Another short missive today. The curtain has come down on the league season so we can now turn our attention to the Lions tour, plus England in Argentina, and Wales in Japan. That’ll kick off in this here drivel tomorrow.

A couple of quick bits of news, one a huge surprise. The Guardian is reporting that Red Bull is taking on Newcastle Falcons £39m debt thus keeping them well and truly alive in the Premiership. (If you think I am going to call it the ‘Prem’ then think again!). The paper states that the plan is to remain at Kingston Park but develop a closer link with Newcastle United. Good news for the Falcons, and good news for the game in the North East.

By the way Red Bull is a chemical laden nightmare, which every week on litter duty on the roads outside the club we are picking up Red Bull cans. When I wrote to them about littering their response was, in essence, ‘we don’t give a damn!’.

Owen Farrell, as trailed, is returning to Saracens. Will Steve Borthwick try and persuade him to come out of international retirement. With Finn Russell and Marcus Smith on tour with the Lions, as a short term ‘filler, it might make sense. I wouldn’t bother however.

Despite Gregor Townsend insisting Steve Tandy is still a part of Scotland’s coaching team rumours abound that he is still in the frame for the Welsh job.

Louis Rees-Zammitt is back in the UK as part of Jacksonville Jaguars PR campaign ahead of a fun day at Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday, and the regular season games planned for London. He is determined to make it in the NFL but hasn’t ruled out a return to rugby if he should fail to achieve his goal. Boy oh boy Wales could do with a bit of his stardust.

The WRU are having to bang heads together to get Ospreys and Scarlets to see sense. The deal on the table is a realistic and fair deal in the light of current financial challenges. More investment, debt support and a higher salary cap are all included.

Grenoble failed in their bid to reach the Top14. Their loss to Perpignan means another season in the ProD2 for them, and Perpignan survive to fight another season in the Top 14.

Debate still rages about Dan Cole’s yellow card. Brian Moore in The Torygraph sums it up nicely: ‘Rugby players are suing over safety - that is why Cole had to see yellow’.

Apparently England play France at Twickenham on Saturday ahead of the tour to South America. Guy Pepper has been included, and it seems is very likely to start.

After the departure of Paul Deacon from Sale Marco Bortalami has been announced as his replacement as Head Coach.

In the proper news the events in the Middle East remain disturbing. The attacks by Iran and Israel on each other is keeping the ongoing horrors in Gaza and Ukraine out of the news. Those horrors continue sadly.

Equally sadly plenty in the papers about how illegal migrants are destroying old fashioned British values. It comes in several articles from most media platforms but a topic not for this website.

Donald Trump has been his typical arrogant self leaving the G7 conference early in a bit of a huff. He’s had a right go at France’s new Napoleon. Yep, Macron has been targeted in one of Trump’s social media diatribes.

Breaking News: the league fixtures are out this week….. allegedly!

By the way. Those who helped Jacqui yesterday did an excellent job. Looking at the size of our club kitchen, and then thinking about the quality and quantity of what Jacqui produces, you realise what a magician she is.

Monday 16th June: 07:50

A busy morning lies ahead so just a few words from me this morning. The wonderful Jacqui is doing her annual summer deep clean of the club kitchen and help is required. After what she contributes to club life how could the Friday Club ever refuse to help her.

Bath Rugby had their victory parade yesterday. Quite the affair it seems. The Torygraph, and others, have pictures and the story. The papers are pretty consistent with their post match analysis. In essence, it wasn’t a classic with a sloppy Bath outfit holding off a gritty Leicester side. The papers confirm my assessment that Bath, having been the best side in the league by a long way during the season, deserved to win.

It is a shame Michael Cheika is leaving after just one season as he has transformed the fortunes of a previously mediocre Leicester outfit. There is plenty to be said about Cheika’s rant at Brian O’Driscoll and his post match rant about Dan Cole’s yellow card. It seems both get the thumbs down from the media. General consensus from anyone not wearing the Leicester eye patch is Cole’s yellow was right. Where the papers have more sympathy with Cheika surrounds his annoyance about the management of the scrum. Tigers were pretty dominant for long periods, even though most scrums were a mess, yet plenty of decisions went against his side.

The sun has now set on the league season and all eyes can turn towards The Lions. Having watched the game on Saturday I cannot quite get my head around why Nicky Smith is not on the plane. In a pretty dire Welsh side he was one of the few who came out with any credit, and on Saturday he put in another stellar performance, as he has all season for the Tigers. Hey Ho, not being Irish I guess!!!!!

The club season starts on Sept 6th. I await confirmation of the fixtures. In a bizarre move there are fewer rest weekends with the voids now being filled with cup competitions. More on this when the fixtures are known.

Before wrapping up it seems Owen Farrell is heading back to Saracens. The papers imply a deal is close with him returning as a player-coach. He is also heading to Australia as part of a Lions Legend set-up and doing some punditry for SKY.

The Premiership is to be rebranded next season as ‘The Prem’. I know I’m knocking on a bit now and definitely fall into the old fuddy duddy category but what a stupid name. Are they trying to appeal to the Yoof market where young people can’t string two words together. Who knows.

I’ve had a quick look through the papers with most leading with the escalating, and seriously troubling, conflict between Israel and Iran.

There is still plenty of speculation about the Air India crash. What a devastating loss of life. We should allow the experts do their job and find the cause rather than the press wheeling out so called experts to guess, because at this stage it is only a guess.

Finally, I had a brilliant day yesterday. Lunch was great and the family in fine fettle. I mention this only because on the way to the pub we were listening to Michael Buble. One of the songs featured the lyrics ‘clowns to the right of me, jokers to the left, I’m stuck in the middle’. It struck me that that is a perfect description of the state of our political landscape right now. We have clowns running a campaign of hate against anyone not working for the state, in a union, or on benefits. Then we have jokers who are becoming racist fascists or fascist racists with a one trick agenda. Both sadly seem to have no concept of economic prudence, instead seem happy to spend, spend, spend even though they actually have no money to spend….. if that makes sense.

Back tomorrow when I will turn my attention to the The Lions tour.

Sunday 15th June: 08:55

First up, Happy Fathers Day.

Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but according to my daughter, a ‘fantastic day out’. Yes, of course I’m referring to Bath v Leicester at Twickenham. The 29 year wait for a Premiership title is over. This was a game littered with mistakes, way too much kicking, and some refereeing decisions that will be the subject of debate for a little while to come. I don’t think a single scrum was completed cleanly, and understanding the ruck was somewhat of a challenge. Otherwise it was a gripping contest.

Bath huffed and puffed in the first half. What during the regular season would have been scores saw the ball being knocked on, or passes going astray. Leicester on the other hand were the team breaking the gain line and dominating possession. Their scrum was a strength, albeit a mess.

