The 'absolute b*ll*cks!!!!' match day message posted by Will Carling
Ex-England skipper Will Carling took a pop last Saturday at the new BT Sport film recalling the 1990 Calcutta Cup match. The winner-takes-all showdown that took place at Murrayfield 33 years ago resulted in Scotland winning 13-7 to clinch the Five Nations Grand Slam.
That occasion was last month recalled in an 80-minute movie that included recollections from players and coaches from both sides, but the fixture also include coverage of the political climate that existed in the UK at the time.
In the trailer teaser posted to social media by BT Sport before the movie premiered on January 20, the actor Robert Carlyle, who narrated the movie, set the scene: “Murrayfield, March 1990. Scotland versus England, winner-takes-all Five Nations Grand Slam.
“It was Thatcher’s poll tax, rising nationalism, animosity both on and off the field. Never before had the stakes been this high. BT Sport Films presents The Grudge.”
It was Saturday morning, just hours before England hosted Scotland in the opening round of the 2023 Six Nations when Carling took to Twitter to dismiss what he had heard about the film of the 1990 game.
I don’t think that’s what was being suggested. I think the political situation was having a major impact on both countries (Scotland in particular) and that, for the fans, was channelled into the game a bit. Can’t imagine for one second it had any impact on players.
— Steph Brawn (@BrawnJourno) February 4, 2023
“A few mates have told me that The Grudge is out on BT. It amazes me that people think that politics had any impact on a rugby match. Can imagine being in a forwards meeting discussing the ramifications of the Poll tax… absolute b*ll*cks!!!!”
Carling’s tweet drew a response from Steph Brawn, a Scottish-based political journalist who is also a rugby fan. “I don’t think that’s what was being suggested,” she wrote.
“I think the political situation was having a major impact on both countries (Scotland in particular) and that, for the fans, was channelled into the game a bit. Can’t imagine for one second it had any impact on players.”
Carling, who worked as a leadership player mentor with England during the Jones era, replied: “Ok, as you say that is very possible – just heard that people thought it was a topic of discussion amongst the players!!”
Another journalist Tom English, who wrote The Grudge in award-winning book format in 2010, added: “Nobody I’ve ever spoken to thinks that, Will.”
In a RugbyPass interview ahead of the BT Sport premiere of The Grudge last month, Jeremy Guscott, Carling’s England midfielder partner and a try scorer in the 1990 fixture, explained: “It was me and rugby and my friends and the type of friends I had didn’t talk about poll tax, didn’t talk about Wales, Scotland, Ireland, didn’t talk about the rest of the world. It was, ‘Who are we playing on Saturday? Who do you think is going to be tough, Jerry?’
“My friends were stonemasons, policemen, firefighters, teachers, all across the board, and because I was so new to it, this game in my head wasn’t massive, there wasn’t a lot of noise going on.
“It was, ‘I can’t wait to get out there and play’. The only part of the newspapers I used to read was the back pages – and stuff about the poll tax and strikes and everything else wasn’t going to be on those pages. It was all going to be sport, so I was oblivious to it.
"Hopefully, it entertains and makes people think, ‘Wow, what a great time to have played rugby’.”
– @JeremyGuscott with @heagneyl ??? ahead of this Friday's @btsportrugby premiere of The Grudge, the film on the 1990 Scotland vs England Grand Slam decider. https://t.co/lhHa1UtFi3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 15, 2023
“There would have been more noise, for instance, in the camp when England used to travel to Ireland and play because we would have escorts because of the service people and police involved. That was more of a disruption, more of a noise than anywhere else we went. So going up to Scotland I was unaware of the enormity of it.”
Guscott added that England weren’t complacent about the threat that Scotland posed to their title hopes that year. “Make no mistake: no matter what anyone thinks, the English team were not arrogant in the belief that all we had to do was turn up.
“Anyone who had been on the Lions tour the year before knew the quality of the Scottish players and you would have been a fool, a genuine fool, to think England were going to sail through that match and be Grand Slam champions. The amount of Lions that were in that Scotland team, the amount of Lions that were in that England team, it was quite level.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope Leinster’s proud of themselves fielding a poor team. They should decide if they’re all in or not.
1 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
23 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA 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?
13 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.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
6 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.
25 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
6 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 comments