Players / My World

Lee Mears

/ Bath and England

At 5ft 9in and 15st 10lb, Lee Mears is out of the Brian Moore school of hooking rather than the Steve Thompson building site of brutes. Born in Torquay, Mears is another product from the Colstons conveyor belt of rugby talent where he learned a thing or two from ex-England coach, Andy Robinson... mostly in the classroom.

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I was born into the front-row. I would've liked to be in a more glamorous position but with my size and shape there wasn't too many options.

 

The French ones are quite fiery. I enjoy doing battle with most hookers, especially the good ones around the country - Mark Regan has a lot of banter but we get on quite well, and I always enjoy going up against the French boys such as Raphael Ibanez, and I've have had some good battles with the Argentineans at Clermont Auvergne - Mario Ledesma and Martin Schelzo.

 

You get taught a few lessons. As a young lad coming up, Dorian West and Geraint Jenkins gave me a few tough days, you get plenty of the 'boy' chat but they weren't fast enough to catch me around the park, so they'd just try and beat you up when they got their claws into you.

 

It's the beauty of Bath. There are plenty of derbies so I love getting the better of Bristol and Gloucester but beating Leicester happens very rarely, so I'll always savour that one - if and when it happens.

 

I have a few superstitions. I'll always put my socks on the left foot and then the right and I'll always try and go out second. I have the same cereal and toast combination regardless of the kick-off time, maybe a few rice crispies.

 

I was sick over the Royal Box at Cheltenham. I went with Zara (Phillips) to Cheltenham races and I don't normally drink, so I did my best and tried to keep up with Mike Tindall and some of the boys who were all drinking pints, with a few small glasses of champagne, but that was the end of me.

 

I never get scared in rugby. My biggest fear is big spiders. My worst rugby nightmare would be to scrummage naked with David Barnes and Matt Stevens though.

 

I'm not one for gossip. I did hear that I was going to appear in the third episode of the Lord of the Rings trilogy - someone said 'he's short enough, so he could be god for the part.'