The flower of Scotland is blooming all over Wales this morning after the game last night. At the beginning of the tournament who would have thought Wales would be Champions, coming within a whisker of a Grand Slam? Who would have had Scotland down to bookend away wins at Twickenham and Stade de France? Who would have dared to think England would finish a woeful and humiliating 5th? What a fantastic tournament this was.

As the game kicked off I had France down as bonus point winners but maybe missing out on the title on points difference. I didn’t have Scotland down for a stunning and thoroughly well deserved win. The men in the dark blue of Scotland defended ferociously winning most of the 50/50 contests. Some of the tackling was immense which kept them in the game and kept France frustrated. The more frustrated they became the more sloppy their game got. When the Scots had possession they used it wisely: Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg using the boot to good effect, spinning the ball wide when it looked on and using their one-out runners as the game (and weather) dictated.

At times France looked mercurial and brilliant, at times they looked leaden footed and like startled rabbits in the trucks headlights. Antoine Dupont had a pretty mediocre game and whilst Ollivon led from the front with Fickou and Penaud making inroads into the Scottish half there was not the pizzazz we saw against England, and against Wales in “that” last 15 minutes. I would almost dare to say they were overly confident and their arrogance blinded them to their objective: win the game first and foremost and worry about the bonus point try once that was done. This was the approach against Wales and it paid off.

It might be considered ironic that it was a Welshman: Steve Tandy who won this game. He is the mastermind behind Scotland’s new found defence. It was the Scottish back row who as a unit were my men of the match. By the way, why didn’t Dulin kick the ball out for the win? I know not winning the title is harsh but at least they would have left the stadium with a “W” against their name.

The Finn Russell red card was spot on. As I have said over and over contact with the head area, which includes the neck has to be eliminated from the game. The French tackle technique was awful but that doesn’t excuse Russell’s actions. Once again praise for the man with the whistle; Wayne Barnes was on on top form and his smattering of French was the added bonus.

I may reflect more on the tournament next week but for now today’s questions & answers:
Who are the Champions? WALES!
Did they deserve to be Champions? YES!
Who were the tournament chumps? England!
Best game? England v France.
Worst moments? The red cards.
Unsung heroes? The men with the whistle, except maybe Gauzerre!
Player of the tournament? Wyn Jones, Wales, the prop that is not The Prince of Wales: Alun Wyn Jones.

Enjoyed the Gloucester v Exeter game. The first half in particular was pretty good. The second was a bit more of an arm wrestle but still a nice hors d’oeuvres before the main course. Actually I cooked salmon fillet in white wine with lemon, coriander and chilli flakes as the main course. Gloucester will welcome the win but it has to be said the 23 who run out for Exeter in the Champions Cup next weekend will be totally different. That Josh Hodge is some player and what a try. If you’ve not seen it go on line and have a look.

Four good looking Premiership games today. Bristol v Harlequins tops the bill but Irish v Bath will be interesting. The weather is set fair so I might only watch Wasps v Sale late this afternoon but expect Worcester v Saints could be the game of the day.

Bizarrely the Pro14 Play-off Final is today when Leinster face Munster yet there are still Pro14 games to play. Dragons v Edinburgh tomorrow for example.

The Championship continues today but all eyes will be on Richmond v Saracens and Ealing v Hartpury tomorrow. Jamie George is rumoured to be starting for Sarries.

As expected Mateo Carreas, Newcastle Falcons gets hit with a lengthy 9 week ban for his outrageous act in the game against Wasps. His season is effectively over. It is worth looking at the report on the BBC website as it gives a good insight into the mind of the panel, especially as the offence started at a 18 week ban.

Finally back to last night. Brilliant stuff Scotland, not just because of the implications for Wales but you played well and thoroughly deserved that last ditch try to win the game. Strangely, and more importantly: “UP YOURS MACRON!” You strutting, pompous little Napoleon.

Thursday 25th Mar: 08:00

Big day for Welsh fans tomorrow as France host Scotland. A match that will decide the destiny of the 6 Nations title. France have to win with a bonus point and a clear points advantage to move Wales from the top of the table. They are more than capable of that and although Scotland beat a woeful England and strolled past Italy it has to be odds on that France will do it. Now, obviously if Gregor Townsend was able to pick Teflon Sturgeon his side would win regardless of the result. The referee selected by Sturgeon would clearly make sure that happened.

Where would he pick her? Hooker? Left wing?

Townsend has made four changes to his side that beat Italy. In part due to the recover and availability of Finn Russell but also due to the fact his hands were tied by the English clubs. Russell comes straight back with Stuart Hogg going to full back. Despite his excellent showing against Italy Huw Jones drops to the bench with Chris Harris returning in the centre. Ali Price also returns to partner Russell. George Turner replaces Dave Cherry at hooker, this despite Cherry having an excellent game last weekend. Adam Hastings bolsters the bench after serving his ban with Sean Maitland surprisingly dropping out of the squad all together. It looks a pretty good squad with the exception of second row where injuries have left Townsend with very limited options.

France have also made changes with Jalibert out injured and Willemse banned. Romain Ntamack starts at 10. Bernard le Roux, Swan Rebadj, Anthony Jelonch and Arthur Vincent have all be recalled. Gael Fickou moves out to the wing with Teddy Thomas dropping to the bench. This looks a strong squad which as I have said must start clear favourites. Scotland have not won in Paris for 22 years.

No blog tomorrow but definitely back on Saturday with a review of this game.

I am somewhat surprised that Willemse was only given a two week ban following his red card against Wales. It looked bad and any contact with the eyes starts with a high tariff. I can only assume the panel deemed the contact to be “in the area of the eyes” and not “with the eyes”. It was decided it was low end and he has been given the full 50% discount. It is difficult for me to be impartial but I have to say this looks generous.

Gloucester’s Matt Banahan has walked away from the headmaster’s office with a three week ban the start of which will be determined once he has passed the HIA protocols. Leicester’s Kobus van Wyk has been given a four week ban missing Leicester’s next four matches including the Challenge Cup game against Connacht. The summaries will be in the RFU website at some point so you can look at the complete ruling for yourselves.

The mood music coming out of Downing Street would indicate summer holidays outside the UK are not going to happen any time soon. Several countries which includes South Africa are unlikely to get the green light until their Covid outbreaks are under control. My take on this means there will be no travelling fans in South Africa when the Bokke host The Lions. There might be fans in the stadia but these will be locals. The question that Damper and others have asked relates to the players. Whilst playing for The Lions is the pinnacle of an international career would you want to be in Covid bubble for the 7 to 8 weeks of the tour and play in empty grounds. After hearing about the England Covid bubbles some players might say they are not interested. Only time will tell.

