Room 101: Andre Bester – Rotherham coach

1. Queues
I simply don’t do queues. I would rather drive 10 miles around the houses than sit in a long, stationary line of traffic. Also, when we go to Disney World in Florida – or a similar theme park – we always have fast track tickets to get on the rides. In the supermarket if there is a queue at the checkout I have to walk up and down the aisles until the way is clear. I don’t think my hatred of queues is necessarily because I am the most impatient man in the world; it is because I like to be doing something productive with my time. Things have to get done right here, right now.
TRP verdict:  Q, your first entry. You’re in!
2. Dishonesty
I base everything in my life on honesty. I may say the wrong thing from time to time in the heat of the moment, but I never break my word or lie to anybody. Look where being diplomatic has got politicians… in lots of trouble! In my book honesty is non-negotiable. I think Rory Best once described me in a newspaper article as being “brutally honest”. The lifespan of a professional sportsman is too short to be telling people things they just want to hear rather than the truth.
TRP verdict:  You just wouldn’t let it lie…You’re in!
3. Running into touch
I normally blow my top when a player gets tackled into touch. You wouldn’t knock-on on purpose, so why give away a lineout rather than pass inside? It is the biggest ‘no-no’ that I have in rugby terms. It shows a lack of understanding about how difficult it is to get the ball back. We had two examples of this on the first weekend and the culprits got fined. People may say it is excusable at Clifton Lane because the pitch is so narrow, but that is just a perception. The reality is that it is exactly the same dimension – in both width and length – as two other grounds in the Championship, and not that much narrower than many others. Meadow Lane, for example, is only three metres wider but it looks a lot bigger because the stands are so far away from the pitch, whereas at Clifton Lane everyone is right on top of the action.
TRP verdict:  Sorry, you’re out of touch on this one.