As has been the case Bath came out strongly in the second half and dominated the third quarter. The Finn Russell interception was crucial. It put daylight between the two teams. Scratching off the Guy Pepper try was the right decision but such a shame. It was an amazing effort by an amazing young player. Equally amazing was Adam Radwan’s ‘judo’ tackle to hold up Miles Reid over the line.

Leicester, with their large cohort of supporters urging them on weren’t going to go quietly. The Kata try on 68 minutes and then with just 5 minutes left on the clock the Ilione try guaranteed a nail biting last few minutes. Bath weathered the storm and the wait was over. Premiership Champions.

A couple of points for debate.

Should Julian Montoya have seen red for his hit on Ted Hill. The officiating team considered it only to be a yellow. There was an argument that it was red.

Was the yellow card for Dan Cole harsh? Having looked at it a couple of times I think Cole knew exactly what he was doing and therefore the card was spot on. Many others will disagree of course. To be fair it was a tight call.

Why oh why, with the clock ticking down, did Ben Youngs kick the ball away? I don’t understand that decision at all. I fear that kicking the ball from the base of scrum and ruck is so ingrained that he didn’t think of any other option.

With the clock ticking down and Bath camped on their line why didn’t Karl Dickson get his card out for persistent infringement?

The bottom line is the best team in the Premiership triumphed and the second best team fell inches short of glory. What a season for Bath: three trophies. Their end of season awards night will be something. However, as a sort of neutral, questions have to be asked about Bath’s financials. How much are they in debt, and more importantly, how can they have so much (expensive) talent in their ranks and still be within the salary cap?

In the other final, Leinster quietened their doubters by comfortably beating the Bulls at Croke Park. As you know I couldn’t watch this one but it reads as if it was a one-sided affair. I remain very sure having the South African franchises in the league is a mistake.

Looking at Twickenham yesterday, packed to the rafters with green and blue shirted supporters mingling throughout the stadium. A proper rugby atmosphere. I bet that wasn’t the case in Dublin where it is unlikely more than a couple of bus loads of Bulls supporters made the journey.

Ok, that’ll do as there is much to do before I go out for lunch with my son and his family. Before I go a couple of gripes.

That Sam Ryder rendition of the National Anthem was an ABSOLUTE disgrace. As was seeing quite a way into the second half swathes of empty seats as punters (not supporters surely) quaffed their half time drinks and scoffed their half time prawn sandwiches.

Thursday 12th June: 09:15

Not long now before Bath v Leicester and Leinster v Bulls. Bath have been the form team all season but Leicester will offer up stiff opposition. Bath have no fear and don’t have a problem going behind, as witnessed by the way Bristol took control in the first half last week. There will be a contrast of styles but both sides will be reliant on their outside-halves. Finn Russell for Bath has that impetuosity that can light up any game, but also be a cause for despair when the ambitious goes awry. Handre Pollard is the epitome of ‘sangfroid’, that outward coolness under pressure. Two solid packs that will spare nothing during the battle that lies ahead. In my view, Bath, if everyone is fit, and that isn’t yet certain, has the stronger bench. That could well be the clincher as the game moves into the closing stages. To counter that Leicester will have some wily old heads ready to steer the ship to harbour if they are leading with 15 minutes to go.

Both clubs are amazingly well supported and it will be close to a full house at Twickenham on Saturday. The atmosphere will be amazing, I hope. With the weather set fair it could be a classic, and the game is on terrestrial TV; ITV 1. Someone managing Premiership Rugby has smelt the coffee and recognised the benefit of televising this showpiece to a wider audience.

Who will I be supporting, and who will win? With regard to the first question, due to my family’s connection with Bath, and the fact my daughter and granddaughter will be at the game cheering on the West Country outfit that is where my support will lie. That said, I will be keeping an eye on Nicky Smith and Tommy Reffell and hoping they have cracking games. Both surely must be on the Lions reserve list. Who will win is harder to predict. Bath will start favourites and I think they will just edge it. I do expect it to be very close.

Before moving on, if you support Bath then there is an excellent piece in The Guardian about Brian Ashton and the glory years of the mid 90s. The BBC also have a couple of podcasts about the fall and rise of Bath post professionalism.

Later on Saturday is Leinster v Bulls at Croke Park. This unfortunately will be played behind ‘closed doors’. Yes, Croke Park will be packed to the rafters, but outside that, unless you have splashed out for Premier Sports, the game will be a mystery. I can only see one winner here and that is the home side. The support will be overwhelmingly in favour of the Irish, plus the travel from South Africa will have taken its toll. It is a real shame this game is not available for more to see. I understand the parless state of rugby’s finances but in many respects the decision to sell the rights to a lesser pay-per-view channel is doing the game more harm than good.

The build up to the Lions tour is picking up pace. There are still plenty of concerns about fitness with Tadgh Furlong and Huw Jones being just two having to manage niggling injuries. The game against Los Pumas is now a marketing exercise and a ‘thank you’ to the IRFU for letting the national side play as the Lions. 16 top flight picks are unavailable, and there is therefore a risk the tour will get off to a losing start. We’ll know soon enough.

The Super Rugby play-off semi-finals are this weekend kicking off with Crusaders v Blues on Friday, followed by Chiefs v Brumbies on Saturday. Both are on SKY if you have it. I do fork out for that as I like cricket, football and the F1, and management likes the netball.

So before moving on to the proper news let me tell you about the journey, mainly for my dear old mum. The main route out of Bridgnorth was closed for resurfacing. That added to the journey. All was going very well until we hit the M25. A multi-vehicle accident including a horse box with trailer and several cars closed the clockwise carriageway. Even though our side was clear the accident brought traffic to a crawl. It took us ages to get passed the scene. Thankfully we weren’t going the other way. The traffic was horrendous. Plenty missing Heathrow flights me thinks.

Once home we managed to catch up on The Hoods fantasy budget review. Magic money trees everywhere, plenty of miracles with unicorns riding in to save the NHS, and gryphons arriving with sacks of money for fantastical house building projects. In this fairy tale there were no villains such as increased unemployment, depressing growth forecasts, nor the spectre of tax increases. The late Terry Pratchet and his amazing imagination couldn’t have created anything as far fetched!!!!

Where is all the money going to come from is the key question. The secondary question is: with the nightmare scenario of civil unrest becoming a reality where is the money for the police? If the Russians decide to attack we are doomed. If they don’t, we are still doomed as this Government seems determined to turn the UK into a third world wasteland.

Wednesday 11th June: 08:30

Very little in the rugby pages today, which on the one hand is no surprise, on the other, very disappointing. Two major finals this weekend and the coverage is sparse at best. It suits me however as the UK motorway network will again be my centre of attention. A quick visit to see my dear old mum, and then the M&Ms.

