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Rugby

A welcome victory

Now here’s a funny thing – in a re-run of the infamous ‘Bloodgate’ match of 2009, yesterday the Harlequins hosted the mighty Dublin-based Leinster province at the Stoop and not only beat them 24-18 in a full-bloodied contest that either side could have won, but thereby laid a number of [...]

December 8, 2014 // 0 Comments

A memorable day

Earlier this year my father, who still ranks ‘Eric & Ernie’ alongside Laurel and Hardy as the two greatest comedy partnerships of all-time, took delight in reminding us that Eric Morecambe died exactly thirty years ago. Since I was working in ITV – to where Eric and Ernie had latterly [...]

December 6, 2014 // 0 Comments

More questions than answers – maybe

It’s December and therefore time for those interested in rugby union to analyse and draw their lessons from the Northern Hemisphere’s slew of autumn internationals – a task given added bite this year by the fact just ten months remain to the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. As with all team [...]

December 1, 2014 // 0 Comments

Sliding down the table

I’m beginning to get fed up with my version of every true fan’s eternal quest to keep his pecker up and see the positive side of things when they just aren’t going in his team’s direction. There’s no two ways about it – Quins are playing rubbish this term and there’s no end to it in [...]

November 29, 2014 // 0 Comments

Time for some hard thinking

  Perhaps inevitably at this time of year, I spent the bulk of yesterday afternoon watching England v South Africa at Twickenham on BT Sports and then Scotland v New Zealand on the BBC with a sizeable family grouping, having been detailed – as the resident female cook – the prior task of [...]

November 16, 2014 // 0 Comments

Against the odds

Last night, not least seeking refuge from BBC1’s annual fundraising orgy Children In Need, I tuned in to watch Harlequins play away in the Premiership against Gloucester on BT Sport. Gloucester is one of the great English rugby institutions. There’s no football to speak of in the vicinity and [...]

November 15, 2014 // 0 Comments

Coming home to roost

After last weekend’s rugby clash between England and New Zealand a letter to The Guardian newspaper from a disillusioned England fan sparked a positive – and I use that word carefully – media discussion about the growing lack of respect for the supposed fundamental principles of [...]

November 14, 2014 // 0 Comments

Descending standards

There’s a growing problem in rugby – and possibly others sports too – regarding crowd behaviour. As someone who gave up going to Twickenham Stadium on principle in 2008 because of the soulless feel of the place and the poor match day experience, I have few regrets. I’d actually go further [...]

November 12, 2014 // 0 Comments

A player and man to admire

Yesterday I travelled to Brighton to attend an evening meeting of the Sussex Cricket Society as the guest of a pal of mine who had recently joined it. The guest of honour and main speaker was Alastair Hignell, the former England rugby international and Gloucestershire cricketer. Aged 59, he had [...]

November 12, 2014 // 0 Comments

Some things never change

The England rugby team flattered to deceive yesterday in losing 21-24 to New Zealand, a game I watched on television. It wasn’t a great match by any stretch of the imagination but it demonstrated the essential strengths that allow the All Blacks to dominate world rugby. Don’t get me wrong, they [...]

November 9, 2014 // 0 Comments

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