They say the last time Ireland was in recession, our sports teams did well. Now, being only a nipper I have but vague memories of the ’88 European Soccer Championships and Italia ’90, Brit-busters, etc. If it was Irish Soccer’s turn to brighten up our last recession, it certainly seems as though it is the turn of Irish Rugby in this one, (though one cannot fault our soccer team’s performance in the World Cup Qualifiers this year, but we’re not getting into that.)

The Rugby year is over for Ireland and well, what a year it’s been. This time last year, we were taking a good, long look at ourselves and wondering were the finest crop of Irish players since Lord knows when, ever going to utilise their talent to its fullest. A terrible World Cup campaign was followed by a dreadful 6 Nations campaign in which we managed to win only two games, against Scotland and Italy. This time last year, we were dead and buried. Exit Eddie O’Sullivan.

Enter Declan Kidney. In hindsight now, it appears as though we said goodbye to your average party magician and brought in David Copperfield.

So to commemorate the wonderful year of rugby (and drinking) that we’ve had, I’ve picked my top five moments of Irish Rugby 2009. Here we go….

1. Grand Slam Victory over Wales: The headline of The Independent the next day summed it up: “Bliss it is this dawn, to be Irish”, a quote stolen from William Wordsworth and reworded but couldn’t have put it better myself. From O’Driscoll and Bowe’s early second half tries to the end of match drop goals and nail-biting finish, it was just pure poetry. I must admit, I didn’t actually see Stephen Jones penalty dropping short because I couldn’t bear to look. The sweetest victory, long overdue, and made all the better by Declan Kidney’s immense modesty in the aftermath, despite the fact that he’s clearly done something very, very right with this team.

2. French Game Aftermath: Coming off the back of 6 consecutive losses to the French, this win was sweet enough as it was but there was also another memorable moment from my point of view. As the final whistle blew and the usual formalities were carried out …) the camera focused on a shot of Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell embracing. Now, in my opinion, even if Ireland had done nothing else for the campaign, this would still have been one of the most important pictures of it. We all know that the relationship between Munster and Leinster was more than just rivalry. Whatever Declan Kidney did or said when he came into the fold, bridged a gap and this picture was the symbol of that. And whatever about the rest of the tournament, this would still be one of the most important moments of it.

3. French Game: The whole lot of it. The pre-match hype or lack thereof. We were suffering from the aftermath of a dreadful World Cup and 6 Nations, wondering how in the name of God we were going to lift ourselves from those harrowing days, thinking with meeting France first, our campaign was over before it started. Only Brent Pope had faith in Ireland, believing from the off that they could do it. After the French game, the rest of the nation believed it too. As Tommy Tiernan might say (except the other way around), it was like moving from a negative to a photograph such was the turn around in Ireland’s play in the space of a few months. Declan Kidney had been a firm favourite in Munster, it seemed he’d started off on the right foot with Ireland too. Little did we know what was to come.

4. England Game: It’s always sweet to beat the English. There probably isn’t a nation in the world that wouldn’t agree. And by the narrowest of margins aswell. But the defining moment of this match wasn’t a moment at all. It was a player. A captain. Brian O’Driscoll looked as though he should have been in Beaumont towards the end of the game. He was staggering, broke up, I daresay he hardly knew where he was. Cut to a shot of English players on the bench with ice on knees, groins etc while O’Driscoll soldiered on, on the field, having contributed a vital try and then had seven shades of shit knocked out of him, from largely illegal challenges. But still, he stayed on the field. If there was a moment to raise the banner of, “In BOD we trust”, this was it. A captain’s performance from start to finish. O’Driscoll hadn’t been playing terribly well in the latter days of O’Sullivan’s management. This campaign showed a phenomenal return to form, and his resilience in this match showed that the player we all feared “past it” was anything but.

5. South African Win: The only moment not to be picked from the Six Nations. I could have widened the margin from international rugby and picked Leinster’s Heineken Cup win here but it would have been from a biased point of view. In addition to this, the South African game deserves it’s place for the simple fact that they’re the World Champions and we beat them. Just as we beat England in 2004 when they were fresh off the back of a World Cup win. Johnny Sexton’s foray into international rugby continued with another impressive performance kicking all the points for Ireland’s 15-10 dispatching of the World Champions. A fantastic end to a fantastic year. Roll on 2010.

