My rugby hero: Charlie Hodgson

During the 2019/20 season, we dig through the archives to highlight a hero from years gone by. Next up, it’s former Sale Sharks, Saracens and England fly-half Charlie Hodgson.

Player background

Charles Christopher Hodgson was born on 12 November, 1980 in Halifax and was one of England’s great distributors having been a fans’ favourite at both Sale Sharks and Saracens. The fly-half began his career at the Greater Manchester outfit where his talent was obvious after making his debut against Auch in 2000. Just a year later, following a series of excellent displays for the Sharks, Hodgson started for England and scored a record 44 points in their 134-0 thumping of Romania.

That individual haul still stands as the most by a Red Rose player in a Test but it was the type of effort he failed to repeat on the international stage. The presence of the great Jonny Wilkinson limited his opportunities in the 10 position but Hodgson was still set to head to the 2003 World Cup when a serious knee injury cruelly ruled him out of the global tournament.

The Yorkshireman duly returned to action for Sale and continued to impress at club level, leading to him becoming a regular at international level with Wilkinson consistently on the sidelines. However, with expectation sky high following that dramatic win over Australia in ’03, despite the loss of several key players to retirement, the pressure was on the talented playmaker to guide the team efficiently around the field.

Although his form was never as bad as some observers suggested, with the team suffering a number of issues throughout, the fact that Wilkinson was such an icon of English rugby counted against Hodgson. That was rather demonstrated by the pivot’s club form, which never dipped, as he proceeded to be an instrumental part of Sale’s Premiership title victory in 2006. Once again, a place in the squad for a World Cup beckoned but this time the other knee gave way, ruling him out of France 2007.

It was rather symptomatic of his international career; one which promised so much but was hampered by injury and the harsh realities of having to steer a ship that had several holes in it. That should not detract from what he achieved, though, especially at club level, with Sale and then latterly at Saracens. In his five years at the Londoners before retiring, Hodgson helped them to successive domestic titles and a European Champions Cup win.

His rugby moment

It goes back to 2006 and the year that Sale claimed their first, and so far only, domestic crown by overcoming giants of the English and European game, Leicester Tigers, in the Premiership final. Sale were the outstanding side during the season, winning 16 of their 22 matches in the round-robin phase, but went into the showpiece event as slight outsiders, with the Midlanders’ experience expected to play a key role in the encounter.

Directly against Hodgson was Red Rose team-mate and rival for the 10 shirt Andy Goode, but he and his Tigers cohorts never got close to the playmaker as the Sharks man delivered a masterful performance. In difficult conditions, the fly-half expertly directed play, kicking impressively both off the tee and out of hand to condemn Leicester to a heavy 45-20 defeat.

Hodgson was instrumental in the first try, producing a cross-field punt for Mark Cueto to touch down and he was also solid off the tee, scoring two penalties, but it was his moment of magic at the end of the first half that turned the tide significantly in the Greater Manchester outfit’s favour.

At 16-10 up, Sale had not been truly rewarded for their dominance but that altered when the fly-half received the ball on the edge of the 22. Shaping to go for the drop-goal, Hodgson changed his mind at the last moment, stepped outside of Ollie Smith’s tackle, dummied Alesana Tuilagi and sent Oriol Ripol over the line for the decisive score.

From thereon in, Philippe Saint-Andre’s men could control matters with the fly-half once again to the fore. He kicked five further three-pointers in the second period, which included four penalties and a drop-goal, before Chris Mayor’s late breakaway effort sealed an emphatic win. It was Hodgson’s day, however, as he got the chance to lift England’s biggest trophy for the first time in his career.