Day two.Slept very well and as I prepared to drive the van out to Hamilton for Sunday's Wales v Samoa match, the Irish were still up at 6am and in full voice, despite standing out in the teeming rain. The discarded booze boxes confirmed my assumptions about what was fueling their melodies. Good place for an Anglo-Australian to leave
The guard on the gate who was a Cornishman and former merchant sailor who had experienced celtic morning after fervour in many ports of the world, agreed with me and shared his secret short cut to the South bound motorway(yes they call them that here-no Americanisation of road names).
Hamilton,a sort of mini-Canberra type admin centre for a rich agricultural region. I have fond memories of the excellent Iguana bar and am sitting outside under the awning, writing this posting as the rain pours down and I ask passing dragon sporting Welsh followers how they are enjoying weather from the "Valleys". Unlike the Irish they are at least mature and mostly my vintage but spunky with it(especially the silver-haired ladies)-obviously spending their kid's inheritance.Cymru am Byth!
There is much local anticipation of Samoan power meeting Welsh guile-but I fear this weather may remind the Welsh of how their fathers used to win "very ugly" at Cardiff Arms Park, where the mud and rain made holding the ball nigh impossible and Cliff Morgan, wearing the only clean white shorts on the field, kicked for touch all afternoon(much restricted by contemporary rules) and converted the penalties by a Neanderthal pack straight out of the steel mills and coal mines(sans-teeth and bloodied as a badges of honour)
Rex and his mate from Paris, who put me on to Vaughantown language school, in Spain,will be joining me soon.
I am entertained by a passing convoy of Samoan flag wavers and, can you believe it, a tribe of sombrero wearing and maracca shaking "Mexicans" have just entered Iguana.
It's as well we have a table booked for after the game. Will we be eating Leeks or slow cooked Welsh missionaries??
Meanwhile, a Welsh Dragon and Druid have walked past arm in arm followed by the Alice Springs Rugby Team??? Yes, think about it-playing rugby in central Australia. They were suitably rude in response to my questions about the possibility of this.
EVEN MATCH COVERAGE IN THE URINAL-THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS INDEED
The stadium walk was a little taxing for my crook knee but inside I did not need to climb lots of stairs. Very different crowd atmosphere compared with the brash tribalism of Auckland. Very festive with both team's supporters showing respect to each other.
SAMOAN STYLE HAKA CHALLENGE
Samoan singing and dancing preceded the game followed by a warrior blowing what I presume is a war horn. The anthems were sung with fervour and exceptionally so by a middle-aged Welsh baritone whose voice soared above the crowd such that he was applauded.
The game was better than Friday night's but disappointing in that Samoan expansive rugby was defeated by their lack of discipline and structure. The Northern Irishman who managed the Aus v Italy game blew his whistle incessantly and hence reduced much of the scoring to a competiton of kicking artillery prowess.
Welsh attack and scores came mostly from Samoan errors.
It was not easy to get out of a stadium never intended to accommodate such a crowd and again the outside marshalls had no idea how to organise a crowd and the fleets of cars and buses trying to get away. Fortunately, the crowd was very relaxed and affable and there were no incidents of anger or impatience.
Dinner at the Iguana was as good as I remembered but I was disappointed to hear that the kilo of green-lipped mussels had sold out.The journey to Raglan was spiced by being pulled over by the local cops-I had changed lanes suddenly on a roundabout and cut off a patrol car. Once the cop ascertained I had not been drinking he was friendly and full of Rugby chat and rival jibes-if you're not for the Blacks you should not exist.
Reached Raglan by 9pm and having secured my berth in the campsite I just had time to enjoy a pint in the pub with a raucous anti-french crowd cheering on The canadians who played very well and certainly put more than one dent in La Gloire. Brief chat with an older(than me) couple who were in town for a brother's funeral-there is life and death apart from RUGBY!!!
WELSH DRUIDS SEND TRIUMPHAL RAINBOW
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