We come to the end of the championships with My Maltesers having finished in the position everyone (including us) expected. However, we probably achieved the targets we set for ourselves rather more comprehensively than any of the teams who finished outside the top six.

In our last training weekend in April, we were lucky enough to be helped by Jane Townsend who is the sports psychologist employed by the British team. With her help we drew up the following list of targets:

It may seem mundane to many of you but before our training started the team members had never played with screens before. There are a number of technicalities to cope with in a championship like this: scoring accurately, being at the right table at the right time, having everything you need - pen, drink, tissues etc, coping with unfamiliar systems (and if it is not strong no-trump and 5-card majors it is unfamiliar to the Maltese).

Our best game might not be everyone else's best game! In the middle of the first week we went through a phase where we scored a lot of zeros. I thought there was a tendency to become disheartened in the second half of matches. We discussed this as a team and improved greatly. In the second week we did not score a zero at all. Our morale was surprisingly good right to the end. There was a great sense of team spirit and support throughout the event. A pair who sat out and came back to find a 25-0 loss were always supportive and never unpleasant - something that I am sure could not be claimed by many teams (though maybe that was because we had more practice!).

We knew it was the tradition that the host nation plays the first match on VuGraph. We were not sure whether or not an exception would be made for us but it was something we discussed and were prepared for. Maybe we would still have beaten Croatia and what a thrill that would have been. It is not clear to me why it is considered that only the top teams are interesting to watch. Why shouldn't the weaker teams play on VuGraph occasionally?

I will leave you with a triumph from our match against Greece:

Dealer West. NS Game ª K 6 4 © A K 9 6 ¨ A Q 8 4 § A 7 ª 9 8 7 5 2 ª 10 © 10 7 5 4 © J 3 2 ¨ — ¨ 10 7 5 2 § J 10 8 4 § Q 9 6 5 2 ª A Q J 3 © Q 8 ¨ K J 9 6 3 § K 3

In the Open Room our pair, after a number of misunderstandings, managed to reach the grand slam. However, in the Closed Room, the Maltese West, Nathalie Marlin, showed that striped-tail apes can be found on Malta:

South's 4{ showed four spades, longer diamonds and slam interest. Had North/South passed they would have scored only +1310, poor compensation for a missed grand slam. When North redoubled, West quickly removed herself to 4ª, North doubled and that ended the auction. Accurate defence should have held declarer to one trick and a -2600 penalty but we all know how difficult it is to take the maximum number of tricks against such a contract.

The defenders lost their way, neither of them realising that declarer's trumps were quite so weak. In the end they allowed declarer to make four diamond ruffs in her hand, so restricting her losses to -1400 and a gain of 12 IMPs for Malta.

Before the championships started, when it was thought that there would be an odd number of teams, it was suggested by a member of the EBL Executive that perhaps Malta ought to withdraw and play in the Seniors instead (despite the fact that one of the team members is only 33!) in order that there would not have to be a bye. In my opinion the Maltese were worthy competitors. Next time (and I sincerely hope there is a next time) they will surely do better. Everyone has to start somewhere and someone has to come bottom.