Bleater's Blog
  1. The Season Run In
  2. It’s Six Nations Time!
  3. 2024 Has Arrived
  4. It’s Nearly Here…… January
  5. Countdown to Chri….. January!
  6. RWC 2023 - The Final Approaches
  7. Rugby World Cup 2023 Plus
  8. The Rugby World Cup Approaches
  9. The Summer Break
  10. The Final Countdown
  11. The Summer Tours Up Next
  12. Rugby Continues Thankfully
  13. The Six Nations - Happy Days
  14. 2023 Has Arrived
  15. The Halfway Point of the Season
  16. The Season Continues into Autumn
  17. Here we go! A new season
  18. The Twilight Zone
  19. The Season is Nearly Over
  20. The Six Nations and Some
  21. The 6 Nations Begins
  22. 2022 and All THAT!
  23. Christmas is nearly upon us!!
  24. We’re Still Waiting
  25. The Season Progresses
  26. At Last - We are back
  27. The New Season is Nearly Here
  28. Lions Tests are Here!
  29. The Lions Up next
  30. Now It’s Europe
  31. 6 Nations Beckons
  32. 2021 at last! A year of renewed hope!
  33. A New Premiership Season
  34. Still NO Grassroots Rugby!!!!!
  35. It Continues - NO GRASSROOTS RUGBY!!
  36. No End In Sight To The Madness
  37. Autumn Internationals BUT Still NO Crowds
  38. We're Back - In Part At Least
  39. The Restart is Still a Long Way Away
  40. When will we play again?
  41. Time for a beer and a haircut!!
  42. It's easing apparently???!!!
  43. Behind Closed Doors or ...... ??
  44. Lockdown or not to lockdown
  45. The Debate Continues
  46. Yet another new page
  47. The Nightmare Continues - the blog
  48. The Season Grinds to a Halt
  49. The Season Moves On
  50. It's Official - The Drought is Over
  51. 6 Nations Starts
  52. Another New Page - Sorry
  53. 6 Nations Beckons
  54. Welcome To A New Decade
  55. It'll soon be over. Xmas that is
  56. Xmas is Coming
  57. Back to the Grassroots Game
  58. Bleater in Japan
  59. The Grassroots Season Starts
  60. Not Long Now!
  61. Japan Still Beckons
  62. Japan Beckons
  63. Nearly Time To Look Ahead
  64. The Summer Break is Here
  65. The Final Countdown
  66. Yet another section of drivel
  67. The Season Continues for a Little Longer
  68. The 6 Nations Continues
  69. Six Nations and More
  70. It's RWC Year!!
  71. Its Definitely Winter
  72. Winter is here. Brrrr!!!
  73. Its the Autumn, soon to be Winter
  74. We Are Off And Running
  75. The New Season Approaches
  76. Still the Summer Tours Go On
  77. The Summer Internationals Plus, Plus
  78. The Season Climax Approaches
  79. Summer is Coming
  80. Another Section, More Drivel
  81. 2018 Already!!!! It'll soon be Xmas
  82. The Season Approaches the Half Way Point
  83. The Season Takes Shape
  84. The Season Starts
  85. More Pre-Season Build Up
  86. Pre-Season and Other Stuff
  87. The Lions Tested
  88. The Lions Roar
  89. We Are Still Counting Down
  90. It's All About The Lions
  91. The Countdown to Season's End
  92. The Season Continues Apace
  93. It's Time for the 6 Nations
  94. 2017 - Let The Fun Begin
  95. The Big Man Will Be Here Soon
  96. Let's Countdown to You Know What
  97. It's Time For Europe
  98. The Season Is Well Underway
  99. At Last Let The Competition Begin
  100. Not Long to the New Season
  101. Not So Much Rugby Now
  102. Still Plenty of Rugby to Debate
  103. The Summer Break
  104. Here Comes Summer
  105. They Think It's All Over
  106. Jones - A New Era
  107. It Was A Grand Slam!!!!
  108. 6 Nations - A Grand Slam??
  109. Six Nations 2016
  110. A New Captain, A New Start
  111. Welcome to 2016
  112. The Countdown to Christmas
  113. Winter Has Arrived
  114. November Movember
  115. The World Cup Is Over
  116. Rugby World Cup Quarters
  117. Rugby World Cup into the knockout stages
  118. Rugby World Cup Day 9 to Day 24
  119. Rugby World Cup Day 1 to Day 8
  120. Sept 9th to Sept 17th
  121. August 24th to September 7th
  122. August 11th to August 23rd
  123. July 16th to August 9th
  124. July 1st to July 15th
  125. June 17th to June 29th
  126. June 2nd to June 16th
  127. May 19th to June 1st
  128. May 7th to May 17th
  129. April 28th to May 6th
  130. April 22nd to April 27th
  131. April 13th to April 21st
  132. March 13th to Aprill 11th
  133. March 5th to March 12th
Bleater's Blog
  1. The Season Run In
  2. It’s Six Nations Time!
  3. 2024 Has Arrived
  4. It’s Nearly Here…… January
  5. Countdown to Chri….. January!
  6. RWC 2023 - The Final Approaches
  7. Rugby World Cup 2023 Plus
  8. The Rugby World Cup Approaches
  9. The Summer Break
  10. The Final Countdown
  11. The Summer Tours Up Next
  12. Rugby Continues Thankfully
  13. The Six Nations - Happy Days
  14. 2023 Has Arrived
  15. The Halfway Point of the Season
  16. The Season Continues into Autumn
  17. Here we go! A new season
  18. The Twilight Zone
  19. The Season is Nearly Over
  20. The Six Nations and Some
  21. The 6 Nations Begins
  22. 2022 and All THAT!
  23. Christmas is nearly upon us!!
  24. We’re Still Waiting
  25. The Season Progresses
  26. At Last - We are back
  27. The New Season is Nearly Here
  28. Lions Tests are Here!
  29. The Lions Up next
  30. Now It’s Europe
  31. 6 Nations Beckons
  32. 2021 at last! A year of renewed hope!
  33. A New Premiership Season
  34. Still NO Grassroots Rugby!!!!!
  35. It Continues - NO GRASSROOTS RUGBY!!
  36. No End In Sight To The Madness
  37. Autumn Internationals BUT Still NO Crowds
  38. We're Back - In Part At Least
  39. The Restart is Still a Long Way Away
  40. When will we play again?
  41. Time for a beer and a haircut!!
  42. It's easing apparently???!!!
  43. Behind Closed Doors or ...... ??
  44. Lockdown or not to lockdown
  45. The Debate Continues
  46. Yet another new page
  47. The Nightmare Continues - the blog
  48. The Season Grinds to a Halt
  49. The Season Moves On
  50. It's Official - The Drought is Over
  51. 6 Nations Starts
  52. Another New Page - Sorry
  53. 6 Nations Beckons
  54. Welcome To A New Decade
  55. It'll soon be over. Xmas that is
  56. Xmas is Coming
  57. Back to the Grassroots Game
  58. Bleater in Japan
  59. The Grassroots Season Starts
  60. Not Long Now!
  61. Japan Still Beckons
  62. Japan Beckons
  63. Nearly Time To Look Ahead
  64. The Summer Break is Here
  65. The Final Countdown
  66. Yet another section of drivel
  67. The Season Continues for a Little Longer
  68. The 6 Nations Continues
  69. Six Nations and More
  70. It's RWC Year!!
  71. Its Definitely Winter
  72. Winter is here. Brrrr!!!
  73. Its the Autumn, soon to be Winter
  74. We Are Off And Running
  75. The New Season Approaches
  76. Still the Summer Tours Go On
  77. The Summer Internationals Plus, Plus
  78. The Season Climax Approaches
  79. Summer is Coming
  80. Another Section, More Drivel
  81. 2018 Already!!!! It'll soon be Xmas
  82. The Season Approaches the Half Way Point
  83. The Season Takes Shape
  84. The Season Starts
  85. More Pre-Season Build Up
  86. Pre-Season and Other Stuff
  87. The Lions Tested
  88. The Lions Roar
  89. We Are Still Counting Down
  90. It's All About The Lions
  91. The Countdown to Season's End
  92. The Season Continues Apace
  93. It's Time for the 6 Nations
  94. 2017 - Let The Fun Begin
  95. The Big Man Will Be Here Soon
  96. Let's Countdown to You Know What
  97. It's Time For Europe
  98. The Season Is Well Underway
  99. At Last Let The Competition Begin
  100. Not Long to the New Season
  101. Not So Much Rugby Now
  102. Still Plenty of Rugby to Debate
  103. The Summer Break
  104. Here Comes Summer
  105. They Think It's All Over
  106. Jones - A New Era
  107. It Was A Grand Slam!!!!
  108. 6 Nations - A Grand Slam??
  109. Six Nations 2016
  110. A New Captain, A New Start
  111. Welcome to 2016
  112. The Countdown to Christmas
  113. Winter Has Arrived
  114. November Movember
  115. The World Cup Is Over
  116. Rugby World Cup Quarters
  117. Rugby World Cup into the knockout stages
  118. Rugby World Cup Day 9 to Day 24
  119. Rugby World Cup Day 1 to Day 8
  120. Sept 9th to Sept 17th
  121. August 24th to September 7th
  122. August 11th to August 23rd
  123. July 16th to August 9th
  124. July 1st to July 15th
  125. June 17th to June 29th
  126. June 2nd to June 16th
  127. May 19th to June 1st
  128. May 7th to May 17th
  129. April 28th to May 6th
  130. April 22nd to April 27th
  131. April 13th to April 21st
  132. March 13th to Aprill 11th
  133. March 5th to March 12th
A New Premiership Season
Bleater's Blog 33 of 133

