Saturday 7 October 2023 is slowly becoming a memorable and distant milestone in the annals of Welsh international rugby history.
That date was the last time Wales won a rugby match, it took place at Stade de la Beaujoire in the glorious Nantes Autumn sunshine when Wales beat Georgia 43-19 to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Everything in the Welsh garden appeared rosy it was their fourth win in a row at the tournament following victories over Fiji, Australia, and Portugal.
Those four consecutive wins meant Wales topped their group which earned them a Quarter Final date with the Pumas in Marseille on 14 October 2023 a match that ended in a disappointing 29-17 defeat.
Nine months later, Wales are pacing around a losing rugby labour ward and the birth of a win still seems miles away. The hope of inducing one in the second test against Australia yesterday fell painfully short in the Melbourne rain.
If the habit of winning becomes a driving force and stirs the sinews with confidence, then surely the habit of losing brings the equally negative emotion of fear and the expectation of defeat.
Wales ninth defeat in a row seemed an inevitability despite them scoring four tries and with their line-out driving maul keeping them in contention in the first half.
Ultimately, Wales made too many errors at crucial moments in the game, and it cost them dearly.
It is difficult and uncomfortable to talk about positives time after time, but Dewi Lake was immense, he led from the front as well as picking up two tries.
What this team and management desperately need is a win, just a win, a win of any kind, any way and anyhow, until that happens they are stuck in a dormant torpor of Groundhog Day proportions.
So where will that elusive victory come from ? Wales’ next international opponents are Fiji in Cardiff on Sunday 10 November followed by Australia and South Africa on consecutive weekends, you wouldn’t bet on a home win in any of those tough encounters.
The 2025 Guinness Six Nations begins against France in Paris on 31 January followed by Italy in Rome before we welcome Ireland to the Principality Stadium.
It doesn’t get an easier, next come Scotland in Edinburgh before Wales face England at home in the final game of the Championship.
How we long for the days of that Welsh rugby rollercoaster, when it was feast or famine on the international stage. At the moment that ride is closed to the public with the rollercoaster lying idle and rusting in the summer rain.
Whatever the rugby equivalent of WD40 is, Wales and its followers need an industrial size quantity before that rollercoaster seizes up completely.
Just a short drive from Inverness, lies the Black Isle, a magical part of the Scottish Highlands steeped in myths and legends, a land within a land.
The name “Black Isle” can be traced back to ancient times. The land was associated with darkness and mystery due to its murky bogs, rocky terrain and sparse vegetation. This view of the Black Isle continued throughout the Middle Ages, where it was believed to be a place of superstition and enchantment.
Over the course of hundreds of years, soothsayers, witches, healers, and mystics have gravitated here.
The Brahan Seer lived here in the 17th century. A self-styled mystic, prophet and psychic, held in high esteem due to the accuracy of many of his prophecies.
On a cold windy Saturday night as the mist rolls in and the rain clatters against the window panes of the Allangrange Arms in Munlochy, locals will gather around a roaring fire and recount tales of a chosen one, born and bred in the Black Isle then sent to England to show the sassenachs how back row forwards should really play. Her injuries would be plenty, but the healers of the Black Isle had touched her with the power of endless recovery.
It is just over 580 miles between Black Isle and Twickenham Stoop, but the healing powers are still working for the “Chose One” Harlequins and Scotland number eight Jade Konkel.
Injuries sadly are part and parcel of sport, some athletes are more affected than others over the course of their playing career.
This can be down to sheer luck, or in some cases by the sheer attritional nature of their style of play.
Of course, attrition does not come at the expense of style or skill, as I can testify in Jade’s case.
Her injury list would give BUPA shareholders palpitations, Jade Konkel must have her surgeon on speed dial, such is the catalogue of misfortune she has suffered in recent years.
They say everything comes in threes (including injuries and operations) as Syndesmosis in her ankle in February 2023 reoccurred followed by a fractured fibula. Triple surgeries and fifteen months out of the game tested her physically and mentally to a point where she questioned whether her body could cope with with the rigours of top class rugby again.
