Imanol Harinordoquy: I don't regret saying I don't like English
Imanol Harinordoquy's WhatsApp profile picture is a photo of Darth Vader, and as I discovered at the end of the party at the Paris Cafe, his ringtone is Empire Parade.
Harinordoquy was dressed almost in black and was also the Dead Bell for the Sith Overlord (without a mask, ironically, one of the most iconic images of the French career was that he wore one). The 44-year-old is pleased to play the villain satire, controversial and infamous never stayed away from Harinordoquy’s door in the 12 years and 82 hats in the back row of France.
Whether it was his father, watching his son play for Biarritz, jumping out of the stands to play the Bayones player in the Basque Derby. The Zorro-style mask was worn in the 2010 Heineken Cup semi-finals and finals; or, in 2003, before his first trip to Twickenham to face England, Harinordoquy revealed that he didn't I like English very much. This interview may be a hard work…
But as it became clear during the course of an hour in the French capital, it wasn't Darth Vader at all on the Harinordoquy inside, with little attention to the dark side of the troops. This Basque lighthouse, all 6 feet 4, is one of the most worn, bold and destructive back-row characters in French history, but he welcomes me in Paris, where he is in France’s opener against Wales, all All participated with everyone. For French rugby, the warmth of habit and Bonhomie – even if he doesn't regret he doesn't like us Rose On the channel.
“I didn't say I despise English!” he said. “I said I don't like them. Different! “Dissment” is different. It's funny because it's right from the beginning, I'm 21, and it's my first press conference. I'm not used to them, too Not used to the media landscape. A world I don't know. There are always a lot of battles when playing in England at age, which is a huge competition with these generations. So I don't like English very much. They're after the game Attitudes are not good at times, and receptions are not going well after several matches. For example, after the game, I never had beer with them in the locker room. But we did it with other teams. In fact, even if there is no senior international team .no way.
“So, at the press conference, I said I didn't like English, which was straightforward. I said calmly, but the next day there were headlines everywhere… It was a media game, so they kept going. Together I Play.”
“No (I don't regret it), it's fun,” he added. “Because there's never been any hatred. I've never fought the British on the court and never performed well. It's done to add to the fun stuff. More of it.”
Harinordoquy is Biarritz's two top 14 champions, five six national champions and three Grand Slam winners, Cites Martin Johnson is the captain of the England World Cup champion Martin Johnson, the toughest player he faces, and Winning the semi-finals of England in 2003 – 2007 – “Scary; (his) worst memory of his career”.
Vasquez-born Basque speakers themselves are the terrifying back row – Serge Betsen and Olivier Magne were also club companions at the 2003 World Cup, and the former was also a club companion, and against the numbers 6 to 6 to eight on the rugby field. For this reason, there is another British man who attaches great importance to him.
“When (Martin) Johnson wasn't there, it wasn't the same England team,” he said. “He was the boss. So powerful, with an incredible aura. Jonny Wilkinson was horrible, too. Lawrence Dallaglio, who is opposite to my number, is the beast-I'm still young and he's over. With competition, it's always a real tough fight.
“Twickenham is one of the greatest stadiums – except when I was playing, as we found it completely impenetrable. It was very impressive – the fortress.
“When I play, if there is a team that I never want to lose, when you look at the fixture at the beginning of the season, it’s always in English.
“They brought me a lot of pain. In the 2003 World Cup, when I was a young player, I had a dream and they broke. It was great weather for every game, and then for the sake of the day. Rain in England. We can't play. Wilkinson, three points. Too bad. Same in 2007.
“The Grand Slam in 2004 and 2010 we played our last game in Paris. They tried their best to beat us. They didn't have any wins. Against us, they always improve themselves even if they don't have a great championship. Contest.”
Harinordoquy is now the owner of his beloved Biarritz's Contrebandiers Wine Bar, who is respected for his blue performance, green and white. Basque Derby is less than 10 km from the stadium near the Biarritz of Bayritz, known for its ferocity and narrow ochalism. Harinordoquy shed tears in the Parc Des Sports Aguiléra in Sports Aguiléra when Biarritz beat Biarritz in the playoffs in 2021. But 10 years ago, there were no tears of joy, because in the same fixture, Harinordoquy's father Lucien made headlines, running to the court and intervening in some handbags involving his son.
“It happened in a slightly strange situation,” Harinordoquy said. “At that time, we were also playing at noon and my dad worked a lot under a lot of pressure. He traveled 1000 kilometers that day and we just learned that my mom was sick. It had no excuses, but I told him not to compete. He usually never looked at the derby between Biarritz and Bayonne because it was so nervous. I told him not to come, but he came anyway. I kept sticking with two Barney players. No fists. They held me to the ground – It wasn't violent for a long time. It was just in front of my dad in the stands. He lost it.
“He skipped the end of the stands and was five meters tall – crazy – he landed in the competition area. Thankfully, the players recognize him or he might have been injured. There were some big boys on that Bayona team, daddy Luckily because if they punched him… they might have killed him. It was much more dangerous for him than for us! It was a happy ending because he apologized and he was sending to the Bayon player Gift. There are lots of interesting drawings and comics in the newspaper. We all laughed – although not that much of him. He could say he was in the derby!”
Surprisingly, this is not Harinordoquy's most famous Biarritz look. A year ago, before the European Cup semi-finals against Munster, his broken nose hangs his game online.
He said: “I had a surgery, but a week later we played the semi-final against Munster in San Sebastián, which was very important because we need to win the European Cup to play in the first place. Two years of competition qualification.
“Toulouse, the final winner and other finalists, has already been qualifying for Europe due to their position in the top 14, but we only have 12th or 13th place so we will never qualify. So if we play Toulouse in the final and beat them, we will have European rugby and some players’ future at the club depends on that. So it’s a huge game and I do everything I can.
“I talked to the medical team and the surgeon and I asked him what the risk would be if I had played. I told him I was going to play on Monday, and I went to see an expert who stood out from PVC and could be very Good to see. I got full training that week. It supports my che bone. It was perfect.
“But, at the time, the statute did not allow this mask. You can't wear anything that could hurt your opponent. Munster knew I was going to play protection, so they parked the referee at our hotel the day before the game, And asked to see the mask at 9pm. I showed it to him and he said he couldn't let me play it. He said he would check what I was wearing before the kickoff tomorrow.
“So, the night before the game, at 10pm, we tried to make a new mask with foam and made it with the foam we had in the hotel. But I never had training. The first time I put it on was at During the warm-up, I couldn't see anything. It was like a gladiator's mask. Very deep and narrow. I could only see directly in front of me. I had to lift my neck and look down to look down.
“I also broke two ribs in the game – there were. I played two ribs. The same goes for the second week (the final).
Harinordoquy, the embodiment of the warrior spirit; a gladiator actually felt at home long ago in a distant galaxy.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive apps, currency savings and more, free 1 month of telegram.