I will look in detail at the Premiership Final tomorrow when I have a bit more time on my hands. However can I be so bold as to suggest when watching on Saturday you consider the atmosphere, the tribalism of the two sets of supporters. Why? So that next week I can ask whether that atmosphere and passion for a team will be rivalled by some plastic, stuck together league of made up teams of mercenaries. The Torygraph have already started exactly that debate.

I read on WalesOnline that the URC are considering expanding into the US. Two franchises, Chicago and Miami, have been mentioned. The URC offering is pretty good already, allegedly, but is a very costly league with travel to South Africa being a huge drain on revenue. By the way I use ‘allegedly’ as I get to watch very little as it is on Premier Sports. To include two US franchises would add significant additional cost, and significant complexity, which in my mind, would make the league a farce. Player welfare would also be a significant factor to overcome, and the absence of travelling support will most definitely detract from the games atmosphere. Can you imagine a Dragons supporter being expected to support the region in Cape Town one week and Miami the next. Surely benefits don’t stretch that far… ONLY JOKING….. but the point is valid, about the travel that is. Sorry, but I see this as a non-starter.

By the way, as a point of principal I didn’t subscribe to Premier Sports. It was a pay-per-view option too far. Many don’t have that luxury, they simply can’t afford it.

England have announced their pre-tour training squad. Charlie Bracken, son of Kyran who made his England debut against New Zealand with a certain bro of mine, has been fast tracked into the camp. Interestingly Adam Radwan isn’t included. Perhaps in the land of giants he is too small.

The only other snippet I could find is about once capped by England, Jacob Umaga, being selected by Samoa for their up coming internationals. Scotland and New Zealand, both in Auckland, and the Pacific Nations Cup.

Lots in the papers about the awful situation in Gaza. There are some who are saying that we are now ignoring the original atrocities of Hamas. No we are not. They were despicable acts of terrorism on innocent victims for which Israel had the right to respond with an iron fist. However, in my opinion, and the opinion of many, they have now gone way beyond what could be described as retribution as millions of innocent people are being starved and bombed into, what seems like oblivion.

Glancing at the papers the seemingly incompetent Rachel Reeves gets plenty of coverage. Despite her tax rises already driving unemployment up, and despite her pleading poverty, she is rumoured to be about to announce billions in spending. Where will that money come from? From her class war on the middle classes. Hardworking, tax paying citizens, plus pensioners who have worked hard all their lives, paid their taxes but managed to put a little aside for a comfortable retirement. All this while happily spending billions on the bone idle benefit scroungers, and illegal immigrants who are here to exploit our lax benefit system, or worse here to make millions from crime. Before you scream at me, just remember that the UK drugs trade is dominated by Albanians, many of whom have snuck into the UK illegally.

Finally a headline I can agree with: ‘the mayor is the last person that should get a knighthood’. Yes, The Torygraph has gone to town on Sadiq Khan’s knighthood. It is, in my view, a well balanced article despite the brash headline.

Tuesday 10th June: 09:15

It was supposed to be dry, sunny and warm here in Bridgnorth this morning. Well, it is anything but. It’s wet and it’s cold thus putting paid to my plans for the morning at least. A big crash on the M25 slowed things down yesterday, but it wasn’t too bad as we diverted off onto the M4 and then via Maidenhead, and on to High Wycombe where we picked up the M40. Why am I telling you this? Simply because there isn’t a great deal in the rugby pages.

Looking ahead to Saturday we have Bath v Bristol. The same fixture was played out in the 1994 Pilkington Cup Final with Bath running out winners. A certain bro of mine scoring 11 of Bath’s 21 points. Who will prevail this time around? Bath will certainly start as favourites but under Cheika you would be daft to write Leicester Tigers off.

As a reminder Touch Rugby at Steel Cross tonight for the girls and ladies, Thursday for all. Don’t forget Walking Rugby is on on Thursday at 6pm if Touch is too energetic for you. Full details on the website.

Andy Farrell’s Lions preparation has been thrown into chaos with injuries and unavailabilities. With Bath, Leinster, Leicester, and Toulouse all in finals there are a raft of players unavailable. On top of this Zander Fagerson is definitely out injured, replaced by Finaly Bealham. Farrell is also sweating on the fitness of Furlong, Ringrose, Keenan and Van der Flier, all doubtful for the URC final. It is estimated at least 16 players will be missing for the opener on June 20th.

To bolster the training squad ahead of the opener against Los Pumas Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour have been drafted in. The propping department is a concern, especially after the Fagerson news. Surely, post the Premiership final, Wales’ Nicky Smith must be in contention for a call up.

Plenty of people are dismissing the R360 proposal as flawed. The boss at the Premiership, Simon Massie-Taylor, the broadcaster TNT, and The Torygraph’s Brian Moore have all basically said it is a busted flush. I gave my view a few blogs back and remain convinced it is a non starter.

Can I draw your attention to two events coming up. The Summer Minis BBQ, and the club’s Summer Party. The latter an alternative to the Summer Ball. June 29th and July 5th are the dates and all the details you need are on the website.

In addition to the Lions tour Wales are in Japan, and England in Argentina. The Welsh squad have already got together and are enduring intense heat and humidity training replicating the conditions they will encounter on the tour. Despite only two Welsh players in the Lions squad it is still a young and inexperienced squad due to injuries and unavailability. As far as England are concerned plenty are calling for Adam Radwan to be included in that squad. We’ll see.

Two coaches are top of mind for some. It seems Pat Lam will be staying at Bristol. Franco Smith’s position up at Glasgow Warriors is less clear. He has been linked with the poison chalice, Wales Head Coach, but is also somewhat at odds with the SRU who are striving to increase and promote Scottish talent coming through their two URC regional sides. Smith has done a great job up there in Glasgow but has his race been run?

In other sport Wales nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback to draw against Belgium last night. 3-0 and being outplayed in every department. The award of a lucky penalty in the dying moments of the first half and a stirring second half saw Wales level at 3-3. A win was not now a dream. Sadly a late Kevin de Bruyne sealed it for Belgium. Why do I mention this? Welsh football, men and women, has had somewhat of a renaissance of late. Plenty of success, full stadia and great football. All of which is dragging disillusioned rugby supporters away from our game.

I see Rachel The Hood Reeves is now U-Turning almost as fast as her boss. The winter fuel allowance is back for millions. I for one think she is making a mistake. The welfare budget is out of control, and despite the whining of the unions and the luvvies, millions of people who will now get the allowance DO NOT NEED IT!!

Then you have Greta Thunberg. Nothing but a self-serving, self-publicising clown. Her virtue signalling is pathetic and detracts from the real horrors of Gaza and the totally unacceptable behaviour of the Israeli regime.