Some players need a good few games to get back in the groove when returning from injury, but not Jade. All of her comebacks appear to have been seamless, hitting the ground running as well as hitting anything else that gets in her way. Maybe the medics use WD40 during rehab because she never shows any sign of rustiness when she steps back on to the field of play.
Pagans on the Black Isle centuries ago based their religion on nature and its elements; Earth, air, fire, and water. Fire is a daily part of Jade’s other life as a member of G39 Feltham Red Watch, part of London’s fire and rescue service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world.
We all hope for an injury free run for the Tartan Tornado she is certainly due a break (of the non limb shattering variety) Harlequins and Scotland are all the poorer for her absences.
Meanwhile, over the border as another log is thrown on that crackling, roaring fire at the Allangrange Arms in Munlochy the locals raise a glass and a wee dram to their very own Black Isle legend Jade Konkel.
Summer has been very slow arriving upon these shores, but yesterday at Twickenham the sun finally shone, although for the Welsh the dark clouds of defeat continue to hover above their heads like the sword of Damocles.
60,000 converged to witness a day of rugby that also incorporated a match between the Barbarians and Fiji.
If South Africa have reached the summit of their rugby Everest with World Cup glory, then Wales are stuck at base camp wearing T-Shirts and flip-flops
At this moment, the summit is shrouded in mist as they try to find the physical requirements and the creativity to compete with the big boys.
On a muggy, airless oppressive afternoon a Springbok storm was forecast to hit Twickenham, and with Wales trailing 14-3 and down to thirteen players after just fifteen minutes, things looked ominous.
Two yellow cards to Rio Dyer and Aaron Wainwright in quick succession galvanised Wales, and to their immense credit they refused to buckle.
After half an hour, the sun broke through the clouds and immediately Dewi Lake scored a try for Wales, Costello kicked a penalty on 34 minutes and the men in red went into the break just one point adrift at 14-13.
The second half was a different story. Three South African tries gave them a 41-13 victory, the superior Springbok bench finally saw off a brave, spirited Welsh performance that lacked creativity but was full of heart.
Sadly, heart does not win international matches these days, and Wales seventh defeat in a row does not sit well with a proud rugby nation.
It is difficult to see where the next Welsh win will come from, a young inexperienced group have tasted nothing but defeat in their entire, admittedly short international career.
Wales now head to Australia for a two test series. The last time the two sides met was on 24 September 2023 at the Rugby World Cup when Eddie Jones Wallabies were thrashed 40-6 in Lyon, what Wales wouldn’t give for a victory of any margin this time around.
There are some things in life you just never want to end. That glorious summer holiday as the sun sets over the beach on your final evening under the stars, a wonderful meal when the bill arrives, or that memorable concert as your favourite band perform their last song of the evening.
Those feelings are a strange mixture of enjoyment, gratitude and sadness. Similar emotions will pervade as Rachael Burford exits the green grass of her Twickenham home for the final time on Sunday.
Burf has been a constant at Harlequins. She has been our lighthouse, a shining beacon to cling to when the rugby seas got rough. However bad things got on and off the field, you felt Rachael Burford had a metaphorical arm around your shoulder, you knew things would turn out okay.
Being the official Welsh cake provider to the Quins women’s squad, I got to see the England centre’s silky skills on a weekly basis. I also witnessed her modesty and kindness to those around her, and experienced it first hand when my parents passed away.
She straddled the bridge between old world rugby and the new order, managing to retain the old values, whilst embracing the hard edged professionalism that is an essential requirement at the top end of the game.
Rachael maybe a Red Rose legend but at Harlequins she is just one of the gang, taking and giving the banter in her own humble way
Revealed as one of the top 50 most influential rugby people In Rugby World magazine, Rachael has always set the standards on and off the field where her media skills are also superb looking supremely assured in front of the camera.
Her playing career has been nothing short of incredible. 81 England caps, four World Cups, two World Cup finals, two World Cup Sevens, a Six Nations Grand Slam, a Premiership Title and the RPA merit award in 2017 together with some bloke called Richie McCaw.
