There was ice cream, actually twodishes of it, pink and white, andcake and fruitanddistractingFrenchbonbons and, in the middleof the table, four great bouquets of hot house flowers.
The gloomy conditions were at least illuminated by the respective strips with Harlequins' light blue, magenta, chocolate and French grey quartered shirt for once outshone by Stade's pink and blue tie-dye effort.