Sunday 14 October 2007

The biggest Rugby plastic celebrated last night.


If I am to be totally honest, apart from the World Cup, Rugby and Cricket leaves me pretty cold, although last night was a triumph for honesty, sportsmanship and real courage. Rugby is a brutal game and along with Boxing is the closest to a Gladiatorial contest without using the sword. American football with its customary body armour reminds me of Rollarball, where you can take out a player even though he hasn't got the ball.
This is the beauty of Football you don't have to be muscle bound to be good at it. You will not see anyone the size of an Owen or Shaun Wright-Phillips on any senior Rugby field. My Tennis Club shares its facilities with a Rugby Club and I'm yet to see any weedy player about to do battle on the field. Even the shorties are built like brick houses and I wouldn't want to mess with them. When I was younger and playing football our club was affiliated to Beckenhan Rugby Club and annually there was a Six a side Rugby tournament and one particular year we were invited to enter a team. Being well over six feet I was one of the chosen six and the first match was against Beckenham's first team . In the first minute, by some fluke we managed to get the ball which was passed on to me to run as fast as I could to score a try and amazingly convert. When I did get the ball I think I broke the 100 metre record as I have never been so shit scared. Having scored a try, the opposition went ballistic and the next time I received the ball I couldn't walk for a week as I was clattered from all angles. Scared the life out of me and a few years later I was quite relieved when my son decided Rugby was not for him. All sport is wonderful apart from darts, for fitness, so I am not knocking Rugby, but there are several serious injuries every year on the field, normally involving a collapsed scrum, resulting in broken necks.
Watching Rugby and Boxing does bring out that animal survival instinct, which I suppose is why the human race is still around.
Bring on the final I cant wait.

Scotland 3 Ukraine 1

England's match was incredibly boring, so it was a delight to switch over and watch a very passionate Scotland beat a talented Ukraine team.
My dream would be to for Scotland and England to reach the Euro finals.

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