Gordon's Game by Paul Howard & Paul Howard

Author:Paul Howard & Paul Howard [Gordon D’Arcy & Howard, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781844885312
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2021-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

I noticed that quite a few of the other players were reading it as well. Everyone who did said the same thing:

‘Wow!’

Once we’d collected our bags, Clive gathered us all together in the baggage hall and did a roll call. It turned out there was one player missing. It was Gavin Henson, the Welsh centre.

‘He’s probably in the toilets,’ one of the Scottish players shouted, ‘checking oot his hair!’

Gavin was famous for taking pride in his appearance. His hair was always immaculately presented and he was believed to be the first rugby player ever to wear fake tan. There were even rumours that he shaved his body. He was an amazing rugby player, though.

‘Lol will find him,’ said Lawrence Dallaglio, who always referred to himself in the third person and by his nickname. Then he headed for the men’s toilets. Ten seconds later, he re-emerged. Gavin was with him, looking suspiciously well-tanned and with his hair freshly gelled. The English players wolf-whistled him.

‘Just jealous,’ he said with a big, bright smile.

We all made our way through the arrivals gate. And it was an amazing sight that greeted us on the other side. A huge group of Zulu warriors were there to welcome us to South Africa. They wore leopard-skin aprons and headdresses with feathers and they had come to perform for us a famous Zulu war dance called Umzansi.

About twenty of them had drums and they hit them so hard that the ground beneath our feet shook. And the others moved as one to the rhythm of the beat. It was incredible to watch.

When it was over, one of the Zulu leaders stepped forward. He was carrying a very large and – I couldn’t help but notice – very alive snake! It writhed and hissed in his hands, its tongue kissing the air.

I’m sure I was thinking the same thing as everyone else: ‘What’s he going to do with that thing?’

For some reason, he instantly recognized Martin Johnson as our leader. He draped the snake around his shoulders. If it had been me, I think I would have fainted on the spot. But Johnno didn’t seem bothered at all.

The Zulus looked at us and they said, ‘Welcome to South Africa.’

And in that moment, I think we all felt very, very far from home.

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