kinda old, first printed in Nov. 2008.
Mods if it was posted before, plz feel free to erase.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1082782/Delon-winding-road-Armitage-Trinidad-England-Test-player.html==============
Delon and winding road for Armitage, from Trinidad to England Test player
By PETER JACKSON
Last updated at 12:18 AM on 04th November 2008
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History man: Armitage in action against the Barbarians
Delon Armitage will make history this week as the first native West Indian to play Test rugby for England — all the way from Pepper Village in Trinidad to Twickenham.
The new full back, whose boyhood neighbours included Gus Logie from the invincible West Indies cricket team of the Eighties, will be named on Tuesday as the last line of defence in Martin Johnson’s first team as England manager, against the Pacific Islanders on Saturday.
Armitage arrives there via London Irish, Richmond, Racing Club de Nice and the France Under 16s team after an improbable journey which would never have happened had his English stepfather not met his mother, Verna, on a Caribbean holiday 18 years ago.
John Armitage, then a ‘social’ rugby player who fluctuated between the Hatfield 1st XV and the thirds, imbued his family with such a passion for the game that his three stepsons are all professionals — Delon, 24, Steffon, 22, both at London Irish, and Bevon, 26, at First Division Doncaster.
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Armitage’s two teenage sons — Guy, 16, a Daily Mail Schools Cup-winning centre at Wellington College and Joel, a 13-year-old prop, are on their way to joining them.
‘The boys used to watch me play,’ said Armitage snr. ‘One day I asked them: “Do you fancy having a go”. I never imagined back then that any of this would happen.’
They began playing next door to Wasps at Sudbury Court in London, on the pitches where football legend John Barnes, now boss of Jamaica, made his transition from the Caribbean to the England team. ‘Delon was a skinny little kid then but he and his brothers took to rugby like they’d been playing it all their lives.’
They changed their name from their mother’s surname of Williams as well as changing country, moving from London to Nice due to Armitage’s career in IT.
England’s future full back had played for France against Spain at Under 16s level when the family returned in 2000 after six-and-a-half years. Delon rejoined Richmond before London Irish offered him a professional apprenticeship. He will gain his England promotion due to injuries to Nick Abendanon and Mathew Tait.
Armitage, who shares a San Fernando birthplace with Sir Trevor McDonald, has been fast-tracked following Brian Smith’s appointment as the new attack coach, the Australian having had a major influence on Armitage’s game as head coach at London Irish.
Capping the full back, who doubles up on the wing and outside centre, is a reward for his maturity. French rugby with its endemic violence taught him to look after himself and there have been recent times when Armitage showed his scepticism for the biblical bit about turning the other cheek.
Great sports: the Armitage family in Devon (from left): Guy (England U16 centre), Steffon (Saxons flanker), Bevon (Doncaster centre), Joel (prop), Delon with son Cameron and (front) sister Juanita (7)
A contretemps with former New Zealand scrum half Justin Marshall stands out during an Irish-Leeds Premiership match at Twickenham.
‘Delon used to enjoy a little scrap, mainly against the Kiwis,’ said his father. ‘They had a little to-do on the touchline. Marshall was trying to big-mouth Delon and Delon pointed to the scoreboard to remind him who was winning.
‘There was a tackle and a little scrap. Delon had to look after himself because, during his time in France, brawling seemed part of almost every game, but he’s realised that trash-talking and petty arguments are not to be encouraged.’
Mike Catt, another of his mentors at London Irish, has no fears for Armitage. He said: ‘A year ago I would have said Yes, there was a question about Delon’s temperament. He’s massively competitive and that has tipped him over the top every now and then, but this year he has matured both as a player and a person. He’s a naturally gifted, instinctive rugby player and the best under the high ball in the country by some way.’
Toby Booth, Smith’s successor as head coach of the Exiles, added: ‘He’s always had a very able skills set and now he has the temperament to go with it. That was the missing part of the jigsaw.
'Delon sometimes thinks the world’s against him. By that I mean if he loses a collision, he takes it personally as his fault because he’s such a ferocious competitor. So it’s a question of controlling the abrasive bit.’
Armitage snr, who runs travel company Detour Safaris in Brixham, said: ‘Delon never takes a backward step, but he certainly doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder.’
Two more Armitages are already on the Red Rose ladder; Steffon is in the second-string Saxons as probably the best uncapped openside flanker and Guy is an England Under 16s player.
Nick Kennedy is due to take his place for England as one of five new caps in the 22 against the Pacific Islanders at Twickenham. The 26-year-old London Irish lock can expect to elbow his way ahead of Tom Palmer and Simon Shaw to make his debut on Saturday.
England (probable): *D Armitage (London Irish); P Sackey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), *R Flutey (Wasps), *U Monye (Harlequins); D Cipriani (Wasps), D Care (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale), L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), *N Kennedy (London Irish), T Croft (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), T Rees (Wasps). *new caps.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1082782/Delon-winding-road-Armitage-Trinidad-England-Test-player.html#ixzz0eBUeqsuZ
Great sports: the Armitage family in Devon (from left): Guy (England U16 centre), Steffon (Saxons flanker), Bevon (Doncaster centre), Joel (prop), Delon with son Cameron and (front) sister Juanita (7)
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1082782/Delon-winding-road-Armitage-Trinidad-England-Test-player.html#ixzz0eBVWfVJj