Top Five Scores:

1. Jamie Heaslip – France
2. Brian O’Driscoll – France
3. David Wallace – Italy
4. Tommy Bowe – Wales
5. Ronan O’Gara – Wales (Winning Dropgoal)

Fitzgerald is helped from the field with a damaged knee

As feared by junglebOOgie at the back end of last week, the large number of Leinster players away on international duty has resulted in an injury that will no doubt harm the province’s push to retain its Heineken Cup crown.

Lions and Leinster wing Luke Fitzgerald hobbled off before the hour mark with an injury that could keep him out for up to six months. After a scan this afternoon, it has been confirmed that Luke has ruptured the lateral collateral ligament in his knee, and will require a period of rehabilitation that could see him miss Ireland’s grand slam defence, Leinster’s Heineken Cup defence and Leinster’s push to win back their Magners’ League title.

Of course, this means an opportunity for one of Isa Nacewa, Dave Kearney, Girvan Dempsey, Fergus McFadden or any of a number of other possible wingers/centres at Leinster, though the immediate beneficiary at international level is likely to be Keith ‘overhyped’ Earls.

All that we can offer here at Points of Blue is our best wishes to Luke as he makes a hopefully-speedy recovery.

Get your flights booked Finn …. these are great tickets in the Upper West Stand so a great view.

We require a photo of you at the game to be posted on the Blog.        I will give you the tickets on Tuesday night training.

Tom was awarded these tickets because he was Man of the Match against Haywards Heath.

THE RACE TO TWICKENHAM

The Colts have a rare opportunity to buy two tickets for the All Blacks v England clash on 21st November at Twickenham.

These will be allocated to the first person to put in a request via the Blog reply below.

See Dan Carter verses Jonny Wilkinson live.

Cost of Tickets face value  £55 each.

VI NATIONS 2010

WALLE VS FRANCE

Millenium Stadium, Cardiff,

Friday 26 February at 8pm

Achat en ligne:

Wales vs France

2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT – HOLIDAY INN CARDIFF CITY 3*

Your Hotel:

Holiday Inn Cardiff City Centre 3*

Perfectly located in the town center, five-minute walk fro the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle, the hotel has been renovated in January 2008.
There are 157 comfortable rooms and well equipped with all of the required facilities.
The hotel bar and the restaurants offer a relaxed atmosphere and an efficient service.

Friday 26th February:

-Departure at 11:55 am from Terminal 1 of Paris Charles De Gaulle, on a regular flight       Flybe
-Arrival in Cardiff at 12:20
-Welcoming and transfer by motor coach to your hotel.
-Free afternoon
-(On request of the guests it is possible to organize touristic visits and tours)

Optional:
Hospitality Service at the Holiday Inn Hotel:
-Pre-lunch drink reception
-Forecast competition
-Analysis and comment on the match by one of these Rugby’s celebrity: either Thomas Castaignède (former player of the French team) or Jean Claude Skrela (FFR technical director)

20h00 : Match kick-off

Saturday 27th February :

-Breakfast at the hotel
-Transfer by motor coach to the airport
-Departure from Paris on a special Air France flight. The flight is chartered for the “XV de France” and the Official FFR Commission
-Snacks on board and Champagne open bar
-Arrival in Paris in the early afternoon.

Prices per person include:
-Flights Paris/Cardiff/Paris
-Accommodation: one night with breakfast in the 3* hotel
-Transfer as above-mentioned
-Guide’s attendance for the whole stay
-Tickets (according to the chosen option)
-Souvenir gifts
-Assistance and luggage insurance

Prices don’t include:
-Transport from outside Paris
-Supplement for a single room: 315€ per person
-Extra meals not listed
-Personal purchases
-Annulment insurance
-Changing of the package (on client request)

Subject to availability at time of reservation

PHILEOG Sports

Contact :

Tél :    +33 (0)1 41 33 99 00

Fax :   +33 (0)1 46 45 49 66

www.phileogsports.com

The Rugby Club has an allocation of 6 Nation International tickets and Guiness Premiership Final Tickets so if you want to put your name down to buy these they are allocated on a first come first serve basis let Charlie know how many tickets you would like and he will put your name in the hat!

Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 23rd May 2009. I was there. Along with a massive army of blue-clad fans, I was privileged to witness Leinster finally fulfill their potential and cap this glorious season for Irish rugby. Having been frustrated by the inconsistencies and heartbreaks of the last 10 years, it was an unbelievable rush and release to be there when it all came together.

But let’s start at the very beginning. I actually had an exam yesterday morning (my third of four final, Postcolonialism and Irish Studies, if you’re interested), 9:30-12:30. My flight to Edinburgh left Dublin Airport at 12:45. You do the math. The added difficulty was that, technically, you’re not supposed to leave the exam after 12, which meant a serious dash to get my three essays written in time. Thankfully, the chief invigilator (which sounds like it should be a villain in a Dan Brown book) was an understanding Ulster fan who waived the rules and let me sneak out at 12.05.

My taxi driver earned his tip, as I was at the airport by 12.25. My dad had been in touch with the DAA and, get this, I came through the VIP suite to speed up my chances of boarding the flight. I felt pretty damn cool being whished through a private check-in area, driven across the tarmac in a Merc and escorted to the top of the queue. It was all pretty posh but, ultimately, unnecessary. I was in my seat before my dad. Never mind.

So, to Scotland. We arrived at the stadium an hour before kickoff. Murrayfield is an impressive structure despite being topped with a curious mish-mash of iron twigs. There’s something exhilarating about entering a mostly-empty stadium which makes you take a deep breath as you do a full, 360 degree scan of the place. Like scanning a battlefield before the cry of charge rings out. Watching the place fill, it became obvious that the Leinster fanbase is growing. Walking through the streets to the stadium, the Leinster supporters clearly outnumbered the Leicester group by two or three to one. We were a rare breed ten years, even five years ago; now I’m not such an exclusive creature – we’re doing our best to catch Munster! In terms of fans and trophies.

Yes, trophies. That big, shiny, beautiful hunk of metal at the end of this European rainbow was well worth waiting for. I even got to touch the thing as Shane Horgan carried it through the mass of fans in the airport. The whole team passed through the departure lounge which was packed with singing and chanting happy Bluemen, signed autographs, did photos, beaming from ear to ear. A tremendous bond has started to develop between this team and their people. The travelling support has been superb and the RDS has become a fantastic venue full of fantastic fans. Munster have been able to beat Leinster with two sticks of underachievement and underwhelming support for many years, but the times, they are a-changing.

I have a seriously raw throat today after screaming and shouting all through the game yesterday. I’m not going to dissect the intricacies of the match, save to point out some obvious points. Leinster were by far the better team, with more chances and points before Stan Wright’s sinbinning. They conceded ten points while down to fourteen men, but did not allow Leicester a score for the final 37 minutes of the game. Leinster also played a very smart kicking game, chose their moments well and displayed great control and composure in the final 10 minutes to close out the win after Jonathan Sexton’s winning kick. Sexton deserves huge credit for controlling the game and contributing some stunning scores in the manner of a seasoned pro. It is sad to see Dr. Phil leave, but his young apprentice looks ready to fill his big boots.

It would be equally sad to see Rocky go. What a man. In the manner of Liverpool’s Gerrard-Torres axis, Elsom and O’Driscoll have invigorated this Leinster side beyond any previous level, especially since Christmas. They have been simply inspirational. Michael Cheika seems confident he can keep Rocky north of the equator. If he does leave, he will have left the proverbial indelible mark on Leinster rugby. As for O’Driscoll, it is as if he has decided that the stars are alligned and that he will fill in those blanks on his CV this season: Triple Crown, 6 Nations, Grand Slam, Heineken Cup. Top try scorer in the Championship and its player of the season. A winning Lions tour would be the icing on the cake. A Churchill Cup win would be a nice bonus too – Ireland has pretty much every other rugby trophy there is going right now!

Anyway, it didn’t matter that the flight home was delayed by an hour. It didn’t matter that I was shattered tired today. Hearing the stewardess congratulate us on “our win”, being congratulated by the passenger beside me on being a European Champion, the headlines in the Sunday papers, touching that trophy, getting Michael Cheika’s autograph, the signature of the man who has rebuilt Leinster in the last four years, roaring my guts out as the final whistle went…those will live with me forever.

