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The kiwi boys are alright
As with any winter weekend at home, there is a feast of rugby here with the last round of pool play in the Heineken Cup, the six nations’ equivalent of the Super 14, and it seems as familiar as Super 14 with what appears to be half of New Zealand's professional players here. Martin and I headed off on Saturday to watch the Harlequins match against the Scarletts, one of the Welsh franchises. The twenty-five quid each to get in was steep by comparison to home, particularly with no big screens and no ground clock, however the grounds are small and stands close to the action which is great for atmosphere. The last time I was at the Stoop, the home ground of the Harlequins opposite the massive Twickenham stadium, Zinzan Brooke was playing, or at least resting on the back of rucks and mauls looking every bit like a man on his way to retirement. On this occasion it is a whole lot more competitive, Nick Evans was at fullback for the "mighty quinns" and still in dazzling form following his naming as Etihad Airways player of the month in December. Reagan King was at inside centre for the Scarletts, scoring an excellent try.
Back home, we watched the very classy Luke McAllister for Sale over Clermont, one of the French clubs, and then the Ospreys with Marty Holah, Filo TiaTia (with his 38th birthday coming up and still playing like a man possessed) and, briefly, Jamie Nutbrown win against Leicester, with Scott Hamilton on the wing. Leicester's other Cantabrian, Aaron Mauger was out with injury.
Today, Munster, with Doug Howlett, and Rua Tipoki, played Montauban with Shannon Paku. It had been our intention to watch the match in the comfort of a Munster supporters’ pub, or even off the couch, but we were sidetracked by Anousheh's generaous diversion to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Home too late for Munster we watched the second half of Bath, with Joe Maddock on the wing, drawing 3 all with Toulouse with Byron Kelleher at scrum half, in an absolute mud bath.
The only blemish on the weekend’s sporting activities, the cancellation of the most important match, that of Ali Moodie’s Ealing Trailfinders, due to adverse ground conditions.