Sunday 8th June: 09:50

I for one think both the Premiership semi-finals lived up to expectations. Bath v Bristol was a gem of a game. There was something for everyone. The casual viewer, the purist, the backs, the forwards, and even those who like a bit of controversy. At half time me and my mate Mal Bec were wondering if a shock was on the cards. Bristol played with their usual elan for the most part, but were also pragmatic and brutal in defence. Bath by contrast were a bit at ‘sixes and sevens’. It was enthralling. Good old damper would have been down to the quick when the half-time whistle went.

Then came the second half and that early Bath score to settle the nerves. The next 40 minutes saw Bath control the game. Ben Spencer was superb and Finn Russell did what Finn Russell does. The newly anointed ‘posh boys’ from The Rec took control and had Bristol on the back foot for long periods. To be fair the Bears defended resolutely but four tries in that third quarter put pay to their chances of progress. They didn’t lie down, and a late Janse van Rensburg try as the clock ticked away gave a glimmer of hope. By the way he is a fantastic player, but with a woeful sense of style when it comes to haircuts.

Bath can now look ahead to the final and the possibility of a third cup. They will be sweating on the fitness of Alfie Barbeary and Russell, the latter limping off with cramp, but looking like a knee injury to me. Barbeary will be hoping he gets through the HIA protocols. Max Ojomoh also could be a doubt.

Then came yesterday afternoon. This was a slow burner. The first 20 minutes were somewhat turgid. Thankfully the game came alive. Adam Radwan cutting off the right wing and wrong footing three would be tacklers was great. His dive to catch the wayward Handre Pollard cross-kick was something else however. A piece of skill which us mere mortals could only dream about. Pollard’s crashing into the post protecters was disconcerting. Thankfully he passed the ensuing HIA. Sale played their part and simply would not lie down. Rob du Preez’s try was a thing of beauty, but later to be eclipsed when Leicester’s Izaia Perese took a superb line splitting the Sale defence open like a hot knife through butter.

This was a great game which sadly ended on a seemingly controversial note. With the clock in the red and just 5 points separating the sides Sale made one final last ditch attack. Luke Cowan-Dickie is ‘tackled’ by the excellent Freddie Steward to cause the ball to be dislodged. Game over! Not before the TMO scrutinised whether Steward’s tackle was legal. He certainly couldn’t have got any lower but did he make any attempt to wrap his arms. The officials, so that is all that counts, decided he did, but to be quite frank, I’m not sure he did. The debate will rage on.

Two great games with an exciting looking final lying in wait: Bath v Leicester. As my mate Damper states, just like ye olde days. It should be a brilliant contest. Lets hope for a dry day, my daughter and granddaughter have tickets, and hope that the magnitude of the prize at stake doesn’t make it a slug fest.

As expected Leinster put Glasgow in their place, and the Bulls beat the Sharks. The final will be at the magnificent Croke Park next Saturday. I can’t tell you anything about either of these games other than the result as they were buried away on Premier Sports.

It is galling that those games were not available to watch unless you had shelled out lots of the King’s shilling. On the other hand I could watch for free Stade Francais v Castre via the TV Monde 5 app. A game in which the Parisians won 21-10. Toulouse topped the table by a margin with RC Vannes adrift at the bottom.

For reference, in the ProD2 Montauban beat Grenoble to secure their place in the Top 14. All is not lost for Grenoble as they now play Perpignan in an final decider. To see Perpignan drop out of the Top 14 would be a surprise. By the way I believe that game can be seen via YouTube (TBC).

That’ll do for now as I have plenty to do today, like reading up on how £6.5bn is lost to benefit fraud, and how the bone idle are milking the benefit system to make not working a lifestyle choice. National Service might be an option me thinks!!!!

There won’t be a blog tomorrow as the UK motorway network beckons. Back on Tuesday.

Thursday 5th June: 09:50

I love it. Feedback! I have been advised that my comment on comparing the small boats arriving on our shores with Russian invaders was somewhat flawed. It appears that if the Russians did decide to invade we would be able to shoot at them. Now there’s a thought ;-) .

Did anyone mention there are four pretty big semi-finals this weekend. Two in the Premiership and two in the URC. It seems not, as the there is little or no coverage in the press. The only nod to something happening comes in The Torygraph with Pat Lam telling is wife to not bother going as she’ll get soaked in the open air stands at The Rec, and he would have had to have pay handsomely for the privilege. Yes, the paper brings us news that Bath’s facilities are woeful compared to Ashton Gate, and the ticket prices are exorbitant by comparison.

Nothing I can find talks about Bath’s domination of the season thus far with their pragmatic style of rugby. Plenty of one out runners, especially down the blind side, wearing down the opposition before the ball is released to the dynamic back line led by Finn Russell. Bristol by comparison have a devil may care attitude getting the ball wide across the park as quickly and often as possible. Creating space through pace and guile is their style. It either works or it doesn’t and that is where this game could be a cracker.

Leicester v Sale is a different kettle of fish altogether. Very much a battle of leviathans going toe to toe. Two forward dominated sides who like to muscle their way into attacking positions. This will still be a thoroughly entertaining contest but more for the purist. I expect Sale to channel everything through George Ford, with Leicester’s big beasts in the back row trying to get in his face at every opportunity. TNT Sports for both if you have access. Hoorah!!! I do.

Getting to see Ireland (aka Leinster) v Glasgow will be a tougher proposition. This should be a decent contest. I can’t see anything but a home win but Leinster’s form of late hasn’t been that good. The Bulls v Sharks should also be a great match up. Two South African sides packed with Springboks playing in the rarified atmosphere of Pretoria (been there) will be a great game. No idea if there is any chance of seeing it on TV outside of Premier Sports.

Talking of which, Premier Sports might be closing down access to any games on terrestrial TV. The contact with BBC Wales has been ripped up, and talks with S4C have ‘stalled’. There are rumours that some games might be streamed as free-to-air via YouTube next season. We’ll see. You’ll find watching French games easier via TVMonde 5, or the ProD2 via the internet. A sorry state of affairs. I know the clubs need the money but it is so narrow minded that rugby on terrestrial TV is pretty much limited to the Six Nations.

Moving on. England will face Fiji, Argentina and South Africa next summer in the inaugural Nations Cup, before facing Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in the Autumn. The summer games are away*. The Autumn games are home. Once that is completed there is a ‘grand final’. I still can’t my head around how this will work, especially as it seems it hasn’t all be signed off yet.

away versus Fiji might be at Twickenham!!!!

BBC Sport carries the story, that is if you can believe anything that politically correct, woke, and bias media channel tells you.

With Ireland touring Australia this summer, the IRFU have had to dig deep to get a squad together for their games against Georgia and Portugal this summer. Eleven uncapped players in the provisional squad.

