Two busloads of supporters from our hotel left London for Cardiff at 8.30am Saturday morning, many dressed in green and gold and all very excited about the day to come. As we drove along the M5, many Aussie supporters waved to us from their cars, and at a servo about halfway along the route, we were amazed to see at least 20 busloads en route to the game. What a day it was going to be!!
Then Cardiff itself was awash with colour – the red and white of the Welsh (even the gardens had been planted in red and white!) and our own green and gold. The atmosphere in the streets was magic – a moving mass of Aussies and Welsh with a smattering of Kiwis, Argentinians and South Africans.
To walk into the stadium was a rugby tragic’s dream come true – felt even more during the singing of the anthems and the kick-off. Later, the singing of ‘Land of our Fathers’ made the hair on the back of the neck stand up. It took a while for the Aussies to respond (we don’t seem to have anything to sing spontaneously on these occasions) but ‘Waltzing Matilda” did finally echo around the ground.
The game had 2 distinct halves. In the first Australia looked like World Cup winners, but in the second lacked intensity which allowed Wales back into the game. Berrick Barnes had a great debut and Stirling Mortlock and Chris Latham were outstanding. The forwards played well generally but there are still some problems in the scrum.
The Wallabies lap of honour following the game was a genuine acknowledgment of their supporters…. A great moment with more to come in the following weeks.
One thing that really stood out for all of us was the graciousness of the Welsh spectators before, during and after the game. We saw some spectators compliment nearby Aussies on the singing of the anthem. After the game, as we walked through the city, we were congratulated on the outcome. One elderly gentleman just wanted to tell us that he liked Aussies and that his son-in-law was Australian.
And inevitably there was the meeting of Mudgee people. We were delighted when Michelle Witheriff who has been living in London for some 7 years, tapped Ross on the shoulder. Ross also met Brian Burnett, a former team mate from playing days for Sydney University after 35 years.
Can't wait to see what the game in Montpellier will bring.
