Originally Posted by david1955:
“England Rugby Union star Andy Ripley has died aged 62. He had been battling against cancer for five years.
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Dreadfully sad news.
Work colleagues of mine who deal with Honours came back from an investiture at Buckingham Palace recently and were talking about him and how ill he looked. I said he was in his early 60s - they said he looked much, much older.
A good friend of mine who played decent standard rugby in the early 70s told me how, at Rosslyn Park matches, Ripley would finish the game and enjoy a few beers and a meal with the opponents. The whole Club, and opponents, would then head out to the main road. Ripley would rev up his Harley (it HAD to be a Harley), do a huge wheelie one way, turn round an head back with another huge wheelie then, to the roars of all gathered do a third one and head into town for the night.
I think my first rugby memory was this massive guy charging downfield with knees pumping and hair flowing behind him.
Could so easily have been the No8 in the great Lions 74 Test team and they wouldn't have missed a beat.
He's one of the players from those days who I think would have adjusted quite easily to the modern game.
I think he woud play at 8 in my 'select' England team of those I've seen play.
Goodbye Andy