We are just a day away away from the Six Nations and two days away from Bromley v Crowborough. Before that however some snippets to digest and ponder.

The odious Saudi regime with their homophobic and misogynistic hardline continue to use sport to hide their failings in human rights. I refer you back to my comment of yesterday about being Mr Anti-woke but in today’s society these are laws are unacceptable. By the way I think the media call it ‘sportwashing’. The Torygraph, and others, have information that four Premiership clubs are in talks with the Saudi Government: Gloucester (leading the way), Leicester, Northampton and Newcastle. How any deal would be structured and what the clubs would have to sacrifice is unclear. It is questionable whether the remaining six clubs, who are equal shareholders in Premiership Rugby, would be happy with such a deal. The same applies to the controlling bodies whether that be World Rugby, EPCR or the RFU. The conflict of interests could be too substantial to make the league equitable. Ploughing more money into a busted flush is a fools game. Whilst the fans won’t give damn I for one strongly believe we should not be accepting investment from a regime that operates in the way that it does.

It’s bye bye from Danny Cipriani. He has confirmed that he is walking away from the game into the retirement sunset. A colourful character with a checkered past. He has plenty on the debit side of his balance sheet but when he was at his best he was an outstanding player. Sadly like plenty before him, like Stuart Barnes, coaches don’t know how to enhance the magical skills of mavericks.

Hoorah for action. Somebody saying they are going to act and actually getting on with it. Following the abuse aimed at match officials, players and teams during the World Cup a list of cases going to trial has been made available plus a commitment to continue to pursue the keyboard warriors who think it is acceptable to hurl, often misplaced, abuse via social media. Well done World Rugby. The BBC for this one.

New Zealand have confirmed they will play Ireland and England during the Autumn international window. You England fans better get onto Go.compare right now to find the best mortgage in order to buy tickets.

Maro Itoje has confirmed he is not going abroad. He is staying and is determined to build on his Saracens and England career. Everybody can breathe a sigh of relief, except for those who don’t support Saracens and England.

Ireland and France have announced their teams for tomorrow. Plenty of names we recognise, a few we don’t. The absence of Mack Hansen for Ireland is more of a blow to them than the loss of Dupont is to France. Calvin Nash will make his first start for Ireland whereas for France Maxine Lucu has already been blooded on the international stage. I want to seen the Irish win but I think in the goldfish bowl of Marseille, and based on the form of the French clubs, I see a French victoire.

The papers are reporting, and they are usually on the money, that Danny Care and George Ford will start against Italy. This is a very pragmatic selection if it is right. You certainly don’t want to lose your opener, nor lose to Italy. However, it is a seriously boring decision, lacking in forward thinking and ambition. If Marcus Smith is not available then Fin Smith should be the choice surely. His form has been head and shoulders (I didn’t know you had dandruff) better than Ford’s. We’ll know in an hour or two.

Who knows who Wales will pick but it is rumoured, subject to a late fitness test, the young Cardiff fullback Cam Winnett will be thrown in at the deep end and told to swim. If that comes to pass good on Warren Gatland.

The excellent Sarra Elgan has produced a nice preview piece for the BBC. Well worth a read, and probably with better grammar and fewer spelling mistakes than this tosh.

Here’s the plan. This afternoon I’ll do a few words on the team announcements and publish it ready for tomorrow. I’ll throw a few words together on Saturday about the Friday match. Then the usual Crowborough review on Sunday.

Before I go can I say what an acting performance. Worthy of an Oscar. The pathos, the ability to bring on shows of remorse with tears, the ability to squirm and wriggle under the intense lights of scrutiny. Yes, the Oscar for the most devious, lying, two faced, weasel goes to……….. Nicola (Wee Jimmie) Sturgeon. She lied, she abused her position, and Covid, to twist facts to further her Independence campaign. Her behaviour was, and the fact we still don’t know where the £600k went, still is a disgrace. She should hang her head in shame.

Wednesday 31st Jan: 09:00

Only one place to start and that is with Marcus Smith. He is out of the Italy game with a calf injury. How bad that is is unknown at present. Whilst there’ll be many wringing their hands, or having their heads in their hands crying “woe is me” at this news I look at it a different way. Finn Smith should now start as he has been the form #10 in the Premiership. Don’t get me wrong Marcus Smith is a magician and can split open any defence in the blink of an eye. He is a pacy runner and a reliable kicker, and if fit I would pick him. That said, with him there is always the opportunity for Mr Cockup to join the party, and at times when a level head is required to manage the game he can be hopping around like a kangaroo on heat. By contrast Finn Smith is much more pragmatic and steady. He has plenty of flair in his armoury, and is quick over the ground, and knows how to slot the ball between the posts. Yes, he lacks the flamboyance of Marcus, and here is the point, at international level game management overrides flamboyance and impetuosity.

I was going to add the bonus is he would start alongside his Northampton teammate Alex Mitchell. That was until I picked up the Torygraph and read that Mitchell is a serious doubt due to a leg wound that is very slow to heal. We’ll know soon enough as team announcements are tomorrow I think. On this point I will to a quick missive tomorrow morning as planned then put together something for Friday morning about the squads.

The Welsh camp remain upbeat as in every respect they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. This young squad can go out there and play with gay abandon as they have pretty much been written off already. It is hoped that the Principality will be a secret weapon with the ‘hostile’ environment heaping even more pressure on the Scots. A Scottish side who will be overwhelming favourites to win.

Plenty in the papers about whether France can lift themselves out of the slough of despond following their failure to reach the World Cup final. The amazing Antoine Dupont is missing but one man doesn’t make a team and some of the replacements, for example Nolan le Garecc, are being tipped to light up the tournament. It all starts on Friday evening.

Mark Dickford, the outgoing first minister, has said the WRU financial woes are of their own making and he will resist any restructuring of the loans. As said in the week this would be a hammer blow to the game as a whole in Wales, and with the grassroots game already floundering it could sound the death knell for many a club.

I have said losing the Six Nations from terrestrial TV would be a nightmare. The WRU have said exactly the opposite, keeping it free to air ‘would devastate Welsh rugby’. Obviously they only have their eye on the money an improved TV deal would bring. Short term thinking I’m afraid.

Don’t forget it is Bromley away for us on Saturday. I fear we picked up a few more injuries in the win against Thanet but I’m sure with confidence riding high and the ‘devil may care’ attitude of our talented young backs we’ll be ready for the challenge. Check the website for kick off time.

Before I reacquaint myself with the motorway network I must add one important point to my rant about the tedious anarchists at the RMT and ASLEF. That is the management of the rail companies are as complicit in the issues hard working commuters face by taking huge amounts of money out of the system with their fat cat salaries, and failing to stand up to what amounts to harassment and bullying. I’ll keep the rant about the government allowing the foreign shareholders to syphon off the profits to subsidise travel in their own countries for another day.

