Years ending in the number eight figure eerily, and notably, in the history of matches between Wales and France.

In 1908, on March 2, Wales and France met for the very first time, in Cardiff, with Wales winning 36-4.

It was only the fifth international match ever played by France.

In 1928, on April 9, France recorded their first win over Wales, at Stade Colombes, until recently the home of the Racing 92 club.

Home wing Robert Houdet (pictured above) scored two tries, and a conversion, to give France an 8-3 win.

In 1948 France gained their first victory on Welsh soil when they beat Wales 11-3 in Swansea, at St Helens.

Ten years later, in 1958, on March 29, France beat Wales 16-6, it was their first ever win at Cardiff Arms Park.

The Welsh team was captained by Clem Thomas, and fly half, Cliff Morgan played his last international match for Wales.

France captain Lucian Mias and his team left the field to a standing ovation from the Welsh crowd.

If we fast forward another ten years to 1968, France won their first Grand Slam in the mud and rain of Cardiff Arms Park.

The Camberabero brothers, at half back, masterminded the French victory, with a team that included Christian Carrere, and Walter Spanghero.

1978 saw the fortunes change in Wales’ favour, when a 16-7 win for Wales, gave them the Grand Slam.

It was the final international appearance of two of the worlds greats, Gareth Edwards and Phil Bennett.

Bennett signed off with two tries, whilst Edwards signed off with a towering drop goal.

France’s one point victory, at Cardiff, in 1988 (10-9) deprived Wales of a Grand Slam, and as a result the 5 Nations title was shared between the two teams.

Wales came back with a late Ieuan Evans try and a Paul Thorburn conversion, but they just came up short in appalling Welsh weather.

France gave Wales a 51-0 thrashing at Wembley Stadium, in 1998.

The match was played at the twin towers whilst the millennium stadium was being built.

72,000 spectators saw Castaignede and co run riot, scoring seven tries to earn another Grand Slam.

Its hard to believe that ten years have passed since that match, in 2008, when Wales, on the last day of the tournament, won their second Grand Slam in three years.

Having been knocked out of the Rugby World Cup by Fiji, just months earlier, it was most unexpected, and after leading 9-6 at half time, Wales scored two second tries through Shane and Martin Williams, to give them a comfortable 29-12 lead that they never relinquished.

So what will 2018 bring ?

In 1888 Vincent Van Gogh left a dull grey Paris and headed south by train for the unique almost heavenly light of Provence.
“May artists come together in Provence” was Van Gogh’s wish, and on a winters weekend in February the Impressionists of the Nat West 6 Nations exhibited their art at the Orange Velodrome.

On a Friday night as the dusky colours of the Var framed the brightly lit stadium, France and Italy met in the battle of the blues

France opted to play a home six nations match outside of Paris for the very first time, 774 kilometres due south in the misty Mediterranean moonlight of Marseille.

A 9pm kick off added to the Mediterranean ambience of the occasion.

The French love these late soirees, plenty of time for steak frites with a decent red, followed by cheese and an espresso before heading down Boulevard Michelet to the magnificent Stadium home to Olympique Marseille.

The Romans came here for an extended stay in 49BC but the 2018 version were a much more amicable bunch filling the cafes and bars of Vieux Port,enjoying the wintery sunshine and a spot of sea air.

The artists came but despite the wonderful canvas they could not produce a masterpiece,in fact at times the French impressionists could barely hold the brush, in the end there proved to be plenty of enthusiasm and colour but very little substance.

50,000 attended the exhibition, and the majority left content that France had achieved their first win since March 2017.

As for the Italians, a win for them is now becoming a collectors item after their 15th straight defeat.

The margin of victory should have been much greater than the eventual 34-17 scoreline.

France spurned at least another three or four simple try scoring opportunities, but ultimately the win was the priority, or a few Frenchmen, could well have been heading out to Chateau D’if on the early Saturday morning boat from the port.

