By Sam Perkins, Rugby World reader

A hard earned break this weekend for the Blackheath teams. The Developments (3rds) are on tour in Mexico, the lucky wotsits, and league matches don’t return to normal scheduling until next week. That meant; pub, beer and a good weekend of rugby.

Good performance from England, once again a passionate first-half display, however, in the last third just was lacking that depth and southern hemisphere endurance to ruck against the mighty all-blacks. Unlike the other games though, we can take more positives than negatives from this spectacle. For instance, position changes and successes. Cueto was brilliant at full-back swapping with monye, who had a fine game, scoring the “try that wasn’t”. The pack was superb (apart from a trivial brawl in the ruck from Tim Payne) and earned some respect back from the previous demonstrations. Thank god for the return of Simon Shaw, he would easily partner Victor Matfield in anyone’s World Team second row. Stick him on the wing if we have to; just have his steadfast presence in the team.

However, the weekend’s spectacular performance was up north in the little country of Scotland. Who thought they could beat a former world champion nation. A poised team on the back of a comfortable victory over England and gaining a well deserved draw against Wales. Australia was looking stronger and stronger with arguably the best “scrum-half/fly-half” pairing in the world. But low and behold, Scotland crack out the goods; what a defensive exhibition. Congratulations to the Scots!

With Scotland looking confident under Robinson and France playing some of the best rugby I have ever witnessed, the Six Nations could be one of the best we have ever witnessed. Bring on Springs Fixtures!