Wigan Warriors legend Garry Connolly, 53, talks cross-code comebacks and Leeds Rhinos return

Decades connected from featuring successful Clash of the Codes against Bath, ex-Great Britain centre returns to Headingley for inaugural 745 Game arsenic codes unite successful assistance of centrifugal neurone disease

Almost 30 years aft the celebrated Clash of the Codes, Gary Connolly is doing it each again successful assistance of his precocious pal Rob Burrow and MND.

Back successful 1996, the decorated Great Britain centre lined up for star-studded Wigan successful their cross-code situation with national giants Bath. Martin Offiah scored six tries arsenic Wigan walloped their rivals 82-6 successful the league crippled astatine Maine Road. But matters were overmuch person nether national rules erstwhile Bath, with England internationals Mike Catt, Phil de Glanville and Andy Robinson, prospered 44-19 astatine Twickenham.

Greats from some codes are coming unneurotic again astatine Headingley connected Sunday to play a caller hybrid mentation of rugby called the 745 Game. It stemmed from an thought of ex-Gloucester guardant Ed Slater, who is battling MND, and erstwhile Leeds ace Burrow, who sadly died from the information successful June aged conscionable 41. Connolly, who featured successful 2 World Cup finals, played alongside Burrow for Rhinos successful 2003 and 2004.

He recalled: “Rob was awesome. It was an honour to play with him. People inquire maine who’s the toughest idiosyncratic I ever played with and, don't get maine wrong, I’d prime guys similar Adrian Morley. But they’re each six ft five. I ever reckoned the toughest are radical similar Rob and Jason Robinson, tiny guys who person to instrumentality 1 large lads each time and inactive don’t miss a tackle.

“But this game’s not conscionable for Rob. It’s for everyone. There’s been tons of league and national players endure from this unspeakable disease. You wouldn’t privation it connected your worst enemy. It’s decidedly worthy putting the boots backmost connected and getting wounded again for an hr oregon so, compared to a beingness for those who travel down with MND.”

Connolly, present 53, volition look the likes of ex-England stars Danny Cipriani and Billy Twelvetrees. But successful 1996, him, Robinson, Andy Farrell, Shaun Edwards, Henry Paul and co each pitted their wits against union’s best, not agelong aft the 15-man codification turned pro’. Connolly, who had a little stint with Harlequins earlier joining Leeds and aboriginal played for Munster, remembered: “It was my archetypal crippled of national speech from the Middlesex Sevens.

“We did a spot of grooming but conscionable couldn’t bash line-outs. On our scrums we did OK but we knew successful the line-outs we conscionable couldn’t compete. That was a monolithic disadvantage. But each azygous subordinate enjoyed it and was a spot disappointed we didn’t bash amended successful the national game. We picked the incorrect team. Our manager [Graeme West] and adjunct [Joe Lydon], who’d not played for years, some played conscionable due to the fact that they’d played a spot of rugby union. They did OK. We went for that experience.

"But truly we should person conscionable played our strongest squad and gone for it. In the 2nd fractional we conscionable said let’s play rugby league; let’s not effort to play national against a national team. When we threw the shot astir we had a spot of success. And afloat recognition to Bath due to the fact that if they’d person conscionable wanted to ruck and maul america they could person done but they tried to play immoderate rugby which suited us."

Since Wigan faced Bath, of course, galore of the broadside progressive successful those games person gone connected to marque their people successful union, not slightest Robinson, who won the World Cup with England successful 2003, existent Ireland brag Farrell and France defence manager Edwards. Farrell and Paul besides some played for England. Connolly added: "There was a batch of rugby national influences successful Wigan. We had the large Va'aiga Tuigamala playing for america and Scott Quinnell who was an implicit fable successful rugby national truthful that did help. But I’d accidental astir 80 percent of our broadside had ne'er played union.

"But evidently the crippled successful union, particularly with the likes of Faz and Shaun Edwards coaching, and others similar [Wales defence coach] Mike Forshaw, they present person rugby league guys who’ve done a tremendous job. It’s bonded the spread betwixt national and league because, backmost then, the property said determination was monolithic divides. But, honestly, determination wasn’t thing from a subordinate perspective. When we met the national players connected antithetic occasions they were large with america and vice versa. There was monolithic respect. That’s however it should be."

Connolly, meanwhile, played 33 games for Rhinos, earlier leaving successful May 2004. That was soon aft Tony Smith arrived arsenic caput manager and conscionable a fewer months earlier the nine won their archetypal league rubric successful 32 years with the likes of Burrow, Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire moving the show.

Connolly, who had reverted to his aged presumption of full-back, mislaid his spot to youngster Richie Mathers. But the player, who won the Lance Todd Trophy erstwhile Rhinos mislaid the 2003 Challenge Cup last to Bradford, insisted: "I truly enjoyed my clip astatine Leeds. It wasn’t my responsibility it was chopped short. It was the manager astatine the time. He didn’t truly privation maine determination truthful I conscionable made it easier for him and I left.

"I was gutted astir that arsenic I was leaving a squad that went connected to predominate which I knew they would arsenic the endowment determination was unbelievable. I inactive spell implicit there, spot inactive rather a fewer Leeds players and friends with a lot. I’m looking guardant to going backmost this weekend."