The situation in Gaza is getting worse. Like many I originally had sympathy with Israel over the initial Hamas atrocities. The Israelis current behaviour is akin to the genocide horrors we find in history. Gaza has all but been razed to the ground, and its people are now seemingly being starved into submission. I’m sorry, but it can’t be right.

This countries pathetic attitude to the small boat invasion is turning the country farther and farther to the right. Illegal immigration is costing billions, and when added to the billions paid to the bone idle scroungers on benefits I fear something has to give. Giving illegals benefits is a disgrace when pensioners who have worked hard, paid their taxes, and maybe put a little aside for a comfortable old age, are now going hungry and cold, being robbed of their savings through care costs, and having to watch as these illegals laugh at us. As my comment above, I’m sorry, but it can’t be right.

By the way the odious Nigel Farage and his band of clowns is NOT the answer.

Wednesday 4th June: 09:55

A later start this morning as we have no workmen to contend with at Bleater’s abode.

First up, I hope the women and girls only touch rugby went well last night. Don’t forget the full mixed touch sessions start tomorrow night. Details on the website. If that is all too energetic for you then touch rugby is at 6pm. No experience needed in either case. Just pitch up and have some fun.

Plenty in the papers about the proposed breakaway league, R360, backed by Mike Tindall. The best players from around the world playing in major cities in a two part season. The BBC and The Guardian both comment on it. It sounds all very grandiose and imaginative but I really can’t see it getting off the ground. The costs alone seem to be beyond my understanding. Any success is based on TV and commercial rights. When you consider that the European competitions were sold to Premier Sports, allegedly below market value, why would broadcasters find this more appealing. The best players are not going to move for less than they earn now, especially, as is likely the case, they become ineligible for international rugby, another big pay day. Moving the circus from international city to international city will be very costly indeed and will it inspire the paying public to turn up to watch. The 7s series is on the wane, now often playing in front of half empty stadiums. Will rugby fans switch from watching Bath, or Leinster, or Toulouse, or Glasgow, or dare I say it the Ospreys to watch the equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters play an alternative version of the Harlem Globetrotters. No, I don’t think so. Then the question is, will, as inevitably will be the case, the games are only available on a pay-per-view platform, fans shell out even more money than they do already. I don’t think so. That’s my view anyway. Some might counter by saying; ‘but you watch the IPL, isn’t that the equivalent?’. Good point but I would argue that the IPL is India based where cricket is a religion. Would it be anywhere near as attractive if games were played in Barcelona? No. Football is the king there, and that is rugby’s issue. It would have to attract the sort of audiences that football attracts and I really can’t see that happening.

Moving on, as has Stuart Lancaster. Lancaster was mentioned when looking for someone to pick up the poisoned chalice: Wales Head Coach. Lancaster has opted for a move back to Ireland and the role of Head Coach at Connacht.

Hoorah, Wales win. Well actually, I exaggerate greatly. Tomos Williams picks up the Premiership Player of the Year award. He has been immense for Gloucester all season and is a worthy winner. I think he should start in the first Lions test but not being Irish might go against him.

Interesting piece in The Torygraph stating ‘Rugby is more dangerous for wings than any other position’. An article suggesting that the changes to the laws on ‘escorting’ has resulted in making it an incredibly dangerous place to be for wings going up for high balls. They are now very exposed to risk. Fair point. The article also suggests that that change has encouraged more kicking, not less. The rationale for this seems to be it is easy now in that contact area to disrupt the catcher and turn the ball over. I for one think it has improved the game. Made it more open. The final point that did strike a cord was the change being another nail in the small players coffin. Teams want big men out wide to manage the increased contact and high ball threat. Is that why Darcy Graham didn’t make the Lions and the South African, Kiwi and Australian did.

Two huge games this weekend, starting on Friday; Bath v Bristol. More on this tomorrow, and of course Leicester v Sale on Satuday. A mention too for the URC semi-finals. What a shame you can’t watch any of those unless you are shelling out for TNT and Premier Sports. Neither come cheap.

As a point, just a few weeks ago it was the FA Cup semi-finals. Wall to wall coverage in the press, both games live on terrestrial TV. By comparison I can find virtually no rugby coverage in the papers, and as fas as watching it on TV goes, I refer you back to the previous paragraph.

I finish with a question: is freedom of speech being culled? Yes! So let me throw a rebellious argument out there: Gary Lineker was not wrong. What Israel is now doing to the Palestinians in Gaza is quite frankly a disgrace. Have the holier than though Israelis not learnt anything from history. However, I DO NOT need that self-aggrandising Greta Thunberg telling me about the issue.

Plus a secondary question: if we can’t stop an armada of small boats arriving on our shores how do we think we are going to stop, lets say, the Russians?

Tuesday 3rd June: 08:20

Three things to cover to day so let me crack on.

The Crowborough RFC awards……..

‘The Faithful’ Supporters Award - Sam Marchesi
1st XV - Player of the Year - Richard Tasker
1st XV - Players Player of the Year - Andrew Kidd

A few Special Awards !
Squad Contribution Award - Toby Thorn (Nearly always available, every weekend, and first to update pitchero !) Played more times for 1st & 2nd XV than anyone else !
Squad Young Player of the Year - Josh Jarvis
Clubman of the Year - Lee Cagna & James Crouch for pulling together and sorting the 2nd XV team out, after the poor start !

2nd XV - Player of the Year - Henry Carter
2nd XV - Players Player of the Year - Alf Russell

The Walking Rugby awards - you have, James Reading and David Price.

Congratulations to Louise Greenaway, Karolina McGloin, Louise Stockdale, Laura Russell, Catherine McArdle, and Jessica Woods for their various, often amusing, awards. A special mention for Lorna Buckwell for her award as ‘backchat queen’. A scrum half in the making me thinks!!!!

Then can I thank Geoff for getting in touch. He opened with ‘pleased that normal service has been resumed’ which I am grateful for. Chichester Geoff touches on the ups and downs of the leagues and the challenges clubs face when they go up, such as bumping into clubs with money to waste and serious (often misplaced) ambition. He comments on the travel using the example of being away at Colchester, a club where Chi have no affinity. It is a long way to go and whilst the game was at a higher level it lacked the passion of the games when Brighton, Hove and Bognor were regularly on the fixture list.

He points out that whilst the leagues bring structure and purpose the lack of regular local rivalries has meant the game has lost out. He is absolutely right. Whilst we at Crowborough have a good relationship with most in our league, the recent Bob Rogers Cup Final against Eastbourne highlighted what we have been missing on a regular basis. Our games against The Greenies are always eagerly awaited, and whilst the games against Dover are always good contests they lack that je ne sais quoi. Chi have dropped into Hampshire 1 so Bognor will be their big game of the season. I wish them well and know that, like us, they do the right thing for the game. A very well run club.

