Peaceful protest is an essential part of a free and fair society but I believe masks and face coverings undermine the principle. The point is to show yourself as a citizen who objects, and willing to be identified as such. Surely anonymity renders the gesture meaningless?

Have a great season mate

The Rec was at bursting point tonight for the Saints game. If only they’d seen off the barmy objections 15 years ago they’d now have a huge stadium and be up there with Toulouse

All trains lead to Exeter today … at around 2mph. Fantastic prospect as Chiefs play Tigers. Classic at the Rec last night, Ben Spencer masterly in all phases. Quality officiating too

Can we fit Fiji in the rugby Championships?.. #PacificNationsCup

Exeter Chiefs had it all under control. Then they didn’t. Extraordinary scenes at Sandy Park. Match report Times Sport Sunday Times Sport

Why have New Zealand Rugby and SA Rugby destroyed The Rugby Championship by moving to play the competition every second year⁉️ That’s what their inbound tours effectively mean. The Six Nations would never dream of playing the tournament bi-annually. Argentina again stand up.

Not a dig at other codes who clearly aren’t struggling, but more evidence rugby has a pulse in Aus. Total crowd for 2 NRL finals matches in Sydney this weekend: 59,942 Swans final: 44,053 Crowd for the arvo Bledisloe: 68,061. Last year at MCG: 83,944 Rugby lives.

Los Pumas gave @springboks a 17-point start in The Mother of Cities stadium then dared to create four tries in surely the finest half-hour by any Argentinian team anywhere. Defeat leaves the World Cup holders one point away from winning The Rugby Championship.

Great piece by Brian Carey in ⁦The Sunday Times Ireland⁩ Irish rugby’s golden boys forced to tackle the corporate game thetimes.com/article/e8e48f…

How nice not to write the same old shite as start of last year! Some reflections on Dragons’ derby win. 🟡 Lake goes early. 🟡 Dragons fight to change the story. 🟡 Flashes of promise (Keddie 💪🏻)but more to come. 🟡 Time to tinker before key home games. southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/24601170…

This weekend the elite players set out on a season in which they hope to become Lions. Here is my first shot at the party, with help from my colleagues in Wales, Ireland and Scotland. thetimes.com/sport/rugby-un…

Tremendous drama at Sandy Park yesterday as Tigers exhumed themselves in the last play. Great win, but I've never heard Exeter's estimable Rob Baxter so annoyed and bewildered by his men afterwards. Report thetimes.com/sport/rugby-un…

thetimes.com/sport/rugby-un…

Watching re-run of Pumas v Boks. Fantastic Test match in a new stadium, some attacking briliance by the Pumas, deserving winners. NZ and SA want to split away, to play only with each other every two years. The Pumas have beaten them both this season. Maybe NZ and SA could be

Another key feature of the remarkable Pumas v Boks Test - I thought that Christophe Ridley and the English officiaiting team were first-class. Consistent and sympathetic.

Sale made terribly hard work of seeing off Quins. Ignored penalty shots and in the end, George Ford held them together for the win. But could have been a 20 pointer.

Five years after this newspaper investigation, former police officer Mike Stanley is sentenced to six years in prison after running a £44m ‘classic Ponzi scheme’ masquerading as a betting syndicate. Many lives devastated. Story to follow The Times and The Sunday Times⁩ dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsne…

My reflections on a wonderful win against all the odds for the Pumas against the World Champions; none of their starters are based in Argentina and yet on their day, their passions for their country are unsurpassed. thetimes.com/sport/rugby-un…