Hadleigh Parkes hoping to cap off an exciting month with a World Cup winner's medal
Hadleigh Parkes and his wife Suzy are set to become proud parents next month – and the Webb Ellis Cup would be a perfect gift for their new arrival.
Suzy is due to give birth around November 18, just over two weeks after the World Cup final.
And with Wales two wins away from securing a place in that showpiece occasion, it could prove a fantastic fortnight for New Zealand-born Parkes and his family.
“We are both very excited,” Wales centre Parkes said. “She is going well. We are very lucky with the support base we have in Cardiff and around Wales.
“The baby is due around November 18, and they say with your first one it’s normally a bit late, but you never know.”
And asked about the possibility of a World Cup welcome present, he added: “That would be nice!”
Since qualifying for Wales on residency and making a Test debut in December 2017, Parkes has proved a midfield model of consistency.
He has played in 22 of Wales’ last 26 games and been on the losing side just four times.
Parkes, 32, only arrived in Wales five years ago, joining the Scarlets and quickly carving out a strong reputation.
“You do have to pinch yourself a little bit,” he said. “It has been an amazing few years. To be here, playing in a World Cup quarter-final against France, it’s exciting and a massive privilege.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wS6blgq45/
“It has been superb. With how it came about five years ago I would certainly never have dreamt that this would be on the cards, but it has worked out pretty well.
“There were two options on the table – Bayonne for six months and maybe a little bit longer, or a two-a half-year gig in west Wales.
“Suzy had just qualified as a chartered accountant, so it was a bit tough to ask her to go to a French-speaking country where she probably wouldn’t be able to work.
“For both of us it was probably a better move to go somewhere where she could work as well and get experience. She has loved that side of it.
“Wayne Pivac (Wales’ new head coach after the World Cup) was my Auckland ITM Cup coach, and then he got the job at the Scarlets.
Lee Byrne spent three years in France and understands how emotionally charged they'll be in Oita but he also knows @WelshRugbyUnion have been in dark places and he's backing them to atone for 2011's heartache
– writes @OwainJTJones #rwc2019 https://t.co/cCEATSS1gk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
“He was going in initially as a forwards coach, but then Simon Easterby went to Ireland and Wayne got the head coach job.
“He had been in touch a couple of times before he left, and then it came through that there was a gig there and would I be keen? It was a great opportunity for both Suzy and myself to go.”
Parkes never looked back, establishing a high-class centre combination with Jonathan Davies and becoming an integral part of Wales boss Warren Gatland’s plans.
“When I turned up to the Scarlets five years ago we struggled to make the (league) play-offs, then two years later we managed to win it, then the following year we made the PRO14 final and the semi-finals of Europe,” he added.
“And being able to play for Wales in the last two years has been amazing. The (winning) run we went on, the Six Nations, the Grand Slam, the tour to Argentina and America.
“I’ve had some amazing experiences, and it has been a dream.”
Parkes, though, knows the danger that France will present in Oita on Sunday.
“Everyone knows what’s on the line this weekend,” he said. “We either fly to Tokyo or we are flying back to Wales on Monday.
“We hugely respect them, they are a good side and it’s always a tough game.
“Now, it’s knockout footy, and if we don’t show up on Sunday we are packing our bags and going home. The boys are relaxed, but deep down we are chomping at the bit to get into it.”
– PA
Shane Williams sat down with RugbyPass ahead of Wales’ quarterfinal clash with France:
Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments