73 posts on this blog, plus a few fiddles around with the Itinerary and links and stuff. That’s enough and this is the last post. I had a lot of fun doing it, and I know many people enjoyed it. It took a lot of time, more than I thought, but it was worth it.
When I was young, my parents had a boat on the Thames, a 4 berth cabin cruiser. Two, actually, one a half-share in a 23ft Freeman called SAREB, then all of a 26ft one called SHUMWARI. We used to spend weekends, weeks, and the occasional fortnight tootling up and down between Marlow and Lechlade. Mummy and Daddy even took SHUMWARI down to London and moored her by Putney Bridge when my Daddy had to cancel a holiday and work. I took some mates out as well, when I was older, and some girlfriends. My Daddy kept a log, a ship’s log, for all these trips, and so did I. This much petrol bought there, water refilled here, lunch at this pub, dinner and darts at that one, baby coots here, barbecues there. Always the locks passed through, moorings made and left. Random trivial notes that bring back those times to me whenever I read them.
I still have those logs. This is another one.
Friday 23 July 2010
Thursday 22 July 2010
GRAEME’S RUGBY ROUND UP
We played eight games. We won four and we lost four, we scored 195 points and we conceded 187. We scored at least one try in each game. We suffered no yellow cards and had, I think, just one warning as to conduct, under severe provocation. Six different captains led our sides, and six different vice captains supported them. Every player played on a winning side.
Each club or school or RFU we played beat us and lost to us.
• Mixed Maids sides won 20-7 and lost 36-16 to Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club XVs.
• Mixed Maids sides won 72-7 and lost 19-13 to St Brendan’s College XVs.
The opposition in these games were drawn from a mixture of U15s to U17s, we were told.
• Maids U16As lost to Universitario de Rosario U17s 26-19, and beat Uruguay U17s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 16-12.
• Maids U16Bs beat Universitario de Rosario U16s 31-29 and lost to Uruguay U16s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 51-8.
No-one, not even the enormous Rosario U17s, dominated our scrummage for a full match. Argentina may pride themselves on the mele ordenada but we held them, pushed them back and outlasted their stamina. We were however outplayed at the breakdown most of the time, the opposing forwards faster there and more organised in maul and drive. When we did get this right, which we did just once in a while, we looked good. But we lost the ball in contact too easily, and often played as individuals rather than as a team.
Except for the game against Uruguay U16s, when our players were clearly operating on empty fuel tanks, no-one ran through us. Our defence against both Rosario teams and the Uruguay U17s was simply awesome.
Apart from running riot against the weaker St. Brendan’s team, and a six minute blitz against Rosario U16s, our attacking play was much less effective than in our domestic season. Unfamiliar teamings and over-elaboration limited our impact. St. Brendan’s and BACRC both scored against us just by passing the ball quickly before contact, recycling, and patiently waiting for the gap or overlap to appear. We tried too hard and too often to run that dazzling move, or to make that devastating individual break. These things should be the startling exception, not the routine.
The best rugby we faced, and the best we played, was in Rosario. The international victory in Uruguay was admirable, and our result there a matter of great pride, but the level achieved by both our teams in Rosario was just way above anything in my experience. Every single player who played that day, on a winning side or not, played the game of their life. For the “B team” to beat that opposition, in that manner, was the highlight of my tour.
Necessarily these are broad brush comments, and only my opinion. If you don’t agree, write your own blog. Or buy me a pint and argue with me.
Each club or school or RFU we played beat us and lost to us.
• Mixed Maids sides won 20-7 and lost 36-16 to Buenos Aires Cricket & Rugby Club XVs.
• Mixed Maids sides won 72-7 and lost 19-13 to St Brendan’s College XVs.
The opposition in these games were drawn from a mixture of U15s to U17s, we were told.
• Maids U16As lost to Universitario de Rosario U17s 26-19, and beat Uruguay U17s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 16-12.
• Maids U16Bs beat Universitario de Rosario U16s 31-29 and lost to Uruguay U16s, who played two complete XVs one half each, 51-8.
No-one, not even the enormous Rosario U17s, dominated our scrummage for a full match. Argentina may pride themselves on the mele ordenada but we held them, pushed them back and outlasted their stamina. We were however outplayed at the breakdown most of the time, the opposing forwards faster there and more organised in maul and drive. When we did get this right, which we did just once in a while, we looked good. But we lost the ball in contact too easily, and often played as individuals rather than as a team.
Except for the game against Uruguay U16s, when our players were clearly operating on empty fuel tanks, no-one ran through us. Our defence against both Rosario teams and the Uruguay U17s was simply awesome.
Apart from running riot against the weaker St. Brendan’s team, and a six minute blitz against Rosario U16s, our attacking play was much less effective than in our domestic season. Unfamiliar teamings and over-elaboration limited our impact. St. Brendan’s and BACRC both scored against us just by passing the ball quickly before contact, recycling, and patiently waiting for the gap or overlap to appear. We tried too hard and too often to run that dazzling move, or to make that devastating individual break. These things should be the startling exception, not the routine.
The best rugby we faced, and the best we played, was in Rosario. The international victory in Uruguay was admirable, and our result there a matter of great pride, but the level achieved by both our teams in Rosario was just way above anything in my experience. Every single player who played that day, on a winning side or not, played the game of their life. For the “B team” to beat that opposition, in that manner, was the highlight of my tour.
Necessarily these are broad brush comments, and only my opinion. If you don’t agree, write your own blog. Or buy me a pint and argue with me.
PHOTO ALBUM
We are trying to put together a comprehensive photographic collection from the tour. What we intend to produce is a DVD with all the photos and videos we can gather from all the cameras and camera phones on the trip. Our own Dennis Orchard has agreed to edit and produce this DVD with all the images standardised so that anyone can print or save their own permanent copies up to a holiday snap size.
There will be a small charge for this DVD (proceeds to club funds after direct costs of production, Dennis and Pam are not charging for their time). Note that the stories from the "Billet Book" will be published only on this DVD. If you want to read them, you will need to buy it.
If you want your photos included (and we hope everybody will), please burn them to a CD or a DVD and post it to:
Dennis Orchard,
Studio 627
Linen Hall,
162-168 Regent St
London W1B 5TG
If that's a problem, please phone Pam on 01628 781290 and we'll arrange to download from your memory card or direct from your camera.
If you only have one or two images from a phone or camera, email them to: pam@oriongraphics.co.uk.
Let's get them all in.
GRAEME'S BLOG DAY THIRTEEN
It’s a long flight from BA to Madrid but passed more quickly overnight than it had in daylight on the way out. Madrid to Heathrow was routine.
OMG! The welcome at Heathrow was absolutely overwhelming. What a trip this has been. If you were Heathrow and took any photos, please see the next post and get them to us one way or another.
OMG! The welcome at Heathrow was absolutely overwhelming. What a trip this has been. If you were Heathrow and took any photos, please see the next post and get them to us one way or another.
GRAEME'S BLOG DAY TWELVE
Look, this was a travelling day. None of us were looking forward to it. Check out by 12, shopping and sightseeing until 5, autopilot for 24 hours.
Two things. First the quote of the day, from a plastic bag found in the Mayflower Suites Hotel:
“LUEGO DE USARLAS, ROGAMOS NO TIRARLAS EN EL INODORO. EMPLEE ESTA BOLSA, LA QUE SERA RETIRADA POR PERSONAL FEMENINO PARA SU INCINERACION.
PLEASE, DON'T USE THE WATER CLOSET. USE THIS BAG. MAIDS WILL TAKE THEM OFF TO BE BURNED.”
Go MAIDS! Vamos PERSONAL FEMENINO!
Sorry, I know it is schoolboy humour but so what? It adds to my collection:
France (Rodez): “Allez les Mademoiselles!”
Swedish (Pingvins): “Kor Jungfrus!”
Otherwise, it would probably have to be “Vamos Chicas!” and I think we need to reserve that phrase.
The other thing: If you get bored in Buenos Aires, you are just not paying attention.
Two things. First the quote of the day, from a plastic bag found in the Mayflower Suites Hotel:
“LUEGO DE USARLAS, ROGAMOS NO TIRARLAS EN EL INODORO. EMPLEE ESTA BOLSA, LA QUE SERA RETIRADA POR PERSONAL FEMENINO PARA SU INCINERACION.
PLEASE, DON'T USE THE WATER CLOSET. USE THIS BAG. MAIDS WILL TAKE THEM OFF TO BE BURNED.”
Go MAIDS! Vamos PERSONAL FEMENINO!
Sorry, I know it is schoolboy humour but so what? It adds to my collection:
France (Rodez): “Allez les Mademoiselles!”
Swedish (Pingvins): “Kor Jungfrus!”
Otherwise, it would probably have to be “Vamos Chicas!” and I think we need to reserve that phrase.
The other thing: If you get bored in Buenos Aires, you are just not paying attention.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
NEWS UPDATE
Final amendments to the Tour Itinerary have been made, an important change to the day ten blog, and day eleven is now published. The final two match reports are up.
There will be a brief day twelve/thirteen blog and there will be a couple of other items over the next week or so. Check back Sunday latest. After that I am going to wrap it up.
In the meantime may I just thank everyone for the kind things they have said about this blog. I have been really touched. I did it because I wanted to and have enjoyed it immensely, and because I can imagine what it would have been like to be unable to join the tour in person. All of you were involved - they also serve who only wash the kit, pay the subs, drive from place to place, buy the boots, pack the bags and check for gumshields at the last minute. And put up with the endless conversations about rugby. Thanks for reading.
There will be a brief day twelve/thirteen blog and there will be a couple of other items over the next week or so. Check back Sunday latest. After that I am going to wrap it up.
In the meantime may I just thank everyone for the kind things they have said about this blog. I have been really touched. I did it because I wanted to and have enjoyed it immensely, and because I can imagine what it would have been like to be unable to join the tour in person. All of you were involved - they also serve who only wash the kit, pay the subs, drive from place to place, buy the boots, pack the bags and check for gumshields at the last minute. And put up with the endless conversations about rugby. Thanks for reading.
GRAEME'S BLOG DAY ELEVEN
Rain! For the first time the tourists woke up to the wet stuff. And not just a drizzle but a showy, blowy storm. Gusting wind whipped whitecaps of the Atlantic and traffic splashed through big puddles on the Ramblas. What a relief that this sort of weather had held off until the rugby programme was complete. Although it has been cold, especially at St. Brendan's, it has been dry and bright. The pitches have been firm and dry, except for areas at BACRC. We have been so lucky.
Some hardy souls had ventured out to see what Montevideo offered on a wet Sunday morning. Sadly we have not really had time to do the city or the country justice. Everyone I believe has found the people friendly and welcoming and what we have seen interesting, but the over-riding memory will certainly be a rugby one.
The boys were all delivered back to the hotel. Some went off, some mooched around. The billets had been great - house parties and some more late nights. One lad's hosts went out to dinner at midnight, then on to a club.
I do have to mention the pharmacy thing. Wet Sunday morning in a hotel on the edge of town, need some paracetamol. Find a chemist open, taxi there and back, drag. Oh no. Ask at reception, no problem, £1.50 and the local Farmacia will deliver them in 10 minutes. How does that make economic sense? It's great though. Sudi didn't believe us so we did it again.
On to the buses at 1:30pm or so for the schlepp to La Colonia. Not much visibility through the condensation but this part of Uruguay looks like flat, rich pasture, pretty much like the other side of the River Plate estuary. Arrive at the port in about 2 hours, check-in and board the 16:30 sailing. I think I have got Pam fooled that the crossing will be smooth despite the weather but the white lie is soon discovered, as the boat pitches and rolls a little. The crew hand out bolsitas (little bags) just in case but I do not think anyone was actually sick, just a few gone quiet. Pam said she loved it, let's go cruising. Amazing what 6 Kwells can do. Pam even had a sandwich – chicken and lettuce – the only one seen so far on tour with no cheese in it. Off in two buses to the Mayflower Suites Hotel. I am willing to bet that the first thing done in every one of our 28 rooms was to run the hot tap. Mercifully the agua caliente was flowing at last.
Buses came back at 8 o'clock to transport us to the Tour Dinner. This was at a place called Spettus, in the renovated old port, the Puerto Madero. Walking in it looked quite posh and we were not sure it was entirely suitable. We needn't have worried. The boys swarmed on the most astonishing “salad bar” I have ever seen. Stir-fried prawns, huge langoustines, mussels, pasta, rice, serrano ham, a huge whole Emmenthal cheese, breads, fresh anchovies, salad leaves, roasted tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes, beetroot, hearts of palm, fennel, olives, artichokes, potato salad, coleslaw, even Brussels sprouts with bacon bits. Everyone loaded their plates once or twice and wondered why each place setting had a pair of ice tongs at it. Were we supposed to use them for bread rolls? Silver service icecubes? The answer came on half-metre skewers groaning with cuts of barbecued beef. The waiter carves half a slice and waits for you to grip it with your tongs to prevent it dropping off and splashing everyone with juices. You can have as much as you like, and choose what my family call outsidey bits or the inside rare meat. Or both. And it keeps coming. Only the occasional offer of chorizo and morcilla blood sausage interrupts the flow of beef – sirloin steak, the chewier but flavoursome vacio or flank, rib-eye and fillet. Cross cut ribs as well, extraordinarily tasty. Oh, and one small bowl of chips per table of six, for variety. No-one was counting but we think only Mark Hine and Lawrence MacSwan were still looking for more beef when the waiters began to flag. And more chips, naturally.
Speeches and awards were made but I am not going to detail them here. You had to be there. It was that kind of trip. Those who were will remember it; those who were not will see the effect in their boys. It was all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-dream.
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