Warren Gatland has been pretty conservative with his team selection. AWJ starts as does Leigh Halfpenny. I’m disappointed by the absence of Nick Tompkins. He has been in fine form for some time. I fear Gatland thinks he is too small for his game plan.

A big thank you to my mate Richard for sending me the article in The Telegraph asking “is rugby doomed”. There is much in the article that I have to agree with such as the financial mess the Premiership is in, the tackle controversy and the recent horrendous allegations made against the WRU. I am going to hang on to the article and look at it again after the Six Nations because that too might contribute to the concerns.

Ok that’ll do. My ASBO begins in an hours so better be off.

Don’t forget………

The H&W game kicks off at 14:00
The club is open for the Six Nations
I’ll be back as Jennifer Jabba the Hutt Feb 26th or 27th.

Tuesday 31st Jan: 09:30

The Six Nations build up continues but before that there is the small matter of Heathfield & Waldron vs Crowborough. Yes, the game postponed from just before Christmas is due to be played on Saturday and with the weather set fair for the rest of the week that is certain to go ahead. A couple of things to note: the game will kick off at 14:00 and not 14:30 as advertised. Please also remember parking at Cross-in-Hand is notoriously difficult. Our friends have asked we respect their neighbours and park legally. No matter our respective league positions this should be a cracker.

Let’s talk balls. The smart ball trailed ahead ofthe Autumn Internationals but failing to make an appearance will (possibly) make its debut at Twickenham on Saturday. Sky Sports website carries a couple of fascinating articles about the technology and the supposed benefits, one of which is NOT giving the commentators and pundits even more banal and mind numbing stats to bore the pants off with. That said, an amazing technological advance.

I am led to believe Warren Gatland will announce his side to face Ireland later today. Plenty of selection headaches with a long injury list in some positions, and a cornucopia of talent in others. He is also in the very unusual position of being able to select from a list of players who are in fine form for their club, some of whom won’t even make the squad. Think of the contrast between now and when Pivac was forced to pick the 23 players who were upright.

Andy Farrell has talent in every position with just a few notable absentees. On paper Ireland should win this one and win it comfortable, especially if you look at how the four provincial sides are going compared to the four Welsh regions. Plenty of emotion for one J. Sexton as he embarks on his final Six Nations journey.

14:15 this one kicks off. Cardiff will be buzzing and whilst there might be a mis-guided air of expectation among the Welsh I genuinely believe Wales will not be the whipping boys many others are expecting us to be.

Next up is England v Scotland, the Calcutta Cup. Some have been very disparaging about the Scottish Barbarians chances on Saturday, and throughout the tournament. Big mistake. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are performing well at the moment and those plying their trade outside Scotland are in pretty good form too.

When the England squad was announced there was much excitement and a certainty that Eddie Jones era was over. Well, the constant drip of injuries might just change that and not for good. Many are saying that Marcus Smith will start at 10 with Owen Farrell at 12. The withdrawal of Dan Kelly, Henry Slade and Eliot Daly has left Steve Borthwick and Nick Evans scratching their heads about back line permutations. I for one would bite the bullet and play Farrell at 10, Tuilagi at 12 and the recalled Anthony Watson at 13. There are issues to be resolved in the pack too but here there are more options. Jamie George is predicted to start. Mmmmm head injury protocols????

I don’t see England romping home but I do see an England win.

Then on Sunday it is the battle of the national anthems. France will win but Italy won’t be any pushover. Not much in the papers about either side whereas plenty in the papers about France’s off-field woes.

The Six Nations, the jewel in the northern hemisphere crown. The tournament that brings non rugby folks into the game. Strap yourself in and hope for some amazing free-flowing rugby. Oh, and don’t forget the new, massive TV at the club will make its debut for this one. All the details are on the website

One of the highlights of this period is getting to watch the Under 20s equivalent. I’m not sure of the TV coverage.

Lots in the news about the impending strikes, including much about the eye-watering salaries the teacher’s union leaders earn.

OK, back tomorrow, albeit briefly. I’m sorry to say, but you’ll be delighted, for reasons I won’t go into there is unlikely to be a blog until Sunday Feb 26th. If my ASBO and community service allows I might pen just a few words as and when my parole officer is on a coffee break.

Actually I’m going to Scotland and when I return I shall hence forth be known as Jennifer Jabba the Hutt.

Monday 30th Jan: 09:30

You already know about our 29-5 defeat to Beccehamian so let me run through the other results for you. Old Alleynians maintained their position at the top of the table with a 40-19 win over Ashford. Third place Charlton Park beat Thanet Wanderers 21-13 which helps us out (sort of). Our good friends also did us a favour by beating Folkestone 17-21. Deal & Betteshanger beat Cranbrook which means they are certainly safe. In the other game in this league Bromley beat Aylesford Bulls who remain bottom. We and the Bulls are favourites for the drop but who will go down out of Thanet and Folkestone. We still have to play both of these teams which could be a deciding factor.

In Sussex 2 Eastbourne’s perfect season continues. A 27-24 win over Pulborough keeps them top with a game in hand. East Grinstead demolished Burgess Hill and stay second. Haywards Heath won at Crawley, Seaford beat Lewes and Shoreham beat Uckfield. Lewes are doomed I’m afraid so it is that second spot that is now at stake. East Grinstead are nice and clear of Heath at the moment.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Hove are still top and that’s without having to play on Saturday. Elsewhere Bognor beat Millbrook but Hastings & Bexhill lost at Maidstone. H&B are one off the bottom unfortunately.

In Regional 2 South East Guildford put one over high flying Horsham 26-22. They remain comfortably top despite this setback however. Chichester lost at Gravesend and despite a decent haul of points are close to the bottom of the table.

Up in the Regional 1 leagues it was a tough day for the boys from St Marks Recreation Ground losing 34-0 at Colchester. The Wells slip to 7th in their league. Brighton also had a long day in the saddle losing 42-33 at Maidenhead. Brighton have some wriggle room but 9th is not ideal.

Up in the ether of the National Leagues a mixed bag for the teams I follow. TJs lost at home to Henley, Worthing beat Bury St Edmunds and Sevenoaks beat Rochford Hundred. Worthing are hanging on in 2nd spot. TJs are a very sensible mid-table. Sevenoaks are in 11th and in my view far from safe.

Rounding things off Leeds Tykes beat bottom placed Hull, Bridgnorth beat Lichfield, sadly Salisbury lost 17-16 at Devizes.

London Irish beat an off colour Harlequins yesterday in thoroughly enjoyable encounter. Some cracking action and plenty of talking points from start to finish. The red card was spot on. London Irish move up into 7th ahead of Leicester Tigers, Newcastle, Bath and Bristol.

In the URC Ospreys fought back to beat Zebre. The Ospreys, minus their internationals, are without doubt one of the form teams across all competitions at the moment.

