Full name | Jonathan Edward Brooks Callard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 1 January 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 12 st 7 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Bassaleg Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Amateur team(s) | |||
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Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1989 - 1999 | Bath Rugby | 210 | (2,087) |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1993- 1995 | England | 5 | (69) |
Teams coached | |||
Years | Team | ||
2000 - 2002 2002 - 2005 |
Bath Rugby Leeds Tykes |
Jonathan Edward Brooks Callard (born 1 January 1966, in Leicester) is a coach at the Rugby Football Union's National Academy. He formerly played rugby union at fullback for Bath and England. He is the brother of ex-Newport RFC player Nigel Callard.
Callard taught physical education classes and sports classes at Downside School (Somerset) in the early to mid-1990s. He also taught Biology to younger students.
Callard joined Bath from Newport in 1989. In November 1993 he made his international debut for England against the All Blacks, which saw England cause an upset, winning 15-9. Callard enjoyed a fine debut, scoring 12 points from four successful penalties. In February 1994, on his second appearance for England, Callard was again the hero in the 1994 Five Nations Championship match between Scotland and England at the newly rebuilt Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
He kicked all of England's points from five penalties, in a closely fought match, as England narrowly beat Scotland 15-14. Controversially, the winning penalty came deep into stoppage time at the end of the match with the score at 12-14, when the referee erroneously gave a penalty against Scotland in the final climactic tussle for possession. Video replays later confirmed that the ball was handled on the ground in a ruck by Rob Andrew, and the referee, believing it had been handled illegally by Scottish player Ian Jardine, awarded England a penalty. England's white jersey that season had 'blue' cuffs that matched the Scotland jersey, which could be mistaken in a mass crowd of bodies. Callard did well to hold his nerve against a cacophony of booing from the home fans and successfully kicked the resultant penalty, from nearly 50 yards out. As the kick went between the posts, the referee blew the final whistle, and Callard celebrated wildly with his relieved teammates.
The adulation he received in the wake of such a dramatic victory was fleeting however, as despite his match winning performance against Scotland, Callard was heavily criticised after England's next match, a fortnight later, against Ireland at Twickenham. He missed four penalty attempts, and also failed to prevent an Irish try by Simon Geoghegan. Although he managed to convert four penalties, England still lost the match 13-12. The defeat ended England's chances of a Grand Slam and reduced their chances of winning the Championship. Callard, along with several other players were consequently dropped from the England team for the remainder of the campaign. England would eventually lose out on the Five Nations Championship on points difference to Wales.