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'I understand the criticism... there is a very proud patriotism here' - Aussie Nick Haining on targeting Test rugby with Scotland
In the spring of 2013, Nick Haining was unceremoniously booted out of the Western Force academy, another one of the thousands of young blokes who empty themselves in pursuit of dreams and contracts and glory and come up short.
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It was a desolate time. Twenty-two years old and tossed on the scrapheap – no longer a burgeoning prospect, not yet an established first-teamer. Trapped in rugby no-man’s-land.
For a back row, Haining was still scrawny by the obscene standards of the professional game, despite gobbling too many carbs and throwing back too many beers. He couldn’t for the life of him put on the slabs of lean beef that seemed to layer themselves so easily on the bodies of his peers and rivals.
“I got kicked out of the academy, lost interest, never played for the Force, wasn’t really going anywhere with rugby,” Haining told RugbyPass. “I thought it was the end of the world. I wasn’t doing some of the right stuff – I was going out a bit too much and enjoying myself. At the time, that was more what I wanted to do. It probably took getting kicked out to actually shape up a bit.
“My biggest thing was putting on weight. I remember I got a bit of a hard time for it; I just couldn’t put on weight. You’ve just got to nurture that, put a diet in place, and say it’s not the end of the world if you’re not putting on weight.”
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Eventually, the size came, but academy life taught him harsh lessons about the brutality of the business, the testosterone-ridden rat race to make it as a professional. “I’ve seen a lot of boys coming through, straight out of school into an academy environment, they are tough and taxing,” he explained. “They go through the academy all the way up to training with the senior squad, maybe get a contract and they just burn out. I’ve seen that many a time before.
“Getting kicked out was partly my fault, but you do feel a bit like you have failed. Even when you are in the academy and things aren’t going your way. A lot of boys struggle when they get bad injuries, and they might not let on in the environment, but they’re finding it bloody hard.
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“Having people in place to recognise that and support young players is a huge part of it. People who are in these positions just need to realise it’s tough work for a young lad and there’s a lot of pressure and competition coming through.”
Haining was lucky. He had a doting, rugby-obsessed family and a wonderful base of support at his local club, Cottesloe. Shorn of all their Wallabies, the Force called him back for a hit-out against the touring British and Irish Lions, a riveting night at Subiaco Oval that helped rekindle his ambition.
“I was transitioning into being a back; I was trying to play centre at the time. I came off the bench on the wing for about 20 minutes and I was marking Sean Maitland. I got Owen Farrell’s jersey after the game, which was bloody sick. I stepped Leigh Halfpenny, I’m pretty sure.
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"They were devoured by Ireland’s overwhelmingly superior intensity, dismembered like a baby seal tossed into a shark tank."
– @JLyall93 goes to town after a truly degrading Scottish performance in Yokohama #RWC2019https://t.co/fdPTpqXOS9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 23, 2019
“That was my first professional game ever. I loved it. There were 35,000 there. I had a little chat to Farrell afterwards and got his jersey, but I was quite green still so I kept my mouth shut.”
For a time he went back to Cottesloe, back to his mates and the beers, before a door opened. Two of his Australian pals, Ryan Hodson and Tobias Hoskins, were playing English Championship rugby on the little island of Jersey. They encouraged him to send over a showreel. Before he knew it, there was a contract offer in his inbox.
Haining spent three happy years with the Reds, met his girlfriend Efia and in rugby terms grew from boy to man. “The contacts are just massive, you get some big trucks and some really good players in the Championship,” he said. “It’s a long old season as well. I played every game of my last season. I remember finishing that and just being exhausted.
Players' player – Nick Haining pic.twitter.com/5ZNLwN2fL2
— Jersey Reds (@jerseyrfc) April 30, 2016
“Any word of advice to a young rugby player would be to go and play in a national league or championship league, men’s rugby will develop you, even if you’re not playing week, in week out. That was the big thing that boosted my rugby ability.”
Up at Bristol, Pat Lam liked what he saw. Premiership clubs are constantly vigilant for second tier talent that might flourish given the right platform. Haining was nearly 27 by then, but still a callow professional. Entering the den of the Bears was by turns exhilarating and chastening. “I went there thinking I was a good passer of the ball – it turns out I wasn’t,” he admitted. “My skill-set got a hell of a lot better.”
