NewsBite

Wallabies great James Horwill relives his greatest rugby regret: the infamous stomp from the 2013 Lions series.

James Horwill reveals why 2013 Lions decider is only game he wants back from his career

The infamous stomp from the 2013 Lions series led to former Wallaby James Horwill’s greatest rugby regret. The fallout from the incident came at a greater personal cost, and has left a lasting mark on the man, and his family.

“Your parents should be ashamed”.

It was the appalling slur during the 2013 British & Irish Lions series that forced Wallabies captain James Horwill to delete social media.

Twelve years on from the infamous series, Horwill lifts the lid on a tumultuous personal battle after being accused of deliberately stamping the head of rival Alun Wyn Jones, defeating the judiciary twice, leading a revival in the second Test before the heartbreaking thrashing in the decider that saw the Lions prevail 2-1.

Horwill became public enemy No.1 with the touring press after the stomping incident in the first Test.

The torrent of abuse that followed, particularly through social media, left a lasting mark on Horwill, and his family.

Australian Wallabies vs  British & Irish Lions at ANZ STADIUM in the 2013 test decider. Captain James Horwill after the game.

“I turned off all social media, put it that way,“ Horwill said.

“It got a little bit personal about me and my family, so I just stopped it.

“To be fair, the guys in the street weren’t too bad, but you’d get the barbs as you’re walking past.

“But on social it got a bit personal, you can’t be bringing people’s families into it. It was sort of, ‘You should be ashamed of yourself’ and ‘Your parents should be ashamed’.

“Mum and dad collect every news article, my mum used to collect every snippet. When you’re in the paper like that, I know it upset her a bit, so that that part’s hard.

“I know it’s my job, I can cop it, and you just turn it off and I’m comfortable not reading it. But your parents can’t control it. And mum’s English, she’s got friends in the UK, and that was the big thing.

“And the coverage was horrendous from that side.”

The Scotland Herald's coverage of James Horwill's citing in the 2013 British & Irish Lions series.
The Scotland Herald's coverage of James Horwill's citing in the 2013 British & Irish Lions series.

THE REACTION

After Horwill was cited following the first Test, Lions fans and press went ballistic, calling for him to be banned from the series.

He was then charged by the World Rugby judiciary, setting up a tense week before the second Test.

“People were waiting for us outside hotels, it just became it became a circus that it didn’t need to be,” Horwill said.

“And when they repealed it, it just became something that was - not bigger than the series - but it just became a sideshow that probably didn’t need to happen.”

Then-Wallabies captain James Horwill and coach Robbie Deans face the media after Horwill was cleared by the judiciary.
Then-Wallabies captain James Horwill and coach Robbie Deans face the media after Horwill was cleared by the judiciary.

Horwill was found not guilty, and went on to lead Australia to an incredible game 16-15 to level the series.

But following frenzied outcry from the British press over his not guilty verdict, World Rugby decided to charge Horwill yet again for the same offence – an unprecedented move to oust the skipper from the decider in Sydney.

Following a marathon judiciary hearing in a Sydney hotel, Horwill was cleared for a second time.

“I’m not going to hide away from it, it was very stressful,” Horwill said.

“And I had no recollection of doing what they said I’d done until I got a phone call at 6am in the morning after the first Test. They said, ‘You’ve been cited for stamping’. I’m like, ‘What are you actually talking about?’ I just had no idea, I had no recollection whether I stood on it or not. It was completely accidental, so there was no intent.

James Horwill captain of the Wallabies is spoken to by the referee during the second Test match between the British and Irish Lions and the Wallabies at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Saturday, June 29, 2013. (AAP Image/Mark Dadswell) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

“And I just felt that as it went further along, there was just more speculation, I knew I had no knowledge of doing it.

“Whether I stood on it or not – I probably did – but there was no intent to do it. As you know in the game of rugby, unfortunately accidents happen. So that was how I looked at it. I was like, ‘If I stood on it, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, but it is what it is.

“It just got drawn out. For the week and a half, it became almost bigger than the series at times. It was crazy.

“But I’ve got some bit of history – I think anyone that’s been appealed by World Rugby or the IRB since has always been found guilty.”

Managing his personal battle while leading the team was a profound challenge.

“It was, and for me it was always about trying to compartmentalise it the best I could, because the focus was on the team, and I’m playing until they tell me I’m not, so let’s just work it on that basis.

“The first hearing went for four or five hours, and because of all the media coverage, we were sitting in a room for that time, so it was just trying to get that away from the other players.

“Trying to keep that as separate as possible was a challenge, it was an unwanted sideshow.”

Throughout this ordeal, then-coach Robbie Deans was a steadfast pillar of support.

“He was very supportive, particularly around the judiciary stuff, he was really active, and looked at different angles, he was really positive and helpful, and went to a lot of effort to try and get us off.”

THE DISASTER ENDING

Buoyed after being cleared to lead the team out in the decider in Sydney, Horwill and the Wallabies were riding a wave of momentum from their Melbourne win.

Kepu Sekope jumps on captain James Horwill after the Wallabies beat the Lions in Melbourne.
Kepu Sekope jumps on captain James Horwill after the Wallabies beat the Lions in Melbourne.

Deans made the shock call to bring in superstar flanker George Smith from overseas, while Lions coach Warren Gatland made the biggest selection bombshell in their history by dropping Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll for his Welsh centre combination of Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies, sparking outrage in Ireland.

But the bold move paid off, as the Lions roared to a record 41-16 victory.

“The first thing that comes to mind is, regret is the wrong word, but the one that got away,” said Horwill, who played 62 Tests for Australia including the 2011 World Cup.

“That third Test is the one game in my career, if I could have one back, it was probably the only game.

Wallabies captain James Horwill and his teammates are clapped off the field by the Lions. Picture: Getty Images
Wallabies captain James Horwill and his teammates are clapped off the field by the Lions. Picture: Getty Images

“You think of games that you go through, that third Test of the Lions series is probably the one that I think, if I could have one game that I could do again, I’d like to do that game again. Just because the game never got to where it should have been.

“It was one apiece. Everyone wanted it to get to the third deciding Test. That was the right thing for the series

“But we just weren’t at the races.

“I think we put a lot of emotional energy into that second Test. And this is on me as well, we probably didn’t approach the week as intensive as we should have. We tried to back off, thinking it would freshen everyone up because all the effort that had gone into the second game.

“Maybe that played against us. Maybe we should have gone, ‘You know what, let’s train, let’s get through, just go in a bit harder.

“We backed right off on the legs just to try and freshen everyone up and it didn’t work. It clearly didn’t work.

“So I’d like that game back. The others I can live with, but that one still grinds me.”

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/james-horwill-reveals-why-2013-lions-decider-is-only-game-he-wants-back-from-his-career/news-story/0e6e212d7806d3f2f56abcf0ed22c777