Moffett's Back

And you thought 'Mandelson is back' was a shock. Well, in the office of Roger Lewis, Chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union the return of the Prince of Darkness was but a little butterfly alighting upon an echinacea, when compared with the return of Moffett. I wonder how Roger found out. Did he answer his mobile this morning and hear this crazy Australian laughter pouring into his ear. Or was he plucked from his bed in the middle of the night by a 'Man in a Panic' and rushed back to HQ, where the whole building had already been put on a temporary war footing. Yes, David Moffett, ex-Chief Executive of the WRU is back in Welsh rugby, this time representing the 4 regional teams.

I thought that the sacking of Mike Ruddock just after Wales had won the Grand Slam would take some beating for a soap opera story line. But this one is just as unlikely. The word 'Moffett' will have replaced the most vile profanity as a term of abuse in the Valleys of Wales. Every 'Valleys' rugby fan believes it was David Moffett that strangled the life out of their regional rugby team. It will never be forgiven. Never was there a man so committed to confrontation. When he was doing the job that Roger Lewis is doing now, he sacked the Committee that ran Welsh Rugby, he ditched the Wales 'A' team, and he introduced regional rugby to Wales - which involved relegating world renowned teams like Neath and Pontypridd to the second division. There was huge opposition to all of these things. Oh, and he transformed the Welsh Rugby Union from a financial basket case into a going concern. The point to remember is that this man delivers. Moffett is a natural dictator, who gets his way. Those who stand in his way, usually end up taking an early bath.

So why is he back? Simple. The regional clubs which Moffett created are having a bit of an argument with Roger Lewis and his underlimgs. The row is about player availability and compensation for player release. A fairly typical 'Club v Country' row. When David Moffett was leading the 'Country' battalion, they won every time. So the 'clubs' have decided to recruit the beast who hammered them, to take up arms for them. Brilliant move. First interview on Wales Today tonight. Soft little question from the innocent faced Claire Summers, and he sunk his fangs straight into Roger's butt. So stand back you fans of Welsh rugby, and enjoy the fireworks. I don't know where this one's going to end.