I was so pleased for Tom Shanklin, scoring a try on his 50th cap. It was a pretty special day for him and when you think there have been 1057 players capped for Wales and he was only the 20th to get his 50th cap – it shows what a good player he is.
And I have to say, I think he must be the only player whose face actually suits his cap! He looks just like a naughty schoolboy. I had to laugh when Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams were shown on the big screen nudging each other and trying not to laugh. And Martyn certainly did shed blood for his country.
No game this weekend, but training has still been pretty intense. My week is never quite as manic as when there is a game. Still plenty to do but there’s no rush to sort out tickets and the like.
Now, those who have read my previous blogs will know the panic when the players realised it was Valentine’s Day a few weeks ago – same panic now as they’ve realised its Mother’s Day on Sunday. I’ve heard a few of them muttering “Tescos is around the corner” – BOYS, BOYS, BOYS, use your imagination for just this once please!Â
I’m not reminding them with such gusto as Martyn and Gethin’s mums are sadly no longer with us. Julie Williams and Lesley Jenkins were fantastic ladies, very proud of their sons and travelled the world to support them. Each match day I have a little word with them wishing they were still with us and I know everyone in the family room after games misses them a great deal and I will be thinking of them and their families on Sunday.
As its St David’s Day this Saturday, this week saw the launch of a new daffodil, especially commissioned for the WRU – what an honour. However, this in itself could have turned into a fiasco.
The Royal Horticultural Society arranged a photoshoot with Ryan Jones and the daffodils with the fresh daffodils arriving on Wednesday, the day prior to the photoshoot. Although we are based at the Vale Hotel, where we actually “live” is loosely like a sports centre – with no glamour or glitz – and no vases to actually put the daffodils in. Cue the hunt for a suitable container – to the rescue: four coffee flasks.
The instructions from the RHS were to put them in cold water out of sunlight – myself and our media officer Simon followed this to the letter but when at home on Wednesday night fear kicked in: what if there was stale coffee caked in the flasks which turned the daffodils brown and made them wilt? Not the look the RHS were going for! To our delight (and relief) though the daffs were fresh as daisies (or daffs) the following morning and the hotel kindly provided a glass vase for the photoshoot – the flasks just wouldn’t have had the same effect!  Â
PS. I happened to be in Sergio Parisse’s eyeline during the after-match dinner on Saturday – I think I’m in love!