33. A New Premiership Season


Thursday 31st Dec: 08:30

As soon as I had hit save yesterday so Worcester v Quins was called off due to Covid. Let us hope Bristol v Newcastle and then Wasps v Exeter and Gloucester v Sale on Saturday don’t go the same way. In the Pro14 it is the Italian and Irish derbies that take centre stage. Those who follow London Irish, Saints, Leicester and Bath will have to wait until Sunday before they can see their favourite sides in action.

Sadly there is very little other rugby news to comment on so it is fingers crossed for no more cancellations so I’ll have something to write about on Saturday when I return.

Thankfully the Brexit vote was passed with a substantial majority. Basically any other outcome would have been madness.

For millions there will be rejoicing that the AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved. I remain concerned but if it is offered my daughter tells me I will be having it. Yet again however Matt Hancock has over promised and already just one hour after the announcement of approval spectacularly fallen short. There will be 530,000 doses available next week versus Hancock’s statement that 4 million will be available by then. I am sorry folks but the man is a power crazed jerk who I wouldn’t employ to do my shopping let alone run a crucial department in our government.

Following the announcement that schools will not be opening next week as planned I have to ask, as we seem to be living in an asylum being run by lunatics, when will this moronic government demand we start to burn books. We are destroying the lives of our youngsters, this country’s future.

Here is today’s conundrum............

Up and down the land millions of parents are ringing their parents, the kids grandparents, about child care provision. So let me get this right, preventing the kids from going back to school is because it is perceived that kids are one of the main spreaders of the new mutated virus right now. So I ask is this dictat therefore driving spreaders into the arms of the very people the government are supposedly trying to keep out of danger and therefore out of hospital; the elderly. Mrs Bleater and I had the conversation with our son last night and yes we are doing child care over the next few days/weeks.

Talking about our feelings is something we don’t do enough of but by doing so we can in fact improve our health. I make no secret of the fact I am finding this whole Covid thing unbelievably depressing. I am not worried about me per se but the impact this so called cure will have on my children and my wonderful grandchildren is troubling me deeply.

As we move into 2021 I would like to say that my view on how this virus and the paranoia surrounding it is being handled won’t change. I will close 2020 by saying the virus exists, it is serious but the government and media should hang their heads in shame. Those who are dealing with it such as the doctors and nurses and care home workers and ambulance staff should hold their heads high and be rightly proud of their contribution. May 2021 be better for all of us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from one miserable old Bleater.

Wednesday 30th Dec: 09:45

Not much in the rugby news to get excited about. Obviously the fact games are being cancelled due to Covid is depressing and I fear the ruling Junta will soon bring all sport to a juddering halt in its continued misguided efforts to control the virus. Hopefully the New Years Day Welsh derbies will get the go ahead with Cardiff Blues returning to the Cardiff City stadium. They face the Ospreys with Dragons travelling west to take on the Scarlets. Bristol v Newcastle is the pick of the two Premiership games. Will Quins come away from Worcester with a win? Who knows?

Harlequins on paper have a good squad but they simply are not delivering. As Bristol highlighted, their defence creaks and they have a propensity to shoot themselves in the foot. That said from the highlights I watched Bristol are a very good side. By the way why isn’t Marcus Smith in the reckoning for the England 10 jersey?

Talking of highlights I thought Northampton put on a decent show scoring some classy tries and Gloucester scored a couple of crackers against Exeter. The Chiefs whilst not particularly exciting do look the complete outfit and as long as the Simmonds boys stay fit you have to pencil them in as Champions already....... or do you.

I’ll look at Saturday’s fixtures tomorrow.

Just as he was beginning to make waves and on the edge of an England call up Alfie Barbeary could be on the edge of the surgeons table soon. An ankle injury is causing concern. It seems that Zach Kibirige’s injury is not as bad as first thought but that doesn’t mean he is ok. He is going through the HIA protocols and will definitely miss this weekend but could be out for a couple of weeks.

Scarlets and Wales lock Jake Ball is leaving these shores to return to Australia at the end of the season. After nine years of loyal service to the Scarlets he will quit international rugby in the hope of picking up a Super Rugby AU contract. He hasn’t yet seen his newborn baby born in November as his wife is in Perth. Ball, born in Ascot, was eligible for Wales via his Welsh father and with him already having a connection to Western Force I think that is where we will see him ply his trade in 2021/22.

Could Duncan Weir be heading back to Scotland from Worcester.? The runes would indicate that is the case as he was notable by his absence from the side that lost Saints last week.

The Rainbow Cup is on its way. A short sharp tournament with four South African franchises taking on the Pro 14 sides. This is in part to aid South Africa’s Lions preparation but also to breathe some life into the Pro14 scene. More on this as it develops.

Bristol’s Harry Randall, who is some player, is looking ahead to the possibility of an international call up. Will it be England or will it be Wales. He is eligible to play for both. Wales are not short of classy scrum half’s but Randall could be a superstar of the future. Only time will tell. I know a really classy scrum half who was in line to play for England alongside Stuart Barnes only for that dream to come crashing to earth following a serious knee injury picked up in training for Newport RFC. The path to glory Mr Randall is full of tank traps. Be careful.

During these trying times we all have to be ultra cautious but can someone explain to me why Manchester City were allowed to cry off their game against Everton at very short notice despite having a squad of international players who were fit and Covid free. It smells a bit off to me.

It is the Brexit vote today I believe. If it is voted down I think we the people should all write to our MPs and demand they resign immediately for their gross incompetence.

Today’s Covid reality check. Yes hospital beds are filling up and the pressure on the NHS is building. Here in our neck of the woods things are quite busy. The reality is despite what we are being told the ICU usage as a result of Covid is half that of April and for last five, six, seven eight years haven’t the media headlines screamed “NHS under severe pressure” at this time of year. Back in 2016 it was reported to be close to total meltdown. Hospitals get busy in December.

If things are so bad why are the Nightingale Hospitals being dismantled? That actually is easy because anyone with half a brain saw when they were being built there was never going to be the staff to man them.

Please remember ANY death in the previous 28 days is reported as a Covid death if you have a positive test. So in the last three weeks you have been hit by a bus and subsequently die this is a Covid death if the deceased tested positive.

Yes the number of positive tests was reported as over 50,000 yesterday but what you weren’t told was that Scotland and Northern Ireland hadn’t reported their number since before Christmas.

Finally there have been 47,750 deaths in English hospitals. All very sad. Just 3,600 of those were under 60 and just 388 of them had no underlying health issues. Isn’t it odd that the BBC propaganda department hasn’t reported that FACT.

Tuesday 29th Dec: 07:45

To those who have succumbed to reading this drivel between Christmas and the New Year “welcome back!”

How was Bridgnorth I hear you cry. Well my dear old mum was on good form and at 88 doing well thank you. Do we think Matt Hancock is saving the NHS? Based on the complete and utter shambles my mother had to deal with on the Wednesday the answer is “no”, in fact a resounding “No!” Four hours there on Tuesday, then to the Nuffield Hospital in Shrewsbury on Wednesday because the General Hospital is now part of the Covid Health Service. The consultant’s first comment to my mother was basically “why are you here” he then apparently went on to criticise the other consultant for referring her for a second internal scan and after a brief chat of all of five minutes banished my mother back to Bridgnorth. Saving the NHS my backside. What made it worse was we then had to face a four drive home in rain of biblical proportions with the breaking news that Sussex had been forced into house arrest. Bloody brilliant.

The upside was I saw my mum, was reassured that overall she is doing great, got to give her a hug and she got all the presents ready to open on Christmas Day rather than Easter which is when lockdown might have eased.

By the way don’t get fooled by the spin doctors use of “tiers”. Basically it is “lockdown lite”, “lockdown” and what we now have to endure which is “house arrest”.

What about your Christmas plans Bleater? All change as you would expect. Didn’t get Christmas Day breakfast with my son and daughter-in-law and grandkids and didn’t get to Salisbury to be with my daughter and son-in-law and grandkids on Boxing Day. That said Mrs Bleater and I are having a pretty good time and are grateful for FaceTime and Zoom. A big family Zoom session went very well and was good fun. By the way I now lead Mrs Bleater in Scrabble 7 -1.

This is a rugby website so get on with it. Haven’t watched much actually. Fell asleep during Dragons and Cardiff, it was that boring. Watched Sale v Wasps yesterday, the first half of which was as enjoyable as watching paint dry. It came alive in the second half thankfully. Sale’s South African contingent aren’t good enough nor hungry enough for them to succeed this season. By comparison Wasps youngsters look real prospects.

I understand the Quins v Bristol game was another first half slug fest coming alive in the second half and likewise Exeter v Gloucester was pretty dire in the first half but delivering an entertaining second (thanks Bill). Exeter maintain their perfect start to the season. Northampton finally won at home. Shame the two other games succumbed to Covid. I have Ospreys v Scarlets to watch but I do know Scarlets won. Ulster beat Connacht in the Irish derby.

New Year’s Day for the next series of games. I’ll preview those tomorrow or Thursday.

As we look forward to more rugby let us keep our fingers crossed for Wasps’ Zach Kibirige, that looked a very nasty injury indeed. With the heightened awareness of head trauma let us hope it is not too serious and he is charging down the wing again soon.

Lots in the papers but everything is still dominated by Covid and yes the media are still pushing Project Fear - The Mutation. My view hasn’t changed; the cure is far, far worse than the virus and anyone who takes even the slightest interest in doing their own research will come to the same conclusion. Closing schools in January: what complete and utter madness.

Boris seems to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a decent enough Brexit deal. Once staying in stopped being an option then we had to get a deal. He seems to have done that. The Scottish morons will vote against it, some of the Labour clowns will vote against it and even some of the stuck up twits from the Tories will vote against it but for the sake of the country it has to be passed. If it is voted down then we urgently need a new Guy Fawkes to (metaphorically) blow the lot of them from here to Mars. Voting it down would be a despicable act of terrorism.

Finally Her Majesty is being forced into giving Tony Blair a knighthood to “unblock” the honours system. I wouldn’t have that lying, devious, murdering b’stard unblock my toilet and to give him a knighthood is a disgrace. It is a very sad day indeed when a Prime Minister who caused many, many of our brave armed forces to come home from a fraudulent conflict in body bags gets knighted. Swing the sword your majesty and Blair might just get what he really deserves.

Not long to 2021 when I can focus on rugby and rugby alone and this Covid bullshit is behind us. Before that more joy and happiness tomorrow.

Monday 21st Dec: 10:25

One look out of the window this morning and it was the simplest of decisions to climb back into bed. What a shitty morning adding to an already depressing situation we find ourselves in. Long established Christmas plans cancelled at a stroke and the country thrown into panic.... again. At least we are in the shortest day today. Things can only get brighter from now on....... or can they??

There was some rugby on the TV yesterday and it was ok in the absence of anything else. Actually Leicester City beating Spurs was on but of late whenever I have watched the mighty Foxes they have lost so I watched Quins being given a lesson by Racing 92. Three minutes in they were ahead and by half time leading comfortably 20-0. It wasn’t until Racing were 35-0 ahead did Quins get a score on the board. The French outfit were very impressive scoring seven tries by seven different try scorers. Quins discipline left a lot to be desired again. They are now effectively out of the tournament so can concentrate on the Premiership. Racing 92 will definitely be in the hunt for the title on this form.

Next up came Connacht v Bristol. Another ok game but a little too much kicking for my liking. Actually that is not true. The first half was as dull as chips with the second half being a bonanza of running rugby. Both sides came out intent on playing an open game and so it proved. Nathan Hughes stampeding into tacklers, Ioan Lloyd and Callum Sheedy pulling the strings for Bristol. Jack Carty and young Porch at full back catching the eye for Connacht. It was good stuff. O’Conor’s was the pick of the tries and on the balance of play Bristol deserved to win. Connacht were unlucky not to get the losing bonus point at the death and no-one would have begrudged them that.

London Irish beat Pau in the Challenge Cup.

Did I mention Leicester City beat Spurs at the new White Hart Lane to go second in the league. Manchester United were pretty impressive too.

I see Nigel Melville has joined the board of Premiership Rugby. In simplest terms he will oversee the playing side of the business which includes clubs’ finances. He also joins the Professional Game Board, the umbrella group who represent the clubs, the RFU and the players union. With Covid 19 still causing havoc and the head injury concerns front and centre it is not a great time to join. On the other hand the Saracens salary cap issue is out of the way and a new TV deal has just be signed. Good luck to him.

Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton, deservedly BBC Sports personality of the year. Well done to all the recipients including Colonel Tom and posthumously Matt Ratana plus of course Marcus Rashford.

Whatever that incompetent power crazed moron Matt Hancock says I am off to Bridgnorth tomorrow and back on Wednesday. For the record my mother as an important medical appointment that she cannot afford to miss and I am ensuring she makes it. The Buffoon and Hancock have thrown this country totally unnecessarily into chaos. Allowing the duplicitous and bullshit generating Prof. Neil Ferguson back into the limelight is a disgrace. Causing our economy to collapse even further and finally turning us into an isolated island with all borders closed to us at a stroke is the politics of madmen. They have not put forward one shred of evidence about the mutated virus and those who have been selling tales of doom are allowed to quickly shrink back into the darkness without being held to account. For Hancock to accuse those trying to escape the South East so they can have at least some joy at Christmas as selfish and irresponsible is unacceptable. Surely irresponsibility comes in the form of a test & trace system that is next to useless, Nightingale hospitals costing us millions covered in cobwebs, a vaccination program already in disarray (and about to get worse thanks to the borders being closed), blatant cronyism, profligate spending with no checks and balances and a department that spends as much time on censoring those who who criticise it as it does on delivering what those inside are paid to do.

We must be the laughing stock of the world!!!

It is likely I will not now blog until Tuesday 29th December. I will leave you with one question that those with bigger brains than mine might be able to answer.

If this new strain of Covid is more contagious but is no more harmful, or even less harmful isn’t that a good thing? Get more people infected more quickly driving up those with some form of antibody resistance or immunity?

In the meantime may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas no matter how you intend to spend it and sincere thanks for reading this drivel and for your regular contributions. “Have a good one!”

Sunday 20th Dec: 09:15

Got to watch two Champions Cup games and a Currie Cup game masquerading as a Champions Cup encounter yesterday. Whilst it was on at the club I didn’t get to see any of the Leinster v Northampton as I was too busy interacting with other human beings, something our Government is trying to destroy. A BIG well done to all at Crowborough Rugby Club for how they managed yesterday. It cannot be easy so what they did they did fantastically well. A round of applause please for Emma, Jacqui, the Exec and the team working at the club.

Gloucester v Ulster was a highly entertaining encounter. After a few pints of Harveys and having spoken to people other than Mrs Bleater you could argue I was seeing through beer goggles. No, this was a great game. It ebbed and flowed and literally right up until the last second you didn’t know who was going home with the spoils. Some cracking tries, some good fortune, some good refereeing and plenty of ball in play time. Gloucester certainly didn’t miss Danny Cipriani and with some of the youngsters such as Rees-Zammit, Evans and Moyle looking like seasoned veterans Gloucester might just be getting their show back on the road after a longish period of mediocrity. For Ulster that John Cooney is some player. He took his try well but sadly it wasn’t to be enough.

Next up came Clermont Auvergne v Munster. Another splendid game of rugby. With the South Sea Islanders French outfit ahead within a minute and 28 points ahead after 26 minutes it looked ominous for the Irishmen. As I have said previously you never write Munster off and so it was to be yesterday. They battled back and eventually wore Clermont down. They were helped by the yellow cards to Judicael Cancoriet and then later on Thibault Lanen for pulling down the excellent Tadhg Beirne in a lineout. CJ Stander was immense in that second half and rightly was man of the match. The game was aided by some excellent refereeing by Matthew Carley. Plenty of good quality rugby to enjoy was just what our beleaguered game needed.

As an aside do you think Munster would have been able to claw their way back into the game if the Stade Michelin had been full of the flag waving Clermont Auvergne fanatics?

Next up the Currie Cup contest between South Africa “B” and Edinburgh also packed with South Africans. No wonder Romain Poite had a difficult night; his Afrikaans is non existent. This started off brightly enough with Sale looking as if they could win this one at a canter. The one thing you never do is underestimate a Richard Cockerill side. They came out in the second half determined to eliminate the silly mistakes of the first and that they did. Sale went back to their old ways of conceding way too many penalties which that well known Scot Jaco van der Walt kicked over with aplomb. It wasn’t all Edinburgh but that clinical edge of the first half was missing. Jean-Luc du Preez should have seen red not yellow for a shoulder to the head of a defenceless Edinburgh forward. Poite got that wrong and the TMO Claire Hodnett should have been firmer. This wasn’t Poite’s only mistake and as I said just last week he seems to have gone off the boil. Well done Edinburgh you go through to face the Natal Sharks in the next round of the Currie Cup!!!!

In the other Champions Cup game the Dragons got thumped by Bordeaux-Begles and in the Tea Cup there was a 28-0 walkover for Agen at Benetton, the same for Cardiff as Stade Francais refused to play, Leicester did actually beat Bayonne in France and Ospreys came away from Worcester with a win. The hapless Leicester beating Bayonne indicates this is another French team not bothered with the Challenge Cup and Ospreys win indicates a side with no relegation worries in their domestic league versus one with lots of relegation worries in theirs.

Quins v Racing 92 looks interesting, that is if the French don’t pull out, as does Connacht v Bristol. London Irish host Pau in the secondary competition.

Elite sport can still go ahead despite the new draconian tier 4 laws introduced yesterday by the ruling Junta. It is unacceptable how things are being mismanaged. People will simply ignore the rules knowing full well the police won’t police them.

The English Championship suffered another blow if you are to believe the Daily Fail. The start of the new season has been pushed back until March. The madness continues.

Well done Boris, Hancock and the Brothers of Doom; you have caused the biggest mass exodus of London since the dark days of 1939. You are also turning cities into ghettos and forcing people to wear masks with sinister echoes of places like Warsaw. This cannot be right in a country that supposedly is a democracy.

Enough is enough and that is what is happening: people have had enough and unless the Government changes tack then they will lose control and anarchy will reign. For the first time in my 64 and a bit years on this planet I might just be arriving at a point where I will support that approach.

Saturday 19th Dec: 09:50

Surprise, surprise the pillock Pollock is back but more about her in a moment.

Real shame La Rochelle v Bath has been another to be cancelled due to the coronavirus. Bath have suffered the same fate as Exeter and Glasgow, that being a 28-0 defeat thus scuppering their chances of progress into the knock out stages. This complicated new format doesn’t really allow you to lose a game so my comment is an assumption rather than a fact.

The controversy was found in West Wales with Toulon refusing to take the field against Scarlets. The administrators and everybody else were satisfied the game could go ahead but the Toulon players said “NON!” It is expected that Scarlets will be awarded a 28-0 victory. This is becoming farcical. The paranoia and stupidity is not going to away so why don’t the EPCR just shut up shop and tell the clubs to put the “For Sale” signs up as we assign rugby to the bin.

I watched the Castres v Newcastle game which was a reasonable contest. Plenty of good open rugby. The enthusiasm was tempered when the game went to uncontested scrums and recognising that this was basically Casters Under 20s v Falcons 2nd XV. Why are we bothering with the Challenge Cup. Brive losing at home highlights the issue. Brive and Castres play on Tuesday which clearly is their priority.

Next up was Wasps v Montpellier. Wasps were gifted the result when Henry Immelman saw red after just 6 minutes. Having watched it several times the referee had no other choice. It was red. Wasps had to battle hard for the win but eventually the benefit of the extra man told. Five tries, two coming from man of the match Alfie Barbeary. This was an accomplished performance by a young Wasps side.

Five games still slated to go ahead today with Leinster v Saints, Sale v Edinburgh and Clermont v Munster amongst them. Three games in the Challenge Cup but sorry.... so what!

Katy Daley-McLean retires from international rugby. After 116 caps that comes as no surprise especially as she is a World Cup winner. Great effort Katy, you are an example for others to follow.

BT Sport have signed an extension to their Premiership deal. It is rumoured to be worth £100m and runs until 2024.

Alun Wyn Jones knee injury is serious enough that he is unlikely to take to the failed again until after the 6 Nations.

Ok, let’s get onto the pillock Pollock. Yes this might be offensive to Prof Allyson Pollock but every two years or so she crawls out from whatever rock she lives under to get rugby banned. This time her and other snowflake scientists want to ban tackling in school rugby. Banning tackling means banning rugby it really is as simple as that. Let me be clear Prof Pillock has a self-interest: some years ago her son was injured whilst playing rugby at school and ever since then her campaign has become an obsession. These scientists very much like the arses on the SAGE committee have no concept of real life as they have spent their entire lives in the cosseted world of academia. Yes rugby right now has its problems and the head trauma issue cannot be ignored. However we cannot ignore what rugby offers to young people outside the physical benefits of being outside getting exercise in a well managed and controlled environment. Let’s take social skills as just one example. Way too many kids today spend far too much time in isolation in front of a screen and their ability to communicate with others is dire. Rugby can help break that mould. Dear Prof. Pillock please crawl back under the rock and let rugby manage rugby. Yours Bleater.

