|
Lee Mears
England
Full name Lee Andrew Mears
Born
March 5, 1979, Torquay
Current age 31 years 7 days
Major teams Bath, British and Irish Lions, England
Position Hooker
Height
5 ft 9 in
Weight 218 lb
|
|
| Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Won | Lost | Draw | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Tests | 2005-2010 | 36 | 17 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 22 | 0 | 38.88 |
| England | 2005-2010 | 35 | 16 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 40.00 |
| British and Irish Lions | 2009-2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Rugby World Cup | 2007-2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Five/Six Nations | 2006-2010 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 52.63 |
| Test debut | England v Samoa at Twickenham, Nov 26, 2005 match details |
| Last Test | England v Ireland at Twickenham, Feb 27, 2010 match details |
| Test Statsguru | Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list |
Lee Mears has established himself as one of the foremost hookers in the Guinness Premiership. In tandem with prop Matt Stevens at Bath, Mears' pace and power in the loose has led to calls for him to be the automatic starting hooker for England.
Mears has secured a starting berth with Bath following several years as understudy to both Jonathan Humphreys and Mark Regan, and is now looking to complete the same achievement with England.
Mears began his career with Bath in 1998, whilst also making headway in the England youth system. He represented England at 16 and 18 age groups, as well as England U-19 Colts and U-21s before his call up to the Saxons squad for the 2004 Churchill Cup.
Mears did not play in the tournament, but was recalled for the following season's tournament and helped the Saxons to the title in 2005. A call up to the squad for England's 2005 Autumn Internationals was Mears' reward for several years of improvement in his game, and he made his international bow against Samoa at Twickenham.
Mears was selected for the 2007 World Cup on the back of another consistent season with Bath, in which they reached the final of the European Challenge Cup, but found himself behind Mark Regan in the pecking order.
Considering the explosive impact that Mears and Stevens had had on the Premiership the previous season, certain quarters believed that youth should be given the nod for England. Mears was given his chance following some poor performances by Regan during the 2008 Six Nations, taking the jersey for the final two fixtures.
Mears will now have to compete with George Chuter and Dylan Hartley for the England hooker's shirt but looks to have secured it for the near future following the 2008 Six Nations and tour to New Zealand.
Selected for the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa and made the XV for the first Test in Durban. He struggled with his lineouts as Victor Matfield picked his throws with ease and after the first Test defeat Mears did not play in the remaining Tests as the Lions conceded the series 2-1.
Scrum Staff July 2009
View the full list of 8 related articles
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
| Live Scores |
| Results |
| Fixtures |
With daily updated news, extensive photo coverage and a live tracker of each F1 Grand Prix
Follow the 2009/10 European club football season with the latest news, features & live match coverage
Bet now the Guinness Premiership, Magners League, Heineken Cup and more - pre-match and LIVE odds
