'I blame England coach for Wales nightmare - what did he think I was going to do?'
James Haskell has said Stuart Lancaster is to blame for one of his worst days in an England shirt.
It was back in 2013 when the Red Rose travelled to Cardiff in the fifth round seeking a Six Nations Grand Slam. England and Wales were the only two teams in with a shot at lifting the Six Nations title as the competition came to a close that year, with the former heavy favourites at the Principality Stadium.
But what followed was one of the most comprehensive defeats Wales has ever inflicted upon their greatest rival, triumphing 30-3 to clinch the crown themselves. England trailed by 24 points former head coach Lancaster decided to bring Haskell off the bench for his 50th cap, and it's fair to say the former back-rower envisioned marking the occasion in different fashion.
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"I think my worst memory would be the Grand Slam-losing game," retired rugby star Haskell told Wales Online. "Stuart Lancaster giving me eight minutes at the end to get my 50th cap, thus robbing me of getting to lead the country out and also, you know, getting absolutely pumped. And with eight minutes to go, what the f*** did he think I was going to do?
"It was 33 points to five or something. Like, I'm good, but I'm not that good!"
Haskell, 39, will star alongside host Alex Payne and Mike Tindall when Hampton Court Palace Festival hosts a special live episode of the The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast on Sunday, June 15. The former Wasps veteran - who won a Premiership title with the now-defunct club in 2008 - was one of England's best back-rowers of his generation but couldn't flip the script in Cardiff that day.
It wasn't all bad for Haskell in the Welsh capital, however, given he helped England win there on no fewer than three occasions. And two of those instances happened to come during Six Nations tournaments the Red Rose ended up winning.
Steve Borthwick's side realistically need Scotland to do a job over France on Saturday to stand a chance of getting their hands on the title. And the current pecking order is particularly frustrating given England are the only team this year to have bested Les Bleus.
Speaking of England's more encouraging expeditions to Cardiff, Haskell played the full 80 minutes for his side when they beat Wales 21-16 on their own turf in 2015. And he looks back upon that evening as one of his best against Wales - despite the fact he ran square into a post in front of 74,000 fans.
That time when James Haskell ran into a rugby post #TheSixNationsGreatestMoments #iPlayer pic.twitter.com/nljvFOqzQT
— BBC Wales (@BBCWales) February 14, 2025
"One of my best memories was ironically actually that Friday night where I ran into the post where I had one of the best games I played bar that sort of moment," he added. "And everyone was singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', and we kind of took over the whole of the Principality. . .which was a big moment."
After some very positive performances under interim head coach Matt Sherratt, Wales will do everything in their power to avoid a repeat of that on Saturday. Both teams have cause to view the Round 5 clash as their Everest, a peak Haskell summited on more than occasion during his rugby career.
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby will perform at the 29th edition of the Hampton Court Palace Festival on Sunday, June 15. Purchase tickets via the official Hampton Court Palace Festival website.
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