'I actually like the fact Lawrence speaks the way that he does'
Former Scotland second row Jim Hamilton has backed Lawrence Dallaglio for his much-criticised show of support for the financial troubled Wasps, believing it is a positive for someone to have an opinion in an era where social media often quickly shuts down people who have something to say.
BT Sport pundit Dallaglio was speaking over the weekend on TV about the predicament that the administration-worried Wasps find themselves in, insisting that the situation at the Coventry-based Gallagher Premiership club was different to what had happened at the automatically relegated Worcester who were suspended from this season’s top-flight after playing just three matches.
Ex-England No8 Dallaglio was a one-club man at Wasps throughout his stellar playing career and he is currently a director, but his comments on their financial troubles angered numerous viewers who suggested he was treating his club differently from the problems that left Worcester insolvent.
Andy Goode, a former England colleague, could see why the critics were so fired up by what Dallaglio had to say on TV but Hamilton, who co-hosts The Rugby Pod with Goode, has come out in support of the former England forward.
“I actually like the fact that Lawrence speaks the way that he does,” said Hamilton. “There is nothing wrong (with that) at all and it seems to be a problem in this day and age if you are passionate about something or you like something whether or not it is left or right, red or blue, whatever, you can’t have an opinion. So I like the fact that Lawrence is like that, he is a Wasps man through and through.”
Plenty of twists and turns to discuss this week with controversial comments in the media, away wins and red cards PLUS we’re joined by Springbok and Stormers Battering Ram, Evan Roos.??
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— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) October 11, 2022
Earlier, Goode had explained why Dallaglio’s Wasps comments hadn’t been universally liked. “It’s a delicate situation and a few of Lawrence’s words were perhaps taken in a way that was considered a little insensitive to Worcester. Lawrence is going to bat for Wasps and the facts of the matter around Wasps. What Lawrence is trying to say is there are five businesses overall involved with Wasps, the stadium, the rugby club and a few other parts to that where it is all about getting people into the stadium as a business for various different events, partly rugby which is completely separate.
“What Lawrence is saying is that around the pandemic a lot of the other parts of the business haven’t been functioning which is why they are overall now looking at a position of going into administration. So he was trying to say it was affected by the pandemic whereas he was insinuating that Worcester’s situation and their demise is down to shocking mismanagement by the two owners.
“Obviously, covid played its part in that (as well), but what he is trying to do is fight for his club. I completely understand it from Lawrence’s point of view, but I completely understand it from the fans’ point of view so effectively people are thinking he is trying to insinuate that Worcester is a completely different situation, that they are relegated and don’t really matter in the Premiership but because of Wasps’ history and the brand and all this stuff, it should matter more.
“I disagree with Lawrence in that sense. I played for both clubs and hope that both clubs can find a solution where we can see them moving forward with their P shares and playing in the Premiership. If one or both of them get relegated you would hope that one or both can come back up.
“There is so much water to go under the bridge until that point but for me, it was seen as insensitive by Worcester fans and other fans around the league that are just thinking he has got this (BT Sport) platform just to protect Wasps and to push Wasps’ side of the story.
“I don’t think he necessarily meant to disrespect Worcester, he was just fighting as much as he could for Wasps in getting his opinion across on what is known as a big platform. We shall see where it comes to and hopefully, there is a fix because there are a few buyers out there… but time is of the essence.
“This week is pivotal in terms of administration, whether the club goes into administration and what happens next because it is pretty damning at the club at the minute.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Best situation in the world for the potential of his success in the NFL. Cutthroat, we’ll yeah little buddy, that’s one of the reasons why, at least in the States, it is by far and away the best sports draw. The point is: It’s not only that he’d have Mahomes as his QB, and all the T. Kelce blocking bullshit needs to stop (he’s not a prototypical blocking TE ya numb nuts), it’s that he will have arguably one of the greatest football minds in Andy Reid scheming for him. In the NFL, the most important thing is situation. If the ignoramus Jets signed him, then he’d be screwed from go.
3 Go to commentsWe’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
3 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to comments