Well, it seems to have been a week of disappointing news - lockdown for 28 days meaning that the Club is firmly closed unless we can change the Government’s mind about Youth outdoor activity - and the cancellation of any competitive league games for our senior squad. Of course, we may all feel angry and frustrated but we know that defeating this virus, so we can return to some sort of normality, has to be our main focus.

Last Saturday 50 of us enjoyed Super Saturday at the Club - Claire had organised it brilliantly so everyone knew exactly what the protocols were and Dawn, as usual, provided us with great food. It was wonderful to meet up with folk that I hadn’t seen for what seemed like ages!

Thank you to all concerned.

And… our roving reporter Ed Marriage has reviewed the games for us.

How was Super Saturday for you?

Well, England duly won the title which will no doubt have provoked celebrations among those watching in the Colchester clubhouse and in homes and pubs across the country. But was I alone in feeling a bit underwhelmed by a day which is generally one of the highlights of the rugby year?

Of course, the empty stadiums didn’t help. The 6 Nations is all about the fans enjoying a weekend away, the tribal rivalry, the rousing anthems and the communal post-match celebrations and drowning-of-sorrows.

The Prime Minister choosing to announce another national lockdown just minutes after England completed victory in Rome hardly improved the national mood.

But in truth, with the exception of the odd flash of French flair and the heart-warming sight of Ben Youngs marking his 100th appearance for England with a brace of tries, the rugby was not of a style to lift spirits.

That was certainly the case for the first match between Wales and Scotland. A blustery wind did not help, but the game did not reach anything like the level of entertainment expected. Credit Scotland – their 14-10 win means they recorded three successive wins in a 6 Nations for the first time and they are undoubtedly on the up.

By contrast, this was Wales’s fifth defeat on the bounce and they need a quick change of form and fortune with the Autumn Nations Cup just around the corner. From Grand Slam winners in 2019 to 5th in the table has provoked predictable rumblings among supporters out west.

And so to the Stadio Olimpico. England knew they needed a bonus-point win and plenty of points to put the pressure on France and Ireland. They had the perfect start with Youngs’s try inside a minute, but that was about as good as it got in the first half. A yellow card for Jonny Hill on his debut didn’t help, and England led only 10-5 ahead at half-time.

England’s kicking improved significantly in the second half and they looked more threatening with ball in hand. Within a minute of the restart, Hill’s charge down led to a second try for Youngs but it didn’t exactly open the floodgates.

Jamie George – playing his 50th game for England – eventually crossed for the third try, with Tom Curry and Henry Slade adding further scores. England’s 34-5 win meant that if Ireland beat France by seven points or more, the title would be theirs. For France to win it, they needed a bonus point and a 32-point winning margin.

How confident were you at this point that the trophy was heading to Twickenham?

An empty Stade de France is a pretty soulless place, but at least France v Ireland produced the best rugby of the day and a match close enough to give the old championship a fitting climax.

France were ahead after 7 minutes through Antoine Dupont’s try but Ireland had levelled on 19 minutes through Cian Healy. A penalty try had France ahead 17-13 at half-time – and while the score remained close that was good news for England.

Early in the second half, a typical bit of French flair led to the score which may have decided the title – Gael Fickou’s chip was gathered by Dupont who offloaded to Ntmack to score. Robbie Henshaw and Jacob Stockdale kept Ireland in touch with scores, but Virimi Vakatawa’s try completed a 35-27 win for France.

It’s hard to dispute the fact that France – aside from the meltdown at Murrayfield which scuppered their Grand Slam chances - were the most impressive performers over the extended tournament. They are coming to the boil nicely as they prepare to host the world cup in three years’ time.

But it’s England who take the spoils. And just to emphasise the bizarre nature of the 2020 6 Nations, the trophy was handed over in the garden of their Thames-side hotel in Teddington on Sunday afternoon. Let’s hope it’s the last time that has to happen – but with the next 6 Nations just 14 weeks away there’s sadly no guarantee.

To complete the international weekend, England’s women wrapped up yet another Grand Slam with a 54-0 demolition of Italy in Parma.

And now for those of you who played your rugby in the 70s here’s Steve ‘Wally’ Whiteman’s fantasy team:

1. Alan Line - reliable prop with a good rugby brain.
2. Pat York - Good both in the tight and the loose.
3. Eddie Munn R.I.P. -Strong scrummager with surprisingly deft hands.
4. John Fitzgibbon - great to have in the 'engine room' with his strength.
5. Bob Semple R.I.P.- hard worker in scrum and line out.
6. John Adie -excellent around the pitch. in scrum and line out.
7. Bob Douglas or Ollie Peacock -both excellent tacklers and ball foragers.
8. Roger Rendall -the complete No 8. Very strong runner, hard to stop.
9. Dai Kenyon - excellent handling and kicking skills, reads a game well.
10. Colin Perkins - intelligent player, main attribute is powerful kicking.
11. Len Nieuwenhuis - pacy winger, always very competitive.
12. Rick Walshaw - excellent handling, kicking & running skills.
13. Gary Garbett - fast-paced, fine tackler & effective partner for Rick.
14. Bruce Woodcock - strong physical winger with electric pace.
15. Chris Gregory - 'Hoover' dealt well with high kicks and often turned defence into attack.

Bench:
Front row replacement - Andy Shattock (can prop & hook well)
Rear five in scrum - Jim Crowley (versatile forward in tight & loose)
Backs replacement - Dave Burrage (can play No 10. centre or wing)

And now a tribute to one of the great characters at CRFC.

It’s with great sadness that we have to report the death of stalwart Colchester rugby supporter and club patron Dave Nunn. Dave died aged 62 last month after a long illness.

Dave was a larger-than-life character in just about every way. Well over 6 feet tall and invariably wearing a wide-brimmed hat and armed with his walking stick, he was a familiar and unmistakable presence on the Mill Road balcony at each and every 1st XV home game, pint in one hand, and what he described as a “health-giving” cigarette in the other.

But Dave was also a regular “on the road” as part of a group of us who enjoyed nothing more than following Colchester around the country to away matches – trips which often turned into memorable adventures.

Whether it be Eton Manor, Brentwood or North Walsham, Dave instinctively knew the best watering holes and had an uncanny knack for getting us to the relevant away clubhouse just in time for “one more pint” before kick-off.

His encyclopaedic knowledge of pubs was only matched by his appalling time-keeping. But his relentlessly-cheerful demeanour and non-stop chat meant that he always got away with his inevitable lateness.

A former player of some note himself, Dave enjoyed a spell at the old Saracens amateur club, and remained a vocal fan of the “Men in Black”. He also played for several Essex clubs, including Billericay.

Dave loved talking about rugby. Even when he was very ill, I would receive regular text messages wanting to discuss England’s latest tactics or Eddie Jones’s team selections.

Dave was a member of real ale pressure group CAMRA for more than 40 years. He was also a keen fisherman, enjoyed camping, playing darts and snooker. He also had a massive record collection and a love of the sort of progressive rock which was a mystery to even his closest friends.

Dave didn’t want a funeral – but hopefully, we can raise a glass to him when we are all back together and able to cheer on Colchester.

Ed Marriage

Do send me any news you have so we can keep in touch - we are a strong community and family and I look forward to hearing from you,

Maggie

President CRFC