This little piece will not read as a work of literary greatness, or as incisive sports journalism, or as a brilliantly constructed personal account. It’s a bit of a mish-mash, like the Murrayfield metalwork. But it’s hard to express yourself when you are on such a high, when your head is still spinning and when you can still hear the chants of “Lein-ster” and the strains of “Molly Malone”. It’s hard to believe, but Leinster beat Harlequins, Munster and Leicester to get here. They possess possibly the two greatest individuals in the competition. They deserve this win. We deserve it, the fans who’ve put up with the taunting and the topsy-turvy past. And Ireland deserves it too. With so many bad-news stories, sport is what we turn to for our joys. Yesterday was a joy and it was great to spend it witnessing a great team secure a great victory with my dad, who once had a trial for Leinster back in his college days. Yes indeed, yesterday was one of the best days of my life.

As the chance of a historic treble for 14 Munster Rugby players gets closer, yesterday saw the emergence of a possible 2009 Quadruple for 8 of them.

For Paul O’Connell and 7 of his Munster team mates, there is an opportunity to take home 4 major honours this year;
Having already won the 6-Nations Grand Slam with Ireland, they are hot favourites for the Magners League and have taken a step closer to retaining the Heineken Cup.
If they overcome Leinster in the semifinal of that competition and go on to win the Final on May 23rd, 8 of the team depart for the Lions Tour of South Africa the next day already having achieved a historic Treble.

Then comes the chance to cap it off by winning the Lions Tour test series against the Springboks….What a year it would be!

By Stewart Primrose

The RBS Six Nations tournament kicks off this weekend and is set to be one of the most exciting since ever.

Rugby at this time off year captures the imaginations of millions, whether they are fans of the sport or not. Although the Tri Nations has a higher quality of player, rugby clubs throughout Western Europe will be full and the beer will be flowing. And this could be the closest championship since Italy’s inclusion back in 2000, with Europe’s elite six expecting to thrill fans across Europe.

But how will each team fare? Will Wales defend their crown and continue to sing in the Valleys, or will the Irish eyes be shinning? And what for Scotland? Can they get that elusive victory at Twickenham? Either way many of the home nation players will be looking to boost their chances of being picked for the Lions tour to South Africa this summer.

Here is a run down of each team, plus a few players to watch out for. Let the games begin…

England

Andy Goode will play ahead of Cipriani

Martin Johnson will be looking to improve on England’s Autumn International performance in his first Six Nations as coach, starting with dropping Danny Cipriani in favour of Andy Goode. Johnson will be going back to basics by playing a tactical and territorial game. Once their fall back tactic, this looks to be their new plan A.

He is still to shore up the midfield after Will Greenwood’s departure and the current pairing of Ricki Flutey and Mike Tindall have yet to find their feet at international level.

Anything less than three home wins will be seen as a failure for England.

Key Man
Danny Care: This is a tough one as there are no real superstars in the team. The scrum half had a good 2008 and England will need him to be on top form to have a successful Six Nations.

My Prediction – Fourth

France

They face a tough opening match at Croke Park, which could determine how their campaign will be fought. They have picked a more conservative squad than in recent years. With Shabal in the second row they add a lot of muscle and aggression, but weaken their lineout as a result.

France v Wales could be crucial

Poitrenaud sums up the French team. Brilliant one day, disastrous the next. Coach Marc Lievremont will be seeking consistent performances from his squad. They will miss the mercurial talents of Freddy Michelak and the team will have to step up if there is going to be a new generation of French flair.

Key Man
Yannick Jauzion: A deadly mix of pace, balance and precision passing. He could be not only a match winner but a Grand Slam winner.

My Prediction – Third

Ireland

Inconsistency has been the main theme for the Irish in recent years. Coach Declan Kidney will have to rectify this in 2009. There are a few promising young players coming through including Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald and these will add impetus to ageing stars like Brian O’Driscoll. The centre is no longer the devastating attacking force he once was, but is still strong in defence.

The Irish need to get off to a good start

Key Man
Ronan O’Gara: Some say the stand off dominates games, others say he fails to inspire. He needs to take the ball up to the game line and throw those defence splitting passes we all know he is capable off.

My Prediction – Second

Italy

As in any year the Italians aspire to just the one win. This year they could struggle to achieve this as they have no recognised half backs. There have been several stop gaps with centre, Paz, asking coach Mallet to stop playing him out of position.

