IT’S TOOTH AT THE TOP!
Thorley’s happy to play the joker as he lights up Kingsholm
IF you’re worried that sport is being stripped of its personality, then an hour in the company of Ollie Thorley is enough to change the opinion of the most Grinch-like judges. The Gloucester wing, and reigning Premiership player of the month, is part comedian, part aristocrat, part nutty professor.
‘This always gets a reaction when you’re out in a restaurant!’ he quips, shocking the photographer by popping out his false front tooth midphotoshoot.
With the family dog hot on his heels, he moves into the reading room of his mother’s home in Cheltenham. Offering up some Christmas carols on the piano, he explains how he started taking music lessons when he was injured last year.
‘My grade one exam was one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my life,’ he says. ‘I was looking into the eyes of this seven-year-old who was sat opposite me. He was terrified and I was even more terrified! The dream is to play Piano Man by Billy Joel... I’ve got a long way to go.’
He apologises for the lack of decorations on the Christmas tree. ‘We’re naturalists,’ he jokes. Thorley was a straight-A student at Cheltenham College — one of the country’s leading private schools — and was offered a place to study history at Durham University. His education and quirky appreciation of the arts is apparent as he talks through the pictures on t he high- ceilinged walls.
‘This one’s a bit whacky,’ he says, picking out a painting. ‘It’s some sort of madam. Probably 18th century judging by the colour of her dress. I love the Victorian period — Gladstone and Disraeli, Sir Robert Peel, Isambard Brunel — but they were pretty dour with their colours. If you look closely, her book’s actually a porn magazine! I think it’s supposed to be ironic!’
Conversation moves to the newspaper industry, commenting on the contrasting political coverage of Theresa May’s confidence vote. He also offers up his thoughts on Ellis Genge’s powerful claims in these pages last week that rugby carries a painful prejudice against state school students.
‘I read that article from Ellis,’ he says. ‘He spoke really well. I went to a private school so it’s probably appropriate to me. I think rugby has a long way to go in terms of opening itself up. I’ve still had to work incredibly hard, but I take Gengey’s point. If the sport can equalise opportunities for everyone, then everyone’s a winner.
‘I don’t really know whose responsibility it is. The school I went to gives out bursaries and scholarships, but I think it would be more beneficial if their coaches actually went out to less financially advantaged schools to help them improve. It’s a no-brainer.’
Thorley made his Gloucester debut as a 17-year-old and now, five years later, he is beginning to make headlines. The powerful winger has been named December’s player of the month and he is being compared with club legend James Simpson-Daniel in corners of The Shed.
‘It was quite funny because I actually started at centre with Mike Tindall when I made my debut in 2013,’ he says. ‘I had to go to school in the morning, then I finished my lessons and got on the bus to Franklin’s Gardens. It was awesome and a little bit bizarre.
‘At the time, I wanted to do well in my A levels and I had quite a lot of things going on with my family. I delayed rugby for a bit to focus on other areas of my life. Now I feel like I’m in a position to be the rugby player I want to be.
‘ Winning the award this month was cool but you’ve just got to say “Thanks” and move on. It’s a little plastic thing. An amazing plastic thing! I’ve given it to my mum so she’ll keep it here.’
Aged 16, Thorley ran 100 metres in 10.6 seconds. Today he weighs in at 100kg [15st 10lbs] and his pace has been ripping open opposition defences.
Success breeds international callups and, if his form continues, Thorley’s name will become part of the England selection debates. His junior England caps are still on the shelf at home. He played through the ranks with the likes of Maro Itoje — and shares an unusual connection with the lock.
‘When my grandmother died, my grandfather married a Nigerian woman in Nigeria,’ he says. ‘I was on an Under-15s camp with Maro and we were discussing it. The lady that married my grandfather is Maro’s mum’s sister. So she’s his aunty. We look like cousins, don’t we?’
A visit to Nigeria is next on the agenda for Thorley — but his immediate focus is on this afternoon’s game against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.
It is a long journey up north and, as well as star winger, Thorley will also take up his usual role as star quiz master on the coach home.
‘It’s started to get quite competitive,’ he says with a chuckle. ‘We should probably get a pub team together, even though one of the guys thought Portugal was India on a map last time. Which five countries have a capital city that begins with the letter ‘V’?* I’ll throw that one over to you...’
*Vienna (Austria), Vatican City (Vatican), Vaduz (Lichtenstein), Valletta (Malta), Vilnius (Lithuania)