Up close and personal with Namibia (16)
- 21 Sep 07, 01:12 PM
La Ciotat - Namibia may not be the most talented team at this World Cup but I鈥檇 wager they have one of the cosiest set-ups.
Situated in the town of , 20km from Marseille, their hotel has its toes dipped in the Med and is the sort of idyllic little place you鈥檇 plump for if you wanted to keep a mistress sweet.
Contrast this with Ireland鈥檚 HQ, a business hotel on the outskirts of and, if are to be believed, the scene of some disquiet.
Although coach Eddie O鈥橲ullivan has rubbished claims of disharmony in the Irish camp, exactly why many of the world鈥檚 top sides choose to stay in such soulless establishments remains a mystery.
Can Ireland鈥檚 players not be trusted in the belly of Bordeaux, hardly the world鈥檚 most hedonistic city? Is it really that much of a problem that they mix with their fans from time to time?
Back at 鈥檚 training ground in La Ciotat on Wednesday, the vibe could only have be more relaxed if the public address system had been piping out whale music.
And, having been shooed out of the All Blacks鈥 training ground in earlier that day, the chance to grab a few Namibians and act the goat proved irresistible.
Have a look at our from the front to see the tournament鈥檚 tallest (Nico Esterhuyse), heaviest (Marius Visser) and lightest (Heini Bock) players proving that you are allowed to muck about a bit from time to time, even if it is a World Cup.
Tommy and I head to later today, where we will be cheering on Namibia against Argentina on Saturday.
But tonight we鈥檒l try to get plumbed into a bar early for what promises to be the tournament鈥檚 first epic clash - between . Any campsite and bar suggestions are, as ever, welcome.
Much as it pains me to say it, I will be cheering for the hosts, purely because I shudder to think how the French public will react if their side fails to progress.
The bars of La Ciotat on Thursday night provided a glimpse of what might be, with Tommy and I forced to sit through a dubbed version of that smashing Irish comedy farce while Wales destroyed Japan on the other side.
All attempts to track down the game on Wednesday in Aix also proved fruitless, with the whole town seemingly rigged up to Marseille v Besiktas in the Champions League.
On Sunday, we head for where we will watch the Aussies take on Fiji and hopefully exchange a bit of banter with some Wallaby fans.
Having nothing to shout about on the sporting front, I feel a few rousing verses of that lovely old hymn 鈥淲e Get 10 Dollars to the Pound鈥 coming on.
Again, let us know the best places to head for a few sherberts before and after the game.
Levels of hygiene in The Bloggernaut have, I鈥檓 ashamed to say, hit a new low. So much so that when we brush it out at the end of October, we鈥檒l probably have enough dead skin and hair to build a whole new person.
Having failed to trouble the scorers so far on an amorous front, frustrations are beginning to mount in other areas.
The other day I spent five minutes nudging Tommy and getting him to look at a woman touching her toes in the park only to discover, when she pulled herself upright, that I鈥檇 been ogling the backside of a strapping chap.
By the way, does anyone know how to wipe your history from a laptop? Only joking bosses, although you might find it gets mysteriously smashed to bits on the ferry over from Calais鈥
Ben Dirs is a 成人论坛 Sport journalist travelling around France in a camper van with Tom Fordyce.
Comments Post your comment
Oh.....dear....lord......
My licence fee going on a euro jolly makes me think, somewhat jelously, good luck to you boys, money well spent! But the inference that you're spending the time downloading "Art house" images and the ensuing "protein shake" is too much!
Really enjoying the blogg gents, keep up the good work - it's a heady mix of culture, rugby, and the loneliness of the long distance blogger..... Nice also to see the Namibians doing a good PR job for the world of rugby, good luck to them!
Complain about this comment
Think the Irish team had originally been scheduled to stay in The Radisson in Bordeaux but its still being built!!!! Superb planning there.....
Complain about this comment
Dirsy, before erasing the history from your laptop screen, i suggest you clean it first with some tissues.
Complain about this comment
Dirsy, before erasing the history from your laptop screen, i suggest you clean it first with some tissues.
