It may sound strange coming from someone who ultimately was on the losing side, but the 2015 Championship final between Bristol and Worcester has to go down as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever played in. It was just a brilliant game of rugby (ending 59-58 to Worcester on aggregate).
At half-time in the second leg at Worcester, we were down a number of points and the speech from Peely (Dwayne Peel), who was captain at the time, will stay with me forever.
Normally the coaches leave the players to it at a certain point in the changing room in the half-time break but Peely kept Andy Robinson in there, and insisted he joined the circle. He made a ferocious, classic ‘come on lads, this is what we need to do’ speech. At the same time, he was ragdolling this old England legend all over the place, saying ‘we need to do it for this guy’. Andy Robinson was trying to keep his composure, we all were.
It got the reaction it needed, and we quickly went 14 points up. However, a yellow card and two tries later, Ryan Lamb kicked the promotion-winning conversion to snatch victory in the last play meaning we had to postpone the promotion celebration for another year.
Part of the reason I moved clubs during my career was to seek out high-pressure scenarios while also trying to better myself as a player. It’s the big games, the big stages and the big moments that stay with you – and those stirring speeches like Peely’s. Another I remember in my younger days at Harlequins was when we played Scarlets in what was their last-ever European match at Stradey Park in 2008. It was obviously a hugely emotional day for the Scarlets, and they looked set to bid farewell to their spiritual home with a big win as they led 19-3 at half-time.
Denne historien er fra December 13, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 13, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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.