Lions Squad

Captain: Alun Wyn Jones (Wal)

Forwards: Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Jack Conan (Ire), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Eng), Tom Curry (Eng), Zander Fagerson (Sco), Taulupe Faletau (Wal), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Jamie George (Eng), Iain Henderson (Ire), Jonny Hill (Eng), Maro Itoje (Eng), Wyn Jones (Wal), Courtney Lawes (Eng), Ken Owens (Wal), Andrew Porter (Ire), Sam Simmonds (Eng), Rory Sutherland (Sco), Justin Tipuric (Wal), Mako Vunipola (Eng), Hamish Watson (Sco).

Backs: Josh Adams (Wal), Bundee Aki (Ire), Dan Biggar (Wal), Elliot Daly (Eng), Gareth Davies (Wal), Owen Farrell (Eng), Chris Harris (Sco), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Stuart Hogg (Sco), Conor Murray (Ire), Ali Price (Sco), Lewis Rees-Zammit (Wal), Finn Russell (Sco), Duhan van der Merwe (Sco), Anthony Watson (Eng), Liam Williams (Wal).

No further comment at this time.

You're in a Rut, You gotta get out of it

Following on from a very hard fought victory against last years semi-finalists Horsham RFC, The Mighty Ruts entertain Wasps RFC this Sunday at Poplar Road in the 2nd round of the RFU National Colts (U17/18s) Cup.

We won quite handsomely in the end. Thirty nine to twenty odd (the exact result escapes me). Tries for Ben and Jonnie, and the Wasps score flatters them as two of their tries came from our errors; a knock on from our full back, and a charged down kick from our outside half. Both our 10 and 15 redeemed themselves though so no hard feelings.

We'll be in the last eight in group eight now see https://www.englandrugby.com/club-competitions/national-under-18-cup/fixtures-and-results/2018-2019/group/28425

Old Rutlishains U18 16-13 Horsham U18

I thought Cardiff City's win this weekend couldn't be outshone this weekend, but Ben and the Old Ruts nail-biting win over Horsham U18s in the RFU's National U18s Cup yesterday managed to do it.

Time Flies

It was the last rugby game of the year for Ben and the Old Ruts colts today.

They lost to Cobham in the final if the Quins Cup.

He narrowly missed out on a try and it was a good achievement to get as far as they did.

Next year will be his tenth year at the Club and his last before senior rugby.

Don't go chasing waterfalls

The Old Ruts (including Ben) beat Chipstead in the Surrey RFU's Colts (U17 and U18 Combined) Season-long Waterfall Cup today.

Now you know as much as me about the Waterfall Cup.

Roll on the final

Rutlish beat Glyn school 19-17 in a thunderous county cup semi final yesterday. I don't think I have ever seen Ben as thrilled as he was when he kicked the ball out of play in the last move of the game to secure the win. Jonnie H got 9 of the 19 points with a try and two conversions.

Bring on the final. I am very pleased for the boys as this is the last hurrah for a cohort that will be split into different sixth form colleges next year.

I had to cadge a lift from Ollie as the AA didn't arrive in time for me to drive to the game. I am waiting for them at home again this morning.

Bucking Broncos

We just got an email saying that Ben hasn't made it to the Broncos squad for this year's games. He seems OK with it.

London Broncos Scholarship

Dear Ben,

Congratulations on your performance during the London Rugby League origin series. I am pleased to say we would like to invite you to spend 7 weeks training on our Scholarship programme up until Christmas with a view to a permanent place in the squad after that point should you have had a successful 'trial' period.

We are asking all new players to 'trial' in this format rather than automatically offering a place so that we can establish if is right for you in terms of commitment/travel etc as much as to see if we feel you will fit into the programme.

The commitment should not be taken lightly and we expect attendance at all sessions pending illness. Whilst understanding there may be other commitments in terms of sport at school and potentially in additional sports this needs to take the priority given the level this represents.

This is the next step on route to becoming a professional rugby league player and you should feel proud of your achievements to have been offered the opportunity.

All gravy, and not so shabby for his first season playing the league code.

out of water

I had a bit of a shock when I saw that, never mind not starting, Dan Fish wasn't even on the bench for tonight's Cardiff Blues versus Glasgow Warriors Pro12 game. It turns out that he hurt his ankle scoring the winning try last week, so he is out injured. Not for too long I hope.

Just for reference and while I have got my rugby head on, the Bomber's school games and results this season should appear on http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=901&TID=454146

Peter Winterbottom

Wikipedia

Peter James Winterbottom (born 31 May 1960 in Otley, West Yorkshire), is a former England rugby union footballer who played as an openside flanker. He was England's most-capped openside (with 58 caps) until being overtaken by Neil Back in 2003. He made his England debut on 2 January 1982 against Australia, and his final appearance on 20 March 1993 against Ireland.

Winterbottom was known for his work rate, durability, hard tackling and courage. He was selected on two British and Irish Lions tours in 1983 and 1993, both to New Zealand, where he impressed the locals with his fine play, albeit on losing sides. He was the second England player to reach 50 caps, after Rory Underwood, and was inducted onto the Twickenham "Wall of Fame" in November 2005.

Winterbottom played club rugby for Headingley, Harlequins and also for Hawkes Bay in New Zealand and Transvaal in South Africa.

He can now add helping out with training the Old Ruts U16s yesterday to that illustrious CV. You may think that you are surprised and impressed, but you aren't as surprised and impressed as I was.

