How a rugby match changed this Grinch

This CHRISTMAS period is different and special for me, because I leave for LONDON on BOXING DAY. I am traditionally (and notoriously) late getting into the Christmas spirit.
"Aren't you going to wear any of your Christmas ties," JILL asked me before work one day last week.
Ahhh... I had forgotten all about them.
Several incidents helped stoke my yuletide fires this weekend.
1. I picked up the last of the Christmas presents during a rare Friday off work. The relief of having that chore finished helped get me into the spirit of Christmas.
2. I heard three of my favorite Christmas tunes on BBC LONDON 94.9 online. I heard Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" yesterday and today on the same station I heard both "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl and Band-Aid's "Do They Know it's Christmas." These three songs *always* get me in the Christmas spirit.
3. I watched a remarkable RUGBY UNION match on television last night.
How did that get me into the Christmas spirit?
Here's how:
A blinding snowstorm struck the Murrayfield stadium in EDINBURGH during the first half of the host's HEINEKEN CUP match with BATH.
Players were knocking on the ball, slipping about and dropping passes.
At every stoppage of play, the Murrayfield PA would play Christmas tunes.
A viewer had "Jingle Bells" still ringing in the ears while watching Edinburgh's Chris Paterson (pictured) or Bath's Fijian Nicky Little kicking penalties.
Paterson out-kicked Little, three penalties to two, and Edinburgh won the match, 9-6.
By the conclusion of the match, I was well and truly in the Christmas spirit.