I caught up with Mike Tindall (or Tinds to his mates) on the Thursday before the 64-16 slaughter of London Irish at the Stoop. Just one lingering after effect remained with him following his outing against Wales for his third England cap the week before - it was a determination to show his commitment and honesty to himself to perform for his club to the fame level as that for his country. 

Tinds was born in Wakefield on 18 October 1978. This was the week when Rat Trap by the BoomTown Rats overturned John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's seven week stint at the top with Summer Nights (first time around). The Bath and England centre, who has come such a long way in his rugby career in the past twelve months, tells ERE about a new level headed England team who want to rid themselves of the Springbok drop goal ghosts of the last World Cup. He also reveals the advice he has received from Jerry Guscott in the supremo's absence. But above all, and far more important to all our readers, Mike discusses his lucky pants! 

Haydn: Tell me about this huge rugby family you come from and the influence they have on your ambitions? 

Mike:   Dad captained Otley, but unfortunately smashed up his knee and was never able to play again. Of my five uncles, three also played for Otley.  My grandfather also played the game and so did my brother until his knee also went, while I started off playing hockey.   My father was supposed to be a very good player and is now so happy for me.   Since the age of seven he's collected any paper clippings and programmes of my career which he keeps in his big scrapbook.  He's actually on his second one now.  (Michael Aspel phone Pickfords now! Ed.) 

Haydn; Have you had any aspirations to play Rugby League?

 Mike:   Not up until now, but maybe later.

 Haydn: What of your early days playing in Wakefield?  

Mike:   My rugby started at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School when I was seven and continued until I left at eighteen. Then I got involved with England schoolboys and afterwards came down here. I didn't get to play for the Wakefield Club.

 Haydn: What attracted you to playing your rugby in Bath?

 Mike:  I was originally going to University in Durham. But after a seven-week tour of Australia with England Schools I felt so mentally and physically knackered I decided not to go. Then Bath were the first club to offer me the chance of a squad place for a year.  I thought, I can defer my University offer for that time and if things didn't go right at the club I can always go back, but things are going very well.

Haydn: What are your thoughts as you prepare for this weekends' game against London Irish at the Stoop?

Mike:   It's going to be a good game and I think now we've had a break we know we have to go out there and win.  I think all the boys will be up for it and although there is no fear about playing a side enjoying top form we do respect them.  I think we can take the game to them and disrupt the way they play and hopefully it is going to be a free flowing game with a lot of tries and a Bath win. (Prophetic words Mike! Ed.)

 Haydn: How difficult is it re-adjusting back to domestic rugby after a weekend of 6-Nations ?

 Mike:   It is a mental thing where you have to switch back into the club side of things and understanding how important this game is for the club.  Once you have that in your head you can get on with your job and the team will perform.

 Haydn: How would you change the structure of the season? 

Mike:  I think I would start it earlier and try to get half the domestic season done early on - then have a break where you can play the European Cup games.  Following the European group games the second half of the domestic season should be played, then the finals of the European Cup and finishing with the Six Nations. 

Haydn: How effective have the new tackle, scrum and line-out laws been since their inclusion last month?  

Mike: The scrum law is a bit dodgy. Teams without the put-in are simply trying to wheel the scrum and in some ways it makes the game slower. Players are starting to react to a wheeling scrum and the No.8s are just picking up and going whereas before they were trying to stop the wheel without success. That will sort itself out pretty soon. 

 The line-out rule hasn't changed anything and just made it legal to do what players were already doing before the law came in. The tackle law is a good law in that you should retain possession after hitting the deck with the ball. There haven't been too many instances of enforcing the new aspect of the tackle law in the 6-Nations as players have reacted to its inclusion quite well.   It is good in the fact that it stops players coming in from the off-side after a tackle has been made.  Players are learning only to come from behind the gain-line and not in at the side. That's good because it can be so annoying.

 Haydn: What do you remember of your England debut and first international try against Ireland?

 Mike:  What sticks in my mind is Ben (Cohen) going over for his first try and England's first of the 6-Nations. It was realty good to see him going over the line and for me to go over at the end was the perfect start for us both.   (Cauliflower ERE Award nomination for modesty goes to Magnanimous Mike. Ed) I remember seeing the corner flag and aiming for it but I thought I might be caught so I dived in.  I didn't think too much about it and just launched myself on pure adrenaline. (This should inspire the manufacturers of inflatables to produce the 'Mid-air Mike,' puckered lips and taught jaw, the lot.Ed) 

Haydn: What advice has Jerry Guscott given you before each Six Nations game?

 Mike:  He's been helpful in the fact I have spoken to him before each game and he's advised me to keep my head down and play my usual game and not to get carried away.  He reminds me to keep my concentration and reassures me by saying, "You'll be fine."

