“ROG has a massive mansion up there – 12 bedrooms, for all of his kids!” – Will Skelton
“My wife looked at me and said, ‘We’ve got to move here!’“ Will Skelton smiles as he recalls the sea-food fare laid out for himself and his wife, Kate Gardiner, when the couple met the president of Stade Rochelais to discuss a potential move. Skelton headed to La Rochelle in 2020 after trophy-winning stints at […]
3 years ago
“Suddenly, up pops Ronan O’Gara” – How the European champions ‘threw a lifeline’ and saved a rugby career
“There were rumours circulating at the back end of last season.” In June, as Ronan O’Gara and La Rochelle were celebrating a first ever major trophy, Kyle Hatherell was finishing up his first full season with Worcester Warriors, with a lot to be proud of. Warriors may have needed a final day win over Bath […]
3 years ago
“When I talked to them, and asked their dreams, they said it was to play for Ireland” – Pat Lam on Connacht’s uprising
“It’s possible. Difficult, but possible.” During a trip to the Bristol Bears’ High Performance Centre, earlier this month, the Pat Lam effect was clear and present. Everywhere you look around the HPC, there are inspirational comments writ large on walls, in the gym, meeting and analysis rooms, treatment areas, hallways and stairwells. While such phrases […]
3 years ago
AJ MacGinty and a Pat Lam promise from that was kept, six years on
“I’ll come back and get him. Wherever I am, I’ll come get him.” Back in 2016, as Connacht were on their way to a memorable PRO12 league triumph, Pat Lam spoke of the promise he made to AJ MacGinty. The Dubliner had made a name for himself, in his early 20s, with New York Athletic […]
3 years ago