What a dreary day, a day when there is little motivation to get out of bed, but get out of bed I had to. I’ll get to the Six Nations shortly but first what happened yesterday.

Beccehamian, smarting after being deducted 5 points for violating a league regulation, came out of the blocks like a greyhound on heat. The Bard and I looked at each and thought ‘we might be heading home sooner than planned’. Within minutes of the kick off they were 7-0 up and it was looking as if we were set for a hiding. Their passing was slick and precise, and their support lines were excellent. Our tackling, by comparison to last week (according to The Bard), was poor. As a consequence we soon found ourselves 14 points in arrears.

Having picked up several injuries last weekend this much changed Crowborough side finally got their act together putting pressure on Beccs. The deficit was reduced but we were still missing way too many first up tackles and they were winning most of the 50/50 contests in the tackle zone. The game was however a much more even contest and with both sides scoring tries we were still in it at 19-14. Why, oh why we didn’t take a simple three points when it was on offer bemuses me. Instead we went for the miracle touch kick which sailed into the deadball area. 19-17 going into half time would have sent a message of intent. Instead more sloppy tackling saw Beccs score again.

The second half started much the same as the first with Beccehamian playing some scintillating rugby. The centre partnership was outstanding and their will-o-the-wisp in the back row (wearing 20) was terrific. We were still missing too many tackles but were now getting our fair share of the ball. As the home side tired we really got stuck in and played some excellent attacking rugby. They added a further three points and we put a well deserved converted try on the board. 27-21. As the clock ticked down we had them on the rack and in the dying seconds we were over the line only for the ball to slip agonisingly out the hands for a knock on. Game over. We did come away with a losing bonus point which just after kick off looked highly improbable.

There were some negatives to mull over. First up tackles being the major concern. Being over-powered in the tackle zone is something to work on. Basic handling errors when not under pressure was highlighted by one of our amazing coaching team.

Plenty of positives. We stayed in the contest and could have won at the death. When we got it right it was excellent. The lineout was a source of good ball, and despite a weight disadvantage the scrum more than held its own. A couple of ‘shout-outs’:- Dave Bennett was outstanding, young Sam Edwards was excellent, even younger Errol Munoz came on and played extremely well.

The bottom line is the better side won and the margin of victory was about right.

One gripe. Having been to Beccehamian over many seasons now, and this might be a perception but I think it is held by others, it is frustrating that whenever we built up a head of steam a Beccs player would go down with an injury or cramp, thus taking the steam out of our attack. Wasn’t going to mention this but it annoyed me yesterday. Ok, the last word: man of the match: Beccs No 20. For a smaller guy playing in the back row he was head and shoulders the best player on the field.

So to the Six Nations. More in depth comment during the week but congratulations to Ireland after beating a stubborn and hard working Scottish outfit. As expected Wales picked up the wooden spoon. You can make all the excuses you like, but except for a few flashes of brilliance Wales were poor. They lacked any sort of cutting edge. Their attack was unimaginative and easily snuffed out and defensively we left a lot to be desired. Until the WRU, and the regions, and the clubs put their self-interests to one side and get their heads from up their back sides Wales will continue to lag behind the other nations. Italy were worthy winners and my team of the tournament. Except for the spanking in Ireland they more than justified their place at the top table.

The France v England game was thoroughly enjoyable, not because England lost, but because there was much to enjoy. Glimpses of the old ‘devil may care’ French and and what hopefully could be a new dawn for England. The result was about right and England finishing 3rd was a fair reflection of their contribution to the tournament.

Results round-up tomorrow along with more reflection on the Six Nations. This afternoon it is Chelsea v Leicester City in the FA Cup, and before all that there is a spin on the exercise bike, my Spanish lesson, and lunch to prepare, roast chicken today.

Friday 14th Mar: 07:00

I don’t normally do a blog on a Friday, and in truth it is Thursdays afternoon as I type, but there is much to cover. Firstly my holiday. It was fantastic thank you. Plenty of warm Canarian sunshine, great beaches, plenty of sea swimming and way too much food & drink.

Sadly whilst enjoying all that I missed one of the biggest rugby shocks for some time……. Crowborough 27 - Canterbury II 7. On that Saturday afternoon I checked the results with trepidation, so was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw the result. I was of course besides myself with joy, so much so it was necessary to have another large Sangria. Not even England beating Ireland could take the gloss of that sense of pleasurable disbelief.

I understand England played well and tactically put Ireland in their place. I haven’t yet seen the game but understand it was thoroughly enjoyable. I did catch plenty of WhatsApp traffic suggesting this was the England people have been hoping for, for some time. There were plenty who suggested it was time for George Ford to step aside and finally let Marcus Smith be given his head. Sadly I see the most boring coach on the planet has not gone down that route and has selected pretty much the same starting XV to take on France. Eliot Daly in for the injured Exeter flier.

How do we think England will get on against France, an uninspiring France outside that brutal final 20 minutes of the game against Wales. A Wales side that imploded after being in control with 20 minutes to go. I think France will have their tails up and I believe that will be sufficient to burst England’s bubble. If the new wunderkind at #9 is allowed to play with the impetuosity he did against Wales then France, with their immense power, might just edge it. England will need to keep France moving around and stop the big beasts simply using their brute force and ignorance to control the game. Sadly Mr Borthwick has decided, misguidedly in my mind, to go toe to toe with them. France will simply lap up the bombardment of high balls and simply run it back with impunity. We’ll know soon enough.

Reading the reports it sounds as if Italy v Scotland was a cracker. Again, I haven’t seen this one but the result doesn’t bode well for Wales. A buoyant Italian outfit head to Cardiff to take on a bruised and battered Welsh side. A Welsh side who I sadly predict will be the proud holders of the Wooden Spoon on Saturday evening. Wales have recalled North and Tompkins, who should never have been dropped for the French game, and made some other tweaks to selection. The starting XV is as good as it can be, but the bench, outside Will Rowlands and Kieran Hardy, is as green as the Principality Stadium grass. My heart says Wales but my head says Italy, and by a margin too.

Two wounded sides go head to head in Dublin on Saturday evening. Whilst the Grand Slam and Triple Crown have gone Ireland will still want to top the table. I go for an Irish win and possibly by some distance.

Before I wrap up a couple of extra words about George North. He has decided Saturday is his last international. What a servant to the Welsh game, and to The Lions. Go onto any media site and read his record. It is outstanding, and to achieve so much, especially when Wales have often been lacking, is some achievement. He, like so many others will end his career in France as he soon heads off to Provence in the Pro D2. A win for Wales would be a great way to finish such a glittering international career.