Whilst this is not of interest to many there are rumours flying around that Ireland’s RTE will take over the coverage of Pro14 from next season. With BBC and S4C rumoured to be in talks with RTE about coverage it could be Pro14 returns to terrestrial TV. Happy days. Talking of rumours both BBC and ITV have stated they are very keen to keep their rights to screen 6 Nations matches. Cost will be the challenge but fingers crossed.

Lots in the papers about Lions selection. I’ll throw mine out there next week at some point.

What a bunch of clowns. Even as a fervent “remainer” I am so glad we are out of the EU as they bumble and stumble their way through the Covid situation. Ursula van der Leyen and others are acting like spoilt schoolyard bullies. They don’t want anyone to have the AZ jab but they want to have all the supplies. This is the politics of the mad house. This is about one thing and one thing only: countries looking at the vaccination success of Britain and thinking “why can’t we leave the EU and simply make things happen”. As I said before the Germans couldn’t get rid of van der Leyen quick enough when she was defence minister and I suggest the EU might be wise to follow a similar course of action. Are we having to slow our vaccine program as a result of the spitefulness of Europe or are there other factors at play. Obviously the Indians holding back 5 million doses doesn’t help but yes the EU are a factor. Muppets!!

The clocks go forward on Saturday/Sunday, the F1 starts on Sunday and Super League is back. SUMMER IS COMING!

Wednesday 24th Mar: 08:15

South Africa is the only place to start as that is where the Lions tour will be. The minute the UK Government said they wouldn’t underwrite losses arising if the rules on crowds in stadia changed during a UK and Ireland based tour that idea was doomed. My good friend PK consistently put together an excellent justification for such a UK based tour but it was always fraught with danger and the whole Lions ethos is about touring overseas. This news does not mean the tour is a done deal as there are significant hurdles to over come and the biggest is of course crowds in stadia. If as you would expect South Africa’s leaders says “no way” and on top of that it keeps its borders closed and then throw the likelihood that our Government will continue to restrict travel out of and back into the UK, especially from South Africa, the whole tour could be scrapped. Our travel company continue to be excellent in keeping us updated but I can’t see UK supporters being allowed to travel whether it by by Boris or by the South Africans. For the players and coaches this is excellent news. For those hoping to travel it is the smallest and most distant glimmer of light but it is something to hang onto.

The RFU have stated they will, as they also do, carry out a full and frank review of England’s performance during the 6 Nations. Will it be a shock if The Serf gets shown the door? Yes it will. Money. Will it be a shock if The Serf gets shown the door? No it won’t. Return on investment. With some time to get the house in order before the World Cup in France I for one think something has to change and that means Jones has to go. I believe coaches need time but England under Jones with all the eye-watering investment that goes with that has consistently failed to deliver. Ah but we got to the World Cup Final. Yes, and were pathetic. I was there. Don’t forget the crucial England v France game was cancelled during the tournament. We will never know how things would have panned out if that game had gone ahead. The RFU will decide but keeping Jones will not be good for the game as a whole.......... in my opinion.

Bundee Aki gets a four week ban for his reckless and dangerous tackle on Billy Vunipola. Six weeks down to four and based on what I have read is spot on. Where I have an issue is Aki couldn’t get the full 50% discount because he has form yet O’Mahoney did and his rap sheet is longer than Aki’s. I await with interest what the panel decides to do with Willemse.

I agree with the headlines: a quick reacting saliva test to diagnose concussion could be a game changer. Based on the test results from several seasons of analysis by the University of Birmingham supported by the RFU, PRL and Marker Diagnostics it seems that the concept took one huge leap towards reality this week. The results of the trail look fantastic. It will still be some years before cheap mass produced tests are available but it could be in use in top flight rugby sooner than we think. Let’s hope so.

It seems Bath will become the new home for Danny Cipriani. It is widely rumoured a deal has been done but it is just the fine details to be ironed out. What with the arrival of Schoeman (now injured), the resigning of Freddie Burns I can’t see how Cipriani fits in. My good friend and Bath oracle will surely let me know soon enough.

The Super Rugby continues in both Australia and New Zealand. It is a crying shame we can’t see any of it. From what I have read there have been some amazing games, some refereeing/TMO howlers and a fairly major spat between Queensland Rugby and NSW rugby over the dire straits the Warratahs find themselves in. The Guardian carries the story if you are vaguely interested.

It was sad to read that a Leicester City great and footballing maverick Frank Worthington passed away yesterday. As I type I have the The Essential History of Leicester City in front of me and along with Gary Lineker, Frank Worthington adorns the cover. He made 247 appearances and scored 80 goals whilst with The Foxes.

Elsewhere the country marked a year of Covid and year of draconian lockdowns. I again thank my good friend PK for sending me the article from The Daily Torygraph that highlighted the fact that lockdowns don’t work, they should never have been the default position of the Government and as we are seeing now they will cost us long into the future much more than any perceived benefit. Waiting times for treatment, deaths from undiagnosed illness, the mental health time bomb, the economic Armageddon and don’t get me going on the twisting of data, the lies, the misinformation and the propaganda, and I haven’t even got to the PPE and test and trace shambles. Whilst the BBC still shouts the latest death figures at you, and yes everyone of which is sad, they are a long way from the 500,000 that got us into this mess. The way of reporting by including any death within 28 days of a positive Covid test was always flawed. The deaths have been significantly from the elderly who already had serious underlying health conditions and don’t forget there have been many cases where Covid has been given as the cause of death when clearly it was not.

Go on, I challenge you to write to me and complain. Tell me about the 95 year old with dementia in a care home who died allegedly of Covid. My response will be to tell you of my 80 year old Aunty who died last Friday. She died of dementia related illnesses. Her quality of life was poor, the quality of life for her family was poor so let us put the passing of the aged and the sick into context. Aunty Julie, rest in peace. You’ll be sadly missed but you are in a better place now.

Tuesday 23rd Mar: 08:25

Yes, both Liam Williams and Taulupe Faletau could have avoided the yellow cards during those last frantic 15 minutes in Paris. Yes, the fact they were on the sidelines when France started their final assault on the Welsh line put Wales under pressure. Yes there would have been cover wide out when Dulin went over as a consequence. All that said there is NO justification for both players, especially Liam Williams, to be subjected to the sort of online abuse they have been. Wales lost a game of rugby. In a year when so many have endured hardship and loss of families members the morons who write this stuff need to get things into perspective. It is right to criticise and it is fair to suggest both yellow cards could have been avoided and yes Wales might have lost as a consequence but online abuse by people who lack moral fibre and certainly don’t have the courage to be named is totally unacceptable.

