Fans
Fan Diary
Our team in France will be keeping us up to date on their tour de France as they follow the England team through the highs and lows of their World Cup campaign.
Send me your photos if you would like to feature in the RWC Fan Gallery.
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9th September
Well, England were rubbish but we’ve had a great weekend. Since we arrived in France on Friday, we’ve soaked up the atmosphere that is engulfing the nation and there’s rarely been a time when we haven’t had a drink in our hands.
The disappointment at England’s performance was matched by the fact that no alcohol was served in the stadium, and the bars wanted nearly £4 for an alcohol-free beer. We made up for it after the game though (and before) and as far as England are concerned, a win is a win and we are currently top of Pool A! Enough cause for celebration as we look forward to the showdown with South Africa on Friday.
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14th September
Here we are in Paris and we are almost as nervous as if we were playing tonight. The atmosphere is building and the sense of occasion is amazing - although I’m not sure why, it could be as one-sided as NZ v Portugal!
We’re off for a big lunch and a few beers to steady the nerves, then we’ll make our way towards the stadium and take in the sights. I wonder if England can achieve what Argentina managed last week at the same stadium. Fingers crossed!
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17th September
We’ve actually returned to England today as despair set in following England’s useless display on Friday. We will head back over to Nantes later in the week ready for the Samoa match, and hopefully we’ll see a decent game. Sometimes it’s rubbish being an England fan.
I’ve put some of the photos in the RWC Fan Gallery and although the rugby was very disappointing, you can see that we still had a good weekend, and we even befriended some Springbok fans. Even though there is no love lost between the teams on the field, there was no trouble whatsoever in the crowd and people just seemed to be enjoying the occasion.
With Tonga beating Samoa, the race for the runners-up spot is definitely on. We need a much improved performance against Samoa if we are to progress, and the news that Toby Flood has been called up is very welcome. He shouldn’t have been left out in the first place!
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24th September
Another nail-biting weekend as an England fan, but some encouraging signs against Samoa and we are all set for a crucial showdown with Tonga next Friday.
This was the best weekend yet of our RWC tour, and possibly the most drunken. We met up with some other friends who had come out for the game dressed as superheroes - you may have seen them on TV after the game - and the drinks flowed all day.
Apart from the match, a highlight was a ten-a-side of full contact rugby against some Frenchmen outside the ground after the game. It was slightly brutal, but we restored English pride with a 3 try to 1 victory!
So now back to Paris where we will spend the week worrying about the Pacific Islanders that stand in our way of a quarter final. Four years ago, I never thought I’d be concerned about playing Tonga!
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4th October
I am posting this so long after the event because I have only just recovered from a fantastic weekend in Paris.
This time, we were dressed as 5 frenchmen and a giant whoopee cushion, that standard combination, and England gave us a few reasons to celebrate. I never thought we’d be raising a glass to Paul Sackey, but after his two tries we raised more than one.
With slightly heavy heads on the Saturday, a long lunch was in order before celebrating again - this time it was Scotland’s narrow victory and Wales packing their bags after a pulsating match against Fiji.
It’s Thursday now and we’re feeling bright again before heading to Marseille for the quarter finals, slightly concerned that Australia could prove a step too far for the (very slowly) improving England side.
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8th October
God save YOUR gracious queen, long live YOUR noble queen…
Nothing like singing that to an Aussie after we beat them in the World Cup, again. What a day in Marseille. When the temperature hit 30 degrees with no sign of the rain on Saturday afternoon, we were slightly concerned.
It was a tense hour and a half as the picture below will tell you, but our boys showed you don’t need rain to beat Australia, you just need a Sheridan.
The only one not rejoicing about England’s victory is my liver - our trip continues! I fancy our chances against France now that we have the best pack in the world again!
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17th October
Once again it has taken us a while to recover from another weekend of gripping England supporting. Strangely, throughout the semi-final on Saturday, even when we trailed with 10 minutes to go, something told us that Jonny was going to step up.
The funniest thing about being at the Stade de France was seeing a whole block of New Zealand supporters that had paid 4 grand for semi-final and final tickets! There was a similar block of Aussies next to them. Needless to say we gave them a jeer for their teams only doing as well as Fiji, and needless to say they were supporting the French.