Finally today, I have been asked to comment on the article about the lawsuit against the unions relating to long term brain injuries due to concussion. According to the BBC 1,100 players are now signed up. In my opinion long term health issues from repeated head contact and recurring concussion is real. It is an issue the game is doing its best to address through the new tackle laws. However I think more could be done at the elite level where the issue is at its worst. Take the pathetic sanction give to Gary Ringrose. With regard to the claimants I have no doubt that many are struggling. Alix Popham and Steve Thompson being two examples. But, and it is a big ‘but’, the integrity of the claim, and the role of the solicitors, Ryland Garth, has been brought into question after Will Green said he was pressured to sign up, even after a properly independent scan showed no signs of brain injury. As a consequence I feel there are many on the list who have jumped on the band wagon in the hope of some form of pay day. Finally I would suggest, and this applies to many areas of the law, that trying to apply today’s science to what happened in the past to make a case is somewhat flawed.

Monday 2nd June: 08:20

There is a definite paucity of rugby stuff in the papers this morning, and I haven’t yet got the full list of CRFC award winners to bring you.

What I have read is that Saracens are talking to Owen Farrell and Racing 92, despite a whopping 500k euros break of contract demand from the French outfit. The money might be a barrier but with Farrell’s long injury list, and loss of form, Racing might want to take the hit and offload him. His wages are sure to be substantial. An early return to the Saracens fold would see him take on a player coach role.

The other article that caught the eye was about Sharks shameless gamesmanship at the end of the gripping quarter final against Munster. It is suggested that Jaden Hendrikse feigned cramp right where Jack Crowley was due to take his shot at goal during the penalty shoot. According to the bits I have read it was a deliberate act and therefore truly shameless. The tell-tale wink by Hendrikse at Crowley while being ‘treated’ was something of a giveaway. Shame, as the event detracts from what sounds a gripping encounter.

As the Lions head to Australia, with more Kiwis in the side than Welsh players, the excitement builds. It should be a great series as the Wallabies seem to have rediscovered their mojo. For those supporters travelling down under they will have an experience of a lifetime. When in Sydney do the Harbour Bridge walk. The warm up game is June 20th against Los Pumas.

Whilst that is happening Wales will be in Japan, and England in Argentina. Wales will be hoping that the trip will be start of a proper rebuilding process. That said the soap opera that is Welsh Rugby at large continues with total discord between the regions themselves, and between the regions and the WRU, but in some respects that is the least of the worries. Not that most of you are interested, the BBC carries the full litany of disasters besetting the game in Wales.

Nigel Owen writing for WalesOnline has gone on record to say the 20 minute red card is not a good idea. A red is a red, and sides need to be punished. He also berates the law change that allows at lineouts, under certain conditions, for the ball to be thrown in not straight. I agree with him on both counts. He is also most strident about the goal line drop out feeling that it has brought negativity to the game. Here I disagree in that the endless resetting of attacking scrums 5 metres out was extremely tedious and destroying the flow of the game. Finally, whilst not widely used, the 50:22 does get the thumbs up. Quite right too.

That’s it rugby wise. The Scaletrix threw up a few controversial moments, not least Max Verstappen’s spoilt brat moment when he deliberately turned into George Russell. The IPL was thoroughly enjoyable. I see England recovered from a poor start with Joe Root steering them to victory over the West Indies.

In the proper news there is much to get stuck into.

The large number of migrant boat crossings in the last few days, the fact that the French rather than stopping the boats are aiding their departure, and the massive cost to the British taxpayer, are all top of mind in some of the papers.

The war rages on in Ukraine, and with the Ukrainians now striking deep into the heart of Russia things look bleak.

The Gaza situation is appalling. I am sorry if this offends but the actions of the Israelis are now totally disproportionate to the terrorist challenge they face. To me it almost feels like ethnic cleansing with the Gaza strip being raised to the ground.

Sunday 1st June: 09:20

It was the annual awards evening at Steel Cross last night. A splendid evening it was too. In a change from previous years, last night was western themed with cowboys and cowgirls aplenty. Plenty to celebrate with the 1st XV finishing an excellent 4th in the league, and retaining the Bob Rogers Cup. The 2nd XV finished 2nd in their league and still waiting to see if they are to be promoted. The ladies team joined the party last night, which was brilliant, and as they move ever closer to full contact rugby I am confident their contribution to future events will be assured.

Thanks and praise all round. Jacqui and Louise were thanked, quite rightly, over and over again. The coaching team were lauded for their immense contribution to the club’s success. Stuart Thresher announced he was standing down, which is a shame but understandable. The captains; Dave Bennett, Lee Cagna, Kevin Crouch, James Reading (WR) and Sharon Green all got the praise they deserved. Naturally, the AMAZING Ian Geering was singled out for his continuing contribution to all things Crowborough RFC. A glass was raised to Mike Churchyard as he hangs up his physio bag and moves on.

In terms of awards I’ll bring the full list tomorrow but the two that stand out are 1st XV player of the year: Richard Tasker, and the travelling ‘faithful’ award going to Sam Marchesi. Tasker had previously announced his retirement but it is hoped he can be persuaded to put one more year onto his CRFC CV.

Being an old fuddy duddy I left the party just as the beer started to flow and the music was being ramped up. My congratulations to everyone who pulled on a CRFC shirt last season whether it be for the 1st XV, 2nds, Ladies or Walking Rugby. You all made a contribution to our great club.

Before moving on, I should mention our ladies hosted Hove RFC yesterday for a touch rugby mash up. Our ladies did great, winning, considering they are still in the development phase of their game. Well done Sharon et al.

Big day in the Premiership. The results went very much as expected. Saracens beat a second string Bath but it wasn’t enough. Bristol did exactly what they had to do against Quins and secured a play-off spot away at Bath. Exeter v Sale was closer than many had anticipated with Sale doing enough to secure 3rd spot in the table. They now play Leicester who put a stubborn Newcastle Falcons in their place. Gloucester beat a tired Northampton, but like Saracens it wasn’t to be.

On Friday evening we now have an absolute belter to enjoy: Bath v Bristol. I had forecast it would be Bath v Sale but I am glad I was wrong as this will be, hopefully, a classic. Leicester v Sale is on Saturday. That too will be quite a contest, and too close to call.

In the URC the results were as expected with Glasgow, Bulls, Leinster and Sharks all prevailing. The Sharks won on a penalty kick shoot out. Leinster host Glasgow, and Bulls host the Sharks. Two tasty looking contests, which unless you have Premier Sports you are not going to be able to watch.

Talking of watching, S4C have announced they have secured the rights to show the highlights of the Lions games. This means that millions more fans will now get the chance to see the Lions in action, albeit highlights, and with Welsh commentary.

