Wales Pasta Test

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Captain’s Run for the Welsh team at the Millennium Stadium on the Friday before the Italy match. This was a new experience for me and we watched the players go through their pre-match routines from close quarters. The thing that was striking was just how serious the players and coaches were. There were not many smiles or laughs as the team completed their work and somehow you did not sense any buzz of excitement. The players then mixed with the fans for autographs and pictures and they were patient and obliging with nothing too much trouble. These guys take all their responsibilities seriously.

On the Saturday I went to the match and I guess that the feeling that I had got the day before was carried over. The players didn’t really have a buzz and were there to do a job. This was somehow quickly picked up by the crowd and created a somewhat flat atmosphere. From the moment Cuthbert scored the opening try, you never felt that Wales were going to lose despite the best efforts of the Italians who managed to close the gap to 5 points at one stage in the second half. The Italian defence was strong and well organised and Wales were a little careless at times in attack so they only managed one more try when Roberts broke a tackle to put Williams in. I hope that they were holding back some of their strike moves for later in the campaign because the Italians seemed to have little problem in stifling an unimaginative series of attacks from Wales. Still it’s a win and so on to a far more demanding encounter in Dublin next weekend.

The Irish took a while to get going against the Scots before running out comfortable winners. They don’t really seem to have too many weaknesses and look particularly strong at set piece and breakdown where we struggled a bit against the Italians. A win there is going to require a monumental effort from Wales and I would think that the Irish start as favourites. I am heartily fed up with the resurrection of O’Driscoll-gate and the way the BBC Wales talk about “the media” stoking it up as if they are not part of the media themselves. I sincerely hope that when I take my seat in the Aviva Stadium next Saturday I am not sitting next to O’Driscoll’s fourth cousin three times removed.

So to England and the best moment of the weekend. It was with great glee that I watched the French score the winning try late in the game to take the wheels off the chariot. Truly a champagne moment. For most of the middle part of the game the English were on top and I was dreading reading the Sunday papers. We can all breathe a sigh of relief - England can’t win the grand slam. The guys working in the MBE factory can take it easy! Nevertheless, I think they showed enough to make them favourites for the title as they play Ireland and Wales at home.

I watched the first instalment of inside Welsh Club Rugby and was impressed. Follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWRTV The challenge will be to keep it going and keep it fresh but it’s an excellent start. I don’t want to think about the regional mess anymore but another deadline seems to have passed.

I’m looking forward to the Irish trip. I wonder how much a pint of Guinness is these days.