So now we look forward to the final push for glory in the unlikeliest of World Cups. We are lucky enough to have tickets again, and let’s hope we can see the boys retain the Cup. Swing Low!
Have a look at our two ITV appearances on the Clips page!
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22nd October
England’s World Cup dream came to an end in Paris on Saturday, as did our epic journey following the boys. We had to change plans so many times - never did we expect England to be in the final!
From where we were sitting, it looked like Cueto had scored and we were back in the game. However, the pictures in the Sunday papers showed that the TV ref had actually got it right, but apparently he didn’t have that evidence on hand and maybe got lucky with his decision.
Regardless, the World Cup final was a tremendous occasion. The best team won, and we partied long into the Paris night, drinking side by side with our new South African friends. It’s testament to the values of rugby that not one arrest has been made throughout the World Cup, and fans from every nation have celebrated the occasion with each other throughout.
Roll on 2011.
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World Cup 2007 – a rugby symphony in seven weekends
By Tom Innes, ex-rugby player and fan, veteran of 2003, enthusiastic singer and professional drinks bore.
WEEKEND ONE
Saturday September 8
Location: Lens – England v USA (day-trip)
Tour cast (mostly Old Freemen’s RFC except where stated): Tom, Tony Innes (Dad), Bob, Jake and Barney Davies, James Tremaine, Roger Seymour, Woll and Linda Hammond, Peter Brooks, Ronnie Gummer, David Richardson, Max and Russell Elrick, ‘Squirrel’ and Edward Suttle, Nick from work.
Highlights: hearing the France v Argentina score while at cricket club dinner on the Friday night; playing rugby on the Eurotunnel shuttle train; lightning service at the Artois pub in Lens for first beer of World Cup; Brooks upending the contents of a table onto floor of pub.
Low points: England fail to score after 48th minute; discovering that the Amstel Free beer in the grounds was called that not because it was gratis, but because it was non-alcoholic.
WEEKEND TWO
Friday September 14
Location: Paris – England v South Africa
Cast: Tom, Kate Adams (my other half, also claimed by Jersey RFC), Kate’s bro Rob and his pal Andy, Bob, Jake, Clare, Barney and Jolie Davies, Dave Harwood, Squirrel and his brother Tricky and ex-uni pal Tim Lander, Woll and Linda, Roger, Nick and mates, Tom Haywood, Tim Blyth and gang.
Highlights: arrival on Thursday at great hotel in Montmartre and seizing the microphone from singer at nearby Corsican restaurant; taking residency at the Bombardier pub – great beer; Jake and Barney being told off by gendarmes for climbing tree outside La Pleine Stade de France RER station; crackling build-up to game, singing on the train and loud anthems with huge England support.
Low points: The match; being only the fifth team in world cup history to score nil points; our only good player apparently ending his career with a hamstring injury – here’s to you.
WEEKEND THREE
Saturday September 22
Location: Nantes – England v Samoa
Cast: Tom, Kate, Jake, Barney, Bob, Dave, Theo Van Dort, Nick Oliver, Ian Nickoll and Liam Crellin, Jez & Jackie and Mary & Steve from Jersey; Tim Lander with tour relatives James and Bernard.
Highlights: a superb week’s holiday on the west coast with Davies and Harwood clans starting the day after the SA game; Friday night street party in Nantes during and after France v Ireland; first decent England performance of the tournament; scoring tour hats at William Webb Ellis pub; Theo and pals pack entire world cup into 36 hours, with predictably messy consequences; a friend of one of Jersey RFC’s major sponsors standing on a bin to lead ‘Jerusalem’ and having his shoelaces set on fire; telling a ‘drunk’ England fan – he’d had five pints at the ground – that the beer was non-alcoholic.
Low points: missing the last tram on Friday night and having to walk 7km back to our digs with not a taxi in sight; trying to get Nick from the pub to the tram stop at 0130 on Sunday; having to go home to England, and work, on the Sunday/ Monday.
WEEKEND FOUR
Friday September 28
Location: Paris – England v Tonga; and Surrey
An off-weekend, a decision made before this game attained such pivotal status in Group A. Watched the game with the folks in Betchworth; followed by Saturday night trip to Old Freemen’s to watch home game v Old Amplefordians. Good day featuring lots of spectators and 1967 reunion lunch, but poor display by OFs, losing 10-17. At least England won and played reasonably well, and we got to see the end of Wales v Fiji on Saturday.
