As I was heading to bed last night so the horrors on the train was breaking news. Looking at the update this morning, it truly is a horror story. Nine people with life threatening injuries. Sport pales into insignificance when you read through the papers and see those headlines.

Life goes on and sport is a bringer of joy, unless of course you support Leicester City.

Twickenham was packed to the rafters yesterday and most present will have enjoyed a workmanlike win over the Aussies. It was far from scintillating and there are, without doubt, some areas England need to work on. Lets pick up on a couple of those right now. The centre pairing. Some of the hacks, who will know much more than me, are saying Steve Borthwick has to persist with Tommy Freeman in the centre. I for one am not sure the partnership with Dingwall worked yesterday. When you have quality and experience in Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade, both in fine form, sat in the stands it seems a risky experiment. Then you have Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wing. For much of the game he was redundant. He is an amazing talent. Borthwick has to get the ball in his hands more often. George Ford did what he had to but looking ahead is it right to persist with him.

Elsewhere the game highlighted the abundance of riches now at Borthwick’s disposal. Ben Earl was man of the match, very deservedly. What an engine. The appearance of Henry Pollock lit up the stadium, and that one handed pick up and the subsequent try highlighted his immense talent. He is what the game needs but he does have to keep his feet on the ground. As expected the introduction of the bench cemented the win. Tom Curry showed why he was a test Lion. Ellis Genge was at his pugnacious best. He did overstep the mark on one occasion however. Borthwick and his vast array of coaches will look back with a degree of satisfaction. There will be a recognition that this wasn’t the strongest of Aussie outfits and improvement will be required when the All Blacks come to town. By the way, I’ll be at that game as a guest of the RFU.

Australia will be licking their wounds before heading to Rome for the clash with Italy. Harry Potter was outstanding, both in attack and defence. The fly-half Edmed more than justified his selection. Joe Schmidt will be worried by the lack of cutting edge, and praying that Rob Valetini stays fit. To be fair England’s defence was excellent yesterday.

It wasn’t a classic but a win is a win.

Now for a whinge. Austin Healey has to go. His inane comments are frustrating at the best of times. Yesterday however, he overstepped the mark in my view. Openly criticising the referee is not what the game needs, nor is the encouragement of thuggery. My view!!

Then we had Ireland v New Zealand. It wasn’t the classic we had all expected but I thought it was a decent contest. A contest up a notch from the game at Twickenham. I have to start with Tadgh Beirne’s red card three minutes into the game. Incredibly harsh in my humble opinion. That said the match officials, all five of them, were in agreement. I’m not sure what else he could have done.

This was a scrappy contest littered with mistakes. Ireland looked ring-rusty, and the All Blacks far from their best. Just the one try for Ireland versus the four for New Zealand. As the game headed to its conclusion the All Blacks turned on the style. It was a shame a try was chalked off at the death as that would have made the highlight reels for weeks to come.

The injuries to two of the Barrett boys will concern Scott Robinson, who always looked spaced out. There will be concerns for Andy Farrell too. Japan up next for him and his charges.

Didn’t bother watching Scotland’s emphatic win over USA. Way too boring and one-sided to keep me interested.

I’m popping to the club later. The Colts host a very good Hove side. After the rain this morning the pitch will be heavy.

The final of the Women’s ODI is today. If it is half as good as the India v Australia semi-final it will be a cracker.

Thursday 30th Oct: 09:45

Just a few words this morning as it is busy, busy, busy.

A gentle reminder for those eager to watch England v Australia on Saturday when you don’t have access to TNT. The club does. Bar opens at 14:30.

Not a great deal of new news in the rugby pages I’m afraid. A bit of hype around Fraser Dingwall’s selection alongside Tommy Freeman in the centre. Dingwall could be the knife that cuts open the Australian defence. Freeman could be the weak link in England’s defensive chain.

There’s a bit more coverage about Marcus Smith’s slow but definite move backwards in England’s pecking order.

Henry Pollock is in the papers too. He has two challenges. The first, in my opinion, is the biggest: keeping his feet on the ground. The new hairstyle, the social media posts, and other press comments would indicate he’s getting a bit up himself. There is a place for arrogance in sport but it needs to be tempered. The second is the minute he enters the fray he will have a target on his back. The opposition will see him as a threat and muster their hardest hitters to stop him getting up a head of steam.

Looking forward to watching this one. Rest assured if England don’t win I for one will be asking serious questions about the huge investment being made at the expense of the grassroots game. I think they will win, and I believe they now have a secret weapon in Lee Blackett. He made a big difference during the Argentinian tour, and Bath have been less incisive out wide since he left.

If Mal Bec doesn’t arrive too early on Saturday the Ireland v New Zealand contest is definitely one to watch. Andy Farrell is back in charge and will be wanting to stamp his mark on proceedings straight away.

Very little, if any, grassroots games this weekend. I point you in the direction of Steel Cross on Sunday at 13:00. The Colts play Hove. Hove Colts are a good side so this should be worthy of a visit. I hope to be there for this one.

I’ve just been looking at the photos of the devastation in Jamaica and across Cuba. It is horrendous.

So, Rachel Reeves has been renting out her house contrary to the regulations. What is Sir U-Turn doing about it? Nothing! Like he is doing nothing about anything else. Yep, it is a cover-up of mega proportions. You thought the Tories were sleaze bags. Think again.

I read with horror that the Israelis have resumed attacks on Gaza. Those murderous b.. people in Hamas have failed in their responsibility, AGAIN, but the Israeli response is far from proportionate. Like Putin with Ukraine, Netanyahu doesn’t want peace. He wants to totally destroy Gaza and the Palestinians living there.

On a brighter note Reeves the Hood is planning to raise income tax by 2p. Whoopy do. There goes the economy.

Wednesday 29th Oct: 09:25

I’m going to start off with a British obsession: the weather. Whilst we have woken to a wet and miserable morning here in the metropolis of Crowborough, spare a thought for those who have lost their lives, their livelihoods, and more across Jamaica and the Caribbean thanks to Hurricane Melissa. It is horrendous.

What do I know about anything? Without being a smart arse, I do know quite a bit about a number of things. It is clear however I know very little about rugby, and especially how Steve Borthwick approaches team selection.

Whilst George Ford has been exceptional I didn’t expect him to start against Australia with Fin Smith on the bench. Tommy Freeman in the centre with Fraser Dingwall wasn’t what I expected either, especially as Ollie Lawrence nor Henry Slade are in the match day squad. The forwards are definitely not where my head was at. I’m delighted for for young Guy Pepper, he has been brilliant for Bath this season, and at the back end of last. Starting with Baxter, George and Heyes seems strange but Borthwick is Head Coach, whilst I’m chief misery.

England have come unstuck on many occasions as games have headed to the final quarter. Off trot the starters and on trot the bench, all too often to underperform when the game is at a crucial stage. With a bench of Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Coles, T. Curry, Pollock Spencer and Smith F that is unlikely to happen this time. It is a selection policy straight out of Rassie Erasmus’s magical play-book of spells. Unless there are injuries I can see seven of the bench coming on at the same time.

It seems with a 6-2 split young Henry Pollock has been training out on the wing. Good planning me thinks. However, it raises an interesting question. If hybrid players are the way forward, why do we need so many subs? The answer is we don’t. It is a very well worn, and favourite record. The game should reduce the number of players on the bench, especially if hybrid is the way forward.

With Marcus Smith nowhere to be seen, and very much a bit part player on the Lions tour, is another mercurial talent going to be wasted? Stuart Barnes, Danny Cipriani, players with immense talent, outstanding on their day but all too often overlooked for the steady as you go man in the #10 shirt. It is clearly like business where the sycophantic ‘yes’ man, or woman gets the job instead of the really talented but sometimes difficult employee.

It is going to be an intriguing few weeks, especially as rankings ahead of the World Cup are crucial.

The Guardian have produced an excellent form guide ahead of the series of internationals starting. Definitely well worth reading.

As expected the England v Australia game will be available at the club from 14:30 with kick off at 15:00.

Whilst I will be watching all the games the one I’m most excited about is Ireland v New Zealand. Where are Ireland after dominating the game for a number of seasons. Are New Zealand about to rediscover their spark? Will the Irish Lions be ready? It should be a cracker.

In other sport England Women face South Africa in the 1st semi-final of the women’s ODI. Sadly I have to go out in this awful weather so will miss most of this one.

The Bard has sent me a very good article from The Times. The budget is on its way and will be a budget full of spite and envy attacking the very people who already shoulder a huge proportion of the countries tax burden, and those who create wealth, and those who drive employment. It will be the economics of a madman, or in this case a totally deranged woman. Once the well is dry you’re done for. You have to think differently. You cannot spend what you haven’t got so cuts have to be made. The fat in the civil service is a perfect target. Waste in the NHS another. The benefits system is out of control, including state and public sector pensions. Unfortunately when political dogma and the politics of hate blind you to reality we all become doomed to a life of perpetual misery.

Yes I am going to touch on the illegal immigration topic again. The Crowborough Army Camp has touched a few nerves. It is smoke and mirrors though. This Government is making a fuss to assuage those moving to Reform in their droves. It is noticeable they still do not have any sort of plan to stop the boats, or speed up the removal of illegal immigrants. This is the heart of the issue and fancy PR statements and the lettuce turning this way and that is not solving the main problem.

Have a nice day.

Tuesday 28th Oct: 09:45

Crowborough is now well and truly on the map after last night’s breaking news. More on this shortly.

First up though is a look ahead to the weekend. Does Australia’s narrow win over Japan suggest it will be a stroll in the park for England on Saturday. No I don’t think so. Japan are a good side and the Wallabies were far from full strength. I’m fairly confident a packed Twickenham will enjoy an England victory but it won’t be easy. Australia have played the best of the best in the Rugby Championship and shown they are no longer a pushover. I hope the game lives up to the hype and we see some free-flowing rugby from both sides, but especially from England. There is always the possibility that it will be kick tennis and rutting buffalo from start to finish of course.

Japan host South Africa. Interesting, but lets move on.

Scotland entertain the USA up at Murrayfield. This is likely to be a one-sided affair. Scotland continue to improve despite never fully delivering the killer blow when it counts. The USA aren’t the force they once were. This will be a good training run for the Scots before the tougher challenges that lie ahead.

Then we have the Chicago showdown. The last time this was on the agenda was in 2016 when in an amazing game the Irish triumphed. The unbeatable aura of the All Blacks is no more. They are now mere mortals like the rest of the rugby world. Will Ireland be able to repeat the feat? There are two obstacles in the way. The first being The Lions. Having supplied a significant proportion of the Lions squad to tour Australia, and despite being a victorious tour, there will still be tiredness in those legs. The second is the timing. The All Blacks have just come from the Rugby Championship. The Irish, as stated could be tired, but lacking in preparation time. Where there is hope it is from the much vaunted Irish strength in depth. Unlike many nations Ireland really does have strength in depth and this could be the difference.

Sadly for many the games are being shown on TNT Sports. I’m lucky enough to have access but if you don’t then you will miss out…. UNLESS…. you get to Steel Cross where we do have TNT Sports. England kick off at 15:00

Wales have a free weekend, which means on Sunday I won’t have to face the ignominy of writing about a humiliating defeat.

Not a great deal else to write about I’m afraid. I could touch on the fact that Red Bulls investment has made absolutely no difference to Newcastle’s results. Kingston Park is probably awash with empty cans however. I have to say, every Friday whoever does the litter pick on the roads around Steel Cross will find empty Red Bull cans.

The PWR is back and hopefully being well supported by those who went to the World Cup. By the way, the interview with Sharon Green on the website is excellent. The growth of girls rugby and the fact the ladies have their first game in a few weeks is a real success story at Steel Cross.

Who’d be a football manager. Here today, gone tomorrow. In a strange way politics is like that, albeit over a longer time frame. The next Government will berate everything this Government is doing, like this Government is berating everything the last lot did. Mind you they were pretty useless at the end. Has the time come for proportional representation where we have a Government that can really deliver over the long term? Worth considering. My mates Ken and Mike have me pretty much convinced.

Then of course the announcement that Crowborough Army Camp is to be used to house illegal migrants. It would be hypercritical of me to say anything other than ‘at last’. We have spent way too much on hotels and a really comfortable life for those arriving here illegally. Camps are exactly where they should be housed. The absolutely pathetic Home Office needs to process the claims quickly ensuring those genuinely fleeing persecution and horror are moved to somewhere better and given sanctuary, and those who are not are sent back. Not to France, as we already know that is a useless policy, but to whence they came. The country can then focus on legal migration where we can welcome people we need. People like those from India and Nepal and Bangladesh who are caring wonderfully for my dear old mum. Yes, yes, I know I’ll get into trouble but someone has to speak out.

Monday 27th Oct: 10:05

No rugby to watch yesterday, and no I didn’t get round to watching Dragons v Scarlets. I’ll keep that for later in the week. There were a couple of games in our region and here are the results.

From top down we find TJs losing at Rotherham 38-28. As an aside I bumped into a former TJ sponsor and we chatted about the costs being incurred in National 1. Rotherham away is an overnight stay for 30 players, plus support staff, plus the cost of the transport, plus players match fees. I can’t imagine what that adds up to but I am pretty certain it runs into thousands of British pounds.

In Nat 2 East Sevenoaks lost at high flying Barnes. It is very early days but ‘Oaks find themselves one off the bottom.

In Regional 1 Tunbridge Wells solid start to the season continues with a 29-33 win at Bracknell. Worthing also tasted victory beating Farham 33-14. TWells are 2nd behind Jersey RFC.

One further down in Regional 2 Brighton came home from Dartfordians with a 33-52 win. Horsham drew at Old Colfeians 33-33. That must have been quite some game. Brighton are top, Horsham are 5th in this league.

For the record Bridgnorth lost at Lichfield. Not the best start to the season lying in 8th spot.

The build up to the Quilter Nations Series, the Autumn Internationals, now begins. Steve Borthwick has whittled his squad down and it contains the usual suspects of course. A resurgent Henry Slade is in, as is a now fit Immanuel Fayi-Waboso. The headline of course is the inclusion of Noah Caluori. The season is just a few weeks old and already he has made a huge impression. That said he wasn’t that prominent in Friday’s game against Saracens. I expect steady as you go in the forwards but what does Borthwick do with the back line. I’m guessing Alex Mitchell will start, as will Tommy Freeman. Who plays #10? I think you have to give Fin Smith the nod despite Marcus Smith being the unpredictable livewire around the park. Ollie Lawrence surely has to be included after Saturday’s solid showing against Bristol. It is wide open after that. Who plays fullback? Does Slade come in at centre? We’ll know soon enough. One thing is certain, Borthwick has an abundance of riches at his disposal, and there should be no excuses for his side not coming through the Autumn unbeaten.

Across the Severn Bridge in the Principality of Wales things are very different. There are plenty of options, but with very few exceptions, Jac Morgan being one, none of the Welsh squad would make the England squad. You have to remember Wales has the population of half that of London. It is a very small pool to choose from, and when two of your talismen, Faletau and LR-Z are injured you know life is going to be tough. Wales have an extra week to prepare as their game v Argentina isn’t until Sunday 9th Nov.

An row has erupted between the South African URC franchises and the South African union. The game against Wales falls outside the international window. Why they do that I have no idea. As a consequence the franchises are demanding extra payments for the release of their players. It is getting very messy. It is slightly easier for Wales as they only lose their England based players but it is still a nonsense. We know why they do it…. MONEY, but nevertheless!!

The Scaletrix continued yesterday with Lando Norris enjoying a 2 hour tour of the Mexico circuit unimpeded. My mate Pricey is like a dog with two tails this morning with his beloved Bournemouth sitting 2nd in the Premier League. Another defeat for Leicester City in the Championship put a damper on the weekend. Not really. It is only football.

The Government’s incompetence continues unabated with horror stories about the lack of control over spending, the laissez-faire attitude to working from home, and a total ignorance of the desperate need to get crime under control. I could go on but it is too depressing.

Sunday 26th Oct: 09:10

A quick ‘thank you’ to start. Thank you for asking where I’ve been and why no blog. Nothing sinister, in fact something extremely pleasurable. Two weeks in the Caribbean in glorious surroundings with glorious weather, and then a week at home that was manic to say the least. I’m back now and suitably refreshed.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the results and reading The Bard’s erudite reports. Two wins from three is ok. A win against a resurgent Charlton Park was good, as was an away win at Park House, notoriously difficult for us to come away from there with anything other than our tails between our legs. The big disappointment was being away for the Past Players Lunch, which I am reliably informed was delicious, and subsequently losing to Ashford. I understand they were big and we weren’t. They played with cohesion and we didn’t. Hey ho.

Looking at the league table The Greenies are going well, and Old Elthamians are clearly intent on regaining past glories. These are the two in-form teams currently. Still early days yet with lots of rugby to be played.

The saddest of news whilst I was basking under the sun on the pristine white beach with the crystal clear Caribbean Sea lapping gently onto the shore was the news of Lewis Moody’s MND diagnosis. As we have seen with Rob Burrows, Doddie Weir, Ed Slater and Joost ve der Westhuizen it is a devastating illness with no known cure at present. Our hearts have to go out to him and his family.

Plenty of action, for a change, at the WRU, with Steve Tandy announcing his squad for the Autumn series, and the WRU announcing the plan to go down to three regions. At present it looks like Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, the three biggest cities, which therefore makes a significant amount of sense. It won’t happen quickly and it won’t happen without a huge fight, especially over in West Wales where the battle lines have already been drawn.

Didn’t watch any rugby while I was away and really only kept up to date with Crowborough results. Now I’m back I have gorged somewhat enjoying Friday’s encounter between Saints and Saracens. Put to one side the fact he scored four tries, Tommy Freeman has to be nailed on for an England spot next Saturday. The Bath v Bristol affair was a tasty contest. I’m not sure about the punch ups, and was certainly unimpressed with how Bath butchered several try opportunities, and how despite having an amazing back line focussed on brute strength and ignorance up front way too often. It was thoroughly entertaining however. The Leicester v Sale game was a cracker, in my opinion. Some fantastic rugby with George Ford looking as good as ever. Why Tommy Reffell is not in the Welsh squad beggars belief quite frankly. He was immense yesterday.

S4C will be showing in full the Dragons v Ospreys encounter which apparently was another good game. Yep, I’ll probably succumb to temptation and watch that. Cardiff beat Edinburgh, but only just. Seeing Taulupe Faletau limping off after a few minutes was not great however.

As I’m easing myself back into the swing of things gently that’ll do for now, except to say……

Incompetence has risen to new heights with the debacle around the jailed asylum seeker being released by accident. You couldn’t make it up.

Then you have the wonderful news the first asylum seeker deported under the ‘one in, one out’ scheme was back in the UK within days.

The Plaid Cymru win in Caerphilly tells you all you need to know about how low Labour have slumped. If they can’t win in Caerphilly then the writing really is on the wall for Sir U-Turn.

Sir U-Turn’s new deputy has wasted no time in sharpening the knife. Et tu brute springs to mind.

Then of course there is the Prince Andrew saga but I’ll leave that for the likes of the Daily Fail to comment on.

Finally, the budget is looming. It would seem Rachel Reeves is set to deliver a final fatal blow to the British economy with her upcoming budget, all in the belief that supporting those who can’t be bothered is the way to success.

I leave you with a quote: artificial intelligence will never be a substitute for natural stupidity.

Thursday 2nd Oct: 09:40

The weekend is almost here. The weather looks set to disrupt proceedings unfortunately but let’s work on the basis we in the South East miss the very worst of the storms. On that basis there are some cracking ties in Kent 1. CRFC v Charlton Park for instance. The other games are Beccs v D&B, Cranbrook v Park House, Anchorians v Oaks II, The Greenies v Ashford and Old Elthamians v Dover. Still very early days but we might get a feel for how the league will progress. Who is in the running for promotion, and who might be heading south.

The game of the day is found in Surrey/Sussex 1 where Eastbourne host Hove. Both have made excellent starts. Haywards Heath host Weybridge Vandals.

Sussex 2 start their campaign on Saturday and after a ‘heated’ contest in the cup last weekend you have to pick out Crawley v Lewes as the pick of that league. Seaford v East Grinstead is another tasty clash.

In Hampshire 1 Bognor in third travel to Andover who are top, both unbeaten thus far. Chichester jet off to face Guernsey II.

The journey of the day is Brighton down to Canterbury II. The other game of note in Regional 2 is Horsham hosting Bromley. I’ll be interested to see how these two games pan out. Last season they were two leagues apart.

Up one more and we find Tunbridge Wells hosting London Scottish Lions and Worthing hosting Wimbledon.

Finally in National League 2 Sevenoaks host Bury St Edmunds. In Nat 1 TJs host Birmingham Moseley.

Plenty of top flight rugby too including the final round of the Rugby Championship, more Premiership rugby including Bath v Sale tomorrow evening, the URC, and the English Championship finally kicks off. Worcester host Coventry in this one.

Talking of Coventry, it seems the pedantry of the RFU, with the uncertainty about promotion to, and relegation from the Premiership, has seen a very lucrative sponsorship deal with the House of Luxury fall through. HoL recently tied up a deal with Scarlets.

The headline in the rugby pages is the dismissal of Steve Diamond from Newcastle. The new owners haven’t wasted any time in stamping their authority on proceedings. Diamond is an abrasive, despotic figure and it would seem that doesn’t fit in with the new regimes plans. The surprise comes in that Gregor Townsend has been announced as a ‘consultant’ at the club with Neil McIlroy soon to arrive as Rugby General Manager with Alan Dickens taking on the role of Head Coach. The energy drink company are wasting no time in shaking things up at Kingston Park. The BBC Sport website for more detail.

The Fail exclusively reported yesterday that the R360 project is set to launch in 2026 as planned. WalesOnline adds more detail, stating Mike Tindall confirmed to the authorities that the funding was secure and player recruitment was on track with many top flight international having already signed agreements to join. It is suggested that players could receive £740k per season, which for many is a very lucrative deal. I still can’t see it working, but then again I am pessimism and misery personified.

As the curtain came down on the Women’s World Cup so the hype ahead of the men’s version starts. WalesOnline brings you news that the new six pool, 52 match tournament with the added jeopardy of a round of 16 knockout stage is pretty much ready to go. Due to the seedings and the format countries need to be in the top 12 places when the draw is made otherwise reaching the knockout stage is pretty much impossible….. I think.

That’s about it for today except to say it was good to read that a very short stretch of road improving links between Hastings and Bexhill opened this week after 16 years in the making. This compared with the Chinese opening the tallest bridge in the world crossing a huge ravine took just three and half years.

To frame expectations, especially for you mum, due to personal commitments this drivel is likely to be intermittent, or maybe non existent over the next few weeks. ‘Hoorah’ I hear you shout!!!!

Wednesday 1st Oct: 09:45

Good morning. The World Cup is over, we now head toward the Autumn Internationals, and sadly the depths of winter, not that winter has been that deep of late. Climate change and all that. Not a great deal to get stuck into today but I do bring you news that Steel Cross will be busy, busy, busy on Saturday.

Not only are the 1st at home v Charlton Park k.o. 15:00. Book your place for lunch. We also have the 2s at home v Burgess Hill k.o. 14:00, AND we have the 3s, yes we are getting a 3rd XV out, and they play Ditchling 2s k.o. 14:45. Three good reasons to get off the sofa and get to Steel Cross. Sadly I can’t make it.

It wasn’t so long ago that we were struggling to get a 1st XV out. Now we are getting a 3rd XV a game. It is excellent news and is a result of tireless work by Graysey, Geering, the coaches and all who do stacks of stuff in the background to make it a great place to play.

I’ll look at the other league fixtures tomorrow.

A couple of snippets that you might have missed. Aussie prop, and most capped Australian James Slipper is to hang up his international boots after this Saturday’s Australia v New Zealand clash. A great servant to the game indeed.

Following on from Mark McCall leading the charge with his comments about players not being ready for action due to mandatory rest periods, which it appears aren’t mandatory at all, two things have come to light. The finger has been pointed at Bath for finding ways around the rules by using Premiership Cup games as games missed when in truth the players would have missed them any way. It is the same ruse clubs use at discipline hearings when they find games that a player could have played in when he, or she, were never ever going to be selected for. The Garry Ringrose saga. Remember that!! Bath also, it seems, managed to get full-on contests against Worcester and others deemed as not ‘competitive’ thus allowing stars to play in them thus enhancing their season readiness. The Daily Fail for the full article.

Linking to this the All Black great Conrad Smith is leading the way to further reduce the game time played by the top players. Despite the games efforts the concussion rates are not reducing, even at grassroots level where the tackle height has been lowered. Smith argues that the number of head contacts during games and during training remains way too high, and the only way to reduce it is to limit contact time by mandatory rest periods in set blocks. In essence he is asking for a 5 week off-season, a 30 game maximum, and built-in recovery blocks. I can understand the rationale as this is where the NFL have got to. The conflict between club and country will be an issue I’m sure. This from The Torygraph.

The Daily Fail brings us news that the breakaway R360 league is ready to go next season. I think it will kill the game and make a few players, and a few organisers, very rich, but do little else. It will however tick the box of reducing players exposure to regular heavy duty head contact. I can’t tell you more as it is a pay-to-read article and I’m not giving the Fail a single penny of my money.

Going back to the comment about little reduction in concussion rates even at grassroots level, this is worthy of exploration. I haven’t looked at the stats but can understand why that might be the case. At grassroots level players are also hitting the tackle bags hard on a regular basis, I’m not convinced the referees are as diligent as they were when the law was introduced. That is based on watching some early season games. I am sure that as the tackler reduces his height so the ball carrier is going into contact much lower. Finally, and I am dealing with a case right now, where the tackler is low, and ball carrier is upright, knees are hitting heads harder than heads were hitting heads.

The Torygraph have done a fun piece on where to watch Premiership Rugby and where to avoid. Avoid the Stone-X and get to the Rec. It is a fun article with venues ranked on capacity, location, history, local facilities, atmosphere and then given an overall ranking. Go Steel Cross!! Ticking a lot of those matrix, or is it metrics!?

That’ll do for now except to say Leicester City 1 Wrexham 1 was a difficult watch last night.

It’s the Labour Conference this week. My take out is what a fantastic job the odious and unpleasant Nigel Farage is doing. Instead of bringing us details of what the government is going to do to turn things around, it was a PR campaign of some magnitude for Reform. It also highlights the class envy embedded in the Labour party without any recognition of the contribution most of the wealth creators do for the country. It also reinforced my opinion that working hard to have a comfortable life is hardly worth the effort. You get taxed every which way, and on money you have already paid tax on, and the bone idle wastrels keep getting more and more handouts for sitting on their backsides doing jack all.

Have a nice day!