Matt's Blog Day 17: The Last Day

It's been a brutal tour with levels of endurance tested to the maximum. Having eaten half a cow and drunk half a brewery most nights, there was certainly a lot of extra weight in the cabin on the flight home. Fortunately, the staff at the airport didn't include our extra body weight in our baggage allowances, otherwise there'd have been a few excess penalties to pay!

It's been an amazing trip, but I've missed my wife and kids terribly and it's great to be back with them - although I may have to claim that jet-lag requires me to spend two days alone in a darkened room!

Whilst there are a number of blanks in my memory from the last two weeks, I also take home a number of great memories:

Sharks, elephants and a leopard.

The atmosphere at the two Tests.

Our Irish contingent continually providing the humour.

The amount of photos Shane Byrne had to pose for - it's amazing how everyone wants to be seen with the Mullet! He was only out-photographed by Victor Matfield on Saturday night after the 2nd Test!

The abject poverty in so many areas of the country.

Oh yes, and playing rugby with and against some great players.

But the abiding memory - the kids on the beach in Durban. So excited to be there and desperate to learn and impress. Sorting their disagreements out with a scrap - the law of the land - but still wearing a broad smile!

And so to bed!

View links to all Matt's blogs here, and see the picture gallery of his tour here.