The paucity of rugby news, and the arrival of grandchildren meant blogging yesterday was cancelled. I could have rambled on about the latest news regarding illegal immigration, or shoplifting, or the state of the economy, but I thought that might get me cancelled, and the kids were demanding breakfast.

Here we are today, after a well deserved lie-in, with bits and pieces to digest. I am excited about the Women’s World Cup. I believe, as do many, this will be a pivotal point in the games history, not just for women but the game at large. It will be the best supported tournament by a very long way, with several games already sold out. The final is a sell out meaning it will be the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s game. The TV coverage is wall-to-wall and on terrestrial. Whilst there is much wrong with the BBC, they have stepped up to the plate this time around. Tomorrow evening it all gets going. We have a salmon fillet, salad potatoes and mixed veg coated with butter, and a nice bottle of Sav on the agenda before settling down to watch it all unfold. England have announced an unchanged side to the one that demolished France just a few weeks ago. Four cracking games on Saturday, including the big one: Wales v Scotland. 14:45 k.o. for that one.

Check the website for how the club is covering the games, including tomorrow’s opener

If the Women’s World Cup isn’t enough there is round two of the Rugby Championship to get your teeth into. South Africa v Australia up first. After being wounded by the Wallabies last weekend Rassie Erasmus has made a raft of changes. Some enforced due to injury, such as the absence of inspirational leader Siya Kolisi, others I guess out of frustration. Etzebeth and Loads of Lager are demoted to the bench. Jessie Kriel captains the side with Handre Pollard recalled to the #10 jersey. I go Bokke by a margin this time around. They can’t be that bad twice in a row.

Argentina v New Zealand is up later in the evening. I’ll probably record this one to enjoy on Sunday morning with my cafe au lait and pain au chocolate (and people call me unsophisticated). As much as I’d like to see Los Pumas spring a surprise and win this one, I can’t see it happen. The All Blacks, whilst still not at their imperious, arrogant best, are getting close to that ruthlessness that saw them dominate the world rankings for many years.

I don’t watch the mindless drivel that are TV soap operas, Aircraft Investigation is more my thing. Well, right now, I see plenty are covering the soap opera and impending disaster that is Welsh Rugby. It even made the main news yesterday. I’m just about to finish reading the most depressing read of all time: Welsh Rugby - What Went Wrong by Seimon Williams. It catalogues how the game in Wales has lurched from one unedifying mess to the next with self-interest, petty-mindedness and downright incompetence bringing the game in Wales to a point where it is not only a laughing stock, it is an embarrassment. We are now entering the latest episode with the WRU, and here I digress to say: at last we have some clarity of thought and a well presented plan of what is needed, putting forward reducing the regions from four to two and restructuring the way the game is run. Even before they made the announcement, the four regions all screamed ‘foul’ and ‘where’s my lawyer’. The dinosaurs roaming the valleys and highways of Wales were immediately shouting ‘what about us’. Reading the book, in various guises this has all been suggested before. Fundamentally the business model of rugby is untenable. In essence you have one key driver of revenue and that is the international side playing at the Principality Stadium. Against this you have a long list of costs, especially in the form of player wages. Something has to give as revenue is under pressure but costs continue to go up. Cuts have to be made. I don’t want to see any of the regions being cut, but the bottom line is if that is what is required so be it. This will get a very messy and the only winners will be the lawyers, again!!

Never slow to miss a PR opportunity, the blazers who run URC have come out and said we will fill the space vacated by the two Welsh regions with two US franchises. How to kill off the game. The URC is an expensive league, even before the absolutely mind-boggling decision to include South African franchises. Fans don’t travel, atmospheres at games is muted, and all too often the quality of rugby is dire. To add the US with all its cost and travel complexity would be total madness in my opinion.

OK, good luck to all those who are getting GCSE results today.

As I’m monitoring my blood pressure I’ll give the latest attack on Gaza, and the news it is costing the British tax payer £5m A DAY to house migrants, a miss. Back on Sunday.