I’ve been catching up on the news. The Diane Abbot furore. She is a hypocrite of the first order. The Princess Wales photoshop cock-up. What a fuss about nothing. The Gen Z work ethic, which is not to work but rather live on benefits. Yep, Not much has changed since I’ve been away. Oh, except for highly armed Israeli border guards thinking it is now acceptable to murder innocent children by claiming they’re terrorists.

If you are vaguely interested I’ll be back on Sunday when normal service will be resumed.

Oh, and Walking Rugby is back on Thursday nights. I’ll not be there for a couple of weeks but as soon as I can, I will be.

Tuesday 27th Feb: 11:20

Apologies for the lateness today but, thanks to years of training at the Friday Club, I have been repairing a fence that got damaged in Sunday night’s winds. Actually helping my mate repair the fence. We are currently waiting for another mate to come and replace a ridge tile.

Anyway, to rugby matters. Lots of grassroots games this weekend. We are getting to the stage where it is make or break for some teams across the league pyramid. In our league, Charlton Park, Thanet Wanderers and Cranbrook are all looking over their shoulders. At the top Beccs and Dartfordians have much to play for, but intriguingly I hear rumours of things that might throw the promotion race wide open. They talk about a butterfly flapping its wings and having an implication around the globe. Poetic bo!!0c4s but it suits my purpose. Jersey Reds pulling out of the Championship is that butterfly and their decision will have a ripple affect right through to level 12.

Don’t forget the President’s Lunch when we host Canterbury II on Saturday. They shouldn’t be in our league, they are way too good, and there is ultimately no benefit for them, or the other 11 clubs. That is NOT a criticism of Canterbury, it IS a criticism of the faceless blazers that allowed it to happen. Kent 3 is even worse. You have Hastings & Bexhill, right now a genuine level 9 side, playing 2nd XVs of clubs who are in level 4, 5, and 6. Yes, you’ve guessed it, they are the clubs at the top of the league. I’ll move on before I get into trouble.

The fallout from the weekend continues with much criticism aimed at England and France. Both with a massive pool of talent to draw from, both with Unions willing to throw loads of cash at the sides, yet both right now are massively underperforming. England have underperformed for quite some time now. The World Cup 3rd place papered over the cracks and until the selection policy changes and the tactics are changed improvement will remain firmly on the horizon. France seem to have imploded. Yes, several of their stars are missing, and yes they have changed the coaching team, but that doesn’t explain the fall from grace. I think there is something in the French psyche that is holding them back after their failure to deliver World Cup glory.

Plenty in the paper about Ireland and their quest for back to back Six Nations titles. That juggernaut keeps rolling mercilessly onwards. If Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell return for that game and Steve Borthwick makes other bold selection changes I can see England winning, BUT on current form that is a long shot. Scotland also stand in the way and they are not the pushover they once were.

Everyone talks about the Irish system as the one to emulate. At the moment they are not wrong. However, there are murmurings that the reliance on the public school system is creaking at the seams. I for one can understand why those murmurings exist but there is no evidence of it in terms of results through their age grade system.

Then there is Wales. Through my tinted glasses and with one eye firmly closed Wales are actually doing better than expected. The narrow loss to Scotland, the way we lead in Twickenham, and the pluck and commitment in Dublin offers hope. Players have come from nowhere, Cam Winnett, and are already being talked up as Lions contenders. That has to be good. As is the long list of players who could come back following injury. All that said the fans don’t want platitudes and acceptance of defeat, they want wins. I anticipate the goodwill will not last. If Wales are to build on the positive signs of the last few weeks then the WRU, the regions and the clubs have got to bang their heads together and finalise a structure and process that works.

Much in the papers about the Middle East. A lot of it aimed at the protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. I for one believe the Israelis are in the wrong now and their case has been undermined by indiscriminate attacks. That said, would a ceasefire be an opportunity for the fanatics within Hamas to regroup. What we cannot do is stifle free speech, and that is what some people want to achieve.

It seems that free speech is only allowed if you are part of a zealous minority willing to shout down anyone who opposes your view. Democracy is on a cliff edge and unless the authorities stop pandering to the voice of the mob then it is likely to fall in to the abyss.

Once again, sorry for the lateness. There is likely to be no blog on a regular basis for some weeks. I will endeavour to do something on a Sunday or Monday but I can’t guarantee it.

Monday 26th Feb: 09:50

It is Monday and there are grassroots results to ponder, however, I have to start in Lille. First up, that is some kind of stadium. That matches anything rugby has to offer around the world. Well, what a game of rugby. Not a game of the highest quality but a game that had a bit of everything. It was tense, it was dramatic, it was brutal. You have to feel sorry for the Italians, that kick hitting the posts was a dagger to the heart of those who had battled so hard to claw themselves back into the contest.

You have to ask: why weren’t France at least 20 points to the good in that first half? They dominated possession and territory, and whilst there were glimpses of what Italy had to offer it was all too easily snuffed out. Then came the second half when Italy started to string phases together and put the French on the back foot. It was a well managed and controlled performance and that game equalling score was nothing less than they deserved.

You have to ask yourself how France have fallen from World Cup favourites in August to a disjointed team in February. One man doesn’t make a team but they are missing Dupont. I for one think they have become over-reliant on size and power and have forgotten about flair and unpredictability. Yesterday, losing Jalibert to injury, and Danty to a red card was also a factor. In my humble opinion, despite what Maggie Alphonsi had to say, it was a red card. No attempt to dip, arriving at pace with force, making contact with the head. It is difficult to find any mitigation.

In that second half France were rudderless, in part because Galthie made wholesale changes just after half time, including removing captain Ollivon from the field. Italy on the other hand were led from the front by the outstanding Lamaro. He was my Man of the Match by a distance.

Then came that last minute drama. It was a penalty. No question about that, unlike some of Mr Ridley’s other questionable decisions. Plenty, including my good friend and Italophile Damper, are asking: should the kick have been reset and taken again. Did the French charge early? Was a French physio deliberately standing in Garbisi’s line of sight? I don’t know the answer but I’m sure over the coming days there will be plenty of pundits giving us their view. A draw it was.

WhatsApp was astir immediately post game with many now making Wales odds on favourites for the Wooden Spoon. France and Italy to come. That is probably where we are at.

Plenty of fall out following England’s defeat. I like Chris Foy’s comment in the Fail that fans, and others, are tired of hearing about England building, learning lessons and going on a journey. More on this tomorrow. The other debate, in the Welsh media at least, is whether Aaron Wainwright scored a try missed by the officiating team. Whilst Gregor Townsend is delighted with the win he is spitting chips because his English based players have to return to their clubs despite them having no games, or in fact training.

