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I always remember Warren Gatland’s talk after our final midweek match on the 2017 tour of New Zealand. We played the Chiefs on the Wednesday night and the first Test against the All Blacks was three days later.
It was a really tight group but everyone had a good idea of who was going to be in the Test team and who were the midweekers. Gats came into the changing room that night and said ‘Ah, we haven’t picked the team yet’. Hask cut him off and said with a hint of irony, ‘Boys, there’s still a chance’ and everyone just cracked up laughing. The bigger irony was Elliot Daly and Liam Williams both playing in the midweek team and ending up in the Test squad.
Hask labelled the midweekers ‘the bin juice’. He was one of them – one of us – and it was in his nature to make a joke of most things. The real irony was that two of those midweekers, Elliot Daly and Liam Williams, ended up in the matchday 23. The bin juice thing was an internal joke that found its way into the press and it never sat that well with me.
We had a good laugh about it but I think it tarnished the midweek guys a little bit. There were guys like Rory Best who people called the midweek captain but he was one of the best blokes I ever toured with. He brought the whole squad together and he wasn’t in the Test team. Rory is a guy I can’t speak highly enough of.
I’ve spent a fair bit of time with Ronan O’Gara out here in Australia. We’re working together for Sky Sports and we’ve both got our families with us. Our kids are playing together all the time and we’ve had some really good debates on commentary.
I wasn’t on the 2005 tour but I’ve spoken to ROG and it sounds like it was very much ‘them’ and ‘us’ on their tour of New Zealand. I’ve spoken to Brian O’Driscoll about it. He is great friends with Denis Hickie and he said he barely saw him on tour because they were all split up.
We had a good laugh about the bin juice label but I think it tarnished the midweek guys a bit
People called Rory Best the midweek captain but he was one of the best men I ever toured with
I always remember Gatland’s talk after our final midweek match on the tour of New Zealand
I don’t think Andy Farrell is the kind of coach who would entertain those bin-juice jokes
I’ve been the guy in the midweek team and the guy starting the Tests so I think I have quite a good perspective on it. When you’re in that midweek team there is part of you that questions your purpose in the group but when you’re in the Test team you really appreciate what those squad guys bring. I never felt a split on the Lions tours I was a part of but the reality is there will be guys who don’t make the cut.
I don’t think Andy Farrell is the kind of coach who would entertain those bin-juice jokes. His attitude has been that everyone is up for selection. With Ireland, you see the amount of squad rotation he uses so he’d want to rubbish any notion of that.
The good thing about this tour is the lines are far more blurred between the haves and the have nots.
The back-row and the bench are the most competitive areas right now. I think most of the backline is ticked off. Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, James Lowe, Tommy Freeman.
I think the Irish centres are ahead of the Scottish centres and Hugo Keenan is ready to cover if Blair Kinghorn is fit. For me, it’s Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan, Tadhg Beirne and Ben Earl who have the most to play for today. Those jerseys on the flanks are wide open.
Obviously there’s a few guys like Dan Sheehan, Maro Itoje, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell who are nailed on but there’s plenty of positions up for grabs.
Dan Biggar flew to Australia with Qatar Airways, who were recently named the world’s number one airline.
