A week before this year’s Guinness Premiership Final, Guinness proudly hosted a lunch and an opportunity for the country’s top sports journalists to sit down and chat with two giants of the English game who are walking away after a quarter century of service – Lawrence Dallalgio and Richard Hill.

Whilst Richard Hill has regularly been described as a linchpin for both club and country, it is Lawrence Bruno Nero Dallaglio who has captured the hearts of the nation. And as he entered the restaurant last week, his presence filled the room and it was easy to understand why.

For Lawrence, playing rugby was like going into battle. Whether he was playing in the Guinness Premiership or on the international stage, he always brought to the table that fearless Churchillian spirit. He was never afraid to put other players in their place, he always spoke his mind, both on and off the pitch, and when on international duty he bellowed out the national anthem with more pride than the entire England football team.

So it seemed fitting that on Saturday, Lawrence played his 339^th and final game of competitive rugby in front of a world-record crowd for a domestic game. Once again he played at Twickenham, once again he shed tears in the tunnel and once again, as expected, he led his team to victory.

For Lawrence his charisma and natural aura stands him in good stead for the next stage of his career and can be summed-up in the words of another staunchly proud Englishman: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Something tells me we will be seeing Lawrence again.

By Nick Stocker on June 5th, 2008

Tags: Guinness, Guinness Premiership, Rugby

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