By Royal Appointment.

As I was in Cardiff this weekend I took the opportunity to pop down to Bath with my old mate Flat Top to watch the cream of the Guinness Premiership in the Bath v Gloucester game.

Bath is a lovely City and well worth a visit. The ground is in a very picturesque setting in the heart of the city and you can get good and close to the pitch. In fact the ground is so central that it was easier for the Gloucester team to stroll through the streets of Bath from their hotel to the ground rather than take a coach through the narrow streets. The fact that they could wander past several bars, on their way to the ground, unmolested and unabused is testament to the rugby loving public of Bath.

The craic between the rival supporters was good, from the train journey down and through the many bars on the way to the ground. The only disappointing thing about the day was the game itself.

Now, there is no question that the Guinness Premiership is better funded than the Magners and definitely has bigger and stronger players, but my goodness the skill level was pretty poor. It’ll be interesting to see who does better in the Heineken this season as it’s my opinion that it’s the smaller Magners sides that will adapt better and make them more competitive. Though I must admit this view wasn’t shared by many of the Bath and Gloucester supporters around me.

Roll on October and we’ll find out.

Dewi with Butch James.

Dewi with Mike Tindall

Flat Top and The Beast.

Dewi’s new mates, Mike and Zara!

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