Three former Australia internationals claim they became embroiled in a physical encounter with Cardiff teenagers prior to the Wales match on Sunday.
Hoping to enjoy Cardiff’s nightlife before a big Test match, the collective from the Kick Offs and Kick Ons podcast headed into the centre of the Welsh capital for some drinks.
Comprised of former Wallabies Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau, along with host James Rochford, they were in Boom Battle Bar in the Brewery Quarter on Saturday night, before deciding they fancied some food, which is where it all kicked off.
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Telling the tale on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, presented by England star Ben Youngs, Mitchell seemed quite rough after a weekend in Wales.
“It was a tough train trip this morning from Cardiff,” began Mitchell.
“Did something happen in Nandos when you first arrived?,” asked Youngs.
“Oh yeah,” they all said in unison.
“So, Saturday night we watched England v South Africa,” said Mitchell. “We just thought we’ll go for a cheeky Nandos before the New Zealand v France game.
“I was lining up, and the restaurant was completely packed. This bloke just came over the side and said: ‘Where’s the f*****g medium sauce?’ – I was like: ‘Mate, you alright? There’s a line here.’ – And he goes: ‘What? F*** off, mate. Where’s the medium sauce?’
“I said: ‘No, mate. F*** off.’ Then it kicked off a little bit. You know one of those little chavs getting all big. He was a pretty small looking dude. I’m looking at him, and then I get clocked from the side by his little mate. And then he started to really kick off.”
“He got you clean,” added Ashley-Cooper. “I said: ‘How old are you?’ – He goes: ‘I’m 16! (flexes arms)'”
“All the security from the bar we were in – Boom Battle Bar – came in,” said Mitchell. “There were like six security guards. They kicked these three blokes out, and they were like: ‘Do you want us to go to the cops?’ – I was like: ‘Mate, it’s fine. Just make sure they’re not outside just waiting to shank us when we walk out.’
“‘I’m 16!’, I just thought, f*** off, just brushed it off.”
“You did very well,” explained Giteau. “I was like: ‘Drew, we don’t need this.’ – we just got here, you know what I mean? In the papers that he’s ended up flogging a 16-year-old.”
“And it’s a family restaurant,” joked Ashley-Cooper.
“I love how he was scared of a 16-year-old waiting for him outside,” joked Youngs.
“He was one of those little ones that would just come up and go (pretends to stab). Here we go, mate. First day on tour! What a way to go.
“It was the first night. I’ve never actually been in a fight or thrown a punch.”
“You still haven’t!” joked Giteau.
“You know what,” continued Mitchell. “I put a little thing on my socials last week saying how I’m blind in my right eye, so he knew I had no peripheral and I f*****g didn’t see it coming! Bang,” explained Mitchell.
Australia face Scotland in the penultimate match of their Autumn Nations Series on November 24. The Wallabies are back in action six days after that when they face Ireland in Dublin.
If you’d like to watch the full episode of the podcast, then click here.