Archive for 22/10/2007

October 21st - Entente cordiale

We watched the Rugby World Cup Final in our local auberge over pizza and beer. After much deliberation, we decided to wear our England rugby shirts. Though you will be glad to hear they are the retro type with a collar, not the new skin-tight style worn by the current team. John and I just don’t have the required muscle-tone - probably something to do with the pizza and beer!

Despite France’s loss to England last weekend, our choice of attire went down well with Gerard, the patron. He pinched John’s arm and laughed that if England won, they should swap maillots. We were joined by 4 other English fans, and together with the French (and a couple of Italian) customers we all cheered the team on, and groaned as our only try was disallowed and Jonny Wilkinson missed three drop goal attempts.

In the event, England were beaten by South Africa 6 : 15. No great surprise there then. Actually, that’s unfair. Following their 0 : 36 defeat by South Africa in the group stages, no one expected them to make it to the quarter-finals. No team has ever successfully defended a Rugby World Cup win, so to have come so painfully close was nothing short of a miracle. You have to wonder about post-apartheid South Africa, when a national squad of 47 includes just 7 black players. Whatever. They played fantastically throughout the competition and thoroughly deserved their win.

To the amazement (some might say horror) of the assembled customers and staff, Gerard and John decided to swap shirts anyway - revealing, as they did so, a hideous acreage of relaxed stomach between them. No disrespect to the guy, but Gerard has a rather larger girth than John. One couldn’t help but notice that the England shirt was a little on the small side, but he was delighted. The design was always intended to make the English players look slim and muscular. Running his thumbs down the red side panels, Gerard puffed out his chest and declared, “Voyez, je suis svelte!”

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