As the dust settles on what was an amazing round of Six Nations rugby let me take you through the local results. In Counties Kent 1 not the greatest of days for those below us. Ashford beat Park House 34-17, Charlton Park conceded a HWO to Deal & Betteshanger, and Cranbrook lost 24-12 at Gillingham Anchorians. After our fine win at Dover the bottom three are at least 17 points below us. Gillingham are 12 points adrift. At the moment it is Park House and Charlton Park in the two confirmed relegation spots with Cranbrook in the third relegation spot depending on who goes up and down from elsewhere. At the top of the table Old Elthamians beat a depleted H&W RFC 43-12. Their promotion is certain. Sevenoaks II are now clear in second after a 69-22 drubbing of Beccehamians. Oaks are unlikely to be in the hunt for promotion as those from other leagues have a better win/loss/points ratio.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Cobham are still top. A mixed day for the Sussex sides with Haywards Heath beating Old Wimbledonians 45-12, Eastbourne losing 25-19 at Old Caterhamians, and Hove losing 32-24 at Trinity. Hove are 4th but well off the pace for promotion. Heath are in 6th and Eastbourne in 8th both clear of relegation. KCS Old Boys look doomed.

Going west now into Hamsphire 1 Bognor enjoyed a fine 53-22 win over Bournemouth II to stay in 2nd behind Portsmouth. Like Oaks II they are currently out of the running for promotion. Chichester also triumphed beating Winchester II 40-17. Chi move into a creditable 5th. Eastleigh are adrift in this league where three clubs could go down.

In Sussex 2 the race for promotion continues apace with Pulborough strolling past bottom placed Crawley and East Grinstead winning at Eastbourne II. Other winners were Lewes, Brighton II and Seaford. In Sussex 3 Burgess Hill continue their charge for promotion with an 18-12 win over Hove II in what I understand was a fiery encounter. Our 2s are 5th after their 41-7 win over Heath II.

In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill beat New Ash Green and stay third behind TW II and Sittingbourne. In Kent 2 TJs II are in the promotion spot with Thanet Wanderers hot on their tail.

Upwards now into Regional 2 where Brighton beat Old Colfeians 17-12 but stay 2nd as Sidcup won at Canterbury II. Horsham’s excellent run continues with a 26-20 win over Sutton & Epsom. They are 3rd. Both Brighton and Horsham could be in the promotion shake-up. In Regional 1 TWells strolled past Camberley 69-19. They stay 3rd with Jersey pretty certain for promotion. Worthing lost 17-7 at Old Alleynians to stay in 8th which is one place above where clubs could be dragged into relegation. They are well clear of the guaranteed relegation spots however.

Neither Sevenoaks or TJs had games last weekend.

Rounding things off Bridgnorth lost at home 29-32 to Banbury. Salisbury also lost, this time away at Walcot 15-5 in what has been described as a ‘spirited encounter’.

Very little grassroots rugby next weekend except at Steel Cross where we host Deal & Betteshanger. Kick off 15:00. There is a league lunch. Book now to avoid disappointment.

The fallout from the Six Nations continues. Steve Borthwick is under the spotlight and whilst I don’t agree with the clamour for him to go, I do think he is part of the problem. England seem unable to think for themselves. Yet again they got stuck in a tactical rut which they couldn’t get out off. Their kicking game has been found out and there is no Plan B. Their discipline fell apart and Italy seized their chance.

We cannot be happy with another loss but Wales came out of the weekend with credit in the bank and praise aplenty. The improvement from that truly pathetic performance against England is quite dramatic.

Scotland, wow, what a result that was. The side that has kicked the least in the tournament, played whatever is in front of them with aplomb, and in Finn Russell they have a ringmaster who controls the game from the field. France were all at sea on Saturday. Clueless at times. They did get the crucial bonus point try and showed some of their brilliance as Scotland took their foot of the gas.

The moment of the weekend’s action has to be Rhys Carre’s try. That was something to bring a smile to all rugby folk’s faces.

Sunday 8th Mar: 09:20

This weekend’s rugby has been a powerful reminder of why I don’t gamble. I hadn’t expected us to win so comfortably at Dover. Scotland scoring 50 points against France, and England losing so feebly over in Italy were most definitely outcomes that I hadn’t foreseen. What a fabulous weekend of rugby.

Let me start in Dover. I didn’t make it, for a range of reasons, but Mark did. Excellent regular updates informing us, ‘us’ being the Friday Club whatsApp group, that we were 0-10 up at half-time, 0-22 going into the final quarter, and 7-25 at the final whistle. Three tries for Josh Jarvis as part of a four try haul in total. Mark states the backs were back to their ‘old ways’, that being spinning the ball wide, at pace and accuracy, and keeping the undoubted big defenders on the move. A bonus point win is a brilliant outcome. The results keeps us in 8th now just three points adrift of Beccs. There is one element that clouds the euphoria and that is news that inspirational scrum-half Sam Marchesi suffered a nasty hamstring injury. Painful and season ending.

I headed to Steel Cross for the 2nd XV game against Haywards Heath, well, the first half that is. Heath arrived with the bare minimum so with our 3rd XV being cancelled we were able to bolster up their side. As an aside the pitch was heavy to say the very least. We started strongly scoring an excellent try, before butchering a gilt edged try through over confidence. Heath came battling back to take a 5-7 lead at the break. Now, to be honest, I hadn’t expected it to be so cold, nor did Mrs Bleater. It was freezing. So, with hands like blocks of ice, and faces raw with the cold we headed home. It turns out that the boys turned on the after-burners in the second half running out winners 41-7. A great result.

I make no apology for not going to Dover, nor putting my comfort ahead of sticking it out in the freezing cold.

What I should point out is the amazing situation where three father and son combinations ran out together on Saturday for the 2nds. I did it with my lad in two senior games for Crowborough many years ago. Yesterday Mark & Mason Rosier, Ian & Alf Russell, and Terry & Lewis Hughes all donned the red and white of Crowborough and represented their club together in the same team. Quite a marvellous achievement. Well done to them. It should be noted the boys didn’t outshine their dads, the dads put in a great shift, in mud that water-buffalo would have found appealing.

I should point out that our 3s were ready and waiting for a game but sadly Hellingly 2s cried off.

So to the Six Nations. Wales lost again, an outcome that was not unexpected. However, they played with passion and skill and determination from the first whistle to the last. Wales were extremely unlucky not to get anything out of this game. Ireland were worthy winners but Wales finally can hold their heads high in defeat. Oh, and that try by Rhys Carre was one ‘for the ages’. If you still haven’t seen it get on the interweb thingy, it was a thing of beauty by a beast.

Having thawed out, with the help of a couple of glasses of sherry, yes, we like sherry, we settled down to watch France narrowly beat Scotland. What we watched defied all logic. Scotland were amazing, playing some superb rugby. Excellent forward play, outstanding support lines, great angles of running, and amazing accuracy in their passing. The decision making was spot on too. France were a shadow of what we had seen up until now. They looked all at sea. Pretty much the opposite of Scotland. Uncharacteristic errors, shoddy discipline, and poor defence from #1 to #15. They only came alive in the last minutes as Scotland tired. It was a cracker of a contest. There could be serious repercussions for Oscar Jegou however. That alleged eye gouge looks awful.

