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Sam Warburton reveals the moment that sparked a powerful desire to return to Wales team
By Online Editors
Ex-Wales skipper Sam Warburton has revealed the moment that sparked a strong urge of making a return to the Welsh squad.
The two-time captain of the British and Irish Lions shocked the rugby fraternity when he announced his retirement from professional rugby last July at the age of 29, with the 79-test veteran citing his body's inability to take anymore punishment.
Since quitting the sport, Warburton has working as a pundit for various broadcasters such as the BBC, BT Sport, Premier Sports and ITV.
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However, it was while he was working for Channel 4 during a Wales World Cup warm-up match earlier this year that the 31-year-old felt a powerful desire to return to the test rugby scene.
“This time with Channel 4, we actually were on pitchside. Suddenly the boys were all around me, all my ex-teammates and coaches and the thrills and noises and smells all came flooding back," Warburton told the Daily Telegraph.
"I looked at them and thought ‘I should be there’. It was a feeling so powerful that it took my breath away.”
Shortly afterwards, Warburton then fielded a call from new Wales head coach Wayne Pivac to see how interested the former Cardiff Blues star would be in coming on board with his side.
“I don’t think Wayne knew what I was feeling. I mean, he can’t have, because I hadn’t even told my agent," Warburton said.
"He only wanted some feedback and I was providing it nicely enough when I just went off on one, saying ‘I’d do this and that’ etc’ - and before I knew it, he was saying ‘Let’s have another meeting’.
"The next time, he asked me on board and I was overjoyed. I don’t want to sound naff, but I was euphoric, as if I was answering my calling.
"I loved doing TV, but I realised that I was only scratching the surface of my knowledge. There’s so much more I can give back that would be going to waste otherwise.
"When it was announced I was joining the Welsh coaching staff I heard a guy on the radio saying it was ‘a big surprise’ and I was like ‘too right, mate!’
"If you’d told me even a few months before I would have said ‘no, way; no way on earth’. I was done."
Pivac subsequently recruited Warburton as a technical advisor at the breakdown and defence, which has been heralded by some as a masterstroke appointment.
He will work with the squad on a campaign-by-campaign basis, and began his tenure with the squad last month for Wales' clash against the Barbarians, the first match under the stewardship of Pivac.
Warburton joins new defence coach Byron Hayward, Stephen Jones, Jonathan Humphreys and Neil Jenkins in Pivac's backroom staff.
"This role is ideal because it’s only five or six months a year and not the 11 months a year if you are a regional coach or with one of the big England teams," Warburton said.
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Latest Comments
The boy needs to bulk up if wants to play 10 or 11 to handle those hits, otherwise he could always make a brilliant reserve for the wings if he stays away from the stretcher.
Go to commentsIn another recent article I tried to argue for a few key concept changes for EPCR which I think could light the game up in the North.
First, I can't remember who pointed out the obvious elephant in the room (a SA'n poster?), it's a terrible time to play rugby in the NH, and especially your pinnacle tournament. It's been terrible watching with seemingly all the games I wanted to watch being in the dark, hardly able to see what was going on. The Aviva was the only stadium I saw that had lights that could handle the miserable rain. If the global appeal is there, they could do a lot better having day games.
They other primary idea I thuoght would benefit EPCR most, was more content. The Prem could do with it and the Top14 could do with something more important than their own league, so they aren't under so much pressure to sell games. The quality over quantity approach.
Trim it down to two 16 team EPCR competitions, and introduce a third for playing amongst the T2 sides, or the bottom clubs in each league should simply be working on being better during the EPCR.
Champions Cup is made up of league best 15 teams, + 1, the Challenge Cup winner. Without a reason not to, I'd distribute it evenly based on each leauge, dividing into thirds and rounded up, 6 URC 5 Top14 4 English. Each winner (all four) is #1 rank and I'd have a seeding round or two for the other 12 to determine their own brackets for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. I'd then hold a 6 game pool, home and away, with consecutive of each for those games that involve SA'n teams. Preferrably I'd have a regional thing were all SA'n teams were in the same pool but that's a bit complex for this simple idea.
That pool round further finalises the seeding for knockout round of 16. So #1 pool has essentially duked it out for finals seeding already (better venue planning), and to see who they go up against 16, 15,etc etc. Actually I think I might prefer a single pool round for seeding, and introduce the home and away for Ro16, quarters, and semis (stuffs up venue hire). General idea to produce the most competitive matches possible until the random knockout phase, and fix the random lottery of which two teams get ranked higher after pool play, and also keep the system identical for the Challenge Cup so everthing is succinct. Top T2 side promoted from last year to make 16 in Challenge Cup
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