Burf’s floating passes are a thing of beauty, England World Cup winning coach Gary Street compared them to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, but for me, they have an operatic quality more akin to a Puccini aria. You know exactly what is coming, but it is still always a joy to behold.
Even award-winning Red Roses have to start somewhere, and those important roots were established at Medway RFC, which was virtually a family concern. Dad did everything from the bar to the books and the boots, whilst Rachael spent her formative years in the scarlet and gold shirt, the highlight being a season playing alongside mum Renata and sister Louise.
Everything that can be written about Rachael Burford has already been penned and in many forms and guises, but for me, it is her actions that separate her from the rest.
She has been a pioneer and pathfinder for the women’s game, quite a weight to carry when you are trying to focus on your own game. Those strong shoulders, the ones that rotate to provide a pass worthy of Beethoven or Puccini, carried that load with grace, poise, and in a light humble manner that made it appear effortless.
So the hour is upon us and it is nearly time when another one of those things in life that you never wanted to end actually does.
You can always go on another holiday, have another memorable meal or hear your favourite band on their next tour, but there will never be another Rachael Burford. We are sad, but we are also incredibly glad for what we’ve had.
Scrum halves have always been canny and shrewd characters, and the Saracens number nine Leanne Infante is no exception.
The fifty-seven capped England international has now become a financial adviser, having joined the Quilter Academy in 2023. The services she now provides off the field are as smooth and accurate as that delightful spin pass of hers from the base of the scrum.
Whether it be Scrums to Spreadsheets or Mauls to Microsoft, Red Rose number 189 manages to combine both demanding roles adroitly.
As well as catching tricky returns in her own twenty-two, she is now also more than aware of those dreaded HMRC returns, the self-assessment variety.
On the field, I wonder if the heated verbal exchanges that invariably take place as a scrum forms have now been replaced with gnarly props asking Leanne for advice about the lifetime allowance on their personal pension pots.
Six years have passed since I sat with Leanne to write a piece about her at a warm, sunny Surrey Sports Park. She had just returned to Harlequins pre-season training following a relaxing summer holiday spent cycling stages of the Tour de France, and I don’t mean freewheeling through Paris, sipping champagne. She chose the mountains of the Pyrenees, tackling three peaks in one day.
This involved a 96 kilometre ride at a vertical height of 3200 metres, cycling constantly uphill for periods of around two hours in thirty degree heat, on one of the peaks there was no shade whatsoever, and she ran out of water.
Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals back home could barely make it to the fridge it was so hot.
The temperatures we experienced that summer were brutal, Leanne’s relaxation techniques are not for the feint-hearted.
The opening line of that article entitled “Leanne Riley, Stand Out Scrum Half” was as true then as it is now.
“Scrum halves are a unique group of people, they have to develop the art of doing twice the work in half the time” although in Leanne’s case that has now been upgraded to three times the work in a quarter of the time.
It has been a joy and a privilege to see Leanne develop and mature, both on and off the field. Despite constantly providing her with the nutritional handicap of Welsh Cakes during those Harlequins days, it doesn’t seem to have impaired her progress in any way.
The effervescent number nine has always been the heartbeat of whichever team she is playing for, leading by example, setting the pace and tone of the attack, plus she is not afraid to give the forwards a bit of advice and gentle motivation when required.
A playing career that has spanned Saracens, Harlequins, Bristol Bears and back again to Sarries is still very much alive and kicking. However, she is well aware that post rugby playing days need to be planned for and has taken steps to build and establish a career alongside her Saracens duties.
Having achieved the CIl Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning, Leanne is fully qualified and authorised by the FCA, as well as a qualified member of the Personal Finance Society. So, you are in safe hands. What else would you expect from a world-class scrum-half?
Preparing for life after rugby is difficult. It is so easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore the day of reckoning. Just as she was a trailblazer in how to transition from the amateur to professional era, she is now showing the way in how to prepare for that inevitable day when the boots are hung up. This will ensure sound financial foundations are put in place for whatever the future may hold.
Outside of rugby, one of Leanne’s passions is to assist others in making that giant leap as painless as possible with sound financial planning.
