That was quite some storm on Monday afternoon/evening. I think we dodged another yesterday as thunder and lightning raged just a little further east over Maidstone and parts of Kent. It could well be a storm of a different type we watch late on Saturday afternoon with the South Africans and Lions going toe-to-toe on the lush surface of Cape Town Stadium in Greenpoint.

The South Africans have formally announced their squad, a squad which relies heavily on the side that lifted the Webb Ellis trophy way back in 2019. Oh how things have changed since then. It is an exciting looking side with a back three that the Lions must avoid simply kicking the ball to. Le Roux, Kolbe and Mapimpi have pace and guile as good as anything in the world of rugby. Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard will aim to wear down the Lions defence opening up space for the likes De Allende in the centre. Siya Kolisi will lead his side out having fully recovered from his positive Covid test. In other words he tested positive and nothing else. He wasn’t ill and probably had no symptoms so he is good to go, and go he will. As expected it is a sizeable pack with some abrasive characters at its heart; Etzebeth and Du Toit. Coach Jacques Nienaber has gone with a 5-3 bench but that too is packed with talented muscle.

It seems the Lions team has been leaked to the press which is a surprise. Also surprising is the team itself if it is proven to be accurate. Stuart Hogg at full back for instance. One can only assume that contrary to the announcements from the Lions camp Liam Williams has suffered further concussion issues. Whilst many would argue that the big South African Duhan van der Merwe has been excellent, however defensively he hasn’t been as good as Josh Adams and lacks the versatility of Adams across the back line. The rest of the back line, if true, is as I would have hoped for with Watson, Daly, Henshaw, Biggar and Price all starting. Having named him as captain some of our more one-eyed Irish friends might be tutting at the inclusion of Ali Price but in my mind it is the right call.

The bionic man not only has made it back to South Africa after dislocating his shoulder he will lead out the side on Saturday at 17:00. Amazing!!. AWJ will partner Maro Itoje with the two of them locking the front row of Tadgh Furlong, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Wyn Jones as I had hoped for. It is the back row where I am perplexed with the selection. Tom Curry starts but with Jack Conan and Courtney Lawes I am really struggling to understand, if this selection is accurate, how Conan and Lawes come in ahead of Tadgh Beirne, Hamish Watson and Taulupe Faletau. I would even have had Josh Navidi ahead of Lawes.

I am also a little surprised with decision to go with a 6-2 split on the bench especially as that is Murray and Farrell, neither of whom have really sparkled to date. I would have included Chris Harris for example. The back up front row is fine with Owens, Sutherland and Sinckler ready to enter the fray on 60 minutes. The inclusion of Henderson doesn’t surprise me but Adam Beard could justifiably feel disappointed. Having both Beirne and Watson on the bench seems overkill to me and smacks a little of appeasement. Warren Gatland has been there and has more than once proven he knows what he is doing and never been afraid of making the tough calls, the omission of O’Driscoll in 2013 for example.

The game will be shown live at the club. New operating guidelines will be in force. The details are on this website.

It has been confirmed what had been rumoured for some time that all three tests will now been held in Cape Town. It is a real shame that the tour is going ahead in these conditions and that no fans are present. We continue to lament the fact we couldn’t go, especially as right now we would have been in Mauritius, but as my son would say “suck it up as that is a first world problem”. Cape Town is a great city and no wonder it is a magnet for tourists. One of the highlights is a trip to Robben Island.

In 2011 I was lucky enough to do the tour. The ferry takes you from the V&A waterfront out to the island some 7 miles north of CT out in Table Bay. As early as 1636 the island was a penal colony but it was in 1960 when South Africa Prisons took over control of the island. For 18 of the 27 years of his incarceration it was home to Nelson Mandela. Conditions on the island were brutal with every prisoner being forced to work 6 hours a day in the lime quarry. On the day I visited it was searingly hot with no shade. To break the monotony and a respite from the harsh regime football was the big release. Teams were made up, leagues formed and tables assiduously completed. They even had mock internationals with anyone vs South Africa. At that time the Springboks were a symbol of apartheid and therefore despised. On the day I toured the island, on the bus in Monday’s photo, the tour guide was an ex-prisoner who proudly wore the Springbok jersey. When asked he said he was proud to do so as a sign of reconciliation and out of respect to Mandiba (Mandela). The highlight is to the see the tiny cell where Mandela was housed. The last prisoners were released in 1991 and in 1997 the island became a museum and later a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an excellent excursion and as the bus takes you around the bleak island you get a glimpse of the terrible harshness of the South African regime of that time. The island is also now a nature reserve with myriads of birds and several seal colonies making it their home.

A busy day for me tomorrow starting at 05:00 so I’ll confirm the team news on Friday morning.

Monday 19th Jul: 08:55

What a gorgeous day yesterday and it is heading toward another scorcher today. I’ve already been to B&Q this morning after a failed attempt to buy shelving yesterday. At least this morning I didn’t need to wear a mask on this “freedom day” “groundhog Day”. I thought the photo I took in 2011 when I was lucky enough to visit Robben Island was most appropriate for today.

Anyway let me give you my team for next Saturday. Obviously this is not the team that is going to play, this is the team I would select........

15. Liam Williams, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Elliot Daly, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. Josh Adams, 10. Dan Biggar, 9. Ali Price, 8. Taulupe Faletau, 7. Tom Curry, 6. Tadgh Beirne, 5, Maro Itoje, 4. Alun Wyn Jones (c), 3. Tadgh Furlong, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1. Wyn Jones

I haven’t done a bench but Conor Murray, Chris Harris, and Adam Beard along with Ken Owens would be certs.

Feel free to send me your selections. You know the address.

Don’t know how I missed it but it I did, the Bulls beat South Africa A. This was a very different A team to the one that trotted out to face the Lions but quite a result nevertheless.

I also note Fiji were well beaten by the All Blacks. Not surprising when the best Fijians were playing for Australia versus France!!!

What else........ the golf was great, the F1 was intriguing (had that on the iPad whilst under the umbrella enjoying BBQ grilled sea bream) and the T20 was good, or so I am told. Le Tour finished yesterday. For the first time in a while I didn’t follow it but I understand Mark Cavendish made his mark on this years French Tourist Board’s TV extravaganza.

Bit befuddled this morning and have only just glanced through the rugby headlines. I read with interest that the British & Irish Lions are the first sports team in the world to use “breakthrough” technology that monitors performance, wellbeing and recovery in order to shape training loads. Fascinating and a positive way forward. The Daily Fail for more.

I was going to do a piece on Robben Island but I will do that on Wednesday giving me time for more research and to go through my photos again.

In the meantime somethings to ponder.

Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee has stated “I believe the real purposes of masks is social control, it is time to turn down the fear dial”. Spot on. At last an MP speaking common sense rather than simply following the mantra of the scientists.

To add to this Neil Oliver on GB News has stated that “freedom day” is nothing more than a respite as the health zealots and puritans drive us toward another series of totally unnecessary lockdowns. He writes eloquently about the effect this is having on children and the fear that freedoms we have enjoyed will be no more..... ever! This is worrying me too. Then comes the language of masks. It is all about compassion. Compassion for others and by not wearing one you are lacking any sort of compassion and scaring those who do. He’s right compassion cuts both ways. What about compassion for those who really struggle with masks. I find it brings on a form of claustrophobia, I find I can’t read or hear as well, all psychological I know but they are genuine feelings. How about a little of that good old compassion for me. No, because like way too many things in society today the argument only cuts one way. The zealots way or no way at all. Whilst it is not a scientific analysis it is a really good piece justifying why it is acceptable in many circumstances not to wear a mask. Neil Oliver on gbnews.uk

Finally my five point guide to immediately solving the “you know what” crisis.
1. Stop all testing
2. Switch off the trick or treat app
3. Prevent the scientists from appearing on TV or in the written press
4. Stop the daily obsession with the irrelevant case numbers and the death count
5. Let the NHS get on with their job of treating all ailments and not just Covid

Sunday 18th Jul: 08:20

Let’s get straight to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and Australia v France. After 5 minutes I wrote a note to myself to say “the red card has effectively ended the contest”. Oh how wrong was I. This turned into a cracking game of rugby. Enthralling and exciting from start to finish. Did the French suddenly think “we’ve got this” and took their foot off the accelerator, or did the Aussies say “f**k it mate, we’ve got nothing to lose now”. Either way it was 80 minutes of high intensity and drama. Some superb tries, especially the 90 metre spectacular from the French, some massive hits, some brilliant skills and plenty of mistakes to spice things up. On the balance of play I think the men in gold deserved to win, but only just.

Was it a red card? The officials took their time and came to the conclusion it was. It could have gone the other way. My view, for what it is worth, is Koroibete made no attempt to wrap his right arm in the tackle, the shoulder was high and it made contact with the shoulder of Jelonch first before moving to the neck area making the slightest contact with the head. Jelonch dipped into the contact making a high shot inevitable. Sadly, in my opinion, he milked it. In essence it was yellow for me not red. As an aside I think a red card should also mean a mandatory HIA for the player who has been hit. If a hit to the head warrants a red card then a HIA should follow.

Two other negatives I’m afraid. I thought the constant sniping at the referee by both sides, but especially by Michael Hooper, was unedifying. When are World Rugby going to follow the Premiership’s example and have subs warm up in the defensive dead ball area. Subs rushing on when tries are scored is unnecessary and should be stopped. Still a great game.

Didn’t watch this live, the weather was too nice, but Wales gave the perfect example of how not to win a game of rugby. No excuses about how hot it was or how slippery the ball was because it was the same for both sides. Wales piled the pressure on themselves with sloppy inaccurate passing, an inability to take even the most basic of pass, the set piece crumbling under pressure and the conceding of unnecessary penalties. This was a very inexperienced Welsh side up against a very good Argentinian outfit packed with talent so the result does not come as a surprise and it isn’t a worry for the future. The frustration is many of the young Welsh guns failed to produce the level of performance that brought them to Wayne Pivac’s attention in the first place. There clearly is strength in depth in the Principality but not across the board. For example in the centre we need to find a new Jonathan Davies as the current one is showing signs of wear and tear. Put aside the fact 27 players were missing the Welsh team that took to the field could have done better.

Other talking points; the Halom Amos yellow could easily have been red. Taine Basham’s late tackle on Carreras was unnecessary, but an issue caused by hyperactive players coming off the bench all fired up. Generally I thought Luke Pearce was good, and what I liked was when he cocked up, which he did twice, he was first to say “mea culpa”. Argentina are a good side and they will go onto the challenges of the Southern Hemisphere in the knowledge they’ve had two tough warm up games.

At 17:00 it was time to get out of the sun and watch the Stormers v Lions. We can’t get too carried away as this was a depleted Stormers side and it took nearly 30 minutes before the Lions got them to crack. The hosts put the Lions defence under pressure early on but once the the storm had been weathered it was time for the Lions to show what they had in attack. At times it was somewhat disjointed with the forwards taking all the plaudits but as the game progressed and the hosts tired so the more expansive side to the Lions game came to the fore.

Who stepped up to the plate and said “pick me”? Marcus Smith after a slow start showed what an undeniable talent he is. He kicked with maturity, he played what was in front of him and that break to give Louis Rees-Zammit a simple run to the try line was magnificent. It wasn’t just that his defence was excellent and his goal kicking perfect. He will be in the conversation. So will Tadgh Beirne and Hamish Watson. Both did their chances no harm at all. I expect Beirne will start next Saturday. Luke Cowan-Dickie has gone from “makeweight” in the hooking department to a nailed on test starter. An excellent contribution yesterday. If he doesn’t start then it will only be because Ken Owens is a wily old fox who has got the “under pressure” t-shirt. Ali Price certainly put his hand up and as I said previously don’t write off Adam Beard. Of course all eyes were on Alun Wyn Jones and his cameo appearance. He made quite an impression throwing himself into the fray without fear or favour. He will be in the mix for selection. You can rest assured of that. If you have a chance watch again the post match scenes then watch how the players react to AWJ. I hope you’ll agree those pictures are another reason why I think he will start.

Many of the pundits are putting forward their test teams. You’ll get mine either tomorrow or on Wednesday.

OK before I go I am enjoying doing my pieces on South Africa. Can I suggest if you want a real insight into the country and rugby and real life please read the excellent piece in MailOnline. An interview with former Springbok coach, the first black to do so, one Peter de Villiers. It is excellent and truly eye-opening.

Saturday 17th Jul: 07:20

Big day today with three live games to indulge yourself in. Obviously with the weather forecast to be superb it might also be a day to set the Sky Box to record, if you have Sky of course.

First up is Australia v France. The midweek game was a brutal but a throughly enjoyable encounter. I expect the Aussies will be smarting and with them in the hunt to host the 2027 World Cup they will be desperate for a win. With France hosting the 2023 RWC they will be desperate for a win. Let’s hope the desperation doesn’t make it a slug fest. This could be the game of the day.

