When all else fails, Go Commando! We’ve been discussing it this week. Still in progress.

It would be nice to get more of a balance. We don’t seem to be able to even consider it. Ireland and Wales have had very physical forwards but that hasn’t restricted their backs.

I enjoyed playing in the rain. I think I must have been insane as a young man.

It’s more enjoyable that way.

I have no preference. I just enjoy watching the game. My daughter bought me an England shirt to wear when we go to Twickenham which I dutifully put on. I’ve never bought one. I still prefer my old Sables and Springbok shirts. Italy remind me of France in their attractive style of play.

The Rugby Football Unions everywhere generally seem to be an anchor that stop the sport moving forward in many ways.

Anything other than the national anthem. The Birdie Song is a big favourite of mine.

That said, Zimbabwe are having a rugby renaissance, so if they can manage it I’m sure Wales can.

We need to get more rugby played in state schools right across the UK if we want it to thrive. England is only in a better place due to a larger pool of players. I feel desperately sorry for the Welsh, having grown up watching the greats.

There are. And, frankly, England make this worse by their appropriation of God Save the King. That’s not an “English” anthem.

Lack of imagination at top levels. I don’t think the coach or captain are really the best people for the job. Both are forwards. It’s an echo chamber. And I speak as a former forward.

I think it is cultural. The problem is that I can’t see it changing while England hover around the top three in the world. They’ll accept that. They need a disaster to make them even consider change.

Totally agree. It’s like having multiple tools on the box but only using one.

How. Not “his”.

100%

It’s a style that suited the team they had twenty years ago. They still keep trying to recreate that with a very different set of players. It’s unimaginative and really stifles improvement. Italy have shown us his teams can improve and develop. England are not matching that.

“Anyone but England”. It’s why I don’t support England but do support the Lions. I’m afraid I think the home nation arrangement perpetuates unfortunate prejudices all round.

They just couldn’t get it over the line often enough. England constantly try to crash through and lock horns which is fine, but it’s bloody exhausting to play like that and makes them susceptible to handling errors. I’d prefer to see them drop the alpha male dominance stuff and chuck the pill about

They don’t seem capable of varying or adapting their playbook. Irrespective of personnel, they play to the same formula. Wales played better technical rugby today than England did yesterday due to, as you say, shifting the ball about more and looking for continuous incremental gains in territory.

England are not as good as that think they are. And certainly not as good as the English press make out.

Scotland really deserved the win. They completely shut down England in the first half. England made stupid errors, but that doesn’t detract from the Scotland performance.

I thought there were positive signs. Some errors, but a solid scrum, good line out, and some decent runs of play that looked promising. Slow distribution and unforced errors were disappointing, but I thought the score flattered France by a margin.

Two.

I’m alright with 42c. But I was largely asleep. Jet lag hit hard.

Mate. I’m wearing it.

Back on Bondi.

Have a great one mate. Sort your diary out for 2026 and we’ll have a few bevvies.

Thank you Benito. We do enjoy them too.

Yup. An English rose put a very, very broken me back together in the early eighties. We are a product of life’s experiences.

And there am I thinking “why did I turn left in 1980”…