Off at a slight tangent, did you read about the fatality at Victoria Station yesterday morning? What caught my eye is the bus that was involved was operated by RATP. Yes, the same RATP that is the French Government transport operator of the Paris metro. Sorry but that cannot be right.

As my mum’s recent experience with the NHS has been less than favourable the article in The Guardian caught my eye: a national emergency should be called with regard to the NHS. Yes, and no. Yes, it is an emergency, but what needs to be done is a root and branch reorganisation. Make it fit for for the 21st century and take some really tough decisions to reduce the demand, and yes that would mean scrapping some services totally to be replaced by the private sector, and introducing charging for some other elements.

Tuesday 30th Jan: 09:30

Here we are in Bridgnorth with lots to do and so little time to do it in. I’ll crack on then. Plenty in the papers about Marcus Smith leaving training on crutches. That’ll give Steve Borthwick a headache according to some papers. In other quarters, and I’m in this camp, it might mean Finn Smith is thrown into the fray and against Italy that is no bad thing. Better for him to make his debut there than against say France or Ireland gunning for the title. There is much speculation that the Cardiff lad Feyi-Waboso will get the nod and start.

Talking of the title race it is a shame France v Ireland is first up. You would want that to be the finale, but that of course is in the belief that there are only two sides in with a chance of lifting the trophy. England, and their rose coloured glasses wearing supporters, will have something to say about that. For once I don’t think it is hot air and mis-guided rhetoric. England could well be top of the tree at the end of March.

Wales won’t be I’m afraid. I don’t think they’ll be the whipping boys but the lack of experience across the board, and the #10 / #15 quandary, leaves them exposed. The Bard has kindly sent me a fascinating piece in The Times about Wales dilemma, and the fact whoever gets selected in these crucial positions will come under immense scrutiny.

Scotland have yet again quietly gone about their business with little or no fuss. It seems WP Nel is out with an injury and that is a blow, but I’m sure Gregor Townsend will have another overseas player on speed dial ready to replace him.

Shame there is so much grassroots rugby on Saturday afternoon clashing with the Italy v England game. I’m not so bothered as I hope to be home from Bromley in time for Wales v Scotland. The Six Nations can attract non rugby people, many of whom will watch in the comfort of their own homes, but plenty like the atmosphere of the local rugby club.

Some good articles in The Guardian previewing the tournament, including a small piece on Hollie Davidson, who will be running touch in the England v Wales game. Chris Foy in the Daily Fail has done a good piece highlighting the spectacle we can expect, but also the lack of jeopardy as no-one is in danger of relegation

The Under 20s tournament kicks of on Friday as well. These are often cracking encounters. Wales v Scotland and Italy v England get us going. I’ll try and find the TV schedule.

Pictures have emerged of Eddie Jones threatening his then Australia squad with a cattle prod. Now. I’m not woke, in fact I’m Mr Anti-woke, but waving a cattle prod at players is not inspiring, in fact it is, like much of what Jones did and said, mis-guided.

Rumours abound that Courtney Lawes is about to sign a lucrative deal to head to Brive in France’s Pro D2. Good move I think. Fill your bank balance before you retire completely.

The Wray era at Saracens is over as Lucy Wray steps down as Chief Exec. The Burnley FC COO is drafted in to replace her.

As expected the Melbourne Rebels have gone into voluntary administration but thankfully Rugby Australia will bail them out for the entirety of 2024.

The spectre of war gets ever closer to home. The Middle East is like a tinder box at the moment which could ignite into a full scale conflict rather than the skirmishes and posturing we are seeing now. Is it too simplistic to say part of the problem could be solved if the Palestinians were allowed a proper home, a Palestinian state recognised around the globe. I for one think right now we continue to pander to Israel at a time when they continue to carry out atrocities on a large scale, and yes I will say it, with the objective of wiping Gaza off the map.

More loss of young lives as two teenagers get caught up in a gang turf war in Bristol.

Some good news at last as the impasse in Northern Ireland is set to be broken and the devolved government can get back to work.

However, this is offset by the chaos being caused by the latest round of train strikes. My grandfather was a proud member of the pre-curser to the RMT and ASLEF and I’m proud of my grandfather’s contribution in supporting transport workers at that time. Right now however this is an idealogical struggle led by anarchists who want to take us back to the dark ages, and certainly don’t want to move from the Victorian era, despite them enjoying very, very generous 2024 wages and perks.

Monday 30th Jan: 09:25

It’s a dreary Monday morning to say the least, and I have the ‘Ms’ to look forward to. Anyway, being a Monday it is league round-up day. The general consensus is our performance against Charlton Park was one of the best for a very long time. It keeps us in fourth just ahead of Bromley who beat Cranbrook 15-46. Surprise, surprise, Canterbury stay top after an easy win over Deal & Betteshanger. Without question the game of the day was Beccehamian v Dartfordians. Beccs came out on top 46-12 and leapfrog into the promotion spot. Beccs must now be favourite to go up looking at the fixture list. At the other end of the table Thanet are one off the bottom after losing at him home 20-21 to H&W RFC. That sounds a good game. Cranbrook are below them. Ashford slip to 9th after losing at home to Dover, The Greenies are one place better off in 8th. The game of the day next week is undoubtedly Bromley v Crowborough.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 East Grinstead got back to winning ways beating Old Walcountians. Hove also won, and very comfortably too, beating Trinity. Eastbourne however lost at home to Old Tiffinians. Teddington remain perfect at the top of the table. Sussex bragging rights are held by Hove this week as they move into 6th spot with Eastbourne in 7th and EGs in 8th.

It was the dreaded HWO for Bognor in Hampshire 1 as Alton have effectively withdrawn from the league. With a 14 point gap to Andover Petersfield are looking odds on for promotion. By the way Bognor played Worthing III to fill the gap and won 49-17.

In Sussex 2 all games went ahead with Pulborough strolling past Crawley 57-0 to stay top. Haywards Heath are hanging on to their shirt tails after a 16-17 win at Seaford. Uckfield lost to Brighton II and Burgess Hill lost to Shoreham. Crawley are bottom.

Up in the regional leagues, 2 South Central to be precise, Chichester lost narrowly at Witney, Salisbury lost by a couple of points at Newbury Blues. Salisbury and Chichester’s positions look perilous with only Reading below them. Yep, Jersey RFC remain top. In 1 South Central Tunbridge Wells enjoyed an excellent win at high flying Camberley. Brighton won at Bournemouth but sadly Horsham lost at Maidenhead. Havant still top this league. Horsham remain bottom.

Way up in the ether Worthing lost at Canterbury, Sevenoaks lost at Henley, but TJs enjoyed a fine win away at Bury St Edmunds. TJs are looking good in 6th

What else happened? Quite a lot actually. Hastings & Bexhill are down as beating Gravesend II but that game is under investigation. There were wins for Ditchling, Lewes and Royals in Sussex 3. Below that Newick beat our 2s as you know, and Hellingly beat H&W RFC 2s. Elsewhere there wins for Rye, Midhurst and St Francis. It is good to see so many games going ahead with Sussex involvement.

