So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu...
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
I started this blog on 9th May 2007 - exactly fifteen years ago. Back then I was taking tentative steps to re-start my rugby journey by coming out of retirement aged 42, a comeback which may only have lasted a few short seasons but which rekindled my enthusiasm for the game and which stimulated my creative juices in the form of this blog, a vessel in which I have been posting mostly rubbish ever since. It has all been great fun but, over 2,600 posts later, I have to say that I am finding increasingly that I have very little original left to say and, over the past few months, have considered ..read more
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Whither England (Women)?
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
England Women's 24-12 win over France at the weekend, which secured a Grand Slam, their 23rd victory in a row and a fourth successive Women's Six Nations title, means that they are red hot favourites for the World Cup later this year. The Red Roses do look in great shape, but there is no room whatsoever for complacency. The pack does look pretty awesome, dominant at scrum time and with a scarily efficient driving line out. But behind the scrum the backs have sometimes lacked a little fluency - especially against France - and, like their male counterparts, c ..read more
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Big win for Ireland
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Many congrats to Heaton Moor RUFC's Mike Ireland, who played his final game for the club this weekend at the age of 56, captaining the club's 3rd XV alongside his SEVEN sons in the Heaton Moor pack. To play in the same team as one son is impressive enough (not something I've managed, unless you count Touch) but seven? Amazing. Perhaps even more impressive is that there are also eight daughters - that's a complete mixed XV! Mike, who only started playing aged 41, held retirement at bay until his youngest son, Joel, turned 18 so that the boys could all play in the same team. And a 6 ..read more
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Good luck Tom Youngs
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Huge kudos to Leicester and former England and Lions hooker Tom Youngs, who this week announced that he was hanging up his boots with immediate effect at the age of 35. Youngs has been on indefinite leave from Leicester Tigers since October 2021 so that he could care for his wife who suffers from Hodgkin Lymphoma. As a player Youngs achieved a huge amount, having switched positions from centre to hooker in 2009, going on to play for Leicester Tigers 215 times (98 as captain) and win 28 England caps and 3 Lions caps. As a family man, however he has arguably achieved more. Some ..read more
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England Women go in search of another Slam
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
England's women may well be on the brink of another Six Nations Grand Slam as they head to France this weekend. Their record so far - four wins from four games, having scored 42 tries and conceded only twice - is pretty damned spectacular. Yes, people rightly point to the fact that they have had the advantage of being a fully professional outfit and that the playing field is hardly level, but England can only beat what is put in front of them and the disparity in resources is really an issue for the wider women's game rather than something the England team should be losing sleep over. Despi ..read more
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Out of order?
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Interesting minor spat between Leicester and England prop Ellis Genge and former England hooker Brian Moore. Moore had commented on the fact that, during Leicester Tigers loss to Harlequins at the weekend (great game, btw), Genge and fellow Tigers prop Dan Cole - both replacements at the time - appeared to have been trying to make points about the scrum to the assistant referee. Moore's point was that such actions were not appropriate as it looked as if they were trying to undermine the officials to which Genge, in typically amusing fashion, responded: Funny as that is, Moo ..read more
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More sad news
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Another really sad piece of news, as it has been reported this week that Oleski Tsibko, former captain of Ukraine's national rugby team and former president of the Ukrainian Rugby Federation, has been killed by Russian troops whilst defending his country from invasion near the town of Bucha. It is too easy for us to distance ourselves from events in Ukraine and Tsibko's death is, of course, just one of thousands in this war.  Another sad statistic of war, therefore, but the fact that this was a 55 year old former rugby player, somehow brings it all much closer to home ..read more
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Tom Smith RIP
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Terribly sad news that Tom Smith, former Scotland and Lions prop, has passed away, aged just 50, after a battle with colon cancer, having been diagnosed in 2019. Smith was a phenomenal player and a true legend (a word used too often but wholly appropriately in his case) of the game. Thoughts are very much with his family. RIP ..read more
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Eddie is at it again
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Weeks after another awful England Six Nations campaign, it turns out that Eddie Jones is back in Japan, reprising his consultancy role with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath. The RFU is said to be "comfortable" with the situation - and undoubtedly Jones's contract allows for it. Who knows, it may also be a useful way for Jones to unwind and recharge his batteries. But it remains a terrible look for both Jones the RFU.  For Jones it just looks as if he doesn't give a monkeys about what anyone thinks - and there may be more than a grain of truth in that. Whilst for the RFU it just make ..read more
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Victorious Ealing now in limbo
TOTAL FLANKER...a rugby blog
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2y ago
Well done to Ealing Trailfinders who, by virtue of their 60-10 victory over Richmond at the weekend, sealed the 2021-22 RFU Championship title.  The story should have had the perfect ending with promotion to the Premiership, but Ealing’s fate remains in limbo, with promotion resting on the club’s appeal of a decision not to allow their admission to the Premiership on minimum criteria grounds.  The situation is an unholy mess. A moratorium on relegation from the Premiership having been introduced last season, the plan was always for this season’s Championship winners to be promote ..read more
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