 1960s.
His popularity has continued in the sport of tennis where he has been the President of French Tennis Federation for a number of years and is regularly seen sitting courtside at Roland Garros when the famous French Open tournament in played.
What did the famous Welsh and British Lions hooker Bobby Windsor achieve on his 42nd birthday?
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