Something resembling first-choice teams have been named. Let’s hope they all survive the weekend.
International rugby on the telly this weekend
Friday 6th September
| Scotland v Georgia | 19:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
| England v Italy | 19:45 | Sky Sports Action / Sky Sports Main Event |
Saturday 7th September
| New Zealand v Tonga | 3:35 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Australia v Samoa | 10:30 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Ireland v Wales | 14:00 | Channel 4 / RTÉ Two |
Ovally Balls 
I went to see the Barbarians v the All Blacks in 1988
Same here – I had an old college friend in Glasgow – so we went to Scotland vs New Zealand in 1983. NZ/SA/Aus only came around every few years – so it was a big event (well, Aus not so much pre-Ella). Looking back – I was struck by how many of the crowd were technically ‘neutrals’ (like us) – you could hear Welsh, English, Irish accents all around.
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And of course …post 69 , the Springboks didn’t come at all – so NZ were the “big show”
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Even though I’ve known it forever, I’m amazed the RWC is kicking off THIS FRIDAY!
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Greetings from Gundogan (Turkey)!
Sunning myself, eating lots and crushing the gainzzzz in the gym.
Turkish grandparents have now arrived to help with little one.
Having enjoyable violent dreams involving the UK government.
Does anyone know a reliable, paid for option to stream RWC games? Turkish TV not keen, apparently.
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Pro, the last two world cups I have paid for Internet subscription here in US, and ended up watching everything on vip or cricfree cos the streaming was so bad.
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Just read this book. Interesting view of modern Turkey.
http://kalemagency.com/?page_id=6893
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Am visiting UK for the latter stages of the Tournament this time, so I don’t have to suffer the same frustrations.
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‘Pro ,
You might be able to stream it on the World.Rugby site. Check the site anyway for who has the rights in Turkey.
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Pro, it might be worth having a look at Rugby Pass if you can’t get a DBWR free stream in Turkey, the best streams from the dodgy sites are always the ones that carry the Rugby Pass feed, you can’t subscribe from the UK but you can from abroad as far as I’m aware
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Sbt – ooohh, any chance of a notanotablog meet?
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‘Kearney could be fit for Ireland against Scotland’
Hopefully it’ll be Ron rather than Peak
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As I’m bored, predictions from first week:
Japan > Russia by 60
Oz > Fiji by 20
France > Argentina by 2
Boks > ABs by 6
Italy > Namibia by 30
Scotland > Ireland by 5,001
England > Tonga by 50
Wales > Georgia by 20
Samoa > Russia by 40
Fiji > Uruguay by 30
Italy > Canada by 15
England > USA by 40
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Ron or Peak won’t be the difference, Chimpie, at least I don’t think they will, I think it will be the tight five and the ol’ roost an’ wrap from Sexton that will do for us.
Unless wee Darcy gets a run, in which case we’ll batter them.
Our defence is mince, unless we can spend most of the game on the front foot we’ll lose. From recent form I’d start with Cummings and Bradbury in the pack, but Toonie prolly won’t see it that way.
Anyways, to pass the time, my Scotland team for Ireland
Dell, McInally, Nell
Cummings, Gray
Barclay, Bradbury, Watson,
Laidlaw, Russell
Johnson, Taylor
Maitland, Hogg, Graham
Turner/Brown, Reid, Berghan, Gilchrist, Thompson, Price, Hastings, Harris/Kinghorn
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Too many Ls in Nel, there
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In fact I wouldn’t be averse to starting with a backrow of Bradbury, Thompson and Watson, JB on the bench.
Toonie almost certainly start Wilson, though
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I’m not hopeful about this match, especially if it is raining as forecast as a possibility
Don’t think you’re too far off but reckon Reid may start along with Gilcho, maybe cummings riding the pine. Don’t think Bradbury is officially with the squad now Ritchie is out there, back row likely to be some combination of Watson, Barclay, Thomson & Wilson (likely to be on the pine).
That’ll likely be the backline although wouldn’t put it past toonie to start Seymour, Harris on’t bench for added versatility.
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The more I learn about Cameron’s post-referendum life, the more I think I was mistaken in call him a tosspot.
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Chimpie, I can’t see anything clearly amiss with your predictions. Just one small note:
Boks > ABs by 6
I’d prefer this to be the LAST match of the tournament, not necessarily the 1st week.
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Can’t pick and choose with my 100% accurate predictions deebs old son.
