Stephen Larkham
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| Player information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Larkham | |
| birthday | May 29, 1974 | |
| place of birth | Canberra , Australia | |
| Nickname | Bernie | |
| society | ||
| society | Ricoh Black Rams | |
| position | Liaison half , goalkeeper | |
| Clubs as active | ||
| Years | society | Games (points) |
| 1990-2004 1996-2007 2008-2010 |
ACT and Southern NSW Brumbies (Super 14) Ricoh Black Rams |
112 (214) 127 (204) 7 (5) |
| National team | ||
| Years | National team | Games (points) |
| 1996-2007 |
 Australia
|
102 (135) |
|
Status: December 19, 2010 |
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Stephen Larkham (born May 29, 1974 in Canberra ) is a former Australian rugby union player who played on the position of the connector . He was active for the Brumbies in the Super 14 and the Australian national team until 2007 . With the end of the World Cup in 2007 he ended his career in Australia and moved to Japan to the Ricoh Black Rams , where he signed a three-year contract. Larkham is one of eight players to have made more than 100 caps in their career. His greatest success was winning the world title in 1999 .
Career
Larkham began his career in the position of goalkeeper , but was later used by then Australian national coach Rod Macqueen in the connector position. His first use with the "Wallabies" he received on June 22, 1996 as a substitute against Wales . He made his first attempt in 1997 against South Africa in his fifth international match. In July 1998 he moved to the position of connector, which he held until the end of his international career. Initially, those responsible received a lot of criticism for Larkham's change of position, as his skills as a kicker were not on the same level as those of his competitors in the other major rugby nations. During his entire career, he did not take a single penalty kick for the national team. However, his position was never endangered due to his tactical skills and creativity.
At the 1999 World Championships , Larkham decided the semi-final game against the South African "Springboks" in extra time with a drop goal from over 40 meters to the surprise of his critics. This victory led Australia to the final, where they met France , who had previously beaten the favored New Zealanders . Australia won 35:12 and was world champion for the second time since 1991, making it the only team to have succeeded.
At the 2003 World Cup , he again made it to the finals with the "Wallabies". However, this time they had to admit defeat to England . The decisive points were again achieved by a drop goal in extra time, but this time it was Larkham's opponent Jonny Wilkinson who decided the game. The last major tournament of his career was the 2007 World Championships , where he only played in the opening game against Japan due to a knee injury . Before he could return, the Australians were knocked out again by England in the quarter-finals. Together with his teammate at the Brumbies George Gregan , he ended his career as a national player and sought a move to Europe. In the run-up to the World Cup, he had already said goodbye to his club. In his last game the Brumbies managed to beat the New Zealand team Crusaders in the Super 14. Following this game, a grandstand was named after Larkham and Gregan.
After announcing he was leaving Australia, he quickly reached a deal with Edinburgh Rugby . However, the Scottish Association bought the club back from its then owner a few weeks later and did not have enough financial means to pay Larkham. In addition, there was another knee injury that left him out for several months. Other European clubs didn't want to take this risk either, so he decided to move to Japan. With the Ricoh Black Rams he agreed on a three-year contract.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brumbie's trio 'deserved' memorable send-off. (No longer available online.) Planet Rugby, April 29, 2007, formerly the original ; accessed on August 9, 2009 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Larkham to end career in Japan. (No longer available online.) Planet Rugby, January 16, 2008, formerly the original ; accessed on August 9, 2009 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
See also
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Larkham, Stephen |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian rugby union player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 29, 1974 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Canberra , Australia |