Are we there yet?

1st chance to take stock and post on here and can't beleive what we've done in such short time. Didn't sleep on 2nd flight so am pretty tired but it's a crazy tour. We got into Auckland and met our guide Gappa and then flew a 33 seater to New Plymouth. With only a few other passangers on the flight we soon took over with our own waitress service and by the end of a short flight we had the driver ribbing us and everyone knew who we were.
We were arseing about on the runway and then as we walked into the reception (it was about the size of Pembrey airport) I could see what I thought was a busker. It turned out to be a primary school teacher with a full load of kids who put on a great performance of singing and dancing including the 1st haka of tour. It was very impressive and we were quite blown away. We gave them a crap version of Sospan fach and handed out some keyrings and stuff.
We met our other guide Marshy who played for Taranaki until he hurt his shoulder. Him and Gappa are huge and want to play for us, doubling our pack weight in 1 go. We got a free coat and got on board our 'flower power' bus. Drove to Palmerston North and watched the Lions put 100 points on Manawatu. Glanaman boy Shane Williams got a new try record and we got the flag on tv for a bit.
Not everyone made it out but your intrepid reporter made sure he was there for research puporses. Its a very student town so although not very big had plenty of bars and clubs open late. We lost Louie for a bit which was nice, and we took over a bar which was literally four walls a DJ and sawdust floor. Some of the boys ended up in a dance off with some of the locals and I eventually came in 4:00am which is a great way to see off jet lag.
yesterday we got the tour started properly with the usual kangeroo kourt, t shirts, tour slave etc etc. Visited the NZ rugby museum and gave them a badge, they were actually quite interested. A Welsh bloke in another party spotted a letter he'd sent last time he was in NZ with a 1st day cover of the Welsh triple crown, on display. we stopped and embarrased ourselves at a local park with a training run and then visited the Tui brewery. highlight was getting boys to pose for photos in a bed with a cardboard cut out woman, blackmail letters to follow!
Quick pub lunch and then drove to Masterton. We had a few (more) beers and met former All Black, Buck Williams who was capped alongside former NZ coach John Mitchell.
Thursday: Good kangeroo court followed by Choir practise in Big Als room. game against carterton this afternoon. Selection issues now with 3 extra players and Louie promising places in the team in return for bribes. We have a small band of supporters with us, a jock another taff and a couple of kiwis, one of whom is also going to play. Gullibles travels are also staying here and some of them may come and watch. The main tv station are going to come and film some of the tour and there was a small bit in the local paper about our game today. Plenty of stories but we are paying for this by the minute.

Swm mae
well we've been travelling for 20 odd hours and we are now about half way to NZ, just an internal flight abd a 21/2hr bus ride to go
It was a pretty good flight but hard work staying awake to get on NZ time. Lewis was giving us minute by minute progress reports on how long we had left on the plane which was fun. Tour slogan to date is 'are we there yet' a few other Lions supporters about, mainly Welsh of course, time to send in the cavalry. I can't beleive Martin Williams isn't in the team, he's definatley one of the top 2 open sides in Britain. . . . and I wasn't available. Woody looks an idiot now so thats good. Haven't seen team for Manawatu game yet but really it looked like poor coaching of the front 5 that cost the Lions the 1st test. Didn't Henry love it.

thanks to all those who sent good luck messages. Rhodri, that year was spent watching you and Dave argue with each other whilst Anthony argued with everyone else and I was cool personified, honest! quick pint and plane to Auckland

Ar Taith/On tour

Ar Daith/On tour

Tour party ready for the off

Polo shirt badge

the closer you get the better you look (babe)

Well we’ve had the final meeting and almost everything is all set up now for the off. Last night passports were handed in and boots were inspected. (NZ customs are apparently very worried about BSE or such like getting into the country). The official tour party photo was taken and most of the kit was given out. Whilst not quite up to Lions standards, the Warriors full tour package will include:
Red Polo shirt with official badge (see photo)
Blue ‘Scarlets’ polo shirt
Shower jacket
Official tour tie (if they come in time)
Shirt
‘Drinking’ t shirt
Name badge
2 CDs of ‘rugby songs’ (inc As long as we beat the e**lish, Yellow submarine, Arglwydd dyma fi, Saturday night at the movies etc)
Official Warriors song book
Tour bag (big)
Tour bag (small)
Tour book (inc player profiles in the form of top trump)
Disposable camera (hopefully)
Various keyrings and other assorted nick nacks.
There are also two flags, a lap top, a video recorder, set of Warriors top trump cards, yellow jersey (for tour leader), tour slave costume, two full team kits and four rugby balls.