You hypocrite. No, bleater@crowboroughrugby.com is always available.

The French win leaves Wales hopes tangling like a spider on a thread inches away from the success of grabbing the prize, but here comes the duster to wipe those dreams away. Unless Scotland can produce another amazing performance as they did against England I see France winning by the necessary bonus point and making up the points difference. With the exception of Sean Maitland who surprisingly has been dropped Scotland have been able to draw on a strong squad. Those like Johnny Gray who are injured are missing but Finn Russell and Adam Hastings return. By the way England were even more dire when they played Scotland than they were last weekend.

At a time when the RFU coffers are empty and unlikely to be filled anytime soon it is unlikely Eddie Jones will be asked to leave. That would be a disaster for the game and England’s World Cup hopes......in my mind. That said, right now who do you bring in to replace him?

I caught up with the highlights of the weekend’s Premiership action. Plenty of points and plenty of great tries. I know Harlequins lost at Exeter but on Saturday they were unstoppable. Alex Dombrandt, Danny Care, Marcus Smith and Mike Brown could all fit brilliantly into an England side right now. Some of the quality and speed of Quins play was simply sublime. They were aided by the Matt Banahan red card. Gloucester fought back in the second half but it was too little too late.

Exeter were aided in their win over Leicester Tigers by the van Wyk red card, which like Banahan’s was justified, and at times looked impressive. If I was Rob Baxter I would be asking how did they let a dogged Leicester side back into the game. Their defence was uncharacteristically sloppy. Why Sam Simmonds isn’t in the England squad I have no idea. Well I do and it is a simple answer: Jones probably thinks he is too small and he plays a more roving style of game than Jones wants from his bison.

Bath put Worcester to the sword with another England omission; Ben Spencer playing well. Worcester were pretty woeful in the first half but fair play stuck to their task in the second scoring some good tries. Seeing two props handling like centres was the highlight.

Saints v Bristol I touched on yesterday. A cracking game.

Sale put London Irish to the sword. Sale scored some great tries and took their chances. London Irish looked tired and a little clueless at times.

Finally Falcons v Wasps. Not such a great game but Wasps winning must have come as a relief for Lee Blackett. This game was marred by the fingers to eyes of Wasps; wing Bassett. As bad as the Willemse incident in Paris looked this was worse. This was clearly a blatant act of thuggery and extremely dangerous. Carreras is looking at a long ban. I was a bit disappointed with Dean Richards whingeing about the officiating post match, especially as I thought Falcons opening score was never a try.

Two Pro14 games last night and two Welsh wins. Cardiff beat Edinburgh and Scarlets beat Connacht. What with Dragons beating Glasgow on Sunday things are looking up.

When is 60 seconds not a minute? According to my good friend Robert when Johnny Sexton kicks at goal. Even after Gauzerre prompted him the second hand ticked way past the minute. He is not the only one who has to go into a Zenlike trance before they can kick. Robert is right either enforce it or scrap. By the time the water boy ambles on, the kicker savours the waters, gets the tee down, lines it up and then decides to kick your tea has gone cold. Yes Robert it needs sorting.

I popped to the club yesterday and bumped into a proud man of Bristol. Like many he was appalled at the outrageous events in his home city on Sunday. If ever there was a case of shooting yourself in the foot this was it. A protest against increased police powers hijacked by “revolutionary tourists” and anarchists will have more than justified the very increase in power Priti Patel has put forward.

Finally I cannot believe Wee Jimmie Sturgeon has been cleared of breaching the ministerial code. I believe she lied and misled and colluded against Alex Salmond but of course I am not allowed to say that. I am going to call her Teflon Wee Jimmie from now on. In the realms of political correctness and inclusivity I for one am pleased she has joined “the weasels” along with Cummings and Handcock (sic).

Monday 22nd Mar: 08:50

Bear with me if I jump around a little as there is much to cover and some of what I promised might have to be carried over until tomorrow.

Let me start in Dublin. If Louis Rees-Zammit’s effort in Paris would have been classed as a wonder try then the Keith Earls effort chalked off after the smallest of knock-ons by Cian Healey would have been right up there. It is Bundee Aki’s red card that needs consideration however. I have looked at it again and again yesterday and am torn. In many respects I don’t see any head contact with the shoulder, whilst the tackle technique was poor; too upright, his arms were wrapped and therefore it could be argued it wasn’t even a penalty. On the other hand poor tackle technique is not a mitigating factor and even if the arms are wrapped if Aki has made contact with Big Billy’s head then there was no option but to show him red. It was decision of fine margins. On balance the message has to get through so red it is!

For England, the best funded with the greatest resources of all rugby unions GLOBALLY, to find themselves with only Italy below them in the table is a disgrace. Let us not mince our words here if you were a shareholder of a business and the top man was performing as badly as Eddie Jones you would be calling for his head. I have gone on about this not just through this tournament but during the World Cup and even beyond that, his game plan is fundamentally flawed now it is known by all, his selection policy leaves a great deal to be desired and his ability to get the very best out of players has been on the wane for some considerable time. The World Cup final should have been a wake up call for the RFU. This abject showing must now be the final curtain on Jones and England.

It is easy for you Welsh to criticise, this is just an anti-English sentiment. Oh you are so wrong! A successful England and grassroots rugby go hand in hand. If England were playing like they did against New Zealand in the World Cup semi in 2019 and against France just a week ago and winning then those watching would be happy. Kids would be thinking I want to be like the stars running on in white. Right now England are doing nothing to inspire youngsters to play our great game. Unless you are 6ft 4” weighing 20 stone and able to run into a brick wall rugby is not a game for you is what England are saying. This is why things have to change and sorry folks but Eddie Jones needs to get into that taxi with his P45 in hand and let someone with a degree more humility and imagination take charge.

So to France. I haven’t seen a retraction of Fabien Galthie’s comments about the Willemse red card. To try and blame the Welsh for Willemse’s actions are absurd. It is VERY clear there are fingers in Wyn Jones eyes and looking at the pictures the way those fingers are locked it is a damning picture indeed. Let us remember whether it be head, shoulder, arm or hand contact with the head is taboo and unless things have changed I believe the eyes are still in the head. Galthie needs to be brought to book as his comments are a disgrace and Willemse needs to suffer the consequences.

I have read one criticism of the criticism thrown at Dulin by the BBC commentator and others, including me. I will stick by my view that Dulin was poor under the high ball and yes the Welsh kicking was superb but being good under the high ball is what a full back is expected to be. Dulin wasn’t. I also didn’t think his attacking prowess was that good either but of course I have my red eye-patch firmly in place.