Let’s look at some results. In Kent 1 Cranbrook beat Thanet Wanderers 28-15 and move above Charlton Park. Park lost 16-0 at Deal & Betteshanger and with games running out are looking forlorn at the foot of the table.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Twickenham earned a HWO as Hove surprisingly pull out of the fixture. In Hampshire 1 Bognor lost at my old club Trojans and slip closer to the drop zone. In Regional 1 Tunbridge Wells lost to Havant who go top as a result.

Up in the National Leagues Worthing beat Bury St Edmunds by a single point. Sevenoaks lost at table topping Esher. TJs had a comfortable win at bottom placed North Walsham. Still much to play for in this league.

There were wins for Hove 3s and Jersey Royals with everyone else enjoying the blank weekend.

Looking ahead we host Canterbury II on Saturday. This one coincides with the President’s lunch so book your places now.

That’ll do for now except to say Sadiq Khan is wasting taxpayers money again. £117k allowing London’s ‘Night Tsar’ to jet around the world in luxury whilst over 1100 night venues have shut in London in the last three years. He has also played the race card. Criticism of him is Islamophobia. No Mr Khan, criticism of you is because you are a jumped up little twit!

Sunday 25th Feb: 10:15

Murrayfield is where I’ll start and for reasons that are obvious. This was supposed to be a new era for England, the dawning of something special. Eddie Jones was no more. Steve Borthwick was promising to breathe new life into England rugby. The opening minutes when England carved open the Scottish defence with George Furbank cantering over for the opening try it all looked on track for something new.

That didn’t last long did it. Highly paid players making way too many basic mistakes. A distinct lack of imagination in attack. The blitz defence undone by the mercurial and imaginative Finn Russell. If it goes wrong what do we do, we kick it away. Oliver Holt writing for the Sunday Fail (every day is a Fail for that paper) sums it up best: ‘While superb Scotland summoned moments of wizardry, England were negligent, incompetent and ordinary during a humbling defeat at Murrayfield’. Borthwick is still early into his tenure but I remain concerned that his coaching mentor was Jones and Borthwick’s lack of tactical imagination, and a reluctance to be bold in selection means England will continue to flounder. Comparing George Ford’s contribution to that of Finn Russell is like comparing an apple to a Rolls Royce. Likewise Henry Slade v Huw Jones, and Eliot Daly v Duhan van der Merwe stands no comparison.

Let me be clear England were in some respects architects of their own downfall but that would be doing a massive disservice to Scotland. Except for the two English tries when defensively they went to sleep Scotland were excellent. They played with imagination and skill and pace. They played what was in front of them and not what had been pre-prescribed days before on the training paddock. Finn Russell was the ringmaster orchestrating proceedings with his forwards providing the platform, and the backs around him enjoying the fruits of his labours. Some of the Scottish work was sublime with England being outthought and outmuscled. Ben Earl got on the wrong side of Andrew Brace so the luxury of turnover after turnover was denied him allowing Scotland more freedom in the contact areas than they enjoyed against France.

Duhan van der Merwe is the poster boy this morning and his brilliance in taking that second try was something else. It was the outstanding Huw Jones and his quick hands and quick thinking that released the flying South African towards the line and glory however. The pin point accurate kick from Russell set him up to cruise over the line. Cameron Redpath made an impressive contribution from the bench after the South Sea Islander Tuipulotu was forced off at half time. Not only is Redpath actually Scottish but he is a slip of a thing by comparison to the leviathans Borthwick wants to select.

Scotland were the better side by a long way and deserved the win. England will need to take a long hard look at themselves, lick their wounds, of which there are many, and decide on what to do next.

Over in Dublin the inevitable came to pass. Some papers call it a rout, but that does not do justice to Wales efforts, especially in the second half against a superb Irish outfit. The score reflects Ireland’s dominance of territory and possession but sadly does not give any indication of how well some of the young, very inexperienced Welsh lads played. In Cam Winnett at fullback there is a star in the making and Rio Dyer is slowly but surely growing into an international rugby player. Dafydd Jenkins, such a young captain, is worthy of his place and his leadership role. The bottom line is Wales lost to a very good and clinical Irish side.

I don’t think Ireland were at their best yesterday but that was still more than good enough. They took their chances when they were presented to them and they have an abundance of talent that surely will make up the spine of the British & Irish Lions in 2025. In Jack Crowley they have a ready made replacement for Johnny Sexton. In Peter O’Mahoney they have a combative leader who drags his troops along in his wake. Any combination of the second rows at Ireland’s disposal would grace any of the Six Nations sides. With Tadgh Beirne and Josh van der Flier in the side they will always be competing for honours.

People often talk about Ireland’s patience with the ball, their willingness to go through the phases, as epitomised by Beirne’s last second try, but it is their defence that is the backbone of the side. Just 24 points conceded in three games. Wales aided that impression with the absence of a cutting edge and ill-advised decision making. When the Welsh had their chances to score they failed. Warren Gatland et al must look long and hard at this aspect of the game. Yes, Ireland were more than worthy winners, but Wales weren’t disgraced.

Thursday 22nd Feb: 10:00

As expected Ollie Lawrence will replace Fraser Dingwall in the centre with Dingwall dropping out of the squad altogether. Manu Tuilagi is on the bench. This is to be confirmed but I’m pretty certain, as are the papers, that this is what is going happen. Danny Care will start and I expect his place on the bench will be filled by Harry Randall. Otherwise I expect the side to be very much the same as the one that started against Wales.

Why? Yes, why is Steve Borthwick, like his predecessor, who was also his mentor, so obsessed with size and brutality. There is so much talent at Borthwick’s disposal that it beggars belief he is ignoring playmakers and ball handlers for wrecking balls. Whilst Wales have struggled and will be found out tomorrow some of their best players have been the little guys. Winnett at full-back, Ioan Lloyd at #10 and Tommy Reffell is not huge.

I guess the answer is the same as yesterday, a win is a win and that’s all that matters. Well, actually, that is bo!!0c4s. If the game is to survive and avoid slipping into the abyss the paying and viewing public want more than enormous testosterone fuelled leviathans crashing into each other before taking a breather while the scrum resets. With a few exceptions the quality of the tournament to date has been pretty poor. Yes, you can take some breathtaking moments such as the Italian try and say ‘here look at this’ but that isn’t enough. We want to see the ball in hand and flowing seamlessly between players. We want to see guile and dancing feet. We want to see spectacular tries. What we don’t want to see is a game of statues, reset after reset scrum, long winded periods of Greco-Roman wrestling, and the only tries coming when one bunch of buffalo push the other buffalo over the line (and then for the officials to make a Horlicks of it!).

Ireland announce their side today too. It will be a strong side as they have strength in depth.

