AFTER five or more months on a starvation diet, all sorts of tasty rugby delicacies are being offered up at present. It’s almost too much for our stressed digestive systems especially as first we have to consume the leftovers from last season, sorry this season.
Some are more palatable than others. I have lost all appetite for the 2020 Six Nations, it now seems a bit of an irrelevance, an ill-starred tournament that should probably have been ended after Round 3 with a large asterisk indicating the unfortunate circumstances in the record books.
The Gallagher Premiership meanwhile is the English game’s bread and butter and although some of the games post-lockdown have been a little stodgy and half baked, others have risen splendidly to the occasion. The main thing, of course, is that Premiership rugby is back on the menu.
But the European Champions Cup? Now that is genuinely exciting and suddenly seems to be upon us after months of uncertainty although after everything that has happened nobody is counting their chickens.
It still seems probable that the matches in Dublin and Exeter will be behind closed doors but there is a chance of a ‘crowd’ for the two games in France where there is currently carte blanche for up to 5,000 fans. In addition, you can apply for special dispensation to the local prefecture to increase that and that’s exactly what Clermont have done for tonight’s T14 game with Toulouse when 10,000 will be allowed into Stade Michelin.
Denne historien er fra September 06, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 06, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.
