School Yard Fracas In Cardiff (From Bucks Free Press)

School Yard Fracas In Cardiff

3:31pm Tuesday 25th November 2008

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As far as some of the perks in rugby goes, my latest outing ranked right up there.

Out injured for a couple more weeks yet, I was invited on Saturday to go down to Cardiff to watch Wales play the All Blacks at the Millenium Stadium.

It was the first time id actually seen the All Blacks play live so was looking forward to it – not to mention the free ‘light’ beer and the ‘all you can eat salad buffet’ as well...

Cardiff is a fantastic place to watch and play footy, and I have some great memories of the place in the past.

My first experience was way back in 1999 when I was part of the NZ U19 team playing in the U19 World Cup. I remember we were staying in Newport and thinking it was the flashiest place I had ever been to.

The reason for this somewhat skewed thinking was probably because it was my first trip overseas and my home town in NZ was commonly referred to as: “Dannevirke – Where the Men are Men and the Sheep are Nervous”

Anyway since living over here, I have since been back to stay in Newport to play the Gwent Dragons. I now realise that the rose tinted glasses I had back on in those youthful days, where in fact rose tinted glasses suitable for a blind man.

The definite highlight of Newport though, was the McDonalds located opposite our hotel which management swiftly found out about and curtailed with military like precision.

Daring raids however by the tubbier members of our squad ultimately outfoxed the sentries and we had our way with the Big Mac’s and sundaes.

Anyway I digress; the Millennium Stadium pre match was pretty hair raising stuff.

To their credit the Welsh lads didn’t back down to the AB’s haka and it turned into an intense prolonged stalemate.

The crowd was going absolutely bananas, so much so that I thought the Welsh fan in front of me was about to relieve himself in his trousers. It reminded me of the time when at High School, I had a 10 minute standoff with 2 brothers who wanted to fight me.

The baying crowd was out for blood, but by the time we went to come to blows, the teacher (like Jonathan Kaplan on Saturday) broke it up and sent everyone to their respective corners.

Bizarrely on my way home after school, the creepy brothers pointed me out to their mother who was picking them up, who then slapped me across my face with her handbag.

Even Tana Umaga (who had to do the same thing to my ex Wellington team mate Chris Masoe) couldn’t hold a candle to the force and technique of this over- protective old bat.

So, the game itself, especially in the first half was great.

The Welshies threw everything at the All Blacks and looked good. But in the end it was the finishing of the tourists that won it.

It was great night though and Cardiff certainly lived up to it’s reputation as a party city, with the only disappointment being when I dropped my Fillet o Fish in the doorway coming out of McDonalds.

You would have thought I had dropped a newly bought diamond engagement ring upon asking my bride-to-be to marry me – such was my utter distress.

Anyway till next time Joe