The France v Scotland game has been confirmed for March 26th. It is possible that Scotland will be without a number of their stars. You can guarantee that France will be at full strength as the French clubs will recognise the benefit of a successful international side. I anticipate France will do what they have to and walk away with the Championship. Wales shot themselves in the foot on Saturday but on balance, despite losing to England, France have been the team of the tournament.

Some fascinating results in the Premiership. Harlequins really have found their mojo beating Gloucester by a fair few. Exeter beat Leicester but perhaps not as easily as you would have expected after Tigers’ van Wyk saw red after just 14 minutes. The Northampton v Bristol game was thoroughly enjoyable yesterday with Bristol snatching victory at the death. Bath beat Worcester much to the relief of my good friend Damper. Sale are now looking the force many thought they would be. Apparently the win against Irish was pretty comfortable. A bit more on this when I have watched the highlights show.

That’ll do as I’ll carry the whinge about the EU and vaccines forward until tomorrow. I have to say that I have opposed lockdowns from day one of the crisis and many of you know that. I have also welcomed the fact people have protested as they did this weekend. It is sad and annoying much as the Sarah Everard vigil was to see protests by sensible, decent people being hijacked by morons with their own agenda, an agenda that is not acceptable. Likewise I am worried about the powers the police will now have with regard to protests but for protesters to behave like hooligans in overdrive is outrageous. In fact it is counter-productive as it justifies the Government’s stance. Emails of complaint to bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

Sunday 21st Mar: 09:00

The only place to start is Stade de France, Paris. If there was an advert for the game and a justification to keep the 6 Nations on terrestrial TV this was it. It had everything, and some. It was always going to be a tight affair and loving cliches here are my pick: “you write the French off at your peril” and “Wales being Wales snatched defeat from the jaws of victory”. For long periods Wales were by far the better side making ground every time they had possession. From 1 to 15 the men in red made positive contributions. That said France took their opportunities beautifully when they had them. The Dupont try was something special. Wales came roaring back with Dan Biggar again playing the role as ringmaster. 17-17 at half time: game on!

Wales came out for the second half expecting a French backlash but it didn’t come. They played a very passive style allowing the Welsh to make forward progress and more importantly to get the scoreboard ticking over. The French under the high ball were poor and Wales exploited this well. The chalked off Louis Rees-Zammit effort would have been a try of the season if it had been allowed to stand. It was millimetres from being a try. If Luke Pearce had awarded a penalty try for the French infringement leading up to that moment I don’t think anyone would have complained. At 30-20 Wales looked set for the Grand Slam.

What then followed were 15 minutes of madness. Firstly France go over for a try only for Willemse to be caught with his fingers in Wyn Jones eye. Red card and a penalty to Wales. Next up came Faletau’s yellow card and it was 14 v 14. Wales then lose Liam Williams to an unnecessary yellow card. France come roaring back and over they go. The tension rises. Wales are on the back foot then wow France knock on with minutes to go. Game over! No! Wales concede a silly penalty with Cory Hill unnecessarily flopping over the ball. The ball is now deep in the Welsh half. Before you know it France’s worse player on the day Dulin gets the ball and over he goes for the bonus point try. Wales Grand Slam dreams are wiped away in a heartbeat and their championship hopes are left hanging by a thread. Put that to one side: WHAT A GAME.

I am somewhat perturbed by Fabien Galthie’s defence of Willemse. I hope something has been lost in translation. More on this tomorrow.

A HUGE pat on the back to Luke Pearce and his team. Simply spot on start to finish.

So to Dublin. Sadly for long periods this game didn’t set the pulse racing. England were England. That is predictable. They kicked too much. They focussed on the steamrollers rather than the gazelles. They were inept. My comment to Mrs Bleater at the end of this one was: “taxi for Jones”. Ireland played really well and having written off Sexton at the start of the tournament I was made to choke on my words after his excellent performance yesterday. Ireland played with vision and imagination and took the game to England both in defence and attack. The Keith Earls try was excellent and Tadgh Beirne and Robbie Henshaw must have booked their Lions places in front of the watching Warren Gatland.

George Ford was woeful and some of the penalties England conceded were totally unnecessary. Johnny Hill came on and quite frankly would be better suited as a horror film extra than an international rugby player. Maro Itoje again left the field with his head held high and Owen Farrell also showed glimpses of his best. He nearly let himself down when asked to leave the field for the HIA but he was missed in the last 20 minutes.

Andy Farrell might just have turned a corner and having seen the stock of young players at Leinster and Munster he can look forward positively. There are some ageing citizens but there is also plenty of miles left on the clock of many of his squad. CJ Stander will be missed but with O’Mahoney, Conan and van der Flier there is plenty of talent available to him. If I was to suggest what the big difference between the sides was I would say Ireland played what was in front of them with skill and accuracy, England didn’t.

The marathon started with Scotland strolling past a poor and very inexperienced Italian side. The Scots scored some pretty impressive tries but sorry if this offends my Scottish friends, they were against Italy. Hamish Watson was superb, as was Huw Jones. Did anybody put their hand up for nailed on Lions selection? Not really. Stuart Hogg will go, Finn Russell, yesterday’s water-boy will go but I’m struggling to see too many others getting the nod.

If there is hope for Italy. Building a team around Varney, Garbisi and Meyer makes sense. In Ioane and Brex they have some backs of quality and Bigi seems a good player and a solid leader.

That’ll do for now but a quick advert for tomorrow. The Premiership games need exploration and more on yesterday. I will also comment of the pathetic EU approach to Covid vaccination and their puerile attitude towards the UK.

And just for my friend Paddy....
Mum just said "you treat this place like a hotel". Which she may regret when I give a lower score on Tripadvisor for 'rude staff'.

Passing a farm the other day, I saw the farmer attending his new born lambs.
I asked him if all lambs in the world understood each other.
He said they did because they were all 'baa lingual'.

I was in my car and kept hearing recitals of Shakespeare in front of me. Then I realised why, it was coming from the dashbard.

Friday 19th Mar: 07:10

Before we get into team selections a big well done to the club for organising the “virtual evening with Dylan” I have it on good authority that it went extremely well. CRFC leading the way again.

Wales were first out of the blocks yesterday with their team announcement. To those who follow the red dragon it was exactly as most had expected. Back into the starting lineup comes Adam Beard, to the bench goes Cory Hill and to the Scarlets goes Jake Ball. Lloyd Williams is replaced by Tomos Williams on the bench but otherwise it is the same 23 as the one that put Italy to the sword. Whilst the mood music from the camp seems very positive I think they, and the fans, recognise Wales need to go up a gear and get the turbo fired up if they have any chance of beating France. The lineout will have to function well, the tackling will need to be spot on and the kicking accurate and with a clear purpose. The inaccuracy against Italy will need to be eliminated. Where will the game be won? In the contact areas and by the back row. Wales have potentially an all Lions back row so fingers crossed.

