GOOD LUCK DUNCAN

If only! When it comes to Duncan Taylor there are so many “if onlys”. If only he’d stayed fit, if only he he’d been luckier, if only we’d been able to see more of the real Duncan Taylor.

Born in Northampton to Scottish parents, Duncan knocked up a few airmiles in his youth. His parents moved to Scotland, back to the midlands then out to Australia before coming back to England again. He played for Davidson Mains Primary School in Edinburgh, Olney Middle School and Davidson School in Sydney before returning to Olney Middle School and finally Ousedale School in Newport Pagnell. He signed for Bedford Blues at the age of 17 before being picked up by Saracens on a dual registration deal 5 years later. Sarries traditionally play a friendly against Blues at the start of the season. Duncan took his chance and played well against them. He was later invited for a trial which resulted in a professional contract. Although primarily a centre, Duncan popped up all over the back line in those early games wearing any number from 11-15. I still remember one of his early appearances for Sarries against Worcester Warriors where he was everywhere and on his long legs he gave a very passable impression of Bambi. In my mind that was always his nickname.

Those early years were the best from an injury point of view. From 2012-16, Duncan appeared regularly on team sheet with 2015/16 probably his best year culminating in a Premiership and European Champions winner’s medal and selection for Scotland’s tour of Japan. Coach Vern Cotter controversially stated the players needed to play more rugby and not rest. Whether that had anything to do with Duncan’s hamstring injury during the first test who knows but it was the first of a long line of largely unrelated and incredibly unlucky injuries. He went on to suffer another torn hamstring, two bouts of ankle surgery, one knee operation and a shoulder reconstruction, to add to very stubborn concussion and then back and Achilles issues. His return to the team sheet was always accompanied by a few prayers and a lot of crossed fingers, toes and everything else. He was one of the unluckiest players I have ever seen. If someone was going to get an unfortunate clunk on the head, awkward fall on a shoulder, unlucky slip in the mud it was Duncan. We used to wince every time he went down and increasingly, inevitably it seemed he wouldn’t get up.  

The sad thing is that when he was fit, he was a very good player. He was capped 28 times for Scotland – far fewer than he deserved but severely restricted by injury. He appeared for Sarries 157 times over 12 years. In this last season he made just 8 appearances, 4 from the bench. Yet his contributions against Saints and Sale in the 2 biggest games of 2022/3 showed just what those injuries stole from the player, the club and the supporters. One can only assume he walked under an awful lot of ladders, hung horseshoes upside down, put umbrellas up in every room indoors and broke an awful lot of mirrors somewhere in his life. Earlier this season he said “it takes 25 minutes of strapping to get me ready for every game”.

When his departure was announced I think there was a tinge of sadness in most of us – more because of what he had lost, what we had lost. Allegedly the reduced salary cap meant that Sarries, who had supported him through many years of injury, couldn’t afford to take the risk any longer. Mark McCall said: “He’s hugely respected by his team-mates. Off the field he’s had to deal with so much, he’s had to deal with so many setbacks, so many injuries. And he just keeps coming back for more. He’s great to have around the place, he’s incredibly helpful to our less experienced players.”

We will all miss him next season and wish him well in the future. I understand he’s not ready to retire yet so here’s hoping he can find a new club to take him on. And let’s hope that the lucky star which has deserted him for much of the past 5 or 6 years, finds him again.