Hello Everyone

Since my last blog I have crossed the whitewash for Sale Sharks and scored my first try for them. It was an incredible match, Toulouse away, in front of 28,000 people. Kinglsey Jones decided to send down an inexperienced side with a lot of youngsters who were playing a match of this size for the first time. I have to say I was proud to play with such a bunch of committed guys. It was also fantastic to play along side Duanne Peel who is an incredible scrum half - I really hadn't realised.

My try came in the 79th minute and I touched down, and for a split second just lay there - I couldn't believe it! At last. As a winger, scoring tries is part of a normal day at the office. It's what we do, and the past couple of years have been a bit of a dessert on that front. So, despite the fact that I was completely knackered after an exhausting match, I felt a sense of relief . 

There have been a lot of reports about me in the papers this week about the match and my time in France. The experience of living in France was amazing. The culture is so different and at a different time of my life, it may have been a far better experience. It just wasn't the right time for my family and I realise that now. 

Last Friday's match was a bit quieter for me but with a 5 day turn around I was happy with how things went. Cardiff Blues were formidable and it really could have gone either way. We took the match by just one point. Ouch! Close one.

Harlequins were amazing against Toulouse yesterday and I thought for a minute the whole group was going to open up with a shock Toulouse defeat at The Stoop. But no. Despite two amazing tries from Ugo Monye, Toulouse squeaked a four point lead to win and stay top of the group.

Normal day  tomorrow. Next Saturday we are playing against Northampton Saints at Franklins Gardens. That is going to be weird. We will have to wait to see if my name appears on the team sheet. I am looking forward to it one way, and not in another. I just need to go out there and play rugby - keep focussed and do my job. It will be SO odd to go into the away changing room. It will be good to see everyone though. After so many years at Saints I made a lot of good friends, and have kept in contact with many of them. I have been back to watch a match - but this will be different.

I am all set to race the wolf for Timberland on Thursday. Wembley Way, London - around 9am. Come down and say hello. You can also have a chance of racing it yourself. Your bound to beat me! Log on to the Timberland site. The link is on my news page.

Jill tells me that the first batch of Coffee Table books have now been printed, so I will be writing in your dedications and signing them this week. I hope you like it.  We have included a variety of pictures to suit all tastes!

A few of the shots from the photo shoot that we did a couple of weeks ago have now come out I see, in a variety of formats. You can see me 'on location' (in my barn) in the pictures below. Claire (doing her back in) behind the lens and Trish expertly applying make up and Jill being bossy in the backgroud. It was pretty crazy! Not quite like the Attitude Shoot, but great fun.

We are just about to launch the Ben Cohen Gold Membership. For some time now we have been asked to run an old fashioned fan club. It gives people the opportunity to get a bit more involved, it helps run the site and photo shoots etc and also provides some money for McMillan Support. Hopefully we will be aranging some trips for members to come up to Sale . It will be good to say hello to some of you.