Scarlet Fever Llanelli Rugby Sport Wales Tickets Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > RUGBY > AWAY GAMES / TRIPS
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - *** Con Air Paris Tour Report***
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login


*** Con Air Paris Tour Report***

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>
Author
Message
gofer88 View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 30 November 2011
Location: Cardiff
Status: Offline
Points: 1898
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (6) Thanks(6)   Quote gofer88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: *** Con Air Paris Tour Report***
    Posted: 12 January 2014 at 5:56pm
The Con Air trip to Paris began with great enthusiasm from its Cardiff satellite office at 8am on Thursday. Being sent out as the Scarlets advance party they began the trip down the M4 with a standard playlist of all the Con Air tour classics. Fortuitously Alun had already been sent out  during the week before to do a recce under the guise of “a romantic weekend”. Finally we had found a use for this much maligned member as a logistics manager, an area that Con Air has usually neglected in favour of “winging it”.

Meeting up with the other members of Con Air in Hammersmith at 11am, it was inevitable that “the Strasbourg nonsense” needed to be discussed. After some investigation it had been worked out that a 500 mile flight from Stansted to Strasbourg in fact left the rebel party 310 miles from Paris, when they were just 300 miles away as they left Stansted. Owain Llanedi also dug himself a deeper hole as he blamed junior member Alun “bin boy” Harris for the logistical fiasco and he also admitted to not having ever watched “Grand Slam”, despite it being key pre-tour preparation.

After meeting with In the Bath at St Pancras and discussion of his majestic Con Air style haircut and ever improving facial hair, a largely uneventful afternoon on the Eurostar followed. It was then over to Alun “Rog” Jones to show his logistic brilliance and get us to Bastille, which he did with the sort of slickness you would associate with Regan King’s handling skills.

An evening of shant and fine dining (Yes, we did eat on tour, shocking mun!) then kicked off thanks to Boris, an undercover Con Air Parisian scout. He ably led us to a fantastic restaurant near l’arc de Triomphe and introduced us to a very senior Racing Metro figure, who gave us some brilliant inside knowledge of the club.

A metro journey back to Bastille then led to the tour speeches, as ever bringing out some classic lines such as, “this is Con Air not f&*^£$g mothercare” and “in a couple hours’ time when you look at your pint thinking no more, remember, that’s what Roger Lewis would want, so push on”. Push on we did until 4.30am in various establishments, some of which will remain anonymous.

Matchday arrived with a long day inevitably ahead. Whilst Evans and Gofer had been slated the previous evening for mentioning they would spend a couple of hours sightseeing,  having never previously visited Paris, everyone else joined without hesitation for a trip to the Eiffel tower and a pleasant stroll across to l’arc de triomphe. With “Rog” maintaining his logistical excellence he was inevitably going to be problematic in other areas and started to sound like a cross between a talking bear and a broken record with incessant questioning of “shant” and “sing-song”, something that would inevitably happen with greater frequency as kick off approached. It became clear to the Con Air Exec. where the juniors went wrong in Clermont, as they hadn’t learnt from their previous errors of going too hard, too early.

It was then off to Boris’ second recommendation to meet with “the Strasbourg nonsense” and discuss 2014 transfer targets. Unfortunately for In the Bath and to a greater degree Mike that Boris’ menu recommendation was a stitch-up. The waitress questioning “Are you sure?” when they ordered chitterling sausages, should have been enough to change their minds, it wasn’t. In the Bath powered through the delicacy showing  the strength of character that Con Air signed him for from the Gibraltan national team. However Mike showed embarrassing weakness, managing just 2 bites, which later led to sickness and a humiliating early night at 1.30am.

In discussion of 2014 targets the names of Kid A, Pearl Jam and Minded were all mentioned, with the board realising if they acquired one they would acquire all 3. However, the key to these 3 it was realised is actually Dan Vaughan, of Vaughan Voyages fame, a signing “that would rock the foundations of European rugby”. Will Chips was also mentioned as a key target after the Lions party failed to acquire his signature in Australia over the summer, a signing that would surely rip apart the foundations of the shambolic Herman tours outfit.

The tour then went onwards to “le beret basque” and picking up a couple of lost Scarlets they made the journey to Yves Du Manoir, impressing the Friday evening commuters with a warm-up repertoire of match day singing.

Upon reaching the ground and meeting the other 300+ supporters who were impressively pushing on, despite having been up for about 18 hours. The anticipation built throughout the game, as did the singing, led exceptionally well by the peerless Llandre. As for what happened at the final whistle it really was something special and something that shows why we make these trips, I’m sure none of us will forget it fans and players included. Furthermore, top marks to Mr Jolly who side-stepped the security with impressive agility to get back on to the pitch for a game of kiss-chase with Snedds long after the pitch invasion had ended.

With emotions running high on the return journey to Gare du Nord, it was suggested by Mike to Mr Jolly that “we should merge Con Air and Jolly Tours and call it Con Air”, however after further thought he realised “there are fundamental and philosophical differences between Con Air and Jolly Tours that would be insurmountable in a merger”. Despite these hostile merger talks on the last train back, it was clear that both parties know how to shant and when they have their backs against the wall facing opposition from “Michael” they come good. A sing off between some Irish Parisians almost became more uncompetitive than facing the Dragons scrum, as those remaining on the train ably destroyed the remnants of the Racing “fans”.

With the early departure of Mike and A Evans and with “the Strasbourg nonsense” carrying on around Gare Du Nord the remaining members headed into Bastille finding a couple of more than adequate bars to finish the evening.

The return journey led to more discussions over transfer targets, upcoming Con Air court appearances and increasing our identity through new attire if we were to reach the Amlin QF. This rounded off another fantastic tour to the French capital with the best fans in the world.

Now just to win next week and hopefully have a trip to the Rec in April!


Tour ratings:

In The Bath – Showed strength of character in difficult times that you wouldn’t expect from a Gibraltan winger. A coming of age performance, man of the tour. (A)

Snedds – A dogged performance, never a backward step, unspectacular but impressive. (A-)

Alun “Rog” – Found his Con Air niche in French logistics, best performance in a Con Air Jersey to date. Still showed elements of immaturity by wanting to commit too early. (A-)

Alun “Bin Boy” – Allegedly responsible for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, offered little in attack. Did well defensively to contain the sleeping giant Llanedi. (B)

Owain Llanedi – Deflected blame for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, on-going toilet problems. Seems he may have been over-promoted too soon. (B)

Mike – very strong first half, showed his age in the second half with weaknesses to food and alcohol being exposed.  Is he the right man to lead Con Air through 2014? Could be an opportunity for Gate 12 to takeover when he returns from the Bathgate/ Lewis crisis talks. (B)

A Evans – Ageing, but solid as ever. Good at clearing up around the fringes with moments of flare to boot. Pivotal Con Air member. (A-)

Gofer – An ever reliable rock in midfield, managed English logistics impeccably. Always showing a spark of genius when required. (A-)

Scarlets elite away supporters - Con Air
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
lofty evans View Drop Down
Rambler
Rambler
Avatar

Joined: 20 September 2007
Location: Gorseinon
Status: Offline
Points: 53415
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lofty evans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:13pm
Damn fine post Gofer......




In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty"

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
Back to Top
InTheBath View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 31 October 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 3970
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote InTheBath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:19pm
Top report. I've just got back to Gibraltar and I'm still smiling.

It was simply a pleasure to be there with everyone.
Back to Top
Mike View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 16 August 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 21990
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:20pm
Chitterling sausage. Otherwise known as 'Andouillette'. A pig's colon.
 
A schooboy error that will not be repeated.
 
 
Still, the duck, wine and cheese on Thursday night made up for it.
Back to Top
OwainLlanedi View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 01 November 2010
Location: Llanedi
Status: Offline
Points: 6620
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OwainLlanedi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:23pm
Originally posted by gofer88 gofer88 wrote:

The Con Air trip to Paris began with great enthusiasm from its Cardiff satellite office at 8am on Thursday. Being sent out as the Scarlets advance party they began the trip down the M4 with a standard playlist of all the Con Air tour classics. Fortuitously Alun had already been sent out  during the week before to do a recce under the guise of “a romantic weekend”. Finally we had found a use for this much maligned member as a logistics manager, an area that Con Air has usually neglected in favour of “winging it”.