So, to the predictions. Ireland by a decent margin. I hope Wales put in a shift even in defeat. England will beat Scotland but I will be cheering for Scotland. No, not because of some bigoted anti-English sentiment but because thus far Scotland have at least tried to play some proper rugby and that is what I hope from them on Saturday. France will beat Italy. Pointless trying to justify anything else. Always worth watching that one, even if its just for the anthems.

Talking of which there is much debate about the anti-English Flower of Scotland. Some are saying it is derisory, others are saying it is stirring and gives Scotland an immediate edge. When you compare that to the dirge that is God Save the King I’d stick with Flower of Scotland. The 4m or so Scots need at least one thing to hang their hat on.

Don’t forget the Under 20s tomorrow evening. I haven’t scoured the TV schedule to find what is on where but I believe you will find the games somewhere. Super Rugby starts tomorrow morning too. I’ll miss that as Friday Club beckons.

Plenty in the papers about Antoine Dupont and his debut for the French 7s. That is tonight in Vancouver. I think, but don’t hold me to it, that TNT Sports might have that covered. The stadium in Vancouver is great. We watched the Vancouver Whitecaps draw 3-3 with New England Revolution in 2018. If you haven’t been there, put Vancouver on your bucket list. Great city.

Do the WRU have their heads up their asses all the time? A double header against South Africa has been agreed for the summer, BUT the Principality is not unavailable thanks to Taylor Swift and the Foo Fighters, PLUS the games clash with the URC finals. So it is off to Twickenham, which as mentioned yesterday is a nightmare to get to, and with a Welsh team potentially bereft of most of its frontline players.

I think you know which side I lean on when it comes to politics but I am becoming more and more convinced that proportional representation is needed. At the moment we have one group of complete and utter clowns, who at the next General Election will be replaced by another equally useless bunch of clowns. There was an excellent piece in The Guardian yesterday that really got that point across.

Then when you see the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, bending the rules to breaking point to save his mate Sir U-Turn from embarrassment you know British politics is a busted flush, and don’t get me started on those doddery old, self-important, interfering duffers in the House of Lords.

Wednesday 21st Feb: 09:00

Yet another dreary day in the ‘Borough. The Six Nations build up is well under way. Warren Gatland has rolled the dice but hasn’t gone for broke. Sam Costelow is straight back in with Ioan Lloyd on the bench. That makes some sense. Taine Basham is out altogether replaced on the bench by Mackenzie Martin who had a storming game in Cardiff’s recent defeat to Connacht. Otherwise it is pretty much ‘as you were’.

Ireland have some big calls to make with regard to injuries but they will still be very strong, and as stated yesterday will be odds on favourites. A Wales win would be as big a shock as it was when Leicester City won the Premiership. It isn’t going to happen but I do fancy Wales will bring something new and unexpected, and as Rob Howley has said ‘cause chaos’.

Scotland should have nothing to fear from England based on the two lacklustre performances to date. If Steve Borthwick, in my opinion, makes the mistake of bringing the big beasts straight back in and sticking with George Ford at #10 then Scotland have a chance to win, and win well. The Scots could have snatched victory against France, and that first half against Wales showed what they have in their armoury. For the Scots to triumph they must control their discipline and cut out the basic mistakes that littered that second half against France.

England have the talent to beat anyone, they just don’t have the game plan. It always seems to me that England’s priority is not to lose. Defence, defence, defence. If they are to inspire the nation then they have got to change that mindset and start believing that by playing rugby on the front foot they can beat anyone. They have the playmakers like Henry Slade and Fin Smith to create space for the pace out wide but Borthwick seems reluctant to utilise them, Smith in particular.

When I see the selection I’ll be better placed to comment but right now I don’t think much will change from the Eddie Jones era; the ball will spend a lot of time in the air and not much time in the hands. England will try and batter Scotland into submission. I guess you English don’t care as long as England win but for the good of the game as a whole England have to be better than that.

France v Italy on Sunday. I can’t see much beyond a comfortable French win but that said this is a poor French side by comparison to the one that went into the World Cup. The fabled Shaun Edwards defence is nowhere to be seen, and rumours abound that the relationship between Edwards and the other coaches, and the players, is breaking down.

Just glancing through the rugby websites there is much about the build up to the Super Rugby. I for one think that is the pinnacle of the game below Internationals. There is also much about players moving. Carreras leaves Newcastle for France immediately, Courtney Lawes is in France discussing his options, and Zach Mercer is talking about going back to France. The RFU and the WRU in particular need to wake up and smell the coffee. As both unions pretty much solely rely on revenue from Twickenham and the Principality to fund the game then the stronger the international side the better. Scrap the overseas restrictions and pick the best players regardless of where they play. The dire financial situations of the unions isn’t going to change any time soon so bite bullet and make it happen.

I had an email from a reader who I’ll call Andy, as that is his name. He brought to my attention the recent Sevenoaks v TJs game making the comparison about home grown talent and the difference between the two sides. He is spot on when he says the soul of a team are the players who come through the mini and junior ranks. Why are we doing so well? Is it because last Saturday 14 of the 18 players at Ashford had played some form of junior rugby at Steel Cross? Interestingly in the Oaks v TJs game both captains were ex Crowborough players (I think).

Can I draw your attention to an article on the website about the players from Crowborough RFC earning representative honours. It makes you proud to be a part of the club.

Andy also reminded me that Jersey dropping out of the Championship has consequences. One fewer team to be relegated. This is worth knowing for my next league round-up.

Ok, that’ll do for now as a haircut beckons, not that you needed to know that.

Tuesday 20th Feb: 09:35

Well, swimming has gone out of the window today. Bleater is feeling somewhat under the weather so is taking solace in this drivel, and the trusty Lemsip. Thankfully it doesn’t stop the fingers dancing, what rot, plodding over the keyboard.

Wales will announce their side to face Ireland later today. I anticipate Will Rowlands will start ahead of Adam Beard. There will be changes in the front row due to the dearth of props available to Wales thanks to injury. Young Harri O’Connor has been called into the squad and will feature at some point. More on this tomorrow.

England will be without Alex Mitchell for the rest of the tournament. A knee injury keeps him out. Ollie Lawrence is available, as is Manu Tuilagi. It would be harsh to drop Fraser Dingwall but I would put Lawrence alongside Henry Slade without question. For the record I would put Tuilagi alongside the tractors the groundskeeper uses to prepare Murrayfield.

Ireland have injury worries but with their strength in depth they have nothing to fear when the Welsh arrive in town. Except for the Italy game Wales remain firmly in no lose territory. Everybody will have Ireland as odds on favourites to win, and to win by a decent margin. Anything less than that and this young Welsh side will again come home with credit in the bank.