Tuesday 19th Aug: 08:55

Hunting for rugby news is particularly tough this time of year, which when you consider the Women’s World Cup is just around the corner, is frustrating. The tournament build up continues with The Guardian looking at the huge disparity in player funding. As you would expect the hottest of hot favourites England are paid pretty handsomely for their efforts. Players from Wales and Ireland fare ok, as do the New Zealand squad, but still trail in the wake of England. Many more players however receive significantly less for their efforts, with some like the Samoan squad having to fundraise to cover their costs. Some of the squads include a mix of players with contracts, and others who haven’t. Japan for instance has no player with a contract. They get a daily allowance plus add-ons like win bonuses. The Guardian for the exact facts and figures.

Of course money isn’t everything. Pride and passion will be needed and maybe a healthy does of luck. Who will ever forget Japan beating South Africa in Brighton in the 2015 men’s tournament. That said England packed with well paid, full time professionals, supported by a plethora of top notch coaches and support staff will have a distinct advantage over all others. There is also the home support to add in. Yes, England are clear favourites to lift the trophy at the end of September.

The war of words in Wales about the number of regions intensifies. Scarlets have new backers, Ospreys are moving to a new home, Cardiff are bankrolled by the union, and Dragons look to have a squad that could compete. There is significant logic, especially when you consider finance, and concentrating resources, in the argument about cutting the regions to two. Cardiff and Ospreys are the logical survivors. However none of this takes into consideration the bigger picture impact on the fans, nor the grassroots game that surrounds the regional game. Are Scarlet fans going to travel the 9 miles to Swansea to now support the Ospreys. Of course they’re not. Likewise, are Dragons diehards going to jump on the train to go support Cardiff. No, never. Without regional rugby to aspire to what happens to the tier below. I think there is a case for keeping the four regions. There would have to be a lot of oversight in terms of player pathways, the spread of talent, the role of academies, and careful financial management but it could be done with everyone looking to get Welsh rugby back competing with England and France and Ireland for trophies. Self-interest will have to go out of the window for that to happen, and there lies the biggest challenge.

It is terrible to read that an Ossett RUFC player has been banned for shouting obscenities at a female match official. He was given a 32 week ban from spectating or participating in the game. This makes the headlines because of the nature of the abuse, and because it was a female. I’d like to say this was an isolated incident, but I’m afraid abuse of match officials is on the rise across all aspects of the game. Players, coaches and spectators are all guilty. It is a sad indictment of the declining standards in society creeping into our game. Part of the problem is we have too many coaches who think their under 11s are playing in the World Cup, too many parents think their kid is the next Johnny Wilkinson, and too many players who see an increasing level of disrespect at the top of the game think it is ok for them to follow suit. Match officials are human beings who will make mistakes, but probably significantly less than most players. They give their time freely for usually no more than expenses. They deserve our support and respect.

Will there be a solution to the Ukraine situation any time soon? In my view, no! Zelensky’s position is entrenched, and that is about sovereignty of his country. The Russians led by Putin want to reestablish the old Soviet Union, and of course, in my experience, Russians cannot be trusted to deliver on promises anyway. If you doubt the Russian resolve then just ask: why did the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrive in Alaska wearing a CCCP sweatshirt. That says it all.

Why do some people in this country hate this country so much? I ask because banning patriotism by the flying of national flags, yet allowing support for the flying of flags of far flung nations seems strange to me. It is also a sign that our ability to express an opinion is being stifled.

Monday 18th Aug: 09:30

Now the Premier League has started the media tend to put everything else on hold. Yep, that means very little by way of rugby news to bring you. The Women’s World Cup is just a few days away and thankfully the coverage will be via the BBC, and looking at their schedule very comprehensive. The BBC Sport website carries a full break down of all you need to know in terms of pool, fixtures, venues, and TV coverage. The Guardian has also done a very well put together analysis of the pools and who to watch out for. England will start out and out favourites but as we saw on Saturday with the Australian men in South Africa anything is possible.