Worryingly for England Henry Slade and Courtney Lawes have been added to those who will miss the Calcutta Cup opener next Saturday. Steve Borthwick still has a plethora of talent at his disposal so don't worry yet. It also appears based on the view of the hacks that Borthwick has brought a new open and honest style into the squad. According to the Fail’s Chris Hoy things are less “uptight”.

The tackle height debate rages on. For what it is worth over the weekend I did my own (sort of) research. Watching our game as a benchmark for the grassroots and then watching some of the top flight games I have become slightly less negative about the proposal. Without question where players tackled below the waist, which was more often than I expected, the ball carrier more often than not offloaded the ball. When he didn’t the rucks seemed quicker. Where the ball carrier was smother tackled the game slowed, the ensuing maul or ruck seemed significantly less fluid and interestingly the following passages of play tended to be rhinos running into buffalos. Can’t prove anything scientifically but I thought I’d mention that.

That’ll do for today rugby wise. Two cracking FA Cup ties yesterday. Brighton v Liverpool and Wrexham v Sheffield Utd were well worth watching.

The Super Bowl will be between the Eagles and the Chiefs.

Back tomorrow with my first attempt at predicting the Six Nations results.

Sunday 29th Jan: 09:45

The day started for Mrs Bleater and I with a very pleasant lunch with Mr & Mrs Bard. Not much conversation about the game as the home of Beccehamian has not been a place where we come away from with anything other than disappointment. So it was to be yesterday. We did put the world to rights over lunch however.

Crowborough started brightly putting together some excellent passages of play. Backs and forwards linking nicely and our respective league positions looking irrelevant. Our forwards more than matched the hosts in the opening stanza and our defensive work was solid. One sloppy defensive kick put us under pressure and they eventually went over wideout. Not to be outdone we missed a simple penalty before going over in the corner for a very well worked try where backs and forwards linked to perfection. At 7-5 and just two points in arrears we were looking good.

Gradually however Beccs began to exploit their power out wide on the left and their will-o-the-wisp at fly half dug deep into his bag of party tricks. The scoreboard was again ticking over in their favour. We didn’t let our heads drop but we did start to kick away hard won ball and kick it away aimlessly. Tackles were still being made but Beccs support play was very good indeed. To compound our woes both Callum Main and Andrew Orchard left the field with worrying injuries.

The second half startred much the same as the first with us putting together some decent passages of play before Beccs more cohesive play put us under pressure. The Crowborough faithful became increasingly exacerbated with the woeful and aimless kicking after battling hard to secure the ball. Beccs, a side who love to counter with ball in hand, lapped that up and kept knocking on the door. They crossed the line a couple of times making the score at 29-5.

No excuses about the defeat. Beccs are a very good side and not in second spot by accident. Our forwards matched them up front even after the injuries. Our backs tackled well but with a back row forward playing on the wing and two colts, one of which making his debut at full back, making up the numbers it was always going to be tough. What I will say, Putting aside the truly frustrating aimless kicking our heads did not drop and 16 of the 18 who pulled on a Crowborough shirt yesterday had come through the junior ranks.

It was a special lunch at Beccs (as opposed to our pub lunch) and as the teams came out onto the field two Chelsea Pensioners resplendent in their scarlet coats and their black caps came out of the clubhouse. The Bard quipped “I hope they’ve got their boots, they could sub for us”.

It is well known Beccehamian are eager for promotion. Based on their current league position and how they played yesterday they are in a good place for that to come to pass. I wish them well but whilst it is none of my business I say “be careful of what you wish for”. The league above is tough.

Before moving on a word for the merry whistle blower. He was very good throughout. Consistent and accurate and not a card in sight. Well done sir.

The Bards match report is on the website and I’ll do a league round up tomorrow as normal.

Got home in time to watch Leinster Academy put Cardiff to the sword. It didn’t make great viewing as Leinster tore Cardiff apart with some amazing rugby. Cardiff were without their internationals but it was still a very strong side. The Irish must be licking their lips with such a cornucopia of talent waiting in the wings.

I didn’t watch the Sale v Bath game on Friday but understand its was a cracker with Bath dragging their way back into the contest only to lose when the clock was deep in the red. It reads as if the Leicester v Northampton game was also a good contest. Worrying to read that Tommy Reffell didn’t reappear for the second half. London Irish v Quins will be my viewing today. It should be good.

In the URC a loss for Dragons but Scarlets beat the Bulls. The Ospreys are in Italy where they play Zebre this afternoon.

The big story is Steve Phillips has finally fallen on his sword following the horrendous allegations made about the WRU. Former Cardiff and Wales speedster Nigel Walker has taken over, albeit initially on a temporary basis. I think he could do a good job on a permanent basis, especially has he has already ruffled the feathers of the dinosaurs with some of his ideas.

Ok, things to do so that’ll do for today.

Thursday 26th Jan: 10:15

Running late again. Sorry! Just to confirm we are at Beccehamian on Saturday. I don’t want to be pessimistic but but being Welsh it is ingrained I’m afraid. Beccs are on a roll and it has been a long time since we’ve come away from there with any points. Who might help us if we can get something out of the game. Charlton Park as they host Thanet, The Greenies at Folkestone and Bromley who welcome Aylesford Bulls. Out of interest the other games are Deal & Betteshanger v Cranbrook and OAs v Ashford. All games kick off at 14:00.

In the Premiership you know about Sale v Bath tomorrow but if you not travelling to a game then Leicester v Saints is Saturday’s pick. I’ll be in south London. In the URC Dragons v Glasgow and Leinster v Cardiff have a certain ring to them and with all four sides being without their internationals these could actually be good games to watch.

A number of Premiership coaches have come out and pilloried the new tackle laws. Is that because their game plans are based on turgid mauls following smother tackle after smother tackle.

My long time good friend Colin has been in touch and is supportive of the notion of reducing the number of subs to make the game safer. With regard to the tackle height he is less convinced and suggests there is need to simply reinforce the current laws with greater vigour. If this means more red cards until clubs and players get it then so be it. I can see that point of view and I agree with him that referees have got to stop finding ways to mitigate, and discipline panels have got stop finding ways to reduce the ban. The game already has head contact starting at mid-range. Why not say for head contact in the tackle there is no discount. It is always a full six weeks. Colin also makes a very good point that having this for just the grassroots means there are no role models at the elite level to emulate. So your aspiring player sees, let’s say Owen Farrell, thunder into a tackle upright, prevents the offload and everyone applauds (sad as that is) whereas he has got to put his head on the bony hips of the ball carrier who is dipping dangerously towards him. I am not dismissing the idea of waist only tackles but the ball carrier has to do something too. Finally, because Colin has had a good old rant, he wants a return of good old fashioned rucking, not this quasi Greco-Roman wrestling nonsense. Nigel Owens wants that too.

