Bloody brawl occurred during British and Irish Lions debut featuring a prominent player, leading to a teammate paying over £29,000 in damages many years later.
The Lions hope to dodge the 'baptism of fire' James Haskell faced on his inaugural tour Down Under for the Lions in Australia. Facing the Western Force, live on talkSPORT, the Lions strive to display more guts than they did in their 28-24 loss to Argentina. Yet, they need to tread carefully to avoid a brawl situation similar to Haskell's debut for Wasps, back in 2002.
Remember Haskell, who was a part of the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand, was 17 during a pre-season friendly in Clermont-Ferrand, France. In a chat on talkSPORT’s My Sporting Life podcast in 2022, Haskell recounted his nerve-wracking experience.
"Yea, I was 17 at the time," Haskell narrated, "They lined up, and I was in the back row with Lawrence Dallaglio. I'll never forget before the game, Lawrence Dallaglio, all bravado—this guy was as tough as nails. He goes, 'listen, Hask', if it kicks off, mate, I need you right next to me, if there's a fight, I need you there.'"
Dallaglio, a powerful force in British rugby, wasn't shy about asking for help. Haskell, though unsure, agreed, "Yeah, no problem." But thinking back, Haskell wasn't convinced about his readiness, "I was not sure I've got the skill set quite if it kicks off."
That fight did indeed break out after hooker Phil Greening tackled Aurelien Rougerie so hard that he required three operations and was sidelined for four months. Haskell admitted, "That French guy hit me. His French guy didn’t move. So, I turned around and punched this French guy right in the face, and he punched me straight back."
The melee extended into the stands, and even Haskell's mother attempted to retaliate. Haskell confessed, "It was my first taste of it. I was punching people, I'm not sure why."
After the match, Haskell realized the size of the gap between amateur and professional rugby. Haskell shared, "I played that game, then I went back to Wellington to play in the last year of school, and I realized what a gulf that was."
Now, as the Lions prepare for their match against Western Force, they need to avoid channeling that ferocious yet chaotic incident of Haskell's past.
The Lions, recalling James Haskell's infamous brawl in a pre-season friendly, must ensure a smoother encounter during their match against Western Force, keeping the unruly nature of that episode far from their minds as they endeavor to make sports history. Reflecting on his own football career, Haskell revealed his reluctance to engage in such unfocused aggression, having been a mere teenager at the time, with limited experience in professional transfer settings.