As planned I watched the second half of Los Pumas v All Blacks yesterday morning. It was not as gripping as the first of the two Rugby Championship games but enjoyable nonetheless. It was pretty brutal at times with the New Zealanders having to resort to brute force to finally get past the stubborn Argentinian outfit.

They do it all again next week. I anticipate the South Africans will be significantly better prepared when they kick off in Cape Town. The Aussies have suffered a number of injury blows which will not help their cause. Dylan Pietsch and James Slipper are on their way home after picking up injuries, as is Ben Donaldson who withdrew before kick off.

I fancy the All Blacks will move their game forward a notch or two as well. Los Pumas will have to be at their very best if they are to overcome the onslaught that awaits.

The start of the URC season is still a few weeks away, and frustratingly it will be impossible to watch unless you succumb to the demands of Premier Sports, however, looking at the Dragons roster they just could be competitive this season. Dillon Lewis, Wyn Jones and Thomas Young amongst others have all arrived at Rodney Parade. We’ll know soon enough.

That’ll do for now except to remind you to browse the news section of the website for the exciting plans the club has for the season ahead.

Plenty in the papers about the Ukraine situation and how Donald Trump has been taken for a ride by Putin.

The state of things in Gaza is also a hot topic. I make no apologies for thinking the Israelis have now gone way too far. This is no longer justifiable retribution, this is verging on genocide.

Illegal immigration continues unabated and Sir U-Turn and his pathetic cohorts are doing absolutely nothing to stem the tide.

The UK benefit system is in the news with the Government doing nothing to clamp down on bogus claims, and therefore the rising costs. It is stated that sanctions against bogus claimants has gone down. It is no wonder that some see the benefit system as a route to early retirement.

Thankfully free speech is not yet dead, but it is slowly, and very much via the back door being eroded. I’ll keep expressing my opinion as long as I can, noting it is MY opinion.

Sunday 17th Aug: 08:50

Two cracking games of rugby were served up yesterday. Argentina pushed the All Blacks hard with two late tries finally clinching victory for the visitors. It was the first game however that delighted the most. Not because of the result but the quality of the rugby and the stunning comeback after the Wallabies were 22-5 down at half time.

On the 18 minute mark with the Springboks purring like a cheetah on heat I sent a message to my mate Ken that they were putting The Lions performance in Australia into context. In essence, maybe The Lions were not that good. As Ken stated, the Bokke had ‘a proper “all-court” game, which is good to watch’. The Wallabies came to life not long after that and started to play some excellent rugby themselves. They couldn’t however break down the defensive green wall in front of them. It was developing into a proper contest.

At half-time the gold shirted Aussies looked out of it scoreboard wise. The second half was simply sensational. A game played in Jo’Burg in front of a huge crowd at altitude where the South Africans rarely lose was turned on its head. The early Wilson try set the tone. Australia threw everything at the Springboks and the dam finally burst. The quality of the running lines, the support play, the ambition to go from deep had the home side twisting and turning every which way. No matter how hard they tried they had no answer. Even when they resorted to brute force and ignorance up front the Wallabies were still turning over the ball. It has been a very long time since the Wallabies delivered up a performance of this quality.

I pinged a second message to Ken saying what a cracking game we were watching and suggesting maybe The Lions were good after all. He came back with a very erudite and thoughtful comment which struck a cord then, and as I type it out now it still does. ‘I’m not sure The Lions would have survived the power, pace, and intensity that both sides have displayed today. SA now looking like a side that haven’t played enough test rugby at this stage. All credit to the Aussies - terrific comeback’. I have to say this hits the nail on the head. The Springboks have been caught cold first up, whilst the Aussies have been on an upward trajectory over recent weeks with three tough Lions tests under their belt.

There was one added bonus from this result: seeing Rassie Erasmus lost for words. Unlike previous rants when it is always someone else’s fault he stated he was embarrassed by the result, and praised Australia for their outstanding performance. He did add his side were poor at times. They were made to look poor.

