Game On

It's now 6 days since the 1st game & I'm in Methven.

Unfortunately, there's no hole* for my card here, so the pics will have to be posted manana, Sun, whenever I find a PC with a hole. . . . .


Anyway, back to Sat 10th in Invercargill

I got dressed in the kilt etc, & took the car back to the airport for 11am. I had planned to hitch back to town, but it was persisting it down, so I begged a share of a taxi taking some Scottish supporters to their hotel.


The game was in the afternoon, so I grabbed some lunch, draped the flag round my shoulders, & headed out to the stadium via the scenic route Craig suggested. Loadsa peeps beeped from their cars :-)


When I got there, I was nabbed by a TV guy & asked if I wanted to be on telly - I knew the mango hair was a good idea - harhar ;-p

Eventually there was a group of us ( a girl with a blue face & a thistle in white, several blokes with the obligatory tartan hat supporting red hair & whiskers, etc), & he got us to sing Flower Of Scotland for the camera. I think it was an NZ TV company, but he said it may be picked up by Sky? Don't know if it was. Did anyone see it?


I was there with about 45min to spare, but the side lines were already pretty packed, so I ended up more or less behind the posts.

Both teams were warming up & I got some cool shots - like Richie catching a ball in a lineout, & a well good shot of the scrum. It looks posed, but it wasn't.


The commentator went through the starters for both teams, & mis-pronouncing a couple of Scottish names, so he possibly did the same with the Romanians?

Then the teams were welcomed with a Maori blowing a shell, & they ran out for the anthems. I managed to sing F of S without crying (or squeaking, Steve ;-p )


I was at the far end from where Chris' ball fell off it's tee when he went for the penalty, but I remember thinking 'I hope those points won't matter later on' ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

If you saw the game, you'll appreciate the !s


There were some other missed chances in the 1st 1/2, but I was pretty confident the guy's'd win - No Worries, Mate ;-)


Come the 2nd 1/2, & some unusually unsuccessful kicks on Chris' part, I was panicking a bit (to say the least ! )

I was stood next to a local guy who's played for Invercargill & he said the wind was a bugger at that ground** & it was notoriously hard to get the ball over the bar at our end.

Come 24 all, I was Definitely panicking - eeek


As you'll prob know, Danielli saved the day in the end, but I was so busy trying to line the tries up on the camera, I actually missed BOTH touchdowns - doh. Good job there was a massive screen behind me.


All's well that ends well, tho, & we got our win, plus a bonus point for being 10 points clear :-)


So then it was back to town with all the other kilted folk - some of whom were Kiwis.


I'd already decided Not to buy pressies this time - only for FM (ie Fond Mammah) & my kind cat sitters, and in a place called Yaks & Yetis, down Tay Street, I got a couple of ones which are small & light enough to fit into the already stuffed ruckie :-))


Once back at Tuatara, I sorted out my clothes etc for Stewart Island (as I was being picked up at 0800 on Sun & didn't expect to be mucho capable later ho ho), got into 'something suitable' for celebrating, & went to watch the Eng v Arg game at Speights.

It was heaving in there, & I got a crick in my neck trying to see, so bailed at 1/2 time to Bar Luca, & cheered when Jonno missed - which endeared me to the Scots peeps in there, despite my Englkish accent!
Although they won, England didn't get a bonus, & the day ended with Scotland at the top of their pool - Brill.

OAO


* Shirleyspeek for the place you put your SD card!
** So what Jonno's excuse, then? After all, he was playing in a covered stadium