But it’s not just rugby players that need expert financial advice. With the economic uncertainty, we all find ourselves in and the constant increasing of state pension entitlement age, financial planning, income protection, and preparing for our non-sporting retirement are essential.
There are all sorts of financial minefields to negotiate these days, too many to list here, but Leanne has got them all covered. She will be happy to chat to you, whether it’s for a free initial consultation or to discuss your current situation. So get in touch and I can guarantee you will get a quality service and in a delightful friendly manner.
One member of the Infante family who does not require financial nous is Tess, a gorgeous young lady with a beautiful smile who was extremely keen to join our chat. But it turns out Tess is more interested in unregistered nutritional matters and ‘Walkies’ as you would expect from any self-respecting Staffordshire bull terrier.
Leanne Infante is one of the best scrum halves it has ever been my privilege to watch, irrespective of gender. To me and many others, it is a mystery why she has not been included in any Red Roses squads since the last Rugby World Cup, despite being available for selection.
I take you back to that chat in the Guildford sunshine six years ago and in my subsequent article, I wrote at the time;
“If there was one act that sums up Leanne, it occurred at the end of Harlequins narrow defeat to Saracens in the inaugural Tyrrells Premier Final.
Whilst everyone was visibly hurting, none more so than Leanne, it was the Quins scrum-half herself who was doing the rounds, consoling all her fellow players, coaching staff and fans alike. This spoke volumes about her not only as a team player, but perhaps more importantly as a person.
“She corralled her team mates in front of the posts for a team photo, and that one act changed the mood, all of a sudden, the banter returned, and there was laughter amidst the sadness”.
“An act unseen by most and unnoticed by others, but these are the things that make the difference between a good and a great player”.
It is clear to see that the skills, values, and teamwork Leanne displays on the field have been replicated off the field in her business role.
She may not get your spin pass up to her level, but when it comes to financial matters she’s the perfect teammate, so get in touch with her for all your financial needs.
The varying interpretations of Brunch are almost as controversial as rugby’s breakdown area. Some say it is not a Monday to Friday event.
During the week, you’re either eating breakfast (if it’s before noon) or lunch (if it’s noon or later). But there are no dissenting voices when it come to Saturday and Sunday.
Once the weekend arrives you can officially refer to your midday meal as brunch if you’re eating between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re eating before 11am it’s breakfast. So the 1.15pm kick off between England and France at Twickenham yesterday can legitimately be referred to as Le brunch.
On the menu at Twickenham was a tasty Grand Slam decider between the Red Roses and France
Under blue sun drenched skies with a world record 58,498 in attendance the brunch turned into a wonderful two course banquet.
The first 40 minute course was a traditional English dish as the home defence soaked up the opening 15 minutes before scoring five tries, giving themselves a 33-0 half time lead. France’ two yellow cards assisting their dominance.
It looked like it was game over for France but the second course turned out to be a mouth-watering Cordon bleu classic as they decided they were hungry after all.
Five sumptuous second half tries brought France to within one score of England as the clock hit eighty minutes, but they ran out of time and the Red Roses hung on to gain a Grand Slam and the 2023 Tik Tok Womens Six Nations title.
As rugby occasions go this was a very special one. A joyous ear splitting carnival from start to finish. An hour after the final whistle England captain Marlie Packer was still signing autographs pitch side surrounded by hundreds of thrilled sun burnt smiling faces, it was that sort of day.
Blue skies and sunshine have been a rare commodity this year, but as the Guinness Womens Six Nations entered its penultimate weekend there was finally a taste of spring in the air, albeit with a chilly northerly wind just to remind us not to get too carried away.
England faced a vastly improved Ireland in front of 48,778 excited fans, and as Sophie-Ellis Bextor sang ‘Murder on the dance floor’ the Irish whilst not contemplating homicide were certainly hoping for a giant killing against the number one team in the world.
Even Michael Flattley’s feet don’t move as fast as Ireland’s Beibhnn Parsons but she was starved of ball the entire game and it was the soft shoe shuffle of England’s Ellie Kildunne that ran Ireland ragged and helped win the day for the Red Roses. The Harlequins full back was imperious in everything she did in a wonderful performance.