Then came Los Pumas versus All Blacks. I admit here I have only seen the first half. Tiredness got the better of me, and NO, my mate Mal Bec had nothing to do with it. What I did see was the All Blacks playing some terrific rugby matched by a fiery and dogged Argentinian side not giving an inch. Some of the play by both sides was excellent. Another game played at pace and intensity. A pathetic deliberate knock on by Pumas prop Vivas didn’t help the home cause. Four All Black tries in the first half was ominous but this Argentinian outfit don’t know when they are beaten. Two tries from them in the second half put pressure on the visitors but it wasn’t to be. Taukei’aho scoring twice late on put pay to the fight back. The win puts New Zealand back at the top of the world rankings.

The next round of games is on Saturday, both on SKY. I can’t wait.

Likewise I’m eagerly awaiting the start of the Women’s World Cup. I fear there will be some very one-sided affairs but equally some very decent contests. England kick it all off on Friday up in Sunderland. My Friday Club colleagues and walking rugby stalwarts Mike and James are heading North for this one. I have asked for a write-up of their experience. One of the biggest games comes on Saturday when Scotland and Wales go head to head. The winner is almost certain to progress, the loser is almost certain not to. Game one and the jeopardy is already right there.

Plenty in the media about LR-Z joining Bristol Bears. As stated last week I think that is a cracking fit. Plenty also about R360. I am still struggling to see how this can work but money talks. More as this develops.

Being Welsh and loving Sport is a nightmare. In between the rugby, as the weather was very disappointing yesterday, I succumbed to watching Welsh Fire (Tan Cymru) in the Hundred. Fire my backside. Both the men and the women were disappointing to put it politely. Compounding the misery was seeing Leicester City lose to Preston North End. Hey Ho!

Right, that’ll do as I have a second half of rugby to watch, and then to read all about how the Big Orange kowtowed to the evil warlord in the latest global soap opera. It isn’t a soap opera of course because tens of thousands have lost their lives in an appalling conflict.

Oh, and please have a look at the brief write up about the Friday Club annual BBQ.

Thursday 14th Aug: 08:33

Did we get all our jobs done yesterday? Yes, we did thank you and as a consequence are about to hit the M&Ms so as to be back in the ‘Borough for walking rugby.

Talking of rugby there is so little in the papers that this will be a very short missive this morning. LR-Z is rumoured to be close to signing for Bristol Bears, this after Steve Diamond emphatically denied any suggestion Newcastle would be in the market for him. Bristol would be a good fit for LR-Z with Pat Lam an advocate of free-flowing, running rugby.

Whilst the game is in turmoil in Wales we cannot doing anything but send our best wishes to Abi Tierney, WRU CEO, as she has to step away following a cancer diagnosis.

Don’t forget the Rugby Championship gets going on Saturday.

What it is to be a Leicester City supporter? A first round knockout from the EFL Cup last night. Based on the team that took the field it is clear an immediate return to the Premier League is the priority. Not that there is much chance of that me thinks.

As the blood pressure is already on the up having browsed the papers this morning I’m going to leave it there for today. Back on Sunday.

Remember to look at the ‘news’ section and get your diaries filled in with all the exciting plans the club has.

Friday Club BBQ tomorrow. That should be a hoot. Seriously, it was one of the highlights of the social calendar.

Wednesday 13th Aug: 08:10

Blimey it was hot yesterday here in Bridgnorth and looks like another scorcher today. So much to do, and most is outside in the sunshine. Yes, I’ll wear a hat and slap on the suncream.

Before then just a few snippets from the world of rugby. The Rugby Championship starts on Saturday. The Boks v Wallabies and Los Pumas v All Blacks. The first game might give us a bench mark about how good or otherwise the Lions were. Both games are live on SKY.

Intelligent mouthguards, developed at Swansea University by the way, have taken another step forward. A small LED light will now glow brightly when the mouthguard registers a contact in excess of the standard set by the World Cup officials. This will alert referees to issues in real time, rather than waiting for a message from the medics in the stand monitoring their computers. The technology will be employed in all elite rugby from September. The medics are keen to stress the flashing light is not an indicator of concussion but an indicator of the scale of the contact and a HIA is therefore required. I think it is a great idea and keen to see how it works. Going off at a tangent slightly, when I played all those many years ago I never wore a gum shield. I simply could not cope with it in my mouth.