I will leave my rant about how the incompetent fool Matt Hancock is ramping up Project Fear III - The Mutation until later. The South East will be turned into a ghetto if Hancock gets his way. Travel bans, High Street wastelands, homeless cowering in the doorways of shops that have gone bust and the Covid Health Service turning away people who need their help as they don’t have Covid-19. Quite frankly Tony Hancock could have done better, and he is dead!

Two questions and answers to ponder.
Q. After the fanfare of the vaccine launch why have we had not any major updates?
A. Hancock’s promise of a million people vaccinated by Christmas looks as if it is going to be missed by a mile. Another over-promise, under-delivery.

Q. Why haven’t we heard anything from Wee Jimmie Sturgeon about the appalling drug epidemic in Scotland nor about the lies and deceit she and her husband are implicated in regarding Alex Salmond?
A. It doesn’t support her single obsession: Independence.

Friday 18th Dec: 07:00

Crowborough remains in tier 2. Make the most of it........Get to Steel Cross tomorrow.

Back on Saturday morning with a quick look at the latest Covid rugby news.

Thursday 17th Dec: 08:40

Who knows what the Buffoon, and the Weasel will have to say today but I am sure it won’t be good news, and I am equally sure whatever is said will be laden with misleading, vague and mealy mouthed platitudes that mean our lives will still not be ours to live as we want. Dr Death yesterday said if we don’t live like hermits cowering at the back of our caves in the coming weeks people will die. Yes people will die because they are ill and they are old and sadly their time is up. Others will die because of mental issues driven by social isolation and stress from worrying about the future. Blaming everything on Covid-19 is simply to maintain the paranoia and keep us under control via draconian rules. It really is a dystopian world we live in.

Right, that is off my chest and there is a point to starting with a heavy handed statement. IF East Sussex escapes a move from tier 2 to tier 3 today then get yourselves to Steel Cross for some socially distanced interaction with other human beings and enjoy some (almost) proper rugby, some great food; a splendid hog roast combo (thanks Mr Lamplugh for you generosity), some great beers and wines and most importantly a chat with mates. It will all be socially distanced in the excellent heated marquee following all the Government guidelines. If you come as a family indoor seating is also available. The fun kicks off on SATURDAY at 1pm AND the rugby will be on the big screens AND definitely bring the kids.

If that wasn’t enough there is a quiz on Saturday evening. Lots of challenging questions such as how many shares does Patrick Vallance have in GSK and where is Chris Whitty going after he has driven unemployment up by millions. Seriously, Saturday night quiz night at the club from 7pm. £10 per person including a SUBSTANTIAL meal, and no it won’t be a Scotch Egg, and a great prize for the winners to boot.

To round things off the final Mini and junior training is on Sunday. Oh how I love this club.

The rugby headlines are led by Toulouse v Exeter and as a consequence Glasgow v Lyon being cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Exeter camp. Obviously as Glasgow played them last week that is why their game is screwed as well.

Tomorrow night Scarlets v Toulon will be interesting. I don’t anticipate a cracker but it could be worth watching. Jake Ball and Samson Lee will be missing as they are still under the HIA protocols. Wasps v Montpellier might also be worth a look. Saturday La Rochelle v Bath catches the eye. Having lost their first game will Bath still be “going for it” or will they field a weakened side. Dragons at Bordeaux-Begles and Northampton at Leinster all face the same question. The game of the weekend is Clermont Auvergne v Munster. On Sunday Quins v Racing 92 might be a good game but for me Cardiff Blues v Stade in the junior cup catches the eye.

Basically plenty of options if you have access to BT Sport. If you don’t then the club does!! By the way I really can’t get enthusiastic about the Challenge Cup. The French can’t be bothered so it becomes pretty meaningless.

Following Leicester City is like being on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Massive ups and very steep downs. They were pretty insipid against Everton yesterday. Mourinho’s Spurs lost last night so he is now whinging like a spoilt brat. That’s football for you.

The F1 will enjoy the longest season ever when it returns in March. Let us hope they are not all like the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which was mind-numbingly dull.

Finally an excellent piece in The Guardian highlighting the issues of head injury/trauma in Aussie Rules Football. While the spotlight is clearly on rugby union this is an issue for league, NFL, AFL and soccer.

I’m off to help get the pitch ready for Saturday in an hour or two but it would be remiss of me not to draw your attention to the fact that TWENTY SEVEN Tory MPs had a lockdown Christmas Party masquerading as a “business meeting” this week. The hypocrisy of these people beggars belief. Whilst we are being made to live in abject fear these people do what they want when they want. The world is going mad and perhaps the time for revolution has come, not in a violent sense but is it time for the people to rise up and use their own common sense and retain control of our lives. By the way I am guessing you missed the article from Australia where their government has said the fact you get the vaccine doesn’t mean you can travel because you can’t. Another thing to ponder me thinks.

Back on Saturday but check back tomorrow for news on Saturday’s events.

Wednesday 16th Dec: 09:45

I guess the big story of the day is Danny Cipriani leaving Gloucester with immediate effect to be replaced by Adam Hastings. The “wild child” of the game who undoubtedly would have been expensive will now find himself scratching around for a contract perhaps. Snapping up Hastings is a good move as his performances on the field moves him out of the shadow of his father Gavin and uncle Scott allowing him to stand alone as a classy up and coming international. The downside for Gloucester is they will lose him to international duty come February when the 6 Nations returns.

The other story that caught the eye is the four year drugs ban for South African flier Aphiwe Dyantyi. He claimed his innocence with a range of excuses but the burden of proof for that was not met so a ban it was. I have written on this subject before and whilst I don’t think it is a major problem in our sport I believe it is out there. Certainly in Wales where young talent sees the regional game as a route to riches the incentives to cut corners by cheating has an allure sadly. Even locally there have been cases where players have been banned as a result of taking performance enhancing substances. It is absolutely right that the authorities take a tough line on this and send out the message that drug taking of any kind is unacceptable in our sport.

The head trauma issue continues to grab the headlines and so it should. We have to sort this out if the game is not to change so substantially it becomes unrecognisable but more importantly to protect those who play at all levels and those who have been affected thus far. Being the cynical so-and-so that I am we do need to be careful that people don’t jump on the bandwagon and see this as a way to make money. Whilst maybe comparing apples with turnips I recall the fuss surrounding the allegations of wrongdoing by Ted Heath. Once it became known he was under investigation something like 109 people came forward to make allegations. Salisbury police pretty much immediately dismissed 90+ of them as being fraudulent and of the others they seemed pretty spurious. My point is the seriousness of the issue can become diluted if people jump on the band wagon to exploit a financial opportunity.

King Eddie, why I call him that I don’t know as sometimes I think he is a bit of an arse, has been allowed to continue his consultancy role with Suntory Sungoliath in Japan despite England drawing Japan in the 2023 World Cup. I don’t see any conflict as the Japanese sides seemed to be packed with players from just about anywhere other than Japan. Beauden Barrett heads there just this week. By the way Suntory is one of the biggest wines, spirits, beer producers in Japan.

Plenty of European rugby to look forward to this weekend. I’ll preview that tomorrow as there looks some tasty match-ups. More importantly a fun day has been arranged at Steel Cross which will feature for the first time the Covid-19 hybrid game. More importantly the team of Emma, Jacqui and the Exec have organised a great hog roast menu to coincide. Full details on this website.

