By Arney Burnham
June 14 2005

Barney caught up with Wasps - and now England - centre Ayoola Erinle (Oogie) before leaving with the England touring side to Canada for the Churchill Cup. They chatted about Oogie's amazing recent experiences and looks ahead at those still to come. BB: Before we look ahead to the Churchill Cup, let's look back at the England-Barbarians game at Twickenham. How much did you enjoy your first taste of international rugby?

AE: Mixed emotions, really. Obviously, I was immensely proud and privileged to be in an England team, because there are so many talented players who haven't been lucky enough to get the call.So, from that point of view, it was awesome. But it was disappointing to lose on your debut. There's much to learn, not just for me, but also for the other players, playing against such quality opposition.

We clearly have things to work on. There were a few defensive lapses on our part, but overall it was nice. It was good to get on to the score sheet as well!

BB: It wasn't really an Erinle special though. We normally expect you to smash through about 5 tackles, sidestep about 5 players, charge 60 yards and dive over the line with your shorts down near your ankles!

AE: No, Paul Sackey took it upon himself to do thatI It's actually quite nice to score a nice easy one. Yes, it was wonderful to score on my England debut, so I was massively proud and pleased.

BB: And another Twickenham try to enjoy the following week, in the Johnno v Jonah game!

AE: Yes, that was awesome. It was such a privilege to be on the pitch with so many great players, and playing in honour of two such legends in the game. I was happy just to be there - the try was just the icing on the cake.

BB: You managed to mark Jonah pretty effectively, too.

AE: Yes, I managed to get some good tackles in on him, which was very pleasing.

BB: Including one which put him in to touch at the corner, although a try was awarded!

AE: I know, but it didn't really matter. It was his day, and to simply step on to a rugby field after everything he's been through is a fantastic achievement. He's an inspiring character, and I couldn't really begrudge him that try. He deserved it. Of course, if we'd lost, I might have viewed it differently.

BB: Let's now look ahead to the Churchill Cup. We shouldn't take anything for granted, but it would be a very big surprise if the final were not between England and Argentina, with all due respect to Canada and the USA. And that final, if it happens, would be a full-blown Test match in all but name.

AE: Yes, it would be a massive test, because I think they're bringing all their big guns back, as well. We've used this BaaBaas game and the training sessions to really develop and get ourselves geared up - firstly for the game against Canada. We have to take each game as it comes. Hopefully, we can beat Canada, but only then can we concentrate on the Argentina game and focus all our attention and energy towards that.

BB: Argentina must be hugely encouraged by what effectively a third team did against the Lions, in Cardiff.

AE: Yes, that makes the challenge even mightier. Many of us watched the game, and it showed what teamwork and commitment, together with a little bit of flair, can do. We're relishing the prospect of taking on their full side, but whatever team they field, it will be a full-on Test match. We're really looking forward to it. We can really test ourselves, both as individuals and as a team, and really see how far we've come in the last few weeks.

BB: Looking ahead to next season, and the domestic scene. Stuart Abbott and Fraser Waters should both be back in action, so there's going to be some very healthy competition for a place in the middle of the Wasps backline.

AE: Yes, and don't forget Rob Hoadley. Then there's Josh, who, I'm sure, would love covering at centre again. It's going to be great. There's been a lot of banter between us all year, so it's going to be nice to actually be playing with them again. They're real quality players, and we younger players have been taking a leaf out of their book on how to play and how to defend. I'm just really looking forward to the challenge. It's going to be great for Wasps and it's going to be great for us as players, because you can only get better with such thriving competition. I think the team will benefit, as a result.

BB: For a lot of supporters, the day you really exploded on to the Wasps scene was when you scored a sensational try in a Parker Pen Cup tie in Bordeaux, a couple of seasons ago. We all came back and said "watch out for this guy!".A few people doubted you, because it's probably fair to say that in that first season, your handling often let you down. But now, you've worked on so many areas of your game, and you must be delighted with how well things have developed since then.

AE: The key thing for me has been confidence. It may not have been very evident when I first came to Wasps, but I had always prided myself on having very good hands and being a good all-round footballer. So it was confusing and it made me very despondent to come in to the team and play so poorly and so erratically. I found it very frustrating and only on a few occasions did I actually feel myself relax and allow myself to play the way I'd always played as a youth.
That Bordeaux game really brought something back from my past. I realised that I really needed to relax when I was playing against these guys. I'd been too tense and I'd been letting the occasion and the fact that I was playing against so many internationals get on top of me. From that game onwards, it's been more a case of just relaxing and letting myself play the way I can, and not get so caught up in the technicalities. Obviously, there are technical parts of my game that still need working on and improving, but with confidence comes improvement. For me, the biggest thing is just an increase in confidence - confidence in my own skills and confidence in the players around me.

BB: Were you aware that on that night in Bordeaux, there was a body of supporters in the crowd, who set up an impromptu chant of "Oogie, Oogie"?

AE: No! I get pretty zoned in on games, and I tend not to hear things very well.

BB: It was only a handful of us, but we were quite loud!

AE: Okay! Even if it was a gunshot, I probably wouldn't hear it, but thank you, guys! Probably, subconsciously, I must have taken it on board!