Meeting up with the other members of Con Air in Hammersmith at 11am, it was inevitable that “the Strasbourg nonsense” needed to be discussed. After some investigation it had been worked out that a 500 mile flight from Stansted to Strasbourg in fact left the rebel party 310 miles from Paris, when they were just 300 miles away as they left Stansted. Owain Llanedi also dug himself a deeper hole as he blamed junior member Alun “bin boy” Harris for the logistical fiasco and he also admitted to not having ever watched “Grand Slam”, despite it being key pre-tour preparation.

After meeting with In the Bath at St Pancras and discussion of his majestic Con Air style haircut and ever improving facial hair, a largely uneventful afternoon on the Eurostar followed. It was then over to Alun “Rog” Jones to show his logistic brilliance and get us to Bastille, which he did with the sort of slickness you would associate with Regan King’s handling skills.

An evening of shant and fine dining (Yes, we did eat on tour, shocking mun!) then kicked off thanks to Boris, an undercover Con Air Parisian scout. He ably led us to a fantastic restaurant near l’arc de Triomphe and introduced us to a very senior Racing Metro figure, who gave us some brilliant inside knowledge of the club.

A metro journey back to Bastille then led to the tour speeches, as ever bringing out some classic lines such as, “this is Con Air not f&*^£$g mothercare” and “in a couple hours’ time when you look at your pint thinking no more, remember, that’s what Roger Lewis would want, so push on”. Push on we did until 4.30am in various establishments, some of which will remain anonymous.

Matchday arrived with a long day inevitably ahead. Whilst Evans and Gofer had been slated the previous evening for mentioning they would spend a couple of hours sightseeing,  having never previously visited Paris, everyone else joined without hesitation for a trip to the Eiffel tower and a pleasant stroll across to l’arc de triomphe. With “Rog” maintaining his logistical excellence he was inevitably going to be problematic in other areas and started to sound like a cross between a talking bear and a broken record with incessant questioning of “shant” and “sing-song”, something that would inevitably happen with greater frequency as kick off approached. It became clear to the Con Air Exec. where the juniors went wrong in Clermont, as they hadn’t learnt from their previous errors of going too hard, too early.

It was then off to Boris’ second recommendation to meet with “the Strasbourg nonsense” and discuss 2014 transfer targets. Unfortunately for In the Bath and to a greater degree Mike that Boris’ menu recommendation was a stitch-up. The waitress questioning “Are you sure?” when they ordered chitterling sausages, should have been enough to change their minds, it wasn’t. In the Bath powered through the delicacy showing  the strength of character that Con Air signed him for from the Gibraltan national team. However Mike showed embarrassing weakness, managing just 2 bites, which later led to sickness and a humiliating early night at 1.30am.

In discussion of 2014 targets the names of Kid A, Pearl Jam and Minded were all mentioned, with the board realising if they acquired one they would acquire all 3. However, the key to these 3 it was realised is actually Dan Vaughan, of Vaughan Voyages fame, a signing “that would rock the foundations of European rugby”. Will Chips was also mentioned as a key target after the Lions party failed to acquire his signature in Australia over the summer, a signing that would surely rip apart the foundations of the shambolic Herman tours outfit.

The tour then went onwards to “le beret basque” and picking up a couple of lost Scarlets they made the journey to Yves Du Manoir, impressing the Friday evening commuters with a warm-up repertoire of match day singing.

Upon reaching the ground and meeting the other 300+ supporters who were impressively pushing on, despite having been up for about 18 hours. The anticipation built throughout the game, as did the singing, led exceptionally well by the peerless Llandre. As for what happened at the final whistle it really was something special and something that shows why we make these trips, I’m sure none of us will forget it fans and players included. Furthermore, top marks to Mr Jolly who side-stepped the security with impressive agility to get back on to the pitch for a game of kiss-chase with Snedds long after the pitch invasion had ended.

With emotions running high on the return journey to Gare du Nord, it was suggested by Mike to Mr Jolly that “we should merge Con Air and Jolly Tours and call it Con Air”, however after further thought he realised “there are fundamental and philosophical differences between Con Air and Jolly Tours that would be insurmountable in a merger”. Despite these hostile merger talks on the last train back, it was clear that both parties know how to shant and when they have their backs against the wall facing opposition from “Michael” they come good. A sing off between some Irish Parisians almost became more uncompetitive than facing the Dragons scrum, as those remaining on the train ably destroyed the remnants of the Racing “fans”.

With the early departure of Mike and A Evans and with “the Strasbourg nonsense” carrying on around Gare Du Nord the remaining members headed into Bastille finding a couple of more than adequate bars to finish the evening.

The return journey led to more discussions over transfer targets, upcoming Con Air court appearances and increasing our identity through new attire if we were to reach the Amlin QF. This rounded off another fantastic tour to the French capital with the best fans in the world.

Now just to win next week and hopefully have a trip to the Rec in April!


Tour ratings:

In The Bath – Showed strength of character in difficult times that you wouldn’t expect from a Gibraltan winger. A coming of age performance, man of the tour. (A)

Snedds – A dogged performance, never a backward step, unspectacular but impressive. (A-)

Alun “Rog” – Found his Con Air niche in French logistics, best performance in a Con Air Jersey to date. Still showed elements of immaturity by wanting to commit too early. (A-)

Alun “Bin Boy” – Allegedly responsible for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, offered little in attack. Did well defensively to contain the sleeping giant Llanedi. (B)

Owain Llanedi – Deflected blame for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, on-going toilet problems. Seems he may have been over-promoted too soon. (B)

Mike – very strong first half, showed his age in the second half with weaknesses to food and alcohol being exposed.  Is he the right man to lead Con Air through 2014? Could be an opportunity for Gate 12 to takeover when he returns from the Bathgate/ Lewis crisis talks. (B)

A Evans – Ageing, but solid as ever. Good at clearing up around the fringes with moments of flare to boot. Pivotal Con Air member. (A-)

Gofer – An ever reliable rock in midfield, managed English logistics impeccably. Always showing a spark of genius when required. (A-)

Fantastic report though does contain a few glaring errors that will be tolerated for the time being. Onwards and upwards for Con Air.
"Er gwaetha pob Dic Siôn Dafydd, Er gwaetha 'rhen Fagi a'i chriw, Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser, A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!"
Back to Top
gofer88 View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 30 November 2011
Location: Cardiff
Status: Offline
Points: 1898
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gofer88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:25pm
Would you care to enlighten me on the "Glaring errors"....
Scarlets elite away supporters - Con Air
Back to Top
OwainLlanedi View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 01 November 2010
Location: Llanedi
Status: Offline
Points: 6620
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OwainLlanedi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:28pm
Originally posted by OwainLlanedi OwainLlanedi wrote:

Originally posted by gofer88 gofer88 wrote:

The Con Air trip to Paris began with great enthusiasm from its Cardiff satellite office at 8am on Thursday. Being sent out as the Scarlets advance party they began the trip down the M4 with a standard playlist of all the Con Air tour classics. Fortuitously Alun had already been sent out  during the week before to do a recce under the guise of “a romantic weekend”. Finally we had found a use for this much maligned member as a logistics manager, an area that Con Air has usually neglected in favour of “winging it”.

Meeting up with the other members of Con Air in Hammersmith at 11am, it was inevitable that “the Strasbourg nonsense” needed to be discussed. After some investigation it had been worked out that a 500 mile flight from Stansted to Strasbourg in fact left the rebel party 310 miles from Paris, when they were just 300 miles away as they left Stansted. Owain Llanedi also dug himself a deeper hole as he blamed junior member Alun “bin boy” Harris for the logistical fiasco and he also admitted to not having ever watched “Grand Slam”, despite it being key pre-tour preparation.

