'Richard Cockerill, in a game of touch, punched me in the face'
Austin Healey had recalled getting punched by Richard Cockerill at his first-ever Leicester training session, a distinctive style of ‘welcome’ that seemed to be a thing at the Tigers as Tim Stimpson also received a similar greeting when he first turned up. Healey and Stimpson – along with Ben Kay – have entertainingly contributed to the first episode of Rugby Stories, the latest BT Sport Pods series.
The Leicester trio revealed the not-so-welcome introduction served up on the training ground by Cockerill, the current England assistant coach, while Healey went on to talk about his pre-game popcorn ritual which caused a ruckus prior to the 2001 Heineken Cup final in Paris versus Stade Francais.
That was the final where Martin Johnson gave one of his most inspiring pre-match talks ever by saying nothing, while there was also the awkward situation of both teams getting angsty with each other prior to the Parc des Princes kickoff.
The episode kicked off with Healy and Stimpson describing what it was like to get punched by Cockerill at their respective first training sessions for Leicester. “I didn’t really know what rugby meant to Leicester, indeed to many clubs until I joined, and I came as this sort of maverick-style player in 1996,” Healey began.
“In my very first training session, Richard Cockerill, in a game of touch, punched me in the face. We had a bit of a scuffle. I asked him, ‘What was that for?’ He said, ‘You’re not welcome here. You’re an outsider.’ I pointed out that he also wasn’t from Leicester. He was from Rugby, but I think that set the tone and that is what they were about. They were all about setting the tone for new people buying into who the club was and who the players needed to be.”
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Stimpson had a similar ‘welcome’ story. “I turned up at my first training session, you know, a bit scared of it. I didn’t expect Richard Cockerill to punch me in the face. I was so shocked. I hit him back – and then I got a rollicking from Dean Richards for bringing trouble into the club. But then looking back, I think it was all a stitch-up.
“I’m pretty sure that was Deano (Dean Richards) just testing out this young kid coming down from Newcastle asking, ‘Is he one of us?’ It was a tough school. It’s not what I wanted on my first day, but it sort of set the tone that to play for Leicester, you have got to earn that shirt. It’s not an exaggeration, but you earn it with blood.”
Later in the show, Healey recalled his popcorn yarn from the night before the 2001 European final four years after they had been beaten by Brive in their previous European decider. “In 1997 there was a lot of smiling and joking and laughing. In 2001, the hotel the night before was like you’re at a funeral. There were not a lot of talking people, (instead they were) looking at each other and snarling.
“Most people probably went to bed early. I went out, got my popcorn, and then came back. It was a 40-minute taxi ride to get our popcorn, I came back and started eating it. And I had this other superstition as part of it, it was a sub-superstition that no one was allowed to eat my popcorn until I’d finished with it.
“Will Johnson walked past me as I was on the physio table eating my popcorn and having a massage. He put his hand in and took a mouthful, so I threw the popcorn over him, pushed him, went back to reception, ordered another cab, went back out to the cinema, bought another popcorn and came back. This time nobody touched it.
“The only person that had ever eaten it before was Leon Lloyd. He just leaned over with his mouth… and he got knocked out the following day in the game, he was stretchered off. In the subsequent game in 2001, Will Johnson broke his wrist on that right hand so I told him this was his own fault. ‘You mess with the popcorn and karma messes with you’.”
Switching to what captain Johnson inspiringly did with his Leicester team before the final in Paris, Healey said: “He gave probably the best speech I’ve ever heard him give because he didn’t actually say anything He got everyone in a huddle and we were all waiting for him to speak – and he didn’t say a word!
“He just looked at everyone. For what felt like 20 minutes, like not a single word said. Guys were squeezing and squeezing and squeezing. They were getting angrier and angrier and angrier. And I think he just sensed that he knew everybody was right on the edge. Everybody was completely ready for the game.
“I tell people that he was actually trying to stare into your soul and ask you a question, ‘Are you ready?‘ But he already knew that there was nobody in that starting 15 or indeed the 22 that wasn’t ready to do whatever they needed to do.”
As for the shenanigans before kickoff, Kay explained: “They [Stade Francais] thought we’ll do the old thing of keeping a team waiting. We were meant to run out together…”
“Everyone’s sweating, on edge,” added Healey. “People on the verge of losing it completely. It was probably only 30 seconds, it might have been a minute. And Martin was saying to the ref, ‘Where are they?’ He said, ‘I’ve called them to come in.’ He then went forget that and walked out.”
It resulted in the teams going face-to-face on the pitch before the start. “We were literally nose to nose… it wasn’t a show for the cameras, this was as big as it got.”
“You had two sides face-to-face with the referee standing in the middle,” added Healey. “It was like a Conor McGregor standoff before his bouts and I was convinced it was going to go off at that stage and people would have been sent off before the game because they were on proper edge.”
- For the in-depth Leicester Tigers story, check out BT Sport’s new podcast series, Rugby Stories, part of the BT Sport Pods lineup of podcasts. Every Monday, Rugby Stories, presented by Craig Doyle, will spotlight and celebrate English club rugby history. Btsport.com/pods
Comments on RugbyPass
I certainly don’t enjoy drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
2 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
3 Go to comments