Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

England the 'most unlikeable team in recent memory' claims former Ireland international

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

As the Six Nations comes to a halt, former Ireland international Alan Quinlan has launched a remarkable attack on Eddie Jones’ England team and his captain Owen Farrell.

ADVERTISEMENT

England sit atop the now suspended Six Nations table, but a high profile incident with loosehead Joe Marler was a hot topic of discussion following the match and not just in rugby circles. Marler grabbed the genitalia of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, resulting in a 10-week ban.

Not only that, but following the match England head coach Eddie Jones called referee Ben O’Keeffe ‘the 16th man’. On Thursday, the RFU apologised for Jones’ comments, saying: “We have discussed with England head coach Eddie Jones the nature of the comments he made to the media in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic finish to the England versus Wales Guinness Six Nations match on Saturday, and have made it clear that such comments are not in line with the values of the sport or the RFU.

“Eddie and the RFU regret any implication that Ben O’Keefe was biased in his decision making.”

Quinlan, who works as a pundit and columnist, says that England’s on and off-field behaviour is bringing  themselves and the game into disrepute.

“England will probably win this Six Nations, if it ever does reach a conclusion, but their behaviour on and off the field, led by a loose-lipped general and a petulant first lieutenant, will probably make them the most unlikeable team in recent memory to lift the trophy.

“This England team can play rugby, there’s no doubt about that, but the way they are going about their business – pushing boundaries when it comes to aggression, questioning the integrity of officials and goading opponents in unprovoked episodes of poor sportsmanship – is spraying lighter fluid across a game that is already engaged in its fair share of fire-fighting.

“Six weeks have passed since Eddie Jones warned a youthful French outfit to expect “absolute brutality” in the City of Love, essentially a declaration of war in a neighbouring rugby community still deeply shook by the 2018 deaths of three young players in the space of five months.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Quinlan also takes aim at England captain Owen Farrell: “Jones is comfortable playing the villain and it’s become increasingly obvious that his players are too, with Owen Farrell, his skipper, one of the best in the world on his day, the offspring of the Irish head coach, now his chief sidekick.

“A good captain shouldn’t be giving away four penalties in 24 minutes… When the head coach is defending reckless tackles and the captain has a habit of hitting high, what kind of path do you expect the rest of the squad to follow?”

Ironically Quinlan was known for his on-field antics during his career and an abrasive, no-quarter given approach to opposition players during his 212 appearances for Munster and 27 Ireland caps.

During Munster’s Heineken cup semi-final defeat to Leinster in 2009, he was cited for making contact with the eye or eye area of opposition skipper Leo Cullen. The subsequent 12-week ban handed down to him saw him miss out on the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa that year.

ADVERTISEMENT

WATCH: Sky Sports’ Ross Karl heads to the beautiful Mount Maunganui to catch up with Chiefs prop Aidan Ross, who is no fan of beach volleyball!

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Johnsonfidelis 4 hours ago
Gareth Anscombe returns as Gloucester makes 7 changes for Bath

I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a ”

I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a year later, through a fabricated process of baiting me with unbelievable profits, and matching my losses, I was in over $185,000. The platform had assigned my personal broker to me, that called me from time to time to tell me about their new offers. And they said he was one of their top brokers, they further told me the broker had made a lot of people so rich. The broker told me there was an insurance that they get on them, every trade that we do that's secured and we could never lose money, he will put in there that it's an insured secure trade, and they buy the insurance for it. so i was assured, I won't lose any money on if we lose. Okay? But the catch is, you have to bring in an additional $25,000 in order to get that secured trade status on your account. I stupidly did this. Once I hit a certain profit level, I tried to remove money from them. That's when they denied me being able to take out my own money. They also told me to pay an additional fee to bring out my money. I was blocked out of my accounts and denied withdrawal even after i contacted them in various ways. Of course they never told me that additional of $25k from the beginning. So when I heard that, then it was pretty obvious to me that they were running a scam.I was very sad and confused after investing a lot. Earlier this year February 15th 2025, i was able to get my invested capital back including profit and the $25k additional fees with the help of the INTELLIGENCE CYBER WIZARD Assets Recovery (You can contact them below). They offer the best in monetary recovery if you are victim of cryptocurrency fraud, binary options fraud, real estate Investment fraud and many more.

G-mail: intelligencecyberwizard@gmail.com

WhatsApp: + 1 2 1 9 4 2 4 7 5 6 6

Proton mail: intelligencecyberwizard@proton

.me

0 Go to comments
K
Katy Martin 5 hours ago
Duhan van der Merwe's Lions tour thrown into doubt

As a truck driver who spends long hours on the road, I understand the value of hard work. My job demands long shifts, constant focus, and time away from loved ones. To make extra income during my limited downtime, I started mining cryptocurrency. After months of dedication, I finally saved enough to buy BITCOIN through P2P on Binance. It felt like a major milestone. I was proud of what I had built, turning my effort into BITCOIN, an asset I believed in. That pride quickly turned into heartbreak. Someone I trusted scammed me out of $85,000 worth of BITCOIN in a single transaction. I was crushed. I had sacrificed sleep, missed out on time with friends and family, and worked relentlessly, only to have everything taken from me in seconds. The emotional and financial blow was devastating. Still, I was not ready to give up. I started researching ways to recover stolen BITCOIN and came across TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY. I saw countless testimonials from people who had lost cryptocurrency and managed to recover it with their help. Desperate but hopeful, I reached out and shared my story. To my complete shock, TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY managed to trace and recover my stolen BITCOIN within just 21 hours. The funds were safely returned to my wallet. I cannot describe the relief I felt. Months of hard work were not wasted after all. My belief in BITCOIN as a store of value had been shaken, but thanks to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY, I got a second chance. Even more incredible, their team helped law enforcement track down the scammer responsible. That person was arrested, and justice was served. I could finally breathe again, knowing that the person who took advantage of my trust was held accountable. If you have lost BITCOIN or other crypto to a scam, whether through fake investments, phishing schemes, or fraudulent platforms, do not lose hope. TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY specializes in recovering stolen BITCOIN and other digital assets, even from apps like Binance, Cash App, or Coinbase. Their team is fast, trustworthy, and truly committed to helping victims like me. Losing BITCOIN you worked hard for is painful, but recovery is possible. Reach out to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY today and take back control of your financial future. CONSUL THEM wa.me/15617263697

2 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'When I said Glasgow would win the Champions Cup, I had a couple of red wines' Leinster clash is opportunity for Glasgow's Lions hopefuls to roar
Search