Afternoon all from Montpellier

[hookender]

Well one can dream !

 Sitting here thinking what might have been another good trip away (well ok , just building up effort to complete tax return as no rugby).

 Just regret missing the Agen game ,deciding not to go because they were messing around with the day to be played due to television. I think rumours of the effect of the virus were circulating but seemed a world away.

 Anyway it got me thinking as to which away trip I have enjoyed most , not necessarily the best game or win for us( very rare anyway).

 La Rochelle December 2017 does it for me. Not only was it a high scoring match - 49 - 29 loss to us with 11 tries in total but the whole weekend was an event.

 Because of its position, rather than fly down to Bordeaux? And hire a car we had decided to take the Tunnel and drive down . Doubts did set in when driving along in Normandy following 2 snowploughs but once we got further south snow cleared and made up the time without further incident .
  Won’t bore you with too many details , but the rest of the weekend took in a great night of drinking eating and meeting waspies old and new. The old town of La Rochelle is a great town to visit and their fans are brilliant . Loved the many flags that were out on buildings for their team.

Other bits I can remember - their mascot geeing up the crowd, the stomping on the stands , the way it turned cold and getting soaked on way back to town. The winds that night . TV full of Johnny Holliday ‘state’ funeral procession.
  Drive back was bad including  french equivalent of operation stack,tunnel shut, ferry ran
aground that night,  and finally 2 miles from home ,snow closing road with a 7 mile diversion duly ignored.
 
 So a heavy defeat , an eventful journey ,let’s say,( oh I didn’t mention the electronic hotel key that didn’t work at 2:00 in the morning  which involved the least inebriated one, me ,to try and explain problem over phone)

 Did it put me off doing another trip ? Of course not  Was it Dublin next year ? Where we were on a bus with the driver desperately trying to overtake the bus we needed for the airport- but that’s another story.

[WonkyWasp]

You'll have to settle for Ealing v Sarries ....  27 - 26.  Hooray.

[hookender]

You'll have to settle for Ealing v Sarries ....  27 - 26.  Hooray.

Every cloud !

[RBB]

You'll have to settle for Ealing v Sarries ....  27 - 26.  Hooray.

Made my day, Ealing my second team (for today anyway) !!!

[HDAWG]

You'll have to settle for Ealing v Sarries ....  27 - 26.  Hooray.

Brilliant result.

[Heathen]

Well one can dream !

 Sitting here thinking what might have been another good trip away (well ok , just building up effort to complete tax return as no rugby).

 Just regret missing the Agen game ,deciding not to go because they were messing around with the day to be played due to television. I think rumours of the effect of the virus were circulating but seemed a world away.

 Anyway it got me thinking as to which away trip I have enjoyed most , not necessarily the best game or win for us( very rare anyway).

 La Rochelle December 2017 does it for me. Not only was it a high scoring match - 49 - 29 loss to us with 11 tries in total but the whole weekend was an event.

 Because of its position, rather than fly down to Bordeaux? And hire a car we had decided to take the Tunnel and drive down . Doubts did set in when driving along in Normandy following 2 snowploughs but once we got further south snow cleared and made up the time without further incident .
  Won’t bore you with too many details , but the rest of the weekend took in a great night of drinking eating and meeting waspies old and new. The old town of La Rochelle is a great town to visit and their fans are brilliant . Loved the many flags that were out on buildings for their team.

Other bits I can remember - their mascot geeing up the crowd, the stomping on the stands , the way it turned cold and getting soaked on way back to town. The winds that night . TV full of Johnny Holliday ‘state’ funeral procession.
  Drive back was bad including  french equivalent of operation stack,tunnel shut, ferry ran
aground that night,  and finally 2 miles from home ,snow closing road with a 7 mile diversion duly ignored.
 
 So a heavy defeat , an eventful journey ,let’s say,( oh I didn’t mention the electronic hotel key that didn’t work at 2:00 in the morning  which involved the least inebriated one, me ,to try and explain problem over phone)

 Did it put me off doing another trip ? Of course not  Was it Dublin next year ? Where we were on a bus with the driver desperately trying to overtake the bus we needed for the airport- but that’s another story.

Best French trip for me was USAP in the 2004 QF. Best game ever was the SF v Munster. Followed not far behind by ST at HQ. Halcyon days.

[PestNproud]

You'll have to settle for Ealing v Sarries ....  27 - 26.  Hooray.

Interesting game -- forked out £8.50 to watch as was feeling rugby-robbed this w/e, hoping dream would come true as it did!

Ealing ahead most of it, deserved winners (they beat Falcons pre-season, too), and ultimately won on ambition rather pragmatism, having gone for the corner late on giving them an 8-point buffer to escape Sarries' predictable late try by the very handy Obatoyinbo.

Craig Hampson looked very good, may well have been Ingredient X, and won't be surprised to see back in the Prem soon. Happy we presumably chose Porter based on recent outings, but Craig no slouch.

Far from Sarries A-team (presumably to keep tournie fairly balanced, with only a modest sprinkling of stardust -- or just England first and Babas bans?), but shockingly Billy V looked like he could do with some time in the National leagues to get himself up to Championship standard. If Jones insists on a lump at #8 for England, as he probably will (rather than someone more modern and dynamic), the imperfect/variable superstar Hughes looking far better recently (impressed at Connacht).

