Ryan Wilson revisits infamous 2018 Owen Farrell tunnel-gate row, which had consequences a year later at Twickenham
February 2018 is a month fondly remembered by Scotland fans as they defeated England in the Six Nations at Twickenham, but it has now emerged that the infamous pre-game argy-bargy in the players’ tunnel had bizarre repercussions the following year when Ryan Wilson tried to get into Twickenham.
Wilson was the Scottish back row who riled up the English before the Calcutta Cup game at Murrayfield, his purposely timed word in the ear of George Ford being the incident that triggered Farrell and left the hosts nicely worked up to do a number on the visitors when the match eventually got going.
Scotland went on to gloriously win 25-13, scoring three tries to beat England for the first time since 2008. However, the mischievous pre-game carry-on had London consequences for Wilson the following year.
Injured at the time of the rematch, he negotiated himself a corporate speaking gig at the ground only to learn in advance of the drawn 2019 fixture that he was banned from attending by the RFU who had taken exception to his behaviour the previous year in Edinburgh.
Currently out of the Scotland picture having last played at the World Cup in Japan, Wilson hilariously revisited these incidents against England when appearing on the latest episode of RugbyPass Offload in the company of co-hosts Jamie Roberts and Simon Zebo.
Just one of the sensational stories the Scottish rugby player gave this week ? #RugbyPassOffload@ryanwilson89 @ChristinaMahonx @Jamiehuwroberts pic.twitter.com/urZmD6939f
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 11, 2020
Wilson began by recalling the 2019 match, a game where Scotland were losing 31-0 at one stage before staging a remarkable comeback to go ahead before the fixture was eventually drawn 38-38. “It was ridiculous,” he said about how the compelling match panned out.
“I remember that game, I was actually injured and after tunnel-gate, after everything that happened in the tunnel against England (in 2018), I’d lined up a corporate gig at Twickenham.
“Had it all lined up, a little bit of cash, all excited, only to get a message back saying the RFU have banned you from Twickenham Stadium after everything that happened the year before.
“It made me even more eager to get down there, sneak into the stadium and still get a couple of gigs. Genuinely the RFU said, ‘Listen, we don’t want him on the premises after some of the things that were said and done in the tunnel at Murrayfield.’
“It’s madness to think they would do that. But again another little win on my sheet just to know I had p***ed them off that much.”
Wilson has long had a reputation for trying to wind opponents up and this was at the heart of the incident that sparked the 2018 tunnel-gate. “Listen, the psychological game is massive in rugby… with England they go everywhere expecting to win.
“I was coming down the tunnel, probably looking for Farrell more than anything else, and I couldn’t find him. It was just a word in George Ford’s ear just to say… I won’t tell you exactly what I said but it was more just ‘we’re coming for you, you’d want to watch yourself’. Might have spoken about breaking some bones somewhere.
“Owen Farrell spotted it because he obviously knew what I was up to because he saw me talking to him [Ford] as we were walking in after the warm-up. Owen came steaming down behind and he shoved me in the back and that was it, I sort of rolled down into the tunnel.
“The boys got a bit of a buzz. Us as the Scotland team, you get under their skin and you can see it. A lot of Scotland teams have gone out against England and think we have not got a massive chance here, so no one really goes at them before a game because it is ballsy.
“I am not talking myself up here too much but you give a lot of s*** to another team and then you get pumped, you look like a bit of idiot then afterwards, whereas that one paid off.
“I remember we came to the huddle and it was, ‘F*** that boys, let’s get into them’ and that was it. We went out and played so well. Finn (Russell) stole the show and Huw Jones had a stormer. That was one performance I always remember at Murrayfield against the English.”
Zeebs will be watching on from Paris when the Kiwi makes his Ireland debut on Friday night https://t.co/uywc7ZPTjc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 11, 2020
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