It is a well used mantra: “defence wins you matches”. So it proved on Saturday for both Australia and Argentina. Australia, woeful two weeks ago in Argentina, were anything but in the glorious surroundings of the Adelaide Oval. The fast start with McReight crashing over gave them confidence and except for the last 10 minutes or so when they started to celebrate early they were always comfortably in charge. The Wallaby defence held firm against the enormous Springbok forwards when they were without the ball, and then with the ball the Aussies moved it away from the contact area quickly and precisely. The Springboks normally so dominant were left floundering all too often.

The Marika Koroibete try was well worked but it was the Fraser McReight try that put the full stop on proceedings and what a try it was too. Excellent running lines, wonderful sleight of hand, and superb support play. The pugnacious Kwagga Smith scored two late tries for the Bokke but it was all too little, too late.

It was game that was not without controversy. The Nic White BAFTA winning performance was an absolute disgrace, bringing the game into disrepute. The ruling on the field was correct in that Faf de Klerk made contact with his open hand with White, but thereafter the histrionics were outrageous.

Then there was the try saving tackle on Makazole Mapimpi. Was he in the air when Koroibete hurtled into him like a cruise missile? Were there are arms in the tackle? Should a penalty try have been the outcome? In my very humble opinion the answer is “no” but I intend to watch the highlights again this morning to reinforce my view.

Surprise, surprise the South African press have gone off on one claiming Paul Williams should be banned from officiating ever again. Yes it is fair to criticise Nic White and to ask questions about the Koroibete try saving tackle but to question Williams’ integrity is out of order. It is also some what one-eyed when South Africans, who have all too often watched their side use the “dark arts” so effectively, to accuse the Aussies of using spoiling tactics to which Williams allegedly turned a blind eye. Sore losers is what I say!!

Then it was off to Christchurch, home of the all conquering Crusaders and coach Scott Robinson. I mention that as Ian Foster has again been panned in the press with renewed calls for Robinson to take over now, not in 2023. Anyway, what a result, a result that I for one prior to kick off did not see coming. The Pumas defence was awesome. That was where the game was won by the visitors and lost by the hosts. The All Blacks for long periods had no idea how to breakdown the the sky blue & white brick wall in front of them. The All Blacks ill-discipline compounded matters allowing the boot of Emiliano Boffelli to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the Argentinians.

The All Blacks took an early lead with Caleb Clarke’s try from a turnover being something to watch again but they couldn’t shake off the visitors. Juan Martin Gonzalez opportunist try from the kick off in the second half set the game alight, and changed the complexion of the game. Slowly but surely the screw was turned and everything the All Blacks tried came to nothing, so much so that they only added a further three points to their half time score.

Juan Pablo Montoya was magnificent from start to 78th minute when he left the field battered, bloodied and bruised. His team followed him into battle fearlessly and whilst the defensive work will grab the headlines they weren’t shy when it came to opening the game up in attack. Coach Michael Cheika must take some of the plaudits too. He has brought a steely edge to the Pumas and helped them eradicate some of the lapses in concentration that has dogged them previously. He rightly celebrated wildly at the final whistle which irked some. (The photo in The Guardian of Cheika and Foster shaking hands tells a story).

Was this is a classic? No, not really. Was it worth watching? Yes, absolutely.

As a by-line there were veiled criticisms of our Georgian friend the merry whistle blower. Several Kiwis, including Foster, have “suggested” the refereeing of the tackle area favoured the visitors. Get over it is what I say.

Elsewhere the Black Ferns beat a much improved Wallaroos side. Wales Women were well beaten by Canada. Japan triumphed over Ireland to level the series. Scotland lost narrowly to USA. It is all building nicely toward the Women’s World Cup.

Back tomorrow with more reflections on the weekend’s action. Oh, and a mention for Bournemouth FC followers, not matter what happened at Anfield you are still above Leicester City in the table.

One more thing, the Friday Club BBQ on Friday was brilliant. Definitely more on this tomorrow.

Thursday 25th Aug: 09:00

I am sure you know this already but Bleater definitely talks through his rear end. My comments on the Aussie team to face the Springboks on Saturday was complete and utter rubbish. A number of changes have been made with Reece Hodge starting being the most notable. Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale, what tosh Bleater! You should be ashamed of yourself. I am to degree. However if Wee Jimmie Sturgeon can make up stuff and call it fact so can I !!!!

Ian Foster has been forced into making just the one change and that is Stephen Perofeta in for the injured Beauden Barrett.

Michael Cheika has pretty much kept the starting XV the same but made wholesale changes to his bench.

The Wallaroos make seven changes for their encounter with the Black Ferns. It won’t be enough however.

Don’t forget Japan v Ireland which is another excellent step forward for the women’s game.

Ok, that’ll do for now…..

Got several deliveries to sort out, including a new bed, we have two grandchildren and a daughter to entertain and having had an awful nights sleep after last night’s storm, enough is enough.

Walking rugby tonight and the Friday Club BBQ tomorrow. Happy, happy days.

Wednesday 24th Aug: 09:50

I have been very remiss for not joining the welcoming party for Mike “Bones” Churchyard. Mike is the clubs new sports therapist. He has been a part of the club over many years through his son so will fit in very nicely thank you. The full article on Mike is on this here website.

The Worcester story took an interesting turn yesterday as former CEO Jim O’Toole has come forward saying he is interested in buying the club with the backing of a serious investor from the US of A! Good luck to him, but it doesn’t really change the dialogue in that the club will still be managed at the behest of one or two money men and that is no foundation for a long term sustainable club, or game.

There is one interesting twist in all of this in that the current owners have somehow sold a significant part of the surrounding land previously owned by the club to a company, wait for it, owned by themselves. This smacks of dodgy dealing to me something that should pique the interest of the tax man, especially as he is on site! This move is likely to deter any potential new owner as stated by O’Toole. BBC sport for the full article.

As expected Bernard Foley has been recalled to the Wallabies side, as has Kurtley Beale. Both in the twilight of their careers but both fine players with a great pedigree of turning up when it matters.

Talking of Australia, there is a bit of a storm brewing as rugby union tries desperately to revive its seriously flagging fortunes. The game is losing fans primarily due to the lack of entertainment driven by the stop, start nature of the game; scrums, water breaks, TMO interventions, lineout meetings before the lineout, and so it goes on. At the forefront is the scrum, so Rugby Australia has suggested a 60 second time clock to get the ball in and out. Really nice idea and one which I can empathise with… but! The “but” is currently there are tonnes of force being generated on the necks and shoulders of the guys up front and rushing to get a scrum set and completed is not the answer. If you want to have rugby league scrums so be it but surely there has to be a better way.