By the way, Michael Aylwin in The Guardian has pulled no punches with his opinion of the new tackle laws and how they have been implemented. He believes it is part of catalogue of decisions based on dodgy evidence that will adversely affect the game. He also points out that the referees are going to be very unfairly stuck in the middle again.

One of the nicest men in rugby, Ieuan Evans, has walked into his new job as Chair(man) of the WRU and found himself in the midst of a veritable shit storm. A review is all fine and dandy but what is required is root and branch change. Woke, nonsensical training is not the answer. Bring in a ruthless person at the top, bring young forward thinking people to support the game locally and get rid of the self-serving dinosaurs who still think they are living in the halcyon days of the 60s and 70s.

The hype builds around the Six Nations. England suffer another blow with Jack Willis leaving camp early. It has been confirmed that Luke Cowan-Dickie is out of the tournament. Richard Cockerill will leave the England setup after the tournament to take up a post with Montpellier.

Plenty being said about Eddie Jones appointment down under. Sorry but I can’t be bothered with that autocrat. You can read about him yourselves.

The next Lions tour is still a few years away yet but the IRFU have already said they have no issue with Andy Farrell being approached. A little bit of kidology there with the IRFU implying Farrell is the superstar amongst the current crop of coaches. Based on results probably not far from the truth.

The Ukraine war hots up as does the peril for us that goes with it as the US, Germany, Poland and ourselves all agree to supply tanks to the country. The ailing mad man Putin is not going to like that.

Workers are being forced back into the office on Monday and Friday. Good! Let those jokers in the civil service who are milking us the taxpayer for millions be first to lead the way. Once back in the office cut out the thousands who are earning plenty for doing bugger all. I don’t make this up by the way. I have a mole in the camp.

Back on Sunday as it is Friday Club tomorrow.

Wednesday 25th Jan: 10:40

We heard last week of the passing of Graham Cooper after a long illness. Graham was a regular at the club for many years supporting his son Phil through the juniors and into the 1st XV. He joined the Friday Club in its early years and was always happy debating this great game of ours. His funeral will be at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium on 7th Feb at 14:30 and afterwards at the club. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cath, Phil, Steve and Pete at this very sad time. Rest in peace you old bugger. You’ll be missed.

Life and the game goes on so here is what’s been happening. Firstly thank you for your emails. Geoff quite rightly points out that the principle of lowering the tackle height makes some sense but the risk is it will encourage more “chop” tackles with tacklers aiming for knees and below. This type of tackle often results in head contact for the tackler and/or the tackled player going over the top landing awkwardly. Where the tackled player doesn’t land awkwardly they often find themselves vulnerable to the fast approving jackler. Another high risk situation.

A number of you are fully in favour of improving player safety and if this means lowering the tackle height so be it. However in a number of cases you have added that the actions of the ball carrier must be considered. My good friend and fellow Welshman Ken pointed out that this law has been in place in France and New Zealand for some time. Ken draws our attention to the fact the French Federation forced this through much in the same way as the RFU and it took a season for it to bed in. Subsequently however the game has improved with fewer head injuries, more fluid and enjoyable games with fewer long winded breakdowns and many off-loads. The article Ken pointed me to does make it clear that in the case of France they also stipulated that the ball carrier cannot dip into the tackle. The article is a little long and sometimes rambling but well worth a read. https://www.patreon.com/posts/lowering-legal-77489775

On a different subject Simon was supportive of the notion of reducing the number of subs allowed. In fact he wants to go one further and return to the days when substitutes were only allowed for injury. I personally think that boat has sailed but it is still worthy of debate.

PLEASE keep your views coming.

By the way the RFU have relented a little and are now allowing a longer period of consultation on the proposed tackle law. Having looked at it dispassionately I am falling on the side of supporting it with the rather large caveat that the actions of the ball carrier have to be considered.

Rugby Australia have stated they will not sanction the lowering of the tackle height. Fair enough.

Rufus McLean has been sacked by Glasgow after his guilty plea to domestic abuse. Good.

Elliot Daly and Jamie George are out of the England squad with injuries. Steve Borthwick has added Jamie Blamire, Ollie Lawrence, Dave Ribbans and Tom Dunn to the squad as injuries mount.

Scott Baldwin has been brought into the Welsh squad to cover for Dewi Lake.

The Scottish Rugby have banned trans women from playing contact versions of the game. One in the eye for Wee Jimmie, as was the case that is covered by many of the papers. Her trans law is a recipe for disaster.

Bernard Laporte was arrested yesterday as part of investigations into tax fraud. Tax fraud in France. Sacre bleu! Laporte was subsequently released.

The embarrassing situation in Wales rumbles on. If the WRU was a FTSE company the authorities would have closed it down by now. The Principality Building Society, the games lead sponsor in Wales, is threatening to withdraw funding if things are not resolved and resolved immediately. It will take a modern day meteor to stub out the dinosaurs I fear.

We are at Beccehamian on Saturday. 14:00 kick off. The Premiership is back with Sale v Bath on Friday. The URC returns with Scarlets v Bulls.

Tuesday 24th Jan: 09:45

We are currently in the midst of a media storm of information as the European stuff takes another break, the Six Nations looms large on the horizon, the Premiership and URC return and everyone talks about their waist line.

Let’s talk waists first. The game has to the protect players. There is no debate about that. It simply has to happen. There is much criticism of the RFU legislation however. Just yesterday Johnny Sexton was unequivocal about his concerns, putting it bluntly that the decision was wrong. The RFU have gone into full defensive mode with a PR blitz and will over the coming weeks lay out exactly what they expect from the players on the field. Reading further into Nigel Owens criticism he makes a valid point that there is enough referee interference already. This new law is a road full of pot holes the size of bomb craters, a veritable minefield through which the officials have to pick their way.

If the game is to protect players I continue to suggest the first thing that has to happen is reducing the substitutes down to three. In the press today there is talk of the Welsh “bomb squad”. Basically three enormous human beings who have sat on their backside for 60 minutes waiting to come on and destroy the opposition in the last 20 minutes. It is positively dangerous. That also ignores the fact five other hyped and fully loaded monsters are about to come on too.

As an side the one thing rugby has got right is the blood and HIA replacements. I caught the last moments of Fulham v Spurs last night. A Fulham defender slipped and fell straight into the knee of an onrushing Spurs player. He was poleaxed. Two medics rushed on but the attention given to him was pathetic, in my opinion, and with him clearly dazed and unsteady on his feet the priority was not his health but to get him back on the field. Why soccer voted against HIA substitutes beggars belief. Equally however was the stunning comparison with someone trying to tackle below the waist and get smashed by an onrushing knee. The RFU would be wise to watch that footage.