Next up is Wales v Argentina. Wayne Pivac has rolled the dice and come up with a number of changes from the side that drew with the Pumas last weekend. In no order out go Kieran Hardy and Callum Sheedy, in come Tomos Williams and Jarod Evans. Changes too in the front row where Gareth Thomas will make his first start and Leon Brown will be the other side of the front row. Nick Tompkins and Tom Rogers start as does Josh Turnbull, the latter for the injured Wainwright. Some new blood on the bench but you can read that for yourselves. This is an interesting selection and with 27 other picks absent due to the Lions, injury or for other reasons this group have a major opportunity to make their mark.

I guess the big game is Lions v The Stormers. It is live at the club but please note the club will be applying the current guidelines rigidly as they have done throughout. The headline news is Marcus Smith gets his first start and Rob Henshaw returns following the injury sustained in Murrayfield. Stuart Hogg leads an exciting looking back line and Ali Price could with a good game secure a test berth. All change in the forwards and my players to watch are Rory Sutherland, Adam Beard and Hamish Watson. A solid game from these three could secure test spots with Beard being the wild card. I still can’t quite get my head around it but AWJ is on the bench and based on Gats comments of yesterday he will get at least 20 minutes game time. Interesting bench where with exception of Jamie George and AWJ the others are probably out of the running for test spots. This game won’t be as brutal as the midweek fixture against South Africa “A-in-name-only”.

In other news Lewis Ludlow has been to see the headmaster and has had his yellow card upgraded to red and as a consequence will miss four games with one of those suspended if he attends a “head contact process coaching intervention programme”. Catchy huh!

As promised here is the first of my South Africa plus “lectures”.........

Right now some parts of the country, especially in Jo’Burg, are being racked by violence, including deaths and looting. This has been driven by the arrest and court case against Jacob Zuma for corruption. It would appear the former Prime Minister certainly has much to answer for but his loyal supporters see things differently. As is often the case in SA the result of unrest is horrendous violence. Despite what might be written there is still much pent up anger about the odious apartheid era. 1948 when on the basis of the Afrikaner vote the Nationalist’s Party were elected to power so the reprehensible Population Registration Act was passed thus launching apartheid.

In 1960 69 people died in the appalling Sharpeville Massacre
In 1963 several ANC leaders including Nelson Mandela were sentenced to life imprisonment
1976 c.700 people died at the hands of the police in the Soweto revolt
1990 Nelson Mandela is released from Robben Island (Monday’s blog)
1994 Mandela was elected President ushering in an era of change.

However of the good Mandela did some of it is being undone by inter-tribal conflict amongst the black population, disillusionment amongst the whites and a government that has been blighted by corruption. In 2006 and again in 2011 I witnessed rioting and looting with the main arteries into and out of the city blocked by burning cars and tyres.

It is far from all bad and the change that Mandela drove has made the country generally a better place and to a degree more equitable. One the key drivers of change has been sport, especially the winning of the World Cup in 1995 and the hosting of the soccer version in 2010. The cricketers too have played their part with all sports significantly more inclusive and significantly better for it.

That’s enough for now. Back tomorrow.

Thursday 15th Jul: 08:30

Having arrived in Cape Town the Lions headed for Cape Town Stadium in Greenpoint on the edge of downtown. No more than 500 metres from the Atlantic it is a futuristic looking stadium, best seen at night, opened in 2009 ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Sadly yesterday all but a very few of the 55,000 seats were occupied. Those there would have witnessed a brutal unofficial fourth test.

It was only when I was looking through the team sheet for 2019 World Cup Final did I fully grasp the strength of the South African “A” team that ran out on to the pristine turf last night. Pre-match there was much talk about the South Africans not having played together since 2019, with the exception of the game against Georgia. What wasn’t mentioned was the plethora of stars plying their trade in Europe and the amount of rugby they have endured since 2019. Let’s not kid ourselves the Boks are battle hardened and that showed last night.

Having been in Japan and watched Wales try and outmuscle South Africa in the semi-final then watch England try and do the same, both failing dismally, I was somewhat dismayed to see the Lions try and use the same tactic. The high ball game was equally ineffective with aimless and inaccurate kicking. It was only in the second half with backs to the wall that that the Lions tried to be more adventurous. I could not get my head around the reason why with 15 men against 13 they persisted with that pick & drive just before and just after half time. Yes Wyn Jones went over for a score but it made little or no sense when a scrum would have been a much better option.

It was not all bad by any means and yet again no matter how minor it might seem last minutes changes to the lineup: Biggar out, Farrell in, Adams out Williams in, can affect the players performance. It didn’t help when Liam Williams left the field after 14 minutes for an HIA which must put his test selection in doubt. Looking at the positives Tom Curry has thrown his hat most emphatically into the ring for a test spot in that very competitive back row. Maro Itoje will start in the second row. Both the Englishmen had fine games often in the face of stiff opposition. Elliot Daly and Anthony Watson are there or there about after solid contributions in attack and defence. Although a brief cameo appearance against a tiring South African outfit I thought Adam Beard made a statement of his intent not to be forgotten when test selection comes around.

On the debit side of the balance sheet I was disappointed with Owen Farrell and Conor Murray. Their decision making was off, their kicking poor and they looked a little sluggish. Bundee Aki and Chris Harris were anonymous in the first half, Harris did step it up a bit in the second. Of the others no-one went backwards in the pecking order neither did they make a clear statement about test selection.

A couple of worries. Biggar dropping out before kick off, as stated Williams going of after 14 minutes, Anthony Watson getting lengthy treatment on his ankle and top of my list the tactics adopted. The South Africans showed their muscles yesterday and their are big. Going toe to toe with the wildebeest will not work. You have to keep them moving, keep them having to turn and chase. You need to avoid giving the ball to the likes of Kolbe and Le Roux. Most importantly you have to be unpredictable. Last night the Lions weren’t.

As I say not all gloom and doom but a clear wake up call for what lies ahead.

Should Faf de Klerk have seen red. There was clear contact with the opponents head following a reckless no arms tackle. The only mitigation was the head contact was not with the player he targeted with the tackle. Debate!

Should Rassie Erasmus be allowed to act as water boy? Another one to debate.

Before moving on can you believe that AWJ is heading to South Africa. No I can’t but yes he is. Is it a good decision? Only time will tell. By the way Welsh centre Nick Tompkins likened AWJ to Lazarus. Good man! Irish hooker Ronan Kelleher will be on the same flight as he has been called into the squad.

Thanks to my mate PK for again asking why with no fans the tests weren’t switched to Australia? Let’s leave that for another day.

Very sadly the civil unrest in South Africa is getting worse. With no midweek game next week I’ll touch on this and of course apartheid then. I will also give you some of my experiences of the issues South Africa still faces.

