20 Questions: Matt Hopper – Harlequins centre
Fantastic! There was lots of hype and playing at Twickenham is brilliant. Unfortunately, the weather was poor and not a lot happened until the last 15 minutes.
Vote for summer rugby?
Probably. The last few weeks have been pretty dull and going out to play games when it’s hammering down isn’t the most enjoyable. When the weather’s good the game is a lot quicker.
Look back on 2012 with fondness?
It was a good year and I’m playing a lot at the moment. But with boys coming back to fitness, like Jordan Turner-Hall and George Lowe, it’s going to be tough to keep my place.
Keep a close eye on your old team, the Cornish Pirates?
Definitely. They beat Bristol in the week and I keep in touch with a few boys on twitter. It looks like they’re peaking at the right time.
Biggest difference playing for Quins?
The margin for error is a lot smaller in the Premiership. The pace is quicker, too. You can get away with small mistakes in the Championship.
How’s London life been?
We’ve adapted pretty well. The missus and I have settled in Claygate, near Esher, which is pretty handy for visiting London. I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
What do you do in London?
Having lived in the South West for most of my life, London’s still a bit of a novelty. We’ll just wander about checking out the sights and catching up with old friends.
How else do you chill-out?
The missus likes decorating the house so she’s always dragging me off to different shops. I play a lot of golf as well and there are lots of decent courses around.
Who are the Quins golf sharks?
Danny Care has been playing very well. Nick Evans, Nick Easter and Tom Williams are pretty useful and Karl Dickson’s a bandit. He won the RPA Open.
Which other sportsmen would you like to be?
Being a golfer would be good, so I’d say Rory McIlroy. But I love my surfing, too, so it would be a toss-up between him and Kelly Slater, the world surfing champion.
How did you get into rugby?
My old man, Keith, captained Exeter in the late 1960s and he was a big player down there, representing the region and training with England. My brothers played rugby so it ran in the family.
Teenage rugby idol?
I’ve always liked Brian O’Driscoll and thought he had things pretty well sussed. He and Conrad Smith are players I look up to and you pick up a lot of things watching them.
Best and worst trainers at Quins?
Worst is probably Ugo Monye… I’ll just leave you with the name! Top trainers are people like Mo Fa’asavalu, Luke Wallace and Chris Robshaw. They always go at it pretty hard.
Impressed with Chris Robshaw’s England captaincy?
Yes. He took it all on the chin during the autumn and didn’t shy away from anything. That’s the kind of bloke he is and it was good to see him bounce back.
Best and worst dressed Quins?
Worst has to be Olly Kohn, who’s not a well dressed man. Best are fashion icons like Ugo, Danny Care and Jordan Turner-Hall. They all fancy themselves a bit.
Superstitions?
I’ve been playing in a pair of Speedo budgie smugglers and it’s going alright so I’ll keep wearing them.
Favourite holiday destination?
Went to Bali last year and it was absolutely fantastic. Amazing culture. Australia is pretty special, too, and I’d also put Cornwall up there.
Rugby law you’d change?
The amount of time spent on scrums can be a drag, so I’d do anything to speed that up.
England ambitions?
You always want to represent your country. But competition in the centres at Quins is fierce so it’s a case of concentrating on that. Anything after is a bonus.
Can an English team win the Heineken Cup?
I think it’s realistic. We’ve got tough games coming up against Connacht and Biarritz but if we peak at the right time, hopefully we’ll be up there.
