MOST of our local clubs’ senior league sides are without a game this weekend, though there will be plenty of action involving lower teams.

And, of course, London Irish return from a three week break to welcome London Scottish in a battle of the Exiles at Madejski Stadium this Saturday.

There is also the small matter of Round Three of the RBS 6 Nations Championship taking place with local clubhouses open to those looking to soak up the unique atmosphere you can only get from watching a game at a rugby club.

It’s Scotland versus Wales first up on Saturday (2.25pm ko) followed by Ireland v France (4.50pm).

England have to wait until Sunday for their match against Italy at Twickenham (3pm ko).

I can’t see England losing to Italy and I’m sure Eddie Jones will be keen to put a big score on the board and ease to their 17th consecutive win.

Their chances will also be enhanced as Mako Vunipola returns from injury to bolster the Red Rose armoury, though brother, Billy, remains sidelined.

The other two matches, however, are hard to call, particularly after Scotland put in such a tremendous effort against France and could give Wales a real hard time.

One interested spectator this weekend will certainly be Warren Gatland.

He has a lot of great players to choose from for his British Lions squad to tour New Zealand this summer.

In fact, I think this Lions team could be the first to bring back a series win from New Zealand since 1971 when the likes of John Dawes, Barry John and Willie John McBride clinched a 2-1 success.

Looking back to last weekend and it wasn’t a good one for our local senior teams with only Redingensians Rams pulling off a victory after narrowly seeing off visitors Bury St. Edmunds.

Well done to them as they are our highest placed league team in seventh place in National League Two South, having won 12 and drawn one of 23 games But both Reading and Reading Abbey suffered set-backs and I’m afraid that my boys Reading, after being 10-8 up in the first half, went down 33-10 at Windsor which has virtually sealed our relegation.

We’re 20 points adrift of safety with six games left to play, including four of the table’s top six sides, and I really can’t see us escaping the drop. If there is a rugby God, we need his or her help now!

But this is sport, and we play for the enjoyment. However, you only get back what you put in, and, if you haven’t put in the hard hours week-in and week-out, you’ll end up on the losing side.