After meeting with In the Bath at St Pancras and discussion of his majestic Con Air style haircut and ever improving facial hair, a largely uneventful afternoon on the Eurostar followed. It was then over to Alun “Rog” Jones to show his logistic brilliance and get us to Bastille, which he did with the sort of slickness you would associate with Regan King’s handling skills.

An evening of shant and fine dining (Yes, we did eat on tour, shocking mun!) then kicked off thanks to Boris, an undercover Con Air Parisian scout. He ably led us to a fantastic restaurant near l’arc de Triomphe and introduced us to a very senior Racing Metro figure, who gave us some brilliant inside knowledge of the club.

A metro journey back to Bastille then led to the tour speeches, as ever bringing out some classic lines such as, “this is Con Air not f&*^£$g mothercare” and “in a couple hours’ time when you look at your pint thinking no more, remember, that’s what Roger Lewis would want, so push on”. Push on we did until 4.30am in various establishments, some of which will remain anonymous.

Matchday arrived with a long day inevitably ahead. Whilst Evans and Gofer had been slated the previous evening for mentioning they would spend a couple of hours sightseeing,  having never previously visited Paris, everyone else joined without hesitation for a trip to the Eiffel tower and a pleasant stroll across to l’arc de triomphe. With “Rog” maintaining his logistical excellence he was inevitably going to be problematic in other areas and started to sound like a cross between a talking bear and a broken record with incessant questioning of “shant” and “sing-song”, something that would inevitably happen with greater frequency as kick off approached. It became clear to the Con Air Exec. where the juniors went wrong in Clermont, as they hadn’t learnt from their previous errors of going too hard, too early.

It was then off to Boris’ second recommendation to meet with “the Strasbourg nonsense” and discuss 2014 transfer targets. Unfortunately for In the Bath and to a greater degree Mike that Boris’ menu recommendation was a stitch-up. The waitress questioning “Are you sure?” when they ordered chitterling sausages, should have been enough to change their minds, it wasn’t. In the Bath powered through the delicacy showing  the strength of character that Con Air signed him for from the Gibraltan national team. However Mike showed embarrassing weakness, managing just 2 bites, which later led to sickness and a humiliating early night at 1.30am.

In discussion of 2014 targets the names of Kid A, Pearl Jam and Minded were all mentioned, with the board realising if they acquired one they would acquire all 3. However, the key to these 3 it was realised is actually Dan Vaughan, of Vaughan Voyages fame, a signing “that would rock the foundations of European rugby”. Will Chips was also mentioned as a key target after the Lions party failed to acquire his signature in Australia over the summer, a signing that would surely rip apart the foundations of the shambolic Herman tours outfit.

The tour then went onwards to “le beret basque” and picking up a couple of lost Scarlets they made the journey to Yves Du Manoir, impressing the Friday evening commuters with a warm-up repertoire of match day singing.

Upon reaching the ground and meeting the other 300+ supporters who were impressively pushing on, despite having been up for about 18 hours. The anticipation built throughout the game, as did the singing, led exceptionally well by the peerless Llandre. As for what happened at the final whistle it really was something special and something that shows why we make these trips, I’m sure none of us will forget it fans and players included. Furthermore, top marks to Mr Jolly who side-stepped the security with impressive agility to get back on to the pitch for a game of kiss-chase with Snedds long after the pitch invasion had ended.

With emotions running high on the return journey to Gare du Nord, it was suggested by Mike to Mr Jolly that “we should merge Con Air and Jolly Tours and call it Con Air”, however after further thought he realised “there are fundamental and philosophical differences between Con Air and Jolly Tours that would be insurmountable in a merger”. Despite these hostile merger talks on the last train back, it was clear that both parties know how to shant and when they have their backs against the wall facing opposition from “Michael” they come good. A sing off between some Irish Parisians almost became more uncompetitive than facing the Dragons scrum, as those remaining on the train ably destroyed the remnants of the Racing “fans”.

With the early departure of Mike and A Evans and with “the Strasbourg nonsense” carrying on around Gare Du Nord the remaining members headed into Bastille finding a couple of more than adequate bars to finish the evening.

The return journey led to more discussions over transfer targets, upcoming Con Air court appearances and increasing our identity through new attire if we were to reach the Amlin QF. This rounded off another fantastic tour to the French capital with the best fans in the world.