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@TomP – easy to snipe from the safety of cover, whether with a high-powered rifle at an animal that has no idea you’re there (and so can’t defend itself) or the comfort of your memoirs, at an animal that has neither the grace nor an above-bovine intellect to care about your sniping. I’d prefer it if he’d been trapping rats, to shooting magnificent stags too.
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Bovine Boris and Ovine Gove.
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Just keep that 100% accuracy up and make sure there’s no changes between now and November.
It’s funny – six months ago I was looking forward to hte World Cup in an almost academic way to see who could topple New Zealand. Now I’m suddenly shitting myself because we’ve actually got more than a puncher’s chance of taking the whole thing.
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“The average league attendances almost doubled after Japan beat South Africa in 2015. And right now, it feels like there is an awful lot depending on whether or not they can do it again against Ireland or Scotland in the pool stages.”
Come on, Scotland or Ireland, do your duty and help grow the game.
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@Chimpie, I’m frustrated at Bradbury not making the initial squad, I guess him being injured has done for him, but he’s the closest we’ve had to Jason White since Dents, and Bradbury is a better rugby player than Dents was
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Think it’s Ireland’s turn to help with the game-growing. We did our bit by going to Tblisi.
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@Ticht
Yes think he would have been very handy for the Ireland game especially (we’re likely to be up against it up front), but as you say the injury did for him.
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Naa, Chimpie, Ireland old and stale, you will cut em apart.
Have to say I am disgusted at Super rugby for cancelling the Japanese Franchise. Just seems rude.
I am about, Craigs, England -France onwards. Will be Surrey based, so Anywhere within spitting distance, think will be getting over jet lag for the France game tho, so have to hope we qualify :(
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OT – let’s touch base closer to the time.
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[blockquote]Wales’ World Cup bid was thrown into chaos on Tuesday as coach Rob Howley is being sent home amid allegations of betting infringements.
The bombshell revelation, which Mail Online can exclusively reveal, comes just six days before Wales’ opening match against Georgia in Japan.[/blockquote]
Quite amazing.
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Despicable speciesm from Deebs there.
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Wales NAILED ON FACTBOMB!!!!!!!!
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Damn right Craig’s! Never had a stag sneaking about my kitchen at 3am crapping on the microwave and eating the bread.
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Deebs – there is always time though.
Re Cameron, was this part of a deer cull or hunt on a private estate?
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I’m quite staggered by Howley.
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Never tire of this:
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The Count in as attack coach?
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Yes, tomp, The Count is flying out as attack coach.
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Tomp – might be too early to make a difference but this could be good for Wales.
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If anyone is interested David Denton has done an interview on the latest Rugby Pod. About 18-19 mins in if you want to avoid the rest.
His last game was 12 months ago and he still has blurry vision and pressure in his head.
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After that they interviewed a researcher from World Rugby about concussion and tackle laws. Apparently tackles to the upper body are 40% more likely to result in concussion. They seemed to be taking a systematic approach at least.
Worth a listen just for that.
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It’s a very worrying thing, Craigs, I really hope he is okay, him and his partner are fairly new parents as well, it will affect all of them.
I was glad to hear they are going back to live full time in Edinburgh
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There’s probably a part of all of us that relishes the good old days when you played on with a broken leg – a real (wo)man’s game, not like Wendyball – and then the stories like this that recognise the long-lasting damage, sober you up.
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But I’m sure we’re all united in our outrage at the idea that the 6N might not be shown on free-to-air telly.
I seem to recall that previously it was legislated for in Parliament, but of course Parliament apparently has so many more important things to discuss these days that it’s been prorogued.
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Thaum, I was watching, or re-watching the Scotland v Georgia game and Duncan Taylor got a full on smack to the heid, the Georgian player had to get treatment and go off, but Taylor was fine. Given he’s had two years off with concussion and other injuries I was concerned that such a heavy collision had occurred, but as I say, it was nothing, the Georgian player was fine too.
Denton has had to retire after a slight knock to his temple from a hip, it really didn’t seem like much at the time
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It’s all the fault of the Irish, Thaum, so some Brexiteers are bleating without a trace of ironing
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Ticht – he’s doing an MBA and has support from Leicester, the SRU and RPA. I think he’ll be OK.
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Ticht – I recommend youlisten to the interview, he talks about how players are affected differently by concussion.
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I hope so Craigs, but it must be concerning when you are still waking up with symptoms almost a year after the event
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Craigs, any chance you could remind me tomorrow? I’m watching Liverpool and I have to do a lot of painting in the morning and that would be a good time to listen to something
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Half time 0-0
Now to be outsmarted by my new smart oven.
It’s only a feckin frozen M&S pizza, why do I have to read a book to cook it?
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