This book details every Test match ever played by the top 10 international sides, alongside the histories and statistics of the second and third tier nations. There is no better source of information out there about the game we know and love.
Nigel Owens sums it up well in his foreword of the book, when he says "this publication is a must for the rugby enthusiast... it is a valuable compendium that would be a welcome addition to any sports fan's collection." Whilst at first the rather daunting collection of over 5,800 entries may seem like it would only appeal to the most hardcore of rugby fans, there is something for everyone to be found in Keith Young's book. Histories of international teams, tournaments and stadia accompany the incredible collection of statistics and results that Keith Young has compiled.
I dove straight in to the England section of the book, reading about the first ever test match played against Scotland to the disappointing 2015 World Cup campaign. Before I knew it I was so enthralled by the history of my country's rugby team that I had to check out the statistics of our head to head results, where we have a winning percentage of 54.9% against tier 1 nations, and confirming that we had in fact won 5 Grand Slams in 7 seasons between 1913 and 1924, losing just 2 games. Then I moved from England to Australia, then to Argentina, then France and so on and so on. Whilst the tier 2/3 nations don't have the same amount of detail in the statistics as the tier 1 nations, their head to head records are there - and a well written history is included, with the Japanese history being my favourite, as you track their progress from playing British Columbia in 1930 to becoming the first team in RWC group stage history to be knocked out at the the first stage having won 3 games.
The trivia that this book gives you is a fun aspect too, it adds a lighter side to the seemingly serious statistics and was the most fascinating part of the book for me - for example, learning that in the first test each side fielded 20 players, England opting for 13 forwards, 3 full-backs, 3 half-backs and 1 three-quarter-back. Another brilliant example of the trivia this book provides is the rather gruesome fact that Dick (Red) Conway was so desperate to tour South Africa with the All Blacks in 1960 that he opted to amputate his badly set, injured finger in order to play. Needless to say, his commitment earned him a spot on the pitch at number 8.
Overall it has to be said that this book will appeal to all rugby fans, but in particular those that are utterly mad about rugby, who, with this book, can hold the whole history of international rugby in their hands. Keith Young's passion for rugby is felt very strongly in this book, and because of this anyone that enjoys the sport will also enjoy the book. However; it is those that live and die for rugby union that will get the most out of this, and will find themselves much more knowledgeable about the sport than they ever thought possible.
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