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'Do you want to go?': How shock Gatland call unfolded 32 days after Haskell's 2017 Lions rejection
Players left disappointed by Thursday’s 2021 Lions squad announcement by Warren Gatland shouldn’t believe all is completely lost judging by the story of what happened in 2017 to James Haskell, the England back-rower who missed the initial cut for the squad chosen to tour New Zealand.
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It was April 19 four years ago when Gatland unveiled a 41-strong squad that had no room for Haskell, but a phone call from out of the blue 32 days later as he was about to go for a Sunday lunch with his wife and parents changed everything. With Billy Vunipola out with a hurt shoulder, Haskell was on the Lions’ plane to New Zealand just over a week later.
Now-retired, the England forward had never considered himself a shoo-in player for any squad throughout his career and his reaction to initially getting left out of the 2017 Lions should be instructive for anyone who feels let down by this Thursday’s 2021 announcement.
Haskell didn’t dwell on his misfortune. Instead, he stayed stuck in at Wasps and soon helped them to qualify for that year’s Premiership final, a competition they went to extra time just days before the Lions squad flew out from Heathrow for their 10-match tour.
Ask Haskell about his Lions selection memories and his recollection of what unfolded in 2017, a rejection followed four-and-a-half weeks later by inclusion, is entertainingly vivid. He told RugbyPass: “Well, I was an afterthought because of Billy Vunipola being injured.
7?? Welsh, 4?? English, 2?? Scots and 2?? Irish make Haskell's first Test Lions XV ??https://t.co/joO0ubV43x
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 27, 2021
“I have never been a shoo-in anywhere. I don’t know what it is like to be a shoo-in, a Maro Itoje or an Alun Wyn Jones. I never knew what it was like to be like that. I can only ever talk about the fact that it was always touch-and-go and there was always that trepidation (over selection) because you always allow your mind to wander, to think ‘could I do this, could this be my chance?’
“I remember 2017. I had just come back from injury, had played really well in 2016, was starting getting back into form but hadn’t played for a while – my toe was a bit of an issue. I remember turning up to Wasps training and there was a Lions announcement.
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“I know some clubs were sitting around, watching, listening, but we weren’t doing that, we were training in the gym and someone came up and said, ‘Unlucky mate’. I went, ‘Oh, it looks like I didn’t get in’. It didn’t mean that I didn’t wake up that morning thinking this could be my chance, I wonder can I do it.
“But I didn’t get in and didn’t pay any attention to it, didn’t see any celebrations and then obviously fast forward four weeks or whatever and Billy, unfortunately, got injured and I got a call from Warren Gatland.”
Here’s how that brief chat unfolded:
WG: Hask, do you want to go on the Lions?
JH: Yeah.
WG: Are you fit?
JH: Yeah.
WG: Are you sure you want to go?
JH: Yeah.
WG: I’ll call you back.
Gatland then put the phone down and left Haskell waiting 30 minutes for a callback for his former Wasps boss.
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WG: I want to take you on the Lions tour.
JH: Okay.
WG: Are you sure you want to go?
JH: Yeah.
WG: Right, I’ll see you soon.
Haskell takes up the story again. “He put the phone down and that was it. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was in Leamington Spa with my wife and my mum and dad, just about to go out for a Sunday lunch.
“They loved it but there was that nervous moment because he [Gatland] didn’t confirm it for 30 minutes and I didn’t know about Billy sadly, didn’t know what the story was and wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Then I had the Premiership final where we played something like 106 minutes of rugby and I didn’t get injured – but there was always that fear of doing that.”
This will be special?? ? https://t.co/pofXFObBej
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments