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Joined June 2022
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Mick Cleary, who was Daily Telegraph rugby correspondent ( 1997-2021), was also a sports feature writer for The Observer ( 1988-1997). Cleary has covered eight Rugby World Cups as well as seven Lions tours. He was written several books on those tournaments and tours as well as worked with Jeremy Guscott on his autobiography. Cleary has also had extensive experience of other sports including tennis at Wimbledon, cycling at the Tour de France and golf at The Open. Cricket, athletics , horse racing and F1 also feature on his CV.
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Yippee! An actual victory. Not a ‘moral win’ to be added as a footnote. Thank goodness. England were becoming embarrassing, bleating on about being…
Here’s a thing – why are you reading this tale of Ashes-losing woe at a sodden Old Trafford and not feasting on the exhilarating…
Thank you Andy Murray and every other knocked-out Brit at Wimbledon. Thank you poor old Mark Cavendish, nobbled by malign Fate at the Tour…
Oh we of little faith! There we were, thinking that Bazball was a busted flush, no more than a teenage fantasy, grown men getting…
All the hope, all the expectation, all that nervous energy as to whether the Ashes would live up to the hype has been vindicated.…
Football? Get outta here! It’s time for cricket. The sun is shining (tempting fate), the tickets have been snapped up, the grounds will be…
Hello. Excuse me. Have you seen any of my grey matter? I had a full complement and then I went to Dublin for St…
The Germans have a word for it – ‘schadenfreude’ – which to the rest of the sporting world roughly translates as ‘laughing your tits…
Meanwhile, in other news, Ireland battle through in Rome, England silence the Principality in a dirge-fest while France and Scotland serve up a delight…
There was once a cack-handed rugby administrator – sorry, that’s inaccurate, there have been a legion of such slack-jawed suits in committee rooms but…
Netflix have been casting around to find a way to regenerate their business and they’ve made worse moves than committing themselves to a behind-the-scenes…
Eddie The Lip finally ran out of things to say. Eddie the Abrasive couldn’t bring himself to eat humble pie. Eddie the Sharp-shooter fired…
English rugby was in the dock during the week. A leading Member of Parliament described it as having ‘failed on an epic scale,’ that…
At least there was no Qatar-like booze ban at Twickenham. That much came as a relief to so many. How else to cope with…
Who were these guys in white, full of snap and verve? England? The same lumpen lot of last week? It couldn’t be. Perhaps it…
What did we learn from the weekend of rugby? Things are going well up north so some, but not all. Ireland - Top of…
Australians are well aware that errant Poms used to be sent to their shores to endure a spot of hard labour and learn lessons…
See. All it takes is a change of Prime Minister and suddenly everything looks rosy. The Suncorp ramparts are stormed (well, for the first…
Are you English? Do you like straws? Do you clutch them as hard as you can when times are tough? You bet you do.…
The back-heeled conversion by Barbarians lock George Kruis that went viral might as well have been a collective kick in the nuts for England…
Starc catch 100% not a catch.
Northern View: Cummins should have spared Bairstow, McGrath owes an apology, and end of an era for England
Athers is different class to the rest, either as writer or broadcaster
Northern View: Cummins should have spared Bairstow, McGrath owes an apology, and end of an era for England
Fair comment on Bairstow. Dozy bit of play. I’d play Foakes as keeper
Northern View: Cummins should have spared Bairstow, McGrath owes an apology, and end of an era for England
could easily lose 5-0. Australia have looked the better all-round team, the few England peaks apart.
I think the Bairstow incident is perfectly ripe for comment, either way tbh
As for the Long Room Ultras, the MCC has been up its own backside for too long
Northern View: Cummins should have spared Bairstow, McGrath owes an apology, and end of an era for England
Pitches have been turgid for first two tests although the Aussies have been far better at exploiting them than England’s deadened attack. And, yeah, let’s have runners back. Lyon scenario was a dreadful look for sport.
