The Big Interview with Leeds Carnegie coach Neil Back

THAT drop goal. Martin Johnson launching the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft, his England colleagues celebrating wildly in the floodlights at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.

Australia vanquished.

For the players who were there, who, in 100 minutes of rugby union, forever etched themselves into a nation’s consciousness, it’s hard to see how anything could ever top that famous night in 2003.

Neil Back found something.

As part of the ‘holy trinity’, Back was the determined, committed, courageous flanker who terrorised international back rows along with Lawrence Dallaglio and Richard Hill.

His tireless work ethic brought him tremendous success, despite his size, in the domestic, European and international arenas.

Perhaps his best quality, however, has been an ability to leave the past where it is. Back has never stood still.

When he insisted that keeping Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Premiership last season was a bigger achievement than winning the World Cup with England, his was probably the only head that wasn’t turned.

“It was,” he insists, with the kind of stare that both terrifies you but also makes you unable to switch gaze.

“Some of the teams that I have been privileged to have been involved with – Leicester, England and the British and Irish Lions – finance was not a restricting factor. We had to do it on a very limited budget at Leeds. I think that’s helped personal development going forward so we have had to be much shrewder and watch every penny.

“That will stand us in good stead in the future but we did it through hard work, hard effort and we set a mantra – we’re not going to fail through lack of effort. We didn’t fail.”

So when Back tells you of his determination to broaden Leeds’ appeal, to widen their base to bring in supporters from all over Yorkshire, you take him seriously.

If keeping Leeds in the Premiership was considered a miracle, his next task is going to need an extra intervention from the Almighty.

There are pockets of popularity, it has to be admitted, but Yorkshire can hardly be considered a bastion for rugby union – crowds of around 5,000 attend Leeds’ matches. It’s an area swayed by the sports of football, cricket and rugby league.

Back admits he was “humbled” when 570 people packed out York Racecourse last week as the York Sportsman’s Lunch made him, and director of rugby Andy Key, the star turns.

His task is to make the county proud.

“It’s nice to see the tremendous support,” he adds. “I’ve been to a few dinners here and they have been organised by Mark Pepper and Nick Elliot. They came to us with a concept and we thought it was fantastic. We were unsure how it would go but it flew off the shelves and people showed their support.

“Leeds is the only Premiership club in this area so it’s about making the whole of Yorkshire proud about what we are trying to do. We have got a great spirit within the camp. Results aren’t quite going our way at the minute but the belief and confidence is there and we need these shows of support. They are invaluable.”

Part of that has been getting into the community. Back has held training sessions at York RUFC and his assistant forwards coach, Alex Moreno, has been a regular visitor to Clifton Park.

He says it’s a part of the job he enjoys.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic. Through my career as a player and as a coach I have gone out and done those sorts of sessions. What we found is an unbelievably enthusiastic bunch of guys that wanted to develop themselves.

“That, as a coach, is all you want. We had a fantastic time. I did fear about how they would wake up the next day – a bit battered and bruised – but Alex has gone back a few times now and is helping, particularly with their forwards. They have got a good win and hopefully we have contributed to that.”

Back’s big idea for Leeds might have to go on the back burner for a few weeks, however.

Times are tough at Headingley at the moment.

Without a win in the Premiership and with a young side thumped 52-13 at Llanelli Scarlets in their opening LV Cup encounter last weekend, it is going to be another mammoth challenge for Leeds to keep that coveted spot in the top division.

Back, as you would expect, welcomes the challenge.

“We are where we are,” he says. “Seventeen players left last year, five by choice, and we brought in 11 but, in doing do, we only spent – I say only – £83,000. It’s a significant sum but not in the realms of professional sport so we’ve brought in what we feel is a better quality but we have got fewer in number.

“Our worst fears were realised early in the season with injury to key players and that’s had an effect on our performances. They are the excuses out of the way really.

“I think we’ve got a good squad, there is great belief there and, through our review process each week, we have demonstrated that we are a good side. We are creating a lot of opportunities, we just need to finish a few more of those and get that elusive win. Then we will kick on from there.”

The sell-out York Sportsman’s Lunch crowd wanted to hear about the 2003 World Cup triumph, and how the team, which was the undisputed number one team around the globe, was put together.

It might be seven years since Back and company stood triumphant, but he says he never gets tired of talking about that day.

“I don’t. I was privileged to have been involved in that,” he said. “It was my third and last World Cup. We had an outstanding group of players that were together for a number of years and grew into what was an unbelievable team and working environment.

“We were like-minded people that wanted to be successful, that had sacrificed a lot and gave everything to England and that shirt. It was all worth it.”