Italy do have some genuine world class players in Prop, Castrogiovanni, Sergio Parisse and Bortolami.

They may surprise Ireland in Rome, but apart from that Murrayfield may prove yet again to be their only hope of avoiding that dreaded wooden spoon.

Key Man:
Sergio Parisse: One of the best players in the tournament. If he hailed from New Zealand he would be a household name. He is a top performer for club side Stade Francais and is easily the Italian’s best player.

My Prediction – Sixth

Scotland have 3 home matches

These players are untested at the highest level so it could go either way. There is still debate about the number ten jersey – Godman’s flair versus Park’s boot and reliability, but Godman could galvanise the exciting backline if he is in the starting lineup.

A key to Scotland’s success will be the powerful forward pack – a match for any team – and contains some genuine world-class players. They will have to create quick ball to allow the backline to function. Maybe then Scotland can start crossing the try line.

Key Man
Mike Blair: The IRB world player of the year nominee can make Scotland tick. His roaming runs and crisp delivery must free up the midfield runners and build on the quick ball if Scotland are to start chalking the teams off their list. The captain needs a big tournament to boost his Lions credentials and his nation’s chances.

My Prediction – Fifth

Wales

Without a doubt the most talented team in the competition. They were the only northern hemisphere team to beat one of the big three in the autumn, pushing South Africa close and beating Australia.

Can the Welsh make it 2 in a row?

Pivotal to their success is the back row trio – Martin Williams, Andy Powell and Ryan Jones all complement each other and the rest of the Welsh side.

They could sneak the Championship on points difference, but watch out for a hiccup at Murrayfield this Saturday.

Key Man
Ryan Jones: The defensive lynchpin, ball carrier and inspirational leader. He’s also tipped to lead the Lions this summer. His performance last year was awesome and the same will be required again.

My Prediction – First

By Stewart Primrose

Scotland is facing a kilt famine after kilt hire shops reported a massive upturn in sales.

This is mainly due to the recent international sporting events, with 15,000 football fans travelling to Amsterdam at the weekend and the recent 6 nations rugby.

Scottish Tartans

With Scotland due to play Iceland on Wednesday anyone hoping to hire a kilt for the match could be left disappointed. Sales for accessories such as belts, socks and sporrans have also been popular as the Tartan Army look to support their troubled side.

In Kirkcaldy, one kilt shop Kirk Wynd Highland House has been expecting an upsurge.

“We supply all the kilts for the Kirkcaldy Tartan Army and we always have a really busy time of it when Scotland is playing.

“The kilt hires have gone through the roof this week and the sales of sporrans and belts have also gone up.

In Glasgow, Dominic Capaldi, manager of MacGregor MacDuff, has admitted he has had to order in more stock as the demands exceed expectations.

“The demand from the Tartan Army has been phenomenal this week. We were really bust last week but I’m sure we are about 30 per cent up on that figure, which is amazing.

“The hire of the Saltire and the Thistle kilts have gone through the roof. They are definitely the most popular kilts we have available.”

If you are unable to get a kilt for Wednesday your best bet would be to go a higher class kilt makers. Beware though, as you may have to pay for it. The manager of Geoffrey Taylor in Edinburgh, Hugh Stratham, still has a healthy number of stock available as he feels the price has deterred many from using his shop.

” We have only sold 2 or 3 kilts for the football so it has not really affected our business. People have been shopping around and the prices seemed to have scared them off.

Our shop is at the higher end of the market so our kilts are mainly for long term, not for a one off football match.”

So if you are going to any ceilidhs or weddings, then you better be quick as there is a shortage of our national dresswear.

Well done lads!

Ragin’ I missed ye in Coppers the last night. But if you guys are really so desperate to meet me again for party time, drop me a line. Some of ye know the craic. Great game. Very proud. Lookin’ well!

Go on Mary Mac!

Now if ye would kindly put an end to the recession too, that would be great!

Following the historic success of Ireland in the 6 nations last weekend, the vision in Munster Rugby circles has switched to dreams of a Treble for so many of the Munster players.

This is not to disrespect in any way whatsoever the achievement of Ireland and the contribution of non-Munster players. In fact it was a source of great pride to see the national team play as one again and dispelling talk of internal cliques.