Have you wondered about the water breaks during the tests? It is a move to reduce the number of people coming on to the field and part of the plan to speed up the game by having designated breaks in play the time of which can be controlled.

Ireland women are expecting Japan to bounce back in the 2nd test this Saturday after being well beaten last weekend. Sadly not on TV as far as I can tell.

I know this blog is becoming a little Welsh centric but WalesOnline is the one place with fresh news. Max Clark’s arrival at the Dragons from Bath over the summer is already causing quite a stir. The England Under 20 international is qualified for Wales and word on the street is he could soon be in contention to play alongside Nick Tompkins.

Talking of Dragons, Ross Moriarty could soon be back at Rodney Parade. His recovery from that horrendous injury whilst playing for the Dragons in South Africa has gone better than expected. Don’t rush however is my suggestion.

The Welsh internationals who toured South Africa are back in training with their clubs and some of those who didn’t feature on tour could soon be playing. The Scarlets host Bristol Bears for a pre-season bust up on September 2nd. Having the internationals available will be a boost for the West Wales outfit.

Yet another scathing report into the state of Welsh rugby and yet another proposal on change. Sadly the people currently with the power are like the RMT, stuck in the Victorian era not willing to change and adapt, even for the better, because they are they self-serving morons.

So much in other news to get the blood boiling, such as the tragic death of an innocent 9 year old in Liverpool thanks to relentless gang violence, the eco-mob causing mayhem on the M25 again, and the police being more worried about what hats to wear than catching criminals. I was going to add that Facebook is having problems and is currently down. AT LAST! Some good news.

Tuesday 23rd Aug: 08:00

As you might expect with little else to chat about the plight of Wasps and Worcester continue to be the lead stories in the rugby pages. I think I have said enough about this so will swiftly move on until there is new news.

Jacques Nienaber has brought Faf de Klerk straight back into his starting XV following his concussion absence. Warrick Gelant is the only other change to the team that will run out against the Aussies after Jesse Kriel picked up an injury in training. Joseph Dweba, Ox Nche and Duane Vermeulen all start despite getting the shepherds crook before half time against the All Blacks. There are a number of changes to the bench with versatile Willie LeRoux missing out altogether. The game kicks off at 06:30 and is live on SKY.

The Aussies will have to make changes following their poor performance in Argentina, and due to their lengthening injury list. Bernard Foley has been recalled and I think will start.

No team announcements from either New Zealand or Argentina yet but Beauden Barrett is allegedly a doubt after limping off at training. Francisco Gomes Kodela, a cornerstone of the Pumas scrum, is definitely out following injury. Agustin Creevy will not feature either as he has been left out of the travelling squad and can now return to London Irish ready for the start of the Premiership season.

Whilst the Pumas will be buoyed by their emphatic win over the Wallabies I expect New Zealand will win this one by a decent margin.

Proud new father James Haskell has come out and defended Eddie Jones and berated Sir Clive Knowitall for his criticism of England in general and Jones in particular. I would suggest, because I can and I am getting very, very cynical, that Haskell is defending the indefensible to get his name in the papers. That said is the Daily Mirror a newspaper?

Stand up and applaud Mark Davies for his contribution to Welsh rugby, and the game as a whole. He is hanging up his physio bag after 350 internationals, covering 11 coaches over a 30 year period. Capped just three times for Wales as a player but a titan for Swansea RFC during their halcyon days. His service to the game deserves our recognition.

Wales and British Lion legend and thoroughly nice bloke Shane Williams has added his voice to those criticising the self-serving clowns on the community game board in Wales who cannot see beyond their own noses. Their decision to expand the Premiership will be the final nail in the games coffin. There is no money, talented players are being ignored and worst of all the quality of the rugby is so bad fans would rather watch bowls than their local side.

The WRU have come on for some criticism as it is stated that when players register they must now tick a box accepting any risk of injury as condition of registration. Obviously with the impending litigation and the heightened focus on head injury this has caused some concern. I for one agree with the approach. Players must by now be aware of the risk and as a consequence can make up their own mind. This does not absolve the unions of their responsibilities, the number one of which must be player health and safety, but will help mitigate litigation further down the line.

So its the turn of the barristers to go on strike. I was quite surprised to see at the lower end of the scale a new junior barrister doesn’t earn that much, in fact a lot less than many members of the RMT and ASLEF!!!! After year one it does rise and can become a very lucrative career. Should they be going on strike? I don’t know, but strike they will.

I have an A-level in economics and another one in Maths (not that they are much use 48 years later) but I am struggling to see where the money for all these increased pay demands will come from. Tax revenues but everyone is talking about tax cuts. Increased economic activity but everyone is cutting back. The fabled money tree but Covid has put pay to that. Answers on a postcard.

Finally the airlines. If you are planning to fly anytime soon, good luck. Flight numbers are being slashed so fingers crossed. If you are lucky to get a seat be prepared to take out a second mortgage to afford the fare.

That’ll do. I need a coffee, a hot buttered crumpet slathered in butter topped with marmite and a banana on the side. Delicious.

Oh, and have you been watching the Hundred on SKY? Doesn’t Nasser Hussein look like Mr Burns off the Simpsons, and why the “bleep” can’t he say “competition” rather than “comp”?

Monday 22nd Aug: 08:10

Very little in the rugby pages that we haven’t already covered so I’ll keep it brief this morning. The situation at Worcester Warriors seems to have taken a turn for the worse with talk now being about administration. This is bad news for the fans and the sponsors but most troubling for the players and staff. What happens to Worcester’s squad of 45 senior players? With the salary cap now at £5m and plenty of players already looking around for clubs the picture is bleak. Duhan van der Merwe and Rory Sutherland are two of the big names highlighted but there are many more such as Welsh international Ashley Beck. There is no appetite for increasing the cap as most clubs have already spent their available cash and it goes against the whole reason for the reduction: sorting out clubs’ finances. Van der Merwe might find a move home to South Africa attractive however that would scupper his Scottish career. Likewise Japan or North America but is it that simple to find a club who can take you on. It is a pretty dire situation.

It is not all about the players. What about all the other members of staff. They too will find themselves out of work. Those in the hospitality side of the operation should be able to find work locally but that isn’t a given. Most, like the players, will find it tough in an already very painful economic environment. The game has got to wake up, not just at the elite level but at local level where clubs are paying players and walking a very thin tightrope indeed.