Complain about this comment
We are travelling to Marseille for the quarter finals weekend. Having spoke to every campsite in the area around Marseille, they are all fully booked. you may have more luck now though.
But at the quarters i am proposing that we take over an area of Marseille just for motorhomes! and build a scarecrow from all dead skin that we have all collected, that will ward off any unsavoury characters.
Complain about this comment
Enjoying the blogs guys, keep them coming! A+
Things must be getting desperate Ben if you've already resorted to eyeing up some chaps rump - got to try harder on the "amorous" front!!!! D-
Complain about this comment
dirsy you're a genius! no idea what i'm going to do without your sparkling humour when the rugger's over and there's no cricket.
your laptop issue sounds rather similar to my own experience when i had to explain away the sites i got into trouble for viewing when I innocently typed "leather gifts" into google when looking for a present for the mrs for our 3rd wedding anniversary (leather, I'm led to believe, is the modern gift type - as opposed to glass in the traditional sense - you're supposed to give for the 3rd anniversary).
what's the update on the phantom pooper on the bloggernaught?
Complain about this comment
Mr Dirs
Can I please have a report on the quality of grass at Namibia's training ground. Is it as high a standard as the grass at the New Zealand training area. I need to know this otherwise I may shed a tear into my pint this evening.
Complain about this comment
Nah tissues will ruin the Screen and the world cup has a few weeks to go so plenty of time to find a solution eh!!
And as for tonights game well any bar will do surely!!! atmosphere will be great where ever you are in France tonight, and you may get lucky with an over amourous French beauty when they win...!! hopefully not the beauty you were giving the once over to in the park mind!!!
Complain about this comment
Monsieur Dirs,
Astonished to note that the Campion website doesn't have you included on the list of famous former pupils.
What more can you do - short of holding up a french building society!!
Or have we already had someone included for a similar heist??
In St Etienne next saturday for the big game so hope the bloggernaut is in town.
Keep up the good work and and let us know if you want us to bring Tom out a clean vest
Complain about this comment
Glad to see the gang keeping spirits high abroad. Back home (ladies aside) ignominy has quietened even the most resolute of us Englishmen
Complain about this comment
Please to hear you were enjoying the delights of La Ciotat.
Back at school I chose French which led to a 2 week student exchange, surprise, surprise on the lovely Med at La Ciotat: shame the view was spoilt by massive shipbuilders yard. I'm sure you chose double Physics with Mrs Harrop!
Complain about this comment
Mr D
Cheering on Les Blues and not Les Verts!!! Gutted ... absolutely gutted. Whose Tommy getting behind?
Complain about this comment
Loving the blog and videos, but the Twenty20 coverage isn't the same without you!
re the Internet history...
Go to Tools > Internet Options >General tab. Third box down is History - click Clear History.
I'd delete the Temporary Internet Files too, just in case you've accidently visited some special interest sites researching what kind of grass teams are on....
Complain about this comment
Bushfighter - the news from la toilette de 'Naut is not good. Dirsy gave it the full wallops with a truckful of bleach yesterday morning, but already it's reeking again like the streets of Rotorua. Both of us swear we haven't "fait une poo-poo", but it appears - to quote Ben's favourite group Abba - "one of us is lying"...
Stuart - the grass at Namibia HQ was a touch on the dry side, approx 3cm in height and the colour of Celtic's hoops. I'd give it 7/10.
Bill McJock - thanks for the clean vests offer, but I should be fine with the two I've got - only four more weeks to go, after all. Although now Ben's started wearing the emergency one I'd stashed in the tool-box (see our latest video) I am getting a touch concerned. Might you have a spare?
Tez - I'll be supporting Ireland, mainly because hundreds of second cousins would be in tears if I didn't. Biggup the Mitchelstown massive.
Complain about this comment
hoping to see[and smell] the bloggernaut in the flesh,in marseilles[ for q/f,s.]we,re on a father and son 5 day cultural tour of the old seaport and need remendations as to the best boozer for pre-match sherberts and post-match viewing
of the other q/f,s .
dirsy could also use some advice on the
whereabouts of the finer fleshpots.all reccomendations gratefully received and treated with utmost confidence.
keep up the good work lads
Complain about this comment