- Title: To'omua trolls former Leicester team-mates ahead of Australia v England
- Date: 17th October 2019
- Summary: OITA, JAPAN (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) AUSTRALIAN RUGBY PLAYER MATT TO'OMUA SAYING: "I was very fortunate to play with all of them there. I know all their weaknesses luckily and I have been telling everyone. I will list them now for you if you want. Manu is a terrible snooker player, George Ford never pays for a beer, Ben Youngs isn't even the best rugby player in his family, let alone the country. The chicken, Jonny May, very weird and Dan Cole doesn't have a personality. So, I have just been telling everyone about that. No, look, we obviously had a very good relationship with a lot of the fellas there and one thing I do know is that they're all quality players. In particular, we had a very sharp backline, guided by Lenny and George and then obviously Manu. We were fortunate for the last couple of years when he came back from injury, we just saw him grow in stature and I think he probably grows the bigger the game as well. He probably plays his best rugby in Tests, and that's the sign of a true champion player. Obviously, I have been sharing the knowledge I have got on them as well, but the thing is with guys like that, there are no glaring weaknesses. Besides the fact that George never pays for a beer, there is no glaring weakness. At this level, guys are very skilful players and very strong players in many facets of the game. Yeah, I will share the knowledge that I can, but you see it week to week as well."
- Embargoed: 31st October 2019 14:04
- Keywords: rugby Australia England japan Ford To'omua
- Location: OITA, JAPAN
- City: OITA, JAPAN
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1HKWU7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Australia's Matt To'omua listed the weaknesses of his former team mates in the England squad on Thursday but his inside knowledge may not be a great deal of use to his Wallabies team mates in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final.
The 29-year-old played with England flyhalf George Ford, centre Manu Tuilagi, scrumhalf Ben Youngs, winger Jonny May and prop Dan Cole at Leicester Tigers for three years and said he was prepared to reveal all to reporters in Oita.
"Manu is a terrible snooker player, George Ford never pays for a beer," he said. "Ben Youngs isn't even the best rugby player in his family, let alone the country.
"The chicken, Jonny May, very weird and Dan Cole doesn't have a personality. So I have just been telling everyone about that."
Like Ford - who was a shock omission from England's starting line-up for the match -- To'omua will start on the bench at Oita Stadium and said, joking aside, that he had a healthy respect for his former club mates.
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