Reply to: Oh dear, the neighbour's son has kicked off again...

[Mich the Tester]

My worst rugby ever was in NZ and Australia in the early 80's. I remember getting the wrong side of a ruck in a match in Palmeston North and being raked, kicked, gouged and poked half to death, and when I got up, bleeding like hell, was told to stop getting the wrong fecking side of the ruck by the ref....

Too bloody right!



Although I must admit I spent 33 years in the back row searching for creative ways to bend the offside line to my own advantage. I was never offside, but 90% of my time was spent 'nearly onside'.

The few American sides I played against were large, supremely fit, drilled, well kitted out and so thick they could dominate possession and territory for the full 80 minutes and still get thrashed.

[Old Hack]

My worst rugby ever was in NZ and Australia in the early 80's. I remember getting the wrong side of a ruck in a match in Palmeston North and being raked, kicked, gouged and poked half to death, and when I got up, bleeding like hell, was told to stop getting the wrong fecking side of the ruck by the ref....

Was a waking up for me, as we didn't do that back home. Thought them the dirtiest feckers alive until I played a South African team in a tournament in Canada. Also played in a couple of tournaments in America, which was possibly the most fun I ever had playing Rugby. One tournament, in Orlando, saw a team from a uni in upstate New York turn up 15 mins before they were due to play, in a U-Haul truck, with all of the players off their tits from booze, all pile out the back and do a decent job.

Happy days.

[Mich the Tester]

Good folk in the SW France for their rugby.

Good folk, but dirty bastards on the pitch. I copped a few punches in the balls playing against the Frogs, plus a few gougings. Had some laughs though; in a 7s tournament, playing against some Froggy invitational side from down there our winger sprinted off with the ball in the last few minutes, got beyond half way and then got caught. I got there puffing and panting in support, he turned, flipped the ball one handed to me and I turned outside to get round their winger, sprinted for the line and the stupid little **** would have caught me, but being a silly little Froggy winger he couldn't keep his gob shut, so I heard him shouting profanities at me from behind and just turned a little to the left as his voice got close, then dived over. He jumped on my back and carried on insulting me so I shoved him away and told him if he'd just kept his gob shut he'd have caught me. As he carried on shouting, his captain, a hairy bastard, came over and shouted at him 'idiot; he knew you were there because you can't keep your mouth shut'. Neither of them realised I understood some French. And there is the story of French rugby; if they'd keep their gobs shut for a moment they'd win a bit more.

[NotAllThere]

...You are right though, it's hard to imagine a british hairy arsed forward drinking a fine wine.

From the bottle when the beer has run out?

[Old Hack]

Angouleme I think; he played at a French club for a while if I remember rightly, but he had quite a few business ventures. Dunno where 'South of' and 'South West' being or end. They do indeed love him down there, but I think anyone who ever heard him speak does.

I used to play a lot of rugby, being from the West Country. Where we've bought a holiday home is strong rugby country and that's where I heard his name. I was out of the country in the 80's abroad so missed his career. He's well know where we go, but I just had to look him up for not knowing him and yes, it was Angouleme he played for.

I might just look where his bar was/is next summer. Good folk in the SW France for their rugby.

As for Geography, I'd call the south West of France anywhere West of Toulouse, and south of La Rochelle, if I were to pin point it. I just thought it might be nice to find out where his bar was.

[Mich the Tester]

Was his bar South West France, and not South of France? I only say, as he's well know in the Charentes/Maritime, where we have a holiday home.

Angouleme I think; he played at a French club for a while if I remember rightly, but he had quite a few business ventures. Dunno where 'South of' and 'South West' being or end. They do indeed love him down there, but I think anyone who ever heard him speak does.

[Old Hack]

Back in the 80s England 2nd row Maurice Colclough, a true hairy arsed forward notorious for his drinking games, retired from rugby and opened a trendy wine bar in the South of France where he didn't make much profit as he drank most of the stock regaling patrons with tales of his many misadventures. A delightful man who unfortunately died a few years ago of a brain tumor.

Was his bar South West France, and not South of France? I only say, as he's well know in the Charentes/Maritime, where we have a holiday home.

[Mich the Tester]

Most forwards I played with spent the evening forcing the backs to do the dusty bottle run, or playing drinking games in which any drink would suffice.

You are right though, it's hard to imagine a british hairy arsed forward drinking a fine wine.

Back in the 80s England 2nd row Maurice Colclough, a true hairy arsed forward notorious for his drinking games, retired from rugby and opened a trendy wine bar in the South of France where he didn't make much profit as he drank most of the stock regaling patrons with tales of his many misadventures. A delightful man who unfortunately died a few years ago of a brain tumor.

[Old Hack]

It's harder for a forward to admit to not liking beer than for an international centre to come out as being gay.

That's progress.

Most forwards I played with spent the evening forcing the backs to do the dusty bottle run, or playing drinking games in which any drink would suffice.

You are right though, it's hard to imagine a british hairy arsed forward drinking a fine wine.

[Mich the Tester]

What is more worrying is that MTT has taken to backs drinks. Man up and get back on the beer like a proper forward

It's harder for a forward to admit to not liking beer than for an international centre to come out as being gay.

That's progress.

[Old Hack]

Now I'm all grown up and can do my own thing I choose not to live within a quarter of a mile of anybody even though my nearest neighbours are all professional people with kids mostly at boarding school or decent uni's.

Live the contractor lifestyle, put up or shut up

I couldn't go back to being within 1/4 mile of someone, I must admit, would drive me insane. The noise people make just by living...

Nah, for me, I like to complain when I can hear a helicopter go overhead once every 4 weeks or so; I like the quiet where I live.

The werewolf boy; WMFS

[BA to the Stars]

No, but I have Pollo alla Cacciatora in the pot, a rather good bottle of Vernaccia and explaining to the police why the neighbour's head is splattered across the wall while I have a shotgun in my hand might just ruin my plans for this evening.

What is more worrying is that MTT has taken to backs drinks. Man up and get back on the beer like a proper forward

[Zippy]

What's Dutch for wilmsloooow?

wilemschlooooooow?

[norrahe]

What's Dutch for wilmsloooow?

[Zippy]

I'm sure your neighbour fantasises about callihg the police, but doesn't think he can grass up his son (however much stuff he smashes up). You might be doing him a favour...?