Richard Thorpe Interview
Talking Rugby Union caught with London Irish player Richard Thorpe
How do you feel the London Irish 10/11 season went?
We were very disappointed with how our season finished, as we had targeted a top four finish. Things got very hard for us in the middle of the season as we went on an 11 game loosing streak. This unfortunately undid all the hard work, and great rugby we played in the beginning half of the season. In hindsight now, we had some very tough games during that period, with back to back fixtures against Toulon, not to mention Leicester and a narrow loss to Bath at home in the last play of the game. To give ourselves some credit, we finished middle of the table, which anyone would agree is a fantastic achievement given we gave away a third of our games!
What was it like to reach your 100th cap?
I was delighted to have reached that milestone. London Irish view 100 games as a big achievement, and i'm proud to join some fantastic London Irish legends whom have achieved the same thing. Given that i'm now in the middle of my career, and have just extended my contract with Irish for a further two seasons, I now look forward to reaching 200 caps!
You have been at London Irish since 2005 joining from Saracens, what made you decide to move?
I was involved with Saracens at a Junior Academy Level, similar to the London Irish Ace Group, run by Giselle Mather. I made the decision to move to Irish after meeting Toby Booth at an England U18 trial. Toby was Academy Coach at the time, and I was very impressed with his philosophy in bringing through home-grown talent, not to mention his innovative coaching style.
How have you developed as a player since being with London Irish?
London Irish are responsible for introducing me to the professional game. When leaving school, there is a lot of work to do in the gym to get your body in shape for the pace and physicality of Premiership Rugby. After that the learning curve is ongoing as the game evolves, and Toby Booth along with the other coaches are at the forefront of developing the intricacies of skills and techniques to keep Irish as competitive as we can be in the Premiership and Heinekan Cup. I have benefitted tremendously being in that environment, and continue to improve as a player.
What are your and the club's aims for next year?
Our major aims will be to win our group in the Heineken Cup, and finish in the top four in the Premiership. We have a young and ambitious coaching staff now, with the recently promoted Justin Bishop as our Defensive Coach, so will look to adapt our structure and game plans to take the already exciting style of rugby we play to the next level.
Personally, I am looking to continue the good form I finished last season with, and secure a regular starting place in the Irish back-row. After that my ambitions are to be involved with the England Saxons Squad.
Who was your Rugby Idol growing up?
Early on it was Ben Clarke and Dean Richards, but when I began taking rugby very seriously, it was Richard Hill. I always admired his commitment and dedication to do the hard work.
How did you get into playing Rugby?
I started playing at about 9 at school, then joined my local rugby club, Old Beccehamians.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
My 100th game for London Irish
What is the most memorable match you have ever played in?
My debut for London Irish against London Wasps. Dallaglio, another idol from earlier was playing opposite me, and tackled and turned him over.
Joe Ansbro and Shontayne Hape will be joining London Irish how do you think they will boost the team?
I think they will be fantastic additions to our squad. They have big shoes to fill with the departure of Mapasua and Sevial'li, but they are both fantastic players, and exactly the type of players we need in our midfield.
Other Questions
Favourite food - Ribeye Steak
Favourite film - The Godfather Part 1
Favourite sports team (outside of rugby) - Westham United
Favourite band - The Calling
Hero (outside of Rugby) - Superman
What do you enjoy in your spare time? - Shooting
What do you think of talkingrugbyunion.co.uk? - I think its a fantastic website, providing some very insightful ideas.
