The old Lions gathering for their weekly Round Table meeting had tears in their eyes as they recalled former misappropriations on tour.  As the laughter subsided, one remarked, “Aye and we would never have got caught stealing a golf buggy either. If we did Willie John would have smoothed it all out with the local constabulary.” One imagined a stricken Andy Powell calling the team hotel, “Willie, you had better get yourself down to the M4 services, I’m stuck here with the cops and a golf buggy!”

“Eh what?, oh alright hang on I’ll be down in a minute.”

Ten minutes later a tall craggy figure in a cardigan, carpet slippers and smoking a pipe steps from a 4×4 and strides across the forecourt to greet the South Wales police.   More ... (1418 words, 1 image)

After a spate of relative success in picking the match day 22 it appears as though I’ve taken a giant leap backwards this week! Then again there are always a few strange selection decisions round 6 Nations time.

Ulster: (15-9) J Smith, A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, S Danielli, I Humphreys, I Boss; (1-8) B Young, R Best, BJ Botha, D Tuohy, E O’Donoghue, T Anderson, D Pollock, C Henry (c); (16-22) N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, R Diack, I Porter, I Whitten, T Nagusa.

Having said that, it’s good to see two of my personal favourites, Bryan Young and TJ Anderson, back in the starting XV and I’m also pleased to see Robbie Diack make a welcome return to senior Ulster colours after his enforced absence.   More ... (707 words, 1 image)

The Leaf Properties Lanzarote Player of the Month award for January goes to Andrew Trimble. It’s a welcome return to form for this classy player who put in some barnstorming performances throughout the month. His try against Bath in the Heineken Cup will stay in the memory for a long long time.

We’ll try and catch up with Trimble sometime this month when he’s not away on Ireland duty, plus we’ve still to catch up with big Fitzy from last month and that’s one I’m particularly looking forward to!

It was an interesting month’s voting as the list of the top six shows:   More ... (523 words, 1 image)

• Trimble 27%
• Tuohy 14%
• Ferris 13%
• Boss 11%

I was going to blog on about adventures in the European theatre but was overtaken by an unusually heavy workload in the real world and before I could say ‘Italia’ the 6 nations was upon me. I’m sat before a computer keyboard wondering what on earth I might say about the 6 nations that will come across all original and unhackneyed.

I don’t for one moment envy those journos whom spew out acres of print on all angles, anecdotes, murmurings, chat and anything else that justifies their cloistered existence amidst the sporting galacticos and journeymen of rugby union.

Rugby union unlike football is one of those relatively staid sports where outside of the odd eye gouge, fake blood capsule, player manager squabble, there’s not a lot to excite the more avaricious media elements.   More ... (1828 words, 1 image)

Hide him in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put him in your pantry with your cupcakes,
It’s a little secret just the Robinson’s affair,
Most of all you’ve got hide it from the kids.

Where have you gone Willie John,
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you,
Woo, woo, woo…….

As the rugby grinds to a halt (metaphorically speaking), as it actually slithered to a stop, there is the distinct sound of the meshing of media gears as they crank up the ante in the wake of the Robinson’s affair.   More ... (1598 words, 1 image)

I recall watching guitar legend B.B. King on television over the Christmas break. It was late night and I can’t remember the exact circumstances in which I listened to him play and sing. I am not a B.B. King fan and never have been, other than immensely liking ‘Stand By Me,’ his seminal song.

I have found watching him in recent times, as his career declines, an act of extreme irritation with his easy come, easy go manner. Nevertheless, there he was on stage at some sort of compilation concert and he was doing his thing, which usually involves a few trademark licks as intro to a song before abandoning the fret board in lieu of singing.   More ... (1068 words, 1 image)