Ireland Women came from behind to score nine tries in their win over Japan on the weekend. The Irish ladies have at last been offered professional contracts and now must look to see how they can close the playing gap to England.

Nigel Owens has for a while being doing a stint on Radio 5. Well, all that came to an end recently but not without one last hoorah. He signed off with a rendition of Sinatra’s “My Way” which has become an instant hit on social media. I found the story on stuff.co.nz but I am sure if you go onto the interweb you’ll find it. It is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise miserable world.

One of the things that plagued the game last season, especially at junior level was people entering the field of play; coaches, parents, spectators. All too often, whilst the reason might have been well-meaning, things all to often spiralled out of control. The RFU as a consequence are tightening up in this area:-
“The RFU Head of Discipline has the power to provisionally suspend any individual for a period of up to four weeks if such individual has entered the playing area without the permission of the Referee and is subject to a disciplinary or safeguarding investigation as a result”.

I see another union has decided to add to the country’s woes by going on strike. This time it is UNITE and the workers at Felixstowe, probably the most important docks in the UK. Without question, unlike the morons at RMT and ASLEF, the action of this union will cause a massive disruption to millions across the country. The vociferous demands for pay increases is as a result of inflation. Inflation hits everybody but the people with the least are usually the hardest hit. UNITE’s actions will push inflation even higher thus hurting even more the very people unions were originally designed to help, the working classes.

Before I go, a question: where is Sadiq Kahn? During the Euros he was everywhere. Before that he was on a high profile trip to the US. Before that his PR machine was in full swing with any and every photo opportunity possible. Right now crime on London’s streets is out of control. Murders are now common place and knife crime is rife. When he does crawl out from under the rocks it is to proclaim it is everyone else’s fault. It is the weather, it is Covid, it is the Martians. Nothing to do with him of course. This is another example of sleaze bag politicians not doing what they are paid to do. He needs to divert some of the money being spent of politically correct crap to the police and then prod them into action. Stop all this woke nonsense about caring and sharing and start coming down hard on these criminals, and thugs, and drug dealers.

Sunday 21st Aug: 09:05

Coventry is our first port of call this morning. Coventry City are bottom of the Championship by virtue of the fact they have only played two of their five scheduled games. Three home fixtures have been postponed due to the pitch at Coventry Building Society Arena being unfit to play on. This has brought the football club and Wasps rugby into serious conflict.

Wasps were quick to take the money to host the Commonwealth Games 7s, they were successful, and have been quick to host several concerts at the stadium but are refusing to have any discussions on relaying the pitch. They have no money, that is why. They appear to be mired in debt and now, like Worcester Warriors, are in discussions with HMRC about unpaid tax bills.

It is a very sad state of affairs for our game but in my opinion inevitable. Covid has hammered businesses up and down the land, big and small. The hospitality and entertainment industry, which sport is, has been particularly hard hit so when you see previously well run, profitable businesses closing their doors it should come as no surprise. When you see pre-Covid debt-ridden rugby clubs now in the brown and smelly stuff you have to shrug your shoulders and say “I told you so”.

I don’t know about you but I enjoyed the Black Ferns v Wallaroos game. It was, as expected, somewhat one sided with the New Zealand outfit dominating from the start. A lot of the skills on show were top quality and I felt the ball was in play a lot more than the men’s equivalent. Anyway, it kick started my Saturday very nicely thank you. It was good the Aussies stuck at it and scored at the death to give them some hope for next week at home in the Adelaide Oval (which is a lovely stadium in a lovely city).

It was troubling however to see the size and ferocity of some the players on show. We already have the sad case of Scot; Siobhan Cattigan whose head injuries led to her taking her own life. How soon will we start to see some of the top flight women suffering similar problems as the men.

Finally a mention for the merry whistle blower. She was excellent: clear and concise with her instructions, excellent at explaining her decisions, and taking non nonsense from anyone. Some of her male, show pony counterparts should take note.

Next weekend the men are back in action with Australia v South Africa and New Zealand v Argentina. The games are live on SKY but you you’ll need to set your alarm as the first game kicks off at 06:30. More on this through the week.

The World 7s in Cape Town are on the horizon. Sept 9th to Sept 11th if you are interested. It is possible Crowborough will be hosting Ashford that weekend. I say “possible” as our pitches are still baked hard despite the recent rain. Yes there is now a tinge of green here and there but underneath that the Wealden clay is like concrete, and not very smooth concrete at that. Several of us inspected the entire estate on Friday with fork in hand. When striking the ground it was like a tuning fork bouncing up and resonating tunefully as a consequence. Even with my delicate 16st to aid progress the fork stubbornly refused to go into the ground. We don’t know how others are doing but I guess very much the same as us.

More worrying is the condition of the guys. They have been training hard but contact and full on tackling has been limited due to the ground conditions. Only time will tell but being a pessimist I am not confident the season will start on time.

Walking rugby continues and it is great fun. I have been accused of taking it too seriously. Hey ho! Thursday at 6pm at Steel Cross. The bar is open afterwards and for a mere five British pounds the lovely Jacqui serves up an amazing curry.

In other sport The Hundred is keeping us entertained, following Leicester City is a masochistic pastime, I read Anthony Joshua lost to the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and see that our athletes have been raising spirits with a number of medals at the European Championships. I also read about England capitulating to South Africa in the 1st test at Lords.

You know my view about the current actions of the RMT and ASLEF so I won’t cover that again but I will refer back to the RMT and P&O. The way P&O sacked their entire workforce was despicable. The fact no action is to be taken against them is not right. However, and it is a big “however” if you are going on holiday via P&O, the ferries are running. The RMT had a big influence at P&O prior to the sackings so you can be sure Mick Lynch and his mob would have brought P&O to its knees last Thursday and again yesterday. I say to the two Micks “be very careful what you wish for!”

Thursday 18th Aug: 08:00

The weather well and truly broke over Crowborough yesterday. The rain was torrential and much needed. It won’t be enough to soften grounds or scratch the surface of replenishing reservoirs but it was enough to take my water butt from being empty to nearly full in the space of just a few hours. A gloomy morning to start the day but with my grandson arriving shortly, walking rugby tonight, and some sun promised for later there is much to look forward to.

Absolutely nothing in the rugby pages yesterday and with us being on grand-parenting duties yesterday the blog took a back seat. By the way a big day for many today as the A-level results come out and the scramble for university places begins.