England have renewed most of the Elite Player Squad deals. It is no surprise that Tom Willis and Henry Pollock have been added. Theo Dan has not had his deal renewed. Unsurprisingly the media lead with the fact Owen Farrell is not included, the only England player who toured with The Lions to miss out.

The other headline grabber is the completion of the deal between Newcastle Falcons and Red Bull. Plenty are saying this is a game changer for the club, soon to be rebranded Newcastle Red Bull, and the game at large. The Daily Fail draw comparisons with how the company changed F1 and the success they had, and how they are shaking up football, Leeds United being the biggest winners. It will take time for Newcastle to see the benefit but for now they have been able to recruit rather than sell, and take their place at the top table knowing their finances are now pretty robust. For the record, in my opinion, the product is a disgusting concoction of chemicals, allegedly, and if the weekly litter pick outside the club is anything to go by, a generator of rubbish.

Talking of takeovers, Scarlets have had a suitor come knocking in the form of HOL (House of Luxury). They are rumoured to be taking a 55% stake in the club, an investment which is much needed. It seems strange to me that they are willing to take such a step with the significant uncertainty around the future shape of the game in Wales. The move also comes at a time when neighbours the Ospreys have confirmed the move to St Helens, and the investment to make changes to the iconic old ground. As a consequence of this planned move Ospreys have not renewed their contract with swansea.com stadium so will play all their games at the Brewery Field in Bridgend.

Walking rugby tomorrow and Jacqui’s DELICIOUS Thursday curry is back. Book today if you wish to partake.

Can I suggest you browse through the ‘News’ section of the club’s website. There you will find information about the upcoming Autumn Internationals, League Lunches and much more.

Right, that’ll do as the work on mum’s garden won’t wait any longer. Oh, if you are not dashing off, the Daily Fail reinforces my rant about the benefits, and therefore costs, associated with the illegal immigration issue the country is dealing with, or should I say NOT dealing with. Yes, I should let it go but it is very hard when virtually all of my mother’s assets are being hoovered up by care costs, and they are getting a raft of free benefits she is paying through the nose for.

Monday 11th Aug: 09:45

A beautiful summer’s day yesterday and another one on the cards for today. It was busy, busy, busy with grandparenting duties yesterday hence no blog. Today however it is back to normal with a well earned lie-in the reward.

Anyway, so to rugby matters. Firstly Canada put down a marker with regard to the upcoming World Cup with a solid win over a dogged Ireland side. Friday Club and walking rugby stalwart James has Canada as a possible wild card in the race for the trophy come the back end of September. This result would indicate he might be onto something.

That is of course, until I review what I saw England to do France on Saturday evening. England were mighty impressive. They played with passion, pace, accuracy and a considerable amount of power. They dominated France across the park, but it was a pretty basic game plan that brought them success. Kick for territory and dominate the ensuing rucks and mauls, especially at the lineout. I am no expert on French rugby but believe this wasn’t their strongest possible XV but don’t let that detract from a mighty impressive ‘all court game’ from England. To allow France just two penalty kicks at goal, and prevent them from crossing the whitewash reinforces the statement this team have just made. ‘We are ready, and we are the team to beat’.

Australia have suffered an injury setback with Charlotte Caslick dropping out of the Aussie squad due to an ankle injury. Scotland too have suffered an injury blow with Lucia Scott missing out following surgery to her hand.

Before moving off the women’s game The Guardian brings us news that a significant proportion of women rugby players experience pain when wearing boots. Let’s not kid ourselves, boots are predominantly designed for blokes. As the physiology of women’s feet is different to men’s the location of studs in boots is the main culprit. As the women’s game grows (rugby and football) the boot makers need to wake up to the business opportunity this brings.