The pool stages of the European Cups are over and we can look forward to the knockout stage. Some cracking ties across the board. The full list is available via the interweb. I have chosen three stand out ties. Leinster v Ulster up first. Leinster will start as huge favourites but this could be a feisty affair. Possibly the team of the round, the Ospreys, travel to Saracens. Right now you dismiss the Ospreys at your peril. I also like the look of Leicester v Edinburgh. This could give us the shock of the round with the Scots walking away with the spoils. The excellent Robert Kitson has written a comprehensive piece about the tournament and how it gives plenty of pointers for the Six Nations.

He also touches on player safety questioning how Saracens allowed Jamie George to return to the field after a huge hit to the head leaving the independent doctor to drag him off minutes later. George is now a doubt for the start of the Six Nations, as is Courtney Lawes who suffered another serious looking injury, this time a calf problem.

Welsh rugby is mired in claims of sexism and discrimination. In this day and age you would have thought it not possible. Sadly, and I don’t say this easily, when you have a sport run by dinosaurs of the male species stuck in the dark ages these horrendous allegations come as no surprise. It is outrageous.

As the list of players about to leave Wales in search of a secure financial future grows Warren Gatland has reinforced the message the 60 cap rule has to change. If that isn’t to change then money has to be made available to keep the players in the Principality. Change the 60 cap rule therefore is the only answer as money is in very short supply.

Former Wallaby skipper Stephen Moore has lobbed a series of hand grenades at his former employer Rugby Australia. Lurching from mediocrity to mediocrity is as the Daily Fail says a “damning indictment”. Moore is also very clear on the sacking of Dave Rennie, a mistake, and the hiring of Eddie Jones, an even bigger mistake based on a panicked knee jerk reaction.

More rugby news tomorrow. I’ll be late as I have two early morning appointments.

In other news it makes no sense that the proportion of people living off the state is ridiculously high when levels of vacancies in certain industries are equally high. I have said on more than one occasion that it is too easy for spongers to life off the state in this country of ours. We have to think differently. Those who genuinely are unable to work need to be looked after better. Those who can work should be made to work. I know it is not that simple but that should be the message.

Don’t forget to send me your views on the new tackle laws, or on anything else. Bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

Monday 23rd Jan: 08:15

It’s Monday so lets look at the results. Another fine win for our good friends over at Heathfield & Waldron away at Cranbrook. The Greenies are safe for another season. Old Alleynians beat Aylesford with another bonus point win. Our next opponents Beccehamian remain in second after their comfortable enough win at Thanet Wanderers. Ashford beat Deal & Betteshanger and Charlton Park beat Folkestone meaning despite our game being postponed we are no worse off. I would suggest relegation is now between us, Aylesford, Thanet and Folkestone. Everyone else is safe. OAs are now odds on for promotion.

Down in Sussex 1 Eastbourne’s perfect season continues with a 55-15 mauling of Haywards Heath. East Grinstead strolled past Seaford to stay second. Lewes lost at home to Shoreham, Pulborough v Burgess Hill fell foul of the weather and Uckfield scraped past Crawley 27-26. Sadly Lewes are doomed to relegation and whilst only 5 points clear of East Grinstead Eastbourne are heading for promotion.

No game for Hove in Surrey/Sussex 1 but they remain top. Elsewhere Bognor lost at New Milton and Hastings & Bexhill lost at home to Park House.

Upwards into the Regional leagues where we find Horsham earning a hard fought win at Reeds Weybridge. Chichester “enjoyed” a HWO with KCS Old Boys crying off. Horsham remain clear at the top. In the two versions of Regional 1 Medway v Tunbridge Wells and Camberley v Brighton were both called off due to frozen pitches.

In the ether of National League 2 Worthing lost at Canterbury, TJs lost over in Guernsey and Sevenoaks v Barnes went by the wayside due to another frozen pitch. Despite the loss Worthing move into second thanks to a losing and a try bonus point.

Rounding things up Chinnor v Leeds Tykes postponed, no game for Bridgnorth but Salsibury did play beating bottom placed Buckingham 31-26.

Plenty more in the papers about the new tackle laws. Nigel Owens has expressed his concern as have plenty of others. Chris Foy in the Daily Fail has put forward a reasonable case in favour of the new laws.

Despite losing up in Edinburgh Saracens secure the all important home tie in the knockout stages. I understand the Toulouse v Munster game was a cracker. Didn’t see it nor did I see Montpelier v London Irish which I understand was another good game. In the secondary tournament despite losing the Dragons are through to the knockout stages. Wow! I’ll look at who plays who later in the week.

I’ll pick up all the other rugby news as the week develops.

That’ll do for now. Back tomorrow.

Sunday 22nd Jan: 09:55

Let me start somewhere below the waist as there is no match report from yesterday as there was no match. The RFU have arbitrarily, seemingly without any form of consultation with the grassroots game, introduced a new regulation that insists all tackles must now start below the waist. When I started playing rugby at the age of 11 that was how I was taught, but back in the 60s, yes I am that old, the game was very different to how it is now. Unless the game also significantly changes the actions of the ball carrier we will, in my mind, see significantly more head injuries than we are currently. All too often it is the ball carriers actions that causes the problems. For all tackles to start at or below the waist the ball carrier always has to be in an upright position. This rule is ideal for the under 14s downwards but as players get bigger and stronger and faster this is, again in my mind, unworkable. It seems based on the outcry from players, clubs, coaches and administrators this will accelerate the decline of the game, and it is declining fast enough as it is.

The ingrained cynic in me thinks this has nothing to do with player safety and everything to do with litigation. The RFU are scared witless over how much the current class actions against them will cost, let alone the ones not yet filed. They see injury lawyers crawling from under their slimy rocks poised and ready to kill off the game as we know it.

I have no idea how many people read this guff on a regular basis, or even irregular basis, but I would welcome your thoughts on the new regulations. For the sake of balance there are some arguments for introducing this law as it is hoped ball carriers will have more opportunities to offload the ball than they do now with the preponderance of smother tackles we see today. Anyway, get in touch: bleater@crowboroughrugby.com.

Ours was the only game in our league postponed yesterday. I will do a full round up tomorrow morning as normal. I will say that the results went “our way” meaning we are no worse off than we were yesterday morning. I was at the club for the pitch inspection. It was fascinating as there was a real desire to get the game on. Leaning on the railings watching the fork bounce off the ground and the tines vibrating away was quite amusing and guaranteed the game would be off. It is fair to say the ground was rock solid with little chance of thawing before kick off. What confirmed the point was when the Friday Club main man Damper dropped the fork on the car park and it didn’t bounce anywhere near as high.

