Book review: 'Beware of the Dog'

Brian Moore's book has been a riveting read for Adam Kyriacou, who hailed 'Beware of the Dog' as being both 'hard-hitting and eye-opening'.

Brian Moore's book has been riveting from start to finish for Adam Kyriacou, who labelled 'Beware of the Dog' as both 'hard-hitting and eye-opening'.

Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, Pitbull's enticing story describes the personal and professional – although Moore would undoubtedly prefer amateur – career of the abrasive hooker.

His journey is one of complicated times running parallel to highs and lows, with alter egos to boot.

The book also details Moore's regular gripes with the Rugby Football Union and France, 1991's loss to Australia, and of course his aforementioned nemesis who goes by the alias of Gollum.

For those who do not know, this is his second autobiography and the player could not have been more right when branding this follow-up 'darker than its predecessor'. It is raw yet superbly written.

Readers may not know that the adopted Moore was a victim of child abuse during his youth but then discovered an outlet through rugby and cannot say enough about what the sport has given him over a 24-year career. From his time at Nottingham to facing several frustrating drug tests at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, this book covers it all.

It is no secret that many would, and still do, pigeon hole the former hooker as being a pest on the field and now an outspoken commentator off it. In many aspects such block notions are correct, but due to this absorbing book, Moore's persona is now better understood.

I'm personally partial to what comes with him being the right-hand man at games.

Comic value also accompanies 'Beware of the Dog' too as, when a wounded Moore was asked whether he would give a speech after accepting the BBC Sports Team of the Year Award in 1991, this was his rather direct response to that unfortunate person.

“I did not agree with the award or the presenter (David Campese). Before the show, someone from the BBC came over and asked if I would mind being interviewed. I told him that I would be interviewed, but I would say exactly what I thought. When asked what that was, I told him that I did not agree with the award, as it reinforced the notion that losing (in the World Cup Final) should be celebrated. Further, that I could not believe the stupidity of inviting Campese to present the award. 'Don't you realise,' I added, 'he will go home, laughing all the way and then tell Australia that we are such a pathetic country that our team of the year was the one they had beaten?' They interviewed Micky Skinner instead.

But this autobiography is not just a blow-by-blow account of the marmite-like 49-year-old's playing career, there is also a detailed insight into Moore the man, who campaigned for players' rights and gained many close friends along the way.

For those who have fond memories of the amateur era and its lasting memories like proper scrums and the earlier World Cups, brace yourself for nostalgia and also an eye-opening read into how one of England's great hookers dealt with the changing game and himself.