No English rugby player enjoys losing at Twickenham. I lost the biggie in 1991, the Rugby World Cup Final against Australia, a match we should have won. This loss- my only one at home during a 9-year(disrupted) career was sandwiched in between two grand slams back-to-back, a feat only accomplished once before in the 20’s. My last game in an England shirt was a conclusive win against Wales, who were nilled, to achieve the double grand slam. It was a great way to sign off and I still have the commemorative cufflinks!

Similarly, I do not expect England to be denied against France this weekend for their Grand Slam. The Red Roses will use their own World Cup Final pain in NZ to get this done. As importantly the world record 50 plus thousand crowd signals another landmark in the fast growth of the Women’s game. As people suggest, a sold-out Twickenham is likely in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. It’s a credit to the RFU over the years.

Giselle Mather is a World Cup winner from 1994 and now Head of Women’s Rugby at Ealing Trailfinders, as well as a firm friend of Sporting Wine Club! She appeared at our ‘Women in Wine’ event alongside Susannah Ricci, our star winemaker from the world of Horseracing and spoke eloquently about the excitement leading up to the match. She said in the media this week: “If I want to turn on the TV or go and watch women’s sport live, then I have the choice.” These are exciting developments and not before time.

Meanwhile, the underperforming men’s team were apparently not fit enough to close out their Six Nations matches, according to the review. The last 20 minutes of a key match is also about making great decisions under pressure or maintaining a performance in the first 60 minutes which is pretty important too. The unnamed panel may also have observed the wreckage left by Jones’ legacy of poor selection and non-existent man management on and off the field. Which is not to diminish his first couple of years when the side churned out some great results, but being now ranked seventh in the world tells its own story.

Lastly, the big Championship game in Jersey saw Ealing Trailfinders fall just short in a titanic struggle. It epitomised the obvious value in the second tier and the battle for this recognition will continue, that I promise.

We have some wonderful offers for members to celebrate this landmark fixture at Twickenham, and of course with the Coronation only a week away, our regal wine package is still available, a loyal and royal toast to our new King.