In other sport PSG hammered Inter Milan in the Champions League Final. The Scaletrix continues today with the Spanish Grand Prix. England play the West Indies in the second ODI. Punjab Kings play Mumbai Indians in the IPL eliminator. Simon Yates will be crowned king of the Giro Italia today.

Plenty in the papers to get het-up about, but I’ll leave that for later in the week.

Thursday 29th May: 10:25

No sooner had the proverbial ink dried on yesterday’s missive so my inbox was pinging. Yes, it was pointed out that in 1975 Murrayfield enjoyed an estimated capacity of 104,000 watching Scotland beat Wales. This was subsequently beaten in 1999 for a game between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney where a crowd of 107,000 watched the game. So the 100,000 estimate for Australia v Lions in July will not be a record. There, that’s that sorted.

What is a fact is the Premiership goes into the final round of league matches with plenty to play for.

Bristol v Harlequins. The visitors cannot make the playoffs so it is all on Bristol. A good win with other results going in their favour could see a home play-off semi-final.

Exeter v Sale. Sale are currently in the play-off places. Any sort of result against lowly Exeter will ensure their place.

Gloucester v Northampton. It is likely that Saints will rest many of their stars as they cannot reach the end of season jamboree. Gloucester need all five points and results elsewhere to go in their favour if they are to move from 5th into the play-offs.

Leicester v Newcastle. This is a dead rubber. Tigers will win this one and secure that vital home semi, or will they?

Saracens v Bath. This is possibly the most intriguing fixture. Bath have secured top spot already and are likely to rest their cup winning stars. Saracens need all 5 points, and other results to go their way, for them to be in the final weekends of the Premiership season. I think Sarries will win, and win well, but it still won’t be enough.

My prediction for the play-offs is
Bath (1) v Sale (4)
Leicester (2) v Bristol (3)

The URC play-offs start this weekend. Glasgow v Stormers on Friday, then Bulls v Edinburgh, the big one, Leinster v Scarlets, and Sharks v Munster on Saturday. My best guess, and that is all it is, a guess, is Glasgow, Bulls, Leinster and Sharks will go through.

One player certain to miss out on the end of season parties is Sam Underhill. He was cited for this head-on-head clash with Davit Niniashvili and subsequently banned for four games. As he has previous no pathetic tackle school for him. That’s his season over.

As mentioned yesterday Robert Kitson, The Guardian, as been far from positive about the 2028 World Club Cup. In essence he states the Champions Cup is now a mess thanks to persistent tinkering, and the inclusion of the South African franchises. Many games lacking the atmosphere and intrigue of yesteryear due to the lack of visiting support, and a complicated qualification process. He goes on to say a global contest will make matters worse. Whilst on the face of it Leinster v Crusaders might be an appealing prospect, if played in say, Barcelona, which is a possibility, then that makes it significantly less appealing. Whilst the game is in desperate need of money, the costs associated with such a tournament will be astronomical. Kitson makes one very valid point. A significant reason for agreeing to this contest is to prevent the possibility of a breakaway league being set up. I agree with Kitson, this right now looks a bad idea…. But what do I know!!!

Closer to home, and definitely a popular option, Summer Touch starts at Steel Cross on June 5th. See website for details. Walking rugby is tonight at 6pm if touch is too strenuous for you.

Can I be so bold as to suggest those doing the weather forecasting are as inept as our politicians. Anticipating a dry and warm start to today, lawn mower and hedge trimmer primed for action, what do I wake up to. Rain and wet ground. An electric mower and hedge trimmer in the wet might be your idea of fun, but its not mine.

Wednesday 28th May: 09:10

As I type ominous black clouds loom large over the ‘Borough. Like yesterday rain will put pay to my plans for the garden, but rain will gladden the hearts of the Friday Club grounds group. The seed is in at Steel Cross and it needs the rain.

First up today is sad news that my mate and regular reader PK is having to relinquish three hospitality tickets for the 2nd Lions test in Melbourne at the MCG on 26th July. If anyone is interested in snapping these up then you can contact PK at peteradkershaw@gmail.com. They are hoping this test will break all attendance records for a rugby international. A full house at the MCG is 100,024. It is a magnificent venue by the way with a great history.

Let me now turn my attention to the message from A.N. As stated yesterday he is a top bloke and when he gets in touch I take note. He has responded to my bleat about payment of players and the use of ‘hawking’ themselves around for the bigger bucks.

I for one would prefer it if the game below the Championship, now Champ Rugby (daft name), was amateur. That genie is out of the box never to return so I have to accept players will be paid, supposedly only down to level 5 but we all know that is being ignored. If clubs are allowed to pay players then my argument is the regulations should be rigorously enforced, and any club flouting the regs should be punished. HMRC involvement and the removal of ticket allocations might make people think twice about what they are doing.

There is a misconception about my stance of players moving to clubs in higher leagues. If a player wants to challenge themselves at a higher level then they should be encouraged to do so. I for one say: play at the highest level possible and push yourself to be successful, and don’t let anything stand in your way.

Where I have an issue is clubs approaching players at other clubs, some at a lower level, offering cash to play and promises of that higher standard rugby, but knowing full well that for some the promises won’t be kept. There are many examples where clubs promises are made to fill squads ‘just in case’ and players don’t get paid when they aren’t picked in the 1st XV. In some cases a player has moved and not only is the cash not forthcoming, he ends up playing at a lower level than he was before. Yes, I have an issue with that.

I turn my attention to the use of the word ‘hawking’. A.N., is right, that as a generalisation its use might have been misguided and inaccurate. It came about as players realise that promotion means even more travel, even more commitment, and that in turn can affect work and family life. There is also the ever increasing challenge of the game itself. The higher the level the bigger the monsters you face. For very sensible reasons some players may wish to eschew the opportunity and stay at the level they are at thus avoiding the increase in travel etc. They will naturally look at clubs at the same level, in the same general location. This makes sense and is NOT a player ‘hawking’ himself around. However, where a player ignores the quality of the club available; facilities, coaching, ambition, reputation, location in favour of the highest payer then I’m afraid ‘hawking’ does apply. This has been the case in some instances.

As mentioned yesterday my opinion is not always right. PLEASE feel free to challenge me at bleater@crowboroughrugby.com. Equally if there are things that you feel should be covered let me know.

Glancing through this mornings rugby pages I see Dan Cole has announced his retirement. Another fine career coming to an end. He has been at the thick end of criticism from me after some games but you don’t make 118 appearances for your country by being a poor player. Good luck in retirement. The same goes for the former Salisbury player Mike Brown. He too hangs up his boots after another excellent career at the highest level. As they leave so Geoff Parling returns as head coach. He has had a very successful spell coaching in, and with Australia.

