Underdog

12. COMEBACK IN CARDIFF

Sunday 7th February 2021

7:30am 

Holiday Inn next door to the Principality Stadium

Isabella Eira Jones PoV:

After landing at 9:30 at night, I'd taken a taxi into central Cardiff before booking a room at a Holiday Inn next to the stadium the boys would be playing at the following day. It was strange feeling being back in my home country. 

To avoid messing up my sleep schedule, I'd eaten in the hotel's restaurant before getting into bed for 10:30. That was the reason I was up so early having already eaten breakfast and now dressed ready for a run around the capital. Leaving the hotel, headphones in my ears, I made my way up the riverside path past the beautiful stadium that my brother would be playing in later in the day. My thoughts drifted to rugby and how much I was loving being part of it, coaching was helping to fill the void left after I gave up the sport. It wasn't a perfect replacement and part of me was desperate to play again but it wasn't that easy.

No one was really out other than a few people making their way to work and an odd dog walker, the atmosphere was set to change drastically within six or so hours, fans piling into the stadium to watch Wales play Ireland, to see their favourite player possibly score a try. 

I managed an hour run around the city before stopping off at a coffee shop to grab an iced latte to take back to the hotel. A few young girls working there stopped me and requested a photo with me, we ended up making a few TikToks with the promise that nothing would be posted until later that night as no one currently knew I was in Wales. They agreed with huge smiles and after a hug with each other, I collected my coffee and head back to get changed ready for the game. 

Once I was back, I showered and changed into a pair of jeans, my brothers Welsh jersey, and my air forces before brushing my teeth and braiding my hair into two Dutch braids. It was now 11 o'clock and I wasn't meeting Pivac until 12 so I decided to catch up on some series I'd been watching before training with Italy had been taken up a gear (or multiple). 

Wayne text me at 11:50, letting me know he was downstairs whenever I was ready. Grabbing a jumper and my bag, I locked my room before taking the stairs down to meet the older man. 

"Good morning baby Jones! We're in a little bit of a rush, the boys can't know you're here until after so we need to get you into the ground before they arrive!" Nodding, I followed him out of the hotel and towards one of the side entrances to the ground where there was no one around before making our way around the familiar corridors of the Principality that I'd walked around since a young age.

Pivac left me half an hour later in one of the spare coaches offices. My phone had been buzzing like made in my back pocket and now was the first time I'd be checking it since I'd got back from my run.

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