OK peoples. Let me get something off my chest that I desperately need to. (And it is not the pneumonia that I think I am suffering.)
I have been on tour for the last 20 days with a great bunch of fanatical Wallaby & rugby supporters but last night, at what was the BIGGEST game for the Wallabies so far this tournament, there were sections of the group who believed that cheering loudly and singing Waltzing Matilda were not what should be done at a rugby game. To the point of asking, nay, DEMANDING that people who were cheering & singing “sit down and shut up” or be removed from the stadium.
Well, let me give both sides of the argument some advice. To those cheering – Cheer loud. Cheer long. Sing hard. And never ever stop!
To those wanting quiet – Stay home and watch the games on TV. It is the supporters that make the atmosphere and it is the supporters who carry a team home. Particularly this far from home. And if I am in full voice next weekend, don’t you dare tell me to sit down and shut up because I know just how much those boys in gold appreciate the LOUD support from the crowd.
Now for the business of the night…….. That has to be one to the most nerve wracking games I have ever been to. Even the 2014 Brisbane Bledisloe game which the All Black’s won after the hooter didn’t cost me that many fingernails.
We were on the bus from Gallipoli back to Istanbul when the team was announced. In no way am I comparing war with rugby, but I think the sobering experience of visiting the battle fields, cemeteries and memorials emphasized how lucky we are to be Australian. How lucky we were to be on the other side of the world supporting our national team. And what a battle royal awaited us on Saturday night at Twickenham.
In our little cocoon filled with gold, except for the two Welsh supporters on tour, there were lots of nerves on the way the the game. There was no banter to be had as I think both sets of supporters knew what a banana skin the surface of Twickers could turn out to be. Even before the England game we had some light hearted banter with the two English supporters on tour, but not tonight. (And no, different people. Four ring-ins in total.)
When we eventually settled into our seats you could see the red tinge to the crowd. But then, if you looked closely, you could see the gold scattered through out. This was going to be good.
For some reason the Welsh national anthem always gives me goose bumps. And tonight, so did the Australian anthem. The acoustics at Twickenham are nearly as good as Millennium Park.
The atmosphere in the ground could have been cut with a knife right from the get go. All I have written in my notes is “Tense. Tense. Tense. Tense.” And boy was it tense. I am fairly sure that I aged another 40 years in that second half. I’ll be the one with snow white hair getting off the plane on the way home. We are also lucky that the stands did fall onto the ground because every single one of the 80,863 people there spent the entire match on the edge of their seats.
The game turned on the period of time the Wallabies were down to 13 men and did not concede one point. The intent was signaled by Adam Ashley-Cooper and his covering tackle in the 69th minute which stifled the Welsh attack. He is one beautiful man when he plays like that.
I am sure you all knew that already.
This did not bring any relief to the nail biting, ulcer forming, greying spectators. All I can say is that I think the defensive effort by the boys last night was the best I have ever seen in a rugby game. At any level. Ever.
So, we prepare for Scotland next weekend. And as I saw on GAGR’s Facebook page – Wallabies. Never ever forget Newcastle.
GO WALLABIES!!!!!!!
