THE question was as inevitable as Mark Byrne's move to Gillingham and it duly came towards the end of England’s pre-match press conference at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis this afternoon.

Following Gareth Bale’s playful boast on Tuesday that none of the English players would make it into the Welsh team, Wayne Rooney was asked the question in reverse.

The Three Lions skipper, who must have known it was coming, broke into a broad grin.

He then glanced at manager Roy Hodgson sat alongside him and said: “Eeerrrrmmm…I think that’s a question for Roy!”

Well played Wayne.

Hodgson accepted the hospital pass but appeared to suffer something of a sense of humour failure over the whole issue.

The England boss produced a po-faced response, insisting that he was surprised that he was even being asked about the comments from Bale.

As former Wales manager John Toshack was fond of saying, quoting Bill Shankly, on any occasion he could crowbar it in: “The only thing that surprises me in football is that people are surprised at anything.”

I don’t think anyone would be shocked to hear that TalkSport have reportedly had to get hold of special equipment to control the volume levels on Stan Collymore’s microphone.

Spare a thought then for Cwmbran’s Danny Gabbidon who is doing co-commentary on tomorrow’s big game with the Midlands motormouth.

I don’t rate his chances of getting a word in edgeways, while it may be the other way round with Robbie Savage and Martin Keown on duty for the BBC.

I’m just glad to have traversed the north coastline of France from Dinard to Lens without being stopped by the gendarmes and issued with an on-the-spot fine.

My magnetic GB sticker, which I dutifully applied to the Argus car before boarding the ferry in Portsmouth last week, has proved not quite as magnetic as required.

No doubt it’s in a roadside field somewhere north of Bordeaux and, according to my frantic Googling, I could be in line for a 90 euro fine.

That sort of expenditure is not in the Argus budget so, in true Blue Peter style, I’ve fashioned my own GB sign from a notebook page and taped it inside the back window.

South Wales Argus:

Hopefully that’s good enough to get me back to Brittany and down to Toulouse for Monday’s match against the Russians.

After that the next destination will be Paris, Lille, Lens again, Nice or Newport. Only time will tell!

South Wales Argus: