Rugby weekend

The Celt was packed from end to end on both Friday night and last night for two very intense games of rugby being shown on the big screen.

On Friday we had France v Wales. The Irish in the bar were very much torn in their loyalties - being fellow Celts they were drawn towards supporting Wales but a French victory would be better for Ireland's chances in the tournament. There appeared to be no Welsh supporters but there was a large and raucous contingent of locals here in the heartland of French rugby.

Me. I was born within 100 yards of the Welsh border, just outside Chester (they were still yards, not metres, when I was born)- but crucially on the English side. I also lived in South Wales for a year or so as a 7 year old kid and learnt the Welsh National Anthem at school. Despite the Welsh being the best team by a mile back then, I was born in England and was always an England supporter - so naturally, on Friday night I was very much on the side of the home French fans.

I'm not anti-Welsh - it's just that a French victory was better for England's chances - and after all it is my adopted second home. It was close, but the French did their part of the equation by sneaking a win.

Now I thought there were more English people down here in the Languedoc, but it turns out that there a lot of British people, who are mostly Scottish, Welsh or Irish and not one of them, nor any self-respecting Frenchman, was going to support England for whatever historical reason.

So it was that there were four England fans and about 150 Irish / Irish sympathisers / anti-English fans to watch the Ireland v England game on Saturday evening. At least the Southern Hemisphere contingent, Chris and Lesa, sat on the fence.

A narrow defeat for the boys in white meant that most of the bar went home happy - and Patrick and Susan will be happy too as the Irish and all celebrated their win. Me, I sneaked off home for an early night, knowing I had an 8am breakfast to do.