England wanted robots but I’m out to have fun
RYAN LAMB ON HIS NEW LIFE IN FRANCE
THEY call him ‘Harry’ at La Rochelle and Ryan Lamb has JK Rowling to thank for that, but it’s an improvement on the nicknames he acquired over 11 seasons at five different English clubs.
The 31- year- old has been rejuvenated by his cross-Channel move in the summer, having felt he had ‘stagnated’ in the Premiership. Speaking to Sportsmail at the town’s old port, he explained how he has been welcomed at the ambitious club on France’s Atlantic coast.
‘The guys here call me Harry — after Harry Potter,’ said Lamb.
‘I wore my glasses once, that’s all! They are just normal glasses, but I got hammered by this Harry Potter chat. Some of the guys think Harry is really my name now!
‘It beats “Asbo” and “Gypsy” though. James Haskell gave me the “Asbo” nickname in the England Under 21s. It was when the government first brought out the Asbos (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders). When I was asleep, the lads put an Asbo tag around my leg. I’d been in a few scrapes, so I couldn’t really argue with it too much! My grandad was a traveller so that’s where the “Gypsy” nickname came from.
‘That wasn’t Haskell — Flats (David Flatman) was the worst for that. He used to send me pictures of caravans all the time. This is my sixth club, so I’ve obviously got it in my blood to keep moving around!’
Lamb grew up in Gloucester and emerged at his home-town club as a fly-half with natural talent, and was talked about as a future England No 10.
But he left to join London Irish after experiencing some harsh criticism during his inconsistent rookie years — and after two rewarding seasons there his rugby route took in Northampton, Leicester — briefly — and Worcester, before reaching La Rochelle. Test recognition never came, despite a handful of games for the England Saxons and call-ups to the senior squad.
He feels the English game often seeks ‘ steady Eddie’ playmakers, while rejecting non- conformists who rock the boat.
‘I was p****d off about the England situation at one point,’ he said. ‘The way I was playing, I thought I should have had a chance. I was in the squad and Jonny Wilkinson got injured. Toby Flood was injured and I think Charlie Hodgson was too. I was thinking, “I might have a shot here”, but Martin Johnson picked Andy Goode from Brive. I just thought, “Oh, f*** off. I don’t f***ing care”.
‘At the time I did care, of course, I was angry — but it gets to the point where you just think your face doesn’t fit.
‘England like robots. Some of the stuff that used to happen... Once, they told us to go for a two-hour sleep in the afternoon, then we had to be in our rooms for the night at eight o’clock. I just thought, “I’m 24. What is going on here?”
‘Me and Steff Armitage had a chat and decided to go out. We thought we could sneak back in later.
‘We didn’t go out drinking and partying, we just watched a film, had some food and hung out in a bar for a bit. We went back thinking everyone was asleep but when we walked in, lo and behold, Johnson, John Wells and Graeme Rowntree were waiting for us. We got caught and I didn’t get picked again.’
This afternoon at The Stoop, Lamb will go head-to-head with the teenager who has taken over a mantle which was once his — as the next great English No 10 prospect.
He is aware of the hype and hope already attached to Harlequins’ prodigy, Marcus Smith.
‘He’s done well and looks talented,’ said Lamb. ‘He’s a better goal-kicker than I was at 18, that’s for sure! He’s got all the skills and I just hope the coaches stick by him when he has a few bad games, which will happen. He will go through periods when he’s going to struggle because he’s still
young. I just hope people don’t hammer him for his mistakes.’
The ferocity of criticism stunned him when he was finding his way as a professional at Gloucester. ‘In my last year at Gloucester, when I was 20, 21, I was really shocked by how much stick I was getting,’ he said. ‘I just wanted to play rugby, have fun and throw the ball around.
‘As soon as the crowd cheered I thought that was the time to turn it on and entertain, but it soon came back to bite me. It felt like people were always waiting for me to make a mistake, so they could drop me.’
His hope is that now, in the latter stages of his career, he has found a place where his instincts are accepted and encouraged. Last month, in his first start for La Rochelle, Lamb’s long pass in his own 22 ignited a stunning, longrange try just 40 seconds into the Pro14 encounter with mighty Clermont Auvergne.
It’s not all going to plan. As the joint-owner of a café near Gloucester, Lamb has high standards when it comes to coffee and he said: ‘The coffee here is too dark for me. They really like their tiny espressos. If you ask for milk in your coffee, it’s like you’ve asked to sleep with their wife!’
But the rugby is to his taste. Not too bland, not too frothy — and certainly not produced by robots.