Trailfinders arguably had the edge upfront, working well with Hampson. Sarries backs looked more dangerous but rarely allowed into the game. I don't think Guy got off the bench for Ealing, which was a disappointment, and wondering if Koch started for the EAs (on teamsheet, but no sign when I finally got the game streaming from ~15 mins).

Thouroughly enjoyed Sarries humiliation, and will be interesting to see how Doncaster fare, and how Sarries step up, respond over the next few weeks of the tournament! Hard to imagine, but what if Ealing won the Championship!? Perhaps we should crowdfund to help with recuitment (Anyone spare a Fiver, hoho?), or lobby the Prem Clubs to loan players, if needed!

So 2021 picking up from 2020 for Sarries with Sanderson off as well. Poor loves...

[Neils]

Well one can dream !

 Sitting here thinking what might have been another good trip away (well ok , just building up effort to complete tax return as no rugby).

 Just regret missing the Agen game ,deciding not to go because they were messing around with the day to be played due to television. I think rumours of the effect of the virus were circulating but seemed a world away.

 Anyway it got me thinking as to which away trip I have enjoyed most , not necessarily the best game or win for us( very rare anyway).

 La Rochelle December 2017 does it for me. Not only was it a high scoring match - 49 - 29 loss to us with 11 tries in total but the whole weekend was an event.

 Because of its position, rather than fly down to Bordeaux? And hire a car we had decided to take the Tunnel and drive down . Doubts did set in when driving along in Normandy following 2 snowploughs but once we got further south snow cleared and made up the time without further incident .
  Won’t bore you with too many details , but the rest of the weekend took in a great night of drinking eating and meeting waspies old and new. The old town of La Rochelle is a great town to visit and their fans are brilliant . Loved the many flags that were out on buildings for their team.

Other bits I can remember - their mascot geeing up the crowd, the stomping on the stands , the way it turned cold and getting soaked on way back to town. The winds that night . TV full of Johnny Holliday ‘state’ funeral procession.
  Drive back was bad including  french equivalent of operation stack,tunnel shut, ferry ran
aground that night,  and finally 2 miles from home ,snow closing road with a 7 mile diversion duly ignored.
 
 So a heavy defeat , an eventful journey ,let’s say,( oh I didn’t mention the electronic hotel key that didn’t work at 2:00 in the morning  which involved the least inebriated one, me ,to try and explain problem over phone)

 Did it put me off doing another trip ? Of course not  Was it Dublin next year ? Where we were on a bus with the driver desperately trying to overtake the bus we needed for the airport- but that’s another story.

Agen was a good trip. Nice food and drink. Great weather sitting watching the rugby in a T shirt in January. Seeing the pipe and his nuns being chased off the pitch by security. Last journey out of the UK before virus struck. We travelled to Bordeaux and hired a car as there was a rail strike in parts. Cheaper than the train and bus.

La Rochelle we also travelled via Bordeaux and stayed in La Roch for an extra night and had an easy journey back. Bloody wet day. But afterwards found the La Rochelle band pub on the coastal road. Drank Breton cider and entertained by band who wore black and gold kilts. When I advised that a true kilt wearer did not wear underpants we were suddenly confronted by a series of underclothing removals. One of the girl trumpet players did bring me a drink and said not me too and I agreed she could keep hers on much to the disagreement of the rest of the band. It is also the place we found liquorice macarons. Yum.

[RobAWasp]

Well one can dream !

 Sitting here thinking what might have been another good trip away (well ok , just building up effort to complete tax return as no rugby).

 Just regret missing the Agen game ,deciding not to go because they were messing around with the day to be played due to television. I think rumours of the effect of the virus were circulating but seemed a world away.

 Anyway it got me thinking as to which away trip I have enjoyed most , not necessarily the best game or win for us( very rare anyway).

 La Rochelle December 2017 does it for me. Not only was it a high scoring match - 49 - 29 loss to us with 11 tries in total but the whole weekend was an event.

 Because of its position, rather than fly down to Bordeaux? And hire a car we had decided to take the Tunnel and drive down . Doubts did set in when driving along in Normandy following 2 snowploughs but once we got further south snow cleared and made up the time without further incident .
  Won’t bore you with too many details , but the rest of the weekend took in a great night of drinking eating and meeting waspies old and new. The old town of La Rochelle is a great town to visit and their fans are brilliant . Loved the many flags that were out on buildings for their team.

Other bits I can remember - their mascot geeing up the crowd, the stomping on the stands , the way it turned cold and getting soaked on way back to town. The winds that night . TV full of Johnny Holliday ‘state’ funeral procession.
  Drive back was bad including  french equivalent of operation stack,tunnel shut, ferry ran
aground that night,  and finally 2 miles from home ,snow closing road with a 7 mile diversion duly ignored.
 
 So a heavy defeat , an eventful journey ,let’s say,( oh I didn’t mention the electronic hotel key that didn’t work at 2:00 in the morning  which involved the least inebriated one, me ,to try and explain problem over phone)

 Did it put me off doing another trip ? Of course not  Was it Dublin next year ? Where we were on a bus with the driver desperately trying to overtake the bus we needed for the airport- but that’s another story.

That was a fantastic weekend...nightmare getting home due to Stansted snow closure though!