Yorkshire coal miner Frank Machin (Richard Harris) picks a fight in a club and subsequently finds himself being recruited for a rugby team. He's an unpolished player, but his aggressiveness, brutality and indifference to the rules of fair play impress the team owners. Suddenly a rising star, Frank despairs that his success on the playing field isn't equaled in his personal life. He loves a widowed, emotionally challenged landlady (Rachel Roberts) who's too damaged to return his feelings.