Of course only one other game to bring you and that is Bridgnorth beating Stourbridge in what is the closest they come to a local derby. I’ll be passing both those clubs later today as it happens.

It was good to see Gloucester finally getting back to winning ways, and a win against play-off chasing Sale to boot. If you haven’t seen any of this then try and find the tries on catch up. A couple of crackers to enjoy. The try of the weekend has to be Exeter’s length of the field effort against Sarries.

In other sport Newport Country fell short against Manchester United but they didn’t disgrace themselves in any way. In fact, I would argue that they came out with more credit in the bank than the Red Devils.

What a dramatic and amazing turnaround in India with England seemingly out of it winning the 1st test by 28 runs.

The Super Bowl will be the Kansas City Chiefs (again) and the San Francisco 49s. The Chiefs will win, you heard it hear first.

Going back to the FA Cup, the scenes at West Brom were disgraceful. What an advert for the so called ‘beautiful game’. That of course on top of the fighting in West London between Chelsea and Liverpool supporters in mid-week.

Thanks for reading, back tomorrow, if only to keep my few remaining brain cells active.

Sunday 28th Jan: 09:30

What a splendid day at Steel Cross yesterday. After the deluge of rain preceded by the period of freezing weather the pitch looked in good nick. Two games at home and the sponsors lunch, and what a fantastic lunch it was too. The place looked brilliant. Well done Jacqui and Louise and staff. We were then all set for the main event: Crowborough V Charlton Park.

Park had been on a resurgent run and have always been a tricky opponent for the boys. It was all set for a cracking game. Well, let me tell you, Park had no idea what hit them and found themselves 28-0 down after a similar amount of minutes. We were simply unstoppable. The forwards were dominating possession and the backs played some of the best rugby seen at Steel Cross for many a long year. Superb support play, decisive running angles and pace galore.

To be fair, slowly but surely our visitors got back into the game, realising the set piece was a good base from which they could work. Now it was time for our defence to be tested. I can tell you we defended superbly keeping the big Park forwards at bay and their elusive ten and lightning fast centre under wraps. They did cross the white wash as half time approached taking the score to 28-7.

We started well in the second half but our visitors were still getting the better of us in the scrum, and winning good ball at the lineout. The change in tactics had us on the back foot for a while but as the clock ticked down so we gathered momentum again. The forwards were winning the exchanges in the loose and the backs were playing with a joie d’vivre that was a joy to watch. Attack after attack was thwarted but with so much ball the inevitable came to pass, a further 21 points were added to the Crowborough side of the scoreboard.

Credit where credit is due Charlton Park stuck at it crossing twice more to make the final score 49-17. We stay in 4th spot with 5th place Bromley still hot on our heels. Full league round up tomorrow.

Everyone of the 18 players who took to the field yesterday played their part and played it exceptionally well. I will pick out four players for special mention. Rob Lester and Connor Hands were mercurial in the centre, and when asked to defend they did so magnificently. Dave Bennett was outstanding from start to finish with ever present young Sammy Edwards beavering away diligently from minute one to minute eighty. As I’ve said this was a whole squad contribution and a performance that was outstanding.

The 2s didn’t fair so well against a full strength Newick 1st XV. The result is not important, what is important is we managed to get a 2nd XV out which we have struggled to do on many an occasion.

Bromley next week. Can we repeat the performance? I suspect Bromley, who are on a fine run, will be an altogether different proposition.

I caught the back end of the Bristol v Bath game and then Saracens showing Exeter how do turn possession into points. Sarries looked good, very good. Always a worry when the Welsh contingent are forced into playing but thankfully they got through the game unscathed with both Nick Tompkins and Dafydd Jenkins playing well, albeit the latter on the wrong side the result.

Family business to attend to so that’ll do for now, except to say during the height of Covid I continually came under flak for my insistence that the data was being twisted, exaggerated, and even falsified to scare us into submission, and to justify the unnecessary lockdowns. Well folks, it turns out that much of what I said was right. The BBC have had the finger pointed squarely at them for the false and misleading scaremongering. Likewise the government mandarins twisted the data to justify the narrative, and the scientists of course made sure the data was ‘twisted’ to justify their 15 minutes of fame, and easier for them to get more funding.

Thursday 25th Jan: 09:50

Another day of lean pickings when it comes to rugby. Money tops the charts in some of the media. WalesOnline brings us the news that the WRU have gone cap in hand to the Senedd to get the terms of the Covid loans renegotiated. They want to extend the repayment period and amend the interest terms. Whoever agreed a flexible interest rate should have known better. The WRU are now due to pay back the loan with an interest rate in excess of 8%. If a deal isn’t done then the regions will go bust, maybe not Cardiff, and the WRU will be up shit creek. Sadly, because the politicians will only be thinking about themselves and not the greater good, they will ignore the benefit rugby brings to the country.

The Daily Fail brings us the news that the Melbourne Rebels are on the verge of bankruptcy with players and staff not being paid and the franchises benefactor’s own business is on the verge of collapse with a rumoured A$70m debt.

I go back to one of my favourite mantras, the business model of rugby is a busted flush. Despite the rose tinted view of France and Japan even the game there teeters on the edge. You only need one of the city councils to pull the plug, or the benefactors of which there many despite what you read, to pull the plug and the teams would collapse. In Japan if one of the companies underpinning the game comes under profit pressure and decide enough is enough then what happens?

Something has to give, and in the first instance that has to be player’s wages, squad sizes and other overheads. Why do clubs need as many coaches as they have? You’ve heard all this before and you can rest assured you will hear it again because until the game wakes up and smells the coffee more clubs/regions/franchises are going to go to the wall.

Northampton hooker Curtis Langdon has received a four week ban for the knee to the head of Munster’s Tom Ahern. He’s a lucky boy. If the panel had deemed it intentional that could have been a top end offence and a very long ban indeed.

Warren Gatland breathes a small sigh of relief as the concerns about George North’s fitness were removed. North will be fit and almost certainly start in the centre alongside Nick Tompkins.

Plenty in the papers about Maro Itoje committing to stay in England and how he is chomping at the bit with the Six Nations less than two weeks away. For the sake of the game I hope this is a new dawn for England. Not just they start to deliver results but also they play with a degree of panache. A successful England side is good for the grassroots game, and that is important to Crowborough RFC. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t shed a tear if England lose, but right now I’m thinking about the game at large, and clubs like Crowborough, and our friends The Greenies, and Charlton Park who we play on Saturday.

The weather is set fair for Saturday so do come along and support the boys. The bar will be open and I’m sure the Premiership game will be on the big screen.

That’ll do for now. Friday Club tomorrow so I’ll be back on Sunday with the latest news.

