The Paris Trip is Nigh

I am getting very excited about The Paris Trip.

Not necessarily The Game, you understand (I rather fear we shall take a bit of a botty-bashing, if the truth be told), but for just the excitement of:

a) Travelling there. Anyone who has dared travel with me know that minor disasters seem to follow me like a dog with the sniff of one's crotch in mind. So, journeys with Mr Magoo are always 'interesting'...
b) Staying in a hotel: for some reason I just like the whole Hotel lark. As long as there is an en-suite toilet. I have suppressed far too many memories of early-morning, half-pissed, bladder-bursting, be-panted scamperings to even contemplate corridor wandering. That, I’m afraid, my potential room-mates, is what the Good Lord in His Wisdom made sinks for…
c) The food & drink: they do that sort of thing very well in Johnny Frog Land, y’know. Very well, indeed.
d) The company: though after the sink observation above, I daresay the lads are not viewing this trip now with such untrammelled enthusiasm.
e) The camaraderie: finding a like-minded bunch of Southerners or Basques or even Valley Commandoes and having a good blast and sing-song is still something to cherish. The Rugby Fraternity really does exist.

My Darling LadyWife is rather close to insisting that I wear some form of tracking device. Not that she fears for my fidelity (she knows I cherish her more than my DVD of the ‘73 BaaBaa’s game, even) but just that she understands my ability to get lost and end up in the wrong curry-house / street / shoes / toilet / city / stadium / seat / country / airport etc. etc. I keep telling her that Mr Pips will be my minder and he is truly a Man’s Man and A Man of The World to boot. And he survived his childhood in Penrhyndaedraeth with only a few scars and the smallest twitch.

So, she will worry, and admittedly not without just cause.

But I will return safe because I Love Her.

Ahem. Sorry, Slipped out. Right, Ryan or Alex for 8 then… Charvo should’ve been in the mix, y’know… Is Shane match fit? We really are missing Ayatollah Thomas - his directness and strength are just, well needed... Horsman will have to concentrate in every scrum and get tight and low... What about this 'hidden press agenda' thing GJ is in about, eh? Grrrr…

And I really am looking forward to the match very much. Actually. Could be a bit closer than we expect...