'I have just had a protein bowl with him and a coffee in the green room out the back'
The Guinness Six Nations launch day in London ended up as every rugby event should – often stuffily guarded team talk eventually giving way to far looser lips and lashings of the tournament’s ever-popular black stuff.
With the great and the good of the six competing nations having been and gone – some heading home; others, such as Ireland and England, off to sunnier climes in Portugal for some warm weather prep – the pods were in the house with the pints on tap.
There was our old favourite, The Rugby Pod featuring Goodie and Jim, giving it socks to Flats and Shanks along with the Try Hards, fun of the fair that had Wayne Barnes – yes, the Test match referee – trying to keep the shenanigans all above board at the sold-out 90-minute show.
It was sweetness and light in contrast to the day’s more formal earlier proceedings. The Wapping Tobacco Dock is a rough and ready exhibition space shoehorned into a grade one listed warehouse in east London.
A far cry from the gentile exclusivity of the posh Fulham Hurlingham Club where the event had nearly always annually taken place, stretching back to when icons such as Brian O’Driscoll were first on the prowl.
(Continue reading below…)
Eddie Jones insists the Saracens scandal could be beneficial to England
From SW6 to E1W, then, and the new location aside, Wednesday morning represented a widespread changing of the guard from what we had known in recent times.
Four new head coaches. Four new captains. Recognisable faces but an unrecognisable workload for them as they worked their way through a mountain of questions and answers in the various media rotations.
Radio and podcasts, dailies and Sundays, photography, host broadcasters, other broadcasters, online and social… all with little or no pause. Not even family ties could intervene much.
Some new faces at our #GuinnessSixNations Launch today!
Best of luck to first-time #GuinnessSixNations Head Coaches in the upcoming Championship! pic.twitter.com/RQJRXclTX5
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 22, 2020
“I spoke to him,” quipped new Ireland boss Andy Farrell when asked late in the schedule whether he had managed to catch up with his son, England captain Owen. “I have just had a protein bowl with him and a coffee in the green room out the back.” How very reassuring.
Despite the eight newcomers to the usual twelve-strong coach and captain fold, the national narratives were mostly cosily familiar, mostly stuff everyone has heard all before.
It’s routine at this stage in January to hear an update on a Johnny Sexton injury, to learn that Gregor Townsend’s glass is its usual half-full, to throw the eyes up at the French espousing their customary desire for a new dawn, to shake the head as the Italians ponder how to somehow get better, and to admire the colossus that is simply Alun Wyn Jones, reverential and calculating all in the same breath on an occasion where he had a fresh sidekick in Wayne Pivac.
And welcome back to @AlunWynJones and @owen_faz.
Key date for the diary: Round Four #ENGvWAL on 7 March 😎 pic.twitter.com/TxOL9XrPJE
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 22, 2020
So many words were carefully chosen. Less so the sartorial look. Pivac opted for a red tie when black was in vogue. Meanwhile, Fabien Galthie attempted to replicate the Agustin Pichot style, casual white runner-type-shoes going against the grain of a spick and span dark suit. French inconsistency? You bet.
Then there was England and the awkward elephant in the room. Allianz Park may be more than an hour away by public transport from Shadwell, but that distance was never going to be enough to inoculate Eddie Jones and captain Farrell from the biggest story of the Premiership era – the automatic relegation of Saracens.
“Portuguese beer will help,” chirped the tieless Jones, his overcoat already on and his hands fidgety as he addressed the story of the day, the month and the year one final time while he completed his last media rotation before heading for the exit.
This will be absolutely fascinating. https://t.co/uei3jdKyEN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 22, 2020
Only 81 days had passed since England had given second best in the World Cup final to South Africa, yet here was the coach being asked how he could fix a squad’s morale bruised and broken by salary cap revelations that have left the defending league champions unanimously labelled as cheats.
“It will be a matter of just getting the issues on the table, having a good chat and then just spending time with each other. Time is a big thing,” Jones hoped. “We will be honest and upfront about it and we will come through it and get on with what’s in front of us,” chipped in Farrell.
All very convincing but very unconvincing at the same time. A bit like the women’s game. Their coaches and captains were at the Tobacco as well, shooting the breeze but without the same level of audience that had lapped up every nuance of the men’s preview.
