Hi Team!

Well, the South African element in London is alive and kicking! I can attest to it first hand! I was also very surprised to see the healthy level of antipodeans enjoying themselves this weekend. I am not saying I didn't know they were there but the sheer volume is amazing. The little tell tale signs are the giveaway - the heavy accent, the groups eating, talking and laughing together and, refreshingly, the smiling.

We (The Newport fire-breathing dragons!) had a bye this weekend and, after some fitness work on the dunes, London was the place this weekend. I had a few things to do in the city on Friday and then spent both Friday and Saturday nights with friends. Friday we indulged in a great meal at a Spanish restaurant in Putney and a few beers at the Slug and Lettuce. After that it was on to a spot up the road (where the doorman was a really ordinary individual, lacking a smile - or anything for that matter - keep it up pal).

After a one o' clock final all that was left was a cab ride and a slightly erratic saunter up the road to where I was staying! That left enough room for quite a slow morning.

A rather fruitless search for a wedding shop with Debs ended with us having a superb meal (next to more South African accents) at a restaurant on the Kings Road. I linked up with some other rather tender friends and watched the rugby (England v Wales) at the M bar. M bar is a top spot and right on the river ...apparently the place to be for the Oxford/Cambridge boat race next weekend! I must decide who to back!

After a freshener we headed to the 'Puzzle' near Earlsfield station to listen to none other than varsity mate and soon to be global rock legend, Rick Funnel, and his awesome band, Firefly!!! Solid tunes and a good crowd were the catalysts for us to sink a few right amongst the South African representatives ! (again, landed right amongst all of the saffers!)

The last part of Saturday night was hilarious! We went to a Bollywood party at Natalie and Alex's flat in Wandsworth - loads of awesome costumes, Indian street trader accents and a lot of laughs! Thanks girls! (Although I don't envy you all cleaning up !). Costume of the day goes to Doug Bryant's mate in a full length Bengal tiger suit, brilliant !

It is understandable then that a supposed rip-roaring London Irish game on Sunday was actually very tame. I ran away early with my tail firmly between my legs! Unlike me, I know, but I am a sportsman after all guys! I couldn't have been any more exhausted if I had run to London and back!

A lucky and timely ninja-bomb (ninja-bomb : 'escaping without being detected' - like when ninjas in those old movies throw a ball on the ground to create a smoke filled room as they disappear) after an exciting game was the order of the day ... The fighting Irish only just went down to Bath. They played well on all fronts but couldn't stop the Bath forwards from scoring a 25 metre try that was the difference in the game.

Gary Gold has done very well with a side of few stars and would be a positive addition to any South African rugby set up.

Ok, thats me, back to training this week for a big match against the Celtic Warriors - Neil Jenkins' spirited Welsh side.... breathing down our neck on the log ...

Chat soon

Bob

Please note that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. We cannot even say whether he hates Gareth Cliff or not. We just don't know. - Editor

  
Happy birthday Monty!!

Just had a fantastic weekend! A good time all round but special for a few particular moments ... First of all the Newport Gwent Dragons were breathing fire on Friday night and managed to grab an away win against Munster at Thomond pak in Limerick! Just to qualify, they are past champions of Europe and have Christian Cullen at Full back and Jim Williams at no. 8

It was a tough hard-hitting, if unspectacular, game where we fluffed three or four early chances and then defended our way to a good win. I have to tell you that I was a complete idiot and forgot my passport at home! So I had to scream back to Cardiff from the club, and then drive all the way up to Birmingham to catch a plane that was, luckily for me, delayed due to snow on the runway! I almost missed it and was greeted to a chorus of whistles and chirps by the team when I was escorted across the tarmac out to the plane! ....will definitely be up for the prick of the month award!

After the win we had a very tasty Guinness -it is definitely outstanding in Ireland, the craic is good!

Special time number two was Saturday night when we had a surprise birthday for Monty. We had drinks at his house then all got into a 4X4 Limo (hilarious!), for a ride to go to dinner and clubbing in Bristol .Very over the top but we loved it! A couple of South Africans being shown around by the locals - great fun and probably too many beers led to a slow recovery today but getting better all the time! The whole thing was organised by Taz, Monty's lovely wife and we kept the secret from him till the last second. Please enjoy the spicey pics below, the limo can only be described as porno inside!

We have a lazy week this week with only two training days because we have a bye this weekend. I think the Heineken Cup semi finals are on so gonna get the training over and then head to London and take in the London Irish game on Sunday. St Paddy's day ...can't wait!

Looks like the boys are dominating in the Super Twelve, which I could watch but the coverage was and is very bad. I am really scouring the web to get any news ..I hope they rack up a few more wins before they get on the road. We are going to need some real confidence to beat Graham Henry's All Blacks....

I am off.... taking a trip through to West Wales to see a bit of the countryside. Its getting close to time to make a long term decision about staying here or moving clubs. I just want a bit of fresh air so I can weigh up all the pro's and cons.

have a good one , Bob

Please note that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. - Editor

  
Well I seem to be making progress! Now that I have a car I can make it to practice without having to constantly be directed. Combined with the fact that snow is not lying a foot deep on the ground I can really say that life is turning to relative normality!

I knew it was always going to take a bit of time to get used to things over here but I can safely say I am certainly starting to enjoy myself. The family, fiance and friends close by have been a great help. The local people have been really friendly and I have had loads of contact with folks back home. Just this weekend I had a trip to Glasgow as well as a trip to London! My folks came to visit and we all went to the France / Wales international at the Millenium Stadium. Awesome atmosphere and some great rugby!

Everything is happening so quickly and there seems to never be a dull moment. Well, not everything! The unfortunate thing was that on my trip to Glasgow we got absolutely smashed by a very ordinary home side that did not have to try very hard ... We had four tries against the run of play, two interceptions and two charge downs. It felt like we were not even on the pitch mentally and had made all our season's mistakes in one day ...very frustrating. I know we can get it together!

I am off to Ireland this weekend to play against a formidable Munster lineup. I am really looking forward to playing against Christian Cullen and Sean Payne who are both having good seasons. Another exciting opponent would be Jim Williams who plays Eight and captains the side.

I played off the bench this last game for about fifteen mins after the corked thigh. Nice to get a run again and the leg felt good so I am hoping to start this weekend. We need a few points from our away games to maintain our position as the top Welsh side in the Celtic league.

Now that our troublesome and Worldly editor is back from the Australian leg of his world domination tour, I hope we can get a bit of news on the goings on in Cape Town....

And maybe some of those models spotted at the famous paper chase could regale us with a few tales ....(cmon Dugga).

I need a bit of help dealing with finance over here! We seem about to be consumed by the 'latte factor', which is the seemingly insignificant little purchases that build up over time and eat into your budget! I have developed a constant, wary eye on the Rand / Pound.... I hope to get through a day without wondering what the rate is! I'm trying my best to think in a new currency.

Singing in the valleys ...

Skinny !

Cmon the fighting Irish !

Please note that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. Bob doesn't even know who Paris Hilton is, let alone her cinematic achievements. - Editor

Diary entry 3

On a bitterly cold saturday evening The Dragons romped home against a very spirited Ulster side... ! Ah the thrill of victory !

It feels good.... only problem was I was not playing! I came down ground with a thump last weekend and suffered a 'corked thigh' which is local speak for a lamey or dead leg. Basically a severely bruised leg. The coach said that i could play if I passed a fitness test. I wasn't even able to jog by Friday so I was left to watch the match from the grandstand. Disappointing 'cos the Ulster side is coached by Solly and Adrian Kennedy - two good friends. The side also counts my old team mate Rob Kempson and Warren Brosnihan amongst their international signings.

It was a really tough match and the boys were behind at half time and made a very good second half comeback (well , in the last ten minutes really) and scored two unanswered tries... Monty was man of the match again and has had to build an extra room for all the bottles of champagne he is getting ! He has been man of the match something like 7 out of 8 of the last games. He sure is playing some of his best rugby over here...

Debs arrived on Wed morning so I drove through to Heathrow to pick her up. I was able to bring her back to a big surprise... a snow covered Cardiff! It was freezing cold and she even got stuck in a snow storm in the first two days! Welcome home Honey! Not a great way to introduce your fiance to her new home! Debs has settled in very nicely and we are looking forward to living this side of the water.

We had dinner after the game with a few of the South Africans living over this side. Debs and I had Brad Macleod Henderson and his fiance, Julie, to stay - and then we were joined by Stefan Terblanche and Jackie. Fleckie and Frankie were staying with Monty and Tasmyn down the road. Andy Marinos and his wife hosted a big dinner at a Sushi and Noodles bar in Roath, a suburb in Cardiff. So much fun had by all!

It was awesome to see everybody and even Kempo and Bros, the Ulster boys, dropped in to have few beers with us. What a wonderful evening! Dale Jackson and Tracey were the real hosts 'cos Dale represented every single player at the table (www.prosportinternational.com) - not a bad effort 10 000 miles from home!

I am back on the park this weekend and get to head up to Glasgow to try and pick up the five points. We are currently leading the log and have our sights on winning the league... the race is starting to hot up so hold thumbs!!

I watched the Super Twelve games this weekend although the guys only gave limited coverage. I was really happy to see two nice wins! I do hope the boys can pick their heads up and bag a few points on their away trip before they come home !

Good luck to them and chat soon ..

Chilly Bob

Please note that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He has not even met Snoop Dogg. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. - Editor

Diary entry 2

Had a great time after the last game, very quiet on Saturday night then off to Bath after a shower for an afternoon/early evening with Fleckie at his new club. Beautiful surroundings and some good fun was had - Big thanks to the godfather, Spike Espy for the entertainment during the day and to Messrs Robertson, Furter and Edwards (Louis the fly) for the laughs in the evening...

Moving swiftly on..... I must ask the question....

Is there something in our food ?

I think there must be, at least it would explain the difference between us and the rest ...I know it is generalisation but it seems to be that the guys from South Africa are never willing to settle for second best, which I am convinced is a good thing ...

I discussed it at length with a couple of the boys this weekened ,(after a nice win against Llanelli , 15 -9 , thanks Monty ! ) and seemed to touch on a few things that they hadn't isolated before.

The little things that stand out are ...self belief, work ethic and willingness to try new things ... Maybe because we are already out of our familiar environment we don't mind throwing caution windward. But it doesn't stop there. Failure doesn't stop us from trying things again and believing in ourselves to get them right. Which brings me back to my question, are they feeding us something different when we are young, or were we different anyway?

I certainly don't believe the answer lies in our Pronutro, but I think I have an inkling of an idea. Maybe it was the way we were treated as kids? With a lack of pressure and stress attached to our play, I can't ever remember being told that something wasn't possible or achievable.

I didn't get given anything on a plate but was always afforded the belief that would help me to go and get what I wanted, or dreamed of ...
Achievement was greeted with warm praise but was never given the pride of place. Participation was mandatory, there was no real option of ducking out of anything ..

Maybe unfortunately, the youth in this culture (abroad) have so many other options to excercise, not many of which involve a competitive element and aren't really developing the youngsters to believe in him or herself and strive to be better ..I feel that this kind of environment breeds quitters and critics, who make it difficult for the others to rise above them. That, in turn, makes it easy to achieve a certain amount of success, fame or recognition and then be happy to stop there... Its something we will have to get out of the minds of the players if we want to be the kind of team that can win not only our league, but an even tougher league like the Heineken cup... Don't get me wrong, the guys here are fantastic, they have really accepted me/us and work hard at what they do. it's just that I feel if you don't aim for the stars, you won't even clear the trees .. Some may feel that the trees are high enough...

Anyway, I am trying to say with our attitude to training, each other and possibilities, we as Proud South Africans could be the best in the world...... I hope we allow the players and coach to mould the national team into just that.

This weekend was a great opportunity to get out into the town. Caspar Wolff and John Gammie, my father in law and best man to be (respectively) came up to watch my match and then we were lucky enough to watch the Welsh Dragons crush the Scots. Wow, singing in the streets and the pubs, singing in the stadium, red jerseys everywhere! I was even duped into buying a funny red hat !

The atmosphere was amazing at the Millenium stadium and the 70,000 people really got me in the mood to play international rugby again ... After a few beers at a local pub,The Prince of Wales, we finished off with a nice meal at a thai restaurant.

The surprise fitness session at Sunday a.m. training did not sit too well with the boys and I had a mix of Guinness and Garlic prawns to hold down, lovely !

Gotta fly, my Dad, Dr Skinner, has just arrived for a visit and is here before a little locum at Cambridge so got to put on a good performance!

Playing against Stefan Terblanche this weekend for the Neath/Swansea Ospreys, will tell you how we get on.

'til then ...

Bob

We would like to state that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. - Editor

Bob Skinstad gives us his first Welsh Diary entry

A big hello from over the water! So cold here in Cardiff that it's pretty much frozen my end of the lake!

I have been put up in a cracker of an apartment on the water in a new area called Cardiff Bay ..with a view of the yacht club and harbour. All I need is a flat-top mountain, some CapeAdsand I'll feel right at home!

Time has passed relatively quickly. I am missing my new fiance like crazy but the rugby side takes up enough time for me to leave being lonely to the evenings. This is probably a good explanation for me having seen more movies in two weeks than I did the whole of last year! I haven't had to drag myself to the worst ones because although the cinema is just five minutes up the road I went for the full Sky Digital package. I have settled nicely into a few screenings in their new movies catalogue...

There is a nice little local (UK-speak for pub) up the road and I have been up there on occasion to meet one or two of the boys in the team for an evening drink and thoroughly enjoyed it. The early closing time has certainly helped as morning wake ups are still in the dark (literally)...

My actual job here started last week and I played off the bench against Leinster and felt good on the field. I will probably do the same this week on Friday night against Llanelli. Llanelli are probably the stongest team in the Welsh league.... only til Friday night, if all goes well ;-)

Cardiff city centre is very High Street and makes it easy to adjust. I had imagined a more rural setting but it all seems to be pretty cool. Incidentally, I was treated to a fantastic steak at a little village near Newport (where I play) which was out of the top drawer and i will definitely be going back! The name escapes me but I must get it for you in case you're ever in the area.

It has been almost three weeks already and I am settling in well. I have seen a lot of Monty and Andy Marinos, both good friends and solid South African stock, who have made it easy to fit in....

Otherwise I can't help but feel frustrated at the situation back home and I am certainly one who is hoping things will pull together. I definitely still want to throw that jersey over my head .......

I will write and say how things are going, in the mean time keep smiling and chat soon

Bob

We would like to state that the only editorial on the site that Bob is connected to is this column. He does by no means agree or disagree with any other content on this site. - Editor