There is some rugby news and the story that leads in most of the papers is about Worcester Warriors being sent a winding-up petition by HMRC. Worcester have been in financial difficulties for some time, it was only a few months ago that it was revealed that a number of players were paid late as the club’s cash dried up. The club have been in negotiation with HMRC about their outstanding tax payments but the problem is wider than that. Please read the articles for yourselves but my understanding is Worcester have been late with, or worse defaulted on, payments to suppliers driven according to Worcester by delays in receipt of promised new investment into the club. A sorry, but totally unsurprising state of affairs.

Worcester point the finger at Covid, which is fair I think: two seasons of either no, or limited revenue. For me however, and please excuse the glibness, it is a sign “the chickens are coming home to roost”. Worcester is a club that grew, and grew rapidly, during the professional era thanks to the largesse of one man. That man, Cecil Duckworth, stood down a while ago and they seemed to have struggled financially ever since.

This news, along with the Wasps “state of affairs”, must be a wake up call for the game. Prior to Covid just one club turned a profit with all others being in debt, some heavily. Covid will have hit them hard so I am certain the situation is now significantly worse. It cannot go on, but it does. In the Championship Ealing Trailfinders appear to be reliant on one man, Jersey Reds despite getting into financial difficulties a while ago still seem to continue to throw money around like confetti. Need I say more.

The other news is Ian Foster has been told his position is safe through to the 2023 World Cup. It makes sense, in the same way booting out Eddie Jones this close to the World Cup would be a risky strategy. What is clear is Joe Schmidt is going to be much more heavily involved in the All Blacks camp, and Scott Robinson remains firm favourite to take over after the World Cup. Schmidt might have something to say about that however.

Amongst the recent signings, and departures, the arrival of Wallaby Scott Sio at Sandy Park catches the eye. That move won’t be cheap!!

The Premier 15s fixtures are out. November 19th it all kicks off with Saracens playing Loughborough Lightning.

For those with SKY TV tomorrow morning you can watch the latest round of NPC rugby, usually a good game, then on Saturday morning New Zealand Women take on Australia. That could be tasty but I fear the Ferns will be way too strong for their Aussie counterparts.

Walking rugby tonight at Steel Cross, 6pm it starts. I’ll be there. It was good fun last week.

In other news there is the RMT bringing the country to a halt again. The cost of living situation is bad, made worse by inflation hitting 10%, but these strikes are economic terrorism driven by political ideology. Mick Lynch and his mob of hypocrites should be ashamed of themselves as they take home their breathtaking salaries, but also because their demands would only cause inflation to rise further. Higher wages have to be funded from somewhere, and that somewhere is fares, and they are paid for by hard working commuters who have no choice but to use the rail network.

Liz Trustless and Rishi Cashless continue to bleat on. They make me (almost) look sensible. Where is the money to pay for all the sweeties going to come from, especially if you cut taxes? Like many trees around the country the money tree is looking very bare and hardly surviving this economic drought. Then there is Sir Keir Starmer and his exotic plans. Whatever colour your political rosette is we are screwed.

On that note I’ll be back on Sunday. Can I say a huge “thank you” for those who continue to read my random rants about our game and beyond. There might only be my mum, Damper, Pratty and a few others but I intend to keep going until told otherwise. This guff kick starts my brain most mornings if nothing else. By the way, despite popular opinion, it helps my blood pressure too.

Tuesday 16th Aug: 09:00

I have trawled through the sports pages and can find nothing of note to discuss with regards to rugby. Even though the League season is in full swing there is virtually nothing about that version of our game either. I can tell you that England netball have slipped to 4th in the rankings and that Emma Raducanu will play Serena Williams in Cincinnati later today. The Hundred is in full swing and Mrs Bleater and I are watching some of that. If as hoped there is rain today we might watch a bit more.

In the absence of rugby news time for a rant…… The water companies (plus).

Soon there will be finger pointing at who is to blame for the drought. I guess we all are. I will put my hand up as I am sure my travels have contributed in some very small way to how the climate is changing. We have to act now before it truly is too late. The water companies should have been acting a long time ago, arguing for new reservoirs, sorting the leaks from their infrastructure, reducing the pollution of our seas and waterways, and looking at investing in better and more efficient ways at meeting the ever increasing needs of society.

They haven’t because all that takes money and spending it on important things like the future doesn’t line the pockets of the fat cat bosses, the overseas owners and shareholders. The profits for some are substantial, some are making a loss and are in debt, a lot of debt, but still manage to pay the bosses handsomely. The situation is intolerable especially as we have no choice. Each company is a virtual monopoly. Is it too late for the Government to act? No! The learning from this drought must include changing the model back to some form of “not-for-profit” ownership as per Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

By the way the same is true of our other public utilities. We the public are being taken for a ride by foreign owners of some the UKs most important assets. Much of the UK energy network is in foreign hands. The profits they make here are subsiding energy in their own country. Only this week France capped energy rises at much lower levels than we have because EDF energy for example can use profits here to weather that decision in France. It is wrong. I have no problem with private ownership per se but at least can we keep any profits here in the UK for the benefit of those who ultimately generate the profits; us, the consumer.

As I am on a role our transport system is no different. Who owns the rail companies, the Dutch, the Germans, the French. Likewise with buses. It cannot be right. I wouldn’t mind but when you see RATP on the side of London buses you know we are being, pardon the pun, taken for a ride. RATP being the French state owned transport company.

That’ll do for now.

I will do my very best to find some rugby news tomorrow, even it is only Steel Cross walking rugby.

By the way Happy Birthday David. I can’t put your age in as Mrs Bleater has said not to.

Monday 15th Aug: 08:50

What have we learned from Saturday’s tests? Ian Foster is a little safer in his role as head coach but not secure by a long way. Despite the win there are still loud rumblings of discontent in the background.

Jacques Nienaber’s bold move to start with youngsters Dwebe and Nche didn’t work out too well. Both Marx and Kitsoff were sent into the fray very early on.

The Springboks are not invincible and even at Ellis Park at altitude they can be beaten. Their game plan has become predictable and to a degree inflexible. That said I thought they did throw the ball around a lot more on Saturday than they have done for a very long while.

It was a cracking test. Not everyone will agree but I enjoyed it, as did many others. With doubt Lukhanyo Am is world class and right now probably the best centre in the world.

Richie Mo’unga will surely start when New Zealand host Argentina in two weeks time.

Where next for Australia and Australian Rugby Union? That was a pretty poor performance on Saturday, obviously taking nothing away from Argentina’s brilliance. Union lags way behind league and AFL in popularity and defeats such as this do nothing to close the gap. They have the World Cup in 2027, five years is not a long time to turn things around. To be fair the Wallabies were hit badly by injuries to key players and whilst one player doesn’t make a team the loss of Michael Hooper must have had a negative impact on team morale.

Argentina have had to make changes to their squad for the two tests in New Zealand due to injury and players returning to their clubs. It is interesting how things have changed for Argentina. Los Jaquares was the national side when they were playing in Super Rugby. Now only two players come from there with the rest playing mainly in England and France.

The game in New Zealand has been rocked by a despicable act of thuggery. A referee/coach was violently punched towards the end of a kids game causing it to be abandoned. Under 8s for heavens sake. This sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable but very sadly is creeping more and more into our game. Parents who think it is acceptable to scream abuse and enter the field of play, coaches who forget they are coaching kids and think they are coaching England, and in both cases an unhealthy attitude that winning is the holy grail.

Sadly the demise in behaviour at games is consistent with the demise of common decency in society. You see it everywhere; “me, me, me”, on the roads, in the supermarket, on the street. A sense of entitlement that means rules don’t apply them!

We are not far away from the season kick off…. But are we? Right now Steel Cross for example is too dangerous to play full contact rugby. Across large swathes of England this is definitely the case. Pitches are bare and rock hard. I anticipate the start of the season will be pushed back, either officially or through postponements.

What won’t be postponed, I hope, is the women’s World Cup. England must start as favourites after the money that has been poured into the game and how they have dominated the 6 Nations of late, winning the last four. The Red Roses will also want to follow in the footsteps of the inspirational Lionesses. It all starts in October.

I, along with many thousands of Welsh fans, despair at the state of the game in Wales and pathetic infighting and intransigence to bring the game into the 20th century let alone the 21st. It is akin to the RMT and ASLEF refusing to move away from what happened in Victorian times with the small clubs controlling what happens at the elite level. It is a short sighted, narrow minded attitude which ultimately will bring the game to its knees. With Welsh soccer on a high right now surely those on the gravy train must realise it is time for change. Top flight business people known for their ruthlessness have left the WRU in frustration at the intransigence of people supposedly running the game.

I remain permanently grateful to Crowborough RFC for allowing me to use this platform to write about our great game and of course about more controversial stuff. There are some topics I choose to shy away from but overall I am left to my own devices. THANK YOU! That is not true elsewhere and we should all worry about how freedom of speech is being eroded. I am not talking about removing abusive and hateful comments, I am talking about Salman Rushdie being stabbed followed by those who have suggested he had it coming for writing a well considered book. JK Rowling has been told “she’s next” for expressing solidarity with Rushdie. Others have been removed from prominent positions because their views don’t chime with the woke luvvies or the vociferous minorities. Be afraid. If your right to free speech disappears then you know you are living in a totalitarian state.

The water companies, what a bunch of shysters. More on this tomorrow.

Sunday 14th Aug: 08:55

That’s more like it. Two proper tests rather than extended versions of Greco-Roman wrestling. I agree with my good friend “Damper” who no sooner had the final whistle been blown was sending me “best test match I’ve watched for years” when referring to the Springboks being tamed by the All Blacks. At last a team put into place the tactics many of us seated in front of our TVs have been screaming for for some time: get the ball wide and keep the wildebeest moving. In that first half that is exactly what the All Blacks did. No faffing about, albeit Faf wasn’t playing, just spin the ball to the wide men and then look to off load back inside, and then go back the other way. Not rocket science but common sense. To be fair the South Africans also played with more aplomb with Pollard, strangely for him, not kicking the ball high into the Jo’Burg night sky at every opportunity. In part that was due to the fact Jordie Barrett was imperious under the high ball. New Zealand were much more aggressive/assertive at the breakdown meaning South Africa were unable to bully the opposition into submission.

During the second half the All Blacks reverted to a more confrontational game plan which unsurprisingly allowed the Bokke back into the contest. It looked as if Ian Foster would come under severe scrutiny for changing the tactics as the hosts crossed the whitewash for two excellent tries. Pollard’s boot clawed the Bokke back into it. Then came the closing 10 minutes or so when down to 14 men the All Blacks threw caution to the wind scoring two late tries to silence the vociferous crowd and slay the ghost of successive defeats. That Lukhanyo Am is some player. He certainly didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Rieko Ioane on the other hand deserved to be on the winning side. He was magnificent. What a game!

A word for Welshman Luke Pearce. He was outstanding. Totally unflappable even with Siya Kolisi and Sam Cane constantly in his ear and 60,000 plus baying Springbok fans in the stands. He made a few mistakes and was slow recognising some infringements but he was the first to put his hand up and ultimately got it right. The Beauden Barrett block and the Hendrikse obstruction being perfect examples. Well done the man from Pontypool, which is in Wales, so Luke IS Welsh!!!

Next up Argentina v Australia. Another cracking game with some amazing rugby, most coming from Los Pumas. Yes the Wallabies were depleted but that is no excuse for capitulating like they did. Stunned by being 14-0 down within minutes of the start, and whilst they did get back into the game for a period they never looked as if they could repeat the feats of last week. Michael Cheika had his team fired up and the tactics spot on. Los Pumas exploited the Wallabies uncertainty under the high ball and played what was in front of them when in attack. They more than matched the Wallabies in the contact areas and held their own in the set piece. Seven tries to two speaks volumes for the scale of the defeat, as did Dave Rennie’s forthright condemnation of his side during the post match interviews. If you haven’t seen this game and you have SKY it is worth watching on “catch-up”.

Before venturing out into the blazing Saharan heat I also watched Canterbury v Wellington in the NPC Cup. This was another cracker of a game.

What else is in the rugby pages. First up Danny Cipriani and Luther Burrell have both lambasted Eddie Jones for his public school comments. Both have gone on record and said the problem with England is, and hallelujah for this, Eddie Jones. His dictatorial, adversarial approach to coaching and his obsession with size and brute force along with his refusal to allow players to think for themselves all add up to what we have been seeing: mediocrity at best, failure at worst.

Trouble continues to follow Wasps around. The Daily Fail covers the dire financial situation they are in as they miss the deadline to pay back a £35m retail bond on their stadium and having to go cap in hand to lenders to try and secure £13m more in loans. Sorry but I keep saying it, and I will say it over and over again, the financial model of professional rugby is a “busted flush”.

DMP Durham Sharks will go to the ball. They secured sufficient funds from crowdfunding to dance the night away in the Premier 15s when that kicks off shortly.

