Getting a double dose of rugby this weekend – well a dose and a half really because I watched the second half of the France/Scotland match before settling down to see the dragons lay siege to Fortress Twickenham.
In fact the England/Wales match was not so much a siege in the first half as a drive across the drawbridge, through the portcullis and then figuring how to bring down the keep.
Hopefully that will not be too difficult, after all the Welsh are renowned as miners and in days of yore it was miners who got in under the keep to really undermine the opposition.
Meanwhile we will let that play its course while I try to fathom out what happened to Scotland when they played France. They had gone in at the half in a strong position but the second half was a scrappy game from both.
Despite most of the 40 minutes being spent kicking the ball from one half to the other France did manage to get in a try which Scotland attempted to expunge with a very late reply.
It looked as though they had succeeded with a last minute try but after the referee spent a long time mulling it over with the TMO the decision fell in France’s favour.
If they had spent less time kicking the ball into their opponents’ arms, for it just to be kicked back, and instead grasped the ball and run with it the result would have been very different.
I was brought up on rugby as an amateur sport, with men from all walks of life playing the game because they loved it and had their weekend fun before getting back to work on Monday as a doctor, or a consultant, or an insurance rep.
If they got injured they’d work it off to be back playing the next weekend. If it was more serious they’d miss a bit of training and playing time but it didn’t affect the income from their proper job.
The problems came when they started to put money into the game, paying the players until it reached a point when an injury could cost them real money. Well wouldn’t you be inclined not to take as many risks?
Back to Twickenham and despite our best efforts to blow the fortress’ keep to smithereens we ended up just one fuse short of the big blast.
At least Wales played well in both halves against an English team which played better than it had against the Italians.
This is a young Welsh team which still has lessons to learn.
I doubt they could now whip Ireland France and Italy and ending up champions this year but we could be enjoying a Grand Slam in 2025 as a great present for my 75th birthday.
Robin's Nest 