Well, quite a busy week.
Dr Shoulder Man says he was pleased with progress and thought that I can get back to training and playing my beloved touch rugby in a month. Hurrah! So, hopefully, some of the Prop Padding will be shed and I will be able to run more than 78 paces without becoming breathless. It may, or may not, interest you to know that the Albany pub is… 78 paces from my front door. It was The Wife’s Choice of house, not mine, I hasten to add.
Work has been as chaotic as ever. Less said the better.
The Wife is demonstrating what a wonderful person she is with untold amounts of love and patience for a little soul who doesn’t yet understand sleep patterns, how to feed properly, who breaks wind from both ends with alarming vigour at inappropriate times and who hasn’t yet developed the patience to wait for demands to be met in time.
And she is pretty good at looking after the baby, too – using the same virtues listed above on Ruby as she does with me.
The rugby has been interesting as well, with A New Welsh Coach anointed by the Council of Fools.
I must say, I think Gatland is the best choice. Why they were dallying with SA White I have no idea – what would he bring to the Welsh Job? He has no credentials that would have made him suitable: he is used to working with big, fast, strong powerful men in a country that is obsessive about winning (even to the point of poisoning the food of the oppo [Allegedly. Easy, boy. Easy – ed.]), has no interest in style, has historically played with little or no subtlety and has yet to put a delicate, guile-threaded backs move together in over 110 years of international rugby. I mean, I could have coached a South African team to a RWC semi-final at least. Its easy - scrum hard, use the world’s two best lineout forwards to win ball, tackle high and hard, kick the leather off the pill, run straight with huge men and then give the ball to Devon Malcolm* on the wing (has Bryan Gary Habana really had vertebrae 1 – 3 removed to make him more aerodynamic?!). Peace o’ pish.
Gatland, on the other hand, has:
1. a tidy pedigree playing as understudy for Fitzpatrick thus showing he, too, has untold amounts of patience and an understanding of being good but still not really achieving anything,
2. Experience of coaching very able players with some skill – NPC pedigree,
3. Experience of coaching slightly neurotic Celts (Ireland),
4. Experience of being shafted by internecine back-stabbing by snide Rugby Politicos, and
5. A sense of humour.
All of the above will stand him good stead for the Trials and Tribulations of The Welsh Job, especially point 4. Good luck, mate.
Oh, and like Ruddock, he apparently isn’t too much in evidence on the training paddock, letting the trainers and coaches get on with it, but is a subtle and effective people-person who lets his teams win…
Hmmmm…
And Grav’s funeral. I couldn’t watch it. It would have upset me. Bless him and his family.
And, last night, I was allowed out to ‘host’ the Cavaliers Touch Rugby Team Awards Night. It was very exciting to be out in a pub (1 pint, two bottles, home dribbling slightly by 10.30) and really good to see all the players all together having fun and being delighted and supportive of the winners of Best Newcomer, Club Player and Best Player awards. Well done Beth, Adam and Rachel, respectively. Now, if we can keep this team together, recruit two more experienced lads, tolerate the Return of The Old Dog (me) and keep training we will do rather well next season. I hope.
But my hip is hurting today. Bloody awkward. Ah, well.
* I have been rightly corrected on this - it is Gladstone Small who I was thinking of. Thanks Welshbob's Girlfriend!
welshbob wrote...
Good to see yo back wb, and with some suitably pithy comment - by the way my girl friend says the cricketer with no neck was Gladstone Small, not Devon Malcolm - but we know where you're coming from! Going to the match on Saturday? Watching at the Albany? I'll be there - pint?
Wilbach says - THAT's the fella - didn't think the cricket ref was right. ah well - nothing like good research. which is precisely what that was - nothing like good research.
will probably be watching the game at home with the little girl and the big girl. but, come the 6 nations, most defo! enjoy the game, WB. and always good to hear from you!
Posted by: welshbob | November 18, 2007 12:00 AM