Then came Italy v England. For long periods this was a pretty dire watch. England were, it is difficult to describe. I don’t want to say ‘awful’ because there were some passages of decent play, including a pair of well constructed tries. However, there was no fire, no cohesion, and making matters worse a lack of discipline. Maro Itoje’s petulant slap of the ball resulting in his ten minutes on the naughty step epitomising the problems. Italy on the other hand played with their hearts on their sleeves, giving of their all. They simply wanted it more. There was no arrogance, something which I do think plagues England and English rugby, there was a determination to win. There is one other factor which cannot be underestimated. A significant number of the Italian side play week in, week out together at Benetton. England were almost introducing themselves to each other as they entered the stadium. At the outset of the tournament England fans were talking of a winner takes all with France next weekend. I would have loved that for the sake of English rugby. Yesterday, I unashamedly supported Italy. It was an outstanding result. Questions have to be asked, but sacking Steve Borthwick is not the answer.

Thursday 5th Mar: 08:30

In answer to your question, the journey home was much, much easier than going. Thank you for asking.

Another big weekend of Six Nations rugby awaits. Ireland v Wales on Friday evening. Ireland have named a very strong side. All the big guns start despite there being five changes to the side that took England to the cleaners. Wales have made a couple of changes due to injuries. Dan Edwards is recalled in place of the injured Costelow. James Botham also starts after his strong showing, but mainly because Plumtree is missing through injury. Ellis Mee gets the nod on the wing ahead of Hamer-Webb. A reshuffle on the bench with Adam Beard and Olly Cracknell returning. The headline is the inclusion Louie Hennessey who is likely to make his debut from said bench. He is another Bath product just to keep Damper interested.

This is the same Damper who was apoplectic earlier this week when Max Ojomoh was not picked to start for England against Italy. A very disgruntled Bath supporter indeed.

So, let me do a quick forecast. Ireland will beat Wales. France will scrape past Scotland. Italy will.. mmm…. Italy will lose to a resurgent England and all will be well in the Kingdom.

There could be two games at Steel Cross on Saturday. Both the 2s and 3s have fixtures. Why not pop along and support the boys. I intend to as I can’t now get to Dover in time for the game.

Here is early notice of the game on March 14th. Not only is it the final weekend of the Six Nations but weather permitting Crowborough host Deal & Betteshanger in the rearranged fixture. There will be a league lunch, and kick off will be 15:00, so plenty of time to chat, eat and imbibe.

This weekend some big games in Kent 1. Ashford v Park House, Deal & Betteshanger v Charlton Park both have implications for relegation. Two home wins could see the away clubs adrift at the bottom, especially if Gillingham get something out of the game with Cranbrook. Cranbrook losing would keep them in the relegation battle. Sevenoaks II host Beccehamian. Oaks are in 2nd but based on how promotion works across the South East are currently not in the running. H&W RFC travel to Old Elthamians. I apologise now to my friend Liberty but on their flat track I don’t see anything other than a home win, albeit a closely fought contest.

In Surrey/Sussex, Heath host Old Wimbledonians, Eastbourne travel to Old Caterhamians, and in the match of the day Hove visit Trinity. All three Sussex clubs are adrift from the promotion places, and well clear of relegation.

In Hampshire Bognor host Bournemouth II, Chichester host Winchester II. Neither Sussex club are currently in danger of promotion or relegation.

In Sussex 2 my pick is Lewes v Ditchling a mid-table battle for bragging rights. In Sussex 3 the top two go head to head with Burgess Hill hosting Hove II. A home win and Burgess Hill will have daylight between them and those below. We sit in 5th but we might be docked points for failing to fulfil last weekends fixture against Hellingly. Hey ho!

Elsewhere Brighton play Old Colfeians and Horsham play Sutton & Epsom. Up one and we find Tunbridge Wells hosting Camberley and Old Alleynains welcoming Worthing. It is a blank weekend for those playing in the rarified air of the National Leagues.

Don’t forget on Sunday the Premiership Cup Finals. Two quality contests.

The Iran situation is troubling. Not just the escalation but the fact, as expected, we have Iranian’s living here in the UK, many of whom supported the Khamenei regime. There were clashes in Manchester last night between rival factions. We only need one or two radicals to kick off and we could see devastation on our streets. Sorry, but unfettered acceptance of illegal migrants could come back to bite us big time.

I read the first Government chartered relief flight fails to take off. You couldn’t make this stuff up. The crews hours had expired. What with our navy still in dock we couldn’t defend ourselves against a swarm of wasps, let alone a serious assault by a foreign power. We have cut defence spending to the bone, and currently have lily-livered politicians more interested in covering our green and pleasant land with solar panels, and keeping benefit scroungers in a life many hard working people can only dream of, than spending to keep us, the people safe.

While I’m on a roll, can someone please tell me why ex-pats living on the hog in the Emirates now think it is their right to be on the first evacuation flights back to Blighty. Answers to bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

Wednesday 4th Mar: 08:30

Currently bracing myself for what awaits on the motorway network. Hopefully clear roads and a joyous journey. In the rugby pages the hacks pour over Steve Borthwick’s selection. It is pretty much as forecast yesterday. It is a bold move by a usually conservative coach. Let’s hope it doesn’t backfire.

Wales announce their team later this morning. Aarron Wainwright is an injury doubt. If he is unfit that would be a massive blow to Welsh chances of getting close to Ireland. No, I can’t see a Welsh win with, or without Wanwright.

The dry spell is most welcome and the early feedback from the guys looking after the pitches is positive, or as positive as it can be under the circumstances. I will have further updates tomorrow. With regard to the weekend I won’t make it to Dover, for a range of reasons. Assuming the 2nd XV game is on, I’ll head to Steel Cross to support the boys.

Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has taken on the All Blacks coaching role. Another job with millions of assistant coaches sitting in their living rooms with fingers poised over the keyboard in anticipation of giving advice.

That’ll do for now.

The US and Israel have launched us, the world, into a conflict that won’t end quickly, and certainly will not end well. Sir U-Turn has to get of the fence. His hand-wringing and lily-livered dithering is of no help to anyone. MY opinion is the Iranian regime, and those terror organisations in the region are evil. They carry out atrocities, especially against women, and anyone who defies them with an appalling ruthlessness. There is plenty in the papers about the recent death toll as a result of the US/Israeli bombing. Every needless death is tragic but by comparison to the slaughter of thousands and thousands of protesters in Iran by the regime recently the numbers are thankfully small.

Donald J trump, a lunatic with his hands on the nuclear trigger. Be afraid.