You might be sick of my pontificating but here are today’s rants/questions. I was going through the Daily Fail online yesterday and saw an article by Dr John Lee. It grabbed my attention because his arguments supported much of what I had said yesterday. No sooner had I read it it seem to disappear from the paper. Mmmmm! You need to think about. Likewise 16,500 people congregated outside Westminster on the weekend to protest about how this situation is being handled. Could you find anything in the press? Very little and when you did it was entitled something like “Anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theory lunatics protest outside Parliament”. That description was TOTALLY unfair and inaccurate. Censorship at it worst. Whilst people who put forward well reasoned arguments about not wearing masks or tiers or prioritising vaccinations etc are ignored or worse censored Matt Hancock and the Brothers of Doom can say whatever they like and ignore sensible questions about how many people have been vaccinated already and what is percentage of those offered a jab have had it. They can also go on TV and launch Project Fear III - The Mutation without anybody being allowed to challenge their wildly exaggerated comments on that subject. Many are now saying Covid-19 has been used to destroy civil liberties around the world. Something else to ponder as there is a chance that leafy Wealden could find itself in a tier 3 lockdown soon and based on what?????

Tuesday 15th Dec: 08:25

The trouble with rugby and World Cups is there are so few countries that play the game and a core of just a few top flight playing countries that the draw for any World Cup is pretty boring. Let me predict the quarter finalists today.

England Argentina
Wales Australia
New Zealand France
South Africa Ireland

King Eddie must be happy with Japan in the group. This will be a big draw for the spectators especially after Japan’s success in their own tournament. Argentina will be the possible banana skin which could see England finish second in the group. Oceania qualifier will be Tonga or Samoa. No chance of defeat but lots of opportunity for injury. Then it will either be USA or Canada. The easiest group but will his players be undercooked come the serious business as a result?

Wales, Australia, Fiji. It is like Groundhog Day. Fiji could be the problem for both the Aussies and the Welsh but otherwise it is as you were in Japan. There is a good chance it could be Georgia and Uruguay making up the group, exactly as it was in Japan.

The hosts France have the short straw as they find themselves in with the All Blacks. No problem as the group then includes Italy, Americas qualifier and African qualifier which could be USA or Canada and most likely Namibia. France as hosts can choose who they play when so I assume they play New Zealand as the opening game in the hope of catching them cold and thus topping the group.

Then comes South Africa, Ireland and Scotland. South Africa will go through to the quarters but Ireland could spring a shock and beat them. Scotland will promise much and fail to deliver I fear but with this being the toughest group and the teams to qualify could be Georgia or Russia or a.n.other European side plus Tonga or Samoa anything could happen. Yep this is a tough group

I still say it seems awfully early to be making the draw and it appears that World Rugby agrees and are looking to change the draw to much closer to the start of the tournament going forward. Wales certainly have come out of this ok and the winners are England with the easiest group. The losers are Scotland and Ireland. It doesn’t kick off for another three years by which time we might be out of lockdown and Brexit will have been agreed. Don’t bet on it though.

The granddaughter has just arrived so its time to go.

Not before I mention the bizarre and misguided continuance of lockdowns and putting London into tier 3. Cases are on the increase. So what? Deaths are not on the increase and in the entire NHS London network Covid patients are taking up just a quarter of the beds they did in April and likewise MV bed usage is a quarter of what it was noting the NHS in London was not overrun then, the height of the virus, AND the NHS depot aka the Nightingale Hospital is still available. If the Government continues to focus on cases when many, many eminent scientists are challenging the veracity / reliability of the tests and the significant number of false positives being picked up this madness will not go away. The cure is worse than the virus and we continue to be kept in the dark by the inept politicians and self-serving Sage committee. There is a myriad of data freely available that highlights the very careful use of statistics by the Government to further their cause: paranoia and control. Just a word on the local hospitals. Both Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells trust and the Medway trust has more Covid patients in Hospital than they did in April but it must be noted the South East was barely affected during that period. The number of patients in MV beds is about 50% of what it was in April. It does beg the question why the panic.

The details for deaths, bed occupancy, admissions, split by age, gender and pre-existing condition for England is available up until Dec 3rd and is found on the NHS website. Even the most fervent of supporters of the Government stance and those who think we are doing the right thing would be surprised by the decisions being made and the true facts of the situation in hospitals. NOT every hospital is the same and some are struggling big time but they are the small minority.

Monday 14th Dec: 09:25

Let me start with the highlights from yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix............

So to the rugby. It was very much a one sided affair as Exeter put on a masterclass against Glasgow. Actually it wasn’t a masterclass as Glasgow were giving out the Christmas presents way too early. Penalty after penalty, silly error after silly error. Exeter were not going to waste those gifts and quickly turned opportunities into points. The Simmonds boys were again at the heart of everything and Stuart Hogg added that little bit of star dust in the backs (not sure about his defensive qualities but going forward he is great). The Exeter pack were at their steam rally best and the rest was history. 42 - 0 speaks for itself. As an aside wasn’t it great to see some fans in the stadium. You know my view but at least this is a step in the right direction.

Next up I watched Munster v Quins. The London outfit really do know where the self-destruct button is. Three yellow cards and a generous dollop of other penalties is a recipe for defeat time and time again. They were lucky not to have got a fourth yellow with yet another ill-judged and irresponsible no arms tackle was ignored by Msr Gauzerre. Munster weren’t perfect by any means making plenty of mistakes themselves. Was this a good game? Not for the quality of the rugby but in a strange, undefinable way I enjoyed it. If Harlequins are to go anywhere in the Premiership and in Europe then their discipline has to improve. Regarding Munster, I never write them off when it comes to Europe. They are riding high in the Pro14 and will go a long way in the Champions Cup.

In the other two games Lyon strolled past a much weakened Gloucester side and Racing 92 headed off a spirited late Connacht fight back.

Overall a promising start to the very complicated tournament.

A couple of interesting pieces about the ongoing head injury concerns. It might be considered trying to hide the problem but Bill Sweeney is right when he says: “changing the language might help the game’s image”. King Eddie in particular likes to use the word “brutal” for example. This clearly sends out a message to those reading about the game and arguably the wrong message.

There is a good article in The Guardian that suggests contact sport overhaul must be driven by those who watch and play. I think that is right. I would put the players first on the list and then those with a tangible vested interest in supporting the game such as spectators. I would put the administrators and owners low down the pecking order in agreeing change and lawyers should be nowhere to be seen. Obviously the game needs to include the views of medical professionals who really understand head trauma AND the game.

There are several other articles in the same paper including one about the likelihood of the claim succeeding. All very well worth reading. One outcome of this issue might be the resolution of the question of a global season.

The Daily Fail more than hint that after the perceived success of Amazon Prime’s coverage of the Autumn Internationals they are now like a dog after a bone with the 6 Nations in their sights. Financially this would be very lucrative for the unions. For the game as a whole it would be a disaster to move this iconic tournament from terrestrial TV. Only time will tell.

The 2023 World Cup draw is today. Not sure why so early but yes top seeds England and Wales will find out their fate. More on this tomorrow.

The Brexit fiasco continues. Boris and the representatives of France the EU are continuing to talk despite the deadline passing. Oh what joy.

I know and appreciate that my view on Covid really hacks some people off. Hey ho, but I will continue to argue that the cure is worse than the virus. Only today a story has broken about a 27 year old father from West Yorkshire who has died of cancer because he couldn’t get an MRI early enough due to Covid delays and then being misdiagnosed by doctors. This is likely to be the thin end of the wedge and as I have said we must applaud those battling on the frontline but we cannot continue to allow the NHS to be solely the Covid Health Service.

Sunday 13th Dec: 10:15

That was better! What was? The rugby of course. Bristol v Clermont Auvergne kicked it off for me and it was a cracker. The Frenchmen were outstanding even though Bristol did come out of the starting gate like a cart horse rather than a race horse. The ball pinged around Ashton Gate with pass after pass and off-load after off-load. Yes there was kicking but it wasn’t the turgid kick tennis of late, it was purposeful and accurate. Matsushima lit up the occasion with his excellence. One of Japan’s World Cup stars certainly is making a mark for Clermont Auvergne.