If you’ve ever wondered about giving walking rugby ago, it’ll start again at the end of Feb (weather permitting), and how you would fit in, then pop up to Spoons tonight as some of the walking rugby boys old farts are having a beer or three. 7pm onwards.

I’m off now to do a Nicola Sturgeon: delete all the incriminating WhatsApp messages off my phone!!

Wednesday 24th Jan: 09:40

It’s slim pickings this morning with regard to rugby news I’m afraid. Before I get into the rugby I have been asked by my lovely sister to add a rider to my rant of yesterday. Whilst she agrees the NHS seems to be deserving of the Room 101 treatment, she goes on to say the ambulance people who stayed with mum for all those hours were great, as equally frustrated with the state of affairs as she was.

As it happens Labour’s Wes Streeting, who seems to be one of the few MPs who a) has at least one brain cell, and b) uses it to talk sense, has rattled a few cages by saying pretty much what many others are saying: the NHS needs a massive shake-up. Waste and bureaucracy, and that includes the myriad of layers of management and ‘non jobs’ such as these relating to diversity and woke issues, have to be culled. In essence jobs that in no way relate to a patient actually being treated and hopefully getting better. Some form of charging has to be introduced for those with self-inflicted issues, and a more stringent approach to those using the service who are not eligible. If you are ill in Spain, pretty much the first thing you are asked for is your credit card details. The people working in the NHS are not to blame. This is a structural issue in as much as what was designed by Nye Bevan all those decades ago doesn’t work now. That’s enough of that before I get cancelled.

Steve Borthwick suffers an injury blow ahead of his training camp in Italy. Ollie Lawrence and the inform Oscar Beard are missing having been injured last weekend. Luke Cowan-Dickie has also withdrawn. I have been re-reading the rhetoric about England’s insistence on not selecting players who play overseas. It seems an honourable aim but as I have said before with the restrictions placed on clubs it makes no sense, but worse when you look through team sheets and see the best players are all overseas players it becomes the policy of madmen.

Regular men of the match - because they are men
Bath: Finn Russell - Scotland
Leicester: Cobus Wiese, Tommy Reffell, Pablo Montoya
Quins: Esterhuizen, Tyrone Green
Saracens: Nick Tompkins
Gloucester: Louis R-Z
And so I could go on

You can’t have it both ways. By the way Wales MUST change their policy before the game implodes in the Principality. Yes, there would be an exodus but the players would then be exposed to a higher level of competition on a regular basis which can only be good for the national side.

Cardiff Rugby has been taken over, which on the one hand is great news for that region, on the other it appears to be by a bunch of money men. We know what has happened to Wasps and Worcester. Be careful what you wish for. Sir Gareth Edwards is now President.

I haven’t seen this incident but it has caused a furore. Josh Caulfield of Bristol Bears was removed from the field after he was deemed to have stamped on Connacht’s Finlay Bealham’s head. It seems the panel have overturned the decision and that has got Nigel Owen hot under the collar. The panel felt it was foul play but not worthy of a red card. Owen’s view is if it is foul play with contact with the head and deemed reckless, even if it wasn’t intentional then it is still a red card. Owen’s goes on to suggest, in his view, there was an element of intent as Caulfield’s foot wasn’t in a natural rucking/driving position. I’ll try and find it.

If you have Netflix you can enjoy the Six Nations docu-series which I believe starts tonight. I haven’t, so I won’t.

The weekend’s Premiership action kicks off on Friday with Harlequins v Leicester. Bristol v Bath on Saturday. I’ll be at the club cheering on the boys against Charlton Park. If you don’t fancy that then Crowborough 2s host Newick on D Pitch. In essence, get to Steel Cross and watch some rugby. It is forecast to be dry.

Strange how the weather news takes centre stage when those living in Gaza are being subjected to unspeakable hardship, Ukrainian cities are being bombed, murder on our streets goes unabated, and motorists continue to suffer at the hands of highway robbing mayors whose council waste millions of tax payers money on woke and politically correct nonsense.

Tuesday 23rd Jan: 10:45

Let me start by ranting, nothing new there. Our ‘world leading’ NHS is anything but! It is BROKEN, in fact it is beyond broken, it is no longer fit for purpose and throwing more money at it is not the answer. Root and branch redevelopment is required and dare I say it some things we have taken for granted will have to go. Is it acceptable that A&E is clogged up with drunks and drug addicts, people who who don’t take their health seriously, and controversially by migrants? Is it acceptable for an ambulance to pick up a 91 year old woman who has suffered a serious glucose episode, and possibly a mini stroke or heart attack, for her to be stuck in ambulance for close to 12 hours outside A&E, then finally get seen at 11pm some 15 hours after the ambulance was called, only to be sent home. No! Nor do I!!!

Let’s move on before I need an ambulance!!!!

So, what we already knew has come to pass, Owen Farrell is off to Paris with Racing 92. I don’t blame him. His glittering England career was going to have to come to an end at some point. Why not now and spend some time in France, (possibly) away from the glare of publicity / scrutiny, and lining his pockets with loadsa money for the future. He is a class player who will do well in France. He might no be as impetuous or as unpredictable as Finn Russell so he will be bringing a new dimension to Racing’s game plan. Defensively he is fearless, if sometimes technically wrong, and his kicking needs no explanation. I’ve not always been a Farrell fan but in my humble opinion he has made the right decision and hopefully will find some time and space to get his life balance to where it should be.

How do Saracens fill the void? First up, Farrell leaving will release plenty of headroom under the salary cap. Good 10s are in short supply at the moment so Mark McCall and his staff will have a tough job on their hands. No-one springs to mind except maybe Jarod Evans. Yes he is at Quins but he is an understudy. Why wouldn’t you want to be starting at Saracens as an alternative. We’ll know soon enough.

The other story that caught my eye is Joe Marler saying ‘we are killing the game’ after the Dafydd Jenkins yellow card. He is absolutely right. Jenkins got himself into a very low body position, which for someone of 6’7” is difficult, with arms ready to wrap, when the small French scrum half dipped making head contact inevitable. What was Jenkins expected to do? Wave him through like a matador to a bull, lie on the ground and try and tackle from there. Look at the photo taken at point of contact. Are big men not allowed to tackle little men? Is that where we are going? Making matters worse the interfering TMO, in this case Ben Shitehouse who is as useful as a chocolate teapot, interfered telling the referee, the Georgian fella whose name is long and ends in ‘eli’, to upgrade to yellow because it was dangerous. The game is shooting itself in the foot.

Warren Gatland does comedy. Yep, not something he’s noted for, but after eventually getting to Dublin during the storm he’s gone on to tell everyone Wales can win the tournament this year. Be ready for a shock he says, don’t underestimate Wales he says. He also confirms the team will be arriving at games on specially commissioned unicorns. Make of that what you will.