That gave him a fright, but when he set foot in the gym of a top-flight club and saw the kind of eye-watering weights his team-mates were lumping about, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Haining is a formidable 6ft 4ins and 113kg, but he knows he will never be breaking records on the iron.
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“I’m not taking anything away from strength and conditioning, I know how important it is, but when you get on the field, having a 180kg bench press doesn’t mean you’re the best tackler or defender. You see that time and time again.
“You can look at somebody and see a bit of a physical specimen – I’ve come across a lot of people like that who can run the best times in the bronco and yoyo tests, absolutely smash the gym, then they get on the field and they’re just tickling rucks. Those are all parts of rugby that are important, but the biggest part is rocking up on the weekend, having that attitude, knowing your rugby detail and having a bit of ticker around the field.”
Edinburgh will be the beneficiaries of that “ticker” now. Richard Cockerill took Haining north from Bristol this summer and has challenged him to deliver all of his ballast and belligerence as the coach tries to add extra gears to an evolving side that last term struggled to seize its opportunities.
? | @BristolBears back-row Nick Haining joins Edinburgh on a two-year deal in first signing of #MagicMonday??
Read the full story: https://t.co/nI6q27vULt pic.twitter.com/PN1w3qPym3
— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) March 25, 2019
Here, Haining faces colossal competition. Scotland internationals Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie, John Barclay, Fijian titan Bill Mata, fellow new men Murray Douglas and Mesulame Kunavula and the emerging Luke Crosbie, Lewis Carmichael and Ally Miller are all competing for that six to eight back row space. What sets him apart? Why should he get the jersey?
“I’ve always prided myself in being elusive around the field. In all my contacts, defence and attack, I feel I’m quite powerful. That element of my game is partly why Richard brought me into the squad. That’s always a point of difference. It’s going to be really competitive and all these guys bring huge stuff to the table. That might set me apart but I’ve got to show it on the rugby field first.”
Cockerill signed him for his attributes, not his heritage, but there’s a sub-plot to Haining’s tale. His 81-year-old grandmother Norma is fiercely Scottish. She emigrated to Australia many decades ago but still speaks with a Dundonian rasp and is still “as sharp as saw”. Thanks to Norma’s roots, the carrot of the Test game dangles before her grandson.
“The main goal is to play international rugby. You’ve got competition, but there are only two teams here, so you have got a lot more chance to make it. It’s going to require a lot of hard work and dedication. Ultimately that’s the goal, but Edinburgh comes first.”
Haining is new here. He probably won’t appreciate the thermonuclear reaction quotes like these, from a man who has been in Scotland precisely three months, can prompt. He knows there will be howls of derision, but he doesn’t see why he should conceal a burning ambition for fear of being ridiculed or labelled a rugby mercenary.
He is quite right to see opportunity in Scotland – over half of the match-day squad dynamited so hopelessly by Ireland learned the game in another country. “As a professional rugby player, if you’re not targeting international rugby you’re probably just content. There’s nothing wrong with that but international rugby was always a dream of mine.
? "We were at times a work in progress last year, but I think we go into this season in really good shape and full of belief." pic.twitter.com/pxEm73dfd6
— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) September 25, 2019
“I understand the criticism. There is a very proud patriotism here. I can see everyone is very passionate about their country. But there’s a bit of a different story when that person is scoring the match-winning try in an international.
“If I’m working hard and doing the right things for Edinburgh – it’s a huge if, a massive if – and I’m good enough to get that opportunity, then that’s just world rugby now. I’d wear that badge and that jersey with as much passion as anyone else – I would. I’d be giving just as much to that team as any other Scotland player.”
Scotland don’t have many loose forwards with Haining’s heft and dynamism on the carry. It will take a Herculean effort, especially at 29, to convince Gregor Townsend he is worth a shot, but all that can wait. First, to Edinburgh, and the next stage of a great adventure which begins at home to Zebre in the Guinness PRO14 on Saturday.
WATCH: Scottish legend Gavin Hastings recalls the 1991 World Cup in the latest episode of the RugbyPass series, Rugby World Cup memories
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments