Spain. World and European football Champions. Home of, arguably, the greatest football side to ever have existed. Home of one of tennis's greatest ever exponents. Home of golf's great showman (RIP Seve). Home of 2 of last season's Heineken Cup Quarter Finals.....
Rugby World Cup vacuum! (why is it however you write vacuum it always looks wrong? It's like seized)
Only the various Irish, British and French expats seem even remotely interested, and consequently getting the chance to watch any action is virtually impossible.
That's my excuse for the lack of match reports this week, though to be thorough, I've missed an Italian stroll against Russia (9 tries to 3) and an enjoyable (by all accounts) 6 try (3 each) loss for Japan against Tonga. This latter game sounded like it had everything, with 2 yellow cards and Dave Pearson, judging by the text commentary I have read, going to the TMO every 5 minutes to see whether his hair looked alright.
Off the field, the New Zealand media has got its knickers in a twist about France fielding a weakened side and disrespecting them and the Cup. Rubbish. France have picked the strongest and most appropriate side they can. Players have been switched, as, for example, old man Servat has 30 minutes max in his legs after a couple of games already, so Swarzewski - fresh from making crystals - who is an experienced international anyway, comes in). Trinh-Duc has been dire, giving credence to my ultimately accurate if somewhat derogatory nickname for him of Trouduc (ask a Frenchman). Did the All Blacks disrespect the Tongans or Japanese by fielding weakened sides against them I ask myself, or is the boot only allowed to be worn on one foot?
Royalty arrived in the shape of Mrs Tindall this week as well. No doubt she is here for "crisis talks" over her marriage. Seriously, can the Daily Mail not simply get a life or, maybe more to the delight of most, do a 'News of the World'?
Some huge games this weekend: France B vs New Zealand as discussed, and Argentina vs Scotland being the undoubted pick in terms of those games with the most quality, in the first case, and the most riding on it, in the second. Fiji have a lot to play for against Samoa too, as they could set-up a winner takes all clash vs Wales in their final game.
Thomas Waldrom, Leicester number 8, has been flown out to New Zealand as back-up (pun intended) for Nick Easter who has a sore back (too much bungee jumping or a particularly heavy dwarf that he threw?). I can't help feeling there still remains doubt about Lewis Moody's knee too, which is why more urgency was attached to Waldrom's flight reservation than to that of a replacement prop for Andy Sheridan - still not announced unless I have missed something.
That's all for now. I'm off out for some of Barcelona's finest grub. Well, I'm in an industrial suburb of Barcelona, so I'm off to sit outside a grotty pizza place and eat some typically Spanish tagliatelle carbonara. The locals have been excitedly jabbering about Valencia vs Barcelona live on TV at 22:00 local time all day, when frankly, I'd rather ask the hotel bar to turn on the highlights of Tonga vs Japan..... Wonder what my chances are??
Hasta manana
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