The coach, the ex-sprinter and the ovoid

It is said that when Martin Johnson took the field at Stadium Australia on 22nd November 203, he gathered the team around him and simply said 'Let's do it'. Such a short phrase summed up the years of hard work, the beating the antipodean nations in their back yards and the winning numerous Six Nations matches were culminating on the big prize.

Almost two hours later, the big man was lifting the William Webb Ellis Trophy.

Now Mr Johnson is no fool and you know, as manager of the full England Rugby XV, that the future if the team is in the best possible hands, but is it?

It is rumored that Dwain Chambers is now to assist the backs and forwards of the national team. Why?

One of the current players said"I was looking to do some sprint training this summer and when the opportunity came to train with Britain's fastest man at a local track, it was a no-brainer."

Actually. the 'no brainer' is that with working with Britain's most high profile drug cheating sportsman, English rugby and the national team will constantly be under suspicion particularly if they regain the position of number one team in the world. Is Martin Johnson fully aware of the ramifications?

It is time that he used a short phrase to Dwain.

Two words and the second one is off.

Members of Parliment

Not content with exorbitant expenses, second homes funded by us the taxpayer, the 'John Lewis' list, the awarding of their own pay rises and 76 days of holiday over the Summer, it appears that we are funding the drinking habits of said representatives.

If they do not know the price of a pint, how can they honestly know what is best for the individual, families or the population as a whole?

Why are we paying for their alcohol consumption? Somebody tell me!

Changing tyres of the motorway.

When I had my blowout a few days, Mr AA man said that one should never change a tyre on the hard shoulder of a motorway. He knew of AA men and AA 'customers' who had died whilst trying to do so.

On the M1 today, there was a van on the hard shoulder with the drivers side rear tyre being changed. Along with the person levering up the van (less than a yard from articulated lorries doing fifty to sixty speeding by) there was five, yes five, men standing and watching the tyre changer's efforts. Do people not have any sense?

Further on, there was Mr RAC man doing the same on another vehicle.

Beggars belief!

The advice is simple. You have a blow out on the motorway, get the services to tow you to the next services and then change the wheel.

Otherwise you are a statistic waiting to happen.

Blow outs and Speeding

Had a blow out at 80 mph in the fast lane of the M6 yesterday. I'm OK and back home, tyre ripped to shreds!

Got to thinking in the ten minutes or so as I stood on the hard shoulder of the motorway. The speed of the vehicles was so fast! You do not realize it when you are sitting in solitude listening to Darkness on the Edge of Town doing seventy plus. but you do when you are standing by the roadside watching the lorries go past you creating blasts of air that make standing difficult.

Talking of speeding, just got the six points that I did have on my license removed. The government's argument has always been that speed kills so must impose limits on todays roads. However, if the government were so concerned about death and destruction as the result of speed, why do they allow cars on the roads that can do more than 70 mph? On my car, I can do 100 mph comfortably (but don't tell the Boss*).

Surely, if speed kills then cars that can go seventy plus should be banned at source, Top Gear should never again mention high performance cars and James Bond should ride in a Peugeot 106 to set a good example.

But I can't see that happening, can you? Would not be anything to do with the small matter of tax would it?

* Boss as in work boss, NOT The Boss