Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

'It's one of my major regrets': There is something Rhys Priestland would do very differently if he had his time over again

(Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Bath out-half Rhys Priestland has revealed that his lax approach to mental health in the earlier part of his career is one of his biggest regrets as he prepares to head back to Wales and keep his career going with Cardiff in the Guinness PRO16. The 34-year-old has spent the last six seasons in the Gallagher Premiership after establishing himself at the Scarlets and breaking his way into the international set-up under Warren Gatland in 2011.

ADVERTISEMENT

Priestland went on to play 50 times for his country before the 60-cap rule for players based outside Wales made him unavailable. His decision to join the Blues will now put him back in the mix under Wayne Pivac and he goes there having played 91 times in the Premiership, 71 of those appearances as a starter with Bath including Friday night’s loss to Sale.

These past few weeks Priestland has been the Bath ambassador for the RPA’s Restart mental health charity, a topic close to his heart as he admitted to RugbyPass that if he had his time over again he would bring a different attitude to rugby and life rather than allow himself to be suffocated by the negatives – as was the case during numerous years not so long ago when he didn’t have the tools to cope better with the pressures.

Video Spacer

In a new series of short films, RugbyPass shares unique stories from iconic British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in proud partnership with The Famous Grouse, the Spirit of Rugby

Video Spacer

In a new series of short films, RugbyPass shares unique stories from iconic British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in proud partnership with The Famous Grouse, the Spirit of Rugby

“I’m a lot better,” he said. “It’s something I have had to work hard on. I was guilty a bit at the start. If someone asked me how are you after not even a poor performance, if things outside rugby were getting me down, you’d just brush it off and say I’m fine.

“It seemed like the macho thing to do but I now realise you don’t have to do it on your own, there are people out there who can help you. It is something I have worked hard on and it has made me a better person. I’m nowhere near as miserable to be around if some things don’t go well on a rugby field anymore and that is important as well because it has helped me realise there can be more to life than rugby.

“I definitely wasn’t (the most confident player I could have been). If I had my time again that is one thing I would have focused more of my time and energy into that. At the time I couldn’t see the wood from the trees. I didn’t realise how important it [mental health] was. It’s one of my major regrets from my career. There we are.”

Set to be replaced at Bath by Danny Cipriani, Priestland reckons he will now return to Wales a better player due to the greater level of mindfulness that came to the fore during his time in England. “I think so,” he continued. “Although I haven’t achieved or we haven’t achieved what we sort of set out to achieve every season since I have been here (at Bath), I can look back at my time and definitely think I’m a more rounded person.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Probably a better person as well so hopefully I can take those experiences back with me and if I can play any sort of part of influence any players at Cardiff who are coming through that would be great.

It’s a fantastic initiative,” he added about Restart and its ambition to grow awareness around mental health in rugby. “One thing that has come from this pandemic is how important people’s mental health is. It’s something I have struggled with in the past and it’s something I have been very proactive with in terms of trying to make sure my mental health is in the best state it possibly can be.

“The more awareness that we as rugby players can bring to this sort of subject and what the charity stands for and what the campaign is trying to achieve the better, that it is okay not to be okay. There is still a stigma in rugby that it is a macho sport and you just have to get on with it but it’s not the case. The world has moved on and this charity can hopefully help people and make them realise they are not on their own.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

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

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
Search