WalesOnline carry a really good article about how HIA assessments are handled in the elite game. Head injuries are a hot topic right now and this is a good explanation of what, why, when and how of HIA.

Ok, that’ll do except to say I hope travelling by train isn’t on your agenda as ASLEF are out on strike. Like their economic terrorist friends at the RMT their highly paid members are happy to put two fingers up to the very working class unions are supposed to protect demanding even more money without offering up a single change to the Victorian working practices they exploit mercilessly.

Can someone explain to me where all the extra National Insurance money has gone. Has it been spent on the unbelievably woke initiatives the NHS are now instigating where only “people” can be pregnant for example. It is a ffffnnnn disgrace. No wonder ambulances are queuing up outside hospitals; it is taking crew 45 minutes to fill in which box to tick for gender!!!!!!! Aaarrrrggghhhh!

Thursday 11th Aug: 08:30

WARNING!

Like the BBC, the NHS, Universities, and the Government I must warn you that some content of this blog might be offensive.

There will be references, but not exclusively, to women being women, Dickens, Shakespeare, eating meat, football and most offensive of all Wee Jimmie Sturgeon. Psychological support should sought if you are offended by these and any other topics that could be included.

The BBC carry a nice article about how Ed Slater is not going to give in to MND, he is going to embrace every second of what life has to throw at him. He has just completed a 350 mile bike ride and raised £300,000 in the process.

Springboks hooker; Bongi Mbonambi, has been ruled out of Saturday’s test with New Zealand with a knee injury. No it isn’t Malcolm Marx who steps up but rookie Joseph Dweba. Dweba made his international debut against Argentina last year, then made a brief appearance against Wales in Bloemfontein just a few weeks ago. Jacques Nienaber is clearly his own man not afraid to make the tough call. Dweba will pack down alongside Ox Nche, another rookie who Nienaber clearly has faith in. By the way “Ox” is a very apt name for any of the Springbok forwards.

No news of the All Blacks team but rest assured there will be changes as the “woe-is-me” hand wringing continues across New Zealand.

The RFU, aren’t we all, are very concerned about the state of pitches up and down the country. Certainly here in the South East using Steel Cross as an example the pitches are unplayable. They are extremely hard, with little or no grass covering. As a consequence there is much debate about moving the start of the season back. The RFU have already indicated that if there isn’t a blanket change then clubs will have the right, without penalty, to postpone games as a result of pitch conditions.

We are expecting rain next week but in our case the ground is so hard it will simply run off into the surrounding ditches without any impact on the ground beneath. It may however replenish our rainwater harvester which we can then use for irrigation.

The IRFU have confirmed their support for the games stance on trans women in rugby. They will not be allowed to play in female contact games. I have said before and I will say again gender is a complex area for some, albeit a minority, but this is the only sensible decision that the game could come to.

For those who follow junior rugby, boys and girls, the game has made a number of important changes to how it is structured. The current broad age bands for girls are being narrowed to make it less taunting as they progress through the system. An extra band has been added so the game now starts at U12, then U14, U16 and U18. Another sensible move as the girls game grows.

For both sexes the banding will be much more strictly applied. Previously, and certainly during Covid, there was some flexibility for players to play up or down by one age group. This is now being tightened to make it much more difficult for this to happen.

Had a trawl through WalesOnline. No wedding updates for you today. Sorry!

There is an article about former Springbok Grant Esterhuizen who was subject to a random attack outside a bar in Nelspruit following South Africa’s win last Saturday. Esterhuizen believes it was a random attack, probably by a member of a biker gang who was going to clout someone just for the fun of it. What is the world coming to?

Unless you want me to trawl through the lower echelons of Australian and New Zealand rugby that is your rugby news for today, oh!, except to say walking rugby, Steel Cross, tonight, 6pm.

I must thank my good friend Colin for sending me a very interesting article how the Government’s desire to understand the cost of everything, even if they do jack all about tackling waste within government, yet ignoring the value of everything has resulted in us having armed forces with nothing but sticks and stones, the odd trebuchet from a re-enactment site and a few rusty old subs carrying equally rusty nuclear weapons to defend ourselves with. Anything half decent is now being used in Ukraine.

Finally it is no wonder the NHS is such a shambles when they have people writing guidance on things like menstruation and not mentioning women. Instead they have decided to use the word “people”. I worked for 16 years for Bowater * Scott selling paper and sanitary protection products. During that time I was able to understand the often traumatic time women and girls found themselves in whilst having a period. For the NHS to go woke on this subject beggars belief. The world really is going mad.

Back on Sunday when we will talk about the slave trade and how the Scottish Government have conveniently airbrushed out of history Scotland’s and Scot’s involvement in slavery. Independence, it can’t come quick enough!!!!

Wednesday 10th Aug: 09:00

I really shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds us as the RFU has been amazingly supportive of Crowborough RFC over many years and certainly during Covid. However, when it come to Eddie Jones they have a blind spot. Have they finally grown a backbone as it seems Jones has been “rebuked” over his comments regarding public schools. It’ll be water off a ducks back where Jones is concerned and what does “rebuke” really mean? Nothing! Has he had his wages stopped or threatened with the sack? No! Jones will just carry on as he normally does taking the money, saying whatever he likes, and hacking many people off royally.

Bit of a storm brewing up in Coventry. The Coventry Arena, home of Wasps was used for the Commonwealth Games 7s, and now according to tenants Coventry City FC the pitch is unplayable. To be fair it does look a mess and not the usual carpet that both teams get to play on.

Jacques Nienaber is in the luxurious position of making five changes to the starting XV who will run on at Ellis Park on Saturday. As expected Duane Vermeulen returns. Surprisingly Malcolm Marx drops to the bench after his man of the match performance last week. Mind you when you are coach to the two best front rows in the world you can afford that luxury.

Some rather unsavoury news about former Wales skipper; Gareth Thomas, in many papers but that is for others to cover.

More wedding news in WalesOnline with Kieran Hardy marrying his long time girlfriend and mother to his daughter in Jersey on the weekend. Yes the rugby barrel is that empty.

DMP Durham Sharks have been given more time to find funding ahead of the Premier 15s season. A forlorn hope in my mind.

The constant flow of negative news about Welsh rugby is sucking the life out of even the most ardent of fans. When you read that the Dragons can’t get a side together to play a friendly against RGC then you know things are dire.

There is a nice piece in WalesOnline about Sam Warburton and life after rugby. Basically how fantastic it is and how he has no regrets about this retirement.

