I joined the London Society 33 years ago and progressed to the London Society’s Senior List.
In my latter time, I was privileged to be appointed solely to the top school games in the south of England. Consequently, I have been fortunate to have refereed many extraordinary players during this time. Whilst reflecting on these players, I have actually selected 3 fifteens !! – My selection has been based on how much I enjoyed their playing, and their impression on me, and not what they subsequently achieved.

I have selected them in the position that I refereed them – and not where they ultimately played.

I hope our readers enjoy my selections:-

First XV
1 – Dave Flatman (Saracens U21) – subsequently Saracens & England – a brilliant prop, now a fun TV pundit
2 – Mikey Haywood (Colchester U16) – subsequently Saints & England U20 – Colchester’s finest - best hooker never to have been selected for England
3 – Paddy Dunstan (Wasps 1st XV) – subsequently England A – reffed him in my one & only 1st class game
4 – Alex Brown (Bristol U21) – subsequently Gloucester & England – a beanpole, who was a brilliant line-out exponent
5 – Jamie Gibson ( England U20 & Saints) – a brilliant player at schoolboy level
6 – Lewis Ludlam (Colchester U16) – subsequently Saints & England – another of Colchester’s finest
7 – Paul Volley (Wasps U21) – subsequently Wasps & England A – rampaging open-side, maybe too small for a full cap
8 – James Haskell (Wasps, England & British Lions) – I reffed him in his last school match – he had already played for Wasps 1st XV
9 – Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors & Scotland) – his father Mike ran the rugby at Bryanston, where it was always a joy to ref
10 – Danny Cipriani (Wasps, Gloucester & England )– the most creative no 10 in England
11 – Paul Sackey (Wasps & England) – bloody quick!
12 – George Lowe ( Quins & England) – very graceful – best centre I ever saw until I came upon Elliot Daly
13 – Elliot Daly (Wasps & England )– amazing – reffed him 3 times in one season
14 – Marlon Yarde (Sale & England) – in same school team as Daly & Harry Williams
15 – David Humphries (London Irish 2nd) – subsequently Ireland & British Lions (at no 10) – quality player

2nd XV
1 – Kyle Sinckler ( Wasps & England )- in same school team as George Lowe
2 – Matt Cairns (Saracens U21) – subsequently Saracens & England – a very under-rated hooker
3 – Harry Williams ( Exeter & England) – in same school side as Daly & Yarde
4 – John Morrison (Bristol 2nd) – previously Bath & England – played in Bath’s John Player Cup winning team – first international player I ever refereed
5 – Tony Diprose ( Saracens, England, & British Lions )– was in 2nd row in those days – reffed him under lights at Colchester against CRGS
6 – Andrew Sheridan (Bristol U21) – subsequently Bristol, England & British Lions – played back row before he moved to an illustrious career at prop
7 – Buster White (Wasps 1st XV) – subsequently England Saxons & Barbarians – another abrasive back row forward who deserved to have played for England
8 – Peter Scrivener (Wasps U21) – subsequently Wasps, England U20 & Barbarians – really nice guy to ref – ever present in Wasps 1st XV for many years
9 – Harry Williams (Colchester U15 ) – will play for Wales in the future – extraordinarily talented for one so young – my wild card selection
10 – Ross Chisholm ( Quins) – where he has played at full back & on the wing in recent years
11 – Richard Haughton (Saracens U21) – subsequently Saracens & England Saxons – bloody quick !!
12 – Kevin Sorrell ( Saracens & England) – another quality centre
13 – Jordan Turner-Hall ( Quins & England) – very direct running centre, who retired too early
14 – Darren O’Leary ( Saracens & England) A – in same school side as Diprose – scored a try against CRGS under lights at the club
15 – Ben Ransom (Saracens & England U20) – an elusive runner – retired from 1st class game too early

3rd XV
1 – Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester & England )– Haskell’s mate – just Google the connection !!
2 – Saul Nelson (Bristol U21) – subsequently Bristol 1st XV
3 – Jon Dawson (Saracens U21) – subsequently England U20 & Quins
4 – Kieron Roche (Saracens U21) – subsequently L Irish – in same Saracens U21 XV as many of the others mentioned here
5 – Stuart Hooper (Saracens U21) – subsequently Bath & England Saxons – now Bath 1st XV coach
6 – Richard Thorpe ( London Irish & Canada)
7 – Jackson Wray (Saracens) - reffed him at Sevens – obviously very talented
8 – Billy Vinipola (Saracens, England & British Lions) – would have sent him off, if his coach had not removed him from field of play
9 – Alex Day (Colchester U18) – subsequently Saracens & England U20 – another of Colchester greats – now a regular in Saracens 1st XV
10 – Owen Farrell ( Saracens, England & British Lions) - reffed him at Sevens – was grumpy & obnoxious even then
11 – Ben Johnson (Saracens U21) – subsequently Saracens & England
12 – Danny Hipkiss (Diss U16) – subsequently Tigers & England – played regularly against my own Colchester boys – impossible to tackle
13 – Nick Greenstock (Wasps 1st) – subsequently England
14 – Sam Edgerley (England Sevens) – elusive, very quick, with an extraordinary side-step
15 – Lee Best (Bristol U21) – already Bristol 1st XV & England – had already a full England Cap when I reffed him in the famous Saracens v Bristol U21 match