It took England just six minutes to opening the scoring with a try from Abby Dow. Six more tries followed for the Red Roses in a one-sided first half.
At half time they led 38-3 and maybe it was the Sophie Ellis-Bexter song ‘Take Me Home’ that was echoing in the Irish players ears in the interval.
The second half was barely three minutes old before ‘The Chichester Express’ Jess Breach outpaced Katie Corrigan in a thirty metre run to touch down in the corner.
Things just got steadily worse for Ireland as England let rip, the Red Roses racked up fifty points in the second period and their fourteen try haul was a cavalcade of joyous movement and sublime handling.
Ireland had the scant consolation of a penalty try for their efforts.
You do wonder if and when there will be a serious Womens Six Nations challenge to the Red Roses, maybe next week in Bordeaux as they attempt yet another Grand Slam the opposition will be stiffer but at the moment they are streets ahead of anyone else in the Northern Hemisphere.
England recorded their sixth straight Six Nations title after a comprehensive win over Scotland Women at Twickenham.The rout was the biggest in England’s history, surpassing the 82-0 World Cup win over Kazakhstan last year.
The hosts took a 41-0 lead into the break after a totally dominant display.
England scored 15 tries in all, with Heather Fisher, Maggie Alphonsi, Emily Scarratt, Fran Matthews, Rochelle Clark and Danielle Waterman all getting two.
England’s women have now won all four matches in this year’s tournament and last year’s World Cup finalists are on course to clinch a fifth Grand Slam in six years.
The women ran onto the pitch immediately after their male counterparts had put a packed Twickenham through 80 minutes of tense, nervy rugby, which Grand-Slam chasing England eventually won 22-16.
For those fans who stayed behind, of which there were plenty, there was little of that tension in the day’s second international as England – much-changed from the line-up which beat France in their last outing – scored four tries in the opening 20 minutes.
Scotland, yet to record a victory in this year’s Six Nations, could not muster one attack in the first half and were constantly under the cosh as England broke tackle after tackle to score try after try.
Katherine Merchant went over in the second minute and Matthews scored her first of the evening four minutes later before captain Katy McLean put full-back Scarratt through to score underneath the posts.
McLean made sure of the conversion, her first of the evening, as England led 17-0 after 12 minutes.
In the 16th minute, Becky Essex proved unstoppable when she burst down the left to score in the corner.
Clark touched down from a yard out for a try which McLean converted, then Matthews went over before, in the dying moments of the half, the impressive Fisher scored a deserved try.
Fisher scored her second of the evening immediately after the break as she burst through from the 22-yard line to score under the posts to leave McLean with an easy conversion.
England made a host of changes, the most notable being Alphonsi for former captain Catherine Spencer, and they passed the half-century mark in the 49th minute when Scarratt scored her second of the evening, which McLean converted.
The dynamic Alphonsi was soon in the thick of it and it was the flanker’s 30m dash down field which eventually led to prop Clark’s second try.
McLean converted to extend the lead to 60-0 and the scoreboard kept ticking over as Merchant burst down her right wing, fending off would-be tacklers, and put the supporting Alphonsi clear for an easy try.
McLean was the next to cross the line and, in the 68th minute, the remarkable Alphonsi scored her second try of the evening and her 19th try in 53 internationals.
Captain McLean once again converted and two tries in quick succession by replacement Waterman, with McLean converting the latter, took England’s score to new heights.
England Women: E Scarratt (Lichfield); K Merchant (Worcester), R Burford (Richmond), K Oliver (Bristol), F Matthews (Richmond); K McLean (capt, Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), LT Mason (Wasps); R Clark (Worcester), A Garnett (Saracens), S Hemming (Bristol), R Essex (Richmond), J McGilchrist (Wasps), S Hunter (Lichfield), H Fisher (Worcester), C Spencer (Bristol).
Replacements: E Croker (Richmond), C Purdy (Wasps), R Burnfield (Richmond), M Alphonsi (Saracens), G Rozario (Lichfield), G Roberts (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), D Waterman (Worcester).
Scotland Women: Caroline Collie (Old Albanians), Katy Green (Murrayfield Wanderers), Annabel Sergeant (Dundee University), Steph Johnston (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Victoria Blakebrough (Richmond), Lisa Martin (Murrayfield Wanderers), Louise Dalgliesh (RHC Cougars); Heather Lockhart (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Lindsey Smith (Hillhead/Jordanhill), Tracy Balmer (Worcester), Anna Swan (Edinburgh University), Lindsay Wheeler (Darlington Mowden Sharks), Charlotte Veale (London Wasps), Ruth Slaven (Murrayfield Wanderers), Susie Brown (Richmond).
With the Men’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations disappearing further in our rear view mirror a period of reflection inevitably follows.
To call the tournament disappointing from a Welsh point of view would be the understatement of the year, but not since the great Rugby League defection in the late 1980’s has there been such a loss of talent in such a short space of time, and when you add in the list of injuries to current key players it underlines the perfect storm the international team find themselves in.
But the biggest and saddest losses of all are those greats of the game who have passed away recently, names that will forever live in the pantheon of Welsh rugby.
It has been a tough time for everyone connected with Welsh rugby let us hope there are some happier days ahead soon.
GOODBYES
Alun Wyn Jones (Retired)
Leigh Halfpenny (Retired)
Josh Navidi (Retired)
Justin Tipuric (Retired)
Dan Biggar (Retired)
Rhys Webb (Retired)
George North (Retired)
Ken Owens (Retired)
Liam Williams (Moved to Japan)
Tomas Francis (Moved to France declared unavailable)
It is fourteen miles from Inverness to Loch Ness, a place known around the world for its mythical monster, but Nessie’s neighbour is a sporting monster, and a very real one, that is frightening the life out of everything that crosses its path.
There have been many reported sightings this season, both north and south of the border, and the conclusion is that Nessie is a lightweight compared to the Inverness version.
I am in my cryptic way referring to Scotland and Harlequins number eight Jade Konkel-Roberts who has been knocking the living daylights out of the opposition since her return from a long term shoulder injury in the latter stages of 2018.
Jade made her Scotland Women debut against England when she came on as a replacement in the opening round of 2013 Six Nations.
She became Scotland’s first full-time female player in 2016, and joined top French club Lille Metropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois in 2017.
The basketball skills honed at the top level following two seasons with the Highland Bears, are evident on the rugby field, I do not recall witnessing her drop a single ball during last season’s Premiership campaign, where she has wore the Harlequins shirt with such pride and passion.
After joining Harlequins in 2018 following shoulder surgery, she returned to international duty with only a handful of club games under her belt, and hit Canada like a guided missile,
Scotland lost on that occasion but Jade had a storming game tacking, as the great Bill McClaren once said “Like the crack of doom” and launching those “Rhino” charges from the base of the scrum as if her life depended upon it.
Jade Konkel was born on December 9 1993 in Inverness, and lived on the Black Isle an appropriately named location for any respectable monster to reside. Inverness lies on the Great Glen Fault, where there are minor earthquakes, usually unnoticed by locals, about every three years, I have a theory they nearly always occur when Jade is home doing some tackling practice, but geological confirmation is difficult to come by.
Fortunately off the field Jade is one of the most modest and friendly individuals you could wish to meet, a smile is always close to hand, and her soft highland brogue could charm the birds from the trees.
That aforementioned brogue is now delighting BBC viewers as she has become a part of their commentary team for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations tournament.
The forward combines her sporting career with her role as a Firefighter with Red Watch, based at Feltham Fire Station, which she joined in 2021.
Sadly due to the attritional nature of her game injuries have become a regular if unwelcome visitor, one that is residing with her as I write, some say she has spent more time in re-hab than Brittany Spears
The dictionary definition of Jade is ” A semi precious stone” maybe that should now be changed to “An extremely precious Scottish rugby player”, one thing we do know is that she’ll be back from injury stronger than ever as her quest to become fully bionic reaches fruition.
Mike Pearce Rugby 