Rugby, sausages and Italian sunshine in blackpropaganda

By 7 pm yesterday we were emotionally drained. The result of watching three international rugby matches, one after the other, on the last day of the Six Nations competition. Basically England, Wales or Ireland could win the championship if they beat the teams they were playing - France, Italy and Scotland - and had a better points difference score than their rivals.
Wales set it all up by walloping Italy with a large score - and Ireland had to beat Scotland by well over twenty points - they made it 30. So England had to score 26 more points than France to beat the Irish. There were a fantastic number of tries as the teams went all out for a big victory - in the end it came down to the last two minutes of the final game where England only had to score a converted try (7 points) to get the championship - and they were camped on the French line - and they failed. Ireland won!

Now, you might say, as an Englishman, you must have been mightily disappointed - but I rejoiced. For years I have hated the hubris of English players, and commentators and pundits - they always seem they are God’s gift - they deserve to win because they are English. When the lose they were unlucky - when they win they were magnificent. Well, it ain’t necessarily so!
So well done to the Irish who were wonderful, bad luck to the Welsh - and thanks a lot to the French who lost the match but made me very happy!

But drained - however I was able to make my vineyard sausage dish - chopped onions in a large dish - six big pork and leek sausages on top surrounded by small potatoes - a good slurp of red wine - stock - and red grapes crushed and in bunches and olive oil over the sausages - 50 minutes in the oven turning the sausages over half way - and it is a great way of feeling better after the matches - with a glass of red wine of course.

Then to finish with an episode of Inspector Montalbano which we have seen before - but love for the Italian food and sunshine - and humour.

What a day