Author:Tom English
Shortlised for the 2022 SBA Best Sports Book of the 21st Century prize
The gripping inside story of when an England-Scotland rugby match become more than a game
Murrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotland - winner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby.
Will Carling's England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher's Britain - snarling, brutish and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogs - second-class citizens from a land that's become the testing ground for the most unpopular tax in living memory: Thatcher's Poll Tax. In Edinburgh, nationalism is rising high - what happens in the stadium will resound far beyond the pitch.
Told with unprecedented access to key players, coaches and supporters on both sides (Will Carling, Ian McGeechan, Brian Moore and the rest), Tom English has produced a gripping account of a titanic struggle that thrusts the reader right into the heart of the action. Game on.
'A priceless read' Guardian
'Absolutely outstanding' The Times
'An epic tale' Daily Telegraph
'Gripping' Scottish Review of Books
I enjoyed this book enormously. The match is one of my enduring rugby memories, and reading The Grudge it all came flooding back
—— John InverdaleThe finest book written on the tournament ... English has produced an absolutely outstanding work, weaving in the strands of history, politics, sociology, dislike and tactical nous, which makes the game probably the most remarkable ever played in the grand old tournament. The insights provided into the minds and roles of Jim Telfer and Brian Moore are worth the price alone
—— Stephen Jones , The TimesSuperb ... a fantastic drama. The Grand Slam match was part of a political world ... This is what gave the occasion its power, its glory and its ultimate significance
—— The HeraldGripping ... Tom English has interviewed all the main protagonists to produce a richly textured picture of the build-up, the day itself and the aftermath
—— Independent5 stars. An epic tale of clashing personalities. The Grudge puts you right on the touchline as the English and Scottish teams go to war.
—— Simon Briggs , Daily TelegraphEnglish has written a marvellous book, in its way as gripping as that season and the match itself
—— Scottish Review of BooksA potentially award-winning book. It's a terrific bit of work, as engaging as the day itself was.
—— Mick Cleary , Daily TelegraphA remarkable and compulsive re-enactment over 235 pages of the day Scotland confounded all expectation to win
—— Paul AckfordA priceless read ... quite outstanding
—— Robert Kitson , The GuardianIf you haven't bought Tom English's book about the 1990 match - The Grudge - then do yourself a favour and get it now. It's terrific
—— Alex Massie , SpectatorTom English's excellent book, The Grudge, revisits an occasion when sport and politics and ancient rivalry came together
—— Chris Foy , Daily MailTrue tales: great stuff
—— Frank Keating , The GuardianShudderingly good ... English has a rare talent for getting to the core of a person
—— Rugby WorldThatcherite politics and rugby come crashing into contact in this rich and textured account
—— iThe perfect present for any rugby fan. It shows the goldfish-bowl aspect to life as a modern-day sporting legend and gives an insight into what it's like on the inside looking out
—— Irish IndependentWhether you are a rugby fan or not, this book is likely to please... This honest autobiography will provide an intriguing read for the Christmas period
—— South Tipp TodayCompelling reading
—— Richard Fitzpatrick , Irish Examiner
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