Fabien Galthie has not changed much. He has stuck with the starting XV who faced England and that is an ominous sign. There are changes on the bench with most notably the recall of Arthur Vincent. France will now have a 5-3 split on the bench which I see as an ominous yet positive move by Galthie. I thinks it signals an open game. France will need to ensure their penalty count is kept under control, their mindset is right and they play with a little more control rather than the swashbuckling cavalier style they produced at times against England. I hate to say it but France start clear favourites and I see them winning by 10 points thus possibly denying Wales of glory.

Eddie Jones has made an interesting call in selecting Elliot Daly at centre replacing the injured Henry Slade. Joe Marchant comes onto the bench. I would have done it the other way round. In fact I would have dropped Daly altogether and brought Paolo Odogwu onto the bench if for no other reason than to reward him for his loyalty. We have seen what Rees-Zammit has brought to Wales and I think Odogwu could do the same for England. Why Jones is afraid of experimenting I have no idea. England have to play as they did against France if they are to win. If they play what is in front of them then I think Ireland will find things difficult. If they go back to plan A and only plan A then it will be an Irish victory.

Andy Farrell has been forced into changes with Bundee Aki replacing Gary Ringrose and Tadgh Beirne moving to second row to replace James Ryan. Jack Conan starts at No.8 with Josh van der Flier and CJ Stander as his back row partners. James Lowe is dropped altogether with Jacob Stockdale coming in on the wing. Conor Murray starts with Gibson-Park sitting on the bench. As expected Peter O’Mahoney returns after his ban. Ireland will need to play at a high intensity for the full 80 minutes this weekend if they are to win. Discipline will need to be spot on and they will need to be as ruthless at the breakdown as they were against Scotland. This one is too tough to call.

Gregor Townsend has been forced into a number of changes as Finn Russell is ruled out with concussion. Stuart Hogg moves to outside half and Sean Maitland fills in at full back. Huw Jones is at centre ahead of Chris Harris who moves to the bench. The pack is much changed with Sam Skinner and Grant Gilchrist in the second row. Zander Fagerson returns after his ban with Dave Cherry at hooker. The other notable change is Ali Price moving to the bench with Harlequins Scott Steele starting at scrum half. Scotland will win but they need to pile on the points if they are to salvage anything from the tournament and the stunning start they made against England.

Franco Smith has named a very youthful side to face Scotland Federico Mori starts ahead of Carlo Canna. Smith has made a number of other changes including a new second row pairing of Nicole Cannone and Frederic Ruzza. The stars of Italy: Varney, Garbisi, Meyer and Bigi all keep their places. If Italy have any chance of winning or keeping Scotland to a reasonable score they have to improve their discipline and their defence. Going forward they have shown they can deliver but it is all other aspects of the game where they have fallen a long way short.

No blog tomorrow but back on Sunday when you can pull the following predictions to pieces.
France by 10 points
England by 2 to 4 points
Scotland by 30 points

Thursday 18th Mar: 09:30

Short and sharp this morning as I’ll be writing an update late this afternoon ready for tomorrow morning. This after the team announcements.

Before that an apology for not mentioning it was St Patrick’s Day yesterday. Normally you can’t miss it because it is one of those days when the pubs are packed and everyone uses it as an excuse for a party. C’est la vie!

How quickly things change. Henry Slade is responding well to treatment and might make Saturday when England travel to Ireland. Johnny Sexton believes an Irish win will boost his and his teammates chances of Lions selection. George Martin is rumoured to be in line for a shock selection for England. Let’s see shall we.

Scotland v Italy is the least attractive game but could be the better game of the weekend. Then from 8pm the BIG one. France v Wales. This has the potential to be a brilliant contest. On the other hand it could be a truly turgid affair of cat & mouse.

What is certain the Bleater household is settling in for the long haul. All games live.

There is a really interesting piece in The Daily Fail about life in the England bubble and how hard it has been. It would be oh so easy to say “get on with it, you are being paid handsomely for the privilege”. That would be grossly unfair as the guys are finely tuned athletes and decent human beings with young families. We all know how hard it has been in lockdown but we haven’t be totally restricted, and on top of that we haven’t been subject to abuse simply because we have lost a game of rugby. Well worth a read.

By the way still no complaints about the blog made directly to me. As Ellis Genge says in a SKY piece: the problem of social media anonymity.

Plenty of other rugby on the weekend. Premiership highlights include Harlequins v Gloucester on Saturday and Sale v Bristol on Sunday. Difficult to get too enthusiastic about the others but the outcome of Exeter v Leicester will be interesting rather than the game itself.

In the Pro14 Leinster v Ospreys tomorrow and Dragons v Glasgow are the picks.

Saracens don’t play this coming weekend in the Championship and I expect regulation wins for Cornish Pirates and Ealing Trailfinders thus heaping more pressure on the Hendon outfit. I say Hendon because the ground is near to the RAF museum and the Met Police training centre.

That will do for today except to comment on a) the fact the recriminations and blame game re Covid have started and b) what a shambles the vaccination program is across Europe but sadly it will impinge on our progress.

The weasel attacked the weasel yesterday in the opening round of “Covid: I’m not to blame”. Yes Dominic Cummings let loose the first salvo in the latest reality show hitting our screens. He didn’t actually tell us much we didn’t know in that Matt Handcock is not the brilliant man that Matt Handcock thinks he is.

Then came the European version of the Hokey Cokey. You can have the AZ vaccine, you can’t have the AZ vaccine, you can’t have the AZ vaccine, you can have the AZ vaccine “let’s all turn around!” Ursula van der Leyen was useless as a German politician, not my opinion but a matter of fact and she is proving equally incompetent as a European fat cat. The news we are having to slow down our vaccination program is mired in smoke and mirrors but the bottom line is it is frustrating. As an ardent critic of how this virus has been handled it is a real disappointment that the one ray of light/hope could be being undermined by childish, faceless bureaucrats across the channel in Brussels.

Happy Thursday in case I forget what day it is.

Wednesday 17th Mar: 08:30

Firstly thank you for the e:mails of support. They are very much appreciated. More importantly I was pleased that many of you said quite clearly that you didn’t always agree with my opinion but I should continue. That is the key point: it is my opinion and it will be the saddest of days when everyone agrees with it.