The Six Nations and rugby is doomed. The morons running the country have decided that this jewel in the games crown doesn’t have to be protected. Free to air will not be guaranteed. The door is now open for the Six Nations to be sold to the highest bidder for no-one to be able to watch it unless you are happy to pay a substantial subscription.

If you are expecting Ireland to change their style and suddenly fling the ball about with gay abandon then sadly you’ll be disappointed. Andy Farrell has said ‘a conservative approach’ is needed for this Six Nations. If that is conservative with a small ‘c’ that means it will be boring. If that is conservative with a capital ‘C’ it means Ireland are screwed and they’ll end up with the wooden spoon.

Looking ahead it is Charlton Park for us on Saturday. There is a lunch. Why not get yourself booked in.

I’m off for a lie down before I go do battle with EDF, French shysters.

Monday 22nd Jan: 09:30

The weekend’s grassroots rugby was decimated thanks to the freezing temperatures. A couple of games did go ahead and here’s what happened.

In our league the only game played was Deal & Betteshanger. They beat Ashford 22-8 therefore leapfrogging Dover into 6th spot some 19 points behind us in 4th. Ashford are in 9th.

Over in Surrey/Sussex 1 just the one game with KCS Old Boys beating Eastbourne 56-18.

In Hampshire 1 Bognor suffered much the same fate losing to table topping Petersfield 57-10. Bognor remain in 9th but those below them now have a game in hand.

In Sussex 2 Brighton 2 lost at home to Haywards Heath 22-27. Crawley v Burgess Hill was abandoned.

Up in the rarified National leagues TJs beat Old Albanians to keep their decent season going.

Elsewhere Thanet 2s beat Rye, Eastbourne 2s beat Jersey Royals, Steyning lost to Lewes, East Grinstead 2s beat H&W RFC 2s 20-10, Holbrook beat St Francis and Littlehampton lost to Shoreham 2s.

What happened to Bridgnorth? Nothing, free weekend at that level.

Three games yesterday all going the way of the French. Sale simply could not match the power of La Rochelle. A couple of nasty injuries in that one. Sadly for Bath Toulouse were simply too good in the end. Bath made a good fist of it but the five time Champions had too much fire power, were more streetwise and had a stronger bench. Exeter were put firmly in their place by Bayonne. Exeter’s discipline didn’t help with three yellow cards and Welshman Joe Hawkins seeing red. Both Bath and Exeter had qualified and now face each other in April, at Sandy Park.

Some cracking ties in the knockout stages but before that an apology. The South African sides can play at home. I got that wrong in a previous missive. Sorry! La Rochelle will be in SA where they find Stormers waiting for them. Lyon travel to face the Bulls.

Every fixture looks exciting. Toulouse v Racing, Leinster v Leicester, Saints v Munster, Bordeaux v Saracens, and Quins v Glasgow complete the fixtures. Unfortunately we have to wait until April 5th, 6th, 7th for it to get going again.

Some good games in the Challenge Cup with Ospreys v Sale and Edinburgh v Bayonne standing out. No Dragons sadly after what was described as a sloppy performance yesterday against the Sharks.

Before Europe opens its doors again we have the small matter of the Six Nations. Injuries are now the concern for the coaches. Ben Curry and Tommy Reffell, two in form flankers both taken off this weekend.

Depending on how things pan out there might not be a blog tomorrow morning but I’ll do one later in the day.

Before I forget. You know we have a bye in the first round of the Papa Johns. We could face either Dover or East Grinstead in the next round…… I think!

In other news the weather is on all the front pages. Last night’s storm has wreaked havoc across the country. As far as I can tell the South East came through it relatively unscathed. I hope all you readers, the two of you, and you mum, are ok.

That’ll do for now.

Sunday 21st Jan: 10:30

No match to report on sadly. Dover was frozen, not that I was going anyway. The vast majority of games in this neck of the woods were called off so tomorrow’s league round-up will be short and to the point.

Plenty of rugby to mull over what with Glasgow beating Toulon 2nd XV on Friday and Harlequins beating Ulster in what was a cracking encounter. Leicester went down to Ireland (aka Leinster) in a bruising affair. Us Welsh are now fretting on Tommy Reffell as he went off after failing an HIA. Ten man Northampton beat Munster at Thomond Park, making it an even more impressive result. Last up, Sarries came back from the dead to beat Lyon and qualify for the knockout stages. I’m embarrassed to say I watched this one through an alcohol infused haze. Yes, we made the mistake of popping over to see our good friend and neighbour for a ‘quick’ drink.

We have three top notch games this afternoon; Sale v La Rochelle, Toulouse v Bath and Bayonne v Exeter. In the other cup there is the Dragons v Sharks and Lions v Ospreys but I guess no-one is bothered about those.

I see Alfie Barberry got three weeks, and he can go to tackle school if he wants. Considering both yellow cards should have been red, and he was cited for both, this to me is an extremely lenient penalty, especially when you recall that Johnny Williams got 12 weeks down to 6 in what looked a fairly innocuous head clash.

Going back to the Munster v Saints game I’d be interested to hear your opinion of the red card shown to Saints hooker Langdon. I’ll start by saying the referee got it spot on: it wasn’t intentional but it was reckless and therefore worthy of a red card. Over to you.

In other news Zach Mercer has said his exclusion from the England squad means they can go whistle Dixie now. He is not interested in the English setup anymore.

The Aussies have got a new coach, and at last a decent one. Joe Schmidt takes up the reins.

Steve Diamond is back and now in charge at ailing Newcastle. The no-nonsense Diamond might just be the spark that the Falcons need.

Richard Cockerill is off to Georgia to take charge over there. Let’s hope he can stay in post a bit longer this time.

The bulk of the coaching team that took Portugal through the World Cup are now in charge over in Romania, including ones brother as attack coach.

Elton Jantjes has brought shame on himself and has suffered the appropriate fate: a four year ban for doping.

Laura Mason, heard of her. No, I didn’t think so. I have however, as she was at University with my daughter and they are still very good friends. Oh, and she is my granddaughter’s godmother. Anyway, to the point. During the Six Nations players will be expected to wear ‘instrumented mouthguards’ and it is Laura who developed them at Swansea University. For the technically minded I’m told the accelerometer uses the ‘miniaturised approach as per aircraft inertial navigational systems’. Of course that info will come handy next time you are in Spoons!

That’ll do for now as I have vegetables to prep for lunch, pork loin today with my homemade pickled red cabbage, and of course I must catch up on the sleaze bags. Nicola Sturgeon who has amazingly managed to wipe all her Covid WhatsApp messages ahead of her appearing in front of the (pathetic) inquiry. Sadiq Khan who is throwing taxpayers money around like confetti in an attempt to win favour ahead of the mayoral election. Donald Trump, where do I start with that jerk? I must catch up on Keir Starmer’s latest u-turns. Of course Rishi Sunak is on the agenda as there is bound to be another round of infighting amongst this moronic government. I think the Friday Club should be running the country!!

