Aaron is the right man for job as Wales bid for glory, says Quinnell
SCOTT Quinnell played his last game for Wales when Aaron Wainwright was five years of age, so it’s unclear if the Dragons youngster got to fully appreciate the thunder the big man brought to his rugby.
When Quinnell carried ball, opponents tended to run for cover rather than run towards the 6ft 4in, 19st west Walian.
There is a clip on YouTube of Quinnell demonstrating a charge forward during the making of the TV programme School of Hard Knocks. The poor sap holding the tackle bag is smashed aside and probably left thinking there was no way on earth he could have stopped the crazed Welshman who has just run at him.
Once, the true test of courage for a player was to stand his ground and field an up and under at Pontypool Park, with the home pack charging at him like hounds from hell.
But attempting a head-on tackle on Quinnell – that took some guts,
too. An endorsement from him counts for something, then, and Wainwright today finds he has one.
The 21-year-old was one of the few outright successes of Wales’ summer campaign. He made 50 hits over three starts, he won line-out ball, he kept going from gun to tape. He also did something in a one-sided second half against Ireland in Dublin that marked him out as a serious player: he shone in adversity.
Wales were being forced onto the back foot by powerful home ball carrying, but Wainwright kept making tackles. By the time the final whistle had been blown, he had completed 24 hits and missed just one. It was an immense display.
Wainwright is a different type of back-rower from Quinnell in his pomp, much different, but the scourge of France in 1994 – THAT try – has seen enough to be hugely impressed.
“He a really good young player,” says Quinnell.
“Not only is he a capable line-out forward, he can carry the ball and he has a big work-rate.
“I think he’ll be a huge success at the World Cup.
“He tackles hard and always gives 100 percent.