A special thanks to the person who reminded me of the quote allegedly attributed to Voltaire:
I might not agree with all you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.

However I do have to be conscious of the fact this is the rugby club website so let’s move on to rugby.

I think it has come as a genuine shock to many that CJ Stander has announced his retirement from all forms of rugby from the end of the season. Whilst he qualified for Ireland as a result of the residency rule no-one can question his commitment to that cause. Pretty much ever present from the day he was selected back in 2016. 50 caps is testament to that. His loyalty to the Munster cause is also unquestionable and the fact he has Lions caps in his trophy cabinet speaks volumes for his contribution to the game as a whole. The pressures on players at the top of the game must be immense and even though the rewards are equally substantial there has to come a time when something gives, especially if you have a young family living in a “foreign” country a long way from the wider family network. Wales Jake Ball is another who has bowed to those pressures returning to Australia shortly. I have berated the residency rule for some time and will continue to do so but it is fact that many like CJ Stander and Jake Ball and Hadleigh Parkes have made unquestionable contributions to our great game. Good luck to him for the future.

Having had one of his best games in an England shirt for some time it will come as a blow to him and those who follow England that Henry Slade is a serious doubt for the Irish clash. Whilst Ollie Lawrence and Paolo Odogwu have been in camp for the duration I find the call up of Joe Marchant interesting. He has been in great form for Harlequins and would get my vote to start. You have to feel for Odogwu though. In camp for the whole of the 6 Nations campaign and not even a splinter from sitting on the bench.

If you have ever refereed as I have then you know no matter the level how tough it is. Over recent weeks we have seen some fine refereeing but also some dubious decisions. With Wayne Barnes approaching the twilight of his career and Nigel Owens already out of the front line of top flight rugby we need a pipeline of young talented referees. It is brilliant that Hollie Davidson will take charge of Munster v Benetton in the Pro14 this weekend. I have seen her officiate on several occasions and she is good. She will be ably supported by Joy Neville who surely must be given a chance of a full international. She will be the TMO for Davidson this weekend. Mrs Bleater will confirm I have for a while now been asking for Sara Cox often seen with the flag at Premiership games to be given a chance with the whistle. Are you pandering to political correctness Bleater? No, I am not. I want the best person in the job please. I would certainly rank Joy Neville as a much better referee than Ian Tempest for example. Anyway, moving on!

The European kick off times have now been confirmed. Can I suggest the weekends of April 2nd, 3rd and 4th then the 9th, 10th and 11th will be a veritable cornucopia of rugby with you being in a spin about which games to watch. BBC Sport has the full list.

The BBC also carries the news that World Rugby will invest £6.4m into a new tournament: WXV. It has been described as a “landmark” global women’s rugby union competition. It is great that money is being invested in the women’s game but what I find fascinating is when you read the details it smacks a little of it being a test event for a men’s global calendar which has been the source of many a bitter row recently. Intertwined in the detail are the complexities of finding media partners. The issue partly is appeal or lack of it for the women’s game and partly because World Rugby are desperate to minimise the growing influence of CVC and others in our game. By the way The Guardian carried a very insightful piece about the perils of the CVC 6 Nations deal for the game and the likelihood that the first thing they do is move at least part of the tournament to a pay-per-view platform such as SKY, BT, or Amazon. Both are well worth a read.

Ok that’ll do for today, back tomorrow with a look at the weekend’s games. Sorry but I can’t go without a gloat. It has become increasingly obvious that the vigil for Sarah Everard WAS hijacked by extremist groups but I was wrong in saying it was just those on the far left. It was also morons from the far right. Time to get my coat!!!!

Tuesday 16th Mar: 08:00

Before I get into the rugby it has been brought to my attention that some people have been unhappy with recent blogs. I am disappointed that not one of these people has come to me directly. Those who know me know that when I am wrong I will immediately attempt to put things right. If people disagree with my views then I am more than happy to reconsider my position or justify it but the caveat is they need to contact me directly. Many of you have my mobile and my personal e:mail address so get in touch. For those who don’t then please use bleater@crowboroughrugby.com. I am not so arrogant to believe that I never get anything wrong.

I have always been grateful, and will continue to express my thanks to the club for allowing me to use the club website as a platform for my opinion mainly on rugby but also on the topics of the day. When that becomes untenable I will bring the blog to a close.

So to rugby. In the excitement of the 6 Nations and the many Premiership, Pro14 and Championship games I missed the story covered in several papers that HMRC are pouring over the books of all Premiership clubs. This is not about the salary cap but is about tax avoidance and how players are rewarded for the use of their image. Image rights have always been a contentious issue and was brought to light in the Saracens salary cap investigation. As I understand it the HMRC believe that a) the value placed on the image rights has been inflated beyond their true market value, and b) the payments for the usage are often paid to players companies set up for the sole purpose of reducing (avoiding?) tax. There is also a belief that some payments have gone to offshore tax havens. The HMRC view is that players only enjoy payment for the use of their image as a direct result of their employment. In most cases that should result in it being eligible for 45% tax. By diverting the money to a separate company the HMRC only receive 19% which is the current business rate. The figures might not be 100% accurate but hopefully you get the gist of where HMRC are coming from. As a separate element to their investigation they are looking into the fee structure of agents and whether there could be tax issues arising especially where the agent and club might have agreed a deal where he or she acts for both parties. I am less clear on this aspect so you might want to do your own research.

As I have said this has nothing to do with the salary cap agreed with the PRL but rest assured if players are being paid outside the salary cap for their image rights and it is found that these payments are avoiding tax and are excessive it could open up pandora’s salary cap box again.

Ireland have suffered a double injury blow ahead of their clash with England on Saturday. Worryingly James Ryan will sit out this one following another HIA. This is his second time in recent weeks the protocols have prevented him for taking the field. The system is working which is good but for Ryan the frequency of HIA must be something to worry about. Gary Ringrose is also out after picking up an ankle injury at the weekend. There is some good news for Andy Farrell in that Peter O’Mahoney returns after his suspension and Bundee Aki is chomping at the bit to get his place back in the centre.

Scotland too have their injury woes. Scott Cummings is definitely out and with Finn Russell also having to go through the HIA protocols he must be a serious doubt. In fact if he was to play then questions should be asked after left the field for a HIA and didn’t return. Johnny Gray is also a major doubt after leaving the field with a shoulder injury.

There is no injury news out of the French, Welsh or English camps. The mood music from England is very positive with Ben Youngs suggesting they should use the performance against France as a template for the future and get some consistency into their game.

March 26th has still not been confirmed as the date for France to play Scotland. It is the preferred date but there appears to be some horse trading still to be done before that can happen.

