...and those who have arrived ahead of us. With so many ways to get to Clermont, plane, train and automobile (and combinations of all three) the flyers amongst us pass on tales of delay due to bad weather, traffic around Lyon and nightmarish snow blizzards to get to the town, whereas the Eurostar and Express train travellers just had to pass the time by drinking beer!

Fred, the bar owner (above), set up a magnificent buffet of local ham, pate etc and with plenty of wine and beer to wash it all down we watched the cherry and whites demolish Bourgoin in pouring rain. Some time later heading back to the hotel we got caught in a howling gale and looked like drowned rats by the time we had reached shelter. We were all soaked through – so drying clothes in the trouser press seemed like a good idea at the time.

Saturday morning opened up bright and sunny but there were grey clouds hovering over the Puy de Dome. Unfortunately the clothes were still wet from the night before and mobile phones are not very tolerant to spending a night in a trouser press unless you wish to the screen to resemble a 1970’s disco light show. During breakfast we were joined in the room by two linesman inconspicuous in their official Irish T-shirts and shortly after by a certain referee.

Post breakfast we headed off into the centre of town to acquire items pre-selected by Mrs Stinger and the Tinies (chocolate, hats and pins) and was pleasantly surprised by the large town square decorated for the season and the abundance of retail therapy available for the females in our group. We even saw some frogs!

As the weather was getting grey and cold we headed off back to the hotel for additional layers whereupon Mr Lewis and linesmen were suited and booted waiting for Mr McHugh in the lobby to get a lift to the ground. After denying us a lift we headed to the tram stop and shortly thereafter to a bar for baguettes and beer. Monsieur Burnham was waiting for Fred and company to appear to hand over a large sum of money collected by the Wasps supporters the evening before for Adrien Chalmin before he was mugged by the local child scarer.

The locals take their rugby very seriously; the bear pit of a ground was full and the atmosphere very hostile. It was as strange to us as it was for Alex to seem him in an opposition shirt, but there he was warming up at the wrong end of the pitch.

The penalty count and the TMO decision meant that Wasps were always chasing the game, but the loss of a bonus point was all our doing as the team were still going for the win deep in our own half instead of deciding to take what was on offer and booting the ball off the pitch.

Meanwhile those of us without the benefit of being covered by the stand were soaked through, though we were being serenaded by one of the local bands!

Match all over, the locals invade the pitch and make off with eight Wasps tackle bags that were not glued down. Alex is the last off the pitch having signed countless autographs and posed for many photographs. We get the message that the meeting point for the evening is the Aussie Bar in the square so we traipse off cold, wet and a little dispirited back to the hotel to change, again!

The rain stops (for a short while) as we head out for an aperitif and dinner. The town centre was transformed into a Christmas wonderland as the lights were switched on.

Meeting up by the Cathedral and Christmas market, now vacated by the stall holder (not sure how else I can sneak this photograph in)….

…. a restaurant was found and many local delicacies – solid and liquid - were consumed to the satisfaction of all.

Off to the Aussie bar to meet up with fellow supporters and players, whereupon Mr Lewis and Mr McHugh walked in!  They were very approachable – and a discussion about the game and the TMO decision ensued. It was amazing that after six hours and a small libation that Mr Lewis had total recall of the whole game, as in HD DVD quality playback. He explained as to how and why decisions were made and his passion for the game shone through. Needless to say the TMO decision could not be laid at his door though us supporters (who were at the far end of the ground) enquired as to why he had to pass the hat round the crowd before he made his ‘try’ announcement. We left him having a long chat with Geech as to the finer points of the game and headed back.

Sunday morning was spent in café to stay dry before heading back to the railway station and the journey home. Some may think that the worst decision of the weekend was by the TMO, but let me tell you, the best advice I can pass on is to make sure you take your phone out of your pocket before you put your trousers in the press!!

--00O00--

LS

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