Henry slams Andy
1 May 2006
Double international Henry Paul has blasted England coach Andy Robinson as he called time on his union career.
Paul lamented his lost Test opportunities as he signed off with the 15-man game and headed back to rugby league with the Harlequins club, formerly known as the London Broncos.
Paul ended his time with Gloucester and fired a shot at Robinson as he left. Paul, a New Zealand league representative, played six tests for the English rugby team but fell out of favour with Robinson in 2004.
He lasted just 26 minutes at centre in his final Test for England against the Wallabies at Twickenham before being pulled off the field by Robinson.
From there he was left to play his international rugby in the sevens environment. “I still can’t see why I was taken off so early,” Paul, 32, told the BBC.
“England haven’t got it right since – it makes me think what could’ve been. (Robinson) never really explained it to me. You have ups and downs in sport and that was a real down in my career,” Paul said.
“But it was more confusing than anything else. I’ve got on with life though – you have to move on and I did the day after the match.”
He weighed up options in both codes before deciding the time was right for league again. “I talked to other union clubs and (league) clubs in Australia. I would have stayed in rugby union if I really wanted to but I didn’t,” he said.
He is keen to make his name again in rugby league. He switched codes in 2001 and now returns to the 13-man game. Don’t discount him from a possible return to the New Zealand league side.
15 Comments
1 May 2006, 09:58 am
Henry Paul excelled in the very average environment of English Rugby League. His limitations were shown up in a true team sport and he was lucky to be considered for the 7′s.
Really though, what a blow hard!. The way he is talking you would think his lack of selection was the reason for England’s poor performances over the last couple of years.
Reality is, he was a reasonably good League player but failed to carry even this limited talent through to the more demanding requirements of Union.
And while I am at I, how is it Union players in the last twenty years can switch codes and create all sorts of records in League, while those excelling going the other way are members of a very lonely club.
1 May 2006, 10:46 am
Brads he was voted Gloucester player of the year in 2004 and was a nominee for the Premeirship player of the year. He was a decent rugby player shame the English never figured out how to use a player of his talent, he was constantly switched from fly half, full back, inside & outside centre before finally settling at inside centre. He is certainly a hell of a lot better than crash ball Tindall.
1 May 2006, 11:00 am
Brads the guy was better than half the tossers that played 6n and yes Andy Robinson failed to use him and a host of others correctly.
You have the same problem with a guy like Brent Russell Jake does not take him seriously and every coach he has played for uses him differently. When he retires in 8 years time, never having realised his full potential (perhaps Schalk Brits as well) it would be a bit shallow to call him an average player.
Rugby selections are complex, but I think that OZ and Kiwis get more out of their players a la Rathbone etc.
1 May 2006, 11:07 am
Brent “turnstiles” Russell can’t tackle and is RSAs version of Ben Blair.
Henry Paul is the ultimate rugby ***** that will go to the highest bidder from either code or country. Quite funny that he used to get man of the match awards for NZ in Tests against the Kangaroos but 20 minutes against Giteau & Mortlock was enough to end his international rugby career.
1 May 2006, 11:47 am
Any Kiwi or RL fan who saw the Paul Brothers play for their country, will remember them both as dynamic footballers, who could turn a game on it’s head. Cheeky and charismatic.Rare talents in bland world.
Rabbitoh—-If he was a *****, he would have all your money.
Brads—–You should have started out saying “I’m a RU man and loathe anything RL”.
1 May 2006, 13:24 pm
This is my claim to fame, though I don’t gloat about it: I once klapped this guy in a tackle and put him out for 3 months, back in high school, he should have run with the backs and not into the forwards. Well off to bed for work.
1 May 2006, 13:34 pm
CSI,
You Da Man.
Gloat, Gloat like hell, I would.So would Rabitoh.
1 May 2006, 18:30 pm
The problem with Paul was that he never found a position. At inside centre he would stand deep to take the ball. Meanwhile Hodgson likes to take it flat. A strange pairing by Robinson.
1 May 2006, 18:50 pm
Paul played a huge part in bringing ENG into the top four Sevens sides over the last 2 years.
1 May 2006, 22:50 pm
England rugby is so boring, typically northern hemisphere, Sa/Aus/Nz are just soo much better!!
2 May 2006, 06:39 am
Csi your da man we have a star amongst us. Ha Ha.
2 May 2006, 09:15 am
May be a stupid question but I’ll ask it anyway -Is Brumbies hoooker Jeremy Paul his brother??
2 May 2006, 09:51 am
cane
When you are continually exposed to a diet of blind devotion by fans of that loser outfit based in Auckland, any warmth I may have had for the code is long gone.
So yes РI should have declared my bias Рtouch̩.
2 May 2006, 12:07 pm
Greiffel,
To my knowledge Jeremy is no relation to the “Paul Brothers”, Henry and Robbie.
Jeremy is an Ozzie.
Henry and Robbie were RL Internationals for the Kiwi’s and played for Bradford in England.
Henry moved to RU 2/3 yrs ago and I think Robbie still plays RL with Bradford.
I “think”, Sir Clive picked Henry Paul for England for no other reason than to stop NZ selecting him. Clive gave him 1 or 2 games then consigned him to 7′s.
3 May 2006, 09:20 am
I think taking paul off against oz was the right decision he was having a bit of a shocker on defense.
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