“You couldn’t walk five steps without bumping into an All Blacks jersey.
“I sat down to eat and was joined by a Dunedin couple and discovered he was from Gisborne.
“His brothers were Doug and “The Wiz” Walsh — what a small world.”
There were other connections to Gisborne.
In a bar the three men met Blair’s niece Ashleigh, Peter Dodge and Ngatapa man Steven Thompson and his girlfriend Nicole Richards.
Blair said the bar had a great atmosphere, with “a sea of black jerseys” and everyone drinking the product of a prominent RWC sponsor.
He described London’s Olympic Stadium as a fantastic venue, easy to gain access to and with a great view from every seat.
‘‘We had a huge night and were feeling rather poorly on the train to Cardiff.”
Blair and “Fordy” are currently staying at the flat of Glyn “Tots” Heylun at Aberaeron, a “beautiful coastal village’’.
Heylun, on a trip to New Zealand, played for Gisborne Marist and stayed at Stu’s home.
Stu has also met up with Huw Rees Evans, who, on his trip down under, played for Marist and Poverty Bay.
A highlight for Stu has been a visit to Aberystwyth RFC, where he played in the 1984-1985 season.
‘‘It was very nostalgic to return and catch up with old teammates.
“We watched the Wales-versus-England game in a packed clubhouse, which went crazy at fulltime.’’
Stu and Fordy are spending the next few days meeting up with friends, playing golf, sailing the Irish Sea and “drinking a few pints’’.
Next on their itinerary its back to Cardiff on Thursday for two RWC matches — Wales versus Fiji and All Blacks up against Georgia.