The R360 group either have a fantastic PR machine working for them or there really is serious traction behind the concept of a breakaway league. It appears they have significant commitment from a wide range of players, allegedly including Louis Rees-Zammit and Jac Morgan, and a plethora of top notch South Africans. The papers also bring us news that coaches are also being targeted with Cheika and O’Gara two names in the frame. I’m still struggling to see how a one off series of games in far flung parts of the world is going to appeal. Take the US for example. Just last week The Guardian brought us news that two MLR teams have withdrawn from the league. This has not only caused consternation at World Rugby with World Cups heading there in 2031 and 2033, but does beg the question how does R360 think they will pull in the punters. I will add in here the FIFA World Club Cup. Soccer is a massive global sport, yet stadiums were less than half full in what was supposed to be the pinnacle of the club game globally. We’ll know soon enough, but we shouldn’t write it off when you look at the success of the IPL and the Hundred franchise system in cricket.

It has been announced that rugby, like the football, has abandoned the virtue signalling campaign of rainbow laces. A controversial campaign due to its links to a controversial driver of the campaign, Stonewall. It doesn’t mean the sports are abandoning support for the LGBT communities, it just means the links will be more meaningful.

Having just finished reading Waynes Barnes autobiography, which was a good read to be fair, I spotted the headline: ‘The four refereeing lessons from Lions series’. In essence they were pretty obvious but the detail Barnes adds makes it an article worth reading. The Torygraph. ‘Not all head contact is foul play’. This is something many punters have still to get to grips with. Refereeing teams up and down the land are faced with this dilemma every time they walk onto the pitch. ‘Working out when TMO should be involved’. This is one for the top of the game but those of us who watch the game regularly know the TMO can be a mighty fine pain in the neck. Interfering when he or she is not required. ‘Be careful what you say’. This refers not to what referee’s say, but what coaches say in the immediate aftermath of a game. Joe Schmidt was very quick to whinge about the Jac Morgan clear out, which opened the doors for a torrent of abuse toward the match officials. This is a major problem. Driven because ‘referees will never be perfect’. Coaches and spectators alike, most of whom have never been anywhere near a field to referee, have to understand that no-one is perfect. If they stopped and watched a game in detail counting all the silly basic mistakes made by players they would see the referee gets most things right most of the time, whereas players make a raft of mistakes a lot of the time.

That’ll do for today. No blog tomorrow, yes the motorway network beckons. Back on Wednesday with whatever I can find, which might include criticism of Sir U-Turns pathetic deal with the Chagos Islands, a deal that will cost the UK significantly more than he said, and comment on a piece in The Times that suggests this Government, and future ones, must wake up to the simple fact you cannot spend what you haven’t got.

Thursday 7th Aug: 09:40

As we are now in a lull in rugby proceedings I’ll keep this brief this morning. First up an interesting piece about the use of smelling salts. The NFL who, like rugby, has been plagued by head injury and concussion problems has banned the use of smelling salts. Their argument is the ‘pungent mix of ammonia, water and ethanol’ has the potential to mask the symptoms of concussion. Apparently their use is widespread in elite sport with players often seen reverting to their use. World Rugby have no immediate plans to follow suit but according to the BBC will obviously look at the findings and see ‘what’s what’.

Australia have, in the wake of the just completed Lions tour, announced they are scrapping ‘Giteau’s Law’. This is the rule by which players will not be selected to play for Australia when they opt to play overseas unless they met certain criteria, including the number of caps. Rugby Australia clearly recognise the challenge they now face in retaining talent due to cost constraints, but also the need to field the very best of the best if they are to be competitive. I hope that the WRU take note as Wales are in a similarly crazy situation where real quality is overlooked because it is plying its trade outside Wales. Quite frankly the rugby in Wales is rubbish. England and New Zealand have similar constraints but it is clear they have more than sufficient strength in depth to maintain the policy.

For the record I understand the policy is to keep the quality of the domestic leagues as high as possible. This notion is flawed if you then constrain recruitment with salary caps, and overlook the fact that you are likely to weaken your international side, which in the case of Wales is the sole driver of revenue. Pick the very best no matter where they are playing. That is what South Africa does and look how successful they have been.

The Ospreys have had their plans for improving St Helen’s approved, which is great for Swansea the city as the famous old ground is looking tired. From a spectator point of view watching the Ospreys in a modern football stadium is good on the one hand, but being mainly empty is soulless on the other. An upgraded St Helens will be ideal for the game, creating a more intimate and close up experience. What is interesting is two West Wales MPs have immediately objected to the proposal saying it will adversely affect the Scarlets, adding there is a perfectly good, modern stadium in the form of Parc y Scarlets. Obviously this is against the backdrop of a possible reduction in regions, but also highlights the pathetic, myopic self-interest that has plagued the game.

Plenty of rugby this weekend with NZ Championship and Currie Cup games aplenty. You’ll need to scour the listings to see if any is live on TV. Ireland host Canada in the final warm-up game. This will be a decent litmus test of the state of each teams World Cup preparation. France host England at 20:00 on Saturday. That should be worth a watch. BBC for that.

Right, that’ll do rugby wise. Football seems to have been non-stop but the big(ger) stuff kicks off this weekend. Newly relegated Leicester City hope to host Sheffield Wednesday. It is not only rugby plagued by financial troubles. Wednesday haven’t paid their players, half the staff half left, and whilst this game is at the King Power, Wednesday have had to close a large proportion of their ground over safety fears.

I’m off now to get my head around the totally useless approach to the ILLEGAL immigration crisis this country faces. The previous Government made a complete Horlicks of it, but this Government has taken incompetence where this is concerned to an even higher level. I have been asked why I get so het up about it. It is relatively simple. The cost, and the impact on society. My dear old mum who gets a small pension, that’s all, has just received a tax bill. She is currently eroding her one asset, the house, to fund her care, and pretty well has to pay for anything else she needs. This is going on while illegals arrive on our shores, get housed in hotels with free meals, clothes and much more, even priority access to the NHS allegedly, and given credit cards loaded with £10 per week. If they are in self catering they get £50 per week. Who is paying for that? Tax payers like you and me, and of course my dear old mum. It is a disgrace. The impact on society is more than covered by the media. You can read that for yourselves.

I repeat my view, LEGAL immigration is IMPORTANT and should be encouraged. My added frustration is this Government has said it will restrict legal immigration of low paid workers. Do you know what, these are very same people who are doing an amazing job looking after my mum. They are working where patience and compassion is required, which it seems are jobs some bone idle British wastrels can’t be bothered to do.

Wednesday 6th Aug: 08:44

Just a few words this morning, the morning of August 6th. On this day in 1932 my dear old mum arrived. Happy 93rd birthday. I’ll call you later.

At 08:15 in Japan in the summer of 1945 the atomic bomb was dropped from an American B29 bomber, the Enola Gay captained by Paul Tibbets, on the city of Hiroshima. This was the beginning of the end of the conflict in the Pacific, and supposedly the act to end all wars. It took a second bomb three days later dropped on Nagasaki to finally bring Japan to its senses and surrender. Sadly with conflicts all around the world the longer aim of ending all wars has most definitely failed to materialise.

Having visited both cities, and been to their incredibly moving museums and peace gardens, it is sobering to think that this terrifying bomb is in the hands of complete nut jobs such as Trump, Putin, and Nentanyahu.

Talking of Nentanyahu, whilst ensuring I got my facts right, I came across an aerial photo of Hiroshima in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. In this mornings (online) Guardian there is an aerial photo of Gaza. The similarity is clear for all to see. An equally sobering and troubling thought!

I’m going to leave it there today. Back tomorrow.

Tuesday 5th Aug: 08:40

We are rapidly approaching kick off. Yes, on August 22nd at 19:30 it all gets underway. Yes I’m talking about the Women’s Rugby World Cup. If it generates anything like the interest the Women’s Euros did it should be a cracker. It’ll all wrap up on September 27th with a double header at Twickenham.