Tuesday 3rd Mar: 09:40

What a right royal pain! Yes the M25 was closed between junction 9 and 10 yesterday causing us to have a difficult journey. It was put into perspective however as we listened to the horror stories of those stuck in the Middle East with drones and missiles raining down on them.

Moving on, it seems, if you can believe what is in the papers, that Steve Borthwick has ripped up the team who lost so dismally to Ireland and started again. It is suggested the only back line player to survive the cut is Tommy Freeman. The Torygraph suggests the backline will be made up of Eliot Daly, Freeman, Seb Atkinson, Tom Roebuck, Cadan Murley, Fin Smith and Ben Spencer. Obviously a couple of the changes are as a result of injuries, but nevertheless, if it proves to be correct it is a departure from Borthwick’s usual conservatism. The forwards are not unscathed either with Henry Pollock back to the bench and Ollie Chessum likely to miss out, but he is an injury doubt. We’ll know soon enough.

Wales announce their team tomorrow. Sam Costelow and Taine Plumtree are out due to injury. Will Jarod Evans finally get to start to start with Dan Edwards on the bench. I don’t anticipate wholesale changes as the boys who played so well against Scotland deserve a second shot at it.

I haven’t decided if I’m heading to Dover on Saturday, it depends how the next few days go. If I don’t I will be watching Scotland v France. That is an intriguing contest. The free-flowing French against a generally open field Scotland should make for quite the contest.

If I don’t head to South East corner of England, then I might head to Steel Cross for our 2s against Haywards Heath. This one kicks off at 15:00, weather permitting.

Just caught up on the fact that the Six Nations trophy was badly damaged in a vehicle fire in Ireland. The trophy has been ‘retired’ as it is impossible to restore to its original state. One of the replicas will be used for the rest of this tournament with a new trophy being unveiled ahead of next season’s games.

I know I’m a grouchy old man who struggles to keep up with today’s changing world, but do me a favour. USA rugby, in one of its wokest moves yet, has announced there will be an ‘open’ category in the game for trans athletes. The trans subject is complex but this is a complete nonsense, in MY opinion. Needless to say you can find the full story in The Daily Fail.

It is another full weekend of grassroots rugby this weekend but I’ll keep that until tomorrow and Thursday. I’ll also look at the latest promotion and relegation updates to put the fixtures into context.

The proper news is rightly dominated by the US/Israeli attack on Iran, and now beyond into Lebanon. On a personal level I think the Iranian regime is one of evil and goes against the common decency of the free world. The way they crushed the recent uprising was brutal and unprecedented. That said they are an independent state and who are we to interfere? Trump and Netanyahu have lit the fuse and the rest of the world is likely to suffer the consequences. I recently watched the Darkest Hour again. The story of Winston Churchill battling against those who wanted to appease Hitler. I fear in Sir U-Turn we have a Prime Minister who is afraid of his own shadow. That is not good. Nor is the rhetoric from our Marxist politicians, Jeremy Corbyn, remember him, and Zack Polanski. Both happy to support regimes who treat women and girls as second class citizens and peddle anti-semitism as easily as a Liverpool fan berate Everton or Manchester United.

Mr Polanski is a very dangerous man, and his politics trouble me greatly. The win in Gorton highlights the lengths he will go to to succeed. Focussing on a pro-Palestinian stance in a Muslim stronghold, and nowhere mentioning the policy of decriminalising drugs and prostitution, nor his liberal stance to pornography. Not a single mention of the climate crisis, which is manifesting itself in Crowborough as weeks and weeks of rain, nor a mention that the plumber, Hannah Spencer, who triumphed is a globe trotting, multi-home owner. That’s politics for you.

Brace yourself for The Hood and her deceptions. The Spring Statement is today when of course we will hear again that none of the issues the country are facing are Labour’s fault, and how wonderfully rosey everything in the garden is. The truth is a long way from that as unemployment rises, benefits are rocketing, business confidence is on the floor, and as far as UK growth is concerned, forget it.

Of course ALL the above is MY opinion so if you have a problem then bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

Monday 2nd Mar: 08:30

A very quick catch up on the weekend’s outstanding results. The big one….. East Grinstead beat Pulborough 14-13 in what I understand was a thrilling top of the table clash. Pulborough are now. just 2 points clear in Sussex 2. In the other games the winners were Brighton II, Ditchling, Lewes, and Seaford. Crawley remain bottom.

Elsewhere Chichester lost 43-28 at Sandown & Shanklin, but Bognor triumphed 23-29 at Winchester II. Bognor are 2nd. Coming east, Eastbourne lost 14-45 to Weybridge Vandals, KCS Old Boys beat Haywards Heath 33-12, so despite not playing Hove are best placed of the Sussex clubs in 4th.

Upwards, Horsham weren’t able to help Brighton, they lost 29-20 to Sidcup who remain top. Brighton are still hot on their heels in 2nd after their 14-47 win at bottom placed Old Reigations. In Regional 1 Tunbridge Wells lost 47-29. Worthing on the other hand enjoyed a much needed win 50-12 over Maidenhead.

In the National leagues Sevenoaks lost 45-26 at Henley and slip closer to relegation. TJs enjoyed a fine win away at Sedgley Park. 28-31 this one. The comfort of mid-table for TJs.

As I’m shortly heading in that direction I can tell you won that Bridgnorth won at Lutterworth and sit 6th in Midlands 1. Salisbury lost at home to Sherborne.

Just quickly glancing at the rugby pages Ollie Lawrence is out of the Italy clash. My good friend Damper thinks Max Ojomoh is the man to take his place. According to the BBC Aki, O’Brien and Henshaw are all fit and raring to go against Wales. Bugger! Wales have drafted Ryan Woodman and Keiron Assiratti due to Wales’ injury woes.

Mi amigo Pedro put me right last week, just like Mrs Bleater does everyday, Taine Plumtree is out injured and not Alex Mann. Damper had a go about my comments regarding Bath yesterday. I stand by those. Bath could have played a lot more of their academy squad on the weekend as that is what the Premiership Cup is meant to be about. As they were on the cusp of being knocked out of course they loaded the side with 1st choice players.

Some headlines. There are serious questions around South Africa’s drug testing program. Another headline reads: ‘England’s men’s rugby team the most underperforming sport side of the last 20 years’. Saracens were wronged according to one article. Furbank stakes England claim with try for Northampton. All these from The Torygraph.

That’ll do. Back tomorrow with more time on my hands. The proper news is packed with the worsening state of affairs in the Middle East. Be afraid.

Sunday 1st Mar: 09:50

Well, that was depressing. Friday was miserable to say the very least. It was raining when I got to the club at 08:00, and it was still raining when I left at 11:15, and it continued to rain long into the evening. While many of the Friday Club valiantly braved the elements; filling in potholes in the car park, repairing fencing, doing the litter run, which inevitably out on the road included Red Bull cans, the lining team were left with heads to scratch, and frustration to vent. Having walked all the pitches, and the training areas, only the main pitch was playable, but only just. There was zero chance of getting a line-marking machine through the deep puddles or the cloying Wealden clay on any of the pitches. After heavy overnight rain it came as no surprise that the game was called off at 09:30 on Saturday. There was simply no alternative.

The planned lunch did however go ahead. Over 40 people enjoyed a great meal of steak & ale pie with veg and roast potatoes, followed by cheese & biscuits and a sweet treat to round it off. With no game it was relaxed and fun. The irony of it all was as we sat there enjoying the food, wine and camaraderie, outside it was a gloriously dry day. From afar the pitch looked great, but on closer inspection anyone who doubted the decision realised why the game was postponed. Beware the hippos and crocodiles in the swamp. The game is now to be played on 14th March. The kick off time to be confirmed. Thanks Jacqui and Louise et all. Splendid stuff.

We are not alone. This slightly long, but very relevant article from Petersfield RFC hits the nail firmly on the head. https://www.petersfieldrfc.club/news/rugbys-foundations-are-flooding-2965034.html

With no rugby at Steel Cross it was home for Bath v Gloucester. Bath have quite the squad but playing many of their 1st XV regulars seemed not in the spirit of the tournament. It was a cracking game with Bath coming through after a valiant effort by the cherry & whites. Exeter v Saints and Leicester v Bath next Sunday.

I then trawled through the results. As the motorway network beckons tomorrow I might not be in a position to do a blog so let me bring you the Counties Kent 1 results right now. Being selfish and one-eyed I would suggest the results went very much in our favour. The Greenies beat Gillingham Anchorians 26-7, Sevenoaks II beat Park House 25-66, Cranbrook lost 22-31 to Dover, and Charlton Park lost 12-66 to Ashford. All four clubs below us remain at least 11 points adrift. In the other game Beccs lost to Old Elthamians who remain perfect at the top and 19 points clear. Still lots to play for. The only real certainty is Elthamians will be promoted. With six games to play all four of the bottom placed clubs have every opportunity to survive. Right now though Park House and Charlton Park are in the firing line.

A pretty good weekend for the Welsh regions. Dragons drew with Benetton, Cardiff beat Leinster, and Ospreys beat Ulster. Sadly Scarlets missed out up in Edinburgh.

Change is on its way. English rugby is embarking on the biggest change for a lifetime. Relegation from, and promotion to the Premiership has been formerly scrapped. Clubs will now have to make representation to be elevated to the top table with a strict set of criteria to be met. The much proposed franchise system is to be adopted, with the vision of expanding the top flight to 20 teams by 2040, but hopefully to 12 teams for next year. Each side will be expected to support a women’s team too. In essence the Premiership now operates in isolation from the rest of the league structure. There is a lot more to it than that so best if you read it for yourselves. There is plenty across the media.

The one element that hasn’t been picked up too much relates to the structure of the RFU. The game will still have representation from the grassroots level as part of the RFU council but their power has been stripped. The power now lies solely in the hands of the RFU board, currently led by Bill Sweeney. The dinosaurs have had their wings clipped, which by the way should be what happens in Wales. If all the revenue is generated by the top of the game then it needs to be controlled by the top of the game. To be argued.

In some respects sport and rugby pales into insignificance when you read that Trump and Netanyahu have launched strikes on Iran with Iran retaliating in kind. For the record, the Iranian regime, as is the regime in Afghanistan, is odious, in fact evil, but cutting the head off the hydra can have horrendous consequences. Britain sat on the fence ringing its lily-livered hands while decisive action was being taken elsewhere.

On a brighter note: HAPPY ST DAVID’S DAY.

Thursday 26th Feb: 09:30

What a gorgeous day yesterday. Shorts on, legs out. Today is dry too, which is what we need if we are to have a half decent track for Saturday’s game. The wonderful Geering hasn’t come back to correct me so its 14:30 k.o. for Deal & Betteshanger. Plenty to play for elsewhere but some pretty tough challenges for those below us. The Greenies host Gillingham As, Park House welcome Sevenoaks II, Cranbrook have Dover in town, and Charlton Park face Ashford. Beccs have the task of putting one over on Old Elthamians, which I can’t see happening quite frankly. OE’s are on a mission.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne host Weybridge Vandals, and Heath travel to KCS Old Boys. Hove are resting. In Hampshire 1 Chichester are over the water at Sandown & Shanklin. Bognor travel to Winchester II. In Sussex 2 the game of the day is, in fact across all Sussex clubs, East Grinstead hosting Pulborough. This could be the promotion decider. A Pulborough win and they could be 10 points clear. An East Grinstead win and it could down to points difference. As it happens, I was invited to lunch for this one. I’ll be at Steel Cross instead. In Regional 2 Horsham travel to table topping Sidcup. Horsham could do Brighton a favour with a win, as Brighton should triumph at bottom placed Old Reigations. Up one more, TWells are at Farnham, Worthing head to Maidenhead. Up again and we find Sevenoaks at Henley. Finally in the rarified Nat 1 TJs are at Sedgley Park. I’ll bring you all the results on Monday.

Injury updates are coming in. Alex Mitchell is out of the remaining Six Nations fixtures with a hamstring injury. Wales’ Alex Mann is also out of the tournament, his shoulder injury requires attention. Wales are sweating on San Costelow. His ankle injury is recovering, but will it recover fast enough.

You thought the Saracens salary cap headlines were long in the past. Well they are not. It turns out that a conflict of interest has come to light which could throw a spanner into the workings of the Premiership. It appears that the ‘independent’ advisors brought in to scrutinise Saracens books and recommend actions to the blazers running the game, were at the same time auditors for Sale Sharks. As you will recall all clubs benefitted as a consequence of Saracens hefty fine. Sale to the tune of c.£500k. The Guardian brings us this news.

I bet Sir U-Turn is on high alert right now. A crushing blow in today’s by-election could see him ousted as PM. Be afraid, very afraid, if that were to happen. We would lurch very quickly further left. If the Greens win today then be really afraid. Their policies are horrifying, and it would cause Labour to shift left to compete. A Reform win and we are equally doomed. The right will be delighted but you and I, the people stuck in the middle with a modicum of decency and common sense will be done for.

Plenty of political debate over a beer and grub at Spoons yesterday. There was consensus that the five of us with our state and company pensions were lucky, but that didn’t happen by accident. We all worked extremely hard to achieve that goal. What got everybody’s back up was how the benefit system has spiralled out of control. How easy it is to not work and yet still live the high life. The fact that illegal migrants who have been given status to remain are lapping up the benefits with glee was a major issue, especially as it comes from the money that us five retirees are still paying by way of tax.

Ok that’ll do for now. Back on Sunday, hopefully describing a great game at Steel Cross. Fingers crossed the forecast rain holds off.

Wednesday 25th Feb: 09:50

The Six Nations takes a rest this weekend so our attention returns to what is really important, our clubs, and in this case Crowborough RFC. Our 1st XV have seven games to go, five of which are at home. We currently sit in 8th with 31 points in the bag. Deal & Betteshanger are first up on Saturday. They are in 4th on 54 points so should start favourites. That said Steel Cross, on what is likely to be a very boggy pitch, is a leveller. The two away games are Dover, always a tough place for us to go, and high flying H&W RFC. Table topping and champions elect Old Elthamians are one of our home fixtures, the others being Beccs, Gillingham Anchorians and Cranbrook. You can do your own permutations but I suggest with Gillingham As 11 points adrift of us, and Cranbrook, Park House and Charlton Park 13 points adrift, dropping into one of the two relegation spots is unlikely. You can do your bit by making Steel Cross your Saturday afternoon destination over the coming weekends.

Our 2nd XV, currently in 5th, also have seven games to play but most are away and they include all the teams above us. Their season wraps up on April 18th, when the 1s are at The Greenies, with promotion favourites Burgess Hill the visitors to Steel Cross. Give the 2s your support when you can.

If you are a regular visitor to this here website you will have noticed the spectators code of conduct has been front and centre. If you are a member you will also be aware all coaches have been reminded of what is expected of them. We have a good reputation for being a very well run club and being always mindful of the games values. Sadly, up and down the country there has been a noticeable decline in behaviour from coaches and spectators alike. This all too often happens in the junior games with too many coaches thing they are in charge of England at a World Cup, and too many parents thinking their child is the next Johnny Wilkinson. I don’t know who reads this here blog but for those who do can I ask; if you see behaviour that isn’t in keeping with the standards we hold dearly just remind the person who might not that they are letting down their club and all who work tirelessly to support it.

The final league round of the Premiership Cup is on Saturday. Leicester Tigers are through to the knockout stage but plenty to play for the others. Bath v Gloucester is the biggest of the games.

The URC returns this weekend. The four Welsh regions are in action with Cardiff v Leinster the pick of the ties. Dragons could see themselves with a win under their belt as they host Benetton, most of whose stars are away with Italy.

If you have SKY then you might be interested in the Super Rugby. I’ve caught a couple of games and they make for good viewing.

I did read one bit of Six Nations news. Robert Kitson has done his half term report. Needless to say he hits the nail firmly on the head with his assessment. The French are playing some amazing rugby. He gives a big thumbs up to Italy despite their lowly position in the table. Ireland could still to better. Scotland’s inconsistency gets highlighted. England get the treatment they deserve with a warning that they won’t find Italy a pushover, and France await. Wales are where Wales are but he does think that something out of the Ireland game, and a shock win against Italy could be seen as a good campaign. I am sure it is tongue firmly in cheek but he says Wales could still finish above England. Dream on sir !!!!

Plenty in the proper news such as Trumps long and rambling and egotistical diatribe, aka the State of the Union address. The World is truly going mad when you look at the polls for tomorrow’s by-election in Gorton. The lunatic Green’s are ahead. This is the party who want to deregulate all drugs, including cocaine, want to remove all restrictions on access to pornography, and other vile social media, want to open the doors to all migrants offering them a free house and free access to the NHS. The Marxist doctrine being spouted by their deranged leader is terrifying.

Enjoy life while you can. I’m out to lunch today with some old work colleagues. We know how to live…… Spoons here we come.

Tuesday 24th Feb: 10:20

Congratulations to those clubs who played in the Vets Cups last weekend, win or lose. It is good to read Vets sides are still being put out. Yes, I’m way tooooo old to be playing. Congratulations to all the clubs who have made it through to the finals of the various Sussex Cups. Cup final days are April 25th and May 2nd with finals hosted by Horsham, Uckfield, Eastbourne and Hastings & Bexhill.

The fall out from the weekend continues with one particularly scathing headline in the Daily Fail. ‘Our constant failing rugby team are the biggest embarrassment in English sport. They have been humiliated once again as the trophy drought drags on. It is nothing short of a scandal’. I think there are plenty of other spectacular sporting failures in English/British sport but I get the drift. I know I go on, and on, and on about this but England rugby are incredibly well funded, if not the best funded side in the game. They have untold riches in terms of players yet they do fall short on a regular basis. If they go on to win in Italy and France I’m sure all will be forgiven, but it won’t hide the way they crumbled against Scotland and Ireland.

Plenty in the press with people quick to jump on the bandwagon of criticism. Yes, yes, I’m already enjoying that ride. For Eddie Jones, the most arrogant man to ever coach in the game, to write ‘overconfident Steve Borthwick at fault for England’s Six Nations slump’ is appalling. Jones was, and still is, a jerk, and comments like this reinforce that point. I understand from those who know him, say that Borthwick is a decent guy. Deep thinking and analytical, which might be an issue of course. He is apparently not a demonstrative individual, especially by comparison to the fist pumping Andy Farrell, and according the people I have spoken to, he is not arrogant and never described as overconfident.

I think Brian Moore however might have a point. ‘Borthwick’s coaching merry-go-round to blame for England’s non-existent defence’. Borthwick has chopped and changed his support structure on a regular basis. People coming in, Lee Blackett, people moving around, Richard Wigglesworth, people going out, Andrew Strawbridge. It is an interesting point, one which has been driven by England’s previously rock solid defence becoming somewhat porous during this campaign.

The Torygraph for both the above.

Grassroots league rugby returns this weekend. A massive game for us, Deal & Betteshanger at Steel Cross. Is this a must win game? No, but a win would be brilliant. Kick off 14:30. There is a pre-match lunch if you are interested. The 2s travel to Hellingly, this is a 14:00 kick off. I’ll look at the other key games later in the week.

Obviously the Welsh press are talking about how Wales were much improved against Scotland, and they were. The problems are still there however. A lack of strength in depth, a shambolic structure below the top flight, and the ever present disputes, arguments and recriminations. Nigel Owens, has been looking through the videos and found a couple of crucial incidents where Wales were possibly wrongly penalised by the officials. The Tomos Williams clearout being deemed a ‘croc-roll’. I can see Owens point but that might be through biased eyes. Where he is spot on is the incident where LR-Z fumbled the ball and a Welsh player in support picked the ball up. The ball went backwards. Play on!! Scotland found themselves in the ascendency from the ensuing lineout. He goes on to confirm the officials should have disallowed the final Scotland try. The number 6, Brown clearly joins the ruck in front of the ball. Hey ho!

The final article that caught the eye relates to the new Nations Championship. England’s itinerary involves a 25,000 mile trip. As a consequence there are murmurings that England will field a 2nd string XV for the Fiji game to be played at Everton’s amazing new stadium in July.

In the proper news it is tragic to think the slaughter on both sides in Ukraine has been going on for four years. Labour’s class war continues with their newly announced education policy. I have read through some of the initiatives and whilst the Government state it is about improving standards for the worst performing, I read it as a dumbing down of standards and a continuation of their class war. The politics of envy. Screw those who have worked hard, and give the bone idle a free ride. Can someone tell me why DWP staff were paid £12.7m in bonuses despite a £10bn benefit overpayments!!!

