Despite having a voice that projected quite well, those at the back couldn’t hear, so the mic was employed.   “Am I supposed to sing a song?, BM quipped as he took off his jacket.

The first question was about our upcoming game against Toulouse.  Having heard BM on the radio from the Toulouse v Sale game, he was asked how Quins could beat Toulouse.

The short answer was: “I doubt if they can to be honest.”  Oh dear.  BM went on to qualify that by saying that we had to remember that they were French.  “I once asked Olivier Magne why it was that they (the French) could play one week and not the next.  Toulouse are a very talented team.  Sunday’s game was ruined when their mad coach put on six substitutes at the same time, but Sale were badly outplayed.  Quins’ trouble is that they can’t convert possession into points.  You’ve got to wonder about that.  Sale are an average team but they were missing people.  Quins will be at home though and Toulouse aren’t unbeatable, and we all know that when French heads go down . . .  they run away!”

Much laughter.

Next, Brian was asked why the Daily Telegraph was so anti-Quins.  Obviously, this opened the gates for the inevitable discussion of ‘Bloodgate’.   Most of us are fully conversant with Brian’s views on Bloodgate from his articles in the Telegraph and also from his comments on this very board. 

First, he tried to put the DT’s reporting into context.  “The reporters who worked on Bloodgate were taking their own line.  Paul Kelso’s good and does a lot of digging.  I contribute when I can, but I’m not a daily reporter.  When the reporters get news they will print it, whether it’s ‘pro’ or ‘anti’.  It was unfortunate for Quins that this occurred out of the season – for both football and rugby – and there were a) no distractions and b) there were people who wanted to have a go at rugby union.  This was helped by the well-organised leaking by both ERC and Tom Williams’ team.”

He went on to say that – and here I am paraphrasing – his main issue was the way ERC handled itself.  He didn’t like the way that they operated, and as a governing and disciplinary body, you don’t go and break your own rules.  “I asked why it was that the judgements were released on different days.  No-one could tell me why.  When I asked I was told by the panel chairman that it was because Tom Williams was heard first.  That’s not true.  They took 3 months to get to the appeal and then shoe-horned it into 8 days, and then took 8 days to get Tom’s statement out.  And then another 8 days to release the rest.  Quins and Dean Richards had by now had a kicking.”   BM also raised the issue that the document which was released by ERC was a right hotch-potch with its findings in one type-face and then Tom’s statement badly photocopied into the appropriate gaps.  ERC apparently had made 14 demands on the club to NOT appeal.  “ERC was set up to run a tournament, not to have all these powers, but if you’re going to have these powers, then you have to do it properly.  It cost everyone lots of money because ERC wouldn’t fly the 3 judges to London where all the witnesses were.   It’s very difficult because Dean is one of my oldest friends and I was Quins captain, but just because I didn’t give Quins an extended kicking doesn’t mean I haven’t dealt with it.  I want everyone who’s done wrong to be held responsible – including ERC.”

On the subject of their friendship, Brian was asked if Dean is a man of integrity.  “If I had to rely on anyone, it would be Dean.  And how to equate that with what I thought was behind the conundrum of what I believed to be an honourable man, involved in lying and cheating.  That everyone else is doing it is not an excuse.  Perhaps it was part of the old police culture.  The police force is a fraternity, like rugby, which doesn’t like outside interference.  Dean was a copper in the days when the police made up their notebooks together.  What if one of your mates had smacked a low-life who had got uppity in the cells?  Do you back your friend or do you report him?  You go with the former because otherwise the whole thing snowballs.  At work you stick by your colleagues, especially if all your competitors are doing the same thing.  I understand it but I don’t condone it.” 

So, he’s done a stupid thing but that doesn’t change the person?  Does he still have something to offer rugby?  “Dean’s the same person before and after.  Of course he still has something to offer.  In 3 years’ time people might have a different view.  The worst thing about the ERC decision is that he did not have the right to have previous character taken into account.  They were angry at the lying and that was why they acted that way.  You don’t get angry in a court.  He’d been an excellent number 8 and a good coach.”  

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