PARK LIFE JENKINS LIFTS LIDS ON LIFE AT THE BLUES
Ellis Jenkins has been one of the form players in the latter part of this season – being at the fore as the Cardiff Blues have reached a Challenge Cup Final and qualified for next season’s Champions Cup.
The Wales flanker took some time out of preparation for next week’s European showdown against Gloucester to pop into Echo HQ to reveal just what life is like in the Blues dressing room, including who does the talking, who’s been slacking at the gym and what makes Gethin Jenkins so special...
Who tends to speak up in the dressing room and what will it be like before the Challenge Cup Final against Gloucester? AS the season has gone on, we have a lot more players who are willing to talk, which is big.
Gethin Jenkins is our captain and he’s great. He can be very, very harsh but he’s rarely wrong, so you listen to him.
Nick Williams is a very quiet man, but the way he plays the game, he commands respect. So when he speaks, you listen to him.
Our half-backs are vocal as well, especially Gareth Anscombe. He’s got a lot to say and he’s very knowledgeable.
But there won’t be any need to get revved up for the final. We’ve all been playing long enough to know what we’re playing for.
It’s why you go out in the rain and train in December – for these opportunities. If you need geeing up for this, you’re in the wrong game. Do you have your own routine or ritual before a game? I STAY as calm as possible.
I just get my physical prep done and make sure I’m as physically ready as possible.
Me and Josh Navidi are the same. We stretch and get as mobile as we can. If I’m captain, I’ll say a couple of words a few minutes beforehand. Just keep it simple, a point in attack and a point in defence – the main ones we have got to focus on.
We just making sure we are nice and focused going into the game. How much does the coach say before a match? NOT a lot.
When it comes to game days, if you haven’t covered something, then it’s not important.
You just have to trust your preparation and the coaches will maybe come in with a message or two at half-time if a team is changed slightly from what we have prepped.
But other than that, it’s just basing ourselves on our game plan and playing the best that we can.
There’s a few players leaving at the end of the season - including Taufa’ao Filise.
Are you going to miss his work in the gym? HE’S getting a bit lazy in his old age!
He’s a freak. He’s the loveliest bloke I’ve ever met. We always joke in the gym how he doesn’t do much, but he still beats me at everything.
It will be strange. He’s been part of the furniture since I’ve been here. It’s mad how he turned up when he was 29 for the last few years of his career and he’s still going.
In my first season, he received a leaving present because he was retiring – that was six years ago!
It’s not a coincidence that Taufa’ao Filise, Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins have played so long.
Can I see myself playing at 40? No chance!
Is Gethin Jenkins mellowing as he gets older? SOMETIMES you think he’s mellowing, and then he’ll do something and normality is restored!
He’s very driven and competitive which is why he has lasted so long.
That competitive nature is why he can sometimes make it look like he’s coming off the wrong way - but I love it.
He does say some stuff, but when it cools down he comes back and say he was out of order.
But he’s rarely wrong, so he’ll apologise for the way he said it but he
won’t take it back.
He’s the best player I’ve ever played with or against.
His has the ability to do everything beyond his position requirements, such as his skill over the ball.
Something you don’t really notice with him until you train or play is that he does not stop talking. Lots of people don’t take that into consideration as a quality as a player but you notice it when it isn’t there.
There are certain players who are like that but Gethin is the best.
With the way teams play, it’s all about patterns, getting into shape and manipulating defences. The earlier you talk, the earlier you get into position.
And in defence, he’ll be telling you if he’s coming up or working inside you. He’s non-stop.
Obviously, the half-backs will tell us where to go but even then, you have to communicate with the other forwards about your roles. It’s hard to explain until you experience it on the pitch. He’s a bit of a frustrated fly-half. He tells me in training how quick he used to be. What’s it like playing alongside Josh Navidi? HE just never stops and seems to hit everything.
He’s done that for the last couple of seasons.
He’s been Blues player of the year three years in a row.
He’s a joy to play with. He gives everything. It’s quite funny, he’s played so many games that he walks around the week saying he can’t play this week. Then he turns up game day and is fantastic.
He makes my job a lot easier. I hope he says the same about me. We play well with each other, we feed off each other and know what the other wants.
We’re all pulling in the same direction.