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Six Nations sledgegate: 'He should take it as a compliment'
By Liam Heagney
Ospreys boss Tony Booth reckons Wales hooker Dewi Lake should take it as a compliment that England resorted to sledging him when he came on as a sub during the closing minutes of last Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham. The Welsh were trailing 20-12 when Lake was sent on as a 69th-minute replacement for Ryan Elias.
Things soon got tasty with Lake involved. There were verbals between him and George at an England scrum penalty and then came a penalty-winning turnover on halfway by Lake on the ball-carrying George which was followed by a sledge.
It didn’t end there either as it was debated on social media post-game how Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe took it in turns to heckle Lake as he waited for his Wales teammates to come in for a 78th-minute lineout. The Welsh hooker brushed off the attention and his team soon scored the converted try that left the match finishing 23-19 in England's favour.
England forwards coach Richard Cockerill claimed he wasn’t aware of the sledging but Booth, Lake’s club boss at Ospreys, had plenty of admiration for how his player reacted in the circumstances.
“He’s more an oak tree than a shrinking violet,” quipped Booth. “He’s a very combative, competitive guy and I think the fact they have gone after him he should take as a compliment. He certainly won’t shy down from any challenge and when called on in that critical moment he did his job and did what he had to do so it was a wasted effort, wasn’t it?”
When asked about the sledging, Cockerill said: “To be fair, I’m unaware of that situation but it’s a game where boys are playing against each other and it’s a fiercely competitive Test match. I’m sure there are words exchanged and there are some wry smiles going across each camp. I don’t think it is anything unusual that you don’t see in any game.
“Some might call it banter and fun, it depends on how you want to frame it,” he continued, adding that the verbals against Ireland in round four on March 12 will be interesting. “Yeah, I’m sure they will have some good banter for us and I’m sure there will be some great contests across the board.”
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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