So the match report from last Sunday shouldn’t take very long. We played very well for our 69 points and could easily have lost focus after 40 but we were quite determined to keep running them in. I found the whole match great fun and an opposition back-line with all the defensive alignment of...Scotland (?) was just what I needed. As always seems to be the case in a big win, I didn’t score, but did set a few up and kicked alot of conversions while also managing to hit both posts.
We celebrated with an almighty ‘Chasaluso’ which is the Racing Club de France war dance/song which is performed after every win. The captain stands in the middle of a very tight circle and calls out something about going bear hunting and drinking bear and everyone repeats his call and eventually we are all rolling around on the ground and then it finishes with us chanting ‘Racing’ whilst being offensive to the conquered opposition. I’ve never seen or heard anything like it. I suppose it most resembles a post-match celebratory Haka.
This match was once again played in memory of our departed forwards coach (I see a trend developing here), and this saga was continued on Wednesday night when the President of RCF, France legend, came in to explain to us a bit more the goings on. In an all black Parisien chic suit, he basically attempted to absolve himself of all blame, claiming that the coach effectively just walked out – not a wise tactic when his departed adversary is still revered by the guys – and I could feel the heat rising in the room as it had a couple of weeks previously. Our captain once again took issue with this, pointing out the paradox in the President’s words, that we had made an excellent start to the season and yet he had been instrumental in the departing of our coach...
There was obvious tension between the President and our remaining coach who was clearly not in agreement. This came to a head when the President was asked to leave so we could proceed with announcing the plan for the evening’s session. He refused to leave, insisting on staying to hear what was going on. Our coach was having none of this and the two clashed for the longest 30 seconds I have ever spent in a changing room. We were just looking at each other in astonishment. Personally, I was trying not to giggle as it was farcical the way these two grown men were going at each other. I was sitting there thinking “this is just SO French!”
Anyway, it was all topped when the President complimented me on my match against Bourg-en-Bresse.
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