Players Who Shook the Crumbie #44: Darren Garforth

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Iain
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Players Who Shook the Crumbie #44: Darren Garforth

Post by Iain »

Darren made up the C of the ABC club for over a decade, spanning the advent of professionalism. A scaffolder by trade until turning professional, Darren brought the old style no nonsense approach to propping into the new professional era, and was an absolute man mountain in the scrum.
Darren was never a spectacular player but did his job in textbook fashion. He was like a rock in the scrum, got himself to the breakdowns and was a strong ball carrier if needed. This was all good enough for him to become the third member of the ABC to be capped by England, and he was to carry England through from tight head to the 1999 World Cup.
Being a fixture in the Tigers side for so long meant that Darren was a key part in all the major successes the club has enjoyed in recent years, calmly doing his job with no nonsense.
It was testament to an extremely popular player that he received one of the warmest farewells ever seen for a Tigers player when he made his last league appearance against London Irish at the end of the 2003 season.
Gate
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Post by Gate »

Good call. My favourite Tigers prop, and probably my favourite prop ever, with all due respect to the likes of Mighty Mouse.
Dave Thomas
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Darren Garforth

Post by Dave Thomas »

Whilst totally agreeing with allthe previous 'players who shook the crumbie' I think you do Darren a major dis-service -a great prop and running forward - formidable tackler and handy in the loose. I think he set the pattern for the modern props like Julian White and Vickery. Underestimated in a tough position.
Dave on the Crumbie
Iain
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Post by Iain »

I mean no criticism of Darren in that right up, apologies if it came across that way. What I meant was that he did his job superbly, was a master of the basics first and foremost. Yes he was more than useful at all the aspects you mention but first and foremost he was such a great player because he just got his head down and got on with the bread and butter of the role of a prop.
Big Dai
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Post by Big Dai »

.............And about time too!!!! Shame on you waiting until number 44 of this excellent series to get to Mr Garforth!

Best Garforth moments??

The three yard try against Toulouse that grew to thirty before the bar closed.
MoM performance for England against South Africa (Barnsey got that right for once!)
Telling Frank Tournaire to "Calm Down" (Pot....Kettle.....Black !!)
And Glowering at the Sky cameras after a yellow card!

My favourite player by a long chalk! (With a apologies to DM, Cockers, Wig and Dorian!)
Tweentown
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Post by Tweentown »

Darren was a great character and a 100% Tigers player - if our front row struggles these days I'm afraid I still call for 'the retyrn of the Baron'.

Graham Rowntree paid him the greatest complement on a radio interview at the end of last season. Wig was asked - Who is the greatest prop you have ever played against.
His reply - there has been mant great props I've come up against, but I never played against the best - I played with him - his name was of course Darren Garforth.

Here here to that.
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