Red Bull Newcastle v Harlequins & The Rugby Championship

Just like in cricket there are are too many rugby tournaments. No doubt TV is responsible : Sky sports and TNT are paymasters and ringmasters.

Quins played Red Bull Newcastle – the latter  re-branded from Newcastle Falcons – in the Premiership Cup. Players are now so overloaded that Quins were without Marcus Smith, Chandler Cunningham South and Rodrigo Isgro as all were on international duty.

It was nonetheless instructive to see youngsters Cassius Cleave and Jamie Benson. Head coach Danny Wilson has left for Wales whilst that hardy perennial Danny Care is analysing for TNT. Care is a northern boy, belying Quins’ public school southern image.

Predictably Red Bull won. We won’t see the real Quins till the return of Marcus Smith, Chandler C-S v Bath in the premiership in a few weeks’ time.

Waking up early on Saturday meant I could watch the Wallabies v the Pumas.

The Wallabies won the last game in the 5th minute of extra time. They have unearthed a fine winger in Jorgensen. However I have long admired las Pumas who have little or no domestic club rugby. Carreras is typical of their global player – a world class class fly half. The Pumas won deservedly.

And now the clash of the titans between the All Blacks and the Springboks. The Boks destroyed the ABs in the second half but the tactic of a 6-2 ‘bomb squad ‘ bench left them bereft of replacements when their back line players had to leave the field for injuries and head assessments.

Still there is no denying the strength in depth of the Boks. The ABs are all but invincible at Eden Park but at the Sky Stadium Wellington it’s another story and they suffered their worst defeat ever.