Going back to the Lions, which kicks of very soon, talks are underway to avoid a drawn series. A proposal has been put forward whereby in the final test should the series be heading to a draw, as happened in 2017, then extra time should be played to decide the outcome. I for one like that idea.

OK, that’ll do. Back tomorrow with more stuff, including Robert Kitson’s view of the 2028 World Club Cup proposal. If you read The Guardian you will have already seen it.

Tuesday 27th May: 10:45

Well, the holiday is over and it is time to get the keyboard back into action. Before I start can I say a huge ‘thank you’ to the many of you, both face to face, and via email who read this drivel, and have urged me to continue. It was comforting to know that the need for ‘free speech’ is alive and well. Several commented that they don’t always agree, in fact often disagreed, but it was important for people’s opinions to be ‘out there. I particularly liked the comment where MY opinions often generated a vigorous shaking of the head, and plenty of ‘tut-tutting’. I also welcome the challenges that come from some of the comments I make. One from my old friend A.N., (top bloke by the way), who wrote to me just before I jetted off on holibobs about payment of players. I’ll address those specifically tomorrow. It is also important to note that if you disagree that vehemently then the ‘off’ button on you IT system works well for that, but I’d prefer it if you shared your concerns and challenge with me. Bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

Plenty of stuff happened whilst I was on the beach, and a beautiful beach it was too. Bath winning the European Challenge Cup was a splendid achievement. I have only been able to see the Sam Underhill incident, which was a red card all day long for me, and read about how Ben Spencer was clearly man of the match. I gather my mate Damper is still on cloud 9.

I must say, whilst I think it was a red card the match officials went through the process and came to a decision. Well done them. A huge congratulations to Hollie Davidson for a) being awarded the game ON MERIT, and b) doing a splendid job, according to the media.

Strangely, by the wonders of modern technology, and although 8,500 miles from Wales, I got to see some of the Champions Cup via S4C and BBC iPlayer. What I saw was an entertaining contest with plenty of high speed action with a very powerful Bordeaux side finally subduing a stubborn Northampton Saints outfit. I didn’t see the final moments and the Henry Pollock nonsense. To be honest I can’t be bothered to read about it either, despite Jefferson Poirot being cited for his role in the fracas.

I read Warren Gatland is off to Uruguay. Lovely country.

Alex Goode is to retire at the end of the season, as is Danny Care and Justin Tipuric. Great players, great servants to club and country.

Owen Farrell wants a return to the Premiership.

A four yearly World Club Cup is to be launched in 2028. Sixteen sides, eight from Champions Cup and eight from Super Rugby/Japan. I’ll read about it later and bring more comment in the week.

Last round of the Premiership on Saturday, plus the URC play-offs. A look at those games on Thursday.

As I gently get myself back into the swing of things that’ll do for now…..

Except to say….

My thoughts are with those in Liverpool injured as a result of a moment of madness by a man driving into the masses celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League victory.

And to ask: what planet has Yvette Cooper come from. She wants to stop low paid migrants coming to Britain to work in the low paid care sector. Who does she think is going to replace these hardworking, taxpayers who do the most incredible work for the sick and the elderly. Not the bone idle British parasites living off benefit handouts, that’s for sure.

Finally Sir U-Turn is at it again. The winter fuel payments could be back. Let me tell you, based on my recent travels, and many conversations with plenty of recipients the Government should stick to their guns. The payment has become a discount for winter holidays, or the winter drinks allowance in my case. The benefit system is out of control. Tough decisions and decisive action is required. This flip-flopping to appease noisy minorities, or worse for self-preservation, does nothing for the country.

Thursday 8th May: 15:10

THE LIONS

So the Lions are going to be led by Vermeer’s Man with the Pearl Earring, one Maro Itoje. If you haven’t seen the official announcement you’ll see what I mean.

Just two Welshmen make the cut, Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams. The big surprise is the inclusion of Henry Pollock. His meteoric rise through Northampton Saints and England has been impressive. Is it enough to justify his inclusion? Others can debate that.

15 Irish, 13 English, 8 Scots and the 2 Welsh make up the 38 man squad. A number of players miss out, Ben White, Jamie George, Nicky Smith, Darcy Graham, Tom Jordan are five that jump out. By contrast the inclusion of Pierre Schoeman, Mack Hansen, and Luke Cowan-Dickie might be questioned by some. Inevitably you can’t please all the people, all the time.

There are several players recovering from injury who still might be withdrawn. Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Sione Tuipulotu and Mack Hansen fall into category.

We can now start to look forward to the games. SKY will cover every game live. The first is the warm up game on June 20th against Los Pumas

Before I move on, I have already been receiving WhatsApp messages expressing relief that Owen Farrell is not included. As I’ve been saying, it would have been a travesty if he had been picked.

The other question that has already come up is about what seems a lack of a specialist No.8. I think there are plenty in that back row selection that can fit in at #8 so I’m not concerned.

The one challenge is for those selected to stay fit. There is still plenty of games ahead in both the URC and the Premiership.

So there you have it. The Lions squad.

Before I go, I have been told some people have gone as far as contacting the RFU about this here blog. My email is bleater@crowboroughrugby.com if you don’t like the content.

Let me be clear, the views expressed are mine and do not reflect those of CRFC.

I understand the complaint was about immigration. Let me again be clear. Immigration into the UK is GOOD. In fact, it is vital. Right now the NHS, key transport services, other services, especially care, would collapse if it was not for immigration. People who come to the UK and work hard, pay their taxes and add a vibrancy to British society should be most welcome. That is, and always has been my position.

Also we need to be mindful of those who are genuine refugees, fleeing persecution and atrocities. We need to find a way to be quicker and more nimble on our feet in dealing with this issue.

Where I have an issue, and I stand by my position, is ILLEGAL immigration. People not fleeing persecution or global atrocities, but coming here often for nefarious reasons. Economic migrants who don’t want to contribute through work and taxes but want to exploit our soft benefit systems. As stated earlier, the amount of money this country is spending on illegal immigrants is a disgrace, especially when our care system is in a dire state. We need more nurses, more police officers on the streets, we need to improve basic infrastructures. All too often we are told there is not enough money hence my view. I’m sorry if that point of view offends.

You’ll be pleased to know, me, my blood pressure, and this blog are taking a break. I’ll be back in June ahead of the Lions tour when hopefully there’ll be plenty of rugby to discuss, and I can keep my opinions on the back burner.

Thursday 8th May: 08:45

May 8th, the day the guns fell silent across Europe 80 years ago. As war rages on in Ukraine, Israel talking about ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and India and Pakistan putting the world on the edge of a precipice, have we not learnt anything? It seems not. Innocent civilians are dying and for what? I don’t know. Whilst we rightly remember the heroes that brought about VE day, and the joy the country experienced as surrender was secur