Backy: Gouging is unacceptable

Eurosport - Thu, 29 Jan 12:08:00 2009

Eurosport blogger Neil Back weighs into the gouging debate after his former Leicester and England team-mate Martin Corry was cited.

RUGBY Heineken Cup Leicester Ospreys Martin Corry - 0

Gouging is unacceptable in the game of rugby and any player found guilty of it should be punished accordingly.

The fact that it is a Leicester player who has been accused doesn't prejudice my view, although I did not see the Leicester Tigers versus Ospreys game or the alleged incident.

Knowing Martin, I would be very surprised if he had gouged anyone intentionally. He is a fierce competitor but one who plays hard and fair.

But if he is guilty of deliberate gouging, then I would want to see him punished to the full extent of the law.

Staying with Leicester, I am disappointed to see their coach Heyneke Meyer has had to leave for personal reasons.

He was a very good signing and was turning things around there. The players respected him as a coach, and he was giving structure and direction to the team.

Now, without a head coach in place, the current coaching set-up will have to take things forward.

They have got a fantastic squad, and through all this upheaval they have stayed in touch with the top four in the Premiership and reached the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

They have enough experience within the playing staff to keep competing on all fronts. If you've got a good bunch of players, management changes don't really affect them.

The interim management need to keep things going, to make sure the squad are enjoying their rugby and have respect for each other.

But you have got a large number of internationals and a vast amount of experience there, so there is an extent to which the players can keep things going until a new coach is found.

Clearly, I have strong connection with Leicester from my past with 18 years as a player and a coach.

I obviously took the decision to leave last year to take a different path and I and absolutely enjoying what I am doing at Leeds.

I have got a fantastic opportunity and a very clear three-year plan to establish Leeds as a Premiership club.

My focus is 100 per cent on achieving promotion to the Premiership. We have won 20 matches out of 20 so we have created that winning mentality we need.

Neil Back / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 13 of 13

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  1. Now that's a job application if I ever saw one !

    From BigRich, on Tue 3 Feb 1:55PM

  2. EVERY WEEK I POP IN TO HEAR THE LATEST PILE OF TRIPE MR BACK HAS TO OFFER LMAO!!!

    From Simon W, on Mon 2 Feb 8:27PM

  3. James D, stupid comment I guess it's meant to be a joke, but seriously gouging is no joke! Maybe you're a hard man who can function with one eye???

    From Jonathan, on Mon 2 Feb 6:40PM

  4. Neil Back's comments are a bit self congratulatory and it sounds like an open application to anyone reading to be the Leicester coach!

    From Jonathan, on Mon 2 Feb 6:38PM

  5. Backy...great player, great coach and loads of rugby kudos but keep it on the pitch mate. Don't be a Barnes and Morris and talk clap trap in the media columns. Look forward to seeing your good work at Leeds keep it going.

    From Smiggie, on Sun 1 Feb 9:07PM

  6. backy is that you

    From fordellman, on Sun 1 Feb 7:37PM

  7. I agree, gouging is unacceptable. Give some respect for a player that was part of Tigers, England & Lions Squads that won everything you can but he always talked and talks about what our SQUAD or TEAM won not what he won! He was part of our coaching TEAM at Tigers that were pretty successful under Wellsey, Pat & even Marcelo who got us to 2 out of 3 finals. Something, NOT Backie was amiss there! He would have died for the our club! For FACTS, you must speak to the players, staff & board members! Take this article for example, he complements Martin Corry, the Tigers players, Meyer & our club. To clarify for those who read too much between the lines, he says WE HAVE (not he has) won 20 games & WE HAVE (not I) created a winning Mentality WE NEED (not I need) . Does this sound like self gratification or giving himself a clap on the back? I think you have got Backie all wrong, AGAIN!!!

    From assilk69, on Fri 30 Jan 11:58PM

  8. Glad youre enjoying your stay there Neil, please stay there
    Tigers supporter

    From Robin, on Fri 30 Jan 12:16PM

  9. neil back was one of the great back row forwards of england and is doing a good job at Leeds and it is his experience and others like him that is needed in the game that i appreciate as an ex player not like these pseudo " FANS " that have never played and quite frankly do not understand the game or its ethos.
    Pete Worcester

    From pmfletcher, on Fri 30 Jan 12:00AM

  10. socket to em baccy!!

    From sean d, on Thu 29 Jan 11:55AM

  11. desfls2000

    could not agree with you more. Back is such a self gratifying idiot!

    From darth_zere, on Thu 29 Jan 10:38AM

  12. once again, a boring article from neil back. nicely finished off by giving himself a clap on the back for his great work at leeds

    From desfls2000, on Thu 29 Jan 4:05AM

  13. I thinking gouging is okay as long as they put the eyeball back in afterwards.

    From James D, on Thu 29 Jan 2:57AM
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