I am beginning to wonder whether this rugby season
will ever end. Of course, for those of us who support the community teams the
season never began but for the professionals we have reached mid-June and with
temperatures soaring the players are still flogging their guts out. It seems an
age since Wales were crowned Six Nations Champions
I have never got to grips with the Rainbow Cup at all
and have only watched snatches of matches here and there. Suffice it to say the
Welsh regions have not covered themselves in glory. It appears that somehow the
Italians of Benetton have contrived to get into the final and will play the
Bulls from South Africa in Rovigo. The pandemic has played a major part in all this
I am sure but let us hope that Benetton put up a good show against their powerful
opponents.
I have, however, been watching the English Premiership
fixtures. There has been some fabulous rugby played at times by Bristol and the
Harlequins in particular. I am glad that they both ended up in the play-offs
which will be played over the next couple of weekends – taking us perilously
close to July! The other two teams left in the shake-up Sale and Exeter are
heavily reliant on their power game and I guess one of them will probably
prevail in the end. The do play each other in a semi-final which I am sure will
not be for the faint hearted if yesterday’s encounter is anything to go by.
Sale could easily change their name from Sharks to Springboks as they do
include a vast number of South African players in their ranks.
As the English Premiership grinds to an end, our eyes
turn to the British and Irish Lions and their tour to South Africa. We seemed
to have weeks of everyone and their uncle picking their squad for the tour in
the social media. Not many got it right that is for sure when the people who really
matter announced what was actually going to happen. I for one was glad that
there was a strong Scottish contingent which reflects how they have improved
over the last couple of seasons.
Now, of course, everyone is busily engaged in picking
their test team. I think I will leave that to Warren Gatland and co. I guess it
is a way to fill column inches and occupy spare time. I cannot say that I have
been gripped by the prospect of the tour yet. Maybe that will change over the
next couple of weeks. Maybe I have just fallen out of love with rugby. Maybe I
just need a dose of the Pooler vaccine. I am sure I will come round eventually.
Talking of Pooler, it is great to see how well
Pontypool Park has been refurbished. It really is looking a picture and I can’t
wait to get back there. I have tried to get enthused by the “rugby-lite” that
the WRU have put forward for the community game over the coming months. The law
changes being implemented are wide-ranging so I only got halfway down the list
before I decided, like anything with “lite” attached, it was not going to be as
satisfying as the real thing. There would also not be any spectators anyway and
then there would then be a long break taking us up to the New Year. I understand
that Pontypool have decided not to participate and will wait for “real rugby”,
as we used to call it in school, to begin in early 2022. I think that it is the
right decision.
There is no doubt that the last eighteen months has
been extremely frustrating as a Pontypool fan with the bread and butter removed
from my rugby diet. Not being able to watch the Wales games in the flesh has
also been a bind but at least Wales turned their fortunes around to win the Six
Nations Championship.
I do watch football and did agonise yesterday with the
Welsh team as they managed to hold on to a draw against Switzerland it stifling
heat in Baku. Well done boys for hanging in there. The tragic events
surrounding Christian Eriksen in the match that followed between Denmark and
Finland brought sport into perspective and I wish him a speedy and full
recovery.
I have just re-read this and on second thoughts I am
looking forward to the Lions’ tour after all.
Come on Lions!