Finally can I remind you not to believe the Covid propaganda. Remember, even if cases go up to 100,000 per day that still leaves 1.1m who are testing negative. Remember the hospital numbers are still just 10% of the height of the problem earlier in the year and most importantly note that the deaths, all of which are sad, are still predominantly old people with pre-existing conditions often having gone into hospital for non Covid reasons. By the way, do you really need that track & trace app on your phone when you are perfectly fit and well !!!!!!! Back on Saturday with team news.

Wednesday 14th Jul: 08:15

Despite it being granddaughter day I managed to watch three games of rugby yesterday, albeit two of them after she had gone home. Firstly congratulations to England Under 20s lifting the Grand Slam and from what I have read very worthy winners. That said the Italians put up stiff opposition in what was an enjoyable encounter. The game could have been much closer if the tiring Italians hadn’t got on the wrong side of Hollie Davidson thus seeing double yellow late on. England were well drilled playing some very attractive rugby.

I didn’t watch the Ireland v France game but according to the pundits this was a cracker with France just sneaking over the line. Last up in the Under 20s tournament was Wales v Scotland with both sides desperate to avoid the wooden spoon. An error strewn game but at times highly entertaining, in my mind at least. Definitely better than an hour of Peppa Pig!!! The Welsh and Scots clearly deemed tackling as optional early on when the sides traded tries. As the defences finally got into their stride both were forced into a more ambitious game plan which in turn brought a litany of mistakes which added to the entertainment factor. At the start of the first half Wales saw red after reckless contact with the eye area of Scotland No.1. Undeterred they stuck to their task and clawed their way back into the game with a (fortuitous?) penalty try. Scotland now down to 14 men tried desperately to cling on but it wasn’t to be as Sam Costeloe slotted a long range penalty. Wales finished 4th, the Scots picked up the wooden spoon.

Sandwiched in between the Under 20s was a recording of Australia v France. At times this was a brutal affair with terrific forces being delivered in the contact areas. It is no wonder World Rugby has today announced new concussion protocols. Both sides used their forwards as battering rams but there was a decent sprinkling of exciting open running rugby with superb off-loading and dynamic breaks. The French defence under the glowering Shaun Edwards is a shadow of its former sieve-like self of previous years. It is resolute and aggressive. The Aussies did get through and around it on several occasions but generally “thou shalt not pass” was the French mantra. The home guard was slightly more porous with some of the French breaks delightful to watch. Controversy came when Australia had a try chalked off thanks to a TMO intervention which in my opinion shouldn’t have been allowed, the intervention that is. France scored a super try through Penaud with Aussie tries by Gordon and Hooper meaning the closing minutes were a test of resolve. A late France penalty through the unerring boot of Melvyn Jaminet sealed the historic win. A good game with the series decider to come on Saturday.

This evening we have South Africa v the Lions. Forget the “A” bit this is pretty much a full on South African test side. This should be worth watching and don’t expect anything but another brutal encounter. Much at stake for both sides with a win boosting morale ahead of the test series, a defeat a blow to confidence. 19:00 tonight on SKY. I believe it is being shown at the club. PLEASE remember the Government guidelines are still in place.

As expected along with the new concussion protocols World Rugby have confirmed that the goal line drop out and the 50:22 law will be adopted by all rugby from August 7th. There are other law amendments affecting the grassroots and junior game but I’ll cover those off once I’ve got my head around them.

Next seasons Premiership games are out with Saracens travelling to Bristol in the opener, and Wasps being the team to sit out the first weekend. Notably BT will no longer show every game live. From what I can gather we go back to a Friday evening, a Saturday afternoon and Sunday game only. The others will feature on the weekly highlights show on BT Sport and Channel 4, or is it 5?

Quaid Cooper for some unfathomable reason has been denied Australian citizenship. Despite the Kiwi wearing the green & gold on 70 occasions this is deemed not a significant enough contribution to Australia to warrant granting citizenship. Hey ho!

Argentinian Juan Cruz Mallia has been handed a three match suspension for his red card last weekend. He will miss the Welsh game on Saturday and the games against South Africa.

Which brings me back round to the Lions. They will have flown the 789 miles from Jo’Burg to Cape Town, a journey of 2 hours that takes you over Kimberley famous for its diamond mines and the Big Hole. Yes a big hole in the ground. Having taken that fight on several occasions it is a splendid sight. On arrival into Cape Town you fly over some of the most deprived and distressing townships in the country. Townships that until very recently have lacked the most basic of amenities. Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape founded in 1652 by the arrival into Table Bay of Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Co. In 1814 the city was ceded to the British. The population of c.4m is pretty diverse and since the abolishment of apartheid in 1990 it has become a “gracious and progressive city with a vibrant economy in which tourism plays a significant part”. Tonight’s game is at Cape Town Stadium (Greenpoint) which lies on the shore close to the V&A Waterfront district and under the shadow of Table Mountain. I took today’s photo in 2011. More on CT tomorrow.

Tuesday 13th Jul: 08:05

No, I wasn’t in a sulk yesterday because England lost on Sunday evening. No I wasn’t nursing a hangover. Yes, from early morning I was at the club helping tidy up after a busy evening on Sunday and more importantly helping to make some improvements to the car park facilities ahead of the club being able to re-open fully and the season starting in September. Yes I have optimistically put all of the fixtures into my diary. Well done to the old fossils and one Ian Russell, former player and famed farmer of this parish for his amazing contribution to getting the job done.

By the way it was only a game of football. The behaviour of some present was a disgrace. The FA have to get rid of these morons. The comments now doing the rounds on anti-social media are also a disgrace. We should be allowed to voice our opinions in a democratic society but the comments aimed at Rashford, Saka and Sancho are appalling.

So to rugby. Plenty of rugby today and tomorrow. Australia v France at 11:00 this morning. France will be keen to overturn last week’s result. Australia will be keen to put the three match series to bed. This afternoon England Under 20s will be looking to do what the seniors got nowhere close to; achieving the Grand Slam. Italy stand in their way. Wales will be hoping for a crumb of comfort in an otherwise woeful campaign when they take on Scotland. BBC 2 Wales if you are interested. Kick off 20:00.

The Lions face a very strong South Africa A side in the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town tomorrow evening. The South Africans have included a significant number of World Cup winners in their squad including Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert and Cheslin Kolbe to name just a few. As Conor Murray has stated this is like a fourth test so no wonder Warren Gatland has turned down the offer to play them again on Saturday instead of the Stormers.