Frustratingly there is still no decision on The Lions. The travel companies and therefore the people already booked have to maintain the stance that the tour as originally planned will go ahead. Behind the scenes however a UK tour is most likely especially if crowds can return which is what Boris has suggested. As Ireland have made no such promises and have slowed their vaccination program then Dublin might miss out. Belfast would an excellent alternative but with the open border that could be a logistical nightmare. Hopefully we’ll know soon.

Right, that’ll do as our granddaughter will be here soon. If you have issues with the content of this blog then contact me bleater@crowboroughrugby.com. If you want it closed down then by all means ask the club to do so. Until that time I’ll be back tomorrow.

Monday 15th Mar: 09:00

Let me start by righting a wrong. It was very remiss of me not to mention the passing of Murray Walker. Anyone who loves sport will recognise what he did for his sport of motor racing. His commentaries brought it to life. Without question he was right up there amongst the commentating greats like David Coleman, Eddie Waring, Richie Beneaud, Kenneth Wolstenholme and of course the great Bill McLaren. His legacy will live on.

Bill McLaren would certainly have enjoyed this weekend’s rugby. The veritable feast of Twickenham and the scrappy but hugely enjoyable game at Murrayfield. Ireland were by far the better side and as Johnny Sexton said, who was outstanding by the way, Ireland let it slide allowing Scotland back into the game. Tadgh Beirne was a worthy man of the match and would have caught the eye of the watching Warren Garland. I believe “Gats” tried to persuade Beirne to play for Wales under (the pathetic) residency rules. Iain Henderson led by example and if anything epitomised how the game seems to have changed in just a few weeks it was Tadgh Furlong sidestepping like Phil Bennett in his pomp. It wasn’t all sweetness and light. The much vaunted James Lowe was woeful at times; his defence to allow Huw Jones to score was non-existent, some of his passing was under 12s, and around the park he was “sketchy”. Jacob Stockdale will return next week. The Irish scrum creaked at times and some of their handling skills were off the mark.

Scotland were a shadow of the side that demolished England. Their lineout has gone the way of common sense; nowhere to be seen, their discipline was poor as they conceded penalty after penalty and whilst they tried to be expansive it wasn’t incisive enough. My good friend O’Fez has pointed out that Finn Russell “fluffed” his audition and I tend to agree with him. As proven by Sexton you cannot afford to miss your kicks, both at goal and to touch. Stuart Hogg looked a little at sea in defence, something some have been saying for some time. I have dismissed that idea but he did look lost at times yesterday. There were some positives in that despite having a scrum half at flanker for a while the scrum looked solid. Hamish Watson is right up there in the back row pecking order and Scotland have proven when they do get it right they can be a force to be reckoned with.

One of the best 6 Nations weekends for a while with the ball in play for long periods rather than being in the air for an insufferable amount of time. A word for the men in the middle. I thought Wayne Barnes and Andrew Brace were excellent and contributed to the game. Romain Poite was good but I felt Ireland got the rub of the green on more than one occasion. I liked the way Poite was happy to have a “chat” but closed it down the minute it turned confrontational. I still say Josh Adams scored and Maro Itoje didn’t but lets move on.

We can now look ahead to next weekend. France will be fired up after their defeat and Wales will need to step up a gear. Ireland v England is the hardest to call. Will England go back into their shell or will The Serf allow them free rein as he did against the French. Will Ireland be able to eliminate the errors of yesterday because as sure as eggs is eggs England will be more ruthless than Scotland were. Scotland will beat Italy because Italy are pretty poor. If they don’t then the cause that is Scottish rugby will be set back for years to come.

I haven’t seen anything of it but I am led to believe London Irish’s game with Worcester Warriors was thoroughly entertaining with Paddy Jackson slotting a 61 metre penalty at the death to win it.

Talking of Jackson who would be your starting 10 for the Lions. My curve ball is Callum Sheedy but Johnny Sexton could well be the man.

Back tomorrow with whatever takes my fancy but also a comment or two on what the HMRC are up to.

Before that, and I have agonised over this, but a few words on the Sarah Everard murder and subsequent furore. It is an absolute disgrace that a serving police officer could be the perpetrator of such an appalling act. If guilty and convicted he deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law, and dare I say suffer whatever prison throws at convicted police officers. Where I have a problem is how yet again minority groups and left wing agitators have jumped on the bandwagon. All police are criminals they scream. All men are murdering b’stards the banners shout. It is discrimination against women, and just about every other minority group who wants to be in the papers. None of the media have mentioned three simple facts. 1. The vigil was banned by law, a decision reinforced by the High Court. 2. You don’t go to a vigil wearing bank robber ski masks unless you are expecting/hoping for trouble to kick off. 3. You certainly don’t go to a vigil with a megaphone to enable you to whip people into a frenzy. These undeniable facts were blatantly ignored by the media especially the politically correct voice of the left wing activists; the BBC. The girl’s murder is appalling and yes the police are too busy catching party goers than real criminals, and yes their track record of keeping their own house in order is poor, and yes the vigil could have been handled more “sensitively”, but that doesn’t justify the type of action we have seen by protestors nor the biased reporting of the press. As I said earlier common sense and common decency has gone out of the window.

Sunday 14th Mar: 09:05

Let me start at Twickenham. Put to one side the result; what a game. It had a bit of everything; open running rugby, plenty of mistakes, huge defensive effort, and right at the end controversy. It was a tonic for those who have become fed-up with kick-tennis and a fillip for those who have become frustrated with England’s tactics and constant under-achievement. This wasn’t the performance we saw when England beat New Zealand in Japan but it was pretty close. At last the wide men got the ball and England played what was in front of them and not what the coach dictated. France played their part too and in Dupont and Jalibert they have two gems of sparkling quality. Some of the French movement was outstanding if a little too cavalier at times. More pragmatism and a little less joie de vivre could have seen them win this one and possibly at a canter. They didn’t partly because of their mistakes but mainly because England’s defensive effort was excellent. I thought Ben Youngs had one of his best games for a long time and Big Billy at 8 was close to being back to his best. Farrell and Slade worked well and Ford seemed anonymous for long periods but that was because he was acting as the link between backs and forwards and not aimlessly kicking the ball skywards.

A couple of specific highlights. The second French try was a thing of beauty; England carved open like a cadaver on the pathologists table. Anthony Watson’s try was well worked but that mazy run of his was outstanding, shame it came to nought. The work of French prop Baille was exemplary. Max Malins made a very good fist of his first start. Johnny May looked back to his best. The man in the middle with the whistle played his part too.

