Cardiff, United Kingdom: Veteran Canadian lock Jamie Cudmore has “form” with Irish enforcer Paul O’Connell, but both skippers for this weekend’s World Cup Pool D opener insist that what happens on the pitch stays there.
Cudmore was involved in an infamous scuffle with O’Connell during a 2008 European Cup match between Clermont and Munster at the latter’s Thomond Park.
The Irishman’s head shot backwards from a vicious uppercut from the Canadian after a ruck. All handbags were dispensed of, the two towering men collapsing to the floor in a feast of flying fists that harked back to the days of rugby that didn’t have television replays to sort out offenders.
Ironically, current Ireland coach Joe Schmidt was on the touchline that day in the colours of Clermont, where he was assistant to now-Scotland coach Vern Cotter.
“Jamie got the worst consequence, a red card and suspension. Paul got a yellow and got back on there,” Schmidt reminisced with a wry grin.
While O’Connell’s career has been relatively free of disciplinary action, Cudmore’s is another story.
He joined Clermont from Grenoble in 2005 with a fearsome reputation after accruing eight yellow cards in 21 matches in the 2004/5 season for the Alps team.
The Canadian, who spent time in a partially misspent youth in a juvenile detention centre in his homeland, has served months’ worth of suspensions in the no-nonsense Top 14, mainly for violent play, but is seemingly now on the straight and narrow as he reaches the climax of his career, aged 37.
Indeed, in the last two seasons for Clermont, Cudmore received just three yellow cards in 40 matches, and his most recent red card dates back to the 2009/10 season.
“If you don’t know Jamie very well, you’d see him as a little bit of a reckless character,” Schmidt said with no little hint of irony.
“But he’d be one of the nicest guys you could meet. If you needed someone in Clermont to do something extra, certainly any charitable event or any community service, Jamie was fantastic.
“I’d have a lot of time for him as a character. He manages to embody a lot of the values of rugby, particularly the amateur values, a couple of the amateur habits as well, but I think he’s curbed those and I certainly haven’t seen him suspended too many times since 2008!”
O’Connell, like Cudmore appearing in his fourth World Cup, called the Squamish native a “terrific player”.
“The biggest testament to him is to be in a club like Clermont, one of the most consistent teams in Europe for the last seven, eight, nine years and they can pick up the best players in the world, but he consistently commands a place in that team,” the Irish lock said.
“He seems to get better with age. He’s a big hitter in everything he does, not just the tackle but in the carry and the breakdown, and he’s a big scrummager as well.
“Clermont have an excellent lineout and set-piece as well, so he’ll bring all that nous to Canada.
“Hopefully it’ll be a real tough battle — I’ve no doubt about it.”
Speaking to Rugby World magazine, Cudmore was equally gushing in praise of O’Connell, saying: “He’s a quality player and a pure rugby man.
“What happens on the field is full-on and afterwards we’ll have a chat and a laugh, something I really appreciate.”
Schmidt said he knew what he wanted from Cudmore when his team play Canada at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
“I just hope he gets tired and decides to leave the field on his own volition. But I can’t see that happening,” he joked.
No matter what the result, Cudmore can rest easy.
Canada are also due to play France in Pool D and Cudmore will still have time for mischief, admitting he might try “a couple of cheeky rib shots” on his Clermont teammates.