Now just to win next week and hopefully have a trip to the Rec in April!


Tour ratings:

In The Bath – Showed strength of character in difficult times that you wouldn’t expect from a Gibraltan winger. A coming of age performance, man of the tour. (A)

Snedds – A dogged performance, never a backward step, unspectacular but impressive. (A-)

Alun “Rog” – Found his Con Air niche in French logistics, best performance in a Con Air Jersey to date. Still showed elements of immaturity by wanting to commit too early. (A-)

Alun “Bin Boy” – Allegedly responsible for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, offered little in attack. Did well defensively to contain the sleeping giant Llanedi. (B)

Owain Llanedi – Deflected blame for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, on-going toilet problems. Seems he may have been over-promoted too soon. (B)

Mike – very strong first half, showed his age in the second half with weaknesses to food and alcohol being exposed.  Is he the right man to lead Con Air through 2014? Could be an opportunity for Gate 12 to takeover when he returns from the Bathgate/ Lewis crisis talks. (B)

A Evans – Ageing, but solid as ever. Good at clearing up around the fringes with moments of flare to boot. Pivotal Con Air member. (A-)

Gofer – An ever reliable rock in midfield, managed English logistics impeccably. Always showing a spark of genius when required. (A-)

Fantastic report though does contain a few glaring errors that will be tolerated for the time being. Onwards and upwards for Con Air.
1) I'm not gigantic
2) I didn't fall asleep in anywhere other than my bed at the end of the night for a change (unlike a certain person with a higher rating)
 
 
LOL
"Er gwaetha pob Dic Siôn Dafydd, Er gwaetha 'rhen Fagi a'i chriw, Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser, A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!"
Back to Top
reesytheexile View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 11 August 2012
Location: Machynys
Status: Offline
Points: 17530
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reesytheexile Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:30pm
Great report - captures the scene vividly without breaching the spirit of what happens on tour stays on tour! I salute you all! Thumbs UpHere's to the Quins and a bumper crowd
Back to Top
InTheBath View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 31 October 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 3970
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote InTheBath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:30pm
Originally posted by Mike Mike wrote:

Chitterling sausage. Otherwise known as 'Andouillette'. A pig's colon.

 

A schooboy error that will not be repeated.

 


 

Still, the duck, wine and cheese on Thursday night made up for it.


It was for the club mun.
Back to Top
gofer88 View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 30 November 2011
Location: Cardiff
Status: Offline
Points: 1898
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gofer88 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:40pm
Originally posted by OwainLlanedi OwainLlanedi wrote:

Originally posted by OwainLlanedi OwainLlanedi wrote:

Originally posted by gofer88 gofer88 wrote:

The Con Air trip to Paris began with great enthusiasm from its Cardiff satellite office at 8am on Thursday. Being sent out as the Scarlets advance party they began the trip down the M4 with a standard playlist of all the Con Air tour classics. Fortuitously Alun had already been sent out  during the week before to do a recce under the guise of “a romantic weekend”. Finally we had found a use for this much maligned member as a logistics manager, an area that Con Air has usually neglected in favour of “winging it”.

Meeting up with the other members of Con Air in Hammersmith at 11am, it was inevitable that “the Strasbourg nonsense” needed to be discussed. After some investigation it had been worked out that a 500 mile flight from Stansted to Strasbourg in fact left the rebel party 310 miles from Paris, when they were just 300 miles away as they left Stansted. Owain Llanedi also dug himself a deeper hole as he blamed junior member Alun “bin boy” Harris for the logistical fiasco and he also admitted to not having ever watched “Grand Slam”, despite it being key pre-tour preparation.

After meeting with In the Bath at St Pancras and discussion of his majestic Con Air style haircut and ever improving facial hair, a largely uneventful afternoon on the Eurostar followed. It was then over to Alun “Rog” Jones to show his logistic brilliance and get us to Bastille, which he did with the sort of slickness you would associate with Regan King’s handling skills.