Monday 23rd Feb: 09:55

That was some weekend. Actually for us it has been quite the week. Grandparenting is not as easy as you think!! Anyway, to the rugby. That was quite a series of games. I understand the highlight was Heathfield & Waldron beating Eastbourne 18-23 to advance to the final of the Bob Rogers Cup. The game was gripping from start to finish, so I’m told, with The Greenies finally getting the better of an excellent Eastbourne outfit in extra time. The cup sitting proudly in our display cabinet will be passed on to either The Greenies or Hove (provisionally) on May 2nd. I’ve been invited to that one.

I guess I have to move on to what can only be described as an English debacle on Saturday against a resurgent Irish. The papers, quite rightly, are scathing at England’s ineptitude. It was only a few weeks ago the supporters of the red rose were confidently talking about a winner takes all decider against the French in March. How that optimism has been thrown out of the window. England sitting 4th in the table is a disgrace. With the millions of pounds invested in the English side, and the abundance of untold talent at their disposal this really was woeful. The Guardian sums it up nicely ‘England’s zombies have rapidly descended into collective brain fog in Six Nations’. Robert Kitson knows how to put a headline together!! He, by the way, is appalled at how the RFU’s ‘mega-resources’ have been wasted. Why does it happen? In the opinion of many it is because England continue to play by numbers. They have a game plan and rigidly stick to it regardless of how it is going. When your opposition doesn’t play to ‘your tune’ there is no playmaker who can change things. Scotland beat England by playing what was in front of them exploiting the opportunities as they presented themselves. Ireland took the game to England with ball in hand eschewing their kicking game for long periods. England weren’t able to adapt. They stuck to what they thought was tried and tested and it failed. In the Smiths, Marcus and Fin, you have playmakers who can think for themselves. They aren’t getting a look in because Steve Bothwick favours ‘steady as you go’ George Ford. Then there is the obsession with size. Freddie Steward at fullback for example, is there because of his size, not because of his fleet footedness and vision from deep. Flexibility and vision is what’s lacking. Jamison Gibson-Park epitomised everything that was wrong with England. He played with his head up, immediately assessing what was in front of him and adapting his game accordingly. England were simply unable to do that as they played like zombies programmed to play a certain way. Borthwick has two weeks to prepare his team to face Italy. Right now Italy start deserved favourites.

Then it was time for Wales v Scotland. Like many in Wales I expected another abject showing and a heavy defeat. What we got was a cracking game with Wales VERY unlucky not to win in a stadium rocking from start to finish. I digress here to say God Save The King, and swing-low are dirges that don’t help England one bit. Wales played with an intensity oh so lacking over many, many, many months. Ball retention was good, support play was dynamic, speed from the ruck good, and set-piece functioning better than average. In Eddie James they have a proper centre and his partnership with Joe Hawkins could be one for the ages. Hawkins was very lucky not to see red however, very lucky indeed. Aaron Wainwright stormed around the pitch like a man possessed, as did Alex Mann. There was a fluency to Wales attack, again, oh so lacking in previous matches. Two areas where Wales proved they can play: discipline and defence. They kept Scotland on the back foot for long periods, and when they needed to defend they did so well, maintaining their discipline. What England were lacking, and what enabled Scotland to snatch late victory was a player with vision who plays with his head up and eyes open. Finn Russel’s inspired quick kick off following a Wales score put Wales on the back foot. It was a school boy error from Wales but let’s not underestimate Russel’s, and Darcy Graham’s, quick thinking. Russel’s own try was a result of him spotting LR-Z flying out of the defensive line and then sliding through the resultant gap like a snake through grass. Scotland snatched the win at the end with a hotly disputed try. It should have been chalked off as the Scotland forward CLEARLY joined in front of the ball AND opened up the space for Turner to crash over. Are Wales back? Absolutely not. However, there are signs of shoots giving cause for optimism. There is talent in the U20s as witnessed with their excellent win over Scotland on Friday. The WRU now need to get their house in order, which I fear isn’t going to happen as the dinosaurs are knocking at the door…again!

France proved why they are now clear, unambiguous favourites for the title and a Grand Slam. They played with flair, skill, power, and joie de vivre that will be hard for Scotland and England to contain. Italy didn’t play badly, in fact, at times they matched the French in their intensity and skill levels. In Antoine Dupont France have a petit general who on his day is the best player in the world right now. He was classy yesterday with his all-court game. Attack, defence, instigator or supporter, it matters not, he has the talent to do everything. France in Murrayfield on cold, dank and dreary day might find things tougher than planned. We’ll now soon enough.

Thursday 19th Feb: 09:40

Good morning, if waking up to another dark and dank day is good. I guess if your eyes are open, and you are breathing, and you are over 75 it is a good morning. Our plans for the day have been shot to pieces thanks to us blindly believing a weather forecaster.

Hey Ho. No grassroots rugby this weekend so all eyes will be on the Six Nations, unless you are Welsh, where possibly all eyes will be on anything but the rugby. If you are Welsh and plan to watch, I can recommend doing so from behind the sofa. Having Mal Bec by your side can help.

What can we expect? France to beat Italy on Sunday. I think that is the banker. I don’t think Scotland will be as fired up for the contest against the hapless Welsh, but I still see them winning relatively comfortably. Your Betfred double with France and Scotland to win is a safe bet. Where it gets tricky is England v Ireland. My head says England will bounce back and heap more pressure on Andy Farrell and his side. The changes England have made gives quality fire power from the off, but still with a strong bench waiting in the wings. Ireland will raise their game against England but will it be enough. I don’t think so. If you are therefore considering a treble with Betfred, or any of the other copious number of betting sites, then England is the name to add.

As I type Wales have announced their side. Four changes to the starting line-up. In comes Gabriel Hamer-Webb, out goes Ellis Mee. Also starting is Ben Carter, out goes Adam Beard. Dan Edwards is out, Sam Costelow is in. Olly Cracknell is out with Taine Plumtree starting. Movement on the bench too. James Botham comes in, as does Blair Murray, as does Freddie Thomas. A pretty radical shake up. Adam Beard and Olly Cracknell the big losers. For what its worth, I would have kept Beard and Cracknell, and started Jarrod Evans. There will be plenty of debate from all sides about the selection but with the only thing to achieve is avoiding the wooden spoon then Steve Tandy should be allowed to experiment.

There is a sobering piece in The Torygraph that the Welsh have to keep the faith and keep supporting. The game’s revenue is pretty exclusively driven by the International side playing at the Principality Stadium. If the fans don’t turn up in numbers then the game in Wales really is doomed.

A bit like broken Britain. It’s not all Labour’s fault, the previous useless lot have much to answer for, but right now the decisions being made, and to be frank, not being made, are pushing Britain to the brink of both anarchy and economic disaster.

On that bright note I’ll be back on Monday. Busy between now and then.

Wednesday 18th Feb: 09:50

Not that anyone reads this guff, except maybe my good friend Liberty, the man with a brain the size of a small planet, but apologies for no blog yesterday. On grandparenting duties, and with a rare sunny day on the horizon a blog was the least of my priorities.

