Rugby: Chateau beckons Palmer

By Chris Rattue

When Auckland's supply of quality rugby props became embarrassingly thin last year, coach-in-waiting Wayne Pivac made a Christmas call to France.

The once mighty Auckland scrum was a shambles. Coach Maurice Trapp had even taken a trip down memory lane and brought Steve McDowell out of retirement.

Someone called Pouesi Fitisemanu turned up from who knows where. Other inexperienced props came and went.

With Olo Brown and Paul Thomson injured, Craig Dowd was the lone front-row force for Auckland, who had been unable to hold props like Kevin Nepia and Kees Meeuws.

Pivac's call went to Scott Palmer, the front-rower who had played 30-odd games for North Harbour before heading to France a couple of years ago.

Pivac had coached Palmer at Takapuna and believed he was the man to shore up the Auckland front row, even if it was only for one season.

"Scott was a loosehead prop at North Harbour but he was playing tighthead in France. Tighthead was where we had a hole, and he wasn't tied to any New Zealand unions," Pivac said.

The 28-year-old Palmer's presence became even more vital when Northland recruit Jason Barrell broke his neck in a warm-up game this year.

But Palmer, who lines up for Auckland in Saturday night's NPC grand final against Wellington at Eden Park, admits it could be his last game for the province, although he still holds out hope for a Super 12 contract.

If a contract does not appear, Palmer, who has a business degree, still has life pretty well sorted.

France, he says, is not only a lucrative place to play rugby in, but also a very interesting one.

He has played for Begle-Bordeaux, who as a top-five French side play in the European Cup.

If a Super 12 contract does not come his way, a "better offer" will see him leave Bordeaux to join Aurilliac, a club further down the French table. Already in the deal is the promise of a chateau - "my own little castle" - to live in.

"The language is a problem sometimes but France is a great place to play and live. People who call the French arrogant are ignorant in my opinion," Palmer said.

"It is really good money and getting even better. It has cost me to come back here.

"New Zealand's NPC, though, is a better standard. This was a chance to come home, and playing for Auckland was an opportunity I didn't want to miss.

"There is always an aura about Auckland and after they struggled last year it was great to be part of a team trying to get them back on top. Win or lose on Saturday, I think we've achieved a lot."

Palmer believes the "Latin attitude" holds the game back in France. Money, apparently, is no object. Local government and business take pride in supporting sports clubs, and the public support is loud and fanatical. Aurilliac is a small first-division club, but has an annual budget of $5 million.

In a town of 36,000 people, an average of 12,000 turn up to home games. But in terms of skills, Palmer says the French are falling behind.

"They believe you do all your learning by playing. Every Wednesday you have another game at training," he said.

"There is no concentration on skills work, like the grids that are used here.

"I tried to introduce things like eating pasta. But you give up on your grand plans. You become like them, and have a steak two or three hours before the game."

French front rows are notorious places, but Palmer says a lot of Super 12 watching has toned down the violence ... well almost.

"In most games there are no problems but every team has traditional rivals and then you have to watch over your shoulder all the time. There's a fight every 10 feet," he said.

"Bordeaux's rival is Perpignon. We played them three times last year and they were blood baths. Lots of cheap shots.

"Each team has a call which means it's all on. Ours was "feu, feu" (fire, fire).

"The hooker and the prop part and the big fist comes through from the second row. They don't worry about tall locks - they're all about six foot and 130kg."

But if that Super 12 contract does not turn up, Palmer will be more than happy to take up life in a chateau, and return to his new passion of wine drinking, good company, and the sometimes wild times on the fields of French rugby.