By Nick Horton BBC Wales news website

Mine, all mine? Mr Blair views developments at Swansea docks

That, and the security risks of a green apple, of course.

Granted, the small matter of keeping the Conservatives out of power did crop up every now and then in Swansea.

But the day before a Grand Slam showdown against Ireland, most minds - even Tony Blair's - strayed away from the immediate fate of the UK.

We'll return later to the threat posed by fruit at the Brangwyn Hall.

But it was a good day for Mr Blair to be rallying his troops in Wales at the annual Welsh conference.

As his Welsh Secretary Peter Hain pointed out, this was the week that newspapers across the world sang Wales' praises in big, bold headlines.

"High work ethics plus a pro-investment culture bring wealth to Wales," reported The Wall Street Journal. And rather more succinctly in The Sun: "Why Wales is so hip it hurts."

There was lots of other stuff about the economy, keep out the Tories, and so on, but how many of his audience had already been transported to rugby heaven?

The rugby is the catalyst for the Welsh feel good factor, with the conference perfectly scheduled to finish at lunchtime on Saturday.

That allows First Minister and rugby obsessive Rhodri Morgan to make his seat in the Millennium Stadium 40 miles up the M4 in Cardiff for kick-off.

So woe betide the prime minister who failed to acknowledge the importance of 15 men in red. "Four words," Mr Blair told conference. "Grand Slam... good luck."

There was lots of other stuff about the economy, keep out the Tories, and so on, but how many of his audience had already been transported to rugby heaven?

Tony Blair inspects Rhodri Morgan's and Peter Hain's timely gift

The subject had cropped up earlier when Mr Blair chatted with construction workers as he left the Swansea Technium Centre.

He admitted he did not watch every rugby game - brave man - but he had seen the "unbelievable" Welsh triumph against Scotland the Sunday before.

One building worker, Graham Richards, told him: "When Wales are playing well it gives the whole country a lift."

"Well, keep playing well," Mr Blair replied.

Wales may be a little more Old Labour than Mr Blair would like, and it hasn't always taken prime ministerial instructions to heart, but it will probably do its best to follow that one.

There is more to Wales than odd-shaped balls

Back in the conference hall, he was given a Welsh rugby shirt by one of Labour's parliamentary candidates. By then, he had probably got the message.

Just in case, Mr Hain knitted together the prospect of a third Labour victory with Welsh paradise on the rugby field. "A Grand Slam for Wales, and a Triple Crown for Labour," he urged.

The courage award goes, however, to Leighton Andrews, the Rhondda assembly member who boasted from the podium that he had the ticket everyone wanted for Saturday.

A heavy police presence before Mr Blair arrived at the Guildhall

With a flourish he produced it from his jacket: "1pm tomorrow, Ninian Park, Cardiff City v Crewe Alexandra," he announced. So believe it or not, there is more to Wales than odd-shaped balls.

Such spherical talk brings us back to those apples regarded as so dangerous.

Inevitably, security was tight for the visit. So much so that Stella Matthews, who chairs the Wales Labour Party, was initially refused admittance after she forgot her pass.

But few entering the Brangwyn could have expected to hear: "I'm sorry, sir, I'll have to confiscate your apple. No fruit allowed inside."

The BBC can reveal that at least three apples and one banana were detained at the entrance to the hall. We swear we even saw a forlorn-looking kiwi fruit, too.

So why no fruit? Presumably because they could have been hurled at Mr Blair as unwanted gifts.

And one red rugby shirt is surely enough of a present to satisfy any prime minister in Wales.