Next up came Bath v Scarlets. Another game played at pace with intensity. Slightly more kicking than I would like but nevertheless this was a thriller. Bath looked as if they would stroll it then Scarlets came storming back. Then Bath got back into gear and Scarlets were on the back foot. Whoa, what happened? Who flicked the Scarlets overdrive button? The Welshmen were on fire and some of the rugby was sublime. Kieran Hardy looked to have sealed it then the Halfpenny penalty. No it wasn’t all over as the Bath steamroller hammered the Scarlets line in those last minutes. Then came the final call: the excellent Ben Spencer was short and that was that. The McConnochie try was a thing of beauty as was Gareth Davies opening score. Rugby as it should be.

It was a shame to see Jake Ball, Samson Lee and Taulupe Faletau all going off with head knocks. The upside is the process works. The downside is it highlights the high degree of risk of injury in the modern game.

Then came Dragons v Wasps. “Wasps cruise to victory” was the headline in one paper. Yes they won and deserved to win but I would suggest it wasn’t exactly a “cruise”. Another game of quality in my opinion. Wasps played some excellent rugby and defended well when they had to. Dan Robson was outstanding scoring a lovely try. The Dragons try was sheer brilliance but clearly not enough. In this one I thought Romain Poite was not at his best. At one point Nigel Owens and Poite seemed at odds with regard to yellow cards, both of which I thought were harsh.

Elsewhere Sale lost away to a “dominant” Toulon. Edinburgh lost at home to La Rochelle. Leinster came away from Montpellier with a bonus point win. That is one heck of a marker for their intentions.

In the other cup I would suggest the results reinforce my view that the French clubs really can’t be bothered. Zebre drawing with Bayonne? London Irish coming home from Agen with a comprehensive win! The Ospreys beating Castres, mmm! The only result that challenges my opinion is Pau beating Worcester.

All four of today’s games look tasty. Lyon v Gloucester, Exeter v Glasgow, Racing v Connacht and the highlight Munster v Quins. Not sure how much of this I’ll get to watch as I might have fivepenneth of the F1.

Going back to Nigel Owens, after 100 international tests he is hanging up his international whistle. He will continue to do “domestic” rugby but his days on the international stage are over. Well done sir! BBC Wales have done a great montage of Owens, well worth watching.

That’ll do for today except to congratulate the guys at the Friday Club. What a morning of work they got through on Friday. Well done guys.

Also as we head to the Brexit precipice without a deal who are we negotiating with: the EU or just the French. What a piece of work that Macron is. You try buying a French company or even setting up a company in France. You can also look at their very loose interpretation of compliance with EU regulations. To turn round and say France have the right and will continue to have the right to fish in BRITISH waters is arrogance beyond belief.

Finally I really struggle with people who want to change history by removing elements they don’t like. Sanitising history is not a way forward. Understand, learn and change. What is worse however is rewriting history which is exactly what the jumped little Scottish despot Sturgeon is doing. Introducing a Scottish history into schools which is closer to a Harry Potter novel than it is to the truth highlights what a power crazed .......... she is! Oh and and telling Price Charles and Camilla to stay out Scotland........ I again ask: who the 4uc6 does she think she is?

Saturday 12th Dec: 09:20

The European games got off to an interesting start last night. Ulster’s unbeaten home run came to a halt yesterday with defeat to Toulouse. This has been described as a seven try thriller. Shame I didn’t get to watch it. Northampton’s losing streak continues with the unluckiest of defeats to Bordeaux-Begles. The basics of rugby state the defending side at a kick at goal should watch the posts in case of a rebound, the attacking side should follow up for the same reason. In this case the defensive lapse and the attacks quick thinking saw Bordeaux-Begles go over for a try. The Champions Cup off to a good start!

The same thing can’t be said of the Challenge Cup. Stade Francais losing at home to Benetton, Leicester beating Brive comfortably and Newcastle fielding a development side against a very strong Cardiff outfit says to me some clubs really can’t be bothered with this tournament. I watched the Newcastle v Cardiff game and except for a moment of brilliance by the Falcons hooker Blamire, a very special bit of skill by Hallom Amos catching then offloading to Tomas Williams for a try this was another kick fest which drove me to distraction.

Today’s pick of games are Bath v Scarlets at 15:15 then Dragons v Wasps at 17:30. Toulon v Sale might be worth watching. All these in the Champions Cup.

An interesting story in the Daily Fail about how Joe Cokanasiga’s father was denied a visa to enter the UK despite having served in the British army. This against a backdrop of murderers and muggers who should have been deported remaining here and illegal immigrants being treated “handsomely” by our pathetic Government/legal system. The world is going mad.

Bill Sweeney has come out to defend our great game in the wake of the head trauma discussion. He has not made light of the problem as I hope I haven’t. He is clearly concerned about the impact the negative publicity will have on the game and that is without thinking about the implications a lawsuit would bring to our game. Plenty of coverage across the papers.

In recent days I have commented about the challenge of liability and acceptance of risk and being paid to play. Please note I am not underplaying what these players are going through and the horrors and stress they and their families are and will have to manage. It is a worry and as I have said for many months things have to change. By the way based on a fascinating conversation with a mate last night who knows very little about our game he was shocked by the size and power of players and amazed that these buffalo (my word) can come on to the field late and then slam into others who are tiring. Ok to the point, Geoff from Chichester has sent me a well thought through mail that talks about liability and risk management. I have copied it here in full.......

Hi Bleater...........a few thoughts (which I expect you have already started to consider)..... 

I would surmise that the fact that players were paid is not in itself sufficient to relieve the employer of liability if.....

negligence can be proved. 
breaches of legal requirements occurred.

To arrive at a balanced view we would need to be aware of legislation that existed at the time and what contracts of employment stated. The extent of medical and scientific knowledge at the time would clearly be a factor. 

I would assume that this is no different from the situation for employees in most other professions, although some of those with known dangers (eg. military) might have different provisions.

It also raises the question of who exactly might be liable - the Employer ? the Governing Body ? the medical professionals ?

Then there is the question for today which is whether grassroots clubs (and governing bodies) could be similarly liable for such injuries to amateur players ?

I sympathise with the view that those playing sports largely do so at their own risk BUT the governing bodies must take responsibility for responding to advances in scientific and medical knowledge. It would be harsh to suggest that every individual player could be able to absorb and understand such developments and constantly review his/her decision to play. 

The only winner here could be the Lawyers! 

Sadly this last sentence is one that worries me but the above will be the position I will take on this going forward. THANKS Geoff.

Thursday 10th Dec: 08:15

Unsurprisingly the impending lawsuit and the issue of head trauma is dominating the rugby pages, as it is the mainstream news. It is extremely worrying when you hear of young men struggling with their health, especially their mental health/mental capacity. Over a number of years World Rugby has led the way with law changes and stricter refereeing and this has improved things. For those from the time before head trauma became a focus it is an issue, a serious issue. I worry about the lawsuit and I stick by my concern of yesterday that these guys took the dollar, they got paid handsomely and accepted the risks. The governing bodies and the players were not blessed with 20/20 foresight so I struggle to see how the case can proceed. I also fear that if the case does proceed and is won then Pandora’s box is well and truly open and rugby as we know it will wither and die on the vine quite quickly. That said the situation these players are in, and the impact it is having and will have on their families has to be taken into consideration and all possible help must be used to support them. It is a very difficult situation with no easy answers.