SKY have received hundreds of complaints about the commentary during the first Argentina v Australia test. It was dire and not in keeping with SKYs normal standards. Surely more competent commentators could have followed the action on TV if cost was a factor. It has been done successfully before.

Finally Zach Mercer is rumoured to be joining Gloucester. Don’t get your hopes up you Shed Heads. It won’t happen until Sept 2023 and it is still only an “might”. Mercer was Top 14 player of the season last season and would be an amazing acquisition for the Cherry & Whites, and with just a few months before the World Cup would Eddie Jones take a punt on picking him. I for one doubt it because the blinkered Jones will still think Mercer is too small.

Heaven knows what I can scrape together tomorrow but I will do my best.

Plenty of depressing news across the media; Ukraine, Taiwan, cost of living, the weather and the drought, woke nonsense and so it goes on. The race to be PM is like watching Enid Blyton take on Ronald Dahl; just keep making up those fairy tales about milk & honey!

I don’t know how I missed the one bit of good news to come out of the fight to be leader but I did. Liz Trustless went on record saying something like “Wee Jimmie Sturgeon is a non-entity and her constant whining is a side show”. Those weren’t her exact words but I think that was the sentiment.

A very good place to leave it today me thinks!

Tuesday 9th Aug: 08:50

Sir Knowitall has waded into Eddie Jones argument that England’s public schools are to blame for England’s failings. I am not sure that is what Eddie Jones said exactly but if Jones can talk complete and utter nonsense then so can I. Sir Knowitall, like me, thinks Jones is talking out of his backside and goes on to ask the sensible question why hasn’t the RFU/Bill Sweeney done anything about it. A very fair question to which the answer is two fold. Firstly money. To get rid of Jones would cost the RFU an arm and a leg. Secondly timeframe. Jones is going in a years time anyway and is a year long enough to get someone new in ahead of RWC 2023. I can understand the financial concern but Jones should have been booted out years ago.

The article in The Daily Fail rambles on a bit but it is worth a read. The public school system is not to blame, nor is the state system, for England’s troubles over recent seasons. That is down to one man and that is Eddie Jones. His tactics have been wrong, his team selection has been wrong and the way he handles the team and the people around has been wrong.

If there is a problem with (state) schools it is the lack of sport in general with rugby constantly at the bottom of the pile for a range of reasons. It is a technical sport to coach, it is more and more seen as dangerous, and the costs associated with it can be high. Cricket has similar problems.

The shambles that is Welsh rugby continues. We are weeks away from a new season and the elite game; the four regions, have no idea what the funding from the WRU will be, and the game below that has no idea what the Premiership league structure will be, 12 or 9 teams. The WRU have offered £23m, the four regions want £29m, that is quite a difference. The problem is not just the gap it is the fact the regions as a business model are a busted flush. Any sensible business person would instantly see none of the regions are financially viable. The league structure is also about money and clubs viability. There is merit in reducing the number of teams in the league but whoever loses out is going to be up in arms. As always WalesOnline for this one.

Kurt-Lee Arendse has been given a four week (match) suspension for taking out Beauden Barrett in the air. It was his first appearance in front of a panel and he doffed his cap to the panelists so eight weeks was reduced to four.

The All Blacks head to the hostile environment of Ellis Park for the 2nd test against the Springboks. It will be hostile and it looks like another massive wildebeest; Duane Vermeulen, has been added to the Bokke squad now he is recovered from injury.

Not that anyone is vaguely interested but Adam Beard got married in Cyprus on the weekend. Yes that how empty the rugby barrel is. (In the photo)

Argentina v Australia in San Juan on Saturday. The Argentinians have shaken up their squad, the Wallabies are trying to find 23 fit players. Should be a good game. By the way wasn’t the commentary on SKY a little turgid. Clearly these were very knowledgeable Argentinians doing it in a second language, which is amazing, but all the same!!

Plenty in the papers about the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s Florida mansion.

Plenty in the news about the race to be the next PM. Neither of whom are inspiring me, nor it seems the country. It comes to something when many are saying bring back the liar-in-chief.

Then there is the hosepipe ban. Isn’t it something that Southern Water, Thames Water and South East Water are first out of the blocks with their bans but they are also the worst when it comes to leaks from their own infrastructure.

There is also much criticism of the Aussie cricketer who despite testing positive for Covid played in the Commonwealth Games T20 final. This got my back up and highlights what has been wrong with this whole Covid thing all along. She was not ill, she did not look ill, she had nothing wrong with her except she was forced to take a totally unnecessary test to satisfy some H&S zealot. I am delighted she played and stuck two fingers up at these faceless, chinless wonders who want to see us subjugated by medical paranoia.

I’ll try and find some decent rugby stuff for tomorrow.

Monday 8th Aug: 08:25

What’s in the rugby pages today Bleater? Not much actually, especially as the Premier League is back and the Commonwealth Games continue. The challenges Ed Slater faces following his diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease is BBC’s lead story. At just 34 it must be terrible for him and his family but it is a fascinating article as he seems to be very philosophical about it. Quite inspiring actually.

Ian Foster is taking the volley of criticism on the chin. The under fire coach has accepted the All Blacks are a long way from where they should be. He has also criticised South Africa’s high risk and dangerous approach to the arial battles. He is spot on with that. Beauden Barrett was very lucky not to have been seriously injured following that outrageous assault by Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Aaron Smith has said the (All Black) forwards need to boss the breakdown if their are to beat South Africa. He is not wrong BUT that means going even more toe-to-toe with the wildebeest. I think to beat South Africa, yes you have to be ready for a physical contest, but you must keep them moving around, on the back foot, keep them guessing. If all you are going to do is arm-wrestle at the tackle/ruck then you might has well concede defeat now.

Here is a thought. Looking back at the 2019 World Cup England took New Zealand apart in the semi-final and Wales although losing were more than a match in the 3rd/4th play-off for long periods, this despite Wales having to scrape the barrel for 15 fit players. Therefore was the start of the demise then under Steve Hansen now so critical of his successor?

World Rugby are mired in an eligibility scandal that could end up in the courts. Heaven forbid. Obviously the Dave Hilton, Shane Howarth and Brett Sinkinson situation has subsequently been well documented. A third Italian player has now been identified as playing when not eligible. Not much anyone can do now after the event but Spain continue to scream “foul” after their expulsion from RWC 2023. As I have suggested before I don’t think Spain has a leg to stand on. I have also said before the eligibility rules are a mess. It needs to be birth or parents, residency needs to be a minimum of five years with the exception of those arriving for schooling in a given country and given residency thereafter. Harsh perhaps on the smaller nations, but maybe not.