I’ll look more in depth at the contests that lie ahead tomorrow and Thursday.

When planning your viewing don’t rule out the Under 20 games. They usually can be found somewhere. Likewise if you have SKY, Super Rugby returns this weekend. Always cracking contests.

There was a fascinating piece in The Times where their panel of pundits, including those good old Bassaleg boys Stuart Barnes and Stephen Jones, put forward ideas to speed up the game. It seems I might know the odd thing or two about this game of ours after all. Several of the pundits said that the option to take a scrum for penalty infringements should be removed and replaced with a tap and go, likewise scrum collapses and wheeling should be tap and go and not reset. The amount of time a kicker has to go for goal is way too long. It needs to be trimmed back significantly. The mother’s meeting prior to a lineout, which was supposed to have been stopped, has crept back in. Get the ball in. Reduce the number of subs and limit tactical changes to twice in a game. It is a good read if you can access it.

Several of the papers have commented on a plan that was mooted: the RFU to buy a 50% stake in Wembley and sell Twickenham. This has now been killed dead and a multi-million pound redevelopment of Twickenham has been put forward. The issue in my mind isn’t the stadium per se, it is the access to the stadium. It is bad enough for those already living in the South East but imagine what it must be like for a Newcastle Falcons fan. I often ask why don’t the RFU take games around the country. The answer is simple. About 85% of RFUs revenue comes from Twickenham match days. They cannot afford to put that at risk.

In other news the war in Ukraine goes on. More innocent lives lost due to the delusions of a megalomaniacal despot. Putin has now gone one further in terms of depravity and that is the slaying of Alexei Navalny. Locked away in the harshest Siberian gulag for standing up and opposing Putin. His opposition continued even from the steppes and that was the last straw for the nut job allegedly running Russia. Navalny had to go. It is a disgrace and what’s more indicates Putin feels he is untouchable. What is to stop him pressing the nuclear button?

Here’s an idea. Why don’t we send the Micks from the RMT and ASLEF to Russia. Let’s see how they would get on there with their anarchy.

Monday 19th Feb: 09:50

I think it is fair to say we got away with one on Saturday over at Ashford. We never seem to play well there and it is always a brutal encounter. I’ll take 17-11 after the way we played in the first half. Anyway, we are 5th and if my prediction is correct that is where we will finish. Canterbury II unsurprisingly put Charlton Park to the sword and whilst they have both Dartfordians and Beccs to play I can’t see them finishing other than played 22, won 22. The race for promotion is in Beccehamian hands after their 60-10 demolition of Dover. Dartfordians aren’t out of it after coming away from Cranbrook with a 36-15 win. I think it is fair to say Bromley will finish 4th after their 27-10 win at H&W RFC. Thanet Wanderers did themselves a world of good with a comfortable win over Deal & Betteshanger. They move up into 10th. Not safe, but safer. Park and Cranbrook are below them. H&W look safe in 7th but they do have Beccs to come after the recent postponement.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 it was a good day for Eastbourne and Hove beating Old Walcountians and Old Tiffians respectively. East Grinstead lost at table topping Teddington. Those 6th, 7th and 8th spots are now in the hands of Eastbourne, Grinstead, and Hove. I would suggest that all three are safe from relegation but never say never.

Bognor had a good day in Hampshire 1 beating New Milton. They are not out of relegation danger but with Alton dropping out of the league they should be safe. Petersfield are all but promoted. Bournemouth II are now bottom in 11th.

In Sussex 2 Pulborough maintain their push for promotion with a comfortable win over Worthing III. Haywards Heath remain their closest challengers after their win over neighbours Burgess Hill. Uckfield lost at home to Shoreham and Crawley, who remain bottom, lost at home to Brighton II. March 2nd Haywards Heath host Pulborough and Heath have a game in hand. Much to play for.

In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill had an outstanding win over Faversham 53-5. They are not out of relegation danger yet but this was an important win. To highlight the madness of the structure of the leagues former National League 1 side Old Elthamians are top followed by Old Alleynians II, TJs II, Tunbridge Wells II, and Gravesend II.

Up in Regional 2 Chichester lost narrowly away at Wimborne, Salisbury lost less narrowly away at Witney. Jersey RFC are strolling this league. Salisbury and Chi are in the relegation zone with only Reading below them.

In Regional 1 Brighton won at Hammersmith & Fulham, Tunbridge Wells lost at London Welsh and Horsham lost to Bracknell. Camberley are now top but Havant have a game in hand. Bournemouth prop up the table with Horsham one place better off. TWells are in an excellent 3rd spot and Brighton in 7th. No relegation fears for either, and unless there was some kind of miracle the boys from St marks will just miss out on the promotion shake down.

Up in the ether Sevenoaks beat TJs 24-22. Worthing lost at Old Albanians. Esher top this one while Worthing slip to 13th and in danger of relegation. Sevenoaks and TJs are looking safe but there are plenty of games to go in this league.

Elsewhere our 2s enjoyed a fine win over H&W 2s 36-12. I understand this was a cracking game beautifully refereed. Well done boys. There were wins for Ditchling, Hove 3, Lewes, East Grinstead 2s, Holbrook, St Francis, Burgess Hill 2s, St Leonards and Pulborough 2s.

Here it is……. Bridgnorth 50 - Derby 33.

Ealing Trailfinders v Leicester Tigers. Not a bad game but a game that fuelled both sides of the ring-fenced Premiership argument. Yes Tigers were without their plethora of internationals, and rested a lot of other front line players, and Ealing were at full strength, but still the Championship side ran them close. Ealing are top of the table so should they be promoted? On the other side of the coin the crowd was pitiful. The two stands weren’t full by any stretch of the imagination. You would have expected with this being a semi-final, and a Premiership club in town the ground would have been packed. Thank heavens for the travelling Tigers fans. I rarely agree with Austin Healey but he hit the nail on the head: ‘the game has to sort its finances out and with an average gate of 2,000 Ealing wouldn’t be sustainable in the Premiership’, or something like that. This is a club that has done amazingly well but on the back of SIGNIFICANT largesse of an ageing benefactor. Need I say more.

Sunday 18th Feb: 09:55

A win is a win, no matter how ugly. I guess that sums up our result vs Ashford yesterday. We arrived in hope of an improved performance, especially following an excellent lunch at The Three Chimneys in Biddenden. Sadly for the first twenty minutes those hopes were well and truly dashed. Before kick Jonte Fraser had limped off with a muscle injury and when the game started we were nothing but lacklustre. To be fair Ashford came out of the changing rooms like whirling dervishes and had us on the back foot from minute one. They dominated both possession and territory leaving us having to defend resolutely and living off scraps. When they they went over for a try I feared the worse.

