IT was even worse than we first thought. To recap. The RFU were emerging from a ruinous Covid period, some of England’s big professional teams are in their final death throes, the salary cap was being enforced with iron discipline by Prem Rugby, savage cuts had been made to wages at elite level and the amateur game was hanging on by its fingernails. Individuals were being made redundant left, right and centre at the RFU itself; budgets slashed; the Championship virtually sent to Coventry financially. Everybody in this great game of ours was tightening their belts like ever befor...