# Sam Doble

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**Samuel Arthur Doble** (9 March 1944 – 17 September 1977) was an English [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union) [full-back](/source/Full_back_(rugby_union)) who played international rugby for [England](/source/England_national_rugby_union_team) and club rugby for [Moseley](/source/Moseley_Rugby_Football_Club).[1] He was a [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham) PE teacher, teaching at Northfield Comprehensive School. Doble was awarded three [caps](/source/Cap_(sport)) to play for England.[2] He, however, suffered a sudden death in 1977 from cancer at the age of 33.[3]

## Rugby career

Doble first came to public attention when he scored 581 points for [Moseley](/source/Moseley_Rugby_Football_Club) in the 1971/72 domestic season.[4] His debut was an 18–9 victory over [South Africa](/source/South_Africa_national_rugby_union_team) in [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg), in which he scored 14 points.[2] England were on the back foot early on when they lost prop [Stack Stevens](/source/Stack_Stevens) to injury and had to contest seven-man scrums for twenty minutes. However, the visiting side's makeshift front row did not lose one strike against the head and England gradually took control of the game when Stevens returned. With the forwards keeping the Springboks at bay, Doble scored four penalties and converted Alan Morley's second half try from the touchline to help England to a most unlikely victory.[citation needed]

Despite his heroics in South Africa, Sam played in just two more matches, a 9–0 loss to [New Zealand](/source/All_Blacks) early in 1973[5] and a 25–9 loss to [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team) in the following [Five Nations](/source/Six_Nations_Championship) campaign. England were outscored by five tries to nil, but Doble signed off his international account with two penalties to augment a drop goal by Dick Cowman.[citation needed]

## Death

In 1977, Sam died after being diagnosed with melanoma a few years before. His life was honoured with a special match between the Rugby Writers International XV and Moseley later in the year. Thirty years on, the victorious England side of [Ellis Park](/source/Coca-Cola_Park_(Johannesburg)) '72 met up at [Twickenham](/source/Twickenham_Stadium) to watch [Clive Woodward](/source/Clive_Woodward)'s England beat South Africa 53–3. Doble was the only player missing from the line-up.[citation needed]

## Memorial match

Moseley v International Rugby Writers XV Sunday 27 November 1977[6]

Moseley 19 points International Rugby Writers XV 43 points[3]

**Moseley**

15 C A Meanwell; 14 A Thomas, 13 M K Swain, 12 B J Corless, 11 P Beddoes; 10 [M J Cooper](/source/Martin_Cooper_(rugby_union)), 9 C J Gifford; 1 T F Corless, 2 G N J Cox, 3 W H Greaves, 4 R Field, 5 B Ayre, 6 J C White, 8 [N C Jeavons](/source/Nick_Jeavons), 7 D G Warren

Scorers Tries: P Beddoes, B J Corless, C A Meanwell Conversions: M Cooper (2) Penalties: C A Meanwell

**International Rugby Writers XV**

15 [J P R Williams](/source/J._P._R._Williams) ([Bridgend](/source/Bridgend_RFC)/[Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team)); 14 [P J Squires](/source/Peter_Squires_(sportsman)) ([Harrogate](/source/Harrogate)/[England](/source/England_national_rugby_union_team)), 13 [S P Fenwick](/source/Steve_Fenwick) (Bridgend/Wales), 12 [T G R Davies](/source/Gerald_Davies) ([Cardiff](/source/Cardiff_RFC)/Wales), 11 [A R Irvine](/source/Andy_Irvine_(rugby_union)) ([Heriot's FP](/source/Heriot's_FP)/[Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_rugby_union_team)); 10 [P Bennett](/source/Phil_Bennett) ([Llanelli](/source/Llanelli_RFC)/Wales), 9 [G O Edwards](/source/Gareth_Edwards_(rugby_union)) (Cardiff/Wales); 1 [F E Cotton](/source/Fran_Cotton) ([Sale](/source/Sale_Sharks)/England), 2 [P J Wheeler](/source/Peter_Wheeler_(rugby_union)) ([Leicester](/source/Leicester_Tigers)/England), 3 [G Price](/source/Graham_Price) ([Pontypool](/source/Pontypool_RFC)/Wales), 4 [W B Beaumont](/source/Bill_Beaumont) ([Fylde](/source/Fylde_Rugby_Club)/England), 5 [A J Martin](/source/Allan_Martin_(rugby_union)) ([Aberavon](/source/Aberavon_RFC)/Wales), 6 [T J Cobner](/source/Terry_Cobner) (Pontypool/Wales), 8 [D L Quinnell](/source/Derek_Quinnell) (Llanelli/Wales), 7 [A Neary](/source/Tony_Neary) ([Broughton Park](/source/Broughton_Park)/England)

Replacements [J Webster](/source/Jan_Webster) (Moseley/England), [A Ripley](/source/Andy_Ripley) ([Rosslyn Park](/source/Rosslyn_Park_F.C.)/England), [A G Faulkner](/source/Charlie_Faulkner) (Pontypool/Wales), [R W Windsor](/source/Bobby_Windsor) (Pontypool/Wales), [A Old](/source/Alan_Old) ([Sheffield](/source/Sheffield_RUFC)/England)

Scorers Tries: T G R Davies, T J Cobner, A R Irvine, A Neary, P J Squires (2), P Bennett (2) Conversions: P Bennett (4) Penalties: P Bennett (1)

Touch Judges: G Bannister, D Jones

Referee: N R Samson.

## References

1. ["ATV Today: 11.02.1972: Interview with Sam Doble, Moseley Rugby Full Back"](https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-11021972-interview-sam-doble-moseley-rugby-full-back). *[MACE Archive](/source/MACE_Archive)*. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2024-11-09.

1. Bartlam, Norman (2011-11-01). [*The Little Book of Birmingham*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Gi8TDQAAQBAJ). The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5390-0.

1. Godwin, Hugh (2007-12-02). ["Miracle at Moseley: The noble cause in memory of Doble"](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/miracle-at-moseley-the-noble-cause-in-memory-of-doble-761824.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. Retrieved 2024-11-09.

1. [*The Guinness Book of Records*](https://books.google.com/books?id=zKQxAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Sam%20Doble%22%20-wikipedia). [Guinness Superlatives](/source/Guinness_Superlatives). 1981. p. 275.

1. [*England down to All Blacks*](https://books.google.com/books?id=SNxUAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Sam+Doble%22&pg=PA10&article_id=2829,1228815). [The Age](/source/The_Age). 1973-01-08. p. 10.

1. [**A fantastic team**](https://books.google.com/books?id=t-A9AAAAIBAJ&q=Doble&pg=PA25&article_id=4933,341122#v=onepage). [The Glasgow Herald](/source/The_Glasgow_Herald). 1977-11-01. p. 25.

## External links

- [Links about Moseley](https://web.archive.org/web/20091027045215/http://uk.geocities.com/moseleyfan/historic.html) 27 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sam Doble](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Doble) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Doble?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.