That Rugby Business!

Well, Scotland beat Italy 26-6 yesterday and I thought the game was rather oddly balanced. The Italians fought bravely, but the level of rugby to which most of the team is accustomed, meant they really had little chance. But they were brave indeed. In fact, the whole thing was rather fumbled, and reminded me of a toddler's party where Pass the Parcel degenerates into unforced errors and the "passers" keep dropping the said parcel - or ball in this instance. So it was not a great rugby experience, I would have to say. Anyone unfamiliar with the teams would have been forgiven for getting muddled; one Italian player was called McLean, a Scots name if every there was one, and another delighted in the name of Griffin, again Scots-Irish. But if your grandparents hail from your national side, then off you go and play for it. I had hopes of a better battle from the Ireland/England match in Dublin, which followed.

Ireland won by 14-13, and to tell you the truth, I was rather disappointed by the performance all round. Had it not been for captain Brian O'Driscoll's great drop goal and try, it might have been a sad day for the wearing of the green. For some reason, kicker Ronan O'Garra seemed to get the urge to kick at the most inappropriate moments and then when he was in position to kick for penalty points, he missed a few, poor lad. Despite O'Driscoll having been rendered dazed and dopey by injury, he played on and gathered the troops, so the second half was exciting. I confess to finishing another chapter of my book and peeling potatoes during the first half. England were very naughty and got sin-binned with yellow cards.

Now Ireland stands a chance of winning the Grand Slam, but I hope they gets their heads sorted and connected to their feet and hands in time for the next foray. They are a great team and a joy to watch, particularly disciplined and brave. So go for it boys, I want to see a better score and more intelligent play next time. Don't let me down.