After the excitement of Friday and Saturday I’m pleased to say my liver had a rest yesterday. I didn’t make it to Champagne, Cheese and Carols at the club, but I’m confident those that did had a great afternoon, despite the miserable weather.

As it is Monday, and we are now half way through the league season, let me do my normal trawl through the leagues. As always I’ll start in Counties Kent 1 where as you know we lost to H&W RFC 7-19 and slip to 8th in the league. The Greenies are in 5th. Unsurprisingly Old Elthamians are top after a 0-52 demolition of Park House. Cranbrook prop up the table after conceding a walk over to Sevenoaks II. Ashford strolled past Gillingham Anchorians 54-7, Charlton Park lost 17-38 to Beccs. In the battle for 2nd spot Deal & Betteshanger beat Dover 27-25. They are now 2nd and 3rd respectively. Still plenty of games to come but being in 8th is a precarious position for us. We need to pick points to remain safe in this league.

Over in Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne had the day off and go into Christmas in 6th spot. Above them we find Hove in 5th and Haywards Heath in 4th, this despite Hove beating Heath 31-20. Riding high are Cobham with 10 wins from 10 games. Not so happy are Old Wimbledonians with 10 losses from 10 games.

Moving on into Hampshire 1 it was a great day for Bognor. Not only did they beat their neighbours Chichester 29-27, they go top for Christmas. Chi are in 3rd. Propping up this table, and somewhat adrift, are Eastleigh.

Dropping down into Sussex 2 Brighton II beat Lewes, Crawley lost to Royals, East Grinstead beat Ditchling, Pulborough beat Shoreham, Seaford beat Eastbourne II. Pulborough top the table on points difference with East Grinstead in 2nd. Sadly Crawley are bottom with not a single point to their name.

In Sussex 3 Burgess Hill are riding high with 8 wins from 8 games. Our 2nd XV sit in 4th.

Before moving up into the Regional leagues we find Hastings & Bexhill losing 10-20 to Tunbridge Wells II. H&B are 4th, Wells II are 2nd.

In Regional 2 South East the eagerly awaited contest between Horsham and Brighton went the way of Horsham 55-43. Wow, that must have been some game. Despite the defeat Brighton remain comfortably at the head of the table. Horsham sit in 6th. Propping up the table are Old Reigatian. Out of interest Bromley are 9th and Canterbury II 10th.

In Regional 1 the Tunbridge Wells faithful would have been disappointed to watch them lose at home 12-14 to CS Stags. Worthing also lost at home, this time to table topping Jersey 19-59. TWells remain in 2nd, Worthing are 8th. Hammersmith & Fulham look forlorn in 12th.

Into the big boys leagues we find Sevenoaks losing at home to Canterbury. ‘Oaks are in 11th. At the top of the Christmas tree are Old Albanians. Under the tree with no presents are Oxford Harlequins.

Nearly there. In National 1 TJs beat Rosslyn Park 12-17 on Friday evening. They are comfortably in mid-table. 7th to be precise. Rotherham Titans are top. Leicester Lions aren’t.

Ok, two to go. Bridgnorth go into Christmas in 8th after beating Drybrook 33-5. Salisbury had a field day on Saturday beating Marlborough II 100-0. The Wiltshire outfit are 5th at Christmas. By the way, go onto the interweb thingy and search ‘Spitfire at Salisbury RFC’. It is mighty impressive.

In the top tier of league rugby there is only one result to comment on…Dragons 48 Connacht 28! HOORAH!!!!

Bath eventually strolled past Newcastle yesterday. I have to say I am becoming increasingly concerned about the use of mass substitutions. It is not a great look. Here we go again… we HAVE to reduce the number of replacements.

Last blog before my Christmas break will be tomorrow. Having glanced through the papers this morning I’m ready for a right royal rant.

Sunday 21st Dec : 10:01

Where to start. Difficult to know after two splendid days of imbibing with great friends. The Friday Club Christmas lunch at the Kings Arms was a splendid affair. Slightly down on numbers from previous years for a variety of reasons. One member having the temerity to think that Christmas in Australia was a better option, others having to obey their CEOs and visit the outlaws. As always the food was great, the quiz challenging, the banter raucous, and the ability to quaff wine at a rate of knots unrivalled. Probably tomorrow, some photos will be added to this here website.

Then yesterday was the much awaited derby between our good friends Heathfield & Waldron. Prior to that however was a splendid lunch with a very special guest, none other than Sir Gareth Edwards. Gareth had travelled up from his home in Porthcawl that morning at the invitation of Stuart Thresher, ex Quins, England A, Barbarians. The invite related to a Barbarian shirt which Gareth had very kindly agreed to sign and present to the club. He regaled us with tales about ‘that’ try, and his experiences with the Lions. No, we didn’t venture into the woes of the WRU. Nothing was too much trouble. I was lucky enough to chat with him about our previous meeting many years ago, and share a photo of him as young man surrounded by a group of ladies, including my dear old mum. Looking at the plethora of photos from the day, it was clear nothing was too much trouble.

Both President for Life, Clarky and Stuart gave speeches. Both informative and entertaining. Our good friend Milgi did grace in both Welsh and English. Then came the food. Delicious. Thanks Jacqui and team. The place looked a picture. Thanks Louise and team.

We eventually got to the game. It was a miracle it went ahead after Thursday’s deluge. The Bard’s blow by blow account will be on the website but my very abridged version is here. As always it was a keenly contested game. It was clear why The Greenies were above us in the table starting much the stronger. Their powerful forwards kept the backline provided with good ball which despite the underfoot conditions was moved wide at pace. Only our excellent defence kept the score to nil for long periods. The dam burst eventually with our guests taking a well deserved lead, followed not long after by a second try.

We finally got our game going probing deep into the visitors half and were rewarded with a try from a powerful forward drive. The game was more even but The Greenies still had the edge with them making fewer mistakes than us. HT 7-12

The second half was equally hotly contested but Crowborough this time the dominant force. For long periods H&W were under pressure but their defence was steadfast in its resolve to not let anyone pass. We hammered away but to no avail. The referee was not slow in showing cards, especially after a short but heated flare up.

As I watched I was convinced a Crowborough try would have seen us go on to win. As it happened as the clock tick down to full-time, one the few incursions into our half saw The Greenies seal it with a third try. Final score 7-19.

On the balance of play, the quality of the visiting defence, I would suggest the win was more than deserved, perhaps the margin didn’t reflect our endeavours however.

It was truly a splendid day, and what an honour to have one of the all time World great rugby players in our midst. In fact one of the globes finest sportsmen, and a true gent of old.

No games at Steel Cross for several weeks now, giving the pitch time to rest. Champagne, Cheese and Carols later today. I won’t be there but those who are going will have a great afternoon.

Saturday 20th Dec: 09:40

Today’s game is ON!