Slowly we clawed our way back into the game but when in possession our decision making was poor, and some of our handling and passing was, quite frankly, awful. Ashford tried to bully us into submission using their big, and aggressive forwards, their #9 was lively but they too failed to finish when it counted. Where we had the edge was out wide. The pace of young Will Pitman on the wing and with Harry Marchesi running good lines kept we Ashford honest in defence. They too stood up to the task in defence. This was not a pretty game to watch.

A well struck penalty put Ashford, on the balance of play, deservedly in front 8-0. Then came a moment of brilliant by Crowborough, and sadly a moment of, I don’t want to be too harsh, so let’s say ‘misjudgement’. Under pressure we picked the ball up in our own dead ball. Two quick passes later and Sam Eyres was in the open. He galloped deep into the Ashford 22 but instead of powering to the line he cut inside. He passed to the support in the clear. A score. Hoorah. No! Instead the ball was passed on again but not to the fast arriving Pitman, but into touch. The groan from the travelling faithful was heard in Maidstone.

At 8-0 we weren’t out of it and we started the second half much better. More dynamic, fewer mistakes, better decision making. Ashford now knew they were in a game. The set-piece was now more evenly contested and eventually the pressure told with us driving over from short range. With our tails up Ashford were on the back foot. Our lead was extended when the excellent Dave Bennett realised everyone but him had stopped expecting the referee to whistle for a knock-on. He picked the ball up and powered his way over from 20 metres out. The old adage ‘you keep playing until the whistle’ was never so true.

The closing stages were a tense affair with us again making basic mistakes and poor decisions, and having to defend, and defend, and defend again. Taking a tap penalty when a time wasting kick to touch was the better option. Missing touch when it was needed. These all added to the pressure. The bottom line is we weathered the storm and a late, late Ollie Clinch penalty put the icing on the cake 17-11.

A word for the referee. Was she awful? No, not by a very long way. Was she perfect? No, she made some mistakes, some of which were somewhat bemusing. She did more than ok in my opinion. The reason I mention this was because I had to have a go at an old duffer who was criticising her. When asked if he had ever refereed, the answer was ‘no’. I then, and yes, politely, told him perhaps he should keep his misguided and unwarranted comments to himself. I told him that it wasn’t the referee who made Ashford go over the top at the ruck, all too frequently, or to throw the pass forward, or to knock-on. I also advised him it wasn’t her that was offside. I suggested, again politely, he should go into the changing room and criticise the players for their performance. Before you ask, yes I have refereed, and know how hard it is, and how easy it is to make mistakes in the heat of the moment.

The result keeps us in fifth, and unless Dover win their last four games all with bonus points and we don’t pick up any points from our last four games then that is where we will finish.

It was then home to watch the Welsh rugby. Another loss for Cardiff and the Dragons were awful. Leicester City losing at home to Middlesbrough was not great. We did enjoy two catch-up episodes of Death in Paradise which buoyed the spirits, as did the Pinot Grigio.

Having just checked my email I am delighted to say that our very own Sam Hamilton is staring at #9 for England London & South East today. A fantastic honour for him, and his family, and his perseverance: he started at Crowborough as an Under 5. A well done to CRFC on that basis.

League round-up tomorrow but I can’t go without a rant. Sadiq Khan, what an absolute tosser. The police, social services, the health care providers, and I could go on, are all underfunded in London. Crime is unchecked and people are sleeping on the streets of the capital. What does that sheister do? He spends over £6m on a woke vanity project naming the overground lines with politically correct titles. £6m for heavens sake, and I bet some of that is lining the pockets of mates in bullshit marketing agencies and PR companies. £6m could make a huge difference to those in need.

Thursday 15th Feb: 09:20

The ‘was it, wasn’t it’ debate continues. John has been in touch using the phrase ‘Murrayfield Mugging’. I’ve had my say, and as far as everyone else is concerned the decision is now consigned to history.

There is no explanation from World Rugby, no accountability from the officials. As my brother has said there is nothing to explain. However it does beg the question; ‘are we putting referees on pedestals and no matter how bad they are they are untouchable’? This is a question my other brother has asked. We are desperate for referees and sadly the level of respect is on the downward slope. That has to stop. However, I think there is a need for transparency, and a better method of giving referees feedback than what exists right now.

Plenty in the media about who’s fit and who isn’t. Lewis Lynagh is fit, is on his way to Benetton at the end of the season, and it seems into the Italian squad for their game against France. Manu Tuilagi is back in the England fold, as is Ollie Lawrence. Hugo Keenan is out having suffered an injury. Whilst the papers are saying ‘Ireland suffer huge blow’ their strength in depth should mean no dramas when they host Wales on Feb 24th.

Ashford is our destination on Saturday. Whilst they are below us in the league it is always a tough place to go. Pitch conditions permitting we should be hosting our 2s v Heathfield v Waldron 2s. Check the website for updates.

As I said yesterday the grandkids are here so that’ll do for now.

Except that is to say, how do Americans continue to justify the right to bear arms. Another mass shooting, this time during the parade celebrating Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl triumph. One dead and 21 injured.

Wednesday 14th Feb: 09:35

What a miserable morning. We have the grandkids so yet again our outdoor plans are shot to pieces. Hey ho. This also means this morning’s drivel will be short, maybe that is no bad thing.

We should try and treat everyone with decency and courtesy and apply common sense. Sadly in today’s woke, politically correct world of bullshit it is increasingly harder to do do. One person complains and two million people suffer. We cannot keep everyone happy so sadly some people will be disadvantaged. What are you talking about Bleater? I am talking about Ireland v Wales in a couple of weeks time. A couple of people have complained that due to colour blindness they won’t be able to differentiate between the shirts of the two teams. This is unfortunate but tens of thousands of people will be able to differentiate. It is these types of demands that outside rugby are adding thousands of pounds to the cost of doing business and instead of a minority being disadvantaged the majority are adversely affected. Take toilets. To keep the lily-livered happy we now have unisex loos. They are universally unpopular with men and women alike, cause huge queues and make some people feel unsafe. The activists are happy though. Going back to the shirt thing, if anyone should change the usual protocol is for the home team to do so. Why aren’t the Irish under pressure to swap their shirts. It is time for the silent majority to stand up and start fighting for their rights.

World Rugby have accepted a request from Super Rugby to tweak the laws so the unedifying sight of players doing impressions of statues is removed. Hoorah.

Wales have had one bit of good news: Sam Costelow has returned to training.

Plenty in the papers about the success of the ‘smart mouthguard’. George Turner was the first player to get the shepherd’s crook as a hit on him set the alarm off in the independent doctor’s booth. Rugby is not hiding the risk from contact, it is tackling it head on by leading the way by managing the risk.

