Our man takes kicking honours at Millennium Stadium

2:10pm Monday 30th November 2009

By Chris Kirwan

It was pretty nerve-racking stuff to be the focus of attention for those of the 74,339-strong crowd who opted to stay in their seats rather than attempt to quell a nightmare first 40 minutes for Wales with beer.

I was one of three rugby reporters invited to take part in a kicking competition at half-time in the sell-out clash with Australia, and it was petrifying.

Sure, it will have been nothing compared to the butterflies in the stomach of Dan Lydiate as he stood there for the anthems before his first international start, but it was terrifying nonetheless.

We had to bang the ball over the sticks from the very spot where Cardiff Blues and Leicester had taken part in their infamous penalty shootout.

I was among my fellow Tigers fans in the stands that afternoon, yet it was hard not to feel sympathy for Williams and his team-mate Tom James after their misses saw a Heineken Cup final place slip through their fingers.

However, there would certainly be no sympathy from the crowd for a member of the media looking like a prat. In fact, their main motivation for watching was the hope of seeing a hack fall flat on their backside.

Last autumn I was lucky enough to be part of a media team that kit suppliers Under Armour invited to take part in a Millennium Stadium training session under the watchful eye of Gatland, Howley and McBryde. The place was empty on that occasion and it was still pretty daunting running out onto the turf.

I didn’t have time to worry about having to wear the red of Wales again (and like Joe Bearman I qualify on residency terms now) because the stomach churned as the seats gradually filled as 5.15pm approached.

Now, the army of fitness, conditioning and nutrition coaches that teams employ may not recommend it, but I adopted a tactic that would win the seal of approval of many a player that falls some way short of the standard required for international rugby.

An energy drink does not fit the bill for such a challenge – the pre-action drink needs to be a tad stronger to settle the nerves.

Unfortunately, while Lydiate talked after the match about getting a taste for international rugby and wanting more, the daunting situation had given me a taste for the ale.

An iron will is required by the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins to dig deep and keep smashing rucks – I needed it to avoid getting on the heavy stuff and getting smashed.

The first half flew by and we were soon on the side of the pitch waiting for action, getting there just in time to see Stephen Jones easing the ball through the posts with the last kick of the half.

Surely it couldn’t be that hard? After all, it was in the Millennium Stadium with the roof shut rather than at Bedwas’ Bridge Field with the wind howling and the rain teeming down.

I have some kicking pedigree, but plenty of years had passed since I did the business from the tee playing junior rugby – and Rugby RFC’s Webb Ellis Road was not quite as daunting.

Believe me, it may not be a distance to make Paul Thorburn quake in his boots but 22 metres is a long way in such circumstances.

We were introduced to the crowd and thankfully there were no boos. Whether that was down to apathy or disappointment that certain other infamous writers didn’t have the bottle to get up there I don’t know, but there was to be no rotten fruit chucked onto the hallowed turf.

I was second up and was handed a nice sighter when the first victim from the Cardiff-based media was a club short and didn’t have the distance to make it over the bar. Bad news for him, but it did ease the pressure for me.

I always wondered how Fijian magician Waisale Serevi was calm enough to adopt a one-step conversion technique, it was clear the tactic employed by Leicester number eight Jordan Crane in that semi-final was the way to go – no frills, just welly it.

While Jonny Wilkinson gets into his zone by imagining a woman sitting in the stands directing in the middle of the sticks, I just placed the ball on the tee, took a few steps back, kept my eye firmly on the ball and took a few deep breaths.

Thankfully I didn’t stumble on the approach, nor did I kick the surprisingly soft turf rather than the ball.

It wasn’t a bad contact and when I dared to look up I was relieved to see the ball soaring (let me have at least some indulgence!) between the sticks. Oh, the relief!

My North Walian colleague shanked his effort, leaving me as the solitary success and the other pair wanting another go.

I was more than happy to walk off with my head held high and allow Matt Giteau to show how it’s done.

- It was a terrifying experience, but also an unforgettable one, and Wales kit suppliers Under Amour is providing the chance to do exactly the same at each of the home Six Nations clashes next year.

Those who buy a replica Wales jersey from participating stores will be entered into a draw with three grand prizes up for grabs that include: - Going to a home Six Nations match with seven friends and with Scott Quinnell as your host.

A host of other prizes are also up for grabs. Visit www.underarmour.com/ultimatefan for full details.