Now spring is in the air over South Eastern France, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and our doughty band of players and supporters return to the fray once more with banners of St. George and Black Pear to the fore. This time both supporter and player will be ready.

The blue and gold camp followers are now reconciled to the fact that 1 Euro = £1, that the hotel is in an industrial estate, a three mile walk out of town with few taxis, that drinks in an Irish Bar do have a nasty habit of creeping up and hitting you over the head with a shillelagh and finally that the French have invented a cunning system of locks that shut you out of your hotel at four in the morning in four degrees of frost – YES the supporters are ready.

The Warriors are equally reconciled to the fact that a provincial French rugby team will bite you big time if you start slowly, that you don’t give the local crowd the opportunity to build up a head of steam and that finally after the match you have to eat your low fat meal and drink your non alcoholic beverages whilst all around you Bourgoin villagers enjoy their five course Filet Mignon dinners with copious wines from the fields of Burgundy – YES the players are ready.

Let battle commence

Dick Cumming

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