Matt Dawson - Rugby Career

Rugby Career

He was best known for his trademark 'sniping runs' and played the whistle well, often scoring tries from 'tap and go' penalties. When called upon, he could also demonstrate his versatility by kicking goals.

He was educated at RGS High Wycombe and played his early club rugby with Marlow Rugby club. Dawson joined Northampton in 1991.

In 1993, Dawson was a member of the England Sevens team which won the first Sevens World Cup in Scotland alongside Andy Harriman, Adedayo Adebayo, Nick Beal, who is also an RGS old boy, Justyn Cassell, Lawrence Dallaglio, Damien Hopley, Tim Rodber, Dave Scully and Chris Sheasby. Dawson and Dallaglio are therefore the only players to have won World Cup Winners medals at both the 15 and 7 a side games.

Dawson made his international debut for England in December 1995, against Western Samoa, but would have to fight with Andy Gomarsall, Austin Healey but mostly Kyran Bracken for the England number 9 shirt.

Dawson went on the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa as third-choice scrum half behind Rob Howley and Austin Healey but injury to Howley and some good performances saw him make the starting line-up. In the first test with ten minutes to go, Dawson broke from the base of a scrum and threw an overhead dummy that checked the four Springboks allowing him to scamper in for the winning try. That victory was the start of a 2-1 series win, clinched when he fed Jeremy Guscott for the series-winning drop goal.

He was captain in the 2000 Six Nations and often in the absence of Martin Johnson.

In 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, Dawson went as second-choice scrum half behind Howley. Howley played in the first two tests but was injured for the third, where Dawson played. Controversially however, Dawson was one of the mid-week side opposed to the actions of coach Graham Henry and criticised Henry publicly for his criticism, although this did not cause as much stir as Healey's similar comments.

Dawson became an integral part of the England side, winning his 50th cap against Ireland on the same day England won the Grand Slam in 2003. He was a crucial part of the team that won the 2003 Six Nations Grand Slam and World Cup. He played a vital role in winning the final tie against Australia in Sydney on 22 November 2003. With less than a minute remaining in extra time he made a completely unexpected break gaining a vital 20 metres upfield. From the subsequent maul he fed the ball to Jonny Wilkinson for the winning drop goal. Many people feel he deserves as much credit as Wilkinson for the final score which secured the victory.

In 2004 he moved from Northampton to Wasps, winning the Premiership title in his first season. Living in London allowed Matt to pursue a media career. In the autumn he failed to turn up to an England training camp due to a previously-arranged commitment to appear on A Question of Sport, resulting in him being dropped from the England squad for the 2004 Autumn internationals. A return to the 2005 Six Nations was expected and Dawson rejoined the Elite Player Squad for the tournament, playing well enough to earn a place on the 2005 British Lions tour to New Zealand, managed by Sir Clive Woodward.

Dawson returned to the England fold in 2005 but had limited opportunities in a disappointing Six Nations campaign as Harry Ellis started at number nine for four of the five matches.

On 7 April 2006, Dawson announced that he would be retiring from rugby completely at the end of the season and on 14 May 2006 he played his last game of premiership rugby, when Sale denied Wasps their chance of winning the Premiership title 4 years in a row and so equalling Leicester's record. Coaching is a possibility for him after leaving Wasps.