Saturday 20th Jan: 09:40

In case you missed it today’s game against Dover is OFF!

Thursday 18th Jan: 09:10

Steve Borthwick has rolled the dice and and very much as expected Jamie George is his new captain, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Henry Slade come in from the cold, and the speedsters Tommy Freeman and Feyi-Waboso are included. Seven uncapped players in the squad but that was to be expected post RWC ‘23. The notable omissions are Billy Vunipola and Kyle Sinckler, both expected to make big money moves abroad at the end of the season. One of the papers says it is ‘evolution not revolution’ and I think that sums up his picks. There will be a degree of familiarity when the team runs out in a few weeks time but clearly Borthwick has his eyes on the future. Finn Smith, who has been on fire at Northampton Saints is the 3rd choice fly-half, but on form I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the nod ahead of both Marcus Smith and George Ford. Borthwick can now stamp his authority on the squad and mould them as he sees fit. I hope the unquestionable talent in the squad isn’t wasted by watching kick, after kick, after kick, with the flair in back-line being only bit part players on the big day.

England will have to overturn the might of Ireland. Whilst some names are missing, notably the now retired Johnny Sexton, the Irish squad looks formidable and more importantly settled. Peter O’Mahoney is named as captain. It is a good mix of experience and youth and they should do well.

The French squad looks mighty powerful led by the in-form Gregory Alldritt. The superstar that is Dupont is missing due to his commitment to the Olympic 7s, but otherwise this is a very strong squad packed with talent, and notable physical presence.

Only Italy to go but based on what I’ve seen this is will be a three tier tournament. Ireland and France will start as clear favourites and their squads look as if they can deliver success, especially after both crashed out of the World Cup earlier than most had expected. England, and possibly Scotland, will be there to spoil the party, with Italy and Wales scrapping it out for the wooden spoon. We have plenty of time to digest the nuances of the Six Nations so lets move on.

Unless you know differently I don’t yet know the outcome of the Alfie Barberry hearings. Scarlets Johnny Williams has been given a 12 week ban down to 6 after seeing red against Clermont Auvergne. Now, I watched that game yesterday as it happened and I cannot understand how the Panel can start at 12 weeks. It most definitely was not a ‘top end’ offence therefore unless he has a lot of previous, which I don’t think he has, then it should have started at six weeks. Hey ho, what do I know.

As I said yesterday, plenty to play for in the European Cups, qualification is the priority and once that is done a home fixture in the knockout stages. The tournament is somewhat farcical with the South Africans included as no matter what they do they can’t have home fixtures in the knockout phase.

I’ll get the amazing Ian G to send me the Papa Johns draw but I can confirm we have a bye in the first round, and we are in side of the draw that would take us to Twickenham for the final. In the Sussex cups the following is where we are at…….

Bob Rogers Cup: we play Hove and if we win that we go onto play Pulborough. Haywards Heath play Horsham Lions in the other game.

Bob Rogers Plate: if we lose to Hove we go into the plate for a triangular series against Brighton 2 and East Grinstead

Sussex Senior Bowl: our 2nd XV play St Francis. Rye v Newick is the other game

Sussex Junior Vase: our Vinatge XV play Eastbourne 3s. Lewes 2 v BSMS is the other game.

Apparently the next cup date is March 9th. As the advert says: ‘I’ll be on the beach!’

Not that I have Netflix but the docu-series about the Six Nations is being trailed by Louis Rees-Zammitt. Slightly ironic me thinks.

In other news the lemmings stepped back from the abyss and voted for the Rwanda Bill. The old farts in the Lords and the lefty luvvies in the courts will scupper the plan no matter what, in my mind highlighting that these pompous old duffers are so far divorced from the will of the majority they should be removed from their cushy roles.

Wednesday 17th Jan: 09:30

I’ll start this morning with a request: if you saw the Louis Rees-Zammit announcement coming please can you send me Friday’s Euromillions lottery numbers. Having suggested he would be the only Welsh player to feature in a 2025 Lions XV, and expecting him to be the first name on Warren Gatland’s team sheet for the Six Nations, the announcement was a bombshell. The timing of it, just an hour before Gatland was to face the press, raised a few eyebrows too. He is a young man, and a young man can have dreams, sadly in today’s world it seems many dream of being young women but that is for another day. The NFL is a phenomenon, and riches abound. If you make it in the NFL you are set for life. The question however is; will he make it? Others like Christian Wade have tried and failed. It isn’t just about pace and being able to catch a ball, the nuances of the play calling is ingrained in kids from an early age. LR-T won’t have had that experience and when you look at the plethora of talent coming through the college system he is going to be up against some real superstars in the making with American Football coursing through their veins. He is right to do it now. He is still very young. If he fails in the NFL there are many teams that would bite your arm off to have him in their side, and he has the requisite number of caps that means having to play in Wales is not necessary.

The Welsh squad announcement went ahead and he wasn’t the only omission. Taulupe Faletau, Thomas Francis, Dillon Lewis were all missing. Faletau is injured but I fear he is close to retiring. Francis’s absence seems to be a mutual decision. Lewis is missing because he is only getting limited game time at Harlequins, and being outside Wales he would have had to return to his club during the fallow weeks of the tournament, even though there are now no Premiership fixtures. It is a very young, inexperienced squad and whilst there is a sprinkling of experience this Welsh squad will struggle. Dafydd Jenkins as captain is a great decision. I would have liked to have seen Callum Sheedy in the squad even though he is struggling with injury. Likewise Thomas Young should have been in the mix.

Scotland have named their squad with no real surprises, except maybe for the exclusion of Gloucester’s Chris Harris. Will they win the tournament? No! Mid-table is probably where they will finish. Alec Hepburn is in the squad, along with his six England caps. Eligibility is a ffffnnn joke.

Steve Borthwick lays his cards on the table later today. Jamie George will be captain with Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie recalled, according to all the papers. We’ll know soon enough. It is a sure fire thing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will be included. Wales have shot themselves in the foot there, especially when you look at Scotland picking players with England and Australia caps. If the young man was able to continue to play at Exeter I’m sure he would have opted to play for Wales. By the way, Tommy Freeman should be included and with Bortwick’s propping concerns young Asher Opoku-Fordjour is worthy of a punt.

The CVC story continues in the Torygraph. Today it is about looking forward and one of the visions is for the game in the UK to have a single broadcast partner with the Six Nations and the proposed Nations Cup included. This would be a great money making opportunity for the clubs AND CVC but a disaster for the game. Moving the Six Nations from free-to-air TV would be another nail in the coffin of the game.

There is rugby on this weekend. We are at Dover, weather permitting. Plenty of excellent European stuff to watch. Friday is a bit bland with Scarlets v Edinburgh the only game that piques my interest. On Saturday Harlequins v Ulster, Leicester v Leinster and Munster v Saints all look quality fixtures. The issue however is what teams are put out with Saints for example already guaranteed a home tie. On Sunday Sale v La Rochelle is the game of the day but Bayonne v Exeter might be worth watching. Dragons v Sharks in the other cup could be interesting.