See you there

Friday 19th Dec: 09:00

It seems strange to be at the keyboard on a Friday. How was yesterday at the club? WET to say the very least. Those of us who were there got a lot of stuff done despite the conditions. How were the pitches? Considering the rain not too bad, however, the continuous deluge didn’t really kick in until after we left. It will be touch and go whether tomorrow’s game is on. Pitch inspection at 10am tomorrow. Watch the website, and here, for updates.

The lunch WILL GO AHEAD REGARDLESS. Please note the bar opens at 11:00 ready to sit down at 12:00, with kick off planned for 14:00.

Loads of rugby this weekend, the last before Christmas. Leicester v Gloucester in the Premiership, and the big one, Cardiff v Scarlets in the URC (BBC 2 Wales for that one (iPlayer)).

I assume if our game is off tomorrow the drinking time will be extended, oh my liver, and either Saints v Sale or Sarries v Exeter will be on the big screen.

The referee’s for the Six Nations have been announced and the headline is Hollie Davidson taking charge of Ireland v Italy. It shouldn’t be a headline really as she is now one of the world’s best and you expect her to be included in the list of match officials for big tournaments.

Very little of note in the rugby pages otherwise. The soap opera that is Welsh Rugby continues. I’m surprised there isn’t a Christmas Special. Lots of talk about the exodus of players overseas, not that crossing the Prince of Wales Bridge into England is actually emigrating. I still say the better quality rugby our best players are playing more frequently has to be a good thing. Look at Argentina.

OK, that’ll do sport wise. Plenty in the papers to get you depressed. The UK economy heading into a death spiral following The Hood’s budget(s), and the latest employment legislation changes. The Government is full of hot air spouted by people who have never had a proper job so never experienced real life. Have never faced the hardship of running a business, or the challenges of being employed where the slightest tweak to the economy can get you thrown onto the scrap heap. Two Jags Prescott was often vilified for his politics, but at least when he spoke it was from experience of the real world.

On top of this, democracy is dead in the water. Sir U-Turn and his acolytes are behaving like tinpot dictators. Cancelling elections, reversing democratically voted on decisions, Brexit, and generally riding roughshod over anything that isn’t about keeping them in a job. My blood pressure wouldn’t cope if I started on the lies, led of course by The Hood. It has now been revealed she raked in £5.5bn more tax in November BEFORE the budget.

I have just been reading about the ‘Bondi Hero’, Ahmed Al-Ahmed. Finally we see there is a truly decent human being in this world.

Friday Club Christmas Lunch today, oh my liver. It should be fun. I have my bah humbug socks at the ready. Mrs Bleater refused to buy me a ‘I love The Grinch’ jumper.

Back on Sunday, probably not too early!!!

Wednesday 17th Dec: 09:20

A change to my normal week means there will be no blog tomorrow, but there will be a short missive on Friday. Looking back, may I congratulate our ladies playing just their second ever game on Sunday, they beat Burgess Hill 22-5 over at Burgess Hill. A fantastic result. Well done all. Our Under 16s also enjoyed a fine home with over Brighton.

Looking ahead, a big weekend beckons. Friday Club has been moved forward 24 hours to accommodate the FC social event of the year on Friday. Their Christmas Lunch at the Kings Arms. Lots of food, beer, wine, banter, and probably after a while some serious slobbering. Yuk!

Then on Saturday it is Crowborough v Heathfield & Waldron. Always a keenly contested affair. The pre-match lunch should be a cracker with a very special guest in attendance. More on this on Sunday.

Then on Sunday it is CRFC’s fabled champagne, cheese and carols. Always a terrific day. Sadly I won’t be there. My liver will be in need of a rest by then. I’ll confirm timings on Friday.

Not a great deal in the papers about rugby. Plenty in the news about how it now pays to be on benefits. The latest addition to the skivers charter is a free TV licence. It is a DISGRACE that hard-working tax payers are having to fund the lifestyle of people who have made living on benefits an art form. What next, free fags and tattoos?? What sticks in my throat is I’m pensioner who paid taxes throughout my working career, and am still paying tax even though I stopped working in 2011, and where is it going? To fund the bone idle, or gold plated civil service pensions. For many civil servants working from home there isn’t a lot of difference between them and the bone idle.

Sorry, I digressed. Back to rugby. Plenty of games of note in Sussex this weekend. Bognor v Chichester, and Haywards Heath v Hove stand out, as does Horsham v Brighton.

The Premiership returns with plenty of cracking ties. My eye is drawn to the URC however with Cardiff hosting Scarlets on Friday.

It was sad to read the passing former South Africa women’s captain Lusanda Dumke at the tender age of 29. It doesn’t seem right a person so young taken in her prime.

OK, as I have a lot to do that’ll do for now.

Tuesday 16th Dec: 09:50

A couple of bits in the rugby pages to get stuck into. One of the headlines is Gloucester swooping in to snatch up both Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake for next season. That’s quite a coup for the cherry & white outfit. Some of the headlines are as usual over the top. Simple facts are no longer good enough. The BBC ask the really daft question: why are Wales’ captains leaving for England? The answer is there for all to see. The Ospreys could soon be a thing of the past so there will be no region to play for, but mainly it will be about the money. The other daft headline relates to it being a blow to Welsh Rugby. I take a different view. Week in, week out these two top flight internationals will soon be playing a better standard of rugby, with better players, against better opposition. This can only be good for the Welsh international side. Yes there are some downsides such as availability outside the prescribed windows but…. That ‘but’ is reinforced by the fact during Wales dismal run who have been some Wales best players: Tomos Williams (Gloucester), Nicky Smith (Leicester), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter), and the list goes on. There is another upside: there is limited access to the regions for young talent. All too often they spend more time in the gym than on the field, or playing in the next level down, which according to my brothers is ‘crap’. Yes, I might be clutching at straws but there comes a time when you have to seek out the positives.

Can I reinforce my point by saying Welsh soccer, men and women, is on the up. Why? Most players player in the top flight of the English game. Q.E.D.

Whilst talking of Welsh Rugby former WRU Chairman, and a popular one at that, Gareth Davies has gone on record to say how despondent he is about the state of the game in Wales. It is a long and fascinating article. He makes one comment that struck a cord. Why are the WRU talking about scrapping a region. They should find a way to make it work, even if it is on a shoestring budget. He points to the English game stating no-one is screaming for Newcastle to be cut from the Premiership because they are perennially bottom. It is a fair point, but at the end of the day if the money is not there to sustain four regions something has to give.

As we know the game in England is not in the rosiest of health. Yes, the Premiership serves up tasty dishes across the board most weeks, and yes, England are on a roll, but beneath the surface where the bean counters live, things are not good. No club in the black. All clubs with debt, most substantial. Revenue is up but costs are up more. Clubs are still propped by benefactors who could walk away at any moment. Who says Red Bull Litter are in it for the long haul for instance. Why do I mention this? Brian Moore in The Torygraph writes about the proposal for a franchised, ring-fenced league. This has merits in many respects, single kit supplier, merchandising deals, etc, etc. On the other hand it sounds very much like relying even more on a single benefactor, whether that be a company as per Newcastle, or as per Bath, a man with deep pockets. Any investor would want assurances that there would be no relegation, and in today’s economic climate (thank you The Hood) who would want to invest anyway. Despite all the hurdles this is on the table. The Championship will whinge, but the daftest aspect of all is the decision to explore the idea further is not in the hands of the professional game but the 64 council members who mainly represent the grassroots. Before moving on, if it did get the nod, wouldn’t it be great if the four Welsh regions were invited to join the party.