England have confirmed they will be in New Zealand in the summer, whilst Wales will be in Australia. France head to Argentina and Scotland to the South Sea Islands. Ireland will head to South Africa for an epic clash. This will be the last of the traditional summer tours as in 2025 it is the Lions in Australia and thereafter it will be the Nations League, or whatever it is called.

Ugo Monye is asking if rugby needs smart ball technology, this following the controversy surrounding the last minute TMO debacle in Scotland. No! Absolutely NOT! There is enough complexity without adding more.

Don’t forget Ashford v Crowborough on Saturday.

Oh, Leicester City stay top after their win against Sheffield Wednesday last night.

Before I go I remain concerned, very concerned, about events in the Middle East. It seems anyone who speaks out against the Israeli action is being silenced. The lack of progress on agreeing a ceasefire and the impending invasion of Rafah is seriously troubling. The deaths in Gaza are now disproportionate to the slaughter in Israel and no longer feel like retribution.

Tuesday 13th Feb: 09:45

Let me start with the WhatsApp exchange with my brother, no, not that one, the other one, the really good rugby player. He took exception to my assertion that the TMO got it wrong up in Scotland. Being exact, he is right, the referee had doubt and the TMO followed the process to the letter which meant without undeniable, unequivocal evidence he was unable to overturn the decision. Strike one for the brother. However, this is a perfect example why rugby is getting itself in a right mess. In my mind there was sufficient evidence to ‘suggest’ the ball was on the ground but hey ho, what do I know, even after my years refereeing, assessing referees, and my many other roles in rugby. I think where we are both in agreement is the process is so slow, so drawn out it is tedious.

Talking of tedious the scrum is a shambles. The referees are taking an age to get them set: crouch - get your make-up done, bind - check the quality of the opposition shirt, set - swap anecdotes about last season’s collapsed scrums. Then of course we have to wait for the scrum-half to put the ball under the second rows feet. Then of course, by now, the referee has seen himself on the big screen and think the crowd deserve an encore. ‘Gentlemen - let’s try that again’. As my friend Colin states ‘ we don’t to go back to the 70s because the forces generated are so much bigger, but we have got to get things moving more quickly’.

I haven’t yet got to the nonsense where the music stops and everyone has to stand stock still like a Gormley statue until the music starts again. This pathetic development has to be changed. I’m not sure what the law change will be because we can’t have players being offside and killing the game. It is bad enough as it is with players twenty metres in front of the kicker hovering like vultures waiting for the kill. What about players in front of the kicker or receiver have to retire until they have been put onside by the kicker or receiver or someone from behind the kicker or receiver. Actually, I think that is the law already. Whatever the answer it is an unedifying mess.

I haven’t got to the inability of players to think for themselves, or pass, or catch, or run a decent support line. With a few exceptions the games have been pretty ordinary at best. That second half from Wales has been special as was Ireland’s demolition of France.

Moving on, we have the news that fans are up in arms and demanding refunds. No, not because the game contravened the Trade Description Act, but because they were denied access to their seats as Twickenham had, it seems without any announcement, declared parts of the ground alcohol free. It seems the RFU have yet again failed to cover themselves in glory. I like a beer or three but having paid an arm and a leg to go to the game I would have thought watching the game was the priority. Sadly my recent experience in South Africa would indicate watching the game is less important than going to the bar, then going to the loo, and repeat.

Did you watch England U20 v Wales U20. If yes you will already know this was a pretty decent game wonderfully refereed by Aimee Barret-Theron. Some of her one-liners were straight from Nigel Owens playbook. Go online and look them up but in the meantime ‘before the game you said you would control your players, I hope you weren’t lying to me. Tell them to get a grip’.

No Six Nations this weekend. Crowborough RFC are at Ashford. Our position in the league is assured but a win to get the show back on the road would be good. Ashford is always a tricky place to go.

The URC has a full fixture list and the two Premiership Cup semi-finals take centre stage in England.

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl Champions.

The grandkids are hear so that’ll do for now.

Monday 12th Feb: 09:30

I’ll get to the Ireland v Italy game shortly but first a quick run around the leagues.

In Counties Kent 1 The Greenies v Beccehamian was postponed. It will be stated it was due to the pitch being unplayable, but there is more to it than that. You know our result. Bromley beat Charlton Park 69-14 and Dartfordians lost to Canterbury II 36-51. We stay in 5th some 14 points ahead of Dover but now 6 points behind Bromley. Beccehamian are in second with the above game in hand. No change at the bottom with Cranbrook, Thanet and Park scrapping to stay up.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne beat Hove 36-15, and East Grinstead won at Kingston 48-7. Table topping Teddington lost to second placed Old Tiffinians. The Sussex clubs are comfortable in mid-table.

In the National leagues Worthing lost to Guernsey, Judds beat Henley, and Sevenoaks won at bottom placed North Walsham. Worthing are far from safe in 12th spot.

In Sussex 2 Crawley lost to Burgess Hill which puts them back on the bottom of the table. Pulborough remain top after their win at Uckfield. Worthing III beat Seaford.

A couple of other results for you. Hastings & Bexhill lost at Old Alleynians who happen to top Kent 3. Rye lost at Ash, wherever that is!

Bridgnorth beat Broadstreet. By the way, the new clubhouse at Bridgnorth is really taking shape now. It is going to be quite something when it opens.

Ok, to Dublin. Eight year old Stevie Mulrooney stole the show. Forget the result. The way that lad belted out Ireland’s Call was something special. Once the game got going and the crowd had wiped the tears from their eyes Ireland were ruthlessly pragmatic. Even with several of their front line players being rested, and the men in green not being Rolls Royce perfect, Ireland still managed a six try demolition, and kept Italy to nil.

Whilst Jack Crowley at #10 was wayward from the tee, the rest of his game was outstanding. His decision making was spot on and his passing inch perfect. James Lowe was man of the match but this was a team effort of some quality. With Wales and Scotland at home only England will stand in the way of another Irish Grand Slam on March 9th.

There is much criticism of England in the press. Brian Moore challenges where England are going and is unsure about Borthwick’s bland mantra about progress. I liked the headline in the Daily Fail: ‘a day of Twickenham froth when the true heroes were really the Welsh’. Chris Foy not only rips into England, he tears into the game in it’s entirety. It has become so bogged down in stats driving the tactics that an already complex game has become boring.

For all the noise about a new exciting Twickenham experience, that fell flat too. Nothing seemed to have changed. The crowd were subdued, that in part because Wales performance left them scratching their heads at what the ‘new’ England were doing. The light shows and irritating noise from the sound system detracted, not helped. Yes, the East Stand was devoid of bums on seats well into the second half as expected. As it says in several papers if Twickenham is to become a fortress then it starts on the field with an exciting and successful England side.

