'A terrific book. No one put their body on the line quite like Sam
Warburton.' Brian O'Driscoll 'It was an absolute privilege to play
against Sam. An inspiring leader with an equally inspiring story to
tell.' Jonny Wilkinson Sam Warburton OBE was not only a titan of
Welsh rugby, but an icon of the game. Having represented his
country as a player and team captain at all junior levels, he
propelled himself to international attention in 2011 when named as
the youngest ever captain of Wales for the Rugby World Cup. Despite
his tender age, Sam's immense displays for club and country were
recognised still further in April 2013, when, at just 24, he was
named the Lions' captain for the extraordinary 2013 tour to
Australia. Four years later, after a year 'in the wilderness', Sam
was named Lions' captain yet again for the historic tour to New
Zealand, thereby becoming the first ever Lions Captain never to
lose a series in the professional era. Intelligent, calm,
thoughtful - in many ways seemingly the exact opposite of the smash
and crash of modern rugby - Warburton's edge never came with his
size, but with his depth of thought, his reading of movement, and
his understanding that, to be a uniquely successful leader, one
needs to set goals that far exceed the ambitions of even the most
ferocious of opponents. In leading other men, and in pitting
himself against the world's best, Warburton was forced repeatedly
to push himself to the very edge of his physiological and mental
limits, the 21 significant injuries over that period a painful
testament to his sacrifice. Open Side is therefore not simply a
chronology of events or a celebration of statistics. Written in a
compelling but soul searching style, this is an astoundingly
personal book exploring the nature of leadership, the value of
self-control, the precision of mindset and of course the future of
the game. It is also a deeply personal meditation on the sacrifice
of body, the torment of injury and the pain of retirement, a
decision Sam was forced to make in July 2018, at just 29 years old.
Never before has a rugby autobiography given such intimate access
not only to the realities of the dressing room and the heroes and
villains of the modern game, but to the unique mindset required to
make someone a genuinely great leader of men.
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