Having spent a week under flapping canvas on a cliff top on the Pembroke coast my body has learned to ignore the insistent drumming of rain. It is therefore in no mood to react with alacrity to the consciousness that we have to be off site by eight if we are to stand a reasonable chance of making it to Sunbury before kick off. We make it by nine.
Bizarrely Cardiff is the mid point of our homeward journey. We stop to find hordes of rugby supporters heading for the second England Wales friendly. I haven’t even caught up with the first one yet but hear that Delon acquitted himself well and may even be challenging Flood for the 15 shirt when the World Cup gets under way.
There is just time to dump all the camping equipment on the living room floor refill the tank with go-go juice and take Minimonk for a Macdrivethru. It is bang on three o’clock when we swing into Sunbury. I arrive pitch side just in time to see Jarvis open the score for Irish.
Although I have more or less been keeping track of the departures and summer signings, in the up close and personal surroundings of Sunbury there are lots of faces I do not recognise. At least Tom Homer is easy to spot at full back. Has he been working out? He is looking very much the senior player now alongside the fresh young talent that continues to feed through the Academy.
There is an unsympathetic pass to Bob’s ankles. These are a long way down for the big fella who is still using his forward momentum to regain his balance when he is tackled and falls heavily on his right elbow. His ole mucker Nick Kennedy subs him, but like Roche who started is wearing 4. This leads to a minor divertissement amongst the spectators, but little confusion since they are wearing their trademark scrum caps, red for Kendo and green for Roche. Meanwhile Welsh make a foray into our half. Irish are looking the more effective, but Welsh are definitely up for it. Another penalty is kicked by Jarvis to make him our 100% nailed on kicker with 2 from 2 after 15minutes.
Any thought that Welsh would simply roll over is dispelled when their prop Bateman powers over and puts his team ahead 6-7. While the extras are being added James Tideswell is substituted for Welsh. Not for the first time I am confused. This could be sleep deprivation so I check. No, he is not on loan, he has moved. The same better not be true for Jack Moates, I have sponsored him this season. Nope, our academy scrum half is definitely playing for Welsh.
Back at the match Irish have a penalty in the red zone. Tap and go? Too late, the moment passes. In the corner? Scrum? Marland, realising there is no space down the blind side has crossed to centre and in a training ground move allows the Welsh drift defence across to cover the far wing, steps inside and is in under the posts.
Thumping man and ball tackle bisects our new number 6 Ed Siggery who cannot have appreciated the hospital pass that reached him a microsecond before the tackler. Play continues with Irish by and large having the better of the possession. Marland signals for a cut out pass and almost gets on the end of it. If Yarde is getting more than his share of name checks it is not just that his dreds make him easy to spot, he is actually having a good game.
There is another missed opportunity when Brian Blaney is clear for the line. It happens so rarely that a hooker finds himself clear through the ruck, still on his feet and still with the ball there is a sympathy vote to let him carry on and score. The ref however rightly pulls him back for an earlier crossing offence.
Welsh take advantage of the field position gifted by the penalty to make it 2 converted tries from 2 visits to our 22. This is the other end of the pitch to my vantage point so I cannot give you any more details, but I am sure it was a jolly fine try. The important thing is we are 1 point adrift again. The Welsh continue to pressurise us and look like they may extend their lead when they are awarded a long range kick just before half time.
It goes wide, but this traditional pre-season opener is going the way of previous years. The Championship side are well up for it against their Premiership partners. The form book suggests the visitors will fade in the second half. It is however a foolish (and broke) punter who puts his money on the form.
I wander off with Minimonk to browse the merchandise tent. Can I point out here that the rapid turn around chez Monk means that I am here in mufti? My public will have to wait a little longer before being treated to my new ensemble. I am wearing my Jarrod Cunningham memorial shirt as much in solidarity for Joost as in memory of the player we lost to Motor Neurone Disease.
The official merchandise is doing a brisk trade. Mini choses a standard premiership home shirt whilst I go for the more retro hoops of the Heineken cup version. The green is a shade darker than earlier shirts. I like the fact that the sponsorship is for the most part woven, giving the whole garment a quality feel to it. But back to more important things: The teams are back out.
Marland distinguishes himself again after the break. Like the Welsh try in the first half I did not get a good view on account of them having swapped ends at half time. Shingler adds the extras from the touch line. Welsh almost respond from the restart but we are saved by their knock on.
Topsy is on; I didn't see who came off, possibly Anthony Watson. Irish are continuing to look dangerous but Welsh will not roll over. They are less than a converted try adrift and up in the Irish 22. A good steal at the lineout relieves the pressure, but we give away a penalty which they put in the corner. When Jack Moates goes under the posts for Welsh I am thinking what is my protégé doing scoring tries against us? Anyhow back to the game, luckily Shingler adds a penalty to ease Irish ahead 23-21
Just in case anyone was under the impression this was a friendly, it only took a second marginal decision to go against us for handbags. This results in a punch spotted by Sir who hands a yellow card to Welsh and the ball to Irish. The penalty is missed. Fortunately Topsy finds a gap soon after and threads through to score the final try of the match. When it is converted the ref declares no side and blows the whistle with the score London Irish 30, London Welsh 21.
I hang around still trying to put names to faces with the new players. Last season we made very few changes. We were not able to improve on, or even match our achievements of previous seasons where we made the Premiership final or the Heineken Cup semi. Perhaps being bold this time around will prove more effective. The coming months will tell.