As we are back to rain this morning, and the kids are still in bed, yes one of them is a teenager, I am free to exercise my much smaller and inadequate brain. The reason I mention Liberty is he corrected me with regard to Heathfield & Waldron being promoted. Looking at the current state of play Old Elthamians are going up. Right now Dartfordians and Bromley are coming down. Park House and Cranbrook are in the relegation spots. Sevenoaks II are in 2nd spot but based on how things work in the South East region, they are a long way from being promoted. That would indicate that even if H&W finished 2nd they too would be a decent stretch from being elevated to the Regional Leagues. With the exception of OEs promotion, quite frankly it is all still up in the air. RFU London on the interweb thingy if you are vaguely interested.

It is a sad indictment of the state of play in Wales that despite the hammering by France the pundits say Wales played much better than they did against England. That was never going to be hard. Scotland up next. I fear another heavy defeat, especially as the Scots will still be on a high after their crushing defeat of England.

England go into the Ireland game smarting from that defeat. As a consequence Steve Borthwick has rolled the dice and made changes. Into the starting XV come Henry Pollock and Tom Curry in the back row. Ollie Lawrence returns in the centre with Tommy Freeman moving to the wing. Freddie Steward keeps his place, strangely in my view. Henry Arundell also starts. There was much talk of a ban but that was never going to happen. One technical and one foul play yellow equals a red is always ‘sending off sufficient’. M.Smith replaces F.Smith on the bench. Ben Spencer is out with Van Poortvliet in.

Obviously England’s poster boy Pollock starting grabs the headlines. He has deserved his place and his opportunity. Ireland are sure to target him, and not necessarily to keep him away from the ball but also to get him wound up.

It will be interesting to see how Ireland get on on Saturday. The Daily Fail has an exclusive headlined ‘Inside Ireland’s fall from grace: the Lions tour factor, an ageing squad and the disciplinary issues’. That should be enough to get them fired up.

Going back to the Wales v Scotland game, the Scots will start overwhelming favourites, and despite the fact they have lost three starters from the England game they will still be man for man way ahead of Wales. Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones at #10, #12, #13 is daunting enough. Will Adam Beard pay the price for that ridiculous lapse in concentration. We’ll know soon enough.

France v Italy will be interesting. It will be a litmus test of how far Italy have come, and how good France really are. If France run rings around Italy as they did in the first half against Ireland, and then again against Wales, then we can be sure France will lift the trophy, or can we??

It is an absolute disgrace that Cork born Edwin Edogbo suffered racial abuse on social media following his debut against Italy last weekend. What is the world coming to. To a degree I can understand eyebrows being raised at how Ireland have managed to exploit the (stupid) residency rules with their contingent of overseas players, but even then there is ABSOLUTELY no place for abuse. Edogbo is from Cork, worked his way tirelessly through the international pathway, and was given his chance. Oh how Wales could do with players like him coming through their ranks.

The proper news is pretty depressing. Today the unions get the right to bring the country to its knees pretty much with impunity. The legislation pushed forward by Angela Rayner hands untold power to the unions. Don’t get me wrong, I think unions are good idea, my grandfather was staunch trade unionist in what subsequently became the RMT, but this new legislation is a recipe for anarchy at a time when the economy is flat lining, unemployment is on the increase, and businesses are folding on a regular basis.

Rachel Reeves is blocking an increase in spending on defence. She has no money because she is funding the bone idle to sit on their backsides doing nothing, spending billions on illegal migrants, and wasting billions on keeping Civil Servants in jobs where a job doesn’t exist.

We are doomed!!!!

Monday 16th Feb: 10:05

Yes, yes, I’ll get to Wales crushing defeat shortly. Firstly, as it is Monday, lets look at the weekend’s results from around the leagues. In Kent 1, as stated yesterday, we remain 8th after our fine win over Ashford. It will come as no surprise that Old Elthamians are top after their 21-26 win over Sevenoaks II. The result of the day is Gillingham As beating Beccs 43-34. This takes Gillingham off the bottom. That spot is now held by Charlton Park after losing 28-17 to Park House. Deal & Betteshanger beat Cranbrook 39-20. It was another cracking day for our friends over at Cross-in-Hand. They came back from Dover with a 22-29 win in the bag. They are 3rd, and in danger of promotion. Looking at the big picture, Charlton Park and Cranbrook are at risk of relegation.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne lost at Cobham in what looks a cracker. 38-35 to the home side. Hove enjoyed a 47-26 win over Old Rutlishians. Cobham stay top. Hove are now 4th, Eastbourne 5th, and Heath 6th.

In Hampshire 1 Chichester’s game against Basingstoke was postponed to due to the pitch being unplayable. Bognor lost 47-42 to Sandown & Shanklin. Despite the defeat Bognor remain in 2nd spot behind Portsmouth.

In Sussex 2 Pulborough beat Brighton II to stay top. East Grinstead remain hot on their heels after their win at Lewes. The other winners were Seaford, Ditchling, and Shoreham. In Sussex 3 our fine win takes us to 5th. Burgess Hill remain top after their win over Uckfield. In Kent 3 Hastings & Bexhill lost at table topping Sittingbourne. H&B are 4th, TWells II are 2nd. Out of interest TJs II top Kent 2.

Up in the Regional leagues it was a good day for both the Sussex sides. Brighton beat Dartfordians 47-40, Horsham beat Old Colfeians 39-12. Sidcup stay top on points difference with Brighton 2nd, Horsham 3rd. In Regional 1 Jersey remain top with Tunbridge Wells in 3rd after their win over Bracknell. Worthing lost at Farnham.

Up again into the National leagues where we find Sevenoaks flying home from Guernsey with nil points. They lost 21-21. They slip to 12th. Up in Nat 1 TJs lost 26-20 to Plymouth Albion. Rotherham are now top. TJs are 7th.

Bridgnorth beat Lichfield. Mid-table 7th for them. Salisbury beat Swanage & Wareham 27-17. They are still in the hunt for promotion in 3rd, just 4 points adrift of Walcot.

The Premiership Cup continues with wins for Exeter, Bath, Leicester, and Saints. I’ll look at the state of play with that tomorrow.

OK, so to Cardiff. It was very disappointing to see so many empty seats. 54,000 did still turn up and saw a French masterclass. The French were at their imperious best at times and that has to be a consideration when looking at the final score. England and Scotland will run them close, but on this form I can’t see them holding back that French tide as it crashes onto the shore. Wales shored up a number of areas, the scrum was solid and the lineout worked. Their penalty count was better, but it still needs work. The lack of a cutting edge and the mistakes are still killing Wales. It doesn’t help when going into half-time and Wales are ‘on a roll’ your big second row thinks he is playing #10 and kicks the ball straight to the French in open space. It was men against boys and I don’t know where Wales go from here. The game is in disarray with the regions and the WRU at war, the game below the regions pretty dire, and the interest in rugby at its lowest ebb ever. I fear an ignominious wooden spoon will be the only thing Wales will get out of this year’s tournament. I’ll read the reports in more detail and come back with more tomorrow.