Northern View: Cummins should have spared Bairstow, McGrath owes an apology, and end of an era for England
I have long had an image of Sid Going getting arsey with David Duckham throughout that famous BaaBaas game in 1973. That was a proper spikey old game never mind the fab flowing sequences
Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations
Yeah. An oversight. Fine player I blame old age and gallons of Malbec.
Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations
Hansen has been one (if not THE ) player of the tournament
Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations
The draw is a complete joke. England – Wales QF is a distinct possibility which doesn’t compare in standing to either Ire-NZ or Fr-SA
Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations
Great player but Dupont can change a game as well as control it.
Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations
Sadly, too true Harry
Northern View: The 'massively unfair' World Rugby 'madness' exposed in Six Nations battle for the ages
Yeah. Still the nagging question underpinning it all John. Nowhere near the depth of NZ in 2011 when they could whistle up a fisherman from the Waikato when Carter got crocked.
Northern View: The 'massively unfair' World Rugby 'madness' exposed in Six Nations battle for the ages
Ha 76 word sentence…I’m only just warming up. I’ll be off my long run next time
Northern View: England succumb to 'sheer beauty', French 'fragility' fear, Gatland 'honeymoon turns to dust'
I’ve always resisted the notion that Italy ought to be relegated. Do that and all the good work that has been done and is now coming to fruition will be wasted
Northern View: England succumb to 'sheer beauty', French 'fragility' fear, Gatland 'honeymoon turns to dust'
I might be a crusty old git but a loss is a loss in my book and World Cup warm-up matches are what they say on the tin – a warm-up for the real thing
Northern View: England succumb to 'sheer beauty', French 'fragility' fear, Gatland 'honeymoon turns to dust'
Bang on. A fear that traditional international rugby would be devalued was one of the objections pre the first WC in 1987. Focus on the here and now and the future will look after itself. To say that building for a WC becomes an easy cop-out
Northern View: Eddie's reaction to Boks disaster insults England fans, cynical Wallabies-Wales cash grab a sign of distress
it was a hard watch Mungo. What the hell are we doing having water breaks ? Haven’t seen any in Qatar.
Northern View: Eddie's reaction to Boks disaster insults England fans, cynical Wallabies-Wales cash grab a sign of distress
You’re right Suzy. Refs are subjected to scrutiny and penalised through not getting the top games. Rugby is a complex sport. Error/interpretation is all part of it. Simplify it too much and you water down its essence. And, of course, no ref, no game
Northern View: Eddie's reaction to Boks disaster insults England fans, cynical Wallabies-Wales cash grab a sign of distress
Did think it was too late to make a change. No longer so sure. That was a dreadful beating last Saturday. Jones might just about still have the dressing-room but he has lost something far more important – the fans.
Northern View: Eddie's reaction to Boks disaster insults England fans, cynical Wallabies-Wales cash grab a sign of distress
True Farrell has had to cede the captain’s armband. He won’t give the bloody kicking tee away !
ANALYSIS: England are running on empty when it comes to steel-edged confidence and street snarl
Good appraisal AJP Billy V right back to his best. Had been way off the pace. Be interesting to see if can reproduce it at test level
ANALYSIS: England are running on empty when it comes to steel-edged confidence and street snarl
Ha Yes, remember once bumping into Campo who asked me if we were related. Think he was an item at the time with my namesake’s daughter (?)
ANALYSIS: England are running on empty when it comes to steel-edged confidence and street snarl
Thanks Machooka Covid has messed with so much and so many that reliable form is out of the window. This next six months will give us a much more reliable indicator, starting in Auckland on Saturday.
ANALYSIS: England are running on empty when it comes to steel-edged confidence and street snarl
That’s a fingers crossed hope CS As mentioned, England turned it round quickly in 2018 to RWC 2019 They’re low on confidence at moment and short of power in midfield.
ANALYSIS: England are running on empty when it comes to steel-edged confidence and street snarl
Think you’ll find I’ve said the exact opposite
Northern View: It's not whingeing if it's true - this Ashes anti-climax was completely avoidable