JOCK goes to the left door and brings in GEOFF HAYWARD, who is medium to tall and looks and moves like an athlete in top condition.

Come in, Geoff. Sorry to interrupt your meal. Gerry and I are just going next door to have a drink so that you can have a little chat with Laurie. Feel free to call me if you need me, Laurie. Sometimes a fresh viewpoint can break a deadlock.

LAURIE: Thank you, Jock.

JOCK and GERRY leave through the right door.

You’ve read the morning papers, I suppose?

GEOFF: Yep.

LAURIE: The Committee are meeting in just over an hour to decide whether they’re going to accept my resignation. I think they’re going to ask me to reconsider it but it’s hardly worth my while if you’re going to keep defying me.

GEOFF: So what are we supposed to do? Kiss and make up?

LAURIE: I don’t want you to defy me in front of the players again.

GEOFF: I don’t want to be told to do push-ups again.

LAURIE: If you break discipline you do push-ups. Everyone does.

GEOFF: I don’t.

LAURIE: Nobody else objects to push-ups.

GEOFF: That’s because most of them have got ear to ear bone.

LAURIE: I see. You’ve done a few subjects at University so you’re out of our class.

GEOFF: If you like doing push-ups I must be.

LAURIE: All right. Point taken. You don’t like push-ups, but it goes deeper than that, doesn’t it? Why are you playing so badly?

GEOFF: I’m doing my best.

LAURIE: No you’re not. You played two good games at the start of the year, you went to pieces in your third game and you’ve got progressively worse ever since.

GEOFF: I’ve lost form.

LAURIE: It’s more than that. You’re not even trying. Is it just that you object to me personally or is there some other reason?

GEOFF: I’ve lost form. That’s all.

LAURIE: Look, I know there’s some degree of antagonism from the other players. You came to the Club with a big reputation and a lot of money so there’s bound to be, but it’s not going to help matters if you lay down and stop trying.

GEOFF: You’re reading too much into it. I’ve lost form.

LAURIE: It’s more than that. Last week you stood down on the forward line staring into the crowd for over a minute. The ball came and you let it go right past you. Look, level with me, Geoff. That’s more than being out of form. What’s going on?