If ever a man was destined for top-class rugby it was Scott Quinnell. His father Derek played for Llanelli, Wales and the Lions in a great era for all three. Barry John is his uncle and the late Mervyn Davies his godfather, while his younger brother Craig followed him into the Wales team.
His Rugby World Cup memories go back to watching as a teenager in 1987, while Derek was away in New Zealand as a member of the Wales coaching team. His reactions to Paul Thorburn’s winning touchline conversion in the third place match against Australia combined the preoccupations of the committed rugby fan and the growing lad.
“The only reason I knew it had gone over was because my mum was screaming in the lounge,” he recalls. “I was hiding in the pantry because I was so nervous.”
He had two Wales careers, either side of a spell playing rugby league with Wigan – who in their great days were not always fully convinced of the value of union converts, but needed no second invitation to go after a large, powerful, athletic back rower skilled in breaking defensive lines and finding supporting runners.
That spell in league meant that he was not available for the Rugby World Cup 1995, but he was once more a nailed-on choice by the time the 1999 tournament came around, with Wales as hosts. In all he played 52 times for Wales and was a two-time British and Irish Lion, going on the 1997 and 2001 tours.
Since retiring he has developed a varied broadcasting career – as a rugby analyst for Sky, co-presenter with Will Greenwood of the School of Hard Knocks and making cameo appearances as himself in the Wales-based sitcom Stella.
But anyone seeing this as a life without adversity should think again. An undiagnosed dyslexic into his 30s, he always struggled with reading. Since diagnosis he has characteristically thrown himself into work for dyslexia charities.
The next phase of his broadcasting career will begin in the Heineken Rugby Studio which he sees as an opportunity to “Have a relaxing time around the Rugby World Cup and not get beaten up like the players.”
He is a committed patriot. Asked who will win Rugby World Cup 2015, he says simply “Wales”. Asked for alternative contenders, he names southern hemisphere teams – starting with New Zealand but with striking thoughts on the perennial dark horses he faced in the opening game of the 1999 tournament.
“Argentina always go better during these periods when they are together for a long period and of course the rugby championship before coming into the Rugby World Cup means they will be up there,” he says.
