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'I went for Westlife's If I Let You Go': How Sam Parry celebrated first Wales cap
Sam Parry readily admits he thought the prospect of playing for Wales had probably passed him by. But the 28-year-old Ospreys hooker could be closing in on a Test starting place after impressing as a second-half substitute when Wales lost to France behind closed doors in Paris last Saturday.
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With Ken Owens a long-term injury absentee and World Cup squad member Elliot Dee having dropped down the pecking order, Saturday’s selection to face Guinness Six Nations opponents Scotland appears a straight fight between Parry and Ryan Elias.
Parry’s Test debut at Stade de France was among the brighter moments for Wales as they slipped to a 38-21 defeat, and he is determined to build on that experience. “It didn’t matter if there were 80,000 there or no one, it would still have been the same feeling. I’m really happy,” Parry said.
“To be fair, I probably let playing for Wales go and looked forward to playing for the Ospreys and putting everything into that. Luckily, I got my chance and hopefully I can build on that.
“It was about just enjoying the moment. I probably thought this had passed me by, but to get named in the squad was good. You do the training and you hope to get selected. Then I got named on the bench, so I was really excited about that.
French lock in the clear ?https://t.co/jHX80vmcZU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 27, 2020
“Then it was just about enjoying the build-up during the week. After that, on game-day, it’s about being ready when you get the call to go on. When you get one cap and experience that feeling, you want as many as possible, to be honest.”
Although there was no crowd due to restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic – including no travelling family members – Parry and fellow Wales debutant Louis Rees-Zammit still enjoyed a cap presentation to remember, including singing a song in front of the squad.
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“Gethin (Jenkins, the ex-Wales prop and current national squad technical coach) presented my cap for me. It was a special moment,” Parry added. “He is obviously a Welsh legend – we all know how good a player he was – and it was special to receive it from him.
“Luckily, the (Wales) media team sorted a Zoom call with my family, and they were able to see into the changing rooms and watch the presentation and watch me sing my song. I went for Westlife’s ‘If I Let You Go’.
“It’s a hell of a stadium. I had never been there before, but I always wanted to go, and it was awesome to experience it. It would have been better with a full crowd, but it wasn’t really about that, it was more taking the field and finally getting to play for Wales.”
EPISODE 4 of RUGBYPASS OFFLOAD #RPOffload
Citing commissioners??
Team socials ?
Away Trips and WAGS ?iTunes – https://t.co/fgTx9iWHse
Acast – https://t.co/SR5K7kkH5B pic.twitter.com/Plmodrg3Z1— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 28, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments