So, how was Wales’ World Cup opener for you? Did it involve some sneaky glances at the action on your phone or did you go for the full-throttle sickie? Dai Sport’s Harri Morgan pulled the old “working from home” routine, but now he’s packing his bags to be out there in person.
As opening gambits go, the “Shouldn’t you be at work?” line was a piece of genius from Des Lynam, as he welcomed viewers to coverage of England’s first World Cup football fixture of France ‘98 against Tunisia early on a Friday afternoon.
In a simple line he had captured the state of a nation, who had no doubt found excuses ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous in order to swerve other obligations to watch THE match. One does simply not miss a World Cup opener.
Fast forward 21 years, and the sentiment would have rung true for plenty of the Welsh workforce yesterday morning, who simply wouldn’t entertain missing their nation’s opening fixture of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Such has been the evolution of technology, Des’s rhetoric would now read, ‘Shouldn’t you be doing some work?’
Gone are the days of doctors’ papers. They have been craftily replaced by ‘working from home’, or at the more creative end of the scale, a meeting room for one at 11:15 for two hours booked under the guise of a strategy meeting.
My own attempts to multi-task, well, they vindicated everything that my other half has ever told me about my ability to engage productively in anything beyond a single task.
Prior to kick off, I had prepped myself for a nervy affair.
I could attempt to justify this with rugby-orientated logic. Georgia had run their Group D rivals close at the Principality Stadium in 2017. Then, there is the expectation that the underdog would lift themselves for the cliched ‘biggest game of their lives’ in a ‘shop window’.
The reality is that this was a coping mechanism.
Prepare yourself for the worst, so that if it does happen you are able to make sure any spontaneous expletives remain in a safe place. There is work frustration, and there is Welsh rugby supporter frustration – the latter probably gets you marched from the office.
As it played out, the only thing I had to suppress was the occasional fist pump, as Wales crossed the whitewash six times to notch up a comfortable opening win.
Whilst there probably wasn’t much tangibly gained from the solo strategy meeting of a certain Welsh supporting business bod, Warren Gatland would have been delighted with how the first leg of his own plan played out.
His front line players all felt the upside of sufficient time in the middle, without succumbing to the physical damage that might have jeopardised Wales’ chances for Sunday’s clash against Australia.
The Aussies themselves will have been delighted to have got the chocolates from their opening game against a tasty Fijian outfit, who will no doubt give me plenty more reason for nerves in Oita in two weeks’ time.
Anyway, time to return to the squad selection, as I finalise the perfect combination of Cotton Traders, Reebok and Under Armour jerseys for a two week jaunt to the land of the rising sun.
Anybody know the Japanese for ‘any spare tickets?’