Six Nations. Two tournaments. One main topic of discussion. This Saracens saga is only going to run and run and run. Just like the pints on tap when the pods were later in the house.
WATCH: Andy Goode and Brendan Venter didn’t hold back on this week’s The Rugby Pod as they discussed Saracens and the salary cap scandal
Comments on RugbyPass
One tough SOB!
15 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
1 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
2 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to commentsTruely great player. In social media and opinion pieces he was held up and flogged for the results. People wanted someone to crucify, and he was the captain. He was still an immense presence respected by his peers. His battles with Siya Kolisi belong up with with Collins vs Burger in my opinion. Unlucky to be carded in the final, but I don’t agree that his red card was the defining moment. Not when you look at the dominant performances of the Springboks (PSDT in particular.) I think Cane should be remembered for the spirit and physicality that is special to test rugby.
15 Go to commentsSam was the man until he got injured .
15 Go to comments_Crusaders versus Leinster _at the moment might be a rout! But I would like to see the Blues play Toulouse, the Hurricanes front up against Stade Francais, and the Chiefs go against Toulon.
157 Go to commentsLove it when we overlap! Promise it was not forethought.
18 Go to commentsjfc can this guy plz stay out of the news for one week
2 Go to commentsIf stormers aren’t available. Based on form and likely availability at the time of the wales Test, you’d think Masuku would be a no-brainer to start. But starting Jordan also makes sense having Masuku come off the bench to close out the game.
2 Go to commentsGlad Tom Curry not playing needs time to recover such a great player also his brother Ben how well is he playing now .
1 Go to commentsLet’s examine what might be irking the brainless E: Up until 20 years before this coming Julys tests: 16 games: 14 wins for SA; 1 win for Ire; 1 draw From 20 years until July’ tests Ireland V SA: 13 matches Ireland won 8; SA won 4; 1 draw Points scored Ireland 261; SA 189 Ave Winning Margin: Ireland 11 points; SA 4 points (away 3, home 6) Away win record: Ireland 33.33%; SA 25% Neutral matches 1: Ireland win RWC France 2023. Last SA win June 2016 (8 years ago) They boast 3 World cups in that period (they do boast). The above record is not good, probably not much better than theirs against NZ for same period. That’s why the dopey E is starting fights in his head. He will probably ship a yellow when things don’t go their way in the first test.
127 Go to commentsGoode is like a wet fart on The Rugby Pod and should be shoved aside. Jim knows what he is on about and can get on better without Goode’s nasty little cheap shots.
127 Go to commentsBrumbies will win, crusaders are pretty awful this year
1 Go to commentsThis has the makings of a good match. That’s Leinster’s second team but its a good one (stronger than the teams in SA recently). Ulster are really turning a page. Ryan back is huge, and Keenan too. This could be a cracker.
1 Go to commentsThe Farrells are one of the great father and son combinations. Andy was an RL great, and had he played Union as his first sport, I would be sure he would have been avery significant forcewas in League. And Owen, a Union great, who had he played League, would could have been a great there too i all probability. I feel my attitude to Owen has mellowed as he has aged, and in the post Jones era, evolved and shown his full range of talents. He really is an all round player, and I have wold hope his move to France will be successful. He may even be the piece in the jigsaw that Racing need to rise to challenge Toulouse and LAR. He is ofc now approaching 33 years of age but should still have enough left to make a big contribution in France for at least2/3 years.
45 Go to commentsI reckon it may be Jordan at 10 and Nohamba at 9, both players have played together alot and both have been on the Radar for a long time. After Pollard got injured in 2022 with Elton sidelined on a path of self destruction Erasmus and Nienaber indicated that the other options in the country at the time were thin but that Jordan and Manie were the 2 they were looking at. In the end Frans steyn played flyhalf, Willemse slotted in there on the end of year with Libbok as back up. Jordan was right there in the thinking back then so expect him to take the Jersey either as the starter.
2 Go to commentsHaha did he also* say it in a sarcastic teacher sort of manor or was it the petulant English snob sort of wail?
45 Go to commentsWell said Mils. It is a big boost at last having Fergus Burke back at 10 for the Crusaders. Had a great season last year as the article says. Mils is also right about captain Codie Taylor’s performance in his return to the Crusaders last week. He was all class.
4 Go to comments