Wilkinsons comments

Hello people
Just had a quick read of Guscotts Q&A on the bbc sport website.
There was a question relating to his attitude and behaviour towards Wilkinson when he first broke into the squad. Can anyone shed any light on this? Anyone read his autobiography and can summarise for me?
Oh and as an aside, is anyone here from or around the Blackburn area. Currently studying there and have yet to get off my lazy student a*** and join the local rugby club.
Thanks

Haven't read it but you can be sure JG was the incumbent prima donna and he probably saw the young pretender as stealing his limelight while JW who is Crouch End (2 stops past Barking) is notoriusly a bit odd and no doubt very sensitive

I found this, apparently it's an extract from the book:

... "I hit a low point at training. We are doing a simple three-on-two drill to warm-up and Brian Ashton, the backs coach, says to the defenders: “Don’t try to do too much. For the purpose of the drill, just go up and get drawn by the pass.” I go up at second defender. Guscott is going to be running against me.

As he passes the ball, I realise I’ve run up a bit too quickly, so in order to avoid colliding with him, I move to his side, which is also the side where he’s passed. This may look as though I’m trying half-heartedly for an intercept, but I’m not. It may also make Guscott look as though he’s not doing his job, although that’s not the case, either.

I’m going back to the queue when Guscott silences the whole group. “What the f***ing hell do you think you’re doing?” He says it to me, loud and clear. “You should f***ing listen, maybe you’ll learn something.”

Ever since I joined up with England, Jerry Guscott has had an aura of the untouchable about him, and as the young lad coming in, I’m certainly not the one to challenge it. Nor, on this occasion, is anyone else. Everyone hears what he has said, players and coaches alike. In the awkward quietness, I feel myself shrinking. I feel a foot tall. And then everyone just gets on with the drill again as if nothing has happened. No one stands by me, no one says: Whoa there, that’s a bit much. Or: Don’t worry about it, Jonny, just forget it, that sort of thing. No one says anything.

I don’t blame the other guys. It would’ve been pretty damn hard to react differently. But because no one says anything, this just confirms it for me. I don’t fit in here, it’s impossible to blend in. All my goals and aims in life demand that I am here but I don’t want to be. I hate it."

Nice guy Guscott, and he called Jonny "over-sensitive" for it. I've been in teams with over-powering characters before and it just makes the whole experience a miserable one.

Yeah it does. When you have some complete d*ck who thinks he runs the show. Guscott must have been in the twilight of his career at this point anyway?

Yeah, must've been about 1998 in Guscott's penultimate year.

Anyone else heard anything about Guscott being a bit up himself? Can Imagine him being a pain on Lions tours.

EnglishReign wrote:I found this, apparently it's an extract from the book:

... "I hit a low point at training. We are doing a simple three-on-two drill to warm-up and Brian Ashton, the backs coach, says to the defenders: “Don’t try to do too much. For the purpose of the drill, just go up and get drawn by the pass.” I go up at second defender. Guscott is going to be running against me.

As he passes the ball, I realise I’ve run up a bit too quickly, so in order to avoid colliding with him, I move to his side, which is also the side where he’s passed. This may look as though I’m trying half-heartedly for an intercept, but I’m not. It may also make Guscott look as though he’s not doing his job, although that’s not the case, either.

I’m going back to the queue when Guscott silences the whole group. “What the f***ing hell do you think you’re doing?” He says it to me, loud and clear. “You should f***ing listen, maybe you’ll learn something.”

Ever since I joined up with England, Jerry Guscott has had an aura of the untouchable about him, and as the young lad coming in, I’m certainly not the one to challenge it. Nor, on this occasion, is anyone else. Everyone hears what he has said, players and coaches alike. In the awkward quietness, I feel myself shrinking. I feel a foot tall. And then everyone just gets on with the drill again as if nothing has happened. No one stands by me, no one says: Whoa there, that’s a bit much. Or: Don’t worry about it, Jonny, just forget it, that sort of thing. No one says anything.

I don’t blame the other guys. It would’ve been pretty damn hard to react differently. But because no one says anything, this just confirms it for me. I don’t fit in here, it’s impossible to blend in. All my goals and aims in life demand that I am here but I don’t want to be. I hate it."

Nice guy Guscott, and he called Jonny "over-sensitive" for it. I've been in teams with over-powering characters before and it just makes the whole experience a miserable one.

seriously?!!!!

the guy needs to grow a pair and if that upset him he is too fragile and perhaps too sensitive for top flight rugby

I have to agree that this Grand Slam winning, Lions capped, World cup winning, Sports Personality of the year, former IRB player of the year really isn't cut out for top flight rugby.

Spanner

I've heard Guscott is a massive prat. Rumours and stories surrounding him trying to chat up girls in nightclubs and getting shut down, only to act up and throw his toys out the pram, that kind of nonsense.

