"As one of Harbourrugby.com's foreign correspondents I have been trying to follow a few old faces playing in the Northern Hemisphere.

Most notably I was on hand for Ian Jone's debut performance for London Wasps at Loeftus Road last year. He joined Craig Dowd and Trevor Leota in the forward pack to give a certain Southern Hemisphere flavour to the team. Unfortunately the Takapuna U-13 Roller Mills back line would have been more effective in the games I watched. There was Kenny "Footloose" Logan on one wing, and he was combined with the worst midfield in professional rugby. The Wasps became desperate enough that they even signed Martin Offiah out of retirement to try and sketch them a picture of the try line. Unsurprisingly by the end of the season Ian Jones was co-captain and the only source of lineout ball for the team. 27 appearances and 1 try. I understand that Jonesy has "retired" again.

Peter Thorburn is coaching the Bristol Shoguns. They lost to Buck's Saracen's side and now many think Thorburn's head will roll after just the first game of the season. Many think the NZ rugby media is quick to criticise. The English media is palpably worse. They need to take a good look at how many coaches of the Zurich Premiership sides are not English - Wayne Smith, Warren Gatland, Buck Shelford, Peter Thorburn, and Michael Foley coaching Bath. That's five from twelve sides coached by antipodeans. Throw in Brendan Venter who coaches London Irish and the whole shooting match becomes a bit of a joke.

Buck Shelford is coaching Saracens and the Wade Tavern was referred to as a "country pub" in the newspapers. I would hardly call Silverdale, the heart of the Hibiscus Coast, a rural area full of country pubs. Buck's mana was instantly increased by notching up a win in the first round of the Zurich Premiership over Peter Throburn's Bristol Shoguns. I am not sure that the average public-schooled English schoolboy has much of a concept of mana though, but they will learn soon enough.

I also managed to catch a Stade Francais game in Paris at Easter and had the pleasure of watching Cliff Mytton whilst singing "allez, allez, les supporteur sont las !" and for the first time drinking red wine in the terraces at a rugby match. Cliff has obviously embraced the French lifestyle and has shoulder length hair and an unhealthy tan. With the likes of "Tony Marsh", a French name if ever I heard one, playing for France who knows - North Harbour could have their first French international.

Stay tuned."