Hello and welcome to a hastily-created blog to serve former followers of AoD and any other random rugby union fanatics as well.
Now that rugby season is upon us, it seemed intolerable not to have somewhere to share our pain, our hopes and our squabbles.
Please pile in BTL! There will no doubt be much tinkering with the site. Suggestions for improvements are welcome but may be discarded out of hand. We do not possess Sag-like wizardry.
thaumaturge
Ovally Balls 
Yes, I guess there was a Karlism in there, for those whose minds are that way disposed.
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Thaum, I think Watson is one of the few backrows who are nailed on for the RWC squad, Barclay would have been if it weren’t for almost a whole season out with injury, as things stand he, along with Magnus Bradbury, Matt Fagerson, Jamie Ritchie, Josh Strauss, Blade Thompson and Ryan Wilson are duking it out for seats on the plane.
Sam Skinner is being talked about as a hybrid lock/6 and all of the hookers can play in the back row if called upon.
The 8 specialist back rows will be cut to 6 max, possibly 5 if we take Skinner as a utility.
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I would leave Thompson and Strauss out. Wilson will probably go as he seems to be a player that coaches like and fans hate (even some from his own side!). That would leave Watson, Barclay, Bradbury, Fagerson and Ritchie.
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BB, the only thing I’d say about Thompson is that he is an unknown quantity, to us fans at least. He looked to be going well down at Parc Y Scarlets until he got a head knock against Edinburgh. He seems to be very highly rated by the coaching team, I’m hoping for big things from him over the next few weeks.
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Barclay also stands out for me, as someone who doesn’t follow all the intricacies of Scottish rugby. But if he’s not fit, he’s not fit.
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I don’t know it this is something I should have done but I did it out of concern – I asked around a few musician friends of mine in Scotland for any word on Sag. No one has heard anything on any grapevines.
I’m hoping he has just gone to ground for his own reasons and that is that, and that nothing untoward or unpleasant has happened.
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Ticht – I think that’s warranted under the circs. And I’m very glad to hear that there’s no news to report.
It must have been very stressful to run the blog at the advanced level that he did, as well as have a proper day (and night!) job. If he’s just decided to wash his hands of it, that’s perfectly understandable, and I hope that’s the case.
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Yeah, Thaum, I think it’s a “no news is good news” situation and I’m not going to chase it further, if Sag wanted to let it go he was perfectly entitled to do so.
Still, it’s good to have this site up and running – thanks again for making it happen.
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What I would really like to discover is that Sag is lurking here. If you are, mate, please come out, even if it’s just one line to say you’re okay. No-one is going to chastise you! (Well, not unless you’re into that.) We’re just grateful for what you’ve done over the past years, and worried.
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All systems back up and running. Praise be (I think). NN!
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@thaum – hehe.
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@tomp – this is pre tournament. They’re even more levels of fucked. Maybe they could find some unused locks inna prem if they run out. Worked with fly half’s once.
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*I’m really drunk onna train and posting onna blog!!!!! *
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MORNING CRAIGS! HOW’S THE HEID???
Good morning, everyone else! Liverpool are Kings of Europe (as if there was any doubt), taking their love affair with Istanbul to new levels, the Kiwis are collapsing in Colombo, Brexit wheeling and dealing shows no signs of getting any less weird and Arron Banks reinforces what a classless tool he is with his comments on Greta Thunberg. As you were, then.
I see Owen Franks is not even in the 23 for Saturday for the Kiwis. They really have bugger all in the propping department.
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Oh, and I’d like to 2nd or 3rd Thaum and Ticht’s comments about Sag above – I think we’re all rowing in the same direction in the dinghy for once!
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Of course as soon as I gloat over the Kiwis collapsing, Boult belts the ball to the boundary! 246/8 if anyone remotely cares. Last out was Southee on double Nelson. Boult and William Somerville the 35 year old playing his second Test have put on 26 so far for the 9th wicket.
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@Deebee
You finished them off nicely there, 249 all out. I won’t be letting you do the scoring for the AoD cricket team though as your maths isn’t good enough.
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That’s a bit harsh actually, I’d let you off one mistake as long as you were using a pencil.
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Even then it depends on whether or not you can umpire. Risk of saying no to that is that it brings extra fielding duties into play if the opposition happen to be short.
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Hopefully we’ll get some Lordsy balls today.
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@deebs – Bleurgh!!! Is how it is.
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@CMW – to be fair to me (as if!) between putting the score up and commenting on the partnership they had nurdled a couple of singles. So both were correct at the time of writing, just that the time of writing took too long. I was doing it whilst applying for a visa to Nigeria at the same time. A word of advice for anyone who ever is contemplating visiting Nigeria. Don’t. If you get worked up at visa applications, Nigeria is the pits. Fucking useless. Overly complex. Pathetic.
They treat you like a criminal from the off and it goes progressively downhill from there. Bunch of arseholes. And then you arrive in Lagos to one of the most chaotic, vibrant, friendly, loud, colourful and brilliant places I’ve ever visited!
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In the absence of cricket from Lords (or any other posters), I’ll send updates from Sri Lanka: they’re 106/2 after 37 overs. Angelo Mathews trying to bore New Zealand to death and then suddenly blazes two boundaries. Still 40-something overs in the day to go.
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113/2! Mathews running amok! Sends Santner into the stands!
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There’ll be some cricket at Lords soon Deebee. Might even get a full day today.
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127/2! It appears someone reminded Mathews that he has an early tee off on Day 5 as he bludgeons another boundary. Brutal bugger!
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comfortingly familiar ‘roof chat’ coming out of the Wales camp before this weekend.
Is everyone playing 4 warm-up games? Seems a lot to me
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Excellent news Dova! Can England play out 4 days? Will Archer make ’em quiver? Will Root bed in? Will I get a visa to Nigeria? All the important questions in one post!
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Scotland are playing four, Dov – home and away against France and Georgia
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deebee – Nah, we’ll be lucky to escape with a draw.
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Ticht. Great. If you coiudl soften the French up a bit that’d be grand.
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Mendis tosses his wicket away with tea in sight. 143/3 and still 106 behind. They’ll need a sizable lead batting 4th, so New Zealand will want to get amongst them after tea.
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Australia win the toss and choose to bowl. Word on the street is its a decent pitch and today is the best weather day. Strange decision. Probably looking to pick up where they left off and get into the shaky batting line up but England will be happy enough. Time to get yer heads down boys.
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cricket chat not going down well then
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I was worried that, after the cricket World Cup given Cat’s Law of England not doing well in 2 sports simultaneously, we’d fuck up the rugby. But if we lose the ashes are we compensated for that?
It’s hard to know really.
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Les garcons to play Scotland:
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isn’t it 3? I think we’re safe as the football lot messed up their nations cup thing and the Cat was adamant that is was only test cricket that counted.
the rugby lot can mess it up on their own. Weird thing is we’re probably playing the best attacking game I’ve seen us play in my life time at the moment intermingled with periods of complete capitulation defensively. It’ll be a rollercoaster.
Oh, for his Lordship to come along and give me a pep talk.
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@dova – I can step in….
Slap!!!!
Slap, slap, slap, slap, slllaaaaappppp!!!!
Pull yourself together man!!!
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Let’s see if this works:
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Not really sure what to make of that french team.
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His lordship flounced off a while back. There’ll be no pepping from that quarter
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I see Craigs as stepped into the breach
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Looking a bit thin in a few areas, like lock. I’m guessing Beard, Hill and Bradley aren’t fit. Tipuric also missing after going off last week.
Jarrod ahead of Patchell on the bench might be telling…
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@chimpie
2 new caps in Cros and Raka, also 2 newbies on the bench in Mauvaka and Seitano.
Looks a mix of first/second but then I don’t know how la tombola works.
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Strong Welsh squad
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weak English batting.
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harsher than I was expecting Craigs. But thanks all the same.
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We have 4 runs from 6 overs and 1 wicket down already. The ozzies are wiping the floor with us here.
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what about CJ? I know some of you were in touch, is he joining us?
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We’re playing France away, so it’ll be anywhere from a complete horrowshow (this years 6N) to close capitulation.
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