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By Ollie Phillips, 22 May 2010
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Not this
time:
Ollie Phillips
Photo: Michael Paler |
[FRC columnist Ollie Phillips, IRB Sevens Player of the
Year, Stade Francais winger and FRC columnist Ollie
Phillips talks about missing out on playing fort England,
reflects on his first season in France and looks ahead to
the arrival of Michael Cheika].
The
season may be over as far as Stade Francais are concerned –
indeed, it finished two weeks ago - but until Friday I
thought I still had a few games left to play, but this time
for England’s sevens team. Unfortunately that opportunity to
play a couple of IRB tournaments, including this weekend at
Twickenham, has now been taken away from me due to an
ongoing player-release dispute in France. Essentially it
involved four players who were not released by their clubs
to play for the France sevens team, and who have now been
dropped from the full French side to tour South Africa and
Argentina this summer.
It
didn’t really have anything to do with me, but with the
clubs hardening their stance after the four players were
dropped I have now been told by Stade Francais that I can’t
play over the next two weekends either.
It is
extremely frustrating, because I love playing for my country
and I think it is the highest honour you can have as a
sports professional, but at the same time I have to stress
that my first loyalty at the moment is to my club,
especially as Stade Francais have been so good to me.
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By Ollie Phillips, 01 April 2010
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Happier
times: Ollie Phillips scoring against
Bath in this season's Heineken Cup
Photo: Michael Paler |
[FRC columnist Ollie Phillips, IRB Sevens Player of the
Year, Stade Francais winger and FRC columnist Ollie
Phillips talks about finance, injury, Max Guazzini, the
Heineken Cup and birthday boy James Haskell].
Much has
been written and said about Stade Francais in recent weeks
but as far as we’re concerned what’s happened has happened
and all we can do is try and win our remaining four games –
starting with Clermont Auvergne at the Stade de France on
Saturday.
Read More...
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By Ollie Phillips, 08 December 2010
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Frustrating injury:
Ollie Phillips
Photo: Michael Paler |
[FRC gives a big welcome to Stade Francais winger and friend
of the site Ollie Phillips. The IRB Sevens Player of the
Year has agreed to join our columnists to give you the
inside track on life at Stade, being an Englishman in Paris,
and having a calendar model as your house-mate. This week he
recaps on a hectic festive period, the frustrations of being
injured and the amazing help of club supporters who saved
Stade's Heineken Cup hopes].
The New
Year has kicked off with a bang in Top 14 with three games
in nine days, but unfortunately I’ve not been able to take
any part so far due to an annoying injury that I picked up
back in November. I didn’t really know what it was but it
was getting progressively worse, and then before the two
Ulster games in the Heineken Cup I couldn’t train all week –
I just literally turned up and played the games because I
couldn’t walk on my foot it was so painful.
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