The Lions have started to show their hand with regard to test selection, I think. Murray and Dan Biggar at half-back and a front row of Wyn Jones, Ken Owens and Kyle Sinckler might be those who run on in just under a fortnight from now. Chris Harris and Bundee Aki will be keen to stake their claims. I like the look of the back row with Tom Curry partnering Welsh favourites Josh Navidi and Taulupe Faletau. The back row test selection is wide open so having Beirne and Simmonds on the bench means the three starters are going to have to step up to the plate. No sign of Stuart Hogg or Robbie Henshaw in the squad which is interesting as Watson, Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams make up the back three. I don’t think the young Welsh speedster Rees-Zammit has done enough yet but another Adams masterclass will nail him on for test selection. Finally I like the selection of Itoje and Henderson in the powerhouse at 4 and 5. Despite the disjointed and disruptive nature of the tour to date Gatland must be delighted to have so many selection dilemmas. With one or two exceptions no-one has ruled themselves out of contention.

Marcus Smith has arrived and will surely play some part when the Lions face the Stormers. It is looking more and more certain that Finn Russell will be flying home very soon. Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to heal.

The South Africans suffer a blow as their talisman skipper Siya Kolisi tests positive for Covid and therefore finds himself in isolation. A total of 20 in the camp have tested positive which must be of some considerable concern.

In other news Lewis Ludlow has been cited after that knee to the face of Canada’s Jake Ilnicki. It doesn’t surprise me as I alluded to on Sunday. It didn’t look good and the citing officer has clearly taken the same view. I expect he will be given a ban when the hearing takes place on Thursday evening. I’ll have a guess it will be four weeks discounted down to two, unless he has previous.

Amazingly Alan Wyn Jones returned to training with Wales yesterday and as a consequence Warren Gatland is talking about him rejoining the Lions squad. As much as AWJ is a deity in Wales I think that would be a bad call all round. The squad is settled and dislocated shoulders have a nasty habit of recurring....... but what do I know.

After their encouraging recent wins Ireland have announced they will host the All Blacks, Japan Argentina in the Autumn. Looking out of the window isn’t that now!!!!

That’ll do for now except to say Boris has cautiously given the green light for “freedom day” next Monday. The self-serving scientists are still baying for more lockdown. The head of Pfizer is saying we need to give a third dose..... money, money, money. Those who are saying “freedom day” should be postponed are currently enjoying a significant chunk of their wages for staying at home doing nothing. More on this tomorrow, oh and I’ll be getting my travel guide out and giving you an insight into Cape Town. Yawn, as yes I’ve spent many a happy day and night in this fabulous city.

Sunday 11th Jul: 09:00

Plenty of rugby action yesterday but was there much to enjoy? As expected Argentina offered up a real test for Wales in the Principality Stadium. The game started brightly but then disintegrated into a litany of errors and penalties and stoppages. Neither side seemed able to get into their stride before the game was brought back for a knock-on or an offside or a forward pass. Callum Sheedy and Kieran Hardy failed to get the game going and the Welsh pack for some unfathomable reason thought they could outmuscle a side well used to defending the forward dominated game. The scrums were a mess and sorry Matt Carley you didn’t help the situation. The Argentinians, especially in the second half were much the better side and not only deserved the lead but should have gone on to win it. Fair play to the men in red they stuck at it and salvaged a draw from the jaws of defeat. If that last minute Jarod Evans penalty had gone over, even as a die-hard Welshman I would have felt the Pumas had been robbed.

There were some positives. Halom Amos was the one bright light for Wales and until he had to leave the field Aaron Wainwright showed glimpses of the skills that brought him onto the big stage originally. Tomos Williams brought an urgency to the game when he came on.

The other talking point of course was the red card shown to Juan Cruz Mallia on the 29th minute. It was a dangerous hit on Kieran Hardy with a substantial clash of heads as a result. By the letter of the law as it is written now it was red. Some may argue it was harsh. Debate!

It has come to light Wales lock Ben Carter was born in Crowborough. He left the town at a young age so we at CRFC can’t claim him as one of ours but nice to know the town is represented on the international stage.

Next up came England v Canada. Fair play to Canada they stuck at it despite the overwhelming difference in quality between them and England. I struggled to get excited by this game due to its often one-sided nature but there were some glimpses of brilliance by both sides and a few standout moments. Adam Radwan has some gas doesn’t he. He took his three tries well and surely will be in Eddie Jones mind when he gets around to planning for the Autumn Internationals. Putting aside his three tries Jamie Blamire also put on a good show in front of Jones. He however has Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jamie George ahead of him in the pecking order. As someone who has been frustrated by Jones’ conservatism in selection and his reluctance to change the game plan I hope the resounding victories of the last two weeks has shown him he has strength in depth and the talent to play a more expansive game.

The often much misunderstood Ellis Genge was a very worthy man of the match. From start to finish he lead from the front making a positive contribution with and without the ball.

The big talking point came when England captain Lewis Ludlow was shown yellow for “clumsily” kneeing Canada’s Jake Ilnicki in the head during a ruck. Craig Evans and the officials spent a reasonable amount of time reviewing the footage and deemed it only a yellow. I am not so sure. I don’t think it was deliberate or intentional but it was certainly reckless and when viewed alongside Mallia’s red in the earlier game you do question the consistency of officiating. Debate!

Next up came the Lions. Maybe my view is being influenced by my opinions on how the whole Covid thing is being handled but I found it hard to get motivated by this game. Fair play to the Sharks, stepping in at the last moment and with a weakened side, they put up quite stiff resistance for long periods and scored five tries in the process, albeit four of them from glaring Lions errors. The game turned when an act of thuggery by Sharks scrum half Jaden Hendrikse saw him see red. No debate here, that elbow to the face of Liam Williams has no place in our game. Duran van der Merwe again stood out as did Chris Harris. Jamie George was outstanding so Gatland has a positive dilemma, who to pick at hooker. Anthony Watson did ok and Biggar was steady as you go at outside half. Tadhg Beirne also made a case for test selection. I think Elliot Daly has shown enough in attack to warrant a test place but I’d like to see him tested in defence before nailing his name onto the team sheet.

The big story coming out of South Africa is the news that Finn Russell might be on his way home after suffering an Achilles injury. In a surprise move, which Channel 4 made much of during the England v Canada game, Marcus Smith is on his way as Russell’s replacement. I guess it is like for like but equally I guess George Ford and Johnny Sexton might be somewhat perplexed by the news.

By the way the South Africans know how to do sarcasm as proven when the stadium announcer pointedly announced van der Merwe’s try in Afrikaans.

The men’s final at Wimbledon this afternoon then the big game this evening: England v Italy. Unlike many of my compatriots in Wales I will be cheering loudly for England. I just hope the pathetic English morons who booed the anthems and constantly booed opposition players are absent tonight. This should be a sporting occasion to cherish.