Interesting piece in The Guardian that contradicts my view that a successful England rugby side benefits clubs. I stick by my view as I think England doing well does heighten interest in the game at grassroots level. The Guardian do make a very good point that the exposure a sports success has is a significant factor. The Women’s Euros got wall to wall coverage by the BBC. Cricket has been in the wilderness because terrestrial TV has been devoid of coverage. Of late however more and more cricket is being shown on terrestrial TV so it is no surprise that junior cricket is seeing a revival. The article also makes the point that the sporting governing bodies have to be proactive too. Netball is on the up again thanks to recent England successes and the growth of the Superleague but mainly due to the powers that be investing in the grassroots game more than ever before. It’s a good article.

The football season is underway and after just one game questions are being asked and criticism is flying around like Chinese jets over Taiwan. For us who follow Leicester City it came as no surprise that being 2-0 up and playing some excellent football was irrelevant. 2-2 the final score. Who would want to manage Manchester United? A masochist I guess. Losing to Brighton at Old Trafford was not what the fans expected.

Final day of the Commonwealth Games today. I have not watched as much as normal but what I have watched has been thoroughly enjoyable. Australia will top the table ahead of England. Have you noticed how well Nigeria have done. They have been a revelation.

The Hundred featuring London Spirit and Manchester Originals is today’s offering.

I am sure there will plenty of RMT news to bring you later this week but I thought I would mention the cost of living situation. Fuel, energy costs and food are all going through the roof. We have noticed the increases and have thought twice about what we spend. On Friday evening and Saturday morning wandering around Bridgnorth we couldn’t help noticing the many notices advertising for staff. When a guy came on the radio and said he was struggling because his job seekers allowance wasn’t going far enough it made me question the reality of said “crisis”. I am sure Bridgnorth is not the only town in the UK desperate for staff so my answer to the man in question is “get a job”. Yes, yes I know that makes me sound like Norman Tebbitt but if our recent trip to South Africa taught us anything we in the UK are way too soft on those who can’t be bothered to work because it is too easy to be looked after by the state. Can’t wait for the hate mail to flood in!!!

Sunday 7th Aug: 08:25

New Zealand suffer their third defeat in a row for the first time since 1998. South Africa were the better side and deserved to win. New Zealand had no fire power, lacked imagination and like many sides before them tried to go toe-to-toe with the wildebeest from the High Veld. The first ten minutes or so were encouraging before the game descended into one of attrition where brute force and ignorance was the only game plan. South Africa were brutal in defence stifling any All Black creativity, and as has become the norm, were a battering ram in attack with the number of off loads in open play being zero. As an advert for our game this was not it. Being one eyed it actually put Wales performances into perspective. Wales did ok thank you very much.

Faf de Klerk’s head injury highlights the need for the game to wake up to the risks. This was not a deliberate act that can be solved by red cards, something more fundamental needs to be done.

Whilst Kurt-Lee Arendse took his try well (I thought it came from a forward pass) his take out of Beauden Barrett in the air was appalling. This was the most straight forward of red cards. There lies the story however. It was awful to watch and lucky that Barrett was able to walk away. If that had happened at the 50th minute then a fresh player could have come on at the 70 minute mark. It simply cannot be right that such a blatant and obvious piece of foul play is punished by a 20 minute sin binning effectively. World Rugby has to scrap this experimental law.

Next up came Argentina v Australia. For me at least, this was a more enjoyable encounter. At least both sides tried to play positively as opposed to negatively. Yes there were some bone crunching tackles and plenty of brute force but at least on more than one occasion the ball went through several pairs of hands. That Argentinian try was a thing of beauty. It was however still a game punctuated by stoppages. Yet again the scrum ate up so much time it was embarrassing. The time it took to get lineouts underway was painful. Kicks at goal are now like watching paint dry they take so long.

The injury to Quade Cooper looks bad. It was innocuous at the time but could well be a season ending Achilles problem.

Australia stuck to their task and eventually ran out winners, and deservedly so. Their second half performance was pretty good indeed. They were aided by Argentina’s ill-discipline but nevertheless a sold result.

All is set for round two next Saturday when now 5th ranked New Zealand, no that isn’t a typo, will need to magic up something special if Ian Foster is to keep his job.

Elsewhere, isn’t it depressing to read that DMP Durham Sharks are unlikely to start the season when it kicks off shortly. The Premier 15s outfit has a huge financial shortfall which they are finding impossible to bridge. Yet again the games ambition has outstripped reality. Yes supporting women’s rugby is crucial and a very good thing to do but don’t run before you can walk. I have said before rugby has to cut its cloth accordingly and until it does clubs will continue to go to the wall due to ambition and reality being a million miles apart.

Several of the papers cover an interview with Anthony Watson who praises those who speak out about head injury and racism but also talks about his (unedifying) departure from Bath. Reading between the lines it highlights why there is much wrong at The Rec right now. WalesOnline for the full story.

Eddie Jones has blamed the “public school system for not producing players who have the skill and resolve to play rugby at the highest level”; for England. The man is a complete jerk. What he should be worrying about is why so many state schools don’t play the game at all, let alone badly. I don’t want to defend the elitist public school system but at least they have the facilities and the people to coach our game. The game is driven by the club system but there are worrying signs there too. Plenty of parents are troubled by their treasures safety and would rather they played golf. The pressure of exams at 15 and the many other distractions in life see way too many kids leave the game around that time. Then there is the much lauded top flight academy system which sucks kids out of the club game only for them later to be thrown on the scrap heap and thus leave the game altogether. I wish Jones would focus on what he is paid for which is developing a successful England side. A successful England gives clubs like ours a boost time and time again. His pathetic pontifications do nothing for the game.

That’ll do except to say a belated 90th birthday to my dear old mum. We had a splendid surprise party for her in Bridgnorth, the girls cleared out the pub’s stock of Prosecco, the boys chewed the fat and expounded their opinions on anything and everything, the kids ran around to a point of exhaustion.

Thursday 4th Aug: 09:30

Two cracking games this coming weekend as you know. I don’t have any team news but I expect all four head coaches will be picking their strongest possible squads for this one. Ian Forster has said a coach is only “two poor games from being fired”. A heavy defeat to South Africa might reduce that to one in his case. Wayne Pivac was in that position prior to the South Africa tour. The team’s performances saved him from that fate.

It is sad that ahead of the Argentina v Australia game Tom Wright has said he is considering wearing goggles for this game after having had a laser shone in his eye