Jealousy behind Pollock-baiting claims Jimmy Gopperth as Kiwi star prepares for French test in Pro D2 semi-final
Veteran Provence fly-half Jimmy Gopperth and Northampton Saints back-row Henry Pollock.
Jimmy Gopperth believes “jealousy” is at the root of criticism – and worse – aimed at Henry Pollock by players in France since the final whistle blew on the Investec Champions Cup final.
The veteran New Zealander plays what could be his last game in the French league on Thursday when his Provence team travel to Stade des Alpes to face table toppers Grenoble in the first Pro D2 semi-final.
He does so with debate raging over the conduct of Bordeaux-Begles players towards Pollock, England’s shooting star, in their moment of triumph at the Principality Stadium.
The 20-year old Northampton back-row seemingly had his throat grabbed by Bordeaux prop Jefferson Poirot, who was cited for an act contrary to good sportsmanship and ordered to appear before a disciplinary panel tomorrow.
Pollock was also targeted verbally by Matthieu Jalibert, who claimed he had insulted the French club by branding them “mercenaries” – an allegation Saints boss Phil Dowson today dismissed out of hand as fake news.
Gopperth, one of the game’s most respected players after a career at the top spanning 22 years and more than 500 games, leapt to the defence of Pollock.
‘You need characters in sport’
“A few people say he’s had it coming, he’s been a bit arrogant. But you need characters in sport,” said the Kiwi fly-half.
“He’s this young kid with a special talent and he’s riding this wave of publicity, but he’s backing it up on the field. I think that’s the key thing.
“If he was going around doing all this celebration stuff and not backing it up with his play, that would be different. But he absolutely is. He’s a real star of the future.”
Bordeaux have since doubled down on their on-field antics. Tevita Tatafu was pictured mimicking Pollock’s “pulse” celebration in the Cardiff changing rooms and later, during the club’s open top bus parade back home, held a sign that read “Pollock, calm down!”
“If all these guys are so-called ‘mocking’ him in these photos in the aftermath of the final, it just shows that everyone’s talking about him,” Gopperth added.
“I reckon there’s a slight bit of jealousy around because of what he’s doing, who he is and how young he is. He’s what, 20 years old, and he’s just just made the Lions. That’s what you call a breakthrough season.
“I’m not a massive person for showboating, but as I say, he’s backing it up. And we need a few characters in our sport.”
Gopperth is one of those, alright. A firm fan favourite at Leinster and Newcastle, where he was considered good enough to replace Johnny Sexton and Jonny Wilkinson respectively.
He went on to win over the support at Wasps and Leicester with his prolific scoring and full-blooded commitment during two successful spells in the midlands.
Remarkably, he turns 42 next month. Yet suggest it’s time he hangs up his boots and you’ll get short shrift.
“Age is just a number,” he told Planet Rugby. “Too many people go on about age. If your body’s right and you’re performing then you’re an athlete and you should be able to still play and get picked up by different teams.
“Everyone says you’re a long time retired and they’re right. If you work hard and look after yourself it shouldn’t be about how old you are, or how many games you’ve played, or what you’ve done.
‘I feel I can do it for years to come’
“If you’re ready to go, you’re ready to go. That’s how I think. I’m nearly 42, I’m playing 80 minutes most weeks and I feel I can do it for years to come.”
His Peter Pan mindset was bolstered by sharing a room with cross-code legend Brad Thorn when they played together for the Barbarians touring side a while back.
Thorn holds the record as the oldest player in Premiership Rugby, having turned out for Leicester Tigers at the age of 40 years and 109 days. Gopperth got within days of the ’40’ milestone whilst at Tigers and considers it unfinished business.
“I would be lying if I said there isn’t this little guy in the back of my head saying, ‘you want to be the oldest or the most games played ever’,” he said. “That’s just my competitive nature.
“I learned a lot from rooming with Brad. He was like, ‘Come on, champ, I’ll show you what makes me play’. He would stretch every night up against the wall. He told me, ‘Do a few of these, this will keep you going for a few years yet’.”
Gopperth won’t comment on what the future holds and whether Worcester Warriors, who return to professional rugby in the English Championship next season, two and a half years after entering administration, have been in touch.
With his family in nearby Leamington Spa it would seem an ideal fit but the New Plymouth-born playmaker is focused only on Grenoble and the chance to get Provence back to the Top 14.
Grenoble go in as favourites, having won 21 of their 30 regular season games to finish four points ahead of Courtney Lawes’ Brive. But Provence beat them at Stade Maurice David and lost only narrowly in Grenoble.
“We’ve had a really funny year,” Gopperth said. “We’re unbeaten at home. In fact, if you take away the semi-final last year, we’re unbeaten in the whole of the two seasons I’ve been here in regular season games.
“But this year we’ve only won two away games. That’s clearly just straight down to mentality. But mentality changes when you come to these knockout games and you know what’s on the line. We go in full of confidence.”
