WE WUZ THERE
THE WHOLE COMPETITION HAS BEEN A GREAT ADVERTISEMENT FOR OUR GAME OF RUGBY AND THE FINAL WEEKEND IN PARIS WAS NO DIFFERENT!!!THE WEATHER WAS MARVELLOUS .. THE STRIKE HARDLY AFFECTED US..THE CROWDS WERE OVERWHELMING WITH NOT A SIGN OF BOTHER ANYWHERE AT ALL. SUPPORTERS OF ALL NATIONS , PROUDLY DISPLAYING THEIR COLOURS, SANG , DRANK, DEBATED ,ARGUED AND FORECAST IN THE FRIENDLIEST OF WAYS POSSIBLE.AT THE END OF IT ALL THEY SHOOK HANDS , WISHED EACH OTHER GOOD LUCK AND WENT ON THEIR WAY.IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
Arriving on Friday it did not take us long to get into the spirit of the whole event as, not surprisingly, we headed towards the tower area .A giant ,suspended rugby ball graced the interior of the structure and not far away an even bigger rugby ball was advertising the next rugby world cup competition to take place in the land of the All Blacks.
HUGE CROWDS MILLED ABOUT TAKING IN THE SIGHTS AS THEY WAITED FOR THE EVENTS TO BEGIN AND THEN OUR LITTLE QUARTET HEADED TOWARDS THE BUILDING IN THE DISTANCE . AT FIRST IT WAS JUST ANOTHER OF THE CITY'S MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURES TO ADMIRE BUT AS WE APPROACHED WE DISCOVERED SOMETHING ELSE. A THRONG OF SUPPORTERS WERE ENTERING THE WHITE STRUCTURE FROM WHICH THE SOUNDS OF A LIVELY PARTY WERE EMANATING. SINCE A SIGN SAID.."ENTRY FREE " WHO WERE WE TO IGNORE THE INVITATION!!
INSIDE A HEAVING MASS OF SUPPORTERS , MOSTLY SOUTH AFRICAN WERE ENJOYING THE HEINEKEN, THE BANTER AND THE TV REPLAYS ON A LARGE SCREEN.
IT WAS HERE WE SPOTTED OUR FIRST CUMBRIAN AND A RUGBY CELEBRITY,BRIAN MOORE , HOLDING COURT IN THE DISTANCE.
THE ASSEMBLY SPREAD OUTSIDE WHERE THE CROWDS WERE EQUALLY MASSED . A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL BEFORE, MANY EUROS DOWN AND HOURS RUNNING OUT ,WE HEADED TO THE HOTEL.
SUITABLY RESTED , THE EMPHASIS ON SATURDAY WAS TO GET TO THE STADIUM IN GOOD TIME TO SAVOUR THE ATMOSPHERE .
THERE WAS A LOT TO TAKE IN OF THIS MAGNIFICENT STADIUM AND, AT LEISURE , WE DID JUST THAT.
IT WAS SOON A HEAVING MASS OF COLOUR WITH SEVERAL OF THE OTHER NATIONALITIES REPRESENTED DESPITE THEIR EARLY RETIREMENT FROM THE COMPETITION. THERE WERE EVEN TICKETS TO BE HAD BUT AT WHAT PRICE WE DID NOT ENQUIRE. WE HAD OURS .THAT'S WHAT MATTERED. FANS OF ALL SIZES , SHAPES , COLOURS AND ORIGINS MADE AN APPEARANCE LIVING LIFE AND THE OCCASION TO THE FULL.
FAMILIES HAD DRESSED UP IN ALL SORTS OF GEAR BUT THE RED &WHITE WAS PROMINENT!!
EVEN KING RICHARD'S CRUSADERS WERE THERE!!!
BRASS BAND MUSIC RESOUNDED AS THE LAGER MADE MANY FORGOT THEIR INHIBITIONS FOR THE DAY.
ONE ENGLISHMAN SEEMED PARTICULARLY HAPPY TO FRATERNISE WHILE 2 CHABAL LOOK ALIKES GAVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND I HOPED THEY DIDN'T MEET THE REAL THING .
SOME SEEMED JUST CONTENT TO CUDDLE THEIR MASCOTS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST !
AT LAST 7 PM APPROACHED , THE GATES WERE OPENED AND IN WE WENT TAKE OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE ARENA.
EVEN EMPTY IT WAS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD!!!!
UNDER THE FLOODLIGHTS THE PLAYERS WERE SOON WARMING UP AND WITH THE HELP OF BINOCULARS WE SOON SPOTTED OUR HEROES. JOHNNY WAS PUTTING THE BALL BETWEEN THE STICKS ..ANDY WAS FLINGING LONG PASSES OUT AND MARTIN WAS LEAPING HIGH IN THE LINE OUT.
THE STADIUM SOON FILLED UP AND THERE WAS EXCITEMENT NEARBY AS KING RICHARD'S MEN APPEARED IN FULL ARMOUR READY FOR BATTLE.
AS KICK OFF APPROACHED THE TERRACES WERE PACKED .
THE BANDS MEN APPEARED AND THE SCENE WAS SET.THE PLAYERS EMERGED TO TREMENDOUS CHEERS AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEMS WERE SUNG WITH GREAT GUSTO. THE PLAYERS WERE OBVIOUSLY KEEN TO GET ON WITH THE CONTEST AS THEY LINED UP FOR KICK OFF EVEN AS THE BANDSMEN EXITED THE PITCH.
FROM THAT POINT ON MY CAMERA WAS HIDDEN AWAY AS WE ALL CHEERED , SANG ,SHOUTED AT THE REF'S DECISIONS AND JUMPED AROUND WITH EXCITEMENT AS TACKLES WENT IN AND BREAKS WERE MADE.
THEN IT ALL ENDED AND THIS IMAGE TELLS IT ALL AS THE BOKS RAISE THEIR HANDS IN VICTORY!
IT WAS NOT TO BE THIS TIME AND IT WAS HARDLY THE TYPE OF MATCH TO GRACE SUCH A FINAL . THERE IS MUCH WE CAN SAY ABOUT THE TEAM'S TACTICS BUT THEY PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT ONCE AGAIN , WERE NOT HUMBLED , CAME CLOSEST TO CROSSING THE LINE AND DID US PROUD.