As captain, Farrell had little to do and as a consequence played very well. I suggest if Jones has got anything about him I would take the captaincy off Farrell and give him the freedom to play, just as he did yesterday.

Right, the controversy and the segue into my thoughts on the Welsh game. Did Maro Itoje really get that ball to ground as he was going over. The record books say “yes”, and Joy Neville in the truck said “yes” but I would argue that as Andrew Brace said “no try” there was more evidence to suggest it was held up than there was to confirm the ball had grazed a blade of grass. It seems a bit churlish but I think the lack of good fortune against Wales was turned on its head in that moment yesterday.

Why is that a segue into the Welsh game? Josh Adams goes over for a try which the excellent Wayne Barnes decrees as a try only for Tom Foley in the truck to overturn it. In this case there was sufficient evidence to say Adams got the ball to ground in the initial phase of crossing the line than there was to suggest he hadn’t touched down. In both cases I have only seen them once plus the replays played at the time. I will (might) look in more detail later today.

The game in Rome was effectively over in the first 20 minutes and after that it was simply a matter of how many. Some of Wales play was superb ripping open the Italians like a vulture over a carcass but that had as much to do with the Italians lack of defensive nous as it did with Welsh brilliance. The Welsh allowed the Italians to have the ball confident in their defence and equally sure the Italians would cock it up when it mattered. If some of the Welsh passing had been more precise Wales could have romped over for at least three more tries. The Italians should be proud of their commitment at the end, a lesser team would have capitulated. They didn’t and gave Wales, albeit those off the bench, a pretty torrid time as the clock wound down to 80 minutes.

Josh Adams, Louis Rees-Zammit, George North all caught the eye but it was the back row of Tipuric, Faletau and Navidi who were the real powerhouse in this game. Ken Owens was back to his best and Dan Biggar had one of his best games for sometime. However, let us not make space in the trophy cabinet just yet. The French will be a totally different ball game next week. Not only will their defence be significantly more robust than the Italians their attacking prowess will stretch the Welsh to the limit. Wales won’t be able to take their foot off the gas like they did against Italy.

Bring on Scotland v Ireland.

I watched Exeter v Quins, or most of at least. Exeter were lucky to scrape the win as Harlequins had them on the back foot for some time. There were some good passages of play from both sides but I won’t be rushing to watch the highlights of this one.

Good wins for Bath, Northampton and Leicester and of course for Saracens. The worry for the Hendon outfit is Ealing crushed Ampthill and Cornish Pirates beat Richmond to stay in the top two spots in the league.

That’ll do for now as I must ring my mum as its Mother’s Day.

Saturday 13th Mar: 08:45

Before I get into into today’s games just a quick word about yesterday. The guys at the Friday Club are amazing. No matter the weather they are there doing whatever they can for the club. I got to walk the grounds yesterday and was able to see what a tremendous job Head Groundsman Drew Pratt with the help of his brother Graeme plus Gus and Damper have done during lockdown. It is a crying shame that we still have to wait another two or three weeks before they will be used. Simon D has been doing the clubhouse housekeeping but getting it ready started in earnest yesterday. Well done guys and gals, yes that does include you Jacqui.

Anyway not long now before Italy host Wales. Too many people have already put this down as a bonus point win to Wales. Not so fast I say. Having followed Welsh rugby for 54 years nothing is ever guaranteed. Remember Western Samoa in the World Cup!

England v France could be a tense but turgid affair. On the other hand it could be spectacular. Let us hope for the latter. I fear England will try and strangle the life out of France’s attack and continue with their brute force approach to winning.

The game of the weekend could be Scotland v Ireland. Scotland still have title hopes and Ireland have a reputation to restore. Both sides want to play an expansive game so this could be the game of the weekend. I haven’t seen a weather forecast but let us hope for dry conditions and a festival of running rugby.

Both sides have made changes. Jamie Ritchie returns to the back row and he is one of four changes Gregor Townsend has made. Sean Maitland and Sam Johnson are restored to the back line and WP Nel starts for the first time since Japan 2019. With Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg calling the shots the back line looks pretty impressive. If Ritchie, Watson and Fagerson in the back row can win the breakdown then Scotland might just come away as winners.

That said Ireland have made changes too. One person who keeps his place is Jamison Gibson-Park even though Conor Murray is fit. He sits on the bench. Keith Earls returns as do Cian Healey and Rob Herring. The Ireland back line with Sexton pulling the strings looks less flamboyant than the Scots but is packed with experience and talent. If Robbie Henshaw can get into top gear off good ball then this could be a wild ride. The Irish back row looks the more controlled with Beirne, Connors and the ever reliable Stander in attendance but, and that but is the Scots look more dogged.

As I have said this could be a classic encounter. We have already postponed our roast lamb Sunday roast until the evening so this one can be enjoyed in full without disruption. The lamb by the way will be coated with honey and Italian herbs and served with roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, butter mashed swede and garden peas. A port gravy will finish it off.

After Belgian night: Moules et frites avec Stella Artois et pain rustique, I enjoyed Bristol v Wasps. The Ashton Gate outfit were mighty impressive and whilst Wasps battled valiantly it is clear the wheels have come off their chariot. They are definitely missing Willis and Launchbury. In the Pro 14 both Ospreys and Scarlets came away from Glasgow and Munster with losses. Hey ho.

Don’t forget the Premiership is on and I’ll be keeping an eye out for the Saracens v Jersey result.

Right, that will do for now except to say Mrs Bleater says “thank you” for the birthday wishes and enjoy today’s rugby. I’m off for a bit of NRL as a warm up.

Oh and whilst Piers Morgan can be a prize dick and a hypocritical one at that he is right to say that unless we all wake up and smell the coffee freedom of speech will be a thing of the past. One of the papers quite rightly argues that the way things are going despite evidence now coming out that suggests Morgan’s view about that interview could be the more accurate of all the reporting the only “true” story will be the Sussex’s. Why? Because that is what the media is telling us and we will be “cancelled” if we don’t agree with the propaganda.

Friday 12th Mar: 07:30

A very Happy Birthday to Mrs Bleater today which is why I’m off to Friday Club. Out of her hair for a few hours.

As expected Max Malins starts for England on Saturday. Elliot Daly with virtually no recent rugby under his belt has been out of sorts so it is a good call. Does it change anything. Not really, that is unless England get the ball wider more quickly. Malins can attack from deep so if he his given the green light we might see some decent counter-attacking rather than watching kick tennis. Johnny Hill has been dropped to the bench after a pretty dismal showing against Wales. Charlie Ewels replaces him. The other change is the return of Luke Cowan-Dickie with Jamie George returning to the bench. George is another with virtually no decent rugby for