Friday 9th Jul: 07:15

Our next rugby is Wales v Argentina, England v Canada and Ireland v United States, all on Saturday. Certainly the first two games are on TV, S4C and Channel 4 respectively. Eddie Jones has rung the changes with Alex Dombrandt set to make his debut. He will start alongside Lewis Ludlow and Sam Underhill. Randall and Smith retain the 9 and 10 jerseys. Lock Harry Wells, centre Dan Kelly and wing Adam Radwan will all make their debuts, the latter two replacing the injured Ollie Lawrence and Max Malins. Jamie Blamire will start at hooker after coming on and impressing last weekend. Jones has gone for a 5-3 bench having learnt from last week when Dan Robson was forced to play on the wing. Canada will be no match for this England development squad who have the chance to put markers down for the longer term.

Wales have announced their squad to face Argentina. Now this will be a proper test, in every sense. Wayne Pivac has made just a few changes. Halom Amos comes in for the injured Leigh Halfpenny, who will be having surgery and a long recovery period. Tom Rogers, who I thought did well last weekend, is replaced by the more experienced Owen Lane and Kieran Hardy starts with Tomos Williams now on the bench. Jarod Evans comes onto the bench. As has been shown over recent times the Pumas will be no pushover. In fact I think Wales could find find themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Only time will tell. If you have SKY then S4C is on channel 134 and you can get English commentary via the red button.

Andy Farrell has rung the changes for Ireland’s game against the USA. Four Ulster players have been handed debuts along with two Munstermen and a Leinsterman getting their first run on starts. Another four possible debutants will be on the bench hoping for the call. It is a very bold call by Farrell but even with this fledgling squad they should still be too good for the USA. I don’t think it is on TV but I could be mistaken.

The Lions will head to Pretoria for Saturday’s hastily arranged game against the Sharks. Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa named after Andries Pretorius the 19th century Boer leader. It is home to Union Building, the parliament basically (see photo taken when I was there in 2006), and the Voortrekker Monument which celebrates Afrikaner pioneers. Pretoria is a city of c.2.5m people and is approximately 4,400ft above sea level. 52.5% of the population is white explaining why Afrikaans is the dominant language. Loftus Versfeld normally home to the Blue Bulls is hosting the game, a stadium capable of hosting 52,000 often very partisan and one-eyed supporters cheering on their favourites. In distance terms it is about 60kms or 50 minutes from Ellis Park via the M1 which at one point has the rich of Sandton on the left and Alexandra and its horrendous deprivation on the right.

There is one other game and that is New Zealand v Fiji. I don’t expect a cricket score like last week against Tonga but the All Blacks will win and win comfortably. I recently read a fascinating piece asking whether it is time to rethink the plundering of the South Sea Islands of rugby talent by those on the top table. If I remember I might touch on this next week.

If there is any news I’ll be back tomorrow otherwise it will be Sunday and a review of the weekend.

Before I go I am pleased the English FA have been charged as a result of the appalling behaviour of fans at Wembley on Wednesday night. It is no wonder other nations will be cheering for Italy on Sunday as a result. The Scots of course would cheer for anyone but England which quite frankly is pretty pathetic, almost childish but then again isn’t it childish for Scottish MPs to bemoan the coverage of the BBC. Sorry, I shouldn’t be anti-Scotland or anti-Scots, most are fine people and it is a beautiful country but there are times I think they get confused by their perceived importance in the global scale of things.

Finally I read with interest that doom-mongers, basically the scientists with their self-interests are saying “freedom day” shouldn’t happen because it would be devastating for the NHS. Mmmn! I’d like to ask these clowns why the waiting list of 5.3m people, many in dire circumstances is less important that managing a virus that is now being blown out of all proportion.

Thursday 8th Jul: 08:40

Much to write about so lets crack on. Australia v France was more than acceptable on a soggy Crowborough morning. Both sides played with a positive intent with plenty of open play, some great offloading and some decent tries. There were plenty of mistakes too, a sprinkling of niggle and the odd the refereeing error to spice things up. Did Australia deserve to win. Not sure. Are France going to be a side to reckon with come the World Cup in two years time? Yes.

The Under 20s continued with Ireland beating a stubborn Italian side, France beating Scotland and England demolishing a poor Welsh outfit. England have the Triple Crown but will they beat a decent Italian side to complete the Grand Slam. Next Tuesday. Kick-off 14:00

Next up was the news that South Africa v Georgia was cancelled due to you know what before hearing that the Sharks v Lions was in serious doubt as 1 coach and 1 player tested positive forcing 12 others to self-isolate. More on this in a moment. The game did go ahead in bizarre circumstances. Players with shirts with no numbers, six burly forwards and one back on the bench, a dramatic shuffling of the starting XV. When eventually it started we were served up a decent contest despite the scoreline. What caught my eye was the quality of some of the Lions off-loading. Rugby so often plagued by brute force was transformed at times last night with front row forwards slipping passes like silky smooth backs. The angles of attack were spot on and there was a desire to get the ball wide with Van der Merwe and Josh Adams being the main beneficiaries. Yes the Sharks were depleted but they put up a spirited performance ensuring not only were the Lions tested going forward but had their work cut out in defence too.

Yet again nobody went backwards in terms of test selection but a couple of players took huge strides forwards. Put aside Adam’s hat-trick of tries, stepping in at full back and playing with great confidence and skill means he is a must for the test side. Another Josh put his hand up. Yes Navidi was excellent and whilst his back row partners Curry and Simmonds played well Navidi was “your man!” I had Ken Owens nailed on for the hookers jersey but Luke Cowan-Dickie was like a man possessed yesterday. A powerful statement for the coaches to consider.

Moving up the pecking order must be Bundee Aki after last night and almost over the line is one Elliot Daly. Plenty of good stuff from both of them. Van der Merwe also did his test credentials no harm but those stuck in isolation might have something to say about that. This week’s award for cameo appearances goes to two Scots. Finn Russell and Rory Sutherland both made very positive contributions during their short spells on the pitch.

Warren Gatland and team can rightly be delighted with their charges. Despite the unprecedented pre-match disruption everyone who donned a shirt stepped up to the plate and played their part with skill and determination. Gatland also handled the situation with tact and sensitivity and remains confident the tour will go ahead and be completed. I’m not so sure. On that point there is no news on whether a replacement opposition can be found for Saturday?

Two other points. Whilst the plethora of on-pitch sponsors logos and the pitch side advertising can be annoying at least it is all superimposed. Why can’t we see that here in the UK instead of watching paint covered smurfs plying their trade.

To the Covid tests. 1 player and 1 coach and subsequently 12 close contacts go into isolation. Ponder this..... unless the UK scraps track & trace and assume Javid is correct and there are 100,000 cases in August you could see within just 5 days 3 million people having to self isolate. All those in isolation could be fit and well and Covid free but that could be the scenario. MADNESS with a capital “F”.