An evening of shant and fine dining (Yes, we did eat on tour, shocking mun!) then kicked off thanks to Boris, an undercover Con Air Parisian scout. He ably led us to a fantastic restaurant near l’arc de Triomphe and introduced us to a very senior Racing Metro figure, who gave us some brilliant inside knowledge of the club.

A metro journey back to Bastille then led to the tour speeches, as ever bringing out some classic lines such as, “this is Con Air not f&*^£$g mothercare” and “in a couple hours’ time when you look at your pint thinking no more, remember, that’s what Roger Lewis would want, so push on”. Push on we did until 4.30am in various establishments, some of which will remain anonymous.

Matchday arrived with a long day inevitably ahead. Whilst Evans and Gofer had been slated the previous evening for mentioning they would spend a couple of hours sightseeing,  having never previously visited Paris, everyone else joined without hesitation for a trip to the Eiffel tower and a pleasant stroll across to l’arc de triomphe. With “Rog” maintaining his logistical excellence he was inevitably going to be problematic in other areas and started to sound like a cross between a talking bear and a broken record with incessant questioning of “shant” and “sing-song”, something that would inevitably happen with greater frequency as kick off approached. It became clear to the Con Air Exec. where the juniors went wrong in Clermont, as they hadn’t learnt from their previous errors of going too hard, too early.

It was then off to Boris’ second recommendation to meet with “the Strasbourg nonsense” and discuss 2014 transfer targets. Unfortunately for In the Bath and to a greater degree Mike that Boris’ menu recommendation was a stitch-up. The waitress questioning “Are you sure?” when they ordered chitterling sausages, should have been enough to change their minds, it wasn’t. In the Bath powered through the delicacy showing  the strength of character that Con Air signed him for from the Gibraltan national team. However Mike showed embarrassing weakness, managing just 2 bites, which later led to sickness and a humiliating early night at 1.30am.

In discussion of 2014 targets the names of Kid A, Pearl Jam and Minded were all mentioned, with the board realising if they acquired one they would acquire all 3. However, the key to these 3 it was realised is actually Dan Vaughan, of Vaughan Voyages fame, a signing “that would rock the foundations of European rugby”. Will Chips was also mentioned as a key target after the Lions party failed to acquire his signature in Australia over the summer, a signing that would surely rip apart the foundations of the shambolic Herman tours outfit.

The tour then went onwards to “le beret basque” and picking up a couple of lost Scarlets they made the journey to Yves Du Manoir, impressing the Friday evening commuters with a warm-up repertoire of match day singing.

Upon reaching the ground and meeting the other 300+ supporters who were impressively pushing on, despite having been up for about 18 hours. The anticipation built throughout the game, as did the singing, led exceptionally well by the peerless Llandre. As for what happened at the final whistle it really was something special and something that shows why we make these trips, I’m sure none of us will forget it fans and players included. Furthermore, top marks to Mr Jolly who side-stepped the security with impressive agility to get back on to the pitch for a game of kiss-chase with Snedds long after the pitch invasion had ended.

With emotions running high on the return journey to Gare du Nord, it was suggested by Mike to Mr Jolly that “we should merge Con Air and Jolly Tours and call it Con Air”, however after further thought he realised “there are fundamental and philosophical differences between Con Air and Jolly Tours that would be insurmountable in a merger”. Despite these hostile merger talks on the last train back, it was clear that both parties know how to shant and when they have their backs against the wall facing opposition from “Michael” they come good. A sing off between some Irish Parisians almost became more uncompetitive than facing the Dragons scrum, as those remaining on the train ably destroyed the remnants of the Racing “fans”.

With the early departure of Mike and A Evans and with “the Strasbourg nonsense” carrying on around Gare Du Nord the remaining members headed into Bastille finding a couple of more than adequate bars to finish the evening.

The return journey led to more discussions over transfer targets, upcoming Con Air court appearances and increasing our identity through new attire if we were to reach the Amlin QF. This rounded off another fantastic tour to the French capital with the best fans in the world.

Now just to win next week and hopefully have a trip to the Rec in April!