League 1 U16 fixtures for the diary

Round 1:
18-09-2016
Old Caterhamians U16A v Old Rutlishians U16A at Old Caterhamians Club Park Avenue

Round 2:
25-09-2016
Old Rutlishians U16A v KCS Old Boys at Old Rutlishians - Poplar Rd

Round 5:
18-12-2016
Old Rutlishians U16A v Guildford Stags U16A at Old Rutlishians - Poplar Rd

Round 6:
15-01-2017
Richmond U16A v Old Rutlishians U16A at Richmond - The Athletic Ground

Round 7:
12-02-2017
Old Rutlishians U16A v London Irish Amateur U16A at Old Rutlishians - Poplar Rd Details

Round 8:
05-03-2017
Reeds Weybridge U16A v Old Rutlishians U16A at Reeds Weybridge - Whiteley Village

Round 9:
09-04-2017
Old Rutlishians U16A v Cobham U16A at Old Rutlishians - Poplar Rd

Nothing at all in October and November.

thicker than water

Dan Fish starts at full back tonight for the Blues against Edinburgh with Matthew Morgan and Gareth Anscombe on the bench. That's a welcome precedent. Long may it continue

we are worthy

Congratulations to the GB Olympic sevens side on their silver medal win last night. They were given exhibition match style pummelling in the final, but can more than hold their heads high; being effectively a scratch side against a Fijian outfit who have specialised in this format around the world.

In other rugby news, I got an email last night saying Ben has been selected for this year’s Hard Rock Café London Rugby League Origin Series. Here's the announcement on the London Rugby League Foundation web site, which also explains what the Origin Series is and its history.

While I was on the site, I checked and saw that the Invicta Panthers beat the Elmbridge Eagles in the U15 finals last month, so the Ruts have the - admittedly small - consolation of going out in the semis to the ultimate winners.

get your teeth into this

The Rutlish Raiders U15s beat the Hemel Stags 50-20 on Saturday. That was an important win, as it boosts us up to second in the table.

This Saturday we have got the Sussex Merlins at home. Win that and we are guaranteed a place in the play-offs, and the following week's game away at the North Herts Crusaders should be a show down that decides who comes second and who comes third.

Ben can't make that last game unfortunately as he has an inviolable dental appointment to get new braces fitted on his teeth. On a Saturday rather than a school day! It is almost as if someone thinks that health and education is more important that rugby.

U15 - West league table
			P	W	L	D	PF	PA	DIFF	PTS
1		Elmbridge Eagles	8	7	0	1	370	94	276	15
2		Rutlish Raiders	8	4	4	0	234	214	20	8
3		North Herts Crusaders	8	4	4	0	158	233	-75	8
4		Sussex Merlins	8	3	5	0	180	179	1	6
5		Richmond Warriors	8	3	4	1	170	252	-82	3
6		Hemel Stags	8	2	6	0	136	276	-140	0

a league of their own

There is no rugby league game for the Raiders today, as it is a Bank Holiday weekend.

After that we are home to the Stags on June 4th, home to the Merlins on June 11, and away to the Crusaders on June 18.

June 18th is the last U15 West league game. It turns out that there is an East league as well.  On June 25 and July 2 we will play the team who finish in the same position as us in that league; two games one home and one away.

After that, if we come third or higher in the West league (and we are third at the moment) we get into the play offs.

09 Jul 16 Round One A - 2nd West v 3rd East
09 Jul 16 Round One B – 2nd East v 3rd West

16 Jul 16 Semi-Final 1st West v Winner of Round 1-B
16 Jul 16 Semi-Final 1st East v Winner Round 1-A

23 Jul 16 London RL Youth Junior Grand Finals at London Broncos RLFC, Ealing

All clear?

The Invicta Panthers, who put the Raiders out of the Cup in Ben's first ever rugby league game (Icons passim) are currently sitting on top of the East table.

Player of another year

Ben won the Old Ruts U15 League 1 Player of the Year award at the club last night. This year, like last year when Welsey won it, it was decided a vote among the squad, not by the coaches. It is a great honour for him to be picked out by his peers like that.

I don't have a picture as I remembered that when he won it four years ago (Icons passim) I was so busy fooling around with the camera on my phone that I didn't really concentrate on savouring the moment.

Well I never!

Great performance from Ben Browne in the Intermediate Boys Javelin to come second #Athletics

— Rutlish PE & Sport (@PeRutlish) May 16, 2016

I was checking something out for the Wimbledon Bookfest on Twitter yesterday when I came across the tweet from the Bomber's school above. I wish I was clearer about what competition it was in, it must have been something significant I suppose.

While we are on the subject of himself, you can go directly to his rugby league try from Saturday's game at https://youtu.be/AGo4--bMSRY?t=23m10s without having to sit through all that boring filler footage of the opposition scoring.

Rutland Weekend Television

I am just back from Cardiff, but the miracle of Interweb YouTubery means I can watch the Raiders being beaten by the Elmbridge Eagles yesterday ..... and thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

Old Ruts Kenya is up and running

one and a half minutes

The Saracens recorded their games at the sevens at Worthing at Sunday and sent us a link. I share a ninety second clip above in which Ben scores a try, tackles the guy who catches the restart and then - after half time when the camera is off - catches their restart and runs through the entire team to put the ball down under the posts.

How you like them apples?