WEEKEND FIVE
Saturday October 6
Location: Marseilles – England v Australia; and Jersey
Cast: Tom, James T, Chugger, Relative, Beechy, Winchy, Jon Reece, Theo, Anthony Van Dort, Ben Bartlett, Jon Harmsbody, Farm, Peter Tennent, JB, Russell, Steve Winslet, Steve Acton, Alex Tribick, Gibbsy, Nigel Miers, Irish and Richard Turk. And Kate (organiser).
Another weekend spent away from the World Cup having decided to maintain appearances at Jersey ‘Super Tens’ vets tournament.
Highlights: being on tour, including stories of which the telling might constitute breach of tour rules; swimming in the sea; delirious happiness of watching England beat Australia in a thriller; second outbreak of delirious happiness in six hours as France beat NZ – “four more years boys, four more years”; excitable swapping of text and phone message with those people we knew out in France; late celebrations at the Royal Yacht Club and back at the Marina Hotel.
Low points: performance of OF team, including woeful defeats by Farnborough and Wimborne, and slightly more respectable showing against Rennes (but also lost). 2008 = the no-excuses dream-team tour.
WEEKEND SIX
Saturday October 13
Location: Paris – England v France
Cast: Tom, Kate, Bob, Clare, Roger, Rad Montgomery and his pal Stuart from Jersey.
Highlights: the free croissants, Buck’s Fizz and queue-jumping on the Eurotunnel courtesy of Flexi-Plus tickets; another amazing display from our team – WE’RE IN THE FINAL!!!; predictably wild celebrations post-match at Au Vieux Chatelet, with the French fans and band partying on in spite of the defeat; more singing on the 0403 nightbus back to Place de Clichy.
Low points: these have been almost airbrushed out by the euphoria of victory; although wasn’t feeling too clever on the Sunday morning – when I can’t face food I know it’s bad.
WEEKEND SEVEN
Saturday October 20
Location: Paris – England v South Africa – Rugby World Cup Final 2007
Cast: Tom, Kate, Bob, Squirrel, Stuart ‘Slasher’ Underwood, James T and his pal Andy King, Harwood, Matt Bennion, Grant and Cheryl Holmes, Tim Blyth, James Reece and pal, Tim Lander (we almost saw him), Cliff Chipperfield and pal Ben from Jersey; Jamie Robinson and crew from Esher RFC (in a taxi!)
Highlights: the sheer excitement of going to the final, fuelled by generous quantities of champagne en route; the successful obtaining of enough tickets; the slow build-up outside the ground; Cliff buying 10 pairs of gloves for everyone; continuing the fiesta back at Chatelet after the game; Bob making friends with South Africans on the 0333 nightbus; an especially good cheese and ham omelette on the Sunday morning.
Low points: well we did lose, just, and they deserved to win, just; the sheepish Springbok fans after the game, most of whom wouldn’t have said ‘boo’ to a goose, let alone an England fan; the French train strike, which played havoc with everyone’s plans to meet up and get to the ground; Grant and Cheryl discovering they had dud tickets, being refused entry, and having to buy more; Bob’s evacuation of his constitution on Sunday morning; lack of toilets on the return train shuttle.
SUMMARY
It was a horse of a tournament. The rugby may not have been of the flowing, try-scoring variety during the knock-out stages, but if your team was involved, it was gripping. The French hosting and hospitality was impressive – they even had a page of English news in their sports daily paper, L’Equipe and wherever you went the next source of fun and laughter was never far away. Logistically it seemed a harder tour to organise than in 2003, but in the end it was most definitely worth it, and the ‘follow England to the semis’ packages we bought on November 4, 2005 yielded more fruit than we could ever have imagined.
I would say: “Roll on New Zealand 2011” but am not sure that I really fancy it. Either the Blacks will produce the mother of all chokes, on home soil, and someone will lamp me for laughing at them, or they’ll finally win it after 24 years and be unbearable. Maybe we’ll go to France and watch it in bars on TV?
If you would like to send me any content, like Tom sent me this report, please email me at james@therugbyblog.co.uk
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fanny posted on October 11, 2007:
hy boys!! oh my God what beautifull faces you have! it’s a sign, France will win!!! and why does not the picture of his backside be here? too much isn’t it? kisses from france!fanny