The furore about the TMO decision in the Scotland game continues. Talking about yesterday to my mate Roger the light came on. If Nick Berry had said ‘my on-field decision is a “try” ’ it would have taken the TMO less than 20 seconds to confirm it….. because the ball was on the ground. Why didn’t he have the courage of his convictions to make that decision and overturn the referee’s call? We’ll never know because the officials are never held accountable.

Alex Lowe writing in The Times says ‘Rugby is eating itself’. He is right, the game is already complicated enough without the added complexity of the TMO, the pathetic new tactic of players standing still after a catch thus bringing the game to a standstill, and don’t even mention the scrum. He also points out that England’s failings of the past are still ever present. Being unable to convert pressure into points and red zone inaccuracy.

There’s plenty more rugby to digest but that’ll keep until tomorrow. Oh, a HUGE well done to Crowborough’s Sam Hamilton. He’s been included in the England London SE U18 squad.

Before I go what is Sadiq Khan doing about Wild West London. A bus hijacked and the driver and passenger held hostage. A crowded pub attacked by a group of thugs trying to rob the punters. Shoplifting, and violent shoplifting at that, is rife. Knife crime goes unabated. Do I need to say more. What is Khan doing while all this is going on? Jack all!

Sunday 11th Feb: 10:15

Let me start in Dover, not with the rugby but with a restaurant review. The Bard, his lovely wife, Mrs Bleater and I went to The Coastguard pub ahead of yesterday’s game. St Margarets Bay, just 10 minutes from the ground. Anyway, it was absolutely superb. Great food, great service and a great location, and not too expensive either.

The game was a different matter altogether. We started brilliantly dominated the set-piece playing great open running rugby in the loose and very quickly getting the scoreboard moving in our favour. For twenty minutes we dominated. The downside was we didn’t convert the pressure into points.

A wayward kick that should have put us deep in their half, left us deep in our half. Some quick interpassing and some lax defending and Dover were on the scoreboard. The score gave them confidence and seemed to shatter ours. They piled on the pressure and at regular intervals crossed for several more tries. We were floundering.

We started the second half well but it wasn’t long before Dover had us under pressure again. Our defence was AWOL giving Dover an open invitation to cross the line. We did score two tries of our own to make the scoreline more acceptable but it was a long way from being enough. 49-21.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom and let me put some context to that statement. We have a list of twenty players who could be 1st XV contenders who were unavailable, many through injury. With a few exceptions this is a very young and inexperienced side. They haven’t yet got to grips with the need for game management, and the decision making of an old head under pressure is missing. When we got it right yesterday, as we did against Bromley, it was very good indeed. Sadly, unlike the first half of the season our defence was shaky to non existent. This a result of players playing out of position. We remain 5th and still plenty of points ahead of Dover in 6th. The boys commitment cannot be questioned and they continue to give their all from minute one to minute eighty. No-one can ask for more.

As an aside, at one point in the game Crowborough’s front row was a front row I coached all those year’s ago, so the total age must have been close to 135!!!! If not more.

It was then home for England v Wales. As I was saying in the run up Wales had nothing to lose, and in defeat they can hold their heads up high. In fact except for a few errors and moments of naivety Wales could have, maybe should have, won. Yes there is an element of clouded judgement in that statement but it is not far off. England, when you consider the experience, and talent at their disposal, were poor. Yes a win is a win, and this morning they top the table, but anyone who says England were anything other than poor to average has their head not where the ostrich puts theirs but where the sun don’t shine. In some respects England’s man of the match was Mason Grady. That knock-on giving George Ford the simplest of kicks for victory was the difference.

Wales showed real promise and whilst he is not the now usual leviathan young Cam Winnett at full-back is a star in the making. Tommy Reffell was head shoulders man of the match but of course it was an Englishman giving out those honours. Ben Earl was England’s pick and he took that try exceptionally well. Steve Borthwick has got to pick Fin Smith if the talent often lying dormant in the back line is to be released. Whilst Freddie Steward is a rock under the high ball he is not elusive or mercurial enough at 15. Bring in Furbank is what I say.

No Welshman is happy with a defeat to England but I guess after such a steadfast display, especially in defence, and scoring the try of the game, and going oh so close to victory, we can be very happy with the outcome.

You, the English can only be relieved at victory. To be happy with the narrowness of the result against this Welsh side, including a prop who isn’t anywhere near first team rugby at Bath, is misguided. For the selectors to leave game changing playmakers on the bench, and be forced into reverting to type, kick it and kick it again, says a lot about where England are.

What a disgrace, a farce, a crime against the game. Yes I’m talking about that TMO decision at the end of the Scotland v France game. It was a try! Scotland were robbed. France without Dupont are not very good. Scotland are looking good but just can’t get the luck they need to put the opposition away. More on this tomorrow, along with a discussion about how the scrum is killing the game. It was horrendous in both matches yesterday.

Ireland v Italy this afternoon. Right now I’m off to read about Leicester City’s 2-1 win over Watford, with a cup of coffee and some pain au raisin.

Thursday 8th Feb: 14:15

Part two

Sorry about the abrupt conclusion to this mornings missive but something came up that required immediate attention.

As expected the England squad to face Wales has been announced. There is just the one change with Ellis Genge returning at the expense of Ben Obano. The starting XV is unchanged which is quite a rarity in today’s modern game. Personally I would have started with Cunningham-South and put Sam Underhill on the bench. In truth I would have liked to have had Zac Mercer in the side but that is another story. With regard to the backs I can’t understand why, against such a young and inexperienced Welsh side, Steve Borthwick has persevered with George Ford at outside-half. Whilst Wales were rubbish in that first half against Scotland simply kicking the ball at them isn’t how you ensure you get them rattled.

Man for man, except in a couple of positions, England are much the better side. That doesn’t mean England are going to win at a canter, but that could be the case if they get it right on the day. As previously stated the one big advantage Wales have is that they are in a no lose situation. England on the other hand will be under the microscope if they don’t win, and don’t win reasonably well. That might be doing the young Welsh lads a disservice but on paper that is where we are. Bring it on is what I say.

Don’t forget the Under 20s kick things off on Friday evening. S4C for England v Wales. This should be available via the iPlayer and should have English as well as Welsh commentary.

Leigh Halfpenny has suffered a major blow to his ambitions of being a success in New Zealand. In his first game for the Crusaders in a pre-season warm up game against Munster he tore a pectoral muscle and will be out for some time.

Lewis Ludlum is on his toes, to France is the thinking, at the end of the season. England, like Wales, are going to have to change the rules if the exodus co