The artists came and left Provence, delicate brush strokes were replaced by a big man with a roller and two litres of emulsion as Mathieu Basteraud turned beauty in to beast, it was that kind of night down on the Med.

Yes it’s that time of year. I hear people say “Oh how I hate January it’s so dark and depressing”

WHAT !!!! Are they mad ? it’s nearly the start of the 6 Nations.

As an exiled Welshman the memories come flooding back, quite literally, as the part of West Wales I lived in was so wet, I was  a teenager before I realised you could actually take an anorak off !

But for all you men out there, here’s some friendly advice, It’s time to start rubbing your back, flexing that dodgy hamstring, because you know that you are going to have to get out of all shopping and DIY obligations until March 19th.

My advice is to start sowing the seeds of doubt immediately, just a gentle limp to start, and a few “oh it’s ok, I’m sure it will pass”.

By the end of January I recommend a bit of sniffing and coughing just to be on the safe side, you don’t want to get caught off guard just before the opening weekend.

Don’t forget we’ve got five weekends to get through, so start preparing.

My cryotherapy sessions have already started, and I’m currently at the stage where I’m making at least three trips to the fridge daily.

This is the very best time for us Welsh fans, the last few weeks building up to the start of the tournament… we are unbeaten in 2018, it can only get worse !.

We dream again of another Grand Slam, and then we start negotiating with our maker, to decide which games we would be prepared for Wales to lose, in exchange for beating England.

It’s the start of that magnificent winter festival, when we lie awake in the middle of a silent, cold frosty night, and remember trips to Paris, Murrayfield, HQ, and Rome, when those of us of a certain age get misty eyed recalling JPR, Gareth, Benny, JJ, and for those of as old as me, Keith Jarrett and Barry John playing on a grainy black and white television.

The wonderful thing is that each championship brings new ones to add to the memory bank.

This magnificent winter festival never lets us down, even if some match days are harder to cope with than others, whatever age you may happen to be.

My new years message to you all is :

Wherever you are and whoever you support, may the 2018 Nat West 6 Nations send you on your way towards spring, with a long list of outstanding chores, and an even longer list of memories to cherish.

Moliere the 16th century French actor and playwright is considered by many to be the great master of French Farce, a genre who’s aim is to entertain through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant and as such, improbable.

French Farce is also characterised by the use of deliberate absurdity and nonsense.

French rugby president Bernard Laporte may well have taken over the crown from the 16th century genius with his matinee performances this week.

On the other hand it appears that comedy is turning to tragedy on the other side of the channel.

The French Rugby Federation has replaced head coach Guy Novès after less than two years in charge, with Bordeaux-Bègles’ Jacques Brunel.

Former Italy coach Brunel, will become France head coach after taking Bordeaux on this weekend’s Top 14 trip to Stade Francais, FFR president Bernard Laporte told a press conference last Wednesday.

“Several people could have aspired to be coach of the XV of France,” said Laporte, “but Jacques Brunel, I know him well. He has the experience. He is also a person capable of taking on this heavy responsibility.”

The decision means that Novès has become the first-ever head coach of the French national rugby side to lose his job, with 63-year-old Brunel signing on through to the end of the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

The writing was on the wall after the 2017 November internationals capped a run of six defeats and a draw against Japan.

 His record in charge of France stands at seven wins, 13 defeats and a draw in 22 matches.

“It’s a painful situation for Guy and also for us,” Laporte admitted, as he thanked the former Toulouse coach, who won 10 French domestic titles and four European Cups in 22 years in charge at Stade Ernest Wallon.

“But we couldn’t go on like this any more. We made this decision, which was not easy, in the interests of French rugby.”

Although the FFR president confirmed that Yannick Bru and Jean-Frédéric Dubois have also been shown the door as part of a major coaching clear-out, he insisted that no decision had been taken as to who will replace them.

