KEY POINTS:
"So have ye been tae St Etienne before."
The question was directed by one of two amiable kilted Scots, tattoos peering out over the tops of their socks, clutching small buckets of beer to a little Italian who smiled in that way which says "I haven't a clue
what you're saying, but I'll grin along anyway".
This meeting of European minds took place across the road from Marseille's State Velodrome an hour before the kickoff of Romania's first World Cup game, against Italy.
Ah yes, the world in union.
The good-natured crowds mingled amiably while munching on baguettes and pomme frites washed down by beer or the vin de region, with the waft of the sewers adding a gritty touch to the festivities.
Inside the atmosphere was vibrant, raucous, marvellous. Dreary old Eden Park or Westpac Stadium, this was not.
More than 44,000 had packed the stadium.
The All Blacks drew 56,000 last weekend when they dealt to the Italians. This is rugby territory, so no wonder the French national side would rather be down here than up in indifferent Paris any day for their big games.
Two minutes after kickoff, the bands were in full voice at both ends, and with a mix of styles. Listen long enough and you'd find something to your taste.
No sooner had The Lion Sleeps Tonight finished to the left, Una Paloma Blanca is off and away on the right.
Every so often a trumpeter would parp off a line of something straight out of a spaghetti western, to which the crowd roared "Ole". Must be a local touch.
Still, it was the best show in town on a balmy Mediterranean night.
And the football? Forget the quality, soak up the experience.
The Italians were dreadful, but won; the Romanians were limited but plucky and could have won, but for an intervention from English referee Tony Spreadbury.
The Romanian forwards, big, shaven-headed types with plenty of upper body strength, were valiantly holding the Italians until flanker Alexandru Manta was yellow carded near the Romanian line.
Two minutes later, a scrum collapsed and Spreadbury ran to the posts. Penalty try, which gave the Italians just enough space to hang on.
There had been no warning, no succession of collapses and there are those who'd suggest the ref had stuffed up a good contest. You won't read that here. The referee is always right.
And what of the Romanians?
Fullback Julian Dumitras was a bit of a carthorse, but kicked the ball like a howitzer.
They had some handy lineout jumpers and in Marius Tincu, a player for whom the term agent provocateur could have been invented. Things got a bit tasty from time to time, and the squat hooker was invariably adjacent to the action.
And it wouldn't be a UN meeting over the oval ball without some nifty translations post-match.
I can't be sure, but I don't think Romanian captain Sorin Socol actually meant to say: "I didn't think we were very lucid at the beginning. We didn't digest the legacy of the match very well."
Or as the media officer announced - in English - "Are there any Romanian-speaking journalists here? Oh, it's a bit pointless asking that, isn't it?"
World Cup Tv
All matches live TV3 (all NZ times):
Today
Pool A, England v South Africa, St Denis 7am (replay 3pm). Pool C, New Zealand v Portugal, Lyon 11pm (Replay 9am, 3.30pm tomorrow).
Tomorrow
Pool B, Wales v Australia, Cardiff 1am. Pool D, Ireland v Georgia, Bordeaux 7am (Replay 11.30am)
Monday
Pool A, Samoa v Tonga, Montpellier 2am. Pool B, Fiji v Canada, Cardiff midnight. Pool D, France v Namibia, Toulouse 7am.
Wednesday
Pool C, Scotland v Romania, Edinburgh 7am.
Thursday
Pool C, Italy v Portugal, Paris 6am.
Friday
Pool B, Wales v Japan, Cardiff 7am.
Saturday
Pool D, France v Ireland, St Denis 7am.
