I was saying about how I would be making my debut and seeing I was a bit nervous, he said something like, ‘don’t worry, Chris, getting your first cap is very much like losing your virginity’. To which I replied, ‘I don’t know about you but there weren’t 80,000 people watching when I lost my virginity’!
Luckily for me, Mike Phillips wasn’t on the scene for Wales then. I’m not sure how I would’ve handled his chat on debut! Scrum-halves, as we all know, like a bit of chat and he was the worst, so irritating! Obviously he was good but he created a lot of enemies, he was just so aggressive, there was no wit or charm to it.
Over the next two years I played pretty much every game for Scotland and the momentum from that, and the form I was showing, contributed to me getting a Lions callup in ’05. I think those early years were the most enjoyable for me because it was all so new and exciting and it was this dream I had to play for Scotland, in the Six Nations, and in all the greats stadiums around the world had its own charm.
George Gregan was a guy I idolised as a teenager, with how he played the game and everything else, so to play against him as a 21-year-old was amazing. In one game at the Olympic Stadium, I got a good sidestep on him and swapped shirts with him; he was the best for a long time, so it meant a lot. I also scored my first Test try that day, and generally speaking, I enjoyed summer tours the most, more than the two World Cups I went to.
Esta historia es de la edición July 23, 2023 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 23, 2023 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.