Letters from the front line: Mike Ross’s autobiography an underrated gem

The tragic death of his brother, Andrew, has shaped Mike Ross’s outlook on rugby — and on life, where he never took no for an answer. And like Ross the player, his new book, Dark Arts, is an underrated gem.

"The professional game is a whole different place to be. It’s post-amateur, post-apocalypse if you like. It’s a place where you can feel amazingly well loved. It’s a place where you can feel utter desolation and find yourself totally alone. It’s every man for himself.Every single man is suited and prepared.Nobody comes unprepared. There’s nothing easy. Ever."— Mike Ross, Dark Arts