Originally Posted by Mike Teevee:
“I think I'm the minority on this one, but I still fail to see what Tindall (and the others out drinking did wrong).
None of the England players caused a scene at the bar, none of them smashed up the place, none of them offended/fought with anyone at the bar and they weren't the only national rugby team to have visited the venue that week. The bar's website/Facebook page also has photos of the Romanian team there a few days before/after England (can't remember which).
Also it's a myth to say that none of the of major nations were out drinking during the tournament, Warren Gatland said during a press conference before Wales vs France. Tindall was a bit niave to be drapsing over a former girlfriend/university mate, but I don't see how that in itself is such a terrible breech of discipline.
As I understand it the main issue is that he went onto another bar (without his teammates) and didn't admit this to RFU. This led to the press being misinformed and the previous 'bad' story continued to rumble on.
IMO I still don't think that was worth the OTT media frenzy that followed the England team.”
The mock outrage from the press focused in on TIndall for one reason and one reason only. Granny-in-law is the queen.
So he went out and had possibly a few too many beers the best part of a WEEK before their next match, not the night before, a week before.
Big bloody deal.
These guys are as physically fit as you can get - even back in the amateur days characters like Teague and Skinner (who both enjoyed a scoop or two) could turn up for training the day after a heavy night out and out perform everyone else on the pitch.
I remember when the entire NZ pack walked into my local after a match at the '91 world cup. They mingled, drank and joked with us the entire evening. A good night was had by all. It's a side of rugby that shouldn't have to be sacrificed simply because the game has gone professional. Fans and players alike regard it as part of what makes rugby special.
So we (England) didn't have a good world cup. I for one thought the team we had was good enough for a semi at best.
Nights out and leaping off ferry's didn't cost us a world cup, and whilst on the ferry issue, even though it was a reckless, stupid stunt it kind of demonstrated that the team had bonded. Had he been thrown off the ferry however......