Talking Team Mates: Bath Rugby Captain Stuart Hooper Reveals All

Total Sport sat down with Bath Rugby captain Stuart Hooper, to get the inside scoop on his fellow team mates. Ever wondered who the biggest moaner, the worst trainer and the most vain is within the ranks of Blue, Black and White? Hooper tells all...

Thanks for joining us, Stuart. First up, we're wondering who is the most intelligent in the Bath Rugby squad?

"It's definitely not me, and I'm specifically not going to say Dave Attwood, because when he reads this he is going to think it will be him straight away. I'm going to say the most intelligent player in the Bath Rugby squad is Matt Garvey."

So, who is the least intelligent in the squad?

"This could be really mean. I'm going to say one of the most intelligent and the least intelligent is also the same person, and that's Dave Attwood. Because he probably is the most intelligent person on paper, but when he tries to talk about it he sounds like the least intelligent person."

Loudest player on the pitch and the dressing room?

"Loudest player has to be Niko Matawalu, the whole time. I don't even know what the noises are that he makes but he does make them, both in the changing room and on the pitch. He's always laughing a lot, screeching and laughing."  

Conversely then, who is the most shy in the Bath team?

"You don't get many words out of Nick Auterac. He's a lovely bloke but he is extremely economical with his words."

Best dressed?

"It's got to be Anthony Watson, I just look at him in admiration every day when he comes out in his new gear..."

What about the worst dressed then?

"Worst dressed goes to Matt Garvey, simply because he wears Ugg boots... and he's a man."

Best music taste?

"Rob Webber, easy. He's got an eclectic music taste, but on Spotify where you can follow people, well I've followed him and he's my source of music - my inspiration, I don't need to go anywhere else."

What about the most skillful? Who is not afraid to try a few things in front of you all at training?

"Hmm, Horacio Agulla - he's got some good skills. I think he learnt most of them from Maradona..."

This is quite a prestigious one, what about the best trainer?

"Georgey (George Ford) He's meticulous at preparing and he's always out kicking when everyone else has left the field."

And the worst trainer?

"Probably me... No it's not me. The worst trainer is.. it's quite a tough one really, we've got a lot of good trainers here. JJ, (Jonathan Joseph) he's highly tuned."

The biggest moaner?

"Matt Garvey, 100 per cent. He is the biggest moaner but he doesn't really mean it. He uses it as a motivating tool for everybody else, because they look at him and think... 'oh my god, I'm a lot better off than him, psychologically.'"

How about the biggest gym addict?

"There's a few actually. A lot of the young lads love a bit of gym and are always doing it on their days off. Nick Auterac, Max Lahiff is incredible in the gym. Always in there and in great shape, very strong!"

So in the meantime who spends more time in front of the mirror?

"Hmm, let's have a think. Ollie Devoto..."

And finally, the quickest to lose their temper?

(Eyes in the room cast towards Hooper) "Not me, that one's Ross Batty."

Many thanks to Stuart Hooper for taking the time to sit down with Total Sport. You can catch Hooper next leading out Bath Rugby when they face Toulon this Saturday, January 23, at the Rec. Kick-off 15.15.