 Haydn: Is your ability to concentrate tested more when you are enveloped in the cauldron of an international?

 Mike:  No not really, I wouldn't say that. The way things are at the moment everyone in the team is geeing you on and everyone is telling each other of the need to concentrate and saying - 'Come on!  Focus! They're not going to score!' That helps keep your concentration right up there and looking at the result of that we've only conceded two tries so far in three games and we are very happy with that at the moment.

 Haydn: What advice has Jerry given you for club games?  

Mike:  He has in the past told me to pay more attention to the territory aspect of the game in muddy conditions. We seemed to struggle and tried to play an expansive, fluid game when we should have concentrated on playing for territory and keeping possession.  I think we have got over that and now with conditions being drier we can play the rugby we want to play.

 Haydn: What was the build-up like in the England camp before victory in the Stade de France?

 Mike: Very focused.  Everyone just wanted to get out there and play, although things were a bit tense in mid-week.  But we managed to calm that down and get ourselves re-focused. We had perfect preparation for the game. 

Haydn: Clive Woodward was almost speechless with admiration at the England win -what were the scenes like in the dressing room after the game?

 Mike:  Pretty good! We agreed that no matter how good the win was we still had three more games to go. We all got in a huddle and said what a great team performance it was. We also agreed to have a good night and re-focus immediately for the remaining games. 

Haydn: You all seem very level headed for a young team.  

Mike:  I think we know that if we get complacent in any way we will lose. That is something this team does not want. A lot of that attitude stems from what the team learned in the World Cup after losing against South Africa. That

was so damaging to everyone and I remember being in the changing room after the game and the silence was awful.  I knew how much hard work they had all put in and after seeing it all taken away after five dropped goals - it just killed them.  I think they don't want to see that happen again and if it means staying level headed and not getting too carried away after a game of that magnitude then that's what we are going to do.

 Haydn: Although the victory against Wales was emphatic, do you feel more England backs should have got on the score sheet?

 Mike: I don't think that is a problem because the way we want to play is with the flexibility of backs doing the forwards job and visa versa. What the back row are doing at the moment is keeping their width so well and when the backs are in a ruck they can stay out and keep the width to provide overlaps. So one game they will score a few, like against Wales and another time the tries will come from the backs.  It depends on the position and the realignment on the field. 

Haydn: Any secrets about squad member rituals?

 Mike:  I like to go out second from last and Austin (Healey) goes out of the changing room the very last. But I need to be last out on the pitch, so I won't go on until Austin has ran past me.

 Haydn: Tell ERE readers about your lucky pants?  

Mike: The lucky pants are still there although they are getting a bit worn, but should remain until they fall apart.  I always wear the same stuff for games like my regular boots, pads and T-shirt and of course the lucky pants.

 Haydn: What do you like to do outside of rugby? I hear you are a keen skier.

 Mike:   Unfortunately I can't go skiing as much as I would like to. We can't get the insurance to cover us as rugby players.  I enjoy playing golf quite a lot as it is a good way of recovery, but I do spend most of my time in bed after training.   I am looking to do some sort of sport therapy in the future, but don't have the time at the moment.

 Haydn: What is your favourite country visited?

 Mike:  Thailand.  I just loved the place. I saw several I sides to it with the smog, monuments and the floating market in Bangkok and then in contrast down to the island of Pattaya with its beautiful beaches. It's just so laid back and the people are really nice, but it was ages ago when I was only fourteen.  (You want to get out more Mike - Ed.)

 Haydn: What's this thing for Jennifer Lopez you have?

 Mike   I just think she's a very nice lady!  I think she is a perfect lady, but I doubt I will ever meet her so I won't be able to tell her.

Haydn: Favourite TV programme, book, and film?

 Mike:  I always say 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' , because it sounds interesting but I don't really have a favourite as such.  I probably watch 'Friends' the most, because it's got three fit chicks in it and Joey who is a legend and I'm normally in on a Friday night before a match.  Lord of the Rings is a great book although at the moment I'm reading a book called 'Hannibal', the sequel to 'Silence of the Lambs.' I have numerous favourite films, which include most of the Bond series, as I'm a big fan. I also loved Star Wars and a film called Caddy Shack with Chevy Chase, which is a classic.  National Lampoon's European Vacation is another classic as well.   I've limited myself to about eight there! 

Haydn: The ERE  Trivia question - which king was crowned first king of all England in Bath Abbey in 973AD? 

Mike:  I have no ******* idea! (Mike pauses for a full 33 seconds, punctuated by several useless clues).  James the something? (Eventually I tell him but the answer will not be published today as, a) Mike wished this particular ERE Trivia question to be asked to all the other interviewees, b) Real Bath fans should know already!)

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