Dream Team: Dave Baldwin – former Sale lock

Dave Baldwin1. Martin Whitcombe – One of the first out and out ball-playing props. He was great around the field and a brilliant carrier, rather than just a good scrummager. Also a great bloke.
2. Steve Diamond – He's an aggressive character and although he wasn't the biggest he more than made up for it with his attitude. He seems to have taken that attitude into coaching.
3. Probably the best scrummager I have ever played against. Whoever was propping against him used to have an appalling game because he was just unrelenting.
4. Martin Johnson – He was still quite young when I played against him but he was incredibly competitive in every  facet of the game. An absolute legend.
5. Ian Jones – A very athletic second row but a lot more aggressive than people seem to think. He was brilliant for and for , would be great alongside Johnson.
6. David Erskine – Exactly the sort of guy you want to be at , he would make tackle after tackle and was definitely someone you want on your side.
7. Peter Winterbottom – I was lucky enough to make my debut for Yorkshire with him and played a lot more with him down the years. He was a fantastic all-round player.
8. Dean Richards – A bear of a man who could singlehandedly change a game. I  only played in one team which beat him, that shows what a  competitor he was.
9. Dewi Morris – I played with him when he came to after Orrell and he was like a fourth back row. He had an incredible heart and was the perfect scrum-half for a forward.
10. Paul Turner – Paul is the main reason why Sale are where they are. He turned the club around and was one of the most talented players I have known.
11. Rory Underwood – He had out and out gas and was an incredible finisher. Probably the best I have ever seen.
12. Denis Charvet – The Rolls Royce of centres. We played together a few times for the and he just had so much time on the ball.
13. Jos Baxendell – A very good mate of mine and someone who should have got a lot more caps. He had great ball skills and ran the most incredible lines, just unfortunate to coincide with .
14. Jason Robinson – When he came from League  he just did things no one else could. As a League fan I knew how good he was, but his transition  was incredible.
15. Jim Mallinder – Big Jim was a forward's dream as a full-back, brilliant under the high ball and you always knew he would make ground when running the ball back.

One Comment

  1. Well Mr Baldwin, I think you’ve made Mr Whitcombe’s day, lovely to see many of the above names – not only were they good players, but also good friends. Thanks for the memories!!! Mrs Whitcombe

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