Eight venues: Brighton, Bristol, Exeter, York, Northampton, Salford, Twickenham and Sunderland, which is where it all starts. Sixteen teams in four groups. England are in a group with Australia, USA and Samoa. Wales have the challenge of Canada, Scotland and Fiji. The Irish will face New Zealand, Japan and Spain. In France’s group we find Brazil, South Africa and Italy.

England will start as favourites. Who is going to be in the mix when we get to the business end of the tournament. France and New Zealand are the big threats. Don’t ignore the Irish, and the Canadians might spring a surprise.. Obviously this is all conjecture, especially as my forecasting is about as accurate as Rachel Reeves’s. Yep, absolutely rubbish.

The entire tournament will be shown live by the BBC, which is brilliant. The Amex, but it won’t be called that, is hosting two crackers. Sept 6th it is England v Australia, Sept 7th New Zealand play Ireland. The England game is a sell out but I understand there are a few tickets left for the Sunday game.

I’m really looking forward to it. As mentioned yesterday England travel to France for their final warm-up game on Saturday. Looking at the BBC website this game is being broadcast via the ‘red button’. Coverage starts at 19:55, kick off at 20:00.

I’ll bring you plenty more information as we get closer, and as the tournament progresses, but www.rugbyworldcup.com has the complete package of information if you want to get ahead of the game.

Dan Sheehan has been handed a four match ban for his reckless hit on Tom Lynagh in the Lions 3rd test against Australia. Once you’ve seen it you can understand why. A player of his experience would have/should have realised that diving headlong into the ruck like he did, with an opponents head exposed, was going to result in injury and a ban. He can reduce the suspension by a match if he goes back to school. How ‘bleep’, ‘bleep’, ‘bleep’ PATHETIC is that. He’ll miss a pre-season game against Cardiff, and then two URC fixtures. Having toured with The Lions he was unlikely to be available for two of the three, but hey ho, that’s how the system works.

We are now in the twighlight zone before the World Cup and the new season starting so there is little for the rugby hacks to get stuck into. The Torygraph have done a nice piece on how the four home nations have come out of the Lions series, and The Guardian has, via its rugby writers, picked out favourite moments and men of the moment. It is interesting looking at how the nations have fared. England are the big winners with many of theirs in the touring party coming out with huge credit and valuable experience. Tom Curry, Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, and Ben Earl all feature highly on that list. For young men like Henry Pollock and Fin Smith the experience will put them in good stead for the future, hopefully making them hungry for more. Scotland likewise have been beneficiaries with some positive contributions. Finn Russell as talisman will have inspired and the centre partnership of Tuipulotu and Jones came out with credit in the bank. Ireland by comparison will have reinforced what we already know, they have strength in depth, but are some of this crop on the wane. Bendee Aki and James Lowe failed to impress. Kelleher was less than brilliant. Worryingly there were persistent injuries that plagued many of the stars; Joe McCarthy and Garry Ringrose. Then we have little old Wales. Just two players at the outset quickly reduced to one. Jac Morgan on his own has probably done more to inspire those in the game in Wales than any group of players for a long time. That has to be a positive.

With regard to players of the tournament, plenty have said Will Skelton. With just two games and less than 160 minutes made more of an impression than many who were playing from the start of the tour. The second test in Melbourne in front of a packed house, and the controversy of the final minute is a popular pick. What to do about future tours is a popular theme with plenty saying keep Australia on the agenda but spice it up with maybe games, as I suggested by the way ;-) , against Fiji or Samoa or even Japan. The same could be applied to a NZ tour.

That’s about it rugby wise so I’m off now to read up on the laws relating to control of the interweb thingy. It is ABSOLUTELY right for this Government to clamp down on websites that peddle disgusting material that could be viewed by minors. What isn’t right is some are now using the legislation to restrict free speech on topics such as the illegal immigration problem, the simmering tensions that could lead to civil unrest, and voicing concerns about two tier policing, and other ways the Government are trying to discriminate against hardworking, tax paying citizens who are fed up with people arriving on our shores illegally and in some cases getting away with murder, allegedly.