Chris Robshaw's emotional goodbye after final home match at The Stoop
Former England skipper Chris Robshaw has bid an emotional live TV farewell to The Stoop, the Harlequins ground where he played his last home match on Monday night for the Gallagher Premiership club before he joins MLS outfit San Diego Legion in 2021.
Back row Robshaw has one final game to play for the London club, away to Leicester on Sunday which will be his 300th appearance for Harlequins. But the curtain fell on his time at The Stoop in dramatic fashion.
Quins were leading 20-8 when hooker Elia Elia was sent off with less than 30 minutes remaining and they were reeled in down the finishing straight by play-off chasing Wasps, losing 23-32 to spoil Robshaw’s home send off from the club he has been attached with for over a decade and a half.
Speaking to BT Sport following the game, Robshaw said: “Of course it’s emotional, last time out here at The Stoop without the opportunity to share it with the fans and all that. Credit to the guys, we gave it all. It is what it is – it’s tough, it’s emotional. I’m sure there will be days in the future that I will look back with fond memories.
“It has been emotional. Of course in sport we don’t always get the fairy tales we dream about. You are always hopeful. Of course, the world is in a funny place. I’m sad I didn’t get to share it today with the fans who have supported me since the age of 17 at this club. But I’m sure in time I will have moment with them in the future. It’s emotional for me. You can probably hear it in my voice. Luckily I got a couple of the family in.
We weren't quite ready to sobbing on a Monday night 💔
Chris Robshaw reflects on a phenomenal career after his final appearance at The Stoop…
"I'm sad I don't get to share this with the fans."
"It's all I've ever known, and all I've wanted to know." pic.twitter.com/N2iyIXPxF5
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) September 28, 2020
“It [Harlequins] has been my home, it is my home. It’s hard to put into words what it means, it’s all I have ever known and all I have ever wanted to know. I’ll lick my wounds and hopefully in a couple of years I will look back with fond memories.
“I have loved my time here. Of course, you always want to win more, you always want to be successful. But for me it’s been a hell of a ride. That’s sport, that’s international sport. You take the good times with the bad times.
“When you play you remember the tough times more than the good times. But as time goes on you remember the good times. There has been some incredible times at this club. I have loved my time here but it goes quickly. In the blink of an eye you’re a 17-year-old kid playing out here and then whatever it is, 17 years later, 16 years later, it’s all over.
“In your body and your mind you know when the time is right and for me it feels right at the moment. It’s looking forward to having another opportunity, looking forward to having another challenge in my life, me and my wife going Stateside and enjoying a little bit of Californian sun, playing a bit of rugby and having a bit of fun. But I have loved my time here. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to comments