Former England captain Mike Tindall has revealed he once disliked an ex-Springbok so much that he threatened to leave Bath if the club signed him.
Tindall admitted his feelings towards centre Robbie Fleck during his playing days were shaped by a series of brutal battles, particularly the infamous 2002 Test in which England hammered South Africa 53-3.
“Not great, not in my experience,” Tindall said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast when asked what his relationship with the Springboks was like off the field.
“Whereas now I would class some South African players as my favourite guys off the field.”
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No player rubbed him up the wrong way more than Fleck.
“I really disliked him off the back of that 2002 game, which was just a bloodbath really, where he said some things I didn’t really appreciate and then he suddenly came to Bath,” Tindall said.
“I basically threatened to leave if they signed Robbie Fleck; it was that bad. I disliked him that much at the time.”
Instead, the move transformed their relationship.
“He then ended up becoming one of my closest mates.
“I told him immediately when he got there, and he apologised. He explained the situation of the game and how he lost his head.”
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Tindall said playing alongside Fleck helped him understand the fiery midfielder’s personality.
“I saw what happened to him on the field, and how he gets red mist and goes absolutely doolally.
“I was trying to control him and make him focus on the rugby while he was trying to chase someone around the field.
“But when he was on, he was an incredible player. Now he’s become a friend who I enjoy catching up with all the time.”
Tindall added that England’s demanding 2000 tour of South Africa left little opportunity for friendships to develop, with the squad based in Johannesburg throughout the trip and travelling in and out for matches.
It would take several more years before one of his fiercest Springbok rivals became one of his closest friends.
Photo: Stephen Munday/Getty Images
The post The Bok Tindall went from hating to loving appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Former England captain Mike Tindall has revealed he once disliked an ex-Springbok so much that he threatened to leave Bath if the club signed him.
The post The Bok Tindall went from hating to loving appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
