Unfortunately my background was far too impoverished to include rugby. Which might explain my susceptibility to North American sports.

Either that, or relative lack of English blood...

Well, I agree that the English have always lead the field in Blood Sports.

I'd suggest though that your susceptibility to North American sports is similar to a predilection for Cryptic Crosswords. What I mean is there is a certain pleasure in familiarising yourself with the rules and then , feeling satisfied with understanding at least vaguely what is going on, coming to think that you like it.

Look inside yourself and discover the desperation for home.

I did! I did! Then I remembered Romford and my desperation evaporated. :-)

I think the English rugby team should perform a traditional Morris dance in front of their opponents. That would show how tough they are.

Tough? They should biff all the police horses in the mouth.

Sad news for the game.

As a child when I lived in Australia and played a lot of cricket I watched a lot of Martin Crowe's batting over the years.

Martin Crowe: Ex-New Zealand captain dies of cancer at 53 - BBC Sport

He was one of the two or three most beautiful batsmen in the world, of his generation. Oh, such a talent!

Rugby:- A game for Hooligans played by gentlemen.

Well that quote has gone the way of the Dodo.

Whereas- "Soccer, a gentlemanly game played by beasts" has gone from strength to strength.

WT20

Two words... Joe Root.

Best english bat ever? According to Nasser...

That may be a tad premature at this point in time, but if the lad keeps going like this....

And it's fair to point out that he could not have done that without Roy's pyrotechnics beforehand.

On now, England are playing the WI in the final of the T20 world cup.

Maybe its not worth bothering.

I think cricket needs the windies back but by god are they in a state from Sammy's comments.