The other story is a move by the game globally to reduce the tackle height to below the sternum as per the grassroots game. Before I get into detail I would say that managing that was not too much in evidence last Saturday at Beccs. Whilst not dangerous as such, the man in the middle did seem to take a lenient view to such tackles above the sternum. So what is next in line? The World U20 Championships in Georgia next summer will the lower tackle height. This it seems is a pre-cursor to it being mandated in law globally.

Quite rightly the papers are still leading with the atrocity in Bondi. It was the article confirming the doctors will still be striking despite pleas from the Government that caught my eye. With my mum’s recent hospital experience I can tell you the doctors are extremely stretched, and despite what the Trotskyist BMA leadership have to say, the flu season is having a serious effect. Any sympathy I had with the doctors has gone out of the window.

I did like the Matt cartoon in The Torygraph. It sums up the state of the UK right now.

‘It’s irresponsible to go on strike when a person wants to fake an illness, get a sick note, and take time off work’.

Monday 15th Dec: 09:20

Here we are, just a few weeks from Christmas, and one game away from the halfway point of the season. In Counties Kent 1 Old Elthamians will go into the mid-season break topping the table after their 70-0 demolition of Charlton Park. They are likely to be perfect too as it is Park House up next. That said, Park House beat Gillingham As 19-22 on Saturday. The surprise result, for me at least, was Sevenoaks II beating high flying Deal & Betteshanger 72-24. Heathfield & Waldron’s fine run continues with a 50-19 win over Cranbrook. In the other game Dover beat Ashford 24-12. Dover go 2nd as a consequence of their win and D&B’s loss. The Greenies are 5th and we are 7th. Cranbrook slip to the bottom of the table. Much to play for, especially for us as we are only 9 points clear of Anchorians in 11th.

Over in Surrey/Sussex 1 Haywards Heath are on a roll after their 50-7 win over Old Rutlishians. Hove lost at Old Caterhamians. Eastbourne secured a fine 20-56 win at lowly Old Wimbledonians. Weybridge Vandals are perfect at the top of this one. Heath are 4th, Eastbourne 5th and Hove 6th.

Moving into Hampshire 1 we find Bognor losing 32-31 at Portsmouth. Bognor stay 2nd, a few points ahead of Chichester in 3rd. Chi won 38-19 at home to Gosport & Fareham. Bognor v Chichester is next Saturday. That should be a humdinger. Winchester II top the table.

Dropping down into Sussex 2 East Grinstead strolled past bottom placed Crawley at Crawley, Pulborough stay top after their demolition of Royals. Lewes lost at home to Seaford. Ditchling won at Eastbourne II. Brighton II won at Shoreham.

In Sussex 3 our 2nd XV are in 5th after our fine win over Uckfield. Burgess Hill top the table 7 from 7.

Upwards now into Regional 2 South East. Brighton are clearly on a charge. Top of the table, and another fine win in the bag. This time a 56-31 win over Battersea Ironsides. Horsham lost 41-40 at Canterbury II. They are 7th, but other than Old Reigatian adrift at the bottom, 7th to 11th is very close.

Up one more and we find Tunbridge Wells in 2nd spot in Regional 1. A 35-47 win at Wimbledon secured that for them. Worthing also won beating Camberley 22-53. Worthing are 8th. Jersey are top.

In the rarified air of National 2 Sevenoaks strolled past Oxford Harlequins 61-19. They are 11th. In the even more rarified air of National 1 TJs good season hit the buffers after losing at home 24-26 to Bishop’s Stortford. They find themselves in 7th.

Bringing up the rear we have Bridgnorth losing at Bourneville. Salisbury didn’t play.

Plenty of European action yesterday. Damper will be a bit down after his beloved Bath lost down in Toulon. Quins had a fine win over Bayonne, and Saints put the Bulls in their place. The result of the day was Dragons 23 Lyon 21. HOORAH!!! It does beg the question how seriously are the French clubs taking the tournament. That suspicion is reinforced after Bristol’s 61-12 win over Pau, but contradicted by Castres 33-0 win over Edinburgh.

The proper news is dominated by the awful events on Bondi Beach yesterday. The mindless slaughter of innocent victims, and for what. Sadly the press has a lot to answer for. Their sensationalist reporting of events only heightens tensions between the rival factions. Whilst Israel’s actions in Gaza are appalling, and Hamas’s acts of terrorism are atrocious, are the events in Sydney justified. Absolutely not.

I read there was another protest march through Crowborough yesterday. I can understand the concerns but I fear the messaging has been hijacked by the right wing of British politics. We, the nation, need to keep a calm head. The issue is not about where they go, but how do we stop illegals arriving, and how do we repatriate those who fail the asylum tests.

Is the Government on the verge of implosion. Sir U-Turn under more pressure following a cabinet reshuffle. The luvvies are up in arms about scrapping most jury trials. The Machiavellian scheming about a replacement for Sir U-Turn gathers pace. Be very afraid however, as the alternatives in the party could be worse, and those like Farage and Polanski in the wings send shivers of fear through my bones.

Sunday 14th Dec: 09:55

A little bit of nostalgia to start. In the gloriously warm winter sun yesterday morning I went around to Wolf Rec to watch my grandson play football for Cranbrook U12 versus Crowborough Athletic U12. It brought back many happy memories of watching my lad at the same age playing for Crowborough Athletic at the Rec. There was a downside which highlights how today’s society have become entitled feeling the rules don’t apply to them. Yes, despite the many signs saying ‘No Dogs’ one parent clearly felt that was for everyone else but him. Hey Ho!

It was then up to Beccehamian with The Bard. A place where we have always struggled for one reason or another. A tough place to get any sort of result. The Bard’s usual erudite blow by blow account is on the website but here are my thoughts. This was a seesaw of a contest. The game’s balance of power going one way then the other. Beccs came out of the blocks with their usual aggression and ability to offload at will. They broke through early weak tackling and were soon ahead. We bounced back with a driving maul from a lineout. The evergreen Richard Tasker going over. Crowborough dominating in this area at Beccs was rare and proved to be a valuable asset as the contest wore on.

So the game ebbed and flowed, at times not one for the purist, but an enthralling contest all the same. Despite being down to 14 men with their elusive fullback on the naughty step Beccs retook the lead with a well structured try. Will Pitman was next up for us going over wide out after an intense period of forward pressure. As the half-time whistle beckoned so Beccs went back into the lead, it was their turn to get success from a driving maul. HT 17-14.

