That Twickenham win and a Brown bust-up
SAM Warburton has revealed how Wales’ players were ready to ‘batter’ Mike Brown, while Chris Robshaw ‘insulted every single player in a red jersey’ during an historic showdown with England.
Warburton lifts the lid on what really happened out on the pitch in his brilliant new book Open Side, which was serialised by Wales Online and the South Wales Echo this week.
The brutally honest autobiography takes you right inside the Wales dressing room and gives a fascinating insight into the thinking of Warren Gatland’s players.
One of the chapters focuses entirely on Wales’ epic 28-25 World Cup triumph over the old enemy at their own Twickenham lair four years ago.
Warburton outlines how Brown, an England player many Welsh rugby fans love to hate, angered himself and fellow legend Gethin Jenkins with some first-half antics.
The game exploded when England’s players were angered by a Dan Lydiate tackle on Tom Wood and a melee of more than a dozen players ensued.
Warburton was in the thick of it, rushing to the defence of Lydiate who had several English bodies in his face.
He says he felt three tugs on his collar, eventually turning around to find Brown had suddenly appeared from nowhere.
He writes in the book: “I’m laughing in Brown’s face. ‘What are you doing?’ I say. ‘You’d better leave quick before I catch you on your own during the game.’”
He continues: “Brown then starts chopsing off at Gethin, who’d batter him even quicker than I would.”
Brown has been involved in other incidents with Wales, notably at Twickenham in 2018 when he sneered in the face of Scott Williams after the Wales centre had been denied a try through a brilliant tackle from Sam Underhill. The episode caused outrage on social media, with some calling the England full-back’s behaviour a disgrace.
The World Cup game of four years ago, of course, had a dramatic finale when Warburton was penalised for not releasing just moments after Dan Biggar had kicked Wales into a 28-25 lead.
With only three minutes to go and Farrell having kicked impeccably with six out of six during the game, England should have gone for goal to secure at least a draw.
But skipper Robshaw gambled instead on going for the corner to try to win the match.
“That was an insult to every single player in a red jersey on this pitch,” writes Warburton. “We don’t think a draw’s good enough; that’s what England are saying. We don’t think you’ve got it in you to hold us out.”
Wales, of course, did hold out in dramatic fashion to seal one of the greatest triumphs in Welsh rugby history.
Warburton insists, however, Robshaw should not take the sole blame for the penalty decision and argues England’s real error was to throw to the front of the lineout, enabling the Welsh pack to stop the maul and shove them into touch to ensure victory.
BOOK SIGNING SESSIONS
If you want to meet Sam Warburton, he will be doing the following book signings... ■■Tuesday, September 17, In Conversation and Q&A with The Chepstow Bookshop 7pm. ■■Wednesday, September 18, book signing at Griffin Books in Penarth, 6pm. ■■Tuesday, September 24, book signing at Tesco Extra, Bridgend (in partnership also with Braces Bread product launch), 4-6pm. ■■Wednesday, September 25, book signing at Tesco Extra, Cardiff (in partnership also with Braces Bread product launch), 4-6pm.