“He [Brunel] will decide his own staff,” Laporte told journalists.

Several Top 14 coaches have been linked to staff jobs in the national set-up in recent days, as speculation surrounding Novès’ future in the France hotseat intensified.

Names mentioned included Toulon’s Fabien Galthie, Clermont’s Franck Azema and La Rochelle’s Patrice Collazo.

Galthie and Azema have since publicly taken themselves out of contention for jobs under Brunel.

“Top 14 coaches …. will come together before each tournament,” added Laporte. “They will sit around a table to exchange ideas and involve everyone around the national side.

“It’s a win-win for the clubs and the French team. We can no longer have clubs on one side and the XV of France on the other.”

And in a Final act where farce and tragedy combine, Just hours after Laporte’s compassionate remarks about Noves, all three coaches received a registered letter informing them that they were subject to dismissal procedures for serious misconduct, which if successful would allow the Federation de rugby Francais to avoid paying them any compensation, which would cost an estimated two to three million euros.

The offences in question although not officially confirmed are “Failing to collaborate fully with the Top 14 clubs and players ”

This latest farce is set for an extended run in Paris during 2018 with a full cast of expensive lawyers and interspersed with some 6 Nations rugby.

Oo La La 

Jean Pierre Rives was dabbling in French sporting philosophy before Eric Cantona’s trawlers had located their first seagull.

There was a time when this man strode the world rugby stage, invariably in blood stained jersey his blond mane flowing like a Viking warrior in battle.

These days the hair is still blonde, the face and waistline are a little fuller but there is no mistaking the French rugby legend that is Jean Pierre Rives.

He now works in a disused railway shed to the north of Paris, the creative home of Rives the sculpture and painter.

His works have been exhibited in Paris, Toulouse, Los Angeles and Singapore. 
“ My success is that I am happy doing it, my ambition is just to go on”
Jean Pierre emphasises that art and rugby are one, he talks about the spiritual concept of the team, the glory, the bravery, the sacrifice that the team ethos inspires you to fulfil.

Born in Toulouse on New Year’s Eve 1952, he won his first cap against England, at Twickenham, on 1 February 1975.

At 5ft 10 and weighing 13st 5lbs he was diminutive in comparison to other flankers of the day, but he had an energy and a commitment that more than made up for any antatomical short comings .

He went on to win 59 caps and captained France a record 34 times, his final appearance took place at Murrayfield on 17 March 1984 when Scotland defeated France 21-12. 
Rarely seen at rugby matches these days, Rives does not appear to have any yearning for the old life, or to marvel at a collection of rugby honours and mementos that his magnificent career enabled him to accumulate.

“ Because I am not an African hunter, I do not hunt trophies , I don’t want my house to look like a rugby museum, somI give away most things to my friends, jerseys and things like that”.
” That is better because I Know they are happy with such things, happier than me, that is for certain”.

I will end with a somewhat prophetic piece of Rives wisdom, which was aimed at the muscle bound Southern Hemisphere players he encountered but now has a global resonance.
” I wonder if even having muscle bound cheeks is such a good idea, how can you pass the ball if you are unable to smile “

Alhambra Nievas, the referee from Granada, is no stranger to records, or firsts, most of which I have been fortunate enough to witness as both a journalist and a friend.

On Thursday, in the warmth of Dubai, there was another one to add to the ever extending list.

At 12:44 local time she refereed  a match between Russia and England, nothing unusual there you might think, except for the fact that it was her 100th Women’s World Series Sevens match.

A journey that started on 15 February 2014, in Atlanta,Georgia, with a match between Australia and China, has taken Alhambra around the world and back, and there are still plenty more departure gates to negotiate and jet lagged days to come, for the Andulsian arbiter, who seems to be getting better with age.

She in her modest way will not want a big fuss, but when you look at the full list of the one hundred mtches listed below, it makes you realise what an achievement this really is.

