Pin Up Pete, England's Foxy Star
Peter Fox, a star of the 2008 Yorkshire Beef in the Buff calendar, cut an impressive figure (with his clothes on) at today's England press conference. The perfect choice, you might say, for Le Roast Beefs against France in Toulouse on Friday. Peter bared all before he left Wakefield for Hull KR this year but all in the best possible taste as part of a fund raising effort for Cancer Research UK. The last England man to pose naked with a ball covering his modesty was Sean Long in the pages of Cosmopolitan during the build up to the 2000 World Cup. Some team-mates posed with bananas - the official 2000 World Cup fruit. I wonder if there'll be an official team fruit in Australia ? The Mango Kangaroos, Pomegranate Kiwis, England Macadamia Nuts ...
Anyway, Fox was at home having a lie down after a Sunday roast dinner - whether naked or not, we haven't officially been informed - when after two missed calls, he finally picked up his mobile. Unlike Warrington's Paul Wood, who in 2003 put the phone down on Great Britain coach David Waite in thinking he was the victim of a wind up, Fox was sufficiently compus mentus to recognise that it was Tony Smith and what he was telling him. The same Tony Smith who dispatched him from Leeds to York because Lee Smith and Danny Williams were ahead of him in the wing pecking order at Headingley.
Smith, though, had not forgotten the young man's qualities and ferocious appetite for the game and training. With Hull's Gareth Raynor unable to train this week, Fox, 23, will take his place on the wing against France after a spectacular rise through the ranks at York, Wakefield and Hull KR. Another performance as assured as he gave to the assembled media and he'll do well on his Test debut and lay a marker down for the World Cup.
"I work on my game a lot. I try and get out on the field for training first and come off last. Maybe I'm too enthusiastic," he said. "If I was to start the match, it'd be a great opportunity. I've tried to be as consistent as I can for Hull KR, and I've a great chance to stake my claim and prove what I can do. I've a wealth of experience of playing in National League Two, National League One and Super League. I know what it takes to get up there. It's how you react to situations like the one when I left Leeds for York. I was just positive. I always believed in myself."
Eighteen-year-old Castleford Tiger Joe Westerman and Warrington's Ben Westwood, the other non caps, are likely to be going to France for the experience, with Smith picking his strongest possible side. Matt Diskin is a noteable absentee, but maintain his form and the Leeds hooker is an obvious candidate for the eventual 24-man World Cup squad. With ten Catalans players in France's squad, there is little doubting how strong the opposition will be. The ideal preparation, in others words, looking towards the World Cup starting in October.
England squad: Sam Burgess (Bradford), Rob Burrow (Leeds), Gareth Ellis (Leeds), Maurie Fa'asavalu (St Helens), Peter Fox (Hull KR), Ade Gardner (St Helens), Martin Gleeson (Warrington), James Graham (St Helens), Danny McGuire (Leeds), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Jamie Peacock (Leeds, captain), Leon Pryce (St Helens), James Roby (St Helens), Keith Senior (Leeds), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds), Paul Wellens (St Helens), Joe Westerman (Castleford), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Jon Wilkin (St Helens).
France squad (Catalans Dragons unless stated): Eric Anselme (Leeds), Thomas Bosc, Laurent Carrasco (Toulouse), Remy Casty, Trent Clayton (Toulouse), Vincent Duport, Olivier Elima, Jamal Fakir, Adel Fellous (Widnes), Jerome Guisset, Younes Khattabi, Gregory Mounis, Sebastien Raguin, Julien Rinaldi (Harlequins), Pierre Sabatie (Villeneuve), Teddy Saddaoui (Carcassonne), Cyril Stacul, James Wynne (Lezignan).
eeeeeerrrrr nuw wagun wagun not wun in site they is all from over thur!
Posted by: dennis farrimond | 23 Jun 2008 23:05:40
uuuuuh mi mate duggie sez get dan grund and play nevr mind the b.......s up wigin yus
Posted by: dennis farrimond | 23 Jun 2008 21:14:20
Does ee fly like a bird i bet hes reet fast int ee boss
ta ta billy
Posted by: Billy Casper | 23 Jun 2008 21:10:33
EE naw then Good on im for't gerrin a couple o tigers in theeyre Good stuff eeel be showin them french his meat and two veg hey, dunt forget thas yorkshire puddins n'all
see thee
Posted by: harry Sunderland | 23 Jun 2008 14:48:14
It's Good to see Smith giving the youngsters a run. I hope he does not underestimate the french though!
Posted by: Mike Hunt | 23 Jun 2008 14:46:23
OOO Marvellous I will have him medium rare!!
Posted by: Quentin crisp | 23 Jun 2008 14:45:12