The reality is, however, that for 11 Munster players who played for Ireland during the 2009 6 nations championship there is an opportunity to complete an unprecedented treble this year.
1. The Grand-Slam has already been done with Ireland
2. They are leading the Magners League
3. They have qualified for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup and are currently 7-4 favourites to retain it with PaddyPower

Retaining the Heineken Cup will not be easy and they have some difficult games ahead of them but they  never had it easy either in 2006 or 2008 when they emerged victorious. Now that the stereotype of the Irish good loser has been blown away for ever, the sky is the limit!

Amazing kicking from Stephen  Jones, a strong Welsh team and a couple of daft penalty give-aways couldn’t stop Brian O’Driscoll and Ireland from winning the 6 Nation’s Rugby Gram Slam for the first time in 61 years. See highlight’s here. Tommy Bowe may have set a landspeed record with his try, Brian O’Driscoll didn’t even know he’d scored one and Ronan O’Gara became Ronan O’Gara again. He had a terrific second half culminating in a great ‘ugly’ drop kick score in the 77 minute – to counter Jones’ in the 74th minute – and give Ireland the lead 17-15, which was the final score. Nail biting stuff right at the end as a knackered Stephen Jones fell short with his penalty attempt. Bloody Hell!

To celebrate we’re giving away a green Jimi wallet to a randomly picked commenter who answers the following question: Who was the fly half who played in the previous Irish Grand Slam victory in 1948, and also attended this game. Maybe there’s a clue in the Ronan O’Gara clip?

República da Irlanda vence torneio das 6 Nações,Triple Crown e Grand Slam

Não posso degenerar do meu País por Afecção, a República da Irlanda onde passei longos e bons anos da minha vida.

A selecção nacional irlandesa de Rugby acabou de se consagrar vencedor do Grand Slam, título que não conquistava desde 1948. Para tal a República da Irlanda venceu todas as restantes equipas que participam no Torneio das 6 Nações e vencendo as equipas congéneres de Inglaterra, Escócia e País de Gales arrecadou também a Triple Crown.

Well Done Lads!!

What a day for Irish sport and the country. With an amazing performance throughout the whole 6 Nations the Irish Rugby team beat Wales in the final game to claim Grand Slam glory.

If that wasn’t enough Bernard Dunne beat Ricardo Cordoba’s to become WBA Super Bantamweight Champion. Flashback of World Cup ‘90 all day having the whole country together and I’m not gonna lie I shed a tear a little tear.

.::KA::.

What a tense game! Great to watch although, as a Welshman, I am obviously disappointed by the result. Still, credit to Ireland, they deserved the victory, and this team does indeed deserve this accolade.

Wales need to review their tactics a little I feel, but take nothing from Ireland. Cardiff is green tonight, and deservedly so.

That night, I discovered how despair had a physical form. There it was, lurking silently, in the steam that emanated mournfully into the cold night air from aching, tired bodies. Meanwhile, beneath these wraithlike vapours, stood hulking green giants, gasping for air, hands clutched to knees, desperately trying to make sense of what had just befallen them. Their sense of shock was shared by their supporters in the stands, as we pushed our way down through ecstatic, scarf-waving Argentineans and smug looking Frenchmen. It was time to escape this concrete coffin of our dreams and disappear down the gloomy and uninviting streets of the old mining town of Lens, tails firmly tucked between our rapidly retreating legs.

We had been abroad on a week’s worth of business. It had begun in familiar enough fashion, with a progression of pallid presentations, business cards being traded like football stickers between schoolboys, and long nights spent drinking heavily with strangers. It was while engaged in the last of these activities that The Spaniard and I got talking to a table load of French ex-pats. As ugly as sin and with frames the size of small dump trucks, they inevitably turned out to be members of a local rugby club.

After the usual banter, another two rounds of drinks, and a shared appreciation for the elusive running of Serge Blanco, it turned out that they were planning to dash up the motorway after work on Wednesday to see Ireland play Argentina for a place in the World Cup quarter finals against les Bleus. The Spaniard and I instantly caught each other’s eye and just as swiftly blagged our way onto the bus with them.

That was the high point of this episode.