I had hoped as consequence to watch back to back to back European games. It wasn’t to be as my neighbour popped over for a coffee at 11am and some 4 hours later after coffee….. and several beers ……decide to go home. I did however watch Leicester v Ospreys on Friday evening. What a cracking, intense game of rugby. Yes some of it was for the purist but it was great. Yes, there is an element of bias in that the Ospreys beat the mighty Tigers. Three players stood out as head and shoulders (over shampoos are available) above the rest. Tommy Reffell, Jac Morgan, and Justin Tipuric were all outstanding. All three are Welsh and it is possible two of them might not feature in Wales opening Six Nations game.

Harlequins v Stormers was the game I missed. It sounds as if it was another high tempo game with Harlequins back to their best. I read in the papers that it is hoped Nick Evans can bring some of this joie de vivre to the England set up in the next few weeks. The Fail says “Nick Evans shows England blueprint to entertain….”

I missed the start of the Leinster v Racing 92 game but by all accounts it was a bit frantic and disjointed. What I did see were glimpses of brilliance from Finn Russell and Leinster’s ruthlessness as they closed out the game at the end. There were some sublime moments of skill from the hosts and a terrifying array of talent at their disposal.

The Exeter v Castres game was something of nothing but you have to say England must start Henry Slade and Wales have some real prospects in Christ Tshiunza and Dafydd Jenkins.

Once the food was cooked and devoured I settled down for the Ulster v Sale game. This was brutal at times but I, and Mrs Bleater enjoyed it. Sale couldn’t replicate their Premiership form, or should I say weren’t allowed to replicate their Premiership form. Ulster ran out worthy winners. This result also confirmed my belief that Ireland are genuine prospects for World Cup glory.

So Edinburgh v Saracens today. Both have qualified for the last 16 but the crucial home tie is up for grabs.

Finally I don’t have news on the Colts game this afternoon but based on the frost this morning, and last night’s sub-zero temperatures, I am assuming it is off.

Thursday 19th Jan: 10:25

My goodness it is cold. I strolled to the club yesterday and the main pitch at 12 noon was unplayable. The forecast for today, tomorrow and Saturday remains very cold so please keep checking the website for updates.

Being very cold is a reason for the delay in publishing this nonsense too. Firstly a well deserved lie-in, then sorting the car for senior management to get off and do what CEOs do.

Mr McConnachie has said he expects stick for his switch of allegiance to Scotland. Look, he is Scottish, unlike 21 of his team mates, and he is only exploiting the pathetic rules that World Rugby has come up with. If there is to be derision then it should be pointed at the blazers on the World Rugby gravy train.

It is a difficult read that Rufus McLean, Glasgow and Scotland, has plead guilty to domestic abuse and has subsequently been dropped by his club and nation. Quite right too. Any form of abuse is unacceptable and physical violence, especially to a spouse is deplorable. If everyone treated everyone else with decency and compassion the world would be a better place.

It is stated that Eddie Jones has been given a $4.5m (aus) contract which has ruffled a number of feathers amongst the players. Rugby Australia is not flushed with cash so that is a huge investment in what could be a huge risk.

Player safety is paramount and we cannot shirk away from that. However it was always going to happen!!! What? The minute the injury lawyers became involved the door to claim after claim would start to pop up no matter how spurious. We now have 55 amateur players coming forward to make claims against the governing bodies. Unsurprisingly the lawyers acting for the group have the word “compensation” front and centre, and you can bet your last 5 cents that they’ll be taking a sizeable cut. The game is doomed.

Andy Farrell has named his Six Nations squad and it is much as expected. Two notable absentees are Robbie Henshaw and Joey Carbery. The former with injury but Carbery’s absence is a surprise with Sexton’s fitness a question mark.

Oh how Bristol Bears need the amazing Mr G to manage their team admin. The Bears have been docked points and fined for fielding Elliot Stooke, an ineligible player, in the first two rounds of the Challenge Cup.

Just reminder Crowborough v Bromley on Saturday, kick off 14:00. CRFC COlts v Brighton on Sunday, kick off 13:30. Both subject to pitch inspections I suspect.

Jacinda Ardern standing down as New Zealand PM dominates many of the headlines. From a distance she seems unlike most other politicians, that is a decent, caring, unselfish human being.

The weather is in the news but we Brits love talking about the weather.

Friday Club tomorrow so no blog but if there is news on the weekends games I’ll let you know.

Wednesday 18th Jan: 09:45

Much to get through so lets crack on.

Warren Gatland and Gregor Townsend rolled the dice yesterday announcing interesting squads. Let’s do Wales first shall we. Ken Owens as captain is a good choice. He is guaranteed to be on the team sheet whereas Tipuric and Biggar aren’t guaranteed starting spots. Gatland has been bold and selected players in form with four new caps amongst them. Unless you avidly follow the Welsh game they might not register but for those like me who do you’ll be thinking positive thoughts. Teddy Williams and Rhys Davies in the forwards and Mason Grady and Keiran Williams get the nod. Plenty of familiar names including the evergreen AWJ and some who are currently injured such as Louis Rees-Zammit, who hopes to be fit for the England game on the 25th Feb. Three players who can count themselves unlucky are the combative Ross Moriarty, Ryan Elias and Nicky Smith. All in good form at the moment but sadly so are the others in their positions.

Gatland has also finalised his coaching team with Alex King in as attack coach and Mike Forshaw as defence coach. Both excellent choices in my opinion although Gatland was pretty desperate to get his mate Rob Howley back into the fold. Former Worcester coach Jonathan Thomas also joins the set up.

Townsend’s selection has got my blood boiling as the PATHETIC new eligibility criteria kicks in. England capped Ruaridh McConnochie is included as are Australian capped Jack Dempsey and Sione Tuipulotu, not to mention the South Africans in the squad and those whose granny happened to be in Scotland at some point in the dim and distant past. Mind you they could have been their grandad back then !!! The whole thing makes a mockery of international rugby. There is a lot of talent in the squad and plenty of players in fine form for their clubs. Write off the Scottish Barbarians at your peril.

Eddie Jones is all over the papers. He hasn’t been in the job two minutes and he is already pontificating and playing the mind games. He isn’t going to speak to anybody from the RFU despite them lining his pockets with bags of gold over many years. “Retribution” is what he wants. Regular reader Geoff who recently wrote to me condemning Jones has come back with a very good point which history will confirm. Whilst his leadership is questionable and his mind games often pathetic he has a track record of quickly turning around ailing sides and delivering short term success. Will he have enough time with Australia to deliver that. Many think so. Of course there are equally many who think the sacking of Dave Rennie was a mistake and the recruitment of Jones an even bigger one. Sadly I think he will do well as the timing is right with plenty of the injured stars on the verge of return.

Common sense has prevailed as Henry Slade’s red card is overturned. It was never a red card and so it proved.