Tour ratings:

In The Bath – Showed strength of character in difficult times that you wouldn’t expect from a Gibraltan winger. A coming of age performance, man of the tour. (A)

Snedds – A dogged performance, never a backward step, unspectacular but impressive. (A-)

Alun “Rog” – Found his Con Air niche in French logistics, best performance in a Con Air Jersey to date. Still showed elements of immaturity by wanting to commit too early. (A-)

Alun “Bin Boy” – Allegedly responsible for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, offered little in attack. Did well defensively to contain the sleeping giant Llanedi. (B)

Owain Llanedi – Deflected blame for “the Strasbourg nonsense”, on-going toilet problems. Seems he may have been over-promoted too soon. (B)

Mike – very strong first half, showed his age in the second half with weaknesses to food and alcohol being exposed.  Is he the right man to lead Con Air through 2014? Could be an opportunity for Gate 12 to takeover when he returns from the Bathgate/ Lewis crisis talks. (B)

A Evans – Ageing, but solid as ever. Good at clearing up around the fringes with moments of flare to boot. Pivotal Con Air member. (A-)

Gofer – An ever reliable rock in midfield, managed English logistics impeccably. Always showing a spark of genius when required. (A-)

Fantastic report though does contain a few glaring errors that will be tolerated for the time being. Onwards and upwards for Con Air.
1) I'm not gigantic - Meant it as you are a big presence within Con Air, sleeping little guy didn't have the same ring to it
2) I didn't fall asleep in anywhere other than my bed at the end of the night for a change (unlike a certain person with a higher rating) - Your reputation as a sleeper goes before you, Harris did well to keep it in check.
 
 
LOL
Scarlets elite away supporters - Con Air
Back to Top
bazlewis View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 12 April 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 11929
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bazlewis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:54pm
I would like to say young Owain and his mate are both sound for youngsters and I really enjoyed our singing outside the hotel on Saturday at 4 am. Not so sure the local population did though.
To be a Scarlet is as good as it gets
Back to Top
KID A View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 16 August 2004
Location: Cardiff
Status: Offline
Points: 27572
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KID A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:55pm
Tell me someone flew to Strasbourg because they thought it would get them close to Paris. Let this be true.
Back to Top
OwainLlanedi View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 01 November 2010
Location: Llanedi
Status: Offline
Points: 6620
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote OwainLlanedi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:57pm
Originally posted by KID A KID A wrote:

Tell me someone flew to Strasbourg because they thought it would get them close to Paris. Let this be true.
Hahahaha it was a matter of cost and nothing more. The distance was always known.
"Er gwaetha pob Dic Siôn Dafydd, Er gwaetha 'rhen Fagi a'i chriw, Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser, A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!"
Back to Top
KID A View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 16 August 2004
Location: Cardiff
Status: Offline
Points: 27572
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KID A Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 6:59pm
Originally posted by OwainLlanedi OwainLlanedi wrote:

Originally posted by KID A KID A wrote:

Tell me someone flew to Strasbourg because they thought it would get them close to Paris. Let this be true.


Hahahaha it was a matter of cost and nothing more. The distance was always known.


Of course it was.

Great effort mind.
Back to Top
OwainLlanedi View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 01 November 2010
Location: Llanedi
Status: Offline
Points: 6620
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OwainLlanedi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 7:01pm
Originally posted by KID A KID A wrote:

Originally posted by OwainLlanedi OwainLlanedi wrote:

Originally posted by KID A KID A wrote:

Tell me someone flew to Strasbourg because they thought it would get them close to Paris. Let this be true.


Hahahaha it was a matter of cost and nothing more. The distance was always known.


Of course it was.

Great effort mind.
 
 
£15 to Strasbourg couldn't be turned down LOL
"Er gwaetha pob Dic Siôn Dafydd, Er gwaetha 'rhen Fagi a'i chriw, Byddwn yma hyd ddiwedd amser, A bydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn fyw!"
Back to Top
InTheBath View Drop Down
Veteran
Veteran
Avatar

Joined: 31 October 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 3970
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote InTheBath Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 January 2014 at 9:58pm
Just received a message from Con Air's Paris agent



Edited by InTheBath - 12 January 2014 at 10:04pm
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.250 seconds.