Paris

Paris is the one city that i was visiting that i know fairly well. Given its so easy to get to and the regular rugby opportunities (RWC 2007 - how did we get to the final with such a poor team?!?* and Six Nation thrashings) i have been there quite a bit. As such these couple of days have been more about:

- seeing some familiar sites (Lourve, Jardin du Luxembourg - my favourite park in Paris);
- just walking around taking in the Parisien way of life;
- and seeing some new sites - i had not been for example to the Jardin des Plantes which is part of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle.

Pictures here.

*That tournament cost me a packet. I had been lucky enough to get to the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Given England's form going into that event, i was confident enough just to book the quarter finals onwards - with some confidence that i would see England in more than one match (ok half time against the Welsh in the quarter final was a bit touch and go but we got through didn't we!) Going into the 2007 event, i had managed to book a "Follow England" package which got me tickets basicaly for as long as England played in the event. But to be honest i thought they would struggle and only booked travel and hotel options for the pool games. As things progressed i ended up trying to book trains/hotel at the last minute (the day after each time England won to get through to the next stage ) which was a bit expensive. It ended up costing me more than my three week trip to Australia in 2003. And we ended up losing the final in 2007!

Flashback - are the aussies coming?

Brisbane

Lions tour 2001.

First Test

Walking to stadium.

Hundreds of lions supporters, all in colours (the red used by the combined nations - well the welsh would complain if it was any colour other than red). A sea of red, presumably the aussies must get to the ground early to sample the atmosphere??

But no. Not only was the ground full of lions supporters but the aussies were camouflaged (in later matches they would be given gold flags and tops to try and match the invaders - but never got close).

With Jason Robinson scoring a try in the corner in front of us, and the Lions winning with some ease, you could see why they stayed away. Later we were told that Brisbane was a rugby league area, not union. Probably true but a good excuse after the result.

Flashback - my first test match memory

1981.

The Oval.

Botham's ashes.

As a schoolboy i had watched the test series on TV. Botham's hitting, the bollowing of Willis, all inspired by Graham Dilley taking the initiative with the bat.

I went to the oval test match. Memories of uncomfortable seating (benches), Lamb going down the wicket to the Aussie fast bowlers and Dirk Wellham. In the second innings Wellham scored a century but seemed to take an age in the nervous nineties. The home crowd soon got on his back and suddenly he could not get the ball off the square. Memories play tricks on you but it seemed like it took him ages to get to three figures but eventually he did.

First real memories of test cricket - an England Test Series victory - what a cruel world, to set such expectation in a young man, was it to contunue this way.............