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Interview with Hagrid's double -
Summary:
Martin Bayfield, one of Hagrid's doubles in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban speaks about his introduction to Hollywood and his experience playing rugby for England.
Article: Bayfield makes giant strides and sees the big picture
Martin Bayfield has always been enough of a realist to accept that should Hollywood ever decide to bestow stardom upon him, then it was unlikely to be as the new James Bond. At 6ft 10in and 19st, whenever Bayfield emerged from a muddy scrum he resembled The Creature from the Swamp.
"If I'd ever guessed I was going to get into the movies, then I knew it would have to be as some sort of beast," laughs Bayfield, currently filming his third Harry Potter blockbuster as Robbie Coltrane's "body-double" in the role of Hagrid.
Since retiring from rugby after an illustrious career with Northampton and England, for whom he made 31 appearances at lock, Bayfield, a former policeman like fellow internationals Dean Richards, Paul Ackford and Wade Dooley, has forged a new life as BBC Five Live radio pundit, newspaper columnist and hilarious after-dinner speaker.
It was while delivering one of his famous monologues in a London hotel that Bayfield was "discovered" by a member of the casting crew who passed on his name and impressive vital statistics to Warner Brothers.
"When they rang up out of the blue I naturally thought it was one of my mates winding me up and, I'm sorry to say, I gave this poor guy a load of abuse before the awful truth dawned that this was a serious offer.
"I've come to know Robbie fairly well and he's great company, as are all the principal actors. They're fascinating people, simply fascinating, when you get the opportunity to sit with them and hear all their stories. Rugby players tend to be great story-tellers, but the tales the acting fraternity can tell are truly amazing."
Since his three daughters - Rosanna (11), Polly (10) and Lucy (seven) - are too young to remember dad in his pomp at Twickenham, they are naturally tickled pink to find themselves sharing the breakfast table with a celluloid super-hero in the shape of Hagrid.
"The only problem is that whenever we watch one of the Harry Potter movies, the girls grow a bit bored waiting for my name to appear on the credits."
Come Christmas, Bayfield will tread the boards in pantomime in the Northampton production of Jack and the Beanstalk - "I think I'm in danger of becoming typecast as a giant" - but his wit and wisdom on all matters rugby are available to a wider audience as a Five Live Rugby World Cup panellist. A member of the England XV which reached the semi-finals in South Africa eight years ago, he is quietly confident his successors can surpass the class of '95, despite being sorely tested by the Samoans.
"My happiest World Cup memory was beating Australia in the quarter-finals which was rapidly followed by my worst memory, losing to New Zealand in the semis. We were the architects of our own destruction because after defeating the Wallabies we went off to Sun City where we had a bit too much to drink while the All Blacks were preparing for a semi-final.
"Everyone knows what happened, we got ripped to pieces. But in today's environment, you just would not behave as we did, going off for three or four days drinking heavily, having late nights and generally messing around. We shouldn't have done that, we were stupid and we know it now."
As a proud patriot, Bayfield's relief at England's fraught 35-22 victory in Melbourne was matched by his admiration for Samoa, who have been at the vanguard of the emerging nations.
"It's fantastic to see rugby growing globally, but I think we have to do more to help the developing teams. I know there was a plan some years ago for each of the established countries to 'adopt' one of the smaller nations, which is a brilliant idea. The opportunity is there for up-and-coming coaches, administrators, physios, to spend a year or two working abroad which would also be of great benefit to them in gaining international experience.
"We should have done far, far more, to help Romania in exactly this way years ago when they were probably at a stage beyond where Italy are today, instead of which we offered them little or no encouragement and their results in the World Cup speak for themselves.
"We must decide whether we're simply going to concentrate on the Six Nations or look around to see who needs our help. Similarly, are the Aussies and Kiwis going to help the islanders in the southern hemisphere?
"It's sad that Fiji, Tonga and Samoa can't field their best teams because some of their players have stayed behind to earn money with their clubs. Do we really want to help Georgia, Romania? Do we want to help Canada and the United States? That's what we have to ask ourselves."
Bayfield would also change the World Cup format to offer another incentive to the so-called minnows. "I'd be in favour of a two-tier World Cup; after the pool games, I'd give the eight quarter-finalists a week to 10 days rest during which you could play a 'plate' competition involving the third-placed teams in each group.
"Wouldn't it be great at the end of it all if Samoa, for instance, came away from Australia with the World Challenge Cup in their possession? Can you imagine their sense of pride, instead of which they'll probably have to pack up and head home after meeting South Africa next Saturday?"
A wise man, our Hagrid.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtm...equestid=160638 Sport.Telegraph 
:snowman: 
:o 
:slutsmileys: :roll:
Interview with Hagrid's double - 
