The Year in Quotes
Twitter, whitebaiting and spoiled brats - The Year in Quotes
Tom Hamilton
December 24, 2011
Samoa's Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu speaks to the media following the adjournment of his judicial hearing, Vero Centre, Auckland, New Zealand, October 5, 2011
Samoa's Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has his own section in the quotes of the year © Getty Images
Enlarge

Another year is coming to an end and it has been 365 days packed with incident. Our Quote Unquote feature has kept you abreast of all the best sound bites from 2011 and here ESPNscrum brings together a few of our favourites.

"The one thing that is consistent about Gavin Henson is that he's still pretty orange."
London Irish boss Toby Booth takes a swipe at the Welsh centre - January 6, 2011

"To get a standing ovation and to get to the semi-finals was a great feeling. It tops any rugby tournament, evening winning the Six Nations."
Wales star Gavin Henson clearly enjoyed his spell on Strictly Come Dancing - January 12, 2011

"I'm going to have to train my ass off for probably the last time in my life that I ever have to get in shape and it's a challenge"
Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke looks forward to playing Wales legend Gareth Thomas on the big screen - February 14, 2011

"It is the correct ball?"
Referee Jonathan Kaplan asks his assistant Peter Allan for clarification after Wales had taken a quick lineout and scored a crucial try against Ireland during their Six Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium - March 12, 2011

"Yes it is"
Assistant referee Peter Allan wrongly confirms it was the same ball having failed to spot the ball going into the crowd and a ball boy providing a different ball and therefore ruling out the possibility of a quick throw - March 12, 2011

"Chillax."
Referee JP Doyle urges London Irish and Sale Sharks to calm down during their Aviva Premiership clash - April 16, 2011

"He gave his all on the field for the teams he represented and - at his prime - was the best scrum-half in world rugby. His current health problems are the cruellest twist of fate for one who was so athletic in his prime."
South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins offers support to Joost van der Westhuizen following the diagnosis of his motor neurone disease

"What the officials saw I just don't know. It's unbelievable. The tackle without the ball was enough to warrant a yellow card. For the young lad to react like he did...it was terrible."
Northampton coach Dorian West reacts to Manu Tuilagi punching Chris Ashton - May 16, 2011

"We were shellshocked and needed leaders. I said comebacks happen in finals - I knew we could come back."
Leinster fly-half Jonathan Sexton on his rallying half-time speech during the Heineken Cup Final - May 21, 2011

"There are one or two exceptional things that have happened and one or two individuals who have brought a great besmirch to Welsh rugby"
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis laments a string of high-profile incidents involving the off-field antics of the country's leading players - June 18, 2011

"When I hear the coach talking like that it reminds me of my wife. She thinks I'm the most handsome guy in the world."
South Africa captain John Smit reacts to some gushing praise from coach Peter de Villiers - September 3, 2011

"Rugby player drinks beer - shocker."
England manager Martin Johnson reacts to the tabloid splash featuring some of his squad during the World Cup - September 16, 2011

"People have got to start pointing some fingers and saying 'This is not acceptable.'"
England's James Haskell demands better from his team-mates after their match against Georgia - September 19, 2011

"Ok, it's obvious the IRB are unjust. Wales get 7 days, we get 3. Unfair treatment, like slavery, like the holocaust, like apartheid. F*** U. Give Wales 3 days off, and give Samoa a week!! We would kill them!!!"
Fuimaono-Sapolu provides his own unique take on the scheduling during the World Cup - September 19, 2011

"Go to hell with your question."
Marc Lievremont snaps in the face of a critical media during the World Cup - September 25, 2011

"All I'm hearing is how ******** the ref was. Ha ha. He was ****ing ****. I can understand the hate. Ha ha, good luck you racist biased *****."
Fuimaono-Sapolu hits out at referee Nigel Owens - October 1, 2011

"He was a prick to coach."
Piri Weepu's mother reflects on what the scrum-half was like when younger - October 11, 2011

"Why spoil the semi-final with a red card? He's not a dirty player. I'm just gutted."
Warren Gatland reacts to seeing his skipper Sam Warburton sent off during the World Cup semi-final with France - October 15, 2011

"I told them they are a bunch of spoiled brats. Undisciplined, disobedient, sometimes selfish. Always complaining, always whingeing."
France coach Marc Lievremont is angered by his players' decision to go out and celebrate their Rugby World Cup semi-final win over Wales - against his orders - October 16, 2011

"Personally, you've got some peace, and that's a great feeling."
All Blacks coach Graham Henry on winning the World Cup - October 23, 2011

"My mates are probably thinking 'there's the bloke who was kicking back with a few beers and going whitebaiting with us out in the middle of Eden Park'. My preparation hasn't been ideal. When you go whitebaiting you usually take a couple of beers with you. So my fitness was probably not what it could have been. Fortunately I only had to hold out for 50 minutes."
Stephen Donald reflects on his shock call up to the All Blacks squad and his World Cup-winning penalty - October 23, 2011

"At one stage we were so close to them that they wanted to kiss the New Zealanders, but I told them to take it easy. It was a great moment and a moment we will remember all our lives."
French skipper Thierry Dusautoir on the moment his side challenged the All Blacks' haka - prior to learning of their fine - October 24, 2011

"We just wanted Johnno to have the bollocks to take action, especially after the Tindall night. He was too loyal and that was his downfall."
An unnamed England player on England's lack of discipline during the ill-fated Rugby World Cup

"At our club there is a brutally honest policy. If you mess up you are bollocked and understand you have let your team-mates down. In England there was a no-blame/excuse culture where you swept things under the carpet."
More from the infamous leaked reports - November 23, 2011

"To hear one senior player in the changing room say straight after the quarter-final defeat 'there's £35k just got down the toilet' made me feel sick."
And yet more World Cup fallout - November 23, 2011

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Tom Hamilton is the Assistant Editor of ESPNscrum.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.