RUGBY: A LEGEND of Welsh rugby has been coaching teenagerss at Thurrock. Former Wales fly-half and coach at Harlequins, Newport /Gwent Dragons, Paul Turner was in the borough.

And he gave a coaching masterclass for Thurrock’s successful under 15 team.

Turner played for Wales in the early 1990s including master-minding a famous victory over England. He spearheaded Newbridge’s attempts to win the Welsh Championship before starring for Newport and Sale.

After his highly successful playing career, Paul moved into coaching at Bedford, before becoming the backs’ coach at Harlequins.

More recently he was Newport/Gwent Dragons’ coach where he nurtured the skills of current Wales and Lions’ stars Toby Faletau and Dan Lydiate.

Turner’s connections to Thurrock go back to the early 1980s. As a youngster he learned his rugby from Robin Williams, once a team-mate of Thurrock stalwart Ralph Henderson. As a devoted fan of Welsh Champions Newbridge in the 1960s his father was a friend of Newbridge President Jack Edwards who was one of the founders of Thurrock RFC in the 1920s. This connection led to a series of fixtures between Thurrock and Newbridge where a young Turner just managed to put in a winning performance after the Oakfield Club had led the Welsh Cup semi-finalists 14-3 at half time.

Turner said he had been a Thurrock fan ever since and the club’s under 15 head coach Gareth Batley admitted he was delighted when the Welshman turned up to coach his lads. More than 30 borough teenagers developed their skills. Gareth and the other team coaches – Damian Burns and Dave Northfield – expressed their thanks to the famous visitor who finished the session mentoring half- backs Dan Cole, Ben Northfield and Finley Wood.