'I'm going on a Lions tour!': The dinner reservation ploy that confirmed Scott Quinnell's Lions selection
Former Wales and British and Irish Lions No 8 Scott Quinnell's talent for storytelling featured on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby's live show this week, with the tale of his second British and Irish Lions selection being a particular highlight.
Quinnell's professional rugby career lasted 15 years, where the No 8 racked up 52 Wales caps as well as four in the Welsh Rugby League side. In 2022, the 50-year-old set out on The Lion Speaks Tonight tour, where he delivered a number of tales from his playing days along with pictures and insights into the world of the Lions.
The charismatic Welsh legend delivered one of those stories for the GBR's live crowd in Cardiff, leaving the audience in stitches as he described the stress of waiting to receive the letter of selection for the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour.
"The second one, I was so nervous," Quinnell revealed, before chronicling his conversation with his wife Nicola. "Because you've done it before, there was an expectation of 'I could go on this'. Before, you didn't have any expectation at all, so that one, I was like 'Oh my god'.
"The day before the letter was supposed to drop, I was like 'Nic, I can't take this anymore'. I couldn't take it. She said 'calm down!' I said 'no, I'm going to phone my father!'"
The ensuing back and forth between Mr and Mrs Quinnell ultimately did little to calm the Welshman's nerves as he finally exclaimed "I'm going to phone my f*****g father!
"Now, what I should explain, my father was actually a selector on both f*****g tours I went on right. But, I was so f*****g nervous, I said 'I've got to phone dad!'
Quinnell phoned his father, the great Derek Quinnell, claiming to want to take both parents out for a "slap-up meal" if he were selected for the tour.
"'On a Tuesday night, in Five Roads, the restaurant gets really busy, the nice one," He told his father.
"'If I don't book now then it'd be-' he said 'book it for 7:30 I'll see you there.'
Quinnell screamed with joy, "thank you, dad! I'm going on a Lions tour!"
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Marler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
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