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Wallaby pair wade in for a drop of red
5:00AM Thursday September 27, 2007 By Jim Morton
MONTPELLIER - Some Wallabies will do anything to put one over a couple of Frenchmen for a bottle of wine.
Leading World Cup try-scorer Drew Mitchell and Wallabies teammate Cameron Shepherd capped their day off last Thursday with an incognito game of two-on-two rugby in one of the many squares in picturesque Montpellier.
Out wandering in their civvies, the Western Force pair were beckoned over by a couple of French lads manning a World Cup promotion on a mock rugby field with goalposts.
We were just in our casual gear and they asked us if we wanted to play, it was very strange," Mitchell said. "We said we'd have a game. They asked if we played and we said we were here to support the boys."
After the livewire Wallabies cruised in for a few tries, the locals got their backs up and the game quickly turned from touch to tackle.
The increased intensity also increased the number of onlookers, who marvelled at the skill of the two Aussie "fans", playing under the names of David and Michael.
"we definitely came out on top," said Mitchell, who also last week passed himself off as a reporter at a press conference.
Shepherd added: "We created a bit of a stir and there was a crowd forming - but the people just thought we were two punters off the street, so we felt a bit bad."
Guilt, however, didn't stop them from taking the spoils on offer.
As a reward for toppling the local heroes, "Michael" and "David" gladly accepted a bottle of red.
"Only because we didn't want to be rude and not accept it," reasoned Mitchell.
The extended notes of the interview joke:
Pranks have also included some of the Wallaby players interviewing each other at a press conference in Montpellier following the announcement of the team to play Fiji.
At first, interview subjects Lote Tuqiri, Berrick Barnes and Matt Giteau were pitching one-liners at each other in between reporters' questions, and then it all went completely off the rails when wing Drew Mitchell, concealed in the audience, started grilling them:
Lote Tuqiri to Matt Giteau: Are you leading us out of the tunnel?
Giteau: It can be arranged. But Greegs (George Gregan) is going to (equal the international test captaincy record), what do you do? I'll probably lead us out.
Drew Mitchell (sitting in the audience) to Berrick Barnes: Berrick, after being tackled (by Gareth Thomas against Wales) you didn't get up for a while?
Barnes: Who are you working for, sorry? No, I've recovered well, mate.
Lote Tuqiri: (after being asked a question by a reporter): What do you guys think?
Mitchell: No Lote, we ask the questions here.
ARU media manager Michael Earsman: Anyone else want to contribute to this circus?
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