Sounds like he would fit right in with the current team then

PerryGee wrote:I have to agree that this Grand Slam winning, Lions capped, World cup winning, Sports Personality of the year, former IRB player of the year really isn't cut out for top flight rugby.

Spanner

If you called JW a spanner he'd have a hissy fit and remember it for 15 years so he could put it in his next bio

do you need a spanner to surgically remove your nose from his butt?

Perhaps you may need a spanner to get a better grip on reality.

I actually agree that he has over reacted and the Guscott episode was a mountain out of a molehill.

However your comments about him not having the right mindset for rugby is laughable and patently untrue.

Perhaps you can lend me ours, just wash it first

i didn't question his mindset I said '...if that upset him he is too fragile and perhaps too sensitive for top flight rugby' and questioned his rather pathetic sensitivity by getting upset by someone having a pop at the FNG.
It speaks to his ego that even as the new guy he expected others to stand up for him. Why didn't he feel he could do that himself. he is too precious, too sensitive, always has been.

wilkinson was a metronomic kicker but was made to look a lot better than he ever was by a great side.

he is tormented and awkward and his obsessive strangeness, whilst probably responsible for his excellent kicking, also marks him out as being a misfit.

Sorry, are we talking about Jonny or Gav?

both....and Danny

In all seriousness, although I agree that he is a little strange, I think you're being far too harsh on him.

To basically describe him as a good kicker who has confidence problems it to vastly underestimate the man.

Have a look at his stats, the way he tackled and the way that he conducts himself and any team would have been glad to have had him in his prime.

Course they would

but he is still far too sensitive if he gets upset by a guy giving him sh1t on the training ground to the extent that 14 years later he has to mention it in his bio

Perhaps he fancied him

Cmon guys. You're new into a team. Just breaking in and one of the all time England legends. The amazing Lions tour winning Guscott has a pop at you for a simple mistake. It can be pretty intimidating!

Jeremy who-ate-all-the-pies Guscott is a t*at, and was one of the energy drainers identified by Woodward and the Royal Marines.

Read SCW's Winning for more info

Never liked gusset.

Can't deny he was a brilliant player with ball in hand, but sometimes he looked a bit disinterested if things were not going well.

And that picture of him on the BBC homepage - big coat and moody grey sky and him looking down his nose at the camera - says it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0FO4vYXN8

Guscott at his best.

Anyone else have any accounts of him playing up like this?

He and Alan Tait hated each other didn't they? I remember Tait wasn't to complimentary about Gusgott after the 97 Lions tour.

He also refused to take part in the 1997 Bath v Wigan cross code thing.

He wasn't a great presenter on Gladiators either.....

I can confirm that, yes, he was shoite on Gladiators.

Wasn't Gladiators just shoite anyway?

I understand your viewpoint, flanker, but may i just throw 'Jet' into the mix. Many a happy hour etc

Carpe Diem wrote:I understand your viewpoint, flanker, but may i just throw 'Jet' into the mix. Many a happy hour etc

+1

They had the original cast of Gladitors on radio 1 not so long ago!

Wilkinson's a bit of a sap if he's still upset about this training ground snub which happened over a decade ago. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with Guscott's comments, it's hardly like he's completely slated, humiliated & offended him. Some man-up tablets required.

Move on chaps, nothing to see here.

Who said Wilkinson is still upset? Its only come out because its in his book.
He's writing about how he felt at the time, I'd be surprised if he's still having sleepless nights about it.

man-up tablets!

maybe over the years Jonny has imagined guts-cots face on every person he's tackled.

The bigger issue is how the flip Wilkinson even got selected for England when he couldn't even perform a basic 3 on 2 drill.

yes amazing isn't it, he should be dropped immediately!!!

Guscott - great player but has always come across as being a t1t. I have read a few disparaging comments about him on the '97 Lions tour - it seems that Gibbs and Leonard were the only squad members who was actually on friendly terms with him

Hang on guys, he was an 18 year old new boy in a world of much older, more experienced players who he had probably been idolising since he was a nipper. Guscott was a bit of a legend, an even bigger one in his own mind, and should have had a laugh about it not go off on one. Total prat. As for JW recalling it in his autobiography well he would wouldn't he. It probably wrankled that he got the move wrong and showed his age.

roddersm wrote:Who said Wilkinson is still upset? Its only come out because its in his book.
He's writing about how he felt at the time, I'd be surprised if he's still having sleepless nights about it.

I wouldn't, he is the most tormented sportsman i can think of

Gatts wrote:

roddersm wrote:Who said Wilkinson is still upset? Its only come out because its in his book.
He's writing about how he felt at the time, I'd be surprised if he's still having sleepless nights about it.

I wouldn't, he is the most tormented sportsman i can think of

He's also one of the most talented.