The problem has not gone away due to the law changes and accidents such as the one Rhys Priestland was involved in on Saturday will happen. Further adaptation of the tackle law needs to be considered to avoid head on head clashes. I also think a much tougher line on foul play where contact with the head is involved needs to be considered especially when it involves someone taking someone out at the ruck. I have said over many months the enormous size of the players doesn’t help and having up to eight testosterone fuelled leviathan coming onto the field for just 20 minutes of action is a recipe for disaster. Cut the number of substitutes is a must. The Daily Fail has a piece detailing what are described as the 15 commandments required to help improve the situation. Things like ensuring players can be removed from the field by an independent observer, restrict contact time in training, fewer subs, better after care/monitoring and so on. A number of the proposals have already been dismissed but best if you read the article yourself.

By the way I thought I’d share a photo of Steve Thompson with you from 2013. When we met him in Hong Kong he was on fine form working as a kitchen fitter in Dubai.

Quins Andre Esterhuizen has been on the naughty step and has earned himself a four week ban for his assault on Gloucester’s Lloyd Evans. At the same hearing Exeter scrum half Stuart Townsend was given a five week ban for making contact with Leicester’s Harry Simmons head when he cleared him out of the ruck with a no arms tackle. Simmons passed the on-field HIA but subsequently has been diagnosed with concussion. This is a perfect example of where the governing bodies need to reassess what is going on. In my mind, as I have said already we need harsher penalties for infringements and a look at how the tackle is made but also get rid of the jackle. If players were forced to stay on their feet at the ruck like ye olde days then I am sure there would be fewer instances like this one. Ok so “shoe him” is not a great alternative but I think it is something that needs to be considered.

Unless the Brothers of Doom haven’t found a way to keep us permanently in lockdown then England will face Australia, South Africa and an emerging nation in the Autumn of 2021. Something to look forward to and of course time to source a mortgage to be able to afford a ticket.

Right, it is whinge time.........

How absolutely appalling that Wee Jimmie Sturgeon had the audacity to think she could prevent a future king of the realm from entering her thiefdom. The woman has become a self-obsessed despot. Scotland is part of the United Kingdom of which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are important royals. Her trying to ban them from crossing the border was a disgrace. Likewise Mark Drakeford has jumped on the bandwagon. If they don’t like the UK then why don’t they bugger off.

Secondly the Brothers of Doom are at it again. Vallance has admitted there is NO evidence to suggest the pub curfews have any effect on suppressing the virus. This apparently was a policy decision. Basically a euphemism for keeping the population in a state of paranoia and under marshal law. Not to be out done the other harbinger of doom has confirmed that having the vaccination is absolutely NOT going to give you any more freedom than you have now. In fact he is predicting stricter lockdowns until March.

Finally, have the anti-vaxxers been given a boat load of ammunition as it is announced just after one day of euphoria two NHS staff have suffered “anaphylactoid reactions” as a result of having the vaccine.

Back tomorrow when perhaps I will rip into Kay Burley and the other hypocritical morons at Sky News who after keeping us in a state of paranoia went on the razz. I don’t have a problem with them going on the razz as I think we all should be able to. It is the blatant hypocrisy that gets up my nose.

Wednesday 9th Dec: 07:45

I’m guessing no-one saw that coming. What? Steve Diamond leaving Sale with immediate effect for personal reasons. It all seems very strange and I’m guessing the truth will be difficult to come by. He won’t have gone for performance reasons. Sale are doing ok right now. Has something untoward happened? That is a possibility as Diamond is not one who has shied away from controversy. Is it health related? That too is a possibility but lets hope not. The most convincing reason would be financial. Simon Orange on more than one occasion even before the Covid crisis was on record saying Premiership clubs cannot continue to be bailed out by benefactors.

I managed to catch up on the Premiership highlights on Monday night. After just three games I am pretty sure Exeter will be in the useless play-off final, Leicester and Northampton will be vying for relegation, assuming that is going to happen, and Quins might be the dark horses this time around. That said Quins will need to keep 15 players on the field at all times. That act of thuggery by Esterhuizen was appalling. “What about Bath” I hear Damper cry. Mid table mediocrity me thinks. By the way that was one heck of a head clash Rhys Priestland suffered.

I have been asked about the players of the decade. Alongside Richie McCaw pick any other fourteen New Zealander’s and there you have it. What about the Lions team is another question. Right now I only have three certainties: Maro Itoje, possibly as captain, Justin Tipuric and Robbie Henshaw. If fit then Ken Owens has to go. Outside that it is wide open.

Right, I have had a message from Tim Peake, the closest to a rocket scientist I could find, and he was of no help in guiding me through the European Cup structure. Basically it all kicks off on Friday with Saints v Bordeaux Begles in the Champions Cup and Stade Francais v Benetton in the Challenge Cup. Of Friday’s games Newcastle v Cardiff looks intriguing in the secondary tournament but the best game could be Ulster v Toulouse. It really gets going on Saturday and I pick out Bath v Scarlets and Dragons v Wasps as games of note. Sunday it could be Exeter v Glasgow and Munster v Quins as my “appointment to view” as long as it doesn’t clash with the F1.

Talking of F1, if you have SKY try and find the interview with Romain Grosjean. It is inspirational.

The 13 miscreants who went out for a beer thus causing England v Barbarians to be cancelled have been punished and on the face of it quite harshly. It seems that someone at the RFU had signed off on a relaxation of the isolation rules. As a consequence some of the bans doled out have been suspended to varying degrees and some of the harsher financial penalties have been converted into rugby community service. All the players involved have been fined two weeks wages. Plenty of news outlets give the full details. The bottom line is the players were out of order and not only for breaking the rules but also for giving false statements. I hope they have all learned from this.

If things weren’t bad enough for rugby what everybody feared is on the horizon: injury lawyers. It is rumoured that 70 former players have engaged a British law firm to sue the various unions for damages over head injuries. It was inevitable the minute the issue of long term health problems became known following head trauma. It is a difficult one to debate as trying to eliminate risk from contact with the head is top of the agenda right now and it is sad that there are those who suffered before the new laws were in place. That said looking at the names involved they all took the dollar and pulled on the shirt knowing the risk. In some respects you can’t have it both ways which is why it is a difficult debate to have. I do find it troubling that England Rugby has one of the most avaricious injury law firms; IrwinMitchell, as a headline sponsor. It makes you wonder what their motivation to be involved in rugby is??!!

It seems that the Championship will start in January then continue for 22 weeks into June. It will be an intense period for all but bizarrely only a provisional fixture list has been published. It is not the clubs or the unions fault, it is yet another result of the draconian dystopian world we are now living in.

Talking of fixtures I know the county, the clubs and the RFU are urgently trying to get some form of competition in place for the grassroots. As soon as something is agreed I’ll bring it to you. One thing is guaranteed and that is food. If we get a game on Jacqui will be doing food. Let’s support the club by signing up, even if it is ffffnnnn freezing and we have to sit outside.

The Oscar for the most cringeworthy performance during this Covid nonsense goes to Matt Hancock for his crying when his 90 year old grandmother was first to get the vaccine. Brilliant, not only is the sleaze bag doling out contracts and jobs to mates and spending money without a care in the world he has managed to get his gran to the top of the vaccine list. The man has no scruples. Dear Mr Hancock why are we prioritising 90 year olds when we need to protect care home staff and NHS workers? Why are we being told that having the jab doesn’t mean you’ll get your life back. Yours Bleater.

Tuesday 8th Dec: 08:00

It’s Tuesday so lets talk “club” and what a great club it is too. I am sure this past weekend up and down the land rugby clubs were delighted to throw open their doors to its members but especially the kids. Crowborough RFC was no different but as it is Crowborough they went that extra mile and put on a special show.

On Friday the magnificent Friday Club were there in force all socially distanced moving tables, clearing leaves, tidying up the grounds and doing their normal maintenance. This merry band of old farts was supplemented by a number of volunteers getting the indoor and outdoor spaces ready and making sure big screens were up and everything ready for junior and mini rugby on Sunday. Most importantly making sure the outdoor spaces were heated so