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Bryn Palmer

England enjoy dice with death (89)

Versailles - England may still, in the words of Brian Ashton, be “looking down the barrel of a gun” as they prepare to face World Cup shock troops Tonga this week.

But if the world champions remain in do-or-die mode after their victory over Samoa, at least they now give the impression of enjoying their dice with death.

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Alastair Hignell

'Tonga's wing was the size of a small house' (23)

Paris - “The girl you’re dancing with is a bloke”.

The memory of the whispered warning at the post-match party after England played Tonga for the first time is as sharp now as the lighting back in 1979 was dim.

Memories of the match are less clear; we won, one of their wings was the size of a small house, while the King of Tonga, to whom we were presented before the game, was the size of a large one.

I remember spending the pre-match warm-up clearing shards of razor-sharp coral from a pitch that seemed to have an equal number of bumps and potholes and considerably fewer blades of grass.

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Tom Fordyce

Man against Mountain (42)

Bedoin, at the foot of Mont Ventoux, Wednesday morning - Some people are born foolish; some have foolishness thrust upon them. Very few combine both those traits, and then also happily embrace additional foolishness with arms outstretched.

It would appear that I am one of them.

My companion Degustation Dirs is fulfilling his cultural remit on this Francophile extravaganza by sampling every cheese, wine and brandy he can lay his eager hands on. By idiotic contrast, I decided to break our journey from Montpellier to St Etienne by cycling up the hardest climb in the entire Tour de France.

I know.

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