By the way did you know it has now been conformed that 25% of all Covid deaths in Wales were sadly people who were infected IN hospital. Not down the pub, or at the football, or round mates having a few beers. Infected IN hospital!!

Then came the small matter of England v Denmark. Not the classic of the previous night but a game packed with drama nonetheless. First up came the moronic and unnecessary booing of the Danish anthem. Then came the totally moronic booing of Danish players, especially the amazing Kasper Schmeichel, then came a wonder Danish goal, an own goal, a penalty that was never a penalty and then finally scenes of euphoria. Quite the night’s entertainment. If as shown in one of the papers a laser was directed at Schmeichel when the penalty was being taken that is an outrage. England were the better side and therefore deserved to go through. The manner of the victory however is something to be debated. It is great for the country, especially as the Scots have something else to whinge about. They’ll be rushing to buy Italian shirts now. Losers!

Ok before I go. Thank you Geoff for your very erudite explanation of what happened to poor Emma Raducanu. My comment of yesterday was not a criticism of her. It was meant to be an explanation of how the immense pressure put on her young shoulders, and the vagaries of the day such as hanging around for hours with time to ponder the challenge caused her body to react in way that meant she could not go on. Your explanation sums it up perfectly. I was however also making the point that we can’t continually sugar coat everything we say. At some point we need to say things as they are. Wee Jimmie Sturgeon is a self-opinionated, one trick, power crazed despot for example.

Back tomorrow with Saturday’s team news and any Lions updates.

Wednesday 7th Jul: 08:30

Yet again we awake to a miserable day, battleship grey skies, that persistent drizzle and temperatures more akin to November than early July. I console myself with the fact at 11 o’clock I’ll be in front of the TV with a cup of coffee, possibly a chocolate digestive and Australia v France. Both are fielding what euphemistically can be called development squads, or more realistically second string XVs. No worries mate, I’ll be watching......... unless the weather perks up in which case the garden beckons.

If the weather is as forecast; unrelenting, then tennis, Le Tour and possibly if I can finally find it on the interweb thingy some Under 20s rugby will be the order of the day. The Sharks v Lions has been given the all clear so regardless of weather here in the ‘Borough that is on the agenda. The Lions will win this one. What to watch out for: the back row performance, Elliot Daly in the centre and how will Biggar control the game at 10. Navidi, Curry and Simmonds is one fascinating back row. Ball carriers the three of them. Expect them to be prominent from start to finish. If Daly puts in a solid performance that could be his test spot sorted. Will Dan Biggar play an expansive game or will he be putting boot to ball on a regular basis. Recently he has been a genuine playmaker for Saints and Wales and if the Lions are to beat the South Africans he needs to be able to vary the play constantly. Keep the opposition guessing. When Wales lost to South Africa in Japan, in fact England fell into the same pattern, their game plan was predictable and the pivot that should be 10 was anything but. It was kick and hope.

The news broke yesterday that the Bulls v Lions game has been “postponed”. Yeah that means cancelled. It is pretty certain that the South Africa v Georgia game will go the same way. If that were to happen I think the whole tour gets thrown into question. I’ll bet those who have tested positive are felling fit and healthy and raring to go. This test and isolation bullshit has globally been one of the reasons why some 18 months since the virus took hold we are still living in purgatory.

This evening England face Denmark at Wembley. If the game is half as good as Italy v Spain then we are in for a rollercoaster of excitement and tension. Denmark will be playing for Christian Eriksen, England will be playing to lay to rest the ghosts of tournaments past. I’ll be watching and cheering for England, even though the Leicester City representation will be playing for the other side.

Well done Mark Cavendish not only coming back from a spell in the cycling wilderness but winning another stage victory and closing in on Eddie Merckx’s all-time record of stage wins.

What a shame Emma Raducanu bombed out of the tennis on Monday. I’m with John McEnroe by saying sadly the occasion got to her and she couldn’t handle the pressure. We can all sugar coat what we say but her nerves and ability to cope were shot to pieces. It was a real shame but based on her post match interview and general demeanour she will bounce back with aplomb and become a tennis sensation.

The Covid isolation nonsense hits England cricket with the entire squad being forced to isolate. It is madness. I say this because it leads nicely into today’s “another day and more flip-flops”. The hideously expensive and ridiculously ineffective and positively useless track & trace system is to be continued until August 16th despite what we were led to believe on Monday. One person tests positive and umpteen others can end up in isolation crippling schools, workplaces, the NHS, and on and on. It is the height of stupidity and it is power and control gone mad. It is especially galling when you can guarantee the person tested didn’t even know they had the virus, and that doesn’t include the veracity of the test itself.

As fast as promises of freedom are thrown out there so the backtracking begins. Even Javid now is making up numbers, 100,000 cases per day soon. IT HAS TO STOP!!!! Cases are and always have been an irrelevant number. Right now the time has come to get our lives back. The media are still hyping up the fear. I listened to a commentator talking about why we should continue to wear masks over-egging the positives and completely ignoring the significant and scientifically proven negatives of wearing masks. Altruism is not a reason for wearing a mask. Keeping yourself healthy by not wearing one is a more powerful argument.

Right that’ll do for today except to say today’s photo shows you exactly how we are being mislead. These are taken from a summary of the official figures and highlight how easily we can be mislead.

Tuesday 6th Jul: 07:40

Happy Birthday Austin, 9 nine today. Where have those years gone?

Let me start with the biggest of yesterday’s announcements, the Lions squad to face the Sharks. The headlines are Tom Curry gets his first start and Iain Henderson will lead the side. My immediate observation is Daly in the centre with Aki is interesting. You know what you are going to get with Williams at 15 and Watson and Van der Merwe out wide. Biggar at 10 with Gareth Davies at 9 is a tried and tested and trusted combination. Adam Beard and Josh Navidi make their Lions' bows and in the case of Navidi if he replicates his domestic form he has to be in with a shout of making the test side. Sam Simmonds also starts. A very interesting looking bench with Murray set to partner Biggar late on and in what could become a test back line Hogg and Harris are waiting in the wings, or more accurately on the bench.

Gatland has given the back row license to “get their hands on the ball and express themselves”. Obviously the Sharks will be depleted as their stars will be preparing to face Georgia on Friday evening.

