Vous miserable croissant baguettes

French men do like their hair. Somebody has to, I suppose.

The bouffant styles were blowing Gallicly in the Wellington breeze on this fine day.

I know it's easy to pick on the French, but frankly their behavior on the sidelines of an Under-15 "friendly" Rugby match warrants it.

Morgan's school is hosting a French tournament that culminated with a French select side playing the local lads. The French spectators, coaches and parents were so boisterously involved that they caused our usually mild-mannered Ewan to run up and down the sidelines angrily shouting "croissant." This was the only recourse he had to combat the obnoxiousness he was witnessing. Luckily this is the extent of his French, otherwise he might have said what was really on his mind, like "be quiet and watch the game." Until he remembered bibliotheque; then he really let them have it.



I don't mind vigorous support, but when it comes to grabbing the 15-year-old line judge's shirt and telling him he's made the wrong decision or shouting at the opposition players, it's time to bust out the old stereotypes. Yes, this guy was really wearing a beret and a neckerchief, which seems to be tacit approval for a bit of rip-taking.

So, back to the hair. What is it with the French men (the women present were all elegant and understated, I hasten to point out) and hair? Always fastidiously and effetely attired, they seem to be using their coiffures - for these blokes do not have haircuts - to say, "Vain? Who me? Why look at my hair, it is all over the place. I haven't had time to drag a comb over it since Bastille Day."

Immaculately so. A pretense.

Maybe it's the tight jeans that made them behave so badly. After the haka, above, it was the French grown-ups who told the players to advance on the Scots players. You know, to be threatening.

I will stop there, because it was a wonderful day for Rugby, the first hint that summer is on her way. And the boys behaved themselves perfectly, realizing the occasion to be one for making friends and celebrating the game. The rest of the party will be hair today and gone tomorrow.

Oh, and Morgan's team won quite handily, despite having genuinely scruffy hair.