The second half started much the same as the first, both sides putting in brutal tackles, making ground only for the advance to be halted by excellent defence, or a sloppy mistake. It was Crowborough who got the scoreboard moving next with the forwards leading the charge. At a maul 5 metres out Josh Rhodes found the ball in his hands and no-one on the blind side. Over he went and we were back in the lead.

With the clock running down Beccs struck back. They were now leading 24-19 and another loss at Beccs was on the cards. No, with the seconds ticking away Crowborough threw everything into the fray playing some of their best rugby of the contest. Hammering away at the home try line the breakthrough game via the excellent Marchesi brothers. First Sam made a sniping running and attempting to offload the ball was sent forward by the knee of a Beccs defender. The defence stopped thinking it was a clear knock-on. It wasn’t! Harry M seeing his chance beat two Beccs players to the ball and it was 24-24. Sadly the conversion was sent agonisingly wide. The final whistle went and we left Beccs with three points in the bag. It could have been more, and maybe if our decision making had been a little more precise, and our accuracy sharper, we could have come away with a win. Our good friends and neighbours Heathfield & Waldron up next. Kick off 14:00.

Ping, ping went the WhatsApp on the way home. Our 2nd XV beat Uckfield 1st XV 22-7 on a very soggy slopey pitch at Steel Cross. This is a great result for our 2s who are proving to be very competitive in Sussex 3.

Plenty of European action to ponder. I don’t have Premier Sports so am confined to the Welsh games on S4C. That suits me fine, especially as the Cardiff v Ulster game was a cracker last night. Cardiff winning with the final kick of the game. The Ospreys won down in Montauban. Glasgow beating Toulouse was a headline grabber, as was Sale beating Clermont Auvergne in France. Toulon v Bath is the big game today. Damper will be glued to that one with his Bath shirt on, and his Bath rose tinted glasses firmly in place.

I’ll bring the grassroots round up tomorrow.

In other sport, a good day for Leicester City beating Ipswich 3-1, not that any of you are vaguely interested in that.

That’ll do for now. I see there is a breaking story about an alleged terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney. What is the world coming to?

Thursday 11th Dec: 07:15

Except for the M40 being closed, again, because of an accident, a pretty uneventful journey home. Plenty to do today, such as pitch marking ahead of the weekend, and the rain. The 1s are at Beccs kicking off at 14:00. I plan to be there with The Bard. If you are not planning to go but fancy a sneaky beer, a bit of fresh air and some grassroots rugby then look no further than Steel Cross. Our 2s host Uckfield. This should be a good game, if the pitches are playable. Kick off at 14:00, but do check the website on Saturday morning for confirmation.

In our league some interesting contests. Dover v Ashford, both in fine form. Sevenoaks II v Deal & Betteshanger is another game with teams with top of the table ambitions. I can’t see anything but an Old Elthamians win against Charlton Park. Gillingham Anchorians v Park House will be close. The Greenies should keep their fine run of form going with Cranbrook the visitors.

Plenty of interesting games across the leagues, englandrugby.com for the full list. I’ll be interested to see how Brighton fare hosting Battersea Ironsides, and Horsham get on at Canterbury II. Portsmouth v Bognor will be interesting, as will Haywards Heath v Old Rutlishians, especially as Heath are now the best placed of the Sussex sides in Surrey/Sussex 1. Full round-up on Monday.

Plenty of European action if you have Premier Sports. Toulon v Bath, as mentioned yesterday, will be worth watching on Sunday, as will Leicester v Leinster tomorrow night. I’m hoping S4C will be showing Cardiff v Ulster on Saturday.

The injuries mount around the country. Will Stuart is out for some time as the Achilles tendon injury has been confirmed. Bath and England will miss him. Wales Max Llewellyn will be a miss for Gloucester, his knee injury also looks serious.

Leigh Halfpenny is set to make a return to top flight rugby with Cardiff at the age of 32. Good luck with that. Good luck too to Alun Wyn Jones, still plying his trade in Celebrity Masterchef.

That’ll do except to say following Leicester City is a roller-coaster of a ride. 2-0 up at half time, only to end up 2-2 at the end.

Two proper news stories caught my eye. The first is a tale of woe The Hood is spinning. In front of a group of MPs on the Finance Oversight Committee she had the brass neck to blame Sir U-Turn for her budget fiasco, or more accurately budget daylight robbery.

The second relates to the French. They really are intolerable. French health officials are finding the most innocuous reasons to prevent our meat exports entering into their country. Despite Welsh lamb being some of the finest in the world the French are holding up lorries and impounding them for what reads like: absolutely no reason at all.

By the way, on top that, despite us paying millions of pounds for their support it is alleged they are allowing people smugglers free rein in Calais, thus allowing boats packed with illegal migrants to head to the UK with impunity.

Back on Sunday. See some of you over the weekend.

Wednesday 10th Dec: 09:00

For a range of reasons, a tough few days. The weather yesterday didn’t help, and if it doesn’t stop raining soon the River Severn will be in flood in Bridgnorth. Sadly I couldn’t make last night’s Walking Rugby Quiz & Pasta evening. It looks and sound as if those who did make it had a thoroughly good time. There are plans to join a league in the new year, but the usual Thursday gad-about will continue once the weather picks up in the early Spring. I’ll keep you posted.

A full program of grassroots rugby this coming weekend. We are at Beccehamian, kick off 14:00. I’ll bring you the pick of the rest of the weekend tomorrow. It is also the second round of European games. I think some have already got ahead of themselves by suggesting Bath are more than just contenders to lift the Champions Cup. Plenty of obstacles in the way, including Toulon away on Sunday. There is also plenty to suggest some are not taking it seriously, especially the French clubs in the Challenge Cup. How can Perpignan get exited about a trip to Italy when they are bottom of the Top 14, the very lucrative Top 14 at that. The Welsh regions have no choice but to take Europe seriously. With their limited playing resources and the need to get bums on seats picking a strong starting XV is the only way. Then you have the cost and inconvenience of flying to South Africa for one game usually played in front of a few hundred people. That said the Parc y Scarlets was far from full on Saturday evening, and that was with Bristol (and LR-Z) in town.

It seems only Ealing Trailfinders and Doncaster Knights have applied for consideration for promotion to the promised land of the Premiership. Ealing are top, as usual, but Doncaster are in 10th. A long way to go yet but we could see a Newcastle v Ealing play-off for promotion. I doubt it very much, as the Premiership will be protective of Newcastle and their lucrative Red Bull Litter sponsorship, and will want to keep a top flight side in the North East. The South East is well served with Premiership sides, and Ealing, despite their success, attract even fewer spectators than Newcastle.

That is about it rugby wise for today, so let me tell you about my dear old mum. She’s in Telford hospital at the moment. Having seen how manic it is there what with the flu causing mayhem I can tell you the front line staff are earning every penny. I can also tell you that without hardworking dedicated staff who have come to this country from overseas the NHS would collapse. Immigration is a good thing, but it has to be the right immigration. Hundreds of single young men with no purpose arriving illegally is not what we want. We need more people like those who care for my mum day in day out, and do so with compassion, and all too often on low wages.

