Colin Deans
| Full name | Colin Deans | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 May 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Hawick, Scotland | ||
| School | Hawick High School | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Hooker | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| Hawick RFC | |||
| correct as of 15 November 2009. | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1978-1984 | Scotland | 52 | |
| correct as of 15 November 2009. | |||
Colin Thomas Deans (born 3 May 1955 in Hawick) in the Scottish borders is a former rugby union player with Hawick RFC and Scotland.[1] His nickname was Beano.[1]
He made his Scotland debut (at the age of 22) against France in 1978 when Scotland lost, 16 - 19.[1] He was active on the national team between 1978, and 1987, with his high point being in Scotland's 1984 Grand Slam.[1]
Richard Bath writes of him that he was
- "The prototype for the faster hooker, acting as an extra flanker that has since emerged, Deans has few equals. Superb in the loose and a wonderfully quick striker of the ball in the scrum, the rugged Deans was also a pinpoint line-out thrower."[1]
Allan Massie describes him as a hooker with back-row skills:
- "He is the most remarkable loose forward of any hooker I have seen. There can have been few, if any, faster; indeed, his speed is such that from the broken play and the line-out he gives Scotland in effect a fourth back-row forward. This means that, like Carmichael, he is ideal for the modern game, capable of fulfilling his specialist role, but also of taking a full part in fifteen-man Rugby. He harries the defence tirelessly: in the great win at Cardiff in 1982 Deans had a big part in the build-up for two of the Scottish tries; he was also at Calder's shoulder to take a pass, had that been necessary, when the first try was scored."[2]
He also says that Deans was, "with the possible exception of Peter Wheeler, the most accurate thrower-in of recent years."[3]
Deans was selected for the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand, but surprisingly was kept on the bench for its entireity.[1] New Zealand thrashed the British Lions on this tour.
He obtained 52 caps for his country.[1] He is said to have been most effective when playing in combination with David Leslie.[3]
Noted for his skills at the line-out, of the game against Wales in 1984, the first Scottish Grand Slam since 1925, Allan Massie says "we would have probably lost that game if the Deans-Leslie combination had been less effective".[3]
With 52 caps he overtook Frank Laidlaw's previous record.[3]
Deans attended the primary school in Hawick where Bill McLaren taught.[1]
References
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1)
- Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)