He won 70 caps for Wales and was a key figure in two Grand Slams. But it would all have been a very different story had Tom Shanklin heeded the advice of one of the legends of the game.
Having been born in Harrow, he was eligible for England as well as the land of his father, Jim, who won four Welsh caps in the early 1970s. So when a certain Clive Woodward came calling out of the blue in early 2000, the 20-year-old Saracens centre had a big decision to make.
His club coach, Francois Pieenaar, had no doubts over what he should do. “Go with England” was the message from the South African World Cup winner. But, thankfully for Welsh rugby, Shanklin didn’t take his advice and the rest, as they say, is history.
