The morning after the night before … !

Bienvenue and welcome to Provins. The SupportTeam/Medical Unit/Canteen Van/Broom Wagon arrived bright and very early at the salubrious team accommodation nestled in the picturesque Provins ‘Zone Industriel’.

The wafting aroma of Tesco’s Pain aux chocolat began to lure the waking dead from their formica cells. Last to emerge – Frankenstein and his Monster (Krabbe & Kooks) sporting ‘eau de vomit’. Chinnor have arrived.

10am on a bright and sunny morning finds the assembled United Nations in front of Provins Rugby Club, warming up the vocal chords and eyeing up the opposition ready for the grand parade.

Lunatic Frenchmen from Paris, Fontainebleu et al, reserved (chocolateless) Belgians, Viking helmeted Danes, Shamrock sporting Irishmen and the slightly deranged looking under-nourished Poles all being deafened by the local band, clad in pink, with a bagpiper with a weakness for Coldplay!

And they’re off for the most joyous and eccentric parade through the historic streets of the now wide-awake Provins. If they didn’t know that there was a rugby tournament before – they do now.

Greeted in the main square by the Deputy Mayor and several hundred bewildered residents, the teams take it in turns to intimidate the opposition with their war cries (oggy oggy oggy) for Chinnor!

Connor ‘Cassanova’ Champion does his bit for the ‘entente cordial’ with warm embraces for ‘les bonnes filles de Provins’ – receiving a pat on his head for his troubles!

It looks like the boys are in their element.