Underdog

08. JUDGEMENT AND CONFLICT

30th November 2020

Training continued for most of the afternoon, coaches from other clubs coming to teach new skills, techniques and enforcing the rules of the game. Teams began to mix as the sessions progressed, Stephen still stayed fairly close to me, which I was grateful for as I wasn't yet comfortable branching out and talking to other coaches. His friend Louis, who he played alongside him at Gloucester, had moved over to talk to him and the two worked together on a few activities. 

I was concentrating so much on a lineout workshop that I hadn't realised Wayne Pivac  had moved away from his team and was now standing next to me. "You're doing good things to that team Isabella Jones, I'm honestly impressed!" He held his hand out and I took it, shaking it as I turned to look at him. "Thank you Wayne, I'm new to this and it's incredibly terrifying so that means an awful lot!" We moved away from the group to chat a little about being new coaches for our teams, it was reassuring to hear how Wayne was also feeling a little nervous after the success of Warren Gatland.

"I just wanted to let you know that Alun has spoken to me, I know you two are siblings and it's completely understandable that you want to keep it quiet!"  We made our way into the coaches suite where Eddie was sat isolated from the others, sipping on some coffee.  Fabien, Andy and Gregor were playing a game of cards, empty coffee cups stacked to one side. Wayne and  I joined them, the five of us beginning a new game whilst chatting a little. 

"How old did you say you were Isabella?" Andy asked as I placed a card onto the pile. Telling him I was 20, he shook his head in disbelief, "Pretty incredible what you've achieved!" I smiled, thanking him for his compliment and the game continued. 

"Can't believe they let her in Andy, we've been working hard for years to get here and she just waltzes in like she owns the place...so tell me Isabella Efa Jones, what's the secret? Who'd you know?" His hands were placed on the table next to me as he leaned closer and glared at me. "You sleep with someone out there to get this position?" Biting my tongue, I tried to hold back my argument but it was becoming increasingly more difficult as more and more words flowed from his mouth, "Don't cry Isabella...run to big brother out there, he's only 100 meters from you right now, he'll protect you!" Standing up, I threw my chair back and pushed past the older, balding man. Storming out the room, I slammed the door shut causing every player on the pitch to turn to look at me, either looking confused or worried depending on the team they played for.

Wayne caught up with me, the other three coaches behind him creating a wall between me and Eddie who was on his way over. "Go on then Isabella! Run to big brother...or what is it in welsh? Brawd!" The six teams could all hear him clearly at this point and the session had been paused. 

"Eddie leave her alone! You're not only bothering her but everyone else out here right now! They're trying to train and we're trying to support one another, walk away and take some time out before you say something you'll regret!" Andy stepped up, supported by Fabien and Gregor. I was grateful for their support but I felt humiliated by this man who'd come at me for no reason other than my age. 

"I'll stop when she admits that she's here because of her brother..." Everything went quiet and all eyes fell on me. How did Eddie even know about Alun in the first place...?

Behind me, someone cleared their throat and stepped towards us.

"I think you'll find we're here because of each other...because of the hundreds of hours she made me train to make each of my skills better, because of the hours I spent convincing her that she's good enough to play despite her injury and because of the time we spent together doing something that we love! I wouldn't be here without my baby sister and that's a fact!" Alun was stood beside me at this point, his hand wrapped around mine as we faced Eddie together. "She has never once told anyone about me until she's been offered a job and has spent long enough with them, proving her own talent, because she's got plenty of that I promise you!" Eddie huffed and stormed away from us all as Alun pulled me off the ground and into a hug. 

Everyone around us looked on, their expressions a mixture of surprise and confusion but no one said a word until Alun turned to the group and restarted the training. The forwards split off for some scrum practice, the backs staying on the pitch for a kicking workshop the Pivac roped me into joining. 

"Pivac I really shouldn't be joining in! I'm injured!" I desperately tried to convince the older man who guided me over to join the backs from all six teams.

"She's been cleared Pivac!" Alun called from his scrum practice on the pitch next to ours. Wayne just looked at me and smiled before getting everyone set up for drills and throwing a ball in my direction. Shaking my head, I passed it over to Stephen and Louis who were running a drill together. "I just can't do it Wayne..." Heading over to my things I went to grab them and take them back to my room, really not wanting to join the session. 

"You can't walk away Jones! You've told us we're not allowed to, it's no different with you!" Stephen called out causing me to stop walking and spin around to look at him. What he was saying was true. I'd drilled that into them over the past couple of weeks and I'd be wrong of me to do the one thing I'd told them they couldn't.

Louis kicked a ball over to me. Dropping my bag, I caught it and I made my way back towards Wayne, before I got too close to the group, Louis caught my arm, stopping me from going anywhere. "You've got this Jones..." he told me before we both joined the rest of the group, waiting for Pivac's instructions.