Match 100 Dubai 

Match 100 Russia v England

Clermont Ferrand Cup Final    AUSTRALIA 7 – 22 NEW ZEALAND

25-06-17 Clermont Ferrand  Quarter-final CANADA 31 – 0 IRELAND

24-06-17 Clermont Ferrand  ENGLAND 31 – 24 BRAZIL

24-06-17 Clermont Ferrand FRANCE 31 – 14 FIJI

28-05-17 Langford Cup Semi-final CANADA 17 – 10 AUSTRALIA

28-05-17 Langford Trophy Semi-final FIJI 24 – 19 BRAZIL

27-05-17 Langford  NEW ZEALAND 43 – 7 ENGLAND

27-05-17 Langford  AUSTRALIA 21 – 0 IRELAND

23-04-17 Kitakyushu Bronze Medal AUSTRALIA 19 – 17 FIJI

23-04-17 Kitakyushu  Quarter-final FIJI 26 – 19 UNITED STATES

22-04-17 Kitakyushu  AUSTRALIA 17 – 12 FIJI

22-04-17 Kitakyushu  NEW ZEALAND 19 – 14 FRANCE

22-04-17 Kitakyushu  CANADA 29 – 12 ENGLAND

04-03-17 Las Vegas Final   AUSTRALIA 5 – 28 NEW ZEALAND

04-03-17 Las Vegas Quarter-final   NEW ZEALAND 26 – 5 RUSSIA

03-03-17 Las Vegas  UNITED STATES 14 – 7 FIJI

03-03-17 Las Vegas. FRANCE 19 – 22 RUSSIA

03-03-17 Las Vegas  AUSTRALIA 31 – 14 ENGLAND

02-12-16 Dubai Cup Final   NEW ZEALAND 17 – 5 AUSTRALIA

02-12-16 Dubai Cup Semi-final   ENGLAND 10 – 31 AUSTRALIA

01-12-16 Dubai Pool A  AUSTRALIA 19 – 10 UNITED STATES

01-12-16 Dubai Pool B   NEW ZEALAND 19 – 10 FIJI

01-12-16 Dubai Pool B   FRANCE 14 – 21 FIJI

29-05-16 Clermont Ferrand Final   CANADA 29 – 19 AUSTRALIA

29-05-16 Clermont Ferrand Semi-final   ENGLAND 10 – 31 CANADA

29-05-16 Clermont Ferrand Semi Final   JAPAN 0 – 33 IRELAND

28-05-16 Clermont Ferrand AUSTRALIA 19 – 12 FRANCE

28-05-16 Clermont Ferrand   CANADA 29 – 12 RUSSIA

28-05-16 Clermont Ferrand   FRANCE 40 – 0 IRELAND

17-04-16 Langford  Semi-final   AUSTRALIA 5 – 15 ENGLAND

17-04-16 Langford Quarter-final   UNITED STATES 7 – 29 ENGLAND

16-04-16 Langford  NEW ZEALAND 19 – 7 UNITED STATES

16-04-16 Langford  AUSTRALIA 28 – 7 BRAZIL

16-04-16 Langford   ENGLAND 29 – 5 IRELAND

09-04-16 Atlanta Cup Final   NEW ZEALAND 19 – 24 AUSTRALIA

09-04-16 Atlanta Cup Semi-final   CANADA 14 – 26 AUSTRALIA

09-04-16 Atlanta Cup Quarter-final   ENGLAND 19 – 12 RUSSIA

08-04-16 Atlanta   NEW ZEALAND 5 – 12 UNITED STATES

08-04-16 Atlanta    FIJI 7 – 28 ENGLAND

08-04-16 Atlanta    CANADA 26 – 5 RUSSIA

21-02-16 Sao Paulo Cup Final   AUSTRALIA 29 – 0 CANADA

21-02-16 Sao Paulo Plate Semi Final   FIJI 26 – 12 ENGLAND

21-02-16 Sao Paulo Cup Quarter-final   USA 22 – 12 ENGLAND

20-02-16 Sao Paulo    RUSSIA 10 – 40 NEW ZEALAND

20-02-16 Sao Paulo    AUSTRALIA 19 – 5 IRELAND

20-02-16 Sao Paulo    NEW ZEALAND 35 – 5 UNITED STATES

20-02-16 Sao Paulo   AUSTRALIA 26 – 17 FIJI

04-12-15 Dubai Cup Semi-final   FRANCE 0 – 26 AUSTRALIA

04-12-15 Dubai Cup Quarter-final   CANADA 12 – 17 ENGLAND

03-12-15 Dubai Pool C   AUSTRALIA 43 – 0 JAPAN

03-12-15 Dubai Pool A   NEW ZEALAND 7 – 33 RUSSIA

23-05-15 Amsterdam Cup Final   AUSTRALIA 17 – 20 CANADA

