We had a family outing yesterday.
Husband, Older Son (plus friends), Younger Son, Son-in-Law, Uncle and I went to the fabulous Millenniun Stadium in Cardiff to see Wales play the Australians at rugby. (You'll remember that our local team beat the Australians earlier in the week; I thought I should just mention that.)
Cardiff centre was closed down to traffic and was swarming instead with rugby fans - mostly Welsh but with the odd (very) Aussie in between. The pubs were doing very good business and everyone was in a jolly mood.
It's interesting to note that the Stadium is allowed to sell beer when there is a rugby match on but it is against the law to sell alcohol in or in sight of a stadium where a football match is happening. Rugby fans are just so much more amiable. Maybe the legitimate violence on the pitch releases them from any feeling that they have to defend their 'side'. Anyway it's a fantastic atmosphere and the singing is brilliant.
Classical singer Katherine Jenkins was recording a live version of the old Tom Jones' hit, The Green Green Grass of Home, in aid of cancer chairities and the crowd was encouraged to join in with the chorus.
So if you happen to hear the song on the radio, and you notice a squeaky tuneless voice out of the 74,000 joining in with 'The Green Green Grass of Home', then you'll know that's me. Though if the sound engineers are worth their pay, they'll edit me out!
So, the game.
After about fifteen minutes someone must have told the Welsh team what they were supposed to be doing there and they started to play rugby. It was an exciting, back-and-for sort of game, with the Aussies looking ready to break at any moment and it was mistakes on both sides that opened it up.
I was hoping to be able to post a photo of Martyn Williams just after he scored a try (I was way too excited, jumping up and down and screaming, to take it as it happened) but the camera didn't work. (Note I say the camera didn't work; it can't have been the photographer.)
The final result was 29 - 29. A fair score overall, with both sides having something to build on for the rest of the autumn series, the Six Nations in the Spring and the World Cup next Autumn.
This is a very restrained post. I should have written it yesterday!
2 comments:
Liz, sounds like a match that I would have enjoyed watching. And a tie at that. Good for the home town.
Nice to end in a tie. Never would happen in an American sport. We like to end our games in "sudden death." Charming, isn't it? A tie sounds so refreshing!
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