We already know that Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa lying in the north of the country. It could simply be described as a sprawling mass of humanity. The city owes its existence to the discovery of the world’s richest gold deposits in 1886. Whilst many cities around the world have varied and diverse elements e.g. New York and Manhattan, Harlem, the Bronx then London with Brixton, Hampstead Heath, Golders Green, Jo’Burg by comparison is massively diverse. You have the posh white bits such as Sandton, contrasted by the townships, the oldest, largest and best known is Soweto, and then Alexandra with its appalling amenities, tightly packed accommodation, often just a corrugated shack, and its drug and alcohol problems. When I visited Soweto in 2005 it wasn’t the tourist attraction it is today with its fancy shopping malls and high degree of wealth. More millionaires live here than anywhere else in South Africa, allegedly. It’s most famous citizens being Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Sandton is famous for its enormous shopping centre, Sandton City, with its enormous statue of Mandela dominating the square in his name (photo). In some respects the fact the airport to city train, the Gautrain, runs to Sandton sums up some of the problems the country faces.

It could be that I’ll be scratching around for Lions stories too as it was announced yesterday that the South Africa squad had gone into isolation. There are murmurings that the tour could be called off. I sincerely hope not but in these crazy times of knee jerk reactions to anything and everything I wouldn’t be surprised if that were to happen.

The second big announcement came from the Buffoon-in-Chief. Finally we are to be freed from purgatory and we can now go to the pub, the shops and go about our daily lives without having to be muzzled like rabid dogs. Yes some of the draconian and totally unnecessary rules are being scrapped. HOORAH to that!! Boris is still dithering about trick or treat, school bubbles and in out shake it all about quarantine rules. Dear Boris, you only need to do two things and this whole nightmare will go away. Stop the useless and totally ineffective testing and assign the track and trace app to the bin. For the record 1.3m people were tested with just 27,500 testing positive. Most were probably totally unaware they were positive. Yes just 2% of all tests were positive meaning 98% were negative. My other reality check..... the government/scientists keep telling us c.250 people a day are being admitted to hospital. OK then, explain to me how on June 16th there were 1177 people in hospital and today there are 1966* which I make an increase of 789 or 39.45 per day over the last 20 days. The same is true for those on ventilators. A slight increase but as fast as people go into hospital others are coming out. Oh and don’t forget in the darkest of days there were 40,000 people in hospital of which 4000 were in ICU.

* Right that’ll do except to say 1966 is of course the year England won the World Cup.

Monday 5th Jul: 08:10

There were times watching the rugby from Twickenham that I thought they might be playing in sun-baked California as those lucky enough to be there soaked up the sun. This as opposed to rain soaked Crowborough. Every time we tried to get out in the garden along came another shower. Anyway it was an excuse to watch the game and the F1 highlights, the latter taking about 3 minutes max.

England played well enough to keep a spirited USA side at bay. Big Joe Cokanasiga makes all the headlines but it was diminutive Harry Randall that was the standout player. He was like a will-o-the-wisp here, there and everywhere. What I particularly liked was he was unpredictable. After much hype, including from me, Marcus Smith made his debut in an England shirt. After a slow start he did ok. He pitched in with a couple of conversions and a try but otherwise he simply did what was needed. Freddie Steward made a good impression at full back dealing well with the high ball. Obviously the injury to Max Malins will be of concern to Saracens where he is due to return and losing Ollie Lawrence who took his try well was a blow for Jones to manage.

The Americans were no pushover scoring four good tries of their own. The MLR is clearly having a positive impact. Their technical ability in the scrum left something to be desired but around the park they played well enough with some good off-loading, and solid work at the ruck. Defensively things could be better but they made a decent fist of it from start to finish.

For England fans on the positive side of the balance sheet there clearly are players ready and able to step up to international rugby. Based on yesterday there was less reliance on the boot and bash approach to the contest. On the debit side Eddie Jones decision to go with a 6-2 bench indicates he hasn’t abandoned the forward dominated game plan completely.

Overall a good contest with some positives for both sides to build on.

In the absence of the football and the early morning downpours I watched the Lions game again. Yes I was that bored!! A couple of things to add to yesterday’s comments. Centre Chris Harris made a very positive impression with some good sniping runs, good support lines, and good defensive work. Elliot Daly’s late cameo appearance also made an impact. Just 20 minutes but every contribution was positive. If the test team was being announced today who from Saturday would be a definite inclusion. Just Hamish Watson and Josh Adams. Who would be in strong contention? Lawes, Wyn Jones, Harris, Elliot Daly. Nobody played themselves out of contention which is good news.

The Lions stay in Jo’Burg and will move from the savannah to the sea as they face the Sharks. More on this tomorrow.

It has been confirmed that Leigh Halfpenny will be out for “a long spell”. A real shame, especially if it is a career ending injury.

New Zealand hammered a weakened Tonga by 102-0. It is all well and good saying we need to give those below the top table of international rugby more opportunities but they do have to be up to the task and willing to field their strongest teams. It is a pointless exercise otherwise.

Tuesday is granddaughter day so I might be back tomorrow but more likely Wednesday. What a day of sport we have on Wednesday.

Rugby: Australia v France at 11:00, three Under 20s contests with Wales v England at 20:00, Sharks v Lions at 18:00.

Of course Wimbledon and the Le Tour continues.

Then clashing with Wales v England U20s is England v Denmark in the Euros. Yes this is probably the biggest sporting occasion in the UK since the Olympics in 2012.............. debate.

Finally a “woe is me” moment. For those who have read this nonsense for some time will remember when RMT leader Bob Crow passed away. It wiped 50% of my material off the table in an instant. The next few days could see something similar. The mood music would indicate Boris is going to free us from the shackles and July 19th will be “freedom day”. What am I going to write about then?

Power is a drug and is as hard to kick as alcohol and narcotics. We are seeing that right now as those on the SAGE committee are screaming that “freedom day” shouldn’t happen. Why? Simply because they would lose their new found power and influence. We should put the lot of them with some onions and stuff them somewhere is my view. It is them and their flawed models and manipulated statistics that got us into this mess in the first place!

Sunday 4th Jul: 09:00

A veritable cornucopia of sport yesterday so let’s get straight to it. First up Ireland v Japan. What a bonus it was on TV as this was a thoroughly enjoyable encounter. For long periods I thought Japan were going to repeat the exploits of 2019 and put one over the Irish. They played with speed and dynamism and more importantly an unpredictability. Some of their handling was excellent and they deserved their four tries. To be fair Ireland were depleted and started as if they had never played the game before. Mistake after mistake, penalty after penalty. They slowly but surely clawed themselves back into it and ultimately deserved the win. It was difficult to pick out an individual or a single moment that the game turned on. This was a gritty effort by the Irish and a reassuring one for Andy Farrell. Of concern of course were the injuries especially to Farrell and l
Larmour. Without question Japan are clearly the best of the rest and under the tutelage of Jamie Jospeh and the continued strengthening of their league they will continue to improve and deserve their chance at the top tab