In other Sport Newport County beat Eastleigh in the FA Cup and now have a home tie against Manchester United. Who would have thought it, Manchester United at Rodney Parade.

The Tories are like lemmings throwing themselves off a cliff with the Rwanda Bill at the heart of their problems. A French politician summed it up: the UK is like El Dorado for these asylum seekers, no wonder they want to get to the UK. He is not wrong. When asylum seekers are complaining that the FREE accommodation, the FREE food, the FREE wi-if, and the £7 pound a day are not enough you know the country is up shit creek. Anybody who enters the country illegally should be removed, and removed instantly. Sorry to be brutal but our wonderful NHS, our schools, and all our other public services are creaking at the seems because of a lack of funding and growing demands. When billions are spent on illegal immigrants it is no surprise that there is no money for the public services. Of course unless you are Sadiq Khan who has a magic money tree, and according to the press can waste millions on woke vanity projects to keep the lily-livered happy.

Tuesday 16th Jan: 11:00

Yes, the blogs are getting later, I’m getting older and the appeal of getting up to freezing temperatures is less appealing, so sod it, I had another lie in, only to get up to a stack of rugby stuff to deal with. Swimming went west sadly.

Time to catch up. Joy Neville has announced her retirement from refereeing at the end of the season to take up an administrative role in Connacht. When you read her CV it is mighty impressive and I for one have always admired the way she handles the game.

Stuart Lancaster has confirmed Racing 92’s interest in Owen Farrell. We all knew that, after all Crowborough RFC are interested securing Farrell’s services. If I was in his shoes I wouldn’t be dithering I would have agreed the move: Paris and lots of dosh, and of course playing rugby with brilliant players.

His dad of course will lead the Lions. No news there, it was a foregone conclusion. Looking at the The Times the other day (thanks to The Bard) basically it will be Ireland plus Jamie George and Louis Rees-Zammit when they face Australia in 18 months or so.

Talking of the Lions a women’s version will be born and will tour New Zealand in 2027. So in essence England will be touring New Zealand in 2027. Cracking idea despite the fact it will be England dominated, of course that is based on today’s environment.

I read with interest that Alfie Barberry has been cited for both incidents. If found guilty of either he is unlikely to be available for the start of the Six Nations. If found guilty of both the panel will have the difficult decision of whether to run them concurrently, or consecutively, my choice. Right now however for two yellows equals a red it is a one match ban and a slap on the wrist.

Fascinating article in The Torygraph about how CVC’s investment in the game has benefitted rugby over the last five years. It is a good read, obviously from the one-eyed perspective of CVC. I for one don’t see much benefit. Despite CVC having a finger in the Premiership, URC, Six Nations there has been little or no improvement in the marketing of the game. There has not been a clamour for a unique rugby channel as there is for NFL on SKY, and clubs are still haemorrhaging money. Unless you are actively in the game the promised marketing expertise has borne no fruit and so I could go on. Yes, the investment has probably prevented clubs from going under, and without doubt helped line the pockets of the players. I’ll leave you make your own minds up, if of course you read the Torygraph.

Bill Sweeney has thrown the gauntlet down to the Championship clubs and said put up, or shut up. In essence come to me with a viable alternative which doesn’t start with ‘give us more money’. He makes a decent case for allowing Wasps and London Irish to buy their way back into the Championship, however both their demises were due to financial mismanagement so why should they get a free pass, and who is to say they won’t make the same mistakes again. The BBC for this one.

Brian Moore has poured cold water on any notion rugby is in a good place despite grounds being packed over Christmas, and again for the European games, and more importantly some amazing games to be enjoyed. Think Bath v Racing 92, Exeter’s amazing late win on the weekend, Saints coming back from the dead to beat Exeter. The game is always in competition with football and when it comes to TV time there is no comparison. If it wasn’t for TNT happy to invest heavily in rugby we really would be scratching around for coverage. There lies Moore’s point, the game is too fractured, too stop-start, too complicated making it unappealing to broadcasters. Without broadcasters a significant income stream for the top of the game goes out the window, and whilst grassroots are unaffected by the lost income, waning interest would trickle down the pyramid.

Wales squad announcement is later today. With the long injury list, and retirements it will be very different to the squad that was in France just a few months ago.

I see ASLEF are going on strike again. It is outrageous that these anarchists are allowed to bring the country to a standstill. Actually that isn’t quite true as home working is now much easier than ever before so disruption is less noticeable. Train drivers earn something like £65k a year for a 35 hour week with all sorts of generous perks and a generous pension scheme and they want more. Greedy b’stards.

Finally whilst Gary Lineker is becoming a pain in the arse why can’t people ask the question: ‘have Israel gone too far, and should they be told to stop their campaign’. I for one think this is no longer about retribution, this is about destroying Gaza, and people shouldn’t be afraid to air that view.

Monday 15th Jan: 10:20

You already know we are in 4th after our hard fought win over a stubborn and well organised Deal & Betteshanger. You also know that Canterbury II are top after beating Heathfield & Waldron. By the way this was closer than the final score would suggest. What about everybody else? The standout result is Beccehamian putting Cranbrook to the sword 65-20. They remain in 3rd however as Dartfordians beat Ashford 7-31 to stay in 2nd spot. Bromley remain hot on our heels after their impressive 33-7 win at Thanet Wanderers. Next week’s opponents Dover had a fine 25 -10 win at our good friends Charlton Park. With games running out Thanet, Cranbrook and Charlton Park have much to do to avoid the drop. With Canterbury II unable to be promoted, which makes a joke of the league, it is looking increasingly like one of Dartfordians or Beccehamian for promotion. We have plenty to do to keep our 4th spot with plenty of tough away games to come.

In Surrey/Sussex 1 it was another mixed day for the Sussex contingent. Hove have rediscovered their mojo beating bottom placed Old Cranleighans 58-7. Eastbourne also had an excellent day beating Trinity 68-19. East Grinstead didn’t fair so well losing 18-39 to Old Tiffinians. Teddington remain perfect at the top. Eastbourne are 6th, Hove 7th with Grinstead slipping one place to 9th. Old Cranleighans are gone on -11 points.

In Hampshire 1 Bognor lost to Ellingham & Ringwood. They sit in 9th. Petersfield are top, Alton are bottom on -10 points.

In Sussex 2 Uckfield won at Burgess Hill, Pulborough beat Brighton II to stay top, with Haywards Heath chasing them after their win over Worthing III. In the game of the day Seaford lost narrowly at home to Shoreham. Crawley remain bottom.

