Bugger.
What did Wales do that so displeased M. Larrington?
Have Professor Larrington as a supporter*, mostly. Opportunities for sibling oneupmanship must be pursued wherever possible.
* our late mother spent her early childhood in Stradey Park Avenue, Llanelli
It's an interesting phenomenon.
I had a long natter to my older daughter yesterday who opted to describe herself as "English" in the recent census. She loves the Englishness of stuff: warm beer, Kentish countryside, English seasons, folk music, that sort of thing, and all very admirable. Doesn't care too much about sport, but generally prefers Wales to win when it comes to rugby.
Her younger sister is a different kettle of offal: she now lives in Melbourne and last weekend got out of bed at audax o'clock in order to watch the rugby with her Kiwi boyfriend. She did something similar yesterday, despite having buggered off into the outback for the weekend. Yesterday, just after the match finished, she sent me a photo of herself wearing her Welsh rugby top. (Curiously, in her youth she represented England at chess a few times and was, I think, the youngest player ever to do so on her first outing). I've always been an enthusiastic Wales supporter, but I've never gone so far as to obtain a Welsh rugby top. One of my treasured possessions, though, is a red-and-white scarf in 15 segments that was knitted for me by a very dear college friend who died tragically young.
Of those who care, my siblings support Wales - indeed, one of my sisters has a very Welsh partner who is much more enthusiastic about rugby than I am.
As a family, our Welsh tendencies come from my father, who was a Rhymney Valley man. I grew up watching rugby with him, and of course I always supported Wales. It was very easy to prefer Wales to England from the mid 1960s onwards. I think the first time I ever saw England win that fixture was in 1974, and that was down to a poor refereeing decision. I think I was in my mid-to-late-30s before I saw England win in Cardiff.
Conversely, I have never witnessed Wales beat the All Blacks. I was born one year too late for the last occasion that happened (1953). England have beaten them a number of times though.