The brilliance that is the Olympics continues. Those young people throwing themselves off ramps at high speed and spinning and twisting and turning in the air is amazing. People hurtling down an icy tube head first at 90mph is bonkers. The curling is gripping.

England play Italy in the World T20 today. They must win that.

The soccer is relentless. Leicester City are out of the FA Cup.

I’ll leave the proper news until tomorrow.

Sunday 15th Feb: 10:10

Wow! I didn’t see that coming. No, not England’s loss to Scotland, to be fair I didn’t see that coming either, but Crowborough’s fine win at Ashford. Being Welsh, and therefore very much the pessimist, I would have been happy with a losing bonus point as Ashford have been in fine form of late. To come away with four points and a 12-21 win is fantastic. Reading The Bard’s excellent blow by blow account it sounds as if Ashford were as big as normal, and tried to bully us into submission as normal, but failed. Speed, agility, guile and a sprinkling of good luck prevailed. We still sit in 8th and are still adrift of Beccs in 7th. They are on 38 points, we are on 31 points. Crucially the closest team below us is now Gillingham A’s on 20 points. We play both again, and both at home.

On what I am sure would have been a bog of a pitch the 2s beat Shoreham 57-17 and are now in 5th in their league. Based on the limited reports I have we leant them players to ensure the game went ahead. Well done boys, and well done everyone who worked so tirelessly to get the game on.

League round-up tomorrow.

Being on grandparenting duties meant not watching our boys but I did get to watch both Six Nations games, plus Wales U20s v France. Ireland v Italy was even closer than the 20-13 scoreline would suggest. I thought Italy were the better side for long periods. Ireland’s defence was much improved than the showing in Paris and held firm. Ireland also took their chances when on offer. Three tries to one looks emphatic but the impartial observer will know better. Ireland need to think about the half back combinations. Gibson-Park and Crowley made a difference. Whilst young Prendergast and Casey at #9 did more than ok, they failed to light the blue touch paper, in my opinion. Ireland’s set piece will need some work before they head to Twickenham next Saturday.

Then came the Calcutta Cup. I, potentially swayed by the optimism, and dare I say it, in some quarters, the arrogance of the English, had envisaged a win for the men in white. It wasn’t to be. It felt ‘off’ from the start. Scotland taking control from the first whistle, going over for a well worked try within 10 minutes, and England’s uncharacteristic ill-discipline, all added up to a shock being on the cards. A second well worked try while England were down to 14 men thanks to Arundell’s indiscretion added to the sense something was brewing. Scotland played with fluency and precision, England were error strewn. England’s normally reliable set-piece faltered. They showed some glimpses of what made them favourites for the Grand Slam but Scotland simply would not go away. Even when their scrum was under pressure they still won the contest. Henry Arundell’s second yellow and hence a red card pretty much summed up how things were going for England. Seeing the normally towering Maro Itoje being subbed off spoke volumes of the position England were in. Ben Earl’s late try made the scoreline look more acceptable. Don’t be fooled however, this was a drubbing.

With England now out of the running for the Grand Slam and Triple Crown all eyes will be on France this afternoon. If France don’t win by a lot then I will eat my proverbial hat. All I hope for is Wales senior side play like the U20s did last night. They lost 24-34 to France in what was a terrific game, with Wales playing some superb rugby, in fact being the much better side for long periods. Except for one bit of bad luck, and one lapse of concentration in the dying seconds Wales could have won this one. What I liked was Wales played what was in front them. The game was unstructured and as a consequence any game plan France had went out of the window. Welsh rugby is not quite dead yet.

Going back to the Scotland v England game I think that was part of England’s problem, an old problem too. They had a game plan, expecting Scotland to play in a certain way, and therefore to England’s tune. When it didn’t happen England were left somewhat clueless at times. The game also reaffirmed my belief Freddie Steward at #15 needs a ‘rest’ and Tommy Freeman is not the answer in the centre. By the way, despite seeing red Arundell is free to play next weekend.

Debo irme, tengo que hacer mi lección de Español ahora, and the grandkids need sorting. Surprise, surprise, it is raining!!!!!

Thursday 12th Feb: 09:10

Our season continues over at Ashford on Saturday. Kick off at 14:00. They lie in 6th and comfortably ahead of us in 8th. The 2s play Shoreham as mentioned yesterday. Same kick off time. It is questionable whether the pitches will be playable so watch the website for updates.

Of the other games in our league, Dover v The Greenies will be interesting, as will Sevenoaks II hosting champions elect Old Elthamians. In Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne travel table topping Cobham, Hove host Old Rutlishians, Heath are resting darling. The pick of Sussex 2 is Lewes v East Grinstead. Pulborough v Brighton II should also be tasty. In Hampshire 1 Chichester host Basingstoke, Bognor have an away day at Sandown & Shanklin. Upwards into the regional leagues we find Brighton hosting Dartfordians and Horsham hosting Old Colfeians. Two home wins I fancy. Elsewhere Worthing travel to Farnham, Tunbridge Wells host Bracknell. In the big leagues plenty of miles to be covered with Sevenoaks off to Guernsey and TJs having the small trip to Plymouth Albion. Just the 250 miles and close to 5 hours on the coach for that one.

So much rugby to choose from. The Super Rugby season gets underway on Friday morning. The Under 20s Six Nations continues, as does the Premiership Cup. Of course the main point of interest after Ashford v Crowborough is the Six Nations itself. I reckon Ireland v Italy could be the game of the weekend. Ireland were stung by the loss to France. Not the loss itself but the way they played in defeat. Italy will be buoyed by their win over Scotland. I go Ireland but in a close game.

Then we have the Calcutta Cup in Murrayfield. I’m not a betting man, never have been. Too mean with my money. If I were then my white £5 note from the Victorian era would be on England to win by 15 points. With the squad they have I can’t see Scotland getting close. Then on Sunday France will win. I’m sorry but as sure as day follows night, and night follows day, and Sir U-Turn will turn again, France will win. All us long suffering Welsh folk can hope for is the boys play better than they did against England. Whilst the Aviva and Murrayfield will be packed to the rafters, the Principality will be far from full. If Wales play as badly again then by half time the place could be empty except for the French contingent. Team announcements later today and tomorrow.

Not a great deal more in the rugby pages. Plenty about the sacking of Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche. Football management is a precarious business. They should go into politics and become PM. No matter how bad a season you have you don’t get sacked.

My good friend The Bard sent me a Times article about yesterday’s PMQs. Sir U-Turn was woeful. As The Bard says it would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. Answering valid but very tough questions with retorts about incidents from the past, some as far back as 16 years ago, is the sign of a man who has lost all control of the narrative. He is a puppet PM.

Whilst Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe’s remarks about the UK being colonised is pretty unpalatable, he should be allowed to express his views. Sir U-Turn demanding he apologises smacks of hypocrisy. Sir U-Turn has not apologised for his Government’s abject failure with the migrant boats, the economy’s