Plenty of rugby to look forward to including Crowborough v Bromley. Kick off 2pm. More on this tomorrow. There is a cracking game on Sunday when our Colts host Brighton in the Cup. 13:30 kick off. Weather permitting I might stroll along for that one.

European action comes thick and fast. Tigers v Ospreys on Friday is a must watch for me, that is unless like last weekend I get a better offer of free food and drink. On Saturday the pick has to be Leinster v Racing 92. That said Quins v Sharks and Saints v La Rochelle could be worth watching. If I only get to watch one game on Sunday it will be Edinburgh v Saracens but I like the look of Toulouse v Munster.

In the secondary cup the Lions are back in the Dragons den. Can the Dragons win that one. I doubt it!!!

The weather is a feature of the news today. Several nasty crashes in our area this week as a result of the poor driving conditions. Be careful out there.

The strikes continue with Feb 1st being targeted as a mass walk out day. Plenty of other strikes today to get you teeth into.

The big story of yesterday was the announcement that after more years than anyone can remember Ken Bruce is leaving the BBC and heading over to Greatest Hits Radio and he is taking pop master with him. Not quite a ferry cross the Mersey but a band of gold definitely.

Tuesday 17th Jan: 09:50

If the positivity around Steve Borthwick’s first England squad is anything to go by then give them the Six Nations trophy right now. Life is not that straight forward and certainly Ireland and France will have something to say about that, especially with the World Cup on the horizon.

Some are making much of the omission of Big Billy, Johnny May and Jack Nowell. Vunipola has shown he is not past his best and some will argue his exclusion is harsh. However, when you look at who has been picked it is difficult to argue against their selection. Two Ben’s, Earl and Curry, have made the cut and both would be ahead of Big Billy by a long way in my mind.

May and Nowell have not been in great form of late, in fact May has been pretty anonymous in the games I have watched. The players who have been selected such as Quins (and Salisbury’s) Cadan Murley, Tommy Freeman and Ollie Hassell-Collins have all been in fine form.

There some old heads in the squad, but old heads who are still cutting the mustard as they say. Owen Farrell will captain the side but where from. I for one stick by my opinion that he must now start at 10. Even with Nick Evans pulling the attacking string I still can’t see a Marcus Smith / Farrell 10 / 12 axis working.

One selection I do question is the recall of Dan Cole. Tigers fans will hurl abuse at me but I think he has passed his best before date and he has a track record of being a liability on the international stage.

Owen Farrell openly admits he has an issue with his tackle technique. Yep, and no amount of time at the bullshit “tackle school” is going to change that. It is instinctive and ingrained. He needs to be careful as a misdemeanour during the Six nations could result, and should result in a lengthy ban.

The Daily Fail carry a decent analysis of the squad with several of the hacks picking their starting XV. Interestingly all of them have gone for Farrell at 10.

It’s Warren Gatland’s turn today. I don’t expect too many surprises as he doesn’t have the luxury of talent in abundance. The one player who is inked in is Taulupe Faletau. He is probably Wales only world class player.

I read that Wayne Pivac has finally come out of the cold to comment on his tenure as Wales boss. No regrets and an admission that after the Georgia debacle he deserved the sack. WalesOnline for that.

The Digital, Media, Culture and Sport select committee have produced a damning report into the state of rugby’s finances in the wake of the demise of Wasps and Worcester. It said the game is in disarray and the current financial position leaves clubs seriously exposed. It doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the rogues who ran Worcester. Unscrupulous was the word they used. It concludes by saying the reputation of the game has been stained due to a lack of safeguards with hundreds of people sadly being thrown on the scrap heap (I paraphrase) as a result. BBC Sport website for this one.

Shame government departments weren’t quite so quick to condemn their own performance. Expense scandals, incompetence, nepotism, indecision, hypocrisy and much more to boot!!!

Great piece in the Irish Times about how national identity is being eroded due to the pathetic eligibility rules in place around sport, and in particular rugby. In essence it states there are too many mercenaries taking the kings shilling for a cap, too many loopholes and the occasional bit of cheating. The finger was pointed at Scotland who currently have the most players who are exploiting the lax regulations. It should be birth and parents as a given. Residency should be seven years. Once you’ve played international rugby for one country that’s it, you’re done! Scotland playing Aussie internationals eligible because they had Arbroath smokies for breakfast is ridiculous. This is well worth reading. Go on the interweb thingy and search Irish Times and “national identity becoming commodified”.

Plenty in the papers to comment on….. but I won’t. The Met police scandals, the weather, the strikes, Ukraine, climate change to name but a few. I will state that I think it is absolutely right for Rishi Sunak to block Wee Jimmie’s gender identity bill. The government cannot allow something that is aimed at appeasing a VERY small minority in Scotland (making it very small indeed) to potentially adversely affect the majority across the rest of our marvellous country of Great Britain, and possibly put people in harms way.

Monday 16th Jan: 08:20

It’s Monday, its league round up day. Starting in our league where we look very down and out in 11th after losing 41-7 to table topping Old Alleynians. The chasing pack is headed by Beccehamian who beat Charlton Park 22-12. After them we find Bromley who beat Thanet Wanderers 27-0. Folkestone lost at home to Cranbrook but did pick up a valuable losing bonus point. The Greenies v Ashford was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and Deal & Betteshanger v Aylesford Bulls was abandoned due to an injury to the referee. Neither Folkestone nor Thanet are out of reach yet but it is getting that way.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 Hove’s excellent season continues with a fine win at Old Walcountians to stay clear at the top. In this league Warlingham look doomed to relegation already as they sit there on -9 points.

In Sussex 2 just three games with Crawley beating Lewes, Seaford losing to Pulborough and Shoreham losing heavily to East Grinstead. Eastbourne lead this one with a game in hand.

Elsewhere Hastings & Bexhill were soundly beaten by Canterbury II. You don’t need me to tell you Sevenoaks II top the table.

In Regional 2 South East Horsham got back to winning ways with a 38-15 win over Sussex rivals Chichester. Horsham are clear at the top. Chichester are in 8th and reasonably safe from relegation.

In the two versions of regional 1 Brighton drew with Banbury whereas Tunbridge Wells lost at home to Sudbury. The boys from St Marks are in 5th. In their league Brighton are 8th.

In the National Leagues Sevenoaks lost at Dorking, TJs beat Old Albanians and Worthing beat Rochford Hundred. Worthing are in 3rd and in the hunt for top spot, TJs are comfortable in 6th but Sevenoaks are perilously close to the drop zone. Out of interest Blackheath are top and Westcliff adrift at the bottom

With the River Severn bursting its banks again Bridgnorth’s game was postponed due to flooding. Salisbury didn’t have a game and Leeds Tykes lost at home to Esher.

In Europe the London Irish game was over with the first red card and totally out of reach after the second. In my opinion both were spot on. Declan Kidney is right to moan about the time it took for both decisions to be made but player safety is paramount. Edinburgh scored a fine win over Castres. The Racing 92 v Harlequins game was thoroughly entertaining. Marcus Smith made a clear statement about his credentials. Although he was on the losing side he was superb at times.

In the secondary cup Cardiff beat a second string Newcastle and Bath lost to a pretty strong Toulon side. More European action next weekend.

BBC Sport do a reasonable round up of the key talking points.

So Dave Rennie was wrong! So much so he is now out of the picture down under and Eddie Jones is in charge. The move has come as a surprise to many as Jones was strongly linked with a move to the USA. As you would expect there are mixed reactions in Oz. Hey ho!

Plenty in the papers about the impending squad announcements. Wales have an abundance of in form riches in the back row, including Tommy Reffell who was outstanding on Friday night apparently.

Leicester Tigers announce the addition of Welshman Danny Wilson to their coaching team. Not a bad acquisition. It is also rumoured that Gregor Townsend, recently linked to the French national side, is a strong contender to take over as the top man at Welford Road. We’ll see.

That’s about it for today as the granddaughter is due any minute. The weather will be a key talking point this week especially as it is snowing right now.

Sunday 15th Jan: 10:20

Good morning, and yes the weather is better than it was yesterday, weather being one of the factors for The Bard and I not going to Dulwich to watch the boys play OAs.

The wonderful Mr G tells me that it wasn’t all doom & gloom and whilst we lost 41-7 we won the second half 7-5. The boys stuck to their task and gave of their all. We have been plagued by injuries and as I recall I don’t think there has been a single game where we haven’t been forced to play a forward in the back line due to injury.

There is a brief synopsis of the game on the website. As I understand it playing with the wind at their backs, down the slope of a bog of a pitch Old Alleynians showed why they were top of the table. In the second half with nothing to lose and the conditions in our favour we “camped” in the OAs half playing some half decent rugby. Sadly we only had one try to show for the efforts, OAs are good in defence too, but it was a reward of sorts for the players loyalty and ongoing commitment.

We remain seriously adrift at the bottom of the table. Deal & Betteshanger v Aylesford Bulls was abandoned. I’ll do the full round up as normal tomorrow.

Feeling like a prisoner in solitary confinement with the wind and the rain pounding the windows for much of yesterday I was forced to sit in front of the TV and watch back to back European games. I am going to start with the last one: Ospreys v Montpellier. What a cracking contest. Not necessarily for its flair, and skill but for the sheer commitment, and another sign that Welsh rugby is not yet ready to throw in the towel. If Borthwick doesn’t plead with the RFU to allow him to pick Zach Mercer there is something wrong. He is some player.

What a team! Leinster have strength in depth and in the main simply blew Gloucester away. When you have the luxury of bringing on an all international front row the opposition are always going to find it tough. After that it was another Anglo-Irish clash with Saints trying to tame Munster. Northampton were lacklustre at best in first half but came alive in the second almost snatching an unlikely win. A slam dunk of a red card in this one.

Then it was the Bulls v Exeter in Pretoria. The population of South Africa is about 85% black. It troubled me to see the crowd as 98% white. Just thought I’d throw that in there. It is madness to have the South African sides in the tournament when not only does the travel and cost make it prohibitive but what is the sense of playing in the blazing heat of summer even with evening kick offs in front of sparse crowds. Exeter were beaten by a good side but stuck to their task and came away with something: a try bonus point. It wasn’t great to see Msr Raynal going off injured just after half time. It was even worse to see Henry Slade see red for a seat belt tackle that started on the shoulder. Yes it was unsightly but if this is what the game is coming to then heaven help us. A yellow card at worse should have been the sanction.

Elsewhere I understand Leicester Tigers were back to their imperious best on Friday night. I didn’t see it but hear that the Welford Road outfit were awesome. Talking of awesome, the Dragons wining over in Pau. The Scarlets also registered a win against the Cheetahs.

Saracens strolled past Lyon on Saturday with Elliot Daly sending a clear message to Borthwick about his current form. Sale were put in their place by Toulouse. Plenty of action today too. Racing 92 v Harlequins and London Irish v Stormers but for me I’ll have an eye on Cardiff v Newcastle in the lesser of the cups and the delayed Bath v Toulon contest which will be played at Kingsholm as the Rec is still flooded. Spare a thought for those (my daughter and son-in-law) who had tickets for yesterday and now can’t go.

Several papers bring us the news that the RFU DID intervene in the Owen Farrell case by stating the Saracens v Bristol game which Farrell would NOT have played in due to England commitments does count towards his ban. Talk about one rule for some and another for others. It stinks!!!

In other sport don’t mention Leicester City. If you follow Manchester United you’ll be happy.

It’s the usual depressing guff in the papers but can I draw your attention to an article reproduced in the Daily Fail. It is about the NHS but was written 30 years ago. It is depressing in that NOTHING has changed in that time and whilst some of the political rhetoric is different the issues are not. Only fundamental reform including drastic action to cut waste and inefficiency will save this national treasure. Money is not the answer. Tough and unpalatable action is required.

Thursday 12th Jan: 10:00

It is an absolute farce. Owen Farrell has been given a two match ban for yet another dangerously high tackle. Forget what the papers say Farrell will miss two Saracens games and be free to play for England, which he is now certain to do. I have already had words with the RFU about the truly pathetic coaching intervention course (“tackle school”) top flight players are allowed to swap for one of their match bans. It is a joke and sends totally the the wrong message to the grassroots game.

I agree with the principle of allowing discount for first time offenders and those who conduct themselves well at hearings at grassroots level but to give Farrell any discount with his track record is unacceptable and at that level you expect the lawyered up top flight players to behave impeccably anyway. Giving a discount for saying sorry sir after saying sorry the time before, and the time before that stinks.

Chris Foy in the Daily Fail has captured the mood of many. It is blatantly wrong. All bar those with the English eye patch on will be wondering if Farrell’s availability for England was a factor in the leniency of the sentence.

What makes matters worse is this week alone players at the grassroots level will be banned for lesser offences for longer periods than Farrell even though they have clean records and said “sorry” at the appropriate moments.

Let’s move on.

It was remiss of me not to mention that our Under 17s enjoyed a fine win away at Seaford on Sunday. Our Under 15s lost at home to Bognor however.

As you know, on Saturday we travel to Old Alleynians. Sadly for a range of reasons I won’t go into I won’t be there I’m afraid. The Greenies host Ashford. That won’t be an easy game for them. If we have any hope of survival we need Cranbrook to win at Folkestone and Bromley to beat Thanet.

Further to my comments yesterday about the Premiership CEOs discussing leaving the salary cap where it is there are further suggestions about a ten team top flight. Apparently it has a degree of approval if the team to drop out “isn’t mine”. That idea is dead in the water then.

If you subscribe to BT Sport as a separate entity then get ready for a price rise. It will soon cost you another £5 per month to watch rugby. Whilst it is only one of the reasons why the game is in decline only having top flight rugby behind a pay-to-view wall is a contributor. An increase will compound the problem.

Really looking forward to the European games this weekend. It really is a shame that some of them aren’t on terrestrial TV. The quality is generally high and therefore a great advert for the game. At the moment I am lucky enough to have access to BT Sport (thank you Bill & Sarah) but many others don’t.

An interesting article has just popped up in The Guardian stating that Bill Sweeney at the RFU has been told by many players that sacking Eddie Jones was the right thing to do. Jones himself has said he has had over 50 messages saying his sacking was wrong. Who do you believe? Not Prince Harry for certain!!

Equally interesting is Nick Evans comment that he is keen to avoid “death by detail” in his new role as England’s attack coach. He has in one sentence summed up what many have been saying about Jones’ coaching style; it was driven by an anal obsession with detail. Just let the guys go out there and play what is in front of them.

Plenty in the papers to rant about, for example Wee Jimmie and freeloading Sadiq, but the story that caught my eye is by Adrian Chiles in The Guardian. He has become a pothole activist. It is a good piece. I mention it because even the short journey between the ‘Borough and Tunbridge Wells is now a cratered obstacle course. There are way more important issues to address but its worthy of a mention nonetheless.

That’ll do for now as more pressing personal matters are on the horizon.

Wednesday 11th Jan: 09:45

On a much brighter morning here in the ‘Borough I was expecting to bring you news of one Owen Farrell. No such luck. I can however draw your attention to an excellent article in The Guardian by Robert Kitson about the dilemma rugby faces in terms of managing the tackle height and the punishments that ensue when players are found guilty.

Panels up and down the country have an obligation to apply the regulations as they are written and line one basically says any contact with the head has to be treated as unacceptable. Where video evidence exists there is the opportunity to apply common sense and work through the protocols, as I think Joy Nevill did very well last weekend. If there isn’t then the referees word is sacrosanct no matter how suspect that word might be. The system is far from perfect and Robert Kitson highlights this in his piece.

By the way I am reliably informed that radical new proposals about reducing the tackle height further and ensuring ball carriers run upright are being discussed right now. Both are interesting options but I’m not sure it’ll make the game any safer.

There are rugby greats and then there are legends. One such legend left this mortal coil this week with the passing of England and British & Irish Lion David Duckham. He was a superstar of his day with even the most one eyed of Welsh fans keen to adopt him as one of their own after his contribution to our great game. So “Dai” Duckham, rest in peace and for those of us old enough to have seen you play I say thank you!

Going back to the The Guardian the excellent Robert Kitson has been busy. Today he brings us news that the light might be finally coming on and the smelling of coffee might have had its effect. CEO of Leicester Tigers Andrea Pinchen has gone on record, with murmurings of support from other clubs, saying the planned salary cap increase from £5m to £6.4m at the start of the 2024 season should be reviewed with the view of putting it on hold. Pinchen goes on to say the current economic climate is not the same as when the increase was agreed and the demise of Wasps and Worcester has focussed the mind somewhat. A fascinating article.

Steve Borthwick has got rid of Jon Clarke as England’s fitness guru and is rumoured to be eager to bring Leicester’s Aled Walters into the fold. The affable Welshman has certainly improved Leicester’s fitness and therefore their fortunes.

The Daily Fail bring us news that Sale are keen to be the centre of attention by joining forces with BT Sports Craig Doyle and Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll at the heart of Netflix planned docudrama about our game.

One of the speculative stories of the week suggests Louis Rees-Zammit could be heading to the US and the NFL once his contract with Gloucester expires. Mmmm! Let’s leave that there shall we?

European rugby returns with a potential cracker on Friday with Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers. Both sides currently somewhat “off colour” but this could be the game of the weekend. On the other hand Gloucester v Leinster, Sale v Toulouse and Ospreys v Montpellier all have a decent ring to them. So many good match-ups which is what makes the tournament so special. I do think it has lost something with the addition of the South African sides. I am sure Bordeaux Begles are delighted to be spending huge amounts of money to be in the heat of Durban on Saturday.

Plenty of action in the secondary cup with Bath v Toulon jumping out. That said I’m pretty certain other than the match fee from the broadcaster and the gate revenue this is a game neither side would want.

What it is to be a Leicester City fan. Knocked out of the EFL Cup by Saudi backed Newcastle last night. Money clearly can buy you success.

It’s the turn of ambulance staff to be the centre of attention today. I for one think they are underpaid and under-appreciated. If striking is their only option then so be it.

Tuesday 10th Jan: 10:10

What a miserable morning, cold and wet and downright depressing. A morning for lounging in bed, which is what I have indulged in, because I can!!!!!

Just a few snippets of rugby news to go through this morning. The story leading the way for most of the websites I look at is the distinct possibility that Owen Farrell will miss the start of the Six Nations. He will learn his fate at a hearing tonight following what looked a dangerously high tackle during the Saracens v Gloucester game on Friday. The general consensus is it was worthy of a red card and with his track record that could mean a decent length of ban.

There is much talk about England’s injuries. Tom Curry being the main focus with Luke Cowan-Dickie being a concern. As much as losing Curry would be a blow right now his brother Ben is playing as well as ever and would prove to be worthy replacement.

In Ireland the reports indicate both Johnny Sexton and Tadgh Furlong will both be fit for the start of the tournament.

WalesOnline are indicating deals are close to being done with Paul Gustard as defence coach and Alex King as attack coach. The arrival of King would be a good move in my book.

Dave Rennie and Rugby Australia have quashed all rumours about Eddie Jones joining the organisation ahead of the World Cup. I paraphrase Rennie: “It ain’’t going to happen”.

Jones is likely to appear as a pundit for ITV during the Six Nations. This could be alongside his long time critic Sir Clive Knowitall.

Rumours aplenty about Gregor Townsend. A couple of the hacks are reporting he has thrown his hat into the ring to become the attack coach of the French national side after the World Cup. Laurent Labit leaves in Nov 2023 and the French Federation have already started advertising for candidates to come forward.

Talking of France Harlequins may be about to lose Andre Esterhuizen to French side Lyon.

Well respected and popular former South Africa coach Jake White was rushed into hospital for emergency surgery on arrival back in the country after the Bulls trip to Newport on Friday night. He is recovering well apparently.

Now, anybody who has played in Wales will know about Merthyr RFC and how bitterly cold it can be even in summer. Yes I have played there on a snowy winters day and nearly froze to death stuck out on the wing. Anyway the reason for mentioning it is this is where former Crowborough Colt