EDF Energy Cup - : NFL star brings stateside swagger to Blackheath

NFL's Dhani Jones set to play for Blackheath

Cincinnati Bengal's Dhani Jones set to play in EDF Energy National Trophy

NFL star brings stateside swagger to Blackheath

29 January 2008, 7:45 pm

By Jonathan McConnell

Blackheath go to Launceston in the fifth round of the EDF Energy National Trophy with an extraordinary secret weapon on loan from American Football.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones is in the UK as a budding television presenter on a US travel series made by Red Line Films, and decided to give rugby union a try to portray English life.

Jones contacted Blackheath head coach Harvey Biljon asking if he could play a match and Biljon, having consulted the players and committee of the club who are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, replied: “Yes, great.”

A crash course in learning the game will culminate in Jones “playing five or 10 minutes off the bench” against the Cornish All Blacks on Saturday, Biljon confirmed.

“Our players thought it would be fantastic to have a full-time athlete from a top American sport testing himself among our amateurs,” Biljon said.

“Because Dhani [pronounced Dee-hah-nee] is a defensive lineman, his catching and passing are the things we need to work on.

“All being well, he will come on the field as a flanker. I don’t think it will make much difference whether it’s blindside or openside.

“We just have to make sure that when he hits someone it is an opponent who has got the ball and that he’s not running an illegal blocking move.”

Jones is 6ft 1in and 240lb, and has had eight NFL seasons, playing for New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans before joining the Bengals last September. He was second on their tackle list for the season just completed. He started Super Bowl XXIX for Philadelphia in 2004.

The 29-year-old from Potomac will have had three rugby training sessions at Blackheath’s Rectory Field before Saturday, and also paid a visit to Leicester’s Premiership match against Newcastle last weekend, when he was hosted by former Tigers and England stars, Martin Johnson – a huge NFL fan – and Austin Healey.

“It is all good fun and there is no disrespect to the cup,” Biljon, the former Wasps and Natal scrum-half, said.

“Launceston are pretty much semi-professional and I think they will fancy fronting up against Dhani. That’s the natural competitive spirit, which is what the cup is all about.

“We are in the top four of National Division Two and Launceston are near the bottom of National One so this match will give us an idea how we need to prepare and improve if we get promoted.”

Blackheath will be without scrum half Joe Simpson, who is on England Under-20 duty, but former Saracens and Wasps fly half Matthew Leek is available.

London Welsh have pondered for a number of seasons a possible temporary or permanent groundshare with near-neighbours Brentford FC – and the exiles will get another taste of life at a football stadium when they meet Nottingham at Notts County’s Meadow Lane on Sunday (February 3).

Welsh will hope for a big improvement as they re-trace their steps from last weekend. A run of four wins was rudely ended when the exiles lost 34-6 at Nottingham in National Division One, conceding six tries.

Esher will host Blaydon at the Pillar Data Arena on Saturday afternoon, with television coverage of England v Wales to follow on in the clubhouse.

And the Surrey side will include a scourge of the Welsh from last autumn’s Rugby World Cup in the substantial shape of loosehead prop Graham Dewes.

The 26-year-old Dewes scored the final and decisive try for Fiji when they knocked Wales out of the tournament 38-34 in a pool match in Nantes.

Esher director of rugby Mike Schmid said: “Graham has been with us since December and will be here until April and perhaps beyond. It came at a good time as our captain and prop, Duncan Cormack, has a broken thumb and is out for a couple more weeks.”

Esher of National One will be hot favourites to reach the last eight of the EDF Energy National Trophy against their Newcastle-based opponents from National Two, but Schmid warned: “This is a massive mental challenge for us, coming off a poor league performance at home to Rotherham last week.

“Just because Blaydon are from a division below doesn’t mean they’re not capable of good rugby. We hear they are tough up front with a couple of speedy backs and we will be prepared.”