Not very keen on rugby its elitist, especially as it is given to much exposure by the media in Wales but obviously I want Wales to win.
But hope both countries progress to the next stages of the competition at the expense of them vile Craig Revel Horwood lot.

JUST when was rugby decreed the national sport of Wales, and who the hell decided anyway?

I’m sorry, I must have missed the meeting because personally I can’t think of a less appropriate sport for our great nation to adopt apart from maybe Alpine skiing or rhythmic gymnastics.

A game invented by a bunch of toffs cheating at football at one of England’s most elitist public schools seems such an odd choice for a Welsh nation built on industry and working class pride. I mean, we might as well have named polo or flogging one’s fag at Eton as our favourite pastime.

In fact, our seeming obsession with “egg chasing” is the ultimate form of subservience we can give to our overlords across Offa’s Dyke. “Oh yes master, we will play your weird game, I tell you what, we’ll be quite good at it for a while 40 years ago, but then you can come and thrash us at it every year.”

The irony being, of course, that outside of a few blazer-wearing, urine-drinking enclaves, the English themselves don’t really care about rugby at all. It’s an insignificance followed by a few retired wing-commanders from Surrey who believe the carpet bombing of Murrayfield might put the “Jocks” in their place ahead of the Calcutta Cup.

On any English newspaper the exploits of Martin Johnson and his men are relegated to obscurity compared to the news Fernando Torres has broken a toenail. Football is, of course, the national sport of England, well actually the whole world, including Wales if truth be known, but for some reason, in these parts, some people don’t like to hear that.

The Rugby World Cup only represents the world as it was known by Viking explorers in the 5th Century AD. You know one of those maps with Wessex on it and “here be monsters” about the edge.

Of course, the grip the oval ball has on the Welsh nation has been grossly exaggerated anyway. A conspiracy orchestrated by the media and high-ranking members of the Taffia who, when they are not bemoaning the decline of S4C or slaughtering goats in a field in Bangor with a pillow-case on their head, are worried that, if we all woke up to the fact that rugby is just another lame Welsh cliche, we might actually move the nation forward into, oh, I don’t know, the 19th Century.
You can stick the likes of male voice choirs and Max Boyce in the same dustbin of history too, and coal mines while you’re at it, although Margaret Thatcher has already done that for us.

Let’s face it, we Welsh’s interest in rugby is tenuous at best.

Sure, during the Six Nations the Valleys empty, the capital is a seething sea of sparkly cowboy hats and enough booze is sunk to put Charlie Sheen back into rehab.
But, as those charmers Andy Gray and Richard Keys might point out, I bet these women don’t even know the offside rule, although neither do most of the blokes who come to watch the games either. Indeed, when Wales are playing rugby in Cardiff one gets the feeling every village in Powys is missing its idiot.
But where are all these “dedicated” rugby fans when the Six Nations circus packs up its tent? Who knows, but I’ll tell you where they are not, watching Welsh club sides play rugby, that’s for sure. The likes of the Blues and Ospreys get crowds so pitiful, a Charlotte Church “comeback” gig looks packed in comparison.
But if one is a Welshman, which I am, who speaks out against the eternal boredom and insignificance of rugby it is regarded as some form of national heresy. It’s equivalent to pointing out Tom Jones has been an embarrassment since 1970 or Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a great actress.
But, who cares, come on proud Welsh women and men, kick the rugby into touch. Let’s leave this nostalgic dalliance with a minority sport firmly where it belongs – in the past.

Nid oes Bradwr yn y ty hwn

And our land....

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Nid oes Bradwr yn y ty hwn

I feel sorry for poor old prince William , having to pretend that he wants the tafs to win. Shocking.

Very unlucky England. The match could have gone either way. I really hope that you make it through although knowing us we'll lose to the Aussies and Fiji.

'Lies to the masses as are like fly's to mollasses...they want more and more and more'

Totally engrossing but strange game.

Once the injuries hit I thought we'd had it. Still not sure how we won.

Hopefully England will beat the Aussies.

B

I really enjoyed that post and I respect the fact that you allowed ovine love to escape scrutiny.

Big chest and massive boobs

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