Before moving up into the Regional leagues some other results for you. Hastings & Bexhill lost to TJs 2nd XV 8-22, Rye beat Aylesford Bulls II, St Francis beat BSMS, Ditchling beat Barns Green, Horsham Barbarians lost to Eastbourne II and finally Hove 3s beat Steyning. Whoops! Forgot, our Vintage XV beat Eastbourne 3s.

Up in Regional 2 Chichester lost at home to trailblazing Jersey RFC 43-66. That must have been quite some game. Ill-disciplined Salisbury lost to Winchester and find themselves one place off the bottom in 11th with Chi one place above them in 10th.

In Regional 1 the all Sussex affair went the way of Brighton beating Horsham 14-31. Tunbridge Wells fine season continues with a win over Bournemouth. TWells are in an impressive 3rd spot but a little way behind Camberley. Brighton are in 7th with Horsham looking forlorn at the foot of the table.

Up into the rarified atmosphere of the national leagues where we find TJs losing narrowly away at Guernsey, Sevenoaks losing narrowly at Old Albanians and Worthing losing not so narrowly at Barnes. Lots of games left in this league so lots to play for.

It wouldn’t be Monday and a league round-up if I didn’t close with Bridgnorth’s result, they lost at Burton.

What an afternoon of rugby yesterday. Leicester and Saracens were given a lesson both losing heavily to star studded opposition. At times it was men against boys. What this says about the Premiership I don’t know. What indications it gives us ahead of the Six Nations is also unclear. All we do know is both the English sides headed home with their tails between their legs.

Then we have Bath v Racing 92. I’m not sure my good friend Damper, life-long Bath man, has come down from the ceiling yet, but what a game, and what a win over the aristocrats of the French game. Alfie Barberry should have seen red on the 6 minute mark. The officials, in my opinion, got that wrong. Barberry went on to play magnificently until he saw a second yellow for an elbow to the face of a defender, which also should have been a straight red. Bath are through to the knockout stages but have much to do if they are to get a home tie. They play Toulouse next, an outstanding Toulouse side too. The final knockout rounds are next week with much to play for.

The details of the Sussex Cups and the Papa Johns have been released which I will endeavour to bring you during the week.

Sunday 14th Jan: 10:30

Considering the weather Steel Cross had experienced over the last fortnight, what with the intense rain followed by freezing temperatures, the pitches were in remarkable condition, a testament to our marvellous Groundsman and his team of elves.

Let me start with the 1st team game versus Deal & Betteshanger. Post match there was a mix of opinions about the quality of the contest. Some found it engrossing, exciting, and entertaining, others thought for long periods it was a turgid encounter interrupted by the interminable whistling of the referee. The reality, lies somewhere in the middle, and as The Bard states at the end of his fine report ‘this was no classic’.

After a raft of Crowborough team changes from last week it came as no surprise that Deal & Betteshanger started the stronger. Their powerful forwards had us on the back foot early on but the one thing that we are not afraid of is hard work in defence. For long periods this was pretty ordinary fare played almost exclusively between the two ten metres lines. There were glimpses of class with both sets of backs trying to play expansive rugby but all too sadly coming to nought. Gradually we started to ask questions of them which were generally answered by the black shirted defenders, usually encroaching beyond the offside line, thwarting any decent attacks.

Many of the old timers on the sidelines were despairing at the willingness to throw caution to the wind by not clearing the ball to touch when facing a marauding D&B side, No, these Steel Cross youngsters will have a go from anyone, even deep in the dead ball area. One such break by Toby Bailey saw the ball finally going into touch within metres of the visitors try line. An excellent sleight of hand by the willing workhorse Will Creasy saw him glide over for the try. The old farts were soon eating humble pie. We finished the half on top 10-0

The second half was a repetition of the first with D&B starting the stronger and our defence having to pull out all the stops to prevent the visitors from scoring. The game was becoming even more fractured by the incessant referee’s whistling, and sadly the bemused looks from both teams, and many of those on the side. D&B’s efforts were duly rewarded when their forwards powered over for a try. At 10-5 the game was far from over. We finally got back into gear and worked our way up field and it was D&B who now had to defend, and defend they did. Our Backs continued to probe with excellent decision making, accurate passing and well aimed kicks from hand but all too often the defence stood firm.

One bit of Connor Hand magic, and it was brilliant to see him back after 18 months and more of serious challenges, freed up the fast charging Sam Marchesi who galloped a good 25 metres to score under the posts. 17-5, and that was that.

In all honesty D&B will be disappointed they went home empty handed, they deserved at least a losing bonus from the game, but I think it is fair to say we were marginally, and I stress marginally, the better side. A few mentions: Bertie Boast, Hand, and Rob Lester all had cracking games and young Jonte Fraser is settling into that 10 shirt with Marchesi at 9 very nicely indeed. Dave Bennett led from the front and young Sam Edwards just keeps on doing what a good young hooker should be doing. Freddie Simmons made his debut in the front row and did very nicely too. We remain in 4th spot.

Our Vintage XV also played and enjoyed a fine 47-7 win over Eastbourne 3s. Led by the supposedly retired Matt Botterman and including Ben Martyn who defies all medical logic seemed to have had a great day out. This is a very “occasional” side, once a season in some cases, but talking to many of them post game it was rugby how it should be played; two groups of guys not worried about the score but having a laugh and a beer afterwards. Great stuff.

I’ll bring you the full league round-up tomorrow but I’m hearing some very disappointing stuff about how our good friends the Greenies were treated over at Canterbury. They lost 45-22 but that was not the issue. It seems with Canterbury 1st XV at home H&W were treated like second class citizens. Several changes of kick off time and location pre-match. Post match no food for the players until the 1st XV game had finished, which kicked off an hour later, and worst of all H&W supporters being initially told they would have to pay an entrance fee to watch as the 1st XV game was on. This was rescinded later but ‘donations would be welcome’. No wonder people at H&W were spitting chips long into the evening. It is madness Canterbury II are in our league, and if this is how clubs are going to be treated then the other 11 clubs must make a stand.

Cardiff were given a lesson by Harlequins last night. A decent game with both sides playing some expansive rugby. I’m looking forward to this afternoon’s offering starting with Bath v Racing 92.

Thursday 11th Jan: 10:40

Busy, busy, busy so another late start in terms of writing this guff. First up a thank you to PK and NW for regaling me with their stories of playing against JPR. Fascinating tales reinforcing the view he was one hell of a competitor on the field, and a thoroughly nice bloke off it.

Not only will you get a first sight of the Six nations squads next week but I think we will also hear what many of us have believed for sometime, Andy Farrell will be the next Lions coach. Too early to be predicting his support staff but not too early for some in the media to speculate about the inclusion of son Owen in any squad that will fly to Australia in c.18 months time.

The more I read about the state of Welsh rugby and the money problems the regions have, the more I am sure the WRU are going to have to smell the coffee and realise the 25 cap rule is going to kill off the game in Wales. If the money is not available in Wales why shoot yourself in the foot by then harming the international side a