The simple plan that The Spaniard and I then devised was to sneak out early from the last meeting of the day and scarper across town to where the pick-up point was. We saw no reason to pay heed to considerations that might bother a lesser mind, such as rush-hour traffic. By the time that the taxi finally did crawl around the last bend, we were running half an hour late and wondering what the round-trip back to the hotel was going to cost us. The bus, though, was miraculously still there and we were able to secure prime seats with the older club members at the front. The drinking and merriment, meanwhile, went on several rows behind us. Still, some crumbs of comfort were to be taken from knowing the actual words to The Wild Rover!

That said, the traffic was not done having its fun with us yet, alas!

With our preference for unsophisticated preparations, we had given no thought to inviting Moses along for the ride. However, it would have been the only way that we were getting through the sea of red taillights that lay between the coach and the outskirts of Lens in a hurry. By the time that we had eked our way through to where the stadium was, the match was well under way. Not to worry, we thought, our chests swelling with patriotic pride, we had overcome the challenges that we had been set and now all we had to do was get inside.

Upon further reflection and suddenly aware of the fact that we had started our journey in a different country, all we had to do was find an ATM somewhere on the dark streets of a strange town, withdraw some French francs, get back to the stadium, buy two tickets, and then run all the way round to the far side in order to get in. By the time that we did manage to find our seats, somewhere at the back of the terrace, the first half was all but over. Still and all, we were up by six points, so time now to savour why we had come all of this way in the first place.

That said, our great plan had neglected to take another minor matter into account. Lens, in late October, is bitterly cold if you have stupidly left your coat behind in the hotel room. “Not to worry”, I thought bravely, “I could tough it out, especially seeing as The Spaniard had suddenly reappeared carrying a tray of beers and Ireland’s lead had been pushed out by this stage to a healthy twelve points.”

Yes, even when the Argentineans worked their way back into the game afterwards, thanks to three penalties, it now seemed like little more than some in-flight turbulence. Ireland had also picked up a penalty, so a six-point lead, with only a few minutes to go, was still a secure one. Back then, you see, the Pumas were a tough but limited side, happiest when playing ten-man rugby with no ambition to ever really run with the ball. Therefore, despite Ireland’s own deathly dull style of playing, we had the better players and could surely wind the clock down safely enough

They started running with the ball.

And, in the worst of all possible outcomes, over went one of their hitherto unemployed wingers for a converted try. The Argentineans now had the lead and the Irish were desperately trying to wrest it back from them with time almost up. They even resorted to a galling 13-man line-out to try and find some bankrupt way of pinching back the victory. The French in the crowd were delighted by this unlikely turn-of-events and brazenly joined in the noisy celebrations of the Argentinean fans as their flyhalf kicked over a final penalty in the dying moments.

Sleep-deprived, hopelessly hungover, hungry, cold, emotionally drained, licking at freshly salted wounds, and feeling desperately alone, the whole debacle felt like some surreal nightmare. Should a spindly-legged elephant have wandered onto the pitch bearing an ancient obelisk on its back at that moment, it might well have restored some normality to proceedings. Truth be told, I felt so low at that worms burrowing through the soil would have seemed like satellites orbiting high up in space.

Having failed to fight, we could only flee. Flee to a bar for an expensive beer in a small glass; flee to a hot dog van for something insipidly plastic between two stale bread buns; flee down the motorway to the sound of drunken French ex-pats singing songs about World Cup glory. The only one to finally take pity on us was the bus driver, who offered to drop us back at our hotel when we pathetically asked him how to get a taxi at 3.30am from the desolate spot that the rest of the bus was happy to disembark at.

It was my sporting nadir, no question of it. Its memory haunts me still. Yet, maybe the spectres which appeared over the stadium that night have only hours left in them before they can be now banished for good. Oh, how special it would be to win the Grand Slam this evening!

That is the question asked this morning in the Independent. The young prodigy in question is the 13 year old Faryl Smith. Maybe that is where we go off the tracks. She isn’t a prodigy. She is a young talented person living a few blocks from our Tick Tock Time offices here in Kettering.

Maybe we see in her what we wish for ourselves…

Godspeed Ms Smith! And thank you for singing at Twickenham – your voice wakes Lions!

Herman

Well, it was a very poor performance by Wales, but they somehow managed to get a win in Rome. Far, far too much poor kicking. They will certainly need to improve hugely if they are to beat Ireland next week. A win against the Irish would give Wales the Triple Crown, but if they are to win the Championship as well then they will need to win by at least 13 points. A big task, even at the Millennium Stadium. Still, the chance is there!