IT IS safe to say that Olly Barkley’s summer did not go according to plan. Being dropped by England in Australia was one setback, but being arrested and locked up in a police cell after being sprayed with CS gas quite another.
Barkley unexpectedly became the subject of unwelcome publicity because of who he was rather than for what he was alleged to have done. Headlines such as “England fly half held after fracas” were not the best way to introduce himself to his new boss, Steve Meehan, the acting Bath head coach.
Last week a cloud lifted when Devon and Cornwall Constabulary confirmed that the 24-year-old would not face charges relating to the incident in Newquay on July 30, which left one man with a fractured jaw. Barkley knew that he was innocent, having tried to break up the fight rather than take part in it. At the time, however, spending the night in custody recovering from the effects of the gas made him wonder how he had got into such a mess.
“I remember laughing to myself when I was in the cell because it was just a crazy situation,” he said. “I had tried to do the right thing. What happened teaches you that even when you are behaving responsibly things can quickly get out of control and how careful you have to be. It is certainly something I wouldn’t want again and I wouldn’t wish on anyone else.”
Club and country rallied round. “Andy Robinson [the England head coach] spoke to me,” Barkley said. “He has been very supportive. Bath, too. I knew that it was disruptive to pre-season, which was not fair on the players or the coaches. But it all got blown up because of the fact that I play rugby.
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“It involved one of my family; I tried to defuse it and ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting sprayed with CS gas, which is horrible. It affects your sinuses. I couldn’t see for long periods and I couldn’t breathe too well either.”
Barkley is a strong enough individual not to be troubled by the affair. One of his greatest traits is his innate honesty with others and himself. For instance, he was the first to admit that he had not played well in the first international against Australia in June.
“You can look at wasted scoring opportunities early in the game, but that’s not an excuse,” he said. “I have to learn from those things. That’s the worst I have kicked at 10 in an international game. I wasn’t shocked at being dropped but disappointed. I would like to have had another crack, but if I had been playing 12, I wouldn’t have wanted my 10 to dish up a performance like I did.”
With a troubled summer behind him, Barkley can concentrate on the new season, which begins today for Bath away to Gloucester, and once again laying down an England marker, be it at inside centre, where he will start at Kingsholm, or fly half, where competition appears strong. Not least with a fit Jonny Wilkinson ready to stake a claim again.
With the World Cup exactly a year away, Barkley will be hoping that his versatility will be a trump card when the squad for France is picked. Of his 16 England caps, five of his starts have been at fly half with four at centre and the remainder as a replacement.
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“You can’t ignore the fact that the World Cup happens in a year’s time,” he said. “It is always in the back of your mind, in the middle, even. As every month goes forward, it creeps farther forward in your mind.” He is encouraged by Rob Andrew’s appointment as elite director of rugby at the RFU and believes that England have it in them to come again.
“But I think the players need to take it on themselves to drive the team forward,” Barkley said. “With the players starting to take responsibility, you will see better performances and a higher level of understanding on the field because it comes from within.
“That is really important, something Steve [Borthwick] and Danny [Grewcock, the locks] have really driven into us here. You couldn’t wish for two better guys to be fronting your club than those two. Everyone is trying to follow their lead.”
After the recent procession of coaches out of Bath, Barkley is hoping for a period of stability with one of the strongest squads he can remember at the Recreation Ground. He has been impressed by what he has seen of Meehan, who he feels will build on Brian Ashton’s brief legacy without forgetting the foundations laid by Michael Foley.
“It’s about having a structure, but, within that, having the freedom to play what you see and adapt to different situations as they happen,” Barkley said.
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“Steve’s strength is he makes you think for yourself more. That has driven a few guys to be a bit more responsible about their actions on and off the field. You are not going to play in the team this year if you do not understand your role.”