Thought that I’d share my good fortune with fellow members.
Although I already have super tickets for Saturday’s test here at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (5 of them bought just a couple of days after ticketing opened, see here) I just had to simply share my delight at the phone call I received this evening.
You’ve all probably guessed by now, I’ve won them!
The small print says, ‘transport, brewery tour, meals and free beer’
Am I a lucky boy or wot?
Good grief it’s cold!
This is about as cold as it gets, as I left the pub where we watched the rugby my car was showing 9º Centigrade, factor in the wind chill perhaps an effective 4º, it’s also pouring with rain, most unpleasant.
Perhaps you’d think that a 22 – 17 Springbok victory would cheer me up, well…. yes and no.
I had 22 – 12 in the pool, that was the score when the full time hooter sounded, I had the result on the nose!
But then Ben Foden touched down in the 82nd minute to spoil what was in any case a glorious afternoon.
Jo’burg next week and then right here in Algoa Bay on the 23rd, can’t wait!
No, no, I’m not going to the land of the wheel clamper or that place where the supermarkets / banks rule supreme!
I’m not going where black isn’t and white shouldn’t.
In fact England is coming to me!
Perhaps I should say us.
Bought our tickets for the Test Match today (thank you Eastern Province ANC branch for insisting that your comrades here in the Eastern Cape have an opportunity to watch world class rugby [and no, you’ll never get my vote])
Yep, the English are coming (oops, was that Paul Revere?) we’ll be here to welcome them!
Members may recall when I took my daughter to watch England play in the FIFA 2010 world cup, I’ve bought her a ticket for this one but she doesn’t want to come along 😕
Johnny finally acknowledges what we all knew and hangs up his International boots…
To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment.
Not a bad achievement at all, I would hazard to say.
Never in my wildest dreams did I envisage watching international rugby right here in the Eastern Cape in the middle of December.
This week was historically reserved for the first of our summer holiday cricket tests, always played at St. George’s Park and always well attended. That was until the thieving, fraudsters who now run S.A. cricket sold out to bigger unions. ‘Our’ test is now going to be played up in Pretoria, most Pretoria residents are now on holiday and probably at the coast enjoying the sunshine and beaches or off at a game park, there will be nobody at Centurion but when has common sense ever prevailed over administrators lining their pockets?
Back to the rugby.
The 2 day event is billed as ‘Rugby’s biggest party’ take my word for it, it is!
What a day, what an event, rugby like you’ve never seen, non stop action, 21 games yesterday, starting at 11:15am finishing with the final just after 8pm.
Party, party, party, music, music, music, dancing girls, the most amazing camaraderie that I’ve witnessed both in the stands and on the field, ever.
It all took place at our brand new (okay, it’s 18 months old now) stadium built for the FIFA 2010 world cup, The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.
Below is a pictorial of my day (yes ladies, it’s not all about rugby but the day, feel free to have a look :))
My Court informant (more sauce than source, as you might imagine) has always impressed on me that members of the Firm never, ever complain or explain. A word in the right ear always suffices to set the record straight, One understands. Continue reading “Centre nul point”
My ghast was completely flabbered when I saw this over the weekend. (hat tip Furry)
On the left is the new Springbok 7s (nicknamed The Blitzbokke) training kit provided by the kit sponsors Canterbury and I assume approved by our lot in charge.
It looks like something one might find in the bdsm section of a sex shop, I’m assured that it’s no prank but the genuine kit our team will be wearing during the upcoming 7s series (and is set to debut at the Gold Coast Sevens in Australia at the end of the month.)
One news report (the reader’s comments are hilarious) has the following tweets –
“Are the @blitzbokke sponsored by a brand of adult nappies this season?”
and
“The Blitzbokke were accused of trying to give Superman a run for his money.”
My local daily has a poll on what we think of the kit . Continue reading “Springbok 7s kit 2011/12”
Who are these boofheads running the IRB?
As all you Rugby types will already know, Les Bleus have been fined for linking arms and walking towards the Kiwis while they were doing their nuts – sorry, doing the Haka. Makes a change from the French running for cover and eating cheese. I wouldn’t have known about this, had not the Brisbane Times article caught my eye (click on the piccie to read it). You’ll find that 98% of the Aussies reading it – some 8,300 – think that they shouldn’t have been fined, and the comments indicate that it’s time New Zealand grew up and stopped enforcing unfair rules on other teams.
Ban the Haka!
The finals weekend is upon us.
Lots of ups and downs, The Boks were dismissed early, The Irish looked as though they could go all the way, The English, well what can one add about the English, crucified by their press for perhaps not much more than most of us have done on tour.
The Argies were magnificent and fought above their weight once again and Scotland, well what can one say, I blame the bagpipe ban!
So, onto the bronze medal match tomorrow and then the final on Sunday….
Australia 21 – Wales 22
New Zealand 29 – France 9
Theses aren’t my predictions but would you believe Continue reading “RWC – finals weekend”
As you know, Boadicea and I know next to nothing about Rugby Union, but when I found that the Wales-France match was on free-to-air, live, we had to watch it.
They had their chances, didn’t they?
We both thought that Wales had got the conversion after their try, but obviously they didn’t. Perhaps someone can explain why? It seemed to go between the two bits of wood and over the other bit, but perhaps our eyesight’s failing. Update after reading the sports journos – Ah! I now understand that the ball hit one of the bits of wood, so it doesn’t count.
Great shame, the crowd would have gone wild if they’d won. 😥
Boadicea's Chariot 
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