"Little p**k" – Wales fans have named the five England players they hate the most

Tuesday, 11 March 2025 at 10:30

byRugby Rucker

The English have a knack for producing snarling, pantomime villains. These are the born-to-rule god-monsters who loom over fallen opponents, bellowing "Welcome to the House of Pain!" after a scrum collapse.

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Sure, the Scots, French, and Irish all love a crack at England, but two factors make this the ultimate northern hemisphere grudge match:

Rugby is ingrained in Welsh identity. Unlike in England, where it often carries class connotations, the sport unites Wales across all walks of life. That passion fuels the fire when these two meet.
This isn’t a one-sided affair. Wales has a superior record against England compared to the other home nations. As former Welsh captain Phil Bennett once famously said before a clash with England:
"We've been exploited, raped, controlled, and punished by the English – and that's who you are playing this afternoon."

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the English players who have wound up Wales fans the most over the years.

Honourable Mention: John Inverdale

The commentator Wales loves to hate.

Okay, so he’s not a player, but there was no way we could leave him out. As Wales Online once put it:
"You sense Wales could reach the World Cup final and Inverdale would still find a way to present it as the 'appetiser' ahead of the 'main course' that is England's bowls team vs Canada."

5. Brian Moore – The Original Rottweiler

A snarling, punchy, Henry V-quoting hooker who embodied England’s mid-90s menace.

A fearsome competitor, Brian Moore played 64 times for England between 1987 and 1995, winning three Grand Slams. The former hooker thrived on confrontation, whether it was scrapping in the scrum or leading a battle cry in the dressing room. Welsh fans loved to hate him—and he loved it just as much.

4. Joe Marler – The Ban Magnet

England’s master of the dark arts, with a disciplinary record full of Welsh flashpoints.

The Harlequins prop has had more than his fair share of controversial moments against Wales. In 2016, he landed a two-week ban for calling Samson Lee a “gypsy boy.” Then in 2020, he was handed a ten-week suspension for grabbing Alun Wyn Jones by the unmentionables. A world-class wind-up merchant who rarely shies away from the niggle.

3. Owen Farrell – The Shoulder Charge Specialist

The England captain who divides opinion like no other.

If he's on your team, you'll defend him to the death. If he's not, you'll roll your eyes every time he escapes a card for a high hit. The Saracens fly-half, a two-time Six Nations winner and World Cup finalist, has been a thorn in Wales’ side for years. Nicknamed ‘Shoulder Boy’ by some critics, his tackling technique (or lack of it) is a constant source of debate.

2. Austin Healey – The Mouth That Never Shuts

As a player, he was irritating. As a pundit, he’s somehow even worse.

The versatile back, who earned 51 England caps between 1997 and 2003, was never short on confidence. Whether he was winding up opponents on the pitch or trash-talking off it, Healey embraced his role as rugby’s pantomime villain. Wales Online summed it up perfectly:
"It seemed unlikely when he retired that Healey would manage to become even more annoying as a pundit than he was as a player. But, somehow, he's achieved it. Great job."

1. Mike Brown – The Ultimate Agitator

Could it have been anyone else?

England’s firebrand fullback, capped 72 times between 2007 and 2018, made a career out of being confrontational. Whether it was his brash attitude, shaven head, or no-nonsense style, Brown rubbed opposition fans up the wrong way. In his own words, he was a ‘marmite player’—but to Welsh fans, he was simply infuriating. A player who carried himself like he had something to prove, and often did.

QUIZ: Can You Name the England XV that Won the 2020 Six Nations?

England last won the Six Nations in 2020, in what was a crowning achievement during the Eddie Jones era. Coming off the back of the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final heartbreak, England bounced back to win their seventh Six Nations title since the competition's Italian expansion in 2000.

England secured the trophy with a win in Rome, as they handed Italy a one-sided 34-5 bonus point defeat. We are challenging you to remember who started for England that day, as the match was played in front of an empty stadium during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

You have five minutes to provide your answers, good luck!

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