Brive is the 13th Premiership Side!

I was in Brive the other day in south-west France visiting the England centre Riki Flutey for a chat when Jamie Noon, the former Newcastle and England centre ambled up to say hello. Moments later Shaun Perry, the former Bristol and England scrum half, also waved from the other side of the stand. Out in the middle Andy Goode, sporting a red beard, was honing his kicking skills before he, too, came over to discuss who is the better at table football - for the record I am as I beat him 10-3 at the Leicester Tigers training ground a couple of years ago. Then, while still waiting for the laid back Flutey to make an appearance, former Northampton and current England hooker Steve Thompson began the usual banter he has had with me for many years now, which included accusing Flutey of sounding more German than French when he attempts to parlez Francais. Damian Browne, the former Northampton back row forward is also plying his trade now at Brive. Finally Flutey, the Kiwi-turned Englishman, turned up, nodded his head at the gaggle of English internationals, and said: "And I thought it would be a new life and culture here!" Quite!