23-05-15 Amsterdam Semi-final   AUSTRALIA 26 – 0 ENGLAND

23-05-15 Amsterdam  Quarter-final   CANADA 33 – 0 FRANCE

22-05-15 Amsterdam   AUSTRALIA 24 – 7 ENGLAND

22-05-15 Amsterdam   UNITED STATES 36 – 14 FIJI

22-05-15 Amsterdam   AUSTRALIA 29 – 7 RUSSIA

16-05-15 London Cup Final   CANADA 17 – 20 AUSTRALIA

16-05-15 London 11-12th Place   SOUTH AFRICA 14 – 7 BRAZIL

16-05-15 London Quarter-final   UNITED STATES 19 – 12 FRANCE

15-05-15 London  CANADA 31 – 0 ENGLAND

15-05-15 London   UNITED STATES 24 – 19 FIJI

15-05-15 London   NEW ZEALAND 34 – 0 BRAZIL

19-04-15 Langford Cup Final   RUSSIA 10 – 29 NEW ZEALAND

19-04-15 Langford Semi Final   AUSTRALIA 10 – 29 UNITED STATES

19-04-15 Langford  Quarter-final   UNITED STATES 0 – 17 FRANCE

18-04-15 Langford   CANADA 19 – 15 UNITED STATES

18-04-15 Langford   AUSTRALIA 40 – 0 CHINA

18-04-15 Langford   NEW ZEALAND 38 – 14 FIJI

15-03-15 Atlanta Semi-final   UNITED STATES 19 – 14 RUSSIA

15-03-15 Atlanta Quarter-final   NEW ZEALAND 36 – 0 BRAZIL

14-03-15 Atlanta  NEW ZEALAND 57 – 0 UNITED STATES

14-03-15 Atlanta  ENGLAND 24 – 0 BRAZIL

14-03-15 Atlanta   AUSTRALIA 36 – 0 FIJI

08-02-15 Sao Paulo 3-4th Place   FRANCE 0 – 19 CANADA

08-02-15 Sao Paulo 11-12th Place   SOUTH AFRICA 17 – 31 CHINA

08-02-15 São Paulo  Semi Final   FIJI 24 – 22 SOUTH AFRICA

07-02-15 Sao Paulo  AUSTRALIA 38 – 7 FIJI

07-02-15 Sao Paulo FRANCE 14 – 12 UNITED STATES

07-02-15 Sao Paulo  ENGLAND 31 – 5 SOUTH AFRICA

05-12-14 Dubai  Semi-final   FRANCE 10 – 31 NEW ZEALAND

05-12-14 Dubai Quarter-final   AUSTRALIA 47 – 0 FIJI

04-12-14 Dubai  NEW ZEALAND 29 – 12 RUSSIA

04-12-14 Dubai  ENGLAND 29 – 7 BRAZIL

04-12-14 Dubai  AUSTRALIA 24 – 10 FRANCE

17-05-14 Amsterdam Bowl Final   S AFRICA 7 – 29 NETHERLANDS

17-05-14 Amsterdam Cup Quarter-final   AUSTRALIA 33 – 0 BRAZIL

16-05-14 Amsterdam AUSTRALIA 36 – 5 RUSSIA

16-05-14 Amsterdam CANADA 28 – 0 BRAZIL

22-02-14 Sao Paulo 7-8th Place   JAPAN 13 – 5 NETHERLANDS

22-02-14 Sao Paulo Semi-final   AUSTRALIA 31 – 0 ENGLAND

22-02-14 Sao Paulo  Quarter-final   N ZEALAND 35 – 7 NETHERLANDS

21-02-14 Sao Paulo   BRAZIL 14 – 20 NETHERLANDS

21-02-14 Sao Paulo RUSSIA 29 – 0 ARGENTINA

21-02-14 Sao Paulo  NEW ZEALAND 36 – 0 IRELAND

16-02-14 Atlanta 11-12th Place   IRELAND 5 – 20 BRAZIL

16-02-14 Atlanta  Quarter-final   NEW ZEALAND 42 – 0 JAPAN

15-02-14 Atlanta  BRAZIL 7 – 21 JAPAN

15-02-14 Atlanta  AUSTRALIA 31 – 0 CHINA

Autumn in the garden, and on the international rugby field  is a time for laying down firm roots, for nurturing and pruning, with an eye to reaching full bloom sometime  in the future.

Repeat-flowering red roses will have several flushes of flowers from late spring and can still be in bloom up until the first frosts.

Last weekend we witnessed a final Autumn showcase, and on an ex cabbage patch, by the Red Roses themselves, England women.

This particular bloom have shown an array of shade and light,  perhaps the pick of the bunch being Jess Breach, scoring 11 tries in two and half games of rugby against Canada.

A more established but slightly less appealing bunch of Red Roses showed some of their true colours, when matched against the exotic south sea islanders, who found it difficult to establish themselves in a much harsher and cooler climate than their natural habitat.

In Wales the green green grass of home, having looked tired, patchy and dull since the last World Cup, showed shoots of recovery, but with the roof closed the rain and sunshine required to speed up germination of the new hybrid were missing, and ultimately that hardy perennial, the All Black, choked and suffocated anything that crossed its path.

Across the channel everything in the “Jardin” is far from rosy, there is some severe pruning,and possibly lopping, to be done, and the biggest grow bag in history is required if we are to see anything of beauty come the spring.

Flourishing Cherry Blossoms were evident, at the new U Arena in Paris, as the warmth of the land of the rising sun sent a cold wintry shiver down the collective spine of French rugby.

Bernard Laporte may well be sharpening his secateurs at this very moment.

And finally the best of show must surely go to the Flower of Scotland there were fears of a trampling underfoot from a marauding marsupial, a totally unfounded notion as it turned out, a truly outstanding display in the darkest corner of the United Kingdom where daylight is sparse at this time of year, and who knows it may even rise up again in early February.

So we now set our sights on lighter and longer days and hope that all our seedlings and our established blooms stay safe and free from damage to brighten up our February and March.

Max Boyce used to delight us with tales of a Welsh fly half factory in the valleys which sadly closed many years ago, but in Georgia business is booming as one particularly rugby factory is taking productivity through the roof.

Georgia’s main export is copper ore, but there is one other major commodity in which it has global dominance.

I am of course referring to the Top 14 Prop assembly plant that makes front row forwards, purely for export, and has a France as its major importer.

In the current national squad all six props ply their trade in France, as incidentally do two hookers and three locks.

Asieshvili, Bekoshvili, Chilachava, Kubriashvili, Naaiashvili and Zhvania all play their rugby at top French clubs.

The legend of French props having been hewn from rocks in Pyrenees, has now been replaced with the modern-day hard as nails versions from the caucuses, with, as dear old Bill McLaren used to say, faces like a bag of chisels.

Every time Georgia turn out in a sporting capacity the headlines referring to “Rainy Nights in” and “Midnight Trains to” plus my guilty as charged “Georgia on my mind” are trotted out repeatedly.

Last Saturday, in a country where rainy nights, and days for that matter, are a fact of life, the Georgian national rugby team played an international match against Wales for the very first time.

There are some striking similarities between the two countries, Wales and Georgia both have a population of around three million, and both countries have a historical tradition of a vibrant coal mining industry, now sadly defunct.

Ironically the rain stayed away, thanks to a roof, and as the chances of getting a mid day train with Arriva are slim, let alone a midnight one, the traditional puns have had to be put in cold storage.

55,310 spectators turned up to witness the occasion, the visitors national anthem, which speaks of “Our icon is our motherland” followed by the gender opposite “Land of my fathers” were probably the most entertaining aspects of the day.

A young Welsh side almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as the factory products totally dominated scrum time, against a Welsh side that wanted to run everything.

Those who live by the scrum shall perish by the scrum, and ultimately the situation resulting in the uncontested scrum furore probably cost Georgia a draw, that would have meant that factory near Tbilisi would have been shut for a national holiday on Monday.

The Georgian forwards were magnificent, but their backs were so-so, quite literally as Soso  Matiashvili, one of their more talented runners, plays at full back.

The next time the two teams are scheduled to meet is in Japan on 23 September 2019, at the Toyota stadium in a Rugby World Cup pool game.

So to go back to the lyrics of the song, written by Hoagy Carmichael, that have spawned a host of headlines this past week

🎼 “Just an old sweet song scrum keeps Georgia on my mind” 🎼

It is a damp mild Autumn night in Guildford, the car headlights from the A3 high above the floodlit pitches, reflect through the leafless trees, and shimmer off the illuminated green turf at Surrey Sports Park.

Amid the distant whining engine noise from the cars of the weary commuters driving home from work, Harlequin ladies go through their warm ups under the watchful eye of coaches Gary Street and Karen Findlay.

This is a typical Thursday night training session for the current Tyrrells Premier league leaders, who sit at the top of the table with seven bonus point wins from their opening seven matches.

The chemistry teacher, the office worker, are all here straight from a busy days work, something many of us forget when we watch their relatively pampered male counterparts go about their business.

What hits you straight away about this group of players and management, is the togetherness, the friendliness and the lack of cliques in the entire squad, there is no international hierarchy here which is great to see.

But those thorough Hubble and decent qualities are in addition to a steeliness and determination, shown on and off the field, by players coaches, and support staff, the reason Quins are sitting on top of the league is through the sheer hard work and dedication  of everyone involved.

Harlequins Ladies are part of the clubs overall women’s and girls strategy, which encompasses the Harlequins Foundations’ Switch Programme, the Harlequin Amateurs girls section, and the Harlequins Ladies 3rd XV.

At the Womens Rugby World in Ireland last August, Harlequins were represented by nine players across five different nations.

Rachael Burford, Vickii Cornborough and Leanne Riley were selected for England, while Michela Sillari and Manuela Furlan donned the blue of Italy.

Jess Wooden and Kimber Rozier represented the United States, whilst Rebecca Rowe and Sene Naoupu competed for Wales and the hosts Ireland respectively.

Deborah McCormack is also a seasoned Scottish international, but sadly the Scots missed  out on qualification for this years tournament .

Most of their home games are played at Surrey Sports Park, in Guildford, although some games have been, and are scheduled, to take place at the Stoop.

I have been fortunate enough to see most of their home games so far this season, and what impresses me, apart from their style of rugby, is the way the players and management mingle with the fans, chat about the game, and are so friendly and approachable, plus, at Guildford, there is a Starbucks less than one minutes walk from the main pitch, what more could anyone want.

As a rugby journalist  it is a breath of fresh air, these days ,to be able to talk and interact so freely with the players and coaches, and their patience seems to know no bounds, but i’m sure Rachael Burford and Deborah McCormack must think i’m stalking them.

The great ethos and values of rugby, that we cherish so dearly, are alive and well and positively flourishing in this group, and that is the greatest testament and compliment that I can pay them.

Meanwhile back at training, the final latte of the day has been poured at Starbucks, and the traffic on the A3 has descended into a gentle rumble, but last orders on the field are still some distance away as the hard work goes on, and guess what they’re all still smiling.

“Nunquam Dormio

Locks can be bruising abrasive sombre characters, it is a dark desolate unforgiving  place in the second row, and the lack of daylight no doubt plays a huge part in their demeanour, but this particular lock is a friendly modest and down to earth computer sciences teacher, who plies her club trade with Harlequins, and internationally in the dark blue shirt of Scotland.

This particular Flower of Scotland is a rare species, blooming in winter, for both club and country, and has sent many an opposition forward homeward to think again.

The deep roots of this particular bloom stretch a very long way, in fact all the way from Scotland to the more temperate surroundings of the garden of England, Kent.

She qualifies to play for Scotland through her gran, who left Motherwell during the Second World War and headed to London to help the war effort, there could surely be no be no worthier qualification criteria than that.

Born in Gillingham, Deborah started playing at the age of ten for Medway RFC, when her brother also began to turn out for the club.

She was encouraged by Karen Findlay, whilst at Richmond, to attend Scottish trials which with the extortionate travel costs for a starving student left her deeply out-of-pocket, but the rest as they say is history, and she made her Scotland debut against Ireland in the 2014 six nations.

Since then she has won twenty eight caps for Scotland, scoring two tries, both against Spain in 2016 and 2017.

Juggling work and rugby takes some doing, particularly when you have to negotiate the M25 at rush hour, twice a week, to attend training, and then the return journey home after gruelling sessions at Surrey Sports Park.

In common with the majority of all the top women players she is indebted to her family without whose support, at so many levels, it would almost be impossible to function.

A Fort Pitt Grammer school former pupil, Debs views Medway RFC as the greatest influence on her career.

They had a thriving women’s rugby scene at Medway RFC, at a time when the women’s game did not have the popularity and participation availability it currently enjoys, and they at Medway they continue to thrive.

Away from rugby there is very little spare time, but what precious time there is, she spends in the company of a very handsome and dashing male with gorgeous blue eyes, but more on that later.

A heartbreaking defeat against Spain, in two-legged play off matches, resulted in Scotland failing to qualify for the women’s rugby world cup in Ireland, a shattering blow, which inevitably was, and still is, difficult to come to terms with, but those days are past now and in the past they must remain, and with the amount of talent at their disposal, the current Scotland squad really look like they can now rise up and be the nation again, and the 2019 Six nations seems the perfect place to lay down a marker to that effect.

Debs would love to be around for the next women’s rugby world cup in 2021, which would be a fitting way end to her career, so we all hope that this particular flower of Scotland will be nurtured and tended carefully, so that she can bloom annually for a good few years to come.

The immediate future presents a pre six nations warm up game in the thistled jersey against Spain, before a packed 6 nations tournament with three home fixtures against Italy Ireland and Wales and Italy, and away trips to France and England.

There is also the Tyrrells premier league, with Harlequins, who are flying high in the table and playing a brand of rugby which is a joy to watch.

When her playing days are over she has no idea what she will do, and at the moment is totally focussed on the here and now.

A hugely popular figure at Harlequins, her down to earth and friendly manner, as well as her playing ability, have earned her huge respect and popularity, it is wonderful and reassuring to see that the values and spirit of our great game are in safe hands with people like Debs around.

I have met quite a few locks in my time, but this one is definitely the nicest, as Benji will testify, by-the-way Benji is a gorgeous black Labrador