Having democratically voted to leave Europe known as Brexit (I voted remain) this devious, lying, self-serving, inept Government are now trying to get us back into Europe via the back door. I know it is a Torygraph headline but I think the statement: ‘rejoining the customs union would put Britain on the road to EU servitude’ is spot on.

Right, that’ll do, except to say I agree with The Guardian headline that we need to curb ECHR. People are using the European Human Rights legislation for gain, and to enable them to continue their nefarious activities. We, the silent majority, have human rights too, but these are being run roughshod over by lily-livered judges who think it is acceptable to allow unfettered illegal migration, and to allow convicted criminals to stay in the UK because of their outlandish HR claims.

Have a nice day.

Tuesday 9th Dec: 07:00

Sorry for the absence of this drivel. I’ve been rather tied up with my dear old mum being rushed into hospital where she remains. I’d like to start by reinforcing The Bard’s excellent match report. Yes, we lost on Saturday, but, and there are many ‘buts’. Firstly, we actually played better than we did the week before when we won. In fact, if we had played like we did then we would have won by 30 points. We didn’t give up from minute 1 to minute 80, epitomised by Will Pitman’s last second try, which was a cracker by the way. We took the game to Old Elthamians and if we had been a little less careless in attack, and hadn’t conceded two ‘lucky’ tries, the interception, and the scrum half going over, the result could have been very different. As The bard said, they were a very well drilled side packed with experience of higher level rugby on a mission to progress further up the league pyramid. No shame in losing.

Beccehamian next week. We always struggle over there, I don’t know why. If, however, we turn up and play like we did on Saturday we have a good chance of success. That said, they seem to have got their mojo back.

The European stuff kicked off on the weekend. Everyone is raving about Bath beating Munster. It looked a very lightweight Munster side but 40-14 is an impressive result. I watched Scarlets v Bristol. A pretty good game to be fair. Welsh rugby is not dead just yet. Bristol won by a point but there were some ‘interesting’ calls by the match officials that went against Scarlets. By the way, the referee we had at Old Elthamians I thought was excellent.

The Saracens slaying of Clermont Auvergne jumps out, as does Newcastle beating Lyon. Great result for the Ospreys coming back from the dead to beat Connacht. Exeter also impressed beating Cheetahs.

A quick look at Kent 1 results from the weekend. Ashford 33 D&B 34 must have been quite some game. Charlton Park beat Anchorians, Cranbrook lost narrowly to Beccs, Park lost narrowly to Dover. The Greenies v ‘Oaks II was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. We know that feeling. Table wise, we are still 7th with Beccs in 8th on the same points. Old Elthamians are clear at the top. D&B in 2nd and Dover 3rd. Cranbrook and Park House prop up the table.

Elsewhere there were wins for Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Bognor, Chichester, Brighton, Worthing, and TJs. Of the local teams I keep up to date with Hove, Horsham and Sevenoaks all lost.

Bridgnorth won away. Their pitch is a mess. Just driven past it. Salisbury won. If you want more detail like league tables then www.englandrugby.com fixtures & results.

Bath and England supporters are fretting. Will Stuart could be out for several weeks, if not months. An Achilles tendon injury.

Plenty in the press about the vagaries of rugby’s discipline system, especially in relation to Eben Etzebeth’s recent judgement. Those who have experience of the process will acknowledge that it was followed in this case. The panel would have taken into account ‘intent’, level of injury (none), his record, and whether he accepted guilt or not. Where it gets messy is he didn’t fully accept the report stating it was accidental. This should have meant any discount was off the table. So here goes, it was ‘mid-range’ with intent = 18 matches. He has a clean record, and whilst contesting the case conducted himself well at the hearing, and Alex Mann suffered no injury. 6 match discount was applied. As stated the process was followed but I would argue the discount was generous under the circumstances.

However, Nigel Owen and Brian Moore make the same point: why give any sort of discount. Why not simply have a table with tariffs that are well thought through, and apply them. If you punch someone and it makes contact with the head it is 6 matches. No discounts and no pathetic weeks off to attend tackle school etc. Currently most people who punch someone in the head get 3 matches so make that the tariff, end of.

Ok, that’ll do for now. Back on Wednesday.

Thursday 4th Dec: 14:00

IMPORTANT UPDATE

With great reluctance, due to the terrible pitch conditions at Steel Cross the game against Old Elthamians has been switched to their ground.

Kick Off will be 14:00

The post code is BR7 6HA

NOTE: the ground is in the (money making) ULEZ catchment area.

This also means the Christmas Lunch is cancelled.

The club apologise for the inconvenience.

Thursday 4th Dec: 09:40

Here we go. Another wet and miserable start to the day, except that is if you follow England rugby. Yes, as it says in some of today’s paper’s, England ‘can dare to dream’… of World Cup success in 2027. It is undeniable that the draw could have been any better for England. The easier side of the draw. All the big guns on the other side of the equation. There is one caveat to that. The tournament is 18 months away and they will have to get past Wales. Logic tells you that England will win the group, even the Welsh press have Wales coming second, but that was the logic in 2015 and we all know what happened then.

Wales on the other hand, IF they finish second, they will face Fiji in the first of the knockout stages. On current form that is their tournament over. However, IF in your dreams Wales were to win that then it would be France, then South Africa or New Zealand before facing England in the final. The BBC, based on current rankings have England in the final versus South Africa.

What counts is what happens on the day. It is knockout rugby, and we saw what happened to England in Japan in 2019, they bottled it when it mattered, and in 2023, when they simply weren’t good enough. Right now though, it is inconceivable on current form that England won’t breeze through to the final. The draw is a kind one, and they have the strength in depth to get through the tournament unscathed.

Closer to home it is time to welcome table topping, 10 from 10, all with bonus points, Old Ethamians to Steel Cross. Looking at the forecast, and using my sodden garden as a guide, it will be a very, very wet Steel Cross. In fact, but without having been to the club since last Friday, there is a risk the pitches could be waterlogged. Keep an eye on the website for updates.

A full league program this weekend in Kent 1, and across the grassroots game. H&WRFC host ‘Oaks II, Park House welcome Dover, Cranbrook have Beccs, Ashford and Deal & Betteshanger should be a cracker, with Charlton Park v Anchorians last but far from least.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Eastbourne host KCS Old Boys, Hove host Weybridge, and Heath are at London Cornish. Across the way in Hampshire, Bognor are at Gosport & Fareham, with Chichester at Eastleigh.

No games in Sussex 2 so looking upwards we find Horsham over in Battersea and Brighton at Sutton & Epsom. Up in Regional 1 the top two go head to head with TWells travelling to Jersey. Worthing host Hammersmith & Fulham. As you know TJs are in Clifton, one down Sevenoaks play Oundle. Good luck everyone!!

Still no news on the Etzebeth sanction. It is pretty poor that a decision could not be reached. It is a three person panel, and where agreement can’t be reached it can be a 2-1 decision. Why there is a delay is far from clear. We should know soon enough. He can’t play until a decision has been made no matter how long that is.

The European stuff starts this weekend. Plenty of great games to watch, if you have Premier Sports, which I don’t. I was tempted by the £80 deal but resisted as plenty of the Welsh games will be on S4C. In fact one of the games of the round is Bristol v Scarlets on Saturday evening at 20:00, and yes it is live on Welsh TV. Mrs Bleater is happy as it will help her with her Welsh lessons. Always a great tournament, but has it lost some of its sparkle. The inclusion of the South African sides continues to be hotly debated, and the Challenge Cup all too often sees weakened sides turning up as it is no longer a priority.

One question being asked, in Wales that is, are the tournaments an opportunity to lift the gloom. Yes, of course is the answer. Wins for the regions would be great, but in many respects it would solve nothing. The games structure is a shambles, the quality of rugby is poor, and there is no strength in depth.

In the proper news, the Government continues to be in power, but it seems it also remains as the opposition. Yet again they are vetoing their own proposals. The removal of jury trials the latest to be vetoed by their own backbenchers. Then you have the appalling affront to democracy (thanks for the headline The Torygraph) with Sir U-Turn postponing mayoral elections because of the sheer dread of the outcome. The hospitals are overwhelmed again. Why, because people can’t get a GP appointment, and therefore are clogging up A&E with minor ailments. I’m sorry, the time has come to start charging people for GP appointments, and if you turn up at A&E with something trivial you are charged again. That said, the dilemma with that proposal is the only people who would be able to afford it are those on benefits, or illegal migrants who are looked after like royalty. Finally, can someone please tell me why the bloated, gold plated, public sector pensions are not in the firing line. Everybody else’s is.

Wednesday 3rd Dec: 10:05

I should have waited. You might want to read the piece below and then read this next….

So, they got there eventually. Wales and England in the same pool, Pool F. It couldn’t have been much better for both sides. England will stroll through the group but Wales, if they get their arses in gear, could be the runner up with Tonga and Zimbabwe making up the rest of the pool. If that were to be the case they would likely face Fiji as runners up in Pool C in the knockout stages. Win that and Wales could face France in the quarter-finals. Yes, I’m getting ahead of myself.

England will go into the knockout stage where they are likely to face Italy. Get through that and it is likely to be Japan or Australia in the quarter-final.

The tournament opener is sure to be Australia v New Zealand in Perth as they have been drawn in the same pool. We’ll know soon enough.

Ireland and Scotland together again in a tough group that includes Portugal and Uruguay

The whole draw is now across the media so you can do your own ‘what ifs’. The draw is just 30 minutes old and the anti-England sentiment is hitting social media.

A lovely draw for England, as per very World Cup.

England on the easier side of the draw…. AGAIN!

The bottom line is, it really couldn’t have gone much better for England, and Wales must be quietly relieved with how its gone.

The question now is, or to be accurate, Mrs Bleater’s question is: are we going? Maybe, just maybe.

Wednesday 3rd Dec: 09:25

The World Cup draw is live any minute now. I’m waiting to watch and will add the outcome shortly. In the meantime thanks to Andy who picked up on the costs facing clubs at Level 3. He confirmed the general principle of my example to be right, albeit the numbers will vary club by club. I was remiss however to not consider the match fees for the home games. When you take those into account you get a better picture of the challenges clubs face, and how tight it can be to balance the books.

I have already had howls of derision that the decision on Eben Etzebeth has been delayed as the panel could not agree on an appropriate sanction. The delay is a result of the panel not being able to agree on whether it was ‘reckless’ or ‘intentional’. The inference here is he is guilty, but the panel could not agree on the level of sanction. In an earlier blog I suggested the sanction could be somewhere between 6 and 9 matches, and that was based on my understanding of how the sanctioning works. It is strange however a decision wasn’t arrived at as the three man panel can arrive at a 2-1 decision.

The other big story is most international rugby will be on terrestrial TV for a couple of years to come. It appears ITV have secured the Six Nations coverage, and the papers are reporting they have gazumped TNT Sport and will be the TV partner for the inaugural Nations Series. They are UK media for the ‘27 World Cup. Happy days, to a degree. If we could get more of the amazing Premiership on terrestrial TV that would be fantastic. Money, talks however.

So, it’s now 9am and I’m waiting for the draw to start ….

This draw might be completed by Friday so I’m wrapping it up there. Come back later today for my view on what has happened.

Plenty in the papers, including stories of how much people who have opted not to work can get on benefits.

Tuesday 2nd Dec: 09:40

Not a great deal in the sports news about rugby. No surprise with it being a minority sport by comparison to football. However, there are many comparisons as The Torygraph pointed out just this week. Sadly it is not good news for the grassroots game. Across cricket, football and rugby the game is struggling. Clubs who once put out three or four sides are now finding it hard to put out one. Clubs have disappeared altogether. It is a worrying trend. That said if there is a ray of hope, the women’s side of the balance sheet, something The Hood has no idea what that is, is much healthier. The women’s Euros, The Hundred and the Women’s World Cup has sparked interest across all three sports. The article highlights what we already know, changing lifestyle, work pressure, family pressure, and so on, are all contributing factors on the negative side of the debate. There is also one additional factor that comes across, the lack of volunteers. Once the heartbeat of every club, now a rarity in many cases. The same pressures and demands mean time is at a premium. If you have access to The Torygraph it is well worth seeking out.

We in Crowborough, right now, are doing better than fine thank you. Through the junior and mini ranks we have lots of kids, and lots of willing volunteers. At senior level we are back to putting out two sides, and with a fair wind sometimes three. Across the board women and girls are a real success story. We have an Exec who work tirelessly behind the scenes, great staff in Jacqui, Louise and Ryan, great coaches, Ian Geering, and then we have the Friday Club. Some clubs across the country have one poor soul who is trying to keep the club in pristine condition, whether it be pitches or infrastructure. We have 25+ old farts who do a fantastic job week in, week out. When you look at the results on the field, bearing in mind the town’s demographic, we punch way above our weight consistently. Long may it continue.

Rugby’s totally disjointed season continues with the start of the European campaigns. Plenty of good match-ups across the weekend, including Bath v Munster and Scarlets v Bristol. I’ll have a more detailed look as the week goes on.

The World Cup in Australia is still 18 months or so away, but the seedings have been announced. England are seeded 3 behind the Springboks and All Blacks and they are in ‘Band 1’. Wales, despite being absolutely rubbish, have managed to scrape into ‘Band 2’ by virtue of their 11th placing in the rankings/seedings. This was crucial to avoid a ‘group of death’. With 24 countries being included, the draw is somewhat complicated, no chance of The Hood understanding it then. WalesOnline has a reasonable explanation, as does The Guardian.

Just glancing at the fixtures I spot TJs are away at Clifton. I have no idea whether they will travel there and back in a day but it is worth having a rough guess at the challenges sides like TJs face when promoted. NOTE: this is just an example and NOT directly related to TJs. So, you are likely to take 20 players (it might be more but 20 is easier for the maths). Let us assume £500 per player. Immediately you need to find £10k. Let us assume you travel up the day before. With the support staff you’ll need say 15 rooms. B&B would be £75 at least. That is another £1,125. The coach and driver for an overnight is likely to be £1500. So we are looking at close to £13k and that doesn’t include the salaried staff such as coaches, medics etc. Let’s assume there are ancillary costs which rounds it up to £15k. Not every away game would incur such costs but for the sake of simplicity let’s say it does. That is £105k you need to find for your away fixtures. You then have the seven home games. 1000 people watching at say £20 over the season is £140k so clubs can make it work, especially if they have generous sponsors. The key point is if the sums add up then that is great, however, with the way the economy is going, thanks to The Hood, it isn’t a stretch to see your costs going up and your revenue going the other way. It is a precarious business model, and the higher up the food chain you go, the more precarious the finances become. By the way I think TJs are doing a fine job both on and off the field.

In the absence of anything else I turn to the proper news. Richard Hughes, head of the OBR has been thrown under the bus to keep Rachel Reeves in a job. What she hasn’t yet realised is Mr Hughes is now going to be on the outside pi55ing in. Good luck with that. It is an absolute disgrace that The Hood has been allowed to screw over the very people, the taxpaying working class, to a) save her skin and b) throw cash like confetti at scroungers.

David Lammy has been the butt of may jokes but he is absolutely right, the jury system has to go. It is outdated, it is slow, and worse it is unreliable.

On that note, enjoy the sun while it lasts. The forecast is for more rain.

Monday 1st Dec: 09:45

A slightly less frenetic morning this morning, but a truly dreary one when looking out of the window at the leaden sky and persistent drizzle. Hey ho, one must get on with it.

Plenty to get through, including the customary Monday results round-up. Starting in our league where we remain 7th after the 20-26 win at Gillingham Anchorians. Topping the table, and next week’s opponents, are Old Elthamians. They beat Cranbrook by 74-0 thus keeping their perfect record going. Deal & Betteshanger are in 2nd spot after beating Park House 22-0. House remain bottom. Dover beat Charlton Park, Sevenoaks II beat Ashford, and The Greenies won 27-32 at Beccehamians. That is a fine result and keeps our good friends 9 points ahead of us up in 5th spot.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 not such a good day for Hove losing 21-10 to top of the table Cobham. Hove do remain in 4th, the best placed of the Sussex sides. Haywards Heath took the spoils against Eastbourne 17-10. They are 5th with Eastbourne in 6th.

In Sussex 2 the pick of the games saw Ditchling beating Lewes 31-19. East Grinstead and Pulborough had easy wins and stay 2nd and 1st respectively. In the other games Seaford and Brighton II enjoyed home wins. Crawley are pointless at the foot of the table and shipped another 86 points last weekend. Pulborough the beneficiaries.

Across in Hampshire 1 it was a good day for both Sussex sides. Bognor cruised past Eastleigh 80-0. Chichester snuck past Bournemouth II 34-31. Bognor go 2nd behind Winchester II. Chi are 4th.

Up in Regional 2 the Sussex successes continue with table topping Brighton beating 2nd placed Sidcup 29-27. Horsham are in 5th after beating 4th placed Beckenham 22-19. In a rarity for the game Bromley drew 0-0 with Old Colfeians.

Up one more into Regional 2 Tunbridge Wells fine season continues. Their 47-14 win over Maidenhead keeps them in 2nd behind Jersey RFC. Worthing weren’t so fortunate. They lost 34-11 to CS Stags. They are in 8th.

No games for TJs or Sevenoaks last weekend. As an aside TJs II are top of Kent 2 with Westcombe Park II in 2nd. Assuming we stay up two National League 2nd XVs will be added to our fixture list. I still don’t see the merit of this way forward, but what do I know!!!!

Rounding things off Bridgnorth lost 3-29 to Newport (Salop). Salisbury beat Swindon 12-48.

The Premiership returned this weekend. Bath go top after a late Arundell try at the Stone X yesterday. I caught some of this. It looked a cracker. Gloucester, Bristol, Leicester and Exeter were the other winners. I enjoyed the Sale v Exeter game on Friday. The West Country comeback was pretty impressive.

A mixed weekend for the Welsh regions, shorn of their stars. Wins for Cardiff and Scarlets. The Ospreys and Dragons came 2nd in their fixtures. Strangely, you can take plenty of positives from the weekend as the top players were being pummelled by the Springboks.

The least said about that the better, however Eben Etzebeth’s eye gouge of Alex Mann was diabolical. Looking at the sanction table he could be out for 6-9 matches (after discount), maybe more if the panel take into consideration his previous misdemeanours.

It looks as if the R360 project has hit the buffers. Hoorah! I never saw it working. A roadshow of games where there was no affinity with the fans.

If you bothered with the yesterday’s questions, my answers are NO! Yes, yes, yes and yes. She has to go as more and more accusations about lying are laid at her door. The budget was to save her but it is likely it will have exactly the opposite effect. Bringing her crashing to earth and taking Sir U-Turn with her.

Before I go, a ‘thank you’ to The Bard for sending me The Times article about how easy it is for scroungers to be signed off sick, and claim a myriad of benefits. The system is a joke. It simply is unjustifiable that people who choose benefits as a lifestyle choice are better off than tax payers. The issue is compounded as we lose sight of those who have been dealt a terrible hand and need all the support the country can give them. Perhaps if we took a harder line on scroungers and the bone idle we could invest that in the creaking care system, which is propped up by extremely hardworking, compassionate people, often immigrants from overseas who get paid a pittance, but still pay their taxes. The country is truly screwed.

Sunday 30th Nov: 09:50

Late start this morning. Long story, and by the way Mal had nothing to with it, nor did that absolute debacle in Cardiff yesterday.

With biblical rain pouring onto the hallowed grounds of Crowborough yesterday The Bard and I set off to Gillingham rather expecting to have to turn around as the game would be off. Oh how wrong were we. The pitch was immaculate. The best natural grass pitch in our league by a very long way.

The Bard has done a blow by blow account for the website but here is my more pithy take on proceedings. An early penalty try to us after a dynamic rolling maul gave me confidence we would win. Me being optimistic is never a good thing. Anchorians came back with their simple one out style of rugby. Offload to the next piano shifter in the queue and see what happens. Well, what happened was the score board levelled up at 7-7. We had gas to burn out wide but failed to exploit it. Josh Jarvis did crash over for a well deserved score to put us back in the lead. Instead of exploiting our back line with crisp, accurate passing we opted to aimlessly kick away hard won possession time, after time, after time. I got bored of it. Actually it is best to say I got frustrated by it. I think the coaches were too.

The second half started without the aimless kicking but ball through hands. The outcome however was not what was expected. Anchorians were awarded a penalty try which the The Bard describes as ‘strange’. At last the ball was moved away from the hosts big, hard tackling forwards out wide where we found space and made ground. Will Pitman took us further ahead before Anchorians reduced the deficit with a well struck penalty. We should have been even further ahead except an unfortunate slip close to the line allowed their defence back into it. We added another Pitman try out wide before a very nervy closing 15 minutes. We lost two players to the naughty step so ended the game with 13. A last ditch penalty for them and brilliant last ditch defence by us kept the score to 26-20 and five very valuable league points. We could have won that game by some distance. We need to simplify the game, and use the unquestionable talent in the backline more effectively. Old Elthamians up next. They won by a lot yesterday.

A quick mention for the 2nd XV. They went to Haywards Heath yesterday with just 14 players but came away with a 45-29 win. I understand it was a terrific game and our boys stuck to their task to a man.

OK, I guess I have to mention it. The complete and utter debacle in Cardiff. I watched until half time and decided F1 qualifying would be much more interesting and gratifying. Even watching the anthems you good see it was South African wildebeest against Wales Lilliputians. The cameraman had to tilt the camera upwards they were that big, and that was just the backs. Wales were like rabbits in the headlights. It is terrifying to think what the score would have been if the Springboks were at full strength, even against a full strength Welsh side. The raft of empty seats told its own story. The WRU should have bitten the bullet and cancelled the game. However, even a half full stadium with tickets at £50 would have grossed the WRU close to £2m.

Lots of rugby to digest but the reason I was late to the pass is also the reason I’m going to leave it there.

I will ask a couple of simple questions:-

Why is it acceptable for people who have chosen not to work, and have kids, to earn more, by a margin, than a couple where both people work?

Was the budget solely to appease the vultures hovering over the Labour bank-benches?

Did The Hood lie?

Should she resign, or better, be sacked?

As Sir U-Turn allegedly knew she was on dodgy ground should he go too?

Thursday 27th Nov: 09:17

As we awake to a damp and gloomy day in Crowborough it feels very much like the nightmare before Christmas. Yes I’m talking about what the OBR delivered in The Hood’s budget. Not only was the day a fiasco, the budget was a disgrace. A disgrace for hardworking taxpayers. More on this in a moment. A bit like the ‘skip’ button on iPlayer you might want to go straight to my rant thus avoiding the rugby news.

This is the club website and rugby is the game, so if you haven’t scrolled down here is the latest news. More and more people are taking a pot shot at the WRU for agreeing the fixture with South Africa outside the international window. The public have been short changed again. That said, it is not the worst ever Welsh side to take to the field, and a positive performance against what will still be a very good Springbok outfit will be a boost ahead of the Six Nations.

Two fine centres in the news, a problem position for England. Joe Marchant will join Sale from Stade Francais next season. That news will have caught the attention of Mr Borthwick. The other centre is none other than Manu Tuilagi, remember him. If, and it always was a big ‘if’, he can stay fit he could be lining up for Samoa against England. That would be quite something. World Rugby changed the eligibilities rules with this in mind, not for the already bloated big big boys to get even bigger.

The Tom Curry saga rumbles on. His boss at Sale says Curry being a bully is ‘laughable’. Tired but adrenalin still causing through the body after beating Los Pumas, anything is possible is what I say.

The dark clouds are not only gathering over the UK but also over Gregor Townsend. Despite having the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’ from his bosses at the SRU there are plenty saying the time is right for him to go. I’m not sure that is a good idea, but do say there does seem to be an arrogance to Townsend that hasn’t been there in the past.

World Cup winner, and fan favourite, Abby Dow, is hanging up her boots at the tender age of 28. She has plenty of more rugby miles in the tank but has decided that she needs to prioritise her career in mechanical engineering. Well done her.

If you missed it, the British & Irish Lions have confirmed anyone signing for the rebel R360 conglomerate will be banned from Lions selection. Good. The R360 project has gone quiet, which is worrying on the one hand, what have they up their sleeve, or optimistic on the other, in that the project is heading for the buffers.

James Ryan gets a three match ban for his reckless ruck entry in the game against South Africa. Yes, he is eligible for ‘tackle school’ which is almost as big a disgrace as yesterday’s budget.

I read with interest that the Women’s 7s circuit will see them playing with smaller balls. No! Absolutely not! I am not going down that road. The balls will be marginal smaller but the same weight as the full size ball. It is to aid handling without impacting on the kicking game.

No senior games at Steel Cross on Saturday. The 1s are at Gillingham Anchorians and the 2s are at Haywards Heath II. Both kick off at 14:00

Plenty of tough games in Counties Kent 1. The Greenies travel to revitalised Beccehamian. Sevenoaks II hosting Ashford will also be a litmus test of the state of the league.

Elsewhere I like the look of Haywards Heath v Eastbourne. Hove are at table topping Cobham. In Sussex 2 the game of the day is Ditchling v Lewes. Can Tunbridge Wells keep their fine run going. They host Maidenhead.

OK, the budget. Like many in the papers, I think it is an absolute disgrace that hardworking people who pay their taxes and try and put a little aside for the future are now being expected to fund those bone idle scroungers who have made living off benefits a lifestyle choice. The Marxist ideology of the state controlling wealth is floored. What is now called the ‘mansion tax’ is appalling. It is akin to Stalinist Russia taking control of property legally owned and redistributing the wealth. It didn’t work then, it won’t work now. There is so much in the budget that will kill any hope of growth in the economy, in fact some measures like the increase in minimum wage might actually deter growth and restrict employment opportunities. The very worst aspect of yesterday was this budget had absolutely nothing to do with the economy, or the nations wealth, it had everything to do with keeping Sir U-Turn and The Hood in a job, and appeasing those who on the gravy train fear their days are numbered if the polls are to be believed.

Wednesday 26th Nov: 09:25

Good morning on this very crisp November day. A beautiful way to start the day, that is until you remember that later today you are likely to be significantly poorer, unless of course you are on benefits. More on this shortly.

It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of Mike ‘Spike’ Watkins former Wales, Cardiff and Newport legend. He first came to the notice of those in the know playing for Crumlin RFC in the Gwent valley. My old club. He captained all three sides with both my brothers playing at Newport alongside him over several seasons. I played in two charity games with him at Crumlin, realising he was probably one of the most ‘driven’ players I have played alongside, or against. One of the great characters of the game. He will be sadly missed. Rest in peace, and our thoughts are with your family and friends.

Staying in Wales the game that nobody wants, except the WRU, is turning to farce. As mentioned yesterday Wales are without 13 front line players. It turns out, for the same reason, club demands, Rassie Erasmus will only have 25 fit players at his disposal. Money, money, money. Even a half full Principality Stadium with heavily discounted tickets will generate millions for the beleaguered WRU. Yes, of course I will record and watch on my return from Gillingham. Gillingham Anchorians being the challenge that lies ahead for the boys from Steel Cross this weekend. Team announcement later today.

Steve Borthwick might be sat at the breakfast table this morning scratching his head. The RFU have announced turnover at a ten year high, and a much reduced l