Bath’s Leroy Houston wants revenge against Leinster

Asking a player if they are out to avenge a previous defeat is normally the most futile of exercises, but Bath’s Leroy Houston is full of surprises.

“Yeah, I do want a bit of revenge on Leinster for knocking us out last season,” he says, smiling when asked about Bath’s 18-15 European Champions Cup quarter-final defeat in Dublin in April.

“But I was kind of happy after that match because it was such a tough game.

“For me to be where I was beforehand and where I am today making quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, I was proud.

“I’d heard of Leinster down in the southern hemisphere so to come up against them was a privilege. I felt proud, even though I was gutted.”

And when Houston talks about where he has come from it is a long way removed from your usual rugby tale. In fact, just three years ago he was days away from giving up the sport to become a coal miner.

It was the summer of 2012 when the No 8 was told by Bordeaux that they would not take up their option of retaining him for a second year.

So Houston returned to Brisbane, convinced he was not quite good enough to make it and set to follow his family into either the coal or zinc mining industry.

Then came an offer from second-tier French side Colomiers. They were offering less money than Houston would have earned as a miner, but he resolved to give it one last shot.

From there came a move to Bath, and he is now an established member of one of England’s premier sides.

It is an unusual journey, and one that explains why his nickname at the club’s palatial Farleigh House training base is “Mr Smiley”.

“I was this close to doing it,” says Houston of giving up rugby to become a miner, putting his thumb and forefinger close together to illustrate the smallest of margins.

“It would have been coal mining or zinc mining. It’s good money to be honest. I would have made more money mining than the contract I got in France in the second tier.

“The economy has changed though. But when I was about to leave rugby mining was booming. Now my family are forklifting, packing boxes.

“When I was at Bordeaux that was the first time I questioned myself whether I could play rugby as a professional. My head was down, my self-confidence was down, and I went home to my family.

“I felt relaxed back home and wanted to stay. I am thankful to my agent who gave me a kick in the butt.”

That kick in the backside clearly worked for a player who describes himself as a “mongrel” for his split Australian and Kiwi heritage.

Having spent the first 15 years of his life in New Zealand — where he says he learnt his morals — Houston moved to Brisbane and has played for Australia A.

But after his struggles it is not hard to believe Houston when he says he is looking forward immensely to taking on a Leinster team this Saturday that he still believes has an “aura” despite their shocking defeat to Wasps last weekend.

“There’s too much history in that team for them not to have that aura,” he said.

“Them being successful — Heineken Cups back in the day they used to destroy it.

“They will always have that type of aura and will always be a good team. They like to try stuff. Their moves, off set-piece.

“They are well drilled so it will always be the same. Against Leinster you always have a game on your hands.”

Leinster will have a game on their hands, too.

Bath have yet to click into gear this season as their natural free-flowing style has been stifled by the weather, but they believe there is a big performance on the horizon.

Due to the horrendous events in Paris it could not happen in Toulon last weekend but Houston believes it could this week.

He adds: “We are really keen to go this week. We have played four this season and only won two. With Leinster we know what to expect this week. And me personally, I do want a bit of revenge.”