Players / My World

Shane
Geraghty

/ London Irish and England

As introductions go, Geraghty’s burst through the French midfield made him one of the great young finds of the 2006 Six Nations and has consistently punched above his weight. Adept at playing 10 or 12 and equally as effective at both, according to forwards coach Toby Booth he can be a forward’s worst nightmare.

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Nothing too superstitious! I shave before every matchday, I don’t put my shirt on until the referee calls us out and I always bring a bottle of water out so I keep hydrated, but it’s not like I have to be the last one out or anything.

 

I like an exciting brand of rugby. I always looked up to Jonny Wilkinson, and before him Mike Catt, and it’s great to be playing with Catty now, but as a youngster coming through, I loved watching Matt Giteau. He plays completely off the cuff.

 

I hate watching. Injuries are a rugby player’s worst nightmare. I’ve had quite a few and when you’re injured all the time watching all the boys playing it’s an awful feeling. Another thing that pisses me off is losing.

 

I’m joking when I say he’s a bit of a sleazebag: He [Nick Abendanon] pulled some girl that apparently had pulled me beforehand, but that never really happened. You’ve never let gossip get to you.

 

I can’t imagine he’d help you with directions after a few There’s a big Romanian prop in the front row at Perpignan who I wouldn’t like to meet down a dark alley. I think his name is Marius Tincu.

 

I like to treat myself after a good game. I have a mega sweet tooth and because I’ve been injured quite a lot recently, the physio has a secret stash in one of his drawers, so I take full advantage. I do like a dollop of ice cream, but I tend not to have that too often.

 

She’s pretty famous. I met Katie Holmes down at Waterloo Station, she was hot!

 

If I had my own 20/20 song. It would be the one from ‘Any Given Sunday’… ‘Willie Beaman!’