HODGSON HOPING TO MARRY PERSONAL SUCCESS WITH EXILE GLORY
While most Guinness Premiership clubs fought out Round 19 last weekend, and his resting London Irish team-mates monitored the progress of other play-off hopefuls, Paul Hodgson, using the backdrop of Dubai’s imposing skyscrapers and glorious beaches, bent his knee and proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Trudi.
The 26-year-old heard the answer he wanted and is now hopeful he can achieve double success by propelling the Exiles to domestic glory. Of the marriage proposal Hodgson grins: “I wasn’t nervous at all. I did it on the first night and then we went ring shopping the next day – that kept Trudi happy for the rest of the week!
“We are getting married some time next summer, but I will have to speak to the fitness coaches and see when an appropriate date is. Everything has to fit around rugby, which Trudi will have to get used to! My main goal now is to help bring London Irish some silverware this year.”
With three rounds to play Hodgson’s Irish sit third on 55 points, two behind Leicester Tigers, who slipped up at Newcastle, and four ahead of sixth-placed Sale Sharks. On Saturday they host bottom-placed Bristol – where the 5’ 8” scrum-half spent three formative years before moving to the Madejski in 2004 – knowing that a win is a must if their play-off hopes are to be realised.
“It is really tight at the top,” says Hodgson, who won his only international cap to date last March, coming off the bench in England’s RBS 6 Nations victory over Ireland. “I still think six teams are in with a chance of making the last four.
“It has been topsy-turvy all season – if the league finished a week later I bet you would see a different top four. But we just have to look after ourselves. If we win all our remaining games then we will be there, in the play-offs, without a doubt – because other teams will drop points. We know that our destiny is in our own hands.”
Hodgson expects his former team, Bristol, to put up a good fight at the Madejski – and knows first-hand what new coach Paul Hull is capable of, having been coached by him for two seasons in the West Country club’s academy. “We might not have had the best XV on paper in the Bristol under-21s, but Paul got the best out of all of us,” continues the Epsom-born No9. “And that is his best attribute as a coach – he gives you confidence, knows how to unlock potential and is also good at being hard on the players when he needs to be.
“I can’t see any reason why he won’t be very successful as coach of Bristol. He is a Bristol man, too, so he will care as much as anyone else. Whether they go down or not he is the best man for the job there.”
When Bristol were relegated from the top division in 2003, Hodgson was convinced to stay at the club by Hull’s predecessor, ex-England scrum-half Richard Hill, as he was promised a starting berth. “That season I played 33 games in Division One – and I think that year was the most important of my rugby career,” Hodgson says. “I could not have had a better coach than Richard at that time. He played a big part in my career, that’s for sure. Richard has done an outstanding job at Bristol. He is very astute and his attention to detail was fantastic – he is a quality coach and he will succeed wherever he ends up.”
Bristol defeated Worcester Warriors 37-18 last Sunday and, after resurgence under Hull, Hodgson expects them to be tough opposition for London Irish. He adds: “Bristol may have almost gone down but you can guarantee that those players will be fighting 100 per cent to stay up.
“Anyone who is desperate is dangerous – so we will not underestimate them at all and not let complacency enter our game. We know that it is going to be tough and that we will have to be at the top of our game. It is no easy task to finish fourth, but we are confident and he boys feel rested and really ready for it.”
While most Guinness Premiership clubs fought out Round 19 last weekend, and his resting London Irish team-mates monitored the progress of other play-off hopefuls, Paul Hodgson, using the backdrop of Dubai’s imposing skyscrapers and glorious beaches, bent his knee and proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Trudi.
The 26-year-old heard the answer he wanted and is now hopeful he can achieve double success by propelling the Exiles to domestic glory. Of the marriage proposal Hodgson grins: “I wasn’t nervous at all. I did it on the first night and then we went ring shopping the next day – that kept Trudi happy for the rest of the week!
“We are getting married some time next summer, but I will have to speak to the fitness coaches and see when an appropriate date is. Everything has to fit around rugby, which Trudi will have to get used to! My main goal now is to help bring London Irish some silverware this year.”
With three rounds to play Hodgson’s Irish sit third on 55 points, two behind Leicester Tigers, who slipped up at Newcastle, and four ahead of sixth-placed Sale Sharks. On Saturday they host bottom-placed Bristol – where the 5’ 8” scrum-half spent three formative years before moving to the Madejski in 2004 – knowing that a win is a must if their play-off hopes are to be realised.
“It is really tight at the top,” says Hodgson, who won his only international cap to date last March, coming off the bench in England’s RBS 6 Nations victory over Ireland. “I still think six teams are in with a chance of making the last four.
“It has been topsy-turvy all season – if the league finished a week later I bet you would see a different top four. But we just have to look after ourselves. If we win all our remaining games then we will be there, in the play-offs, without a doubt – because other teams will drop points. We know that our destiny is in our own hands.”
Hodgson expects his former team, Bristol, to put up a good fight at the Madejski – and knows first-hand what new coach Paul Hull is capable of, having been coached by him for two seasons in the West Country club’s academy. “We might not have had the best XV on paper in the Bristol under-21s, but Paul got the best out of all of us,” continues the Epsom-born No9. “And that is his best attribute as a coach – he gives you confidence, knows how to unlock potential and is also good at being hard on the players when he needs to be.
“I can’t see any reason why he won’t be very successful as coach of Bristol. He is a Bristol man, too, so he will care as much as anyone else. Whether they go down or not he is the best man for the job there.”
When Bristol were relegated from the top division in 2003, Hodgson was convinced to stay at the club by Hull’s predecessor, ex-England scrum-half Richard Hill, as he was promised a starting berth. “That season I played 33 games in Division One – and I think that year was the most important of my rugby career,” Hodgson says. “I could not have had a better coach than Richard at that time. He played a big part in my career, that’s for sure. Richard has done an outstanding job at Bristol. He is very astute and his attention to detail was fantastic – he is a quality coach and he will succeed wherever he ends up.”
Bristol defeated Worcester Warriors 37-18 last Sunday and, after resurgence under Hull, Hodgson expects them to be tough opposition for London Irish. He adds: “Bristol may have almost gone down but you can guarantee that those players will be fighting 100 per cent to stay up.
“Anyone who is desperate is dangerous – so we will not underestimate them at all and not let complacency enter our game. We know that it is going to be tough and that we will have to be at the top of our game. It is no easy task to finish fourth, but we are confident and he boys feel rested and really ready for it.”
Labels: England, Guinness Premiership, London Irish, Paul Hodgson
