Tinds - it's over?

By Cherry Picker
November 11 2011

Mike Tindall has been fined £25,000 by the RFU and binned from the England elite squad for his behaviour during the World Cup in New Zealand. And while it's easy to claim the Glaws centre has been made a scapegoat, it's difficult to make a case in his defence.

Chris Ashton and Dylan Hartley have both been handed suspended fines while Dylan Hartley has been cleared in the latest repercussions from the disastrous England RWC campaign.

The RFU pro rugby director Rob Andrew said: "Mike Tindall's actions reached a level of misconduct that was unacceptable in a senior England player and amounted to a very serious breach of the EPS Code of Conduct. Whilst we acknowledge his previous good character it needs to be made clear that what he did will not be tolerated.”

So that’s probably the end of Tindall’s England career after 75 caps and while he will always have a huge number of admirers at Kingsholm, both on the staff and in the stands, from the view we got of the World Cup and the surrounding “antics” of the England squad, it appears he was, as they used to say in The Sweeney, “bang to rights.”

RFU fine puts an end to Tindall's England career

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 11/11/2011 15:20

Shedloads
11/11/2011 15:20

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father of beast
11/11/2011 15:23

harsh and unwarranted action........

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Mark the Horns
11/11/2011 16:57

Doubt he would be sacked if the guy was in his mid 20s and a rising star of the game..

Easy to dump somebody who is 33...

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P G Tips
12/11/2011 16:44

Bath fan here. I was very sad to see Mike Tindall leave Bath, but pleased that he continued his England career and became a senior player, eventually stand-in Captain.

I am more saddened that he was extremely foolish in NZ during the World Cup and that his behaviour put England under unnecessary pressure from the media. Strong action by the RFU was justified to punish him for his poor example.

I do believe however, that the size of the fine is too harsh: it smacks of a PR stunt & scapegoating. It seems that Mr Andrew has decided that as Tindall is a high profile figure because he is married into the Royal Family,the RFU must make a crowd -pleasing gesture in the punishment they award.

It is sad that he is more likely to be remembered for his faults in NZ 2011, than his heroics in Australia 2003.

PG

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CooperMan
13/11/2011 16:51

The fine was way out of order, but he put the end to his career all on his own. It's a shame a 33 year old is not mature enough to put his country, and more importantly his wife, before schoolboy pranks and playing well below par.
England are well shot of him,now Rob Andrew and Martin Johnson should follow.

We need a new start without the old farts.

Coops
WTF

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Dannyinnit
15/11/2011 09:16

Agree with everything said here. Yes he was a plonker and should have used his experience in New Zealand, but the fine is completely out of balance and totally unfair. Great to see him show his true class against Stade Toulousain. Hopefully we'll have him around for a couple more seasons to bring on our younger guys such as Trinder - and what a guy to help that development! Given he's acheived most things in his career, except one, I wonder if he'll push for the Lions tour? He'd have difficulty with some of the other home union outside centres ahead of him though.

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