Shows What I Know

I love the game of Rugby, I used to play, in the front row, not as a way of reinforcing my masculinity but because I loved playing, I enjoyed the physicality of it, the grace of the runners, the commitment of the tacklers, the camaraderie of the team, and the boozy evenings afterwards.   Since giving up playing around 15 years ago I have been watching the game a lot more, i actually think i understand the whole of the game better now than I did when I was playing.   in some of the circles I move in I am even considered to be a bit of an expert, at the beginning of this years Six Nations, my considered opinion was that the championship would be between France and Ireland.   France had an excellent Autumn against Southern Hemisphere opponents and Ireland have such mercurial talent in depth.   Wales had been struggling for form and England were young and inexperienced.   Scotland Italy would be competing for the wooden spoon again.

Today we had the last matches of the championship, and the table ended up like this

RBS 6 Nations Championship

	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Points
1	Wales	5	4	0	1	122	66	8
2	England	5	4	0	1	94	78	8
3	Scotland	5	2	0	3	98	107	4
4	Italy	5	2	0	3	75	111	4
5	Ireland	5	1	1	3	72	81	3
6	France	5	1	1	3	73	91	3

Today Wales played England, for the top place and France were playing Scotland, desperate to avoid that last spot, eve though France won the game it was not enough to put them above an Ireland team which had earlier lost to Italy.   As somebody once said "It's a funny old game".  

As an England supporter I was a bit disappointed in the end as England had a good chance not only to win the championship but also an elusive Grand Slam, as it happened a much more experienced Wales side won the forward battle an set up a remarkable win.   As a Rugby supporter it was a great championship, the young England team are coming of age, they are not the finished article but are a lot closer now, and should be very strong for the 2015 World Cup.   Wales have found the form that eluded them all summer and autumn,   Scotland and Italy won some games and the French are as crazy as ever, and on occasion the weather and the pitches played their parts as well.

I mentioned here the importance of having something to look forward to, well I have been asked to play with the LGSW at an event on the 6th April, I will have to see how the family situation is by then but it would be nice to play at this event, it sounds like fun, and cake!