Whilst we won’t meet til Sunday, I’m sure most will feel like me once you finnish work on a Friday that’s it. At least a few of us will be meeting in the Caprice in town to watch the 1st test between e**ngland, oops, sori Lions and New Zealand.
Woody has totally gone against his word and picked on reputation not form.
Hardly anyone has had a good tour, Lewsey springs to mind, the Welsh boys have been no worse and often much better than those included. You can understand O’Driscoll keeping his place as captain but how Dawson, Hill, Wilkinson, Greenwood, Robinson, Thompson, grewcock etc are in the test 22 infront of Shane bach, Shanklin, Henson, Cusiter, Shaw, Easterbey, Martyn Williams etc is quite incredible. Gareth Cooper finally got a start this morning against Southland but was taken off just after half time FFS (review). On top of that there is talk on Golden Jonny playing center despite the fact he’s played hardly any rugby in 2 years and looked out of touch in his one game on tour to date. There I was thinking it was going to be hard to decide who to support. COME ON NEW ZEALAND.

Right, all I have to do now is finish the tour book for photocopying, sort out my money, buy badges and some stuff to present opposition teams with, check out the t shirt production, clean my boots again, find my clothes, pack, finish the CD covers, deflate some rugby balls, make sure the kits are washed and a couple of other bits and I’m all ready.

wait for us...

The tour is now well underway and the Lions suffered their 1st defeat this morning when they fell to the Moari.
The time is starting to drag for us waiting to go out although from tomorrow I will at least be able to say "week Sunday" whenever anyone asks when are you going.

Preparations apart from the money and stuff now include getting kit together. So far we have secured a large kit bag, 2 polo shirts and a 'drinking' t shirt, a coat and a massive Welsh flag which is having 'Rhyfelwyr Llanelli Warriors' printed on it. The badge for the polo shirt is really smart and I'll try and put it on here when I have one.
We have also put together a pack of Warriors top trumps which will double as player profiles for the tour book and a song book is nearly complete. I’ve raided the song books from Gwald and Lions-tour web sites and a previous Betws tour book. It will have about 100 songs so we should manage to hold our own in that department. The rugby side is worrying me slightly as we have had a easy end of season and that was a while ago. The sides we face are going to really want to win which isn't something we face a lot so we'll have to be up for it.

As far as the Lions go todays defeat will be a big blow. In all four matches to date the breakdown has been terrible and Woodentop is not doing well as head coach. Everyone knows New Zealand have good back row but it’s not so much individuals as not committing enough players to secure good ball. Even a player of martyn Williams quality was made to look bad by this tactic this morning. Still am enjoying these Saturday am breakfasts in the pub.
The test side begins to take shape. Lewsey (15), Peel (9), O’Connell (2nd row) and Gethin Jenkins (1 or 3) look likely starters alongside O’Driscoll in the center but you can read about that in more depth elsewhere on the net; yur or yur or gwlad.
I would pick: Lewsey, Thomas, O’ Driscoll, Henson, Shane Williams, Jones, Peel, Jenkins, Byrne, White, O Connell, A N Other, Hill, Corry, Martyn Williams. A strong Welsh bias of course and I would have taken a few more Cymry in the 1st place but thee we are. I expect Woody to go for Robinson before Shane (Cos of his size advantage !!??!), Pop up Thompson at hooker and Golden Jonny W at 10. Martyn Williams might miss out and the back 3 has lots of options.

The next Warriors event is a Barbie at Lee the Moles tomorrow where I will bring up the sensitive subject of a training session before we fly out. I might not be in the best shape however as Betws presentation night is tonight. I don’t expect anything but abuse and a very early morning finish so am looking forward to that. Hope Wales manage another good win this evening against canada. I'm sure last weeks demolition of the USA helped Ryan Jones get his call up for the Lions. I don't think he'll get much game time but it will be good experience for him.