Here comes the World Cup! Oh, and an English Premiership Cup match too.
Exciting rugby on the telly this week
Friday 20th September
| Japan 30 – 10 Russia | 11:45 | ITV / S4C |
Saturday 21st September
| Australia 39 – 21 Fiji | 05:45 | ITV |
| France 23 – 21 Argentina | 08:15 | ITV |
| New Zealand 23 – 13 S Africa | 10:45 | ITV |
| Exeter 28 – 14 Bath | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 |
Sunday 22nd September
| Italy 47 – 22 Namibia | 06:15 | ITV |
| Ireland 27 – 3 Scotland | 08:45 | ITV |
| England 35 – 3 Tonga | 11:15 | ITV |
Monday 23rd September
| Wales 43 – 14 Georgia | 11:15 | ITV / S4C |
Tuesday 24th September
| Russia 9 – 34 Samoa | 11:15 | ITV4 |
Wednesday 25th September
| Fiji 27 – 30 Uruguay | 06:15 | ITV4 |
Thursday 26th September
| Italy 48 – 7 Canada | 08:45 | ITV4 |
| England 45 – 7 USA | 11:45 | ITV |
Ovally Balls 
Isa Nacewa on the local commentary team here, backing France to go well.
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A variation on that.
A young man goes upstairs on a double-decker bus and the only other person sitting up there is a very poshly presented lady.
So the guy being sensitive to the situation takes a seat a couple of rows away. Minutes pass in silence until the lady reaches down to retrieve something from her shopping bag and inadvertently farts extremely loudly.
Both passengers find themselves blushing profusely, and after some embarrassed coughing and spluttering the lady tries to ease the tension and blurts out “young man, do you have a copy of the bus timetable with you?”
“No” he replied “But when we go around the next corner I’ll reach out the window and try to grab some leaves.”
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Oooh check the Google doodle.
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Top tip; Darcy Graham for 4 tries v Russia
South Aftica are being a little overrated at the moment. England have form for blowing up and aren’t wonderful without a fast start. NZ have still been working things out. Aussie aren’t great. Ireland are too one-dimensional. Wales are plucky but lack real attacking class.
Lots of decent teams but no one team that looks a sure thing. But that makes it all the more exciting.
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Anyone heard anything about Etzebeth’s recent controversy?
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I think preparation matters a lot, and England and the Boks appear to be the ones who are the best prepared and should be the bookies favourites based on that.
Nevertheless I suspect the Darkness have been keeping a bit in reserve as part of their preparation, trying some things out and focussing on specific areas of their game instead, rather than putting on a show.
Ireland have been helped back on the rails by Wales, so I think they are in a better place than a month ago. Scotland have a puncher’s chance when the backs turn it on, and in bad weather I could see their counter attacking game punishing Japan and Samoa who I suspect will fling it about a bit hot-headedly.
I’d love to see Wales do well but we have a limited game and the preparation has to be spot on for it to succeed. Gats can call on his Lionz experience which is good, but the Howler thing must have disturbed the preparation, camp mood and team dynamic. Howley is a replaceable cog, but not at such short notice. Bottom line is Wales can’t avoid having to a take a step backwards and do some rebuilding because a key squad leader has ‘died’ and things are pretty different now. Georgia is an awkward fixture to start with, but a scrappy win would give us a bit of breathing space. Thank dog it isn’t Fiji first up.
I like that Argentina and France bring some dark-horse unpredictability to the whole thing. If the Pumas manage to regain a functioning scrum I think they will the surprise package.
So on balance, head says ABs, heart says plucky little Wales.
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Ooh, STV isn’t getting blocked.
*waits for someone in IT to shout at me*
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Anyone got a working stream?
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It’s a good moment for the Russians. Can’t help feeling they’re going to get panned though.
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Gone for touch. Brave call, or they don’t have a kicker. Bright start for Russia though.
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Shocking kick, way too far and an awful attempt at a take.
Great for Russia, obviously
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7-0 Russia, it’s been all Russia so far
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Try Russia!
Japan fluff a simple take in the 22, Russian wing snaffles it.
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Think my stream is a bit behind the live TV
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That was dreadful by the Japanese winger
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I’d like to take the opportunity on the new blog to say fuck Jordan Peterson,
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I’d rather not.
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Lots of fumblefingers from Japan. Expectation getting to them?
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Couple of lovely passes there
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Oooh, sexy hands from Japan
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This is fun…
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What an out the back pass! This is going to be a fun game.
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That little offload out the back door
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Noice. Couldn’t last forever for Russia. They had 10 minutes in the lead at least
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Morning DCI
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Japan are Scotlandesque at the restarts
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Well this is more of a contest than I expected. Russia still in the lead, but Japan will pull away at some point.
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Aye, I thought this was supposed to be one way traffic, Russia are defending well, if a bit hoof-handed in attack
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Failing to protect their ball, all a bit slack by Japan. Can’t just fling the ball about
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Decent attack, that
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I don’t think the winners are coming from this match
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Russia better than expected
Japan worse than expected (still behind after 30 minutes)
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Is there a problem with the lights?
The number of dropped high balls is rickerdoodelous
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Is there a problem with the lights?
A lot of dropped balls, karl
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Fucksakes, the first post didn’t appear, then it did
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Lovely finish from the Brave Blossoms
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Or not
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There we go.
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There we don’t
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Mon Россия
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The Russian 7 has made a good few tackles
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Long time coming, that one
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Dammit.
I was hoping Russia would win this half, it would probably be the only half they will win in the tournament
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Done by the out of the back of the hand effort again. Still, hell of an effort to hold the lead till nearly half time.
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Loving the gong
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Japan playing a lot of brainless rugby. Russia look bushed
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More competitive half than I expected. Japan should pull away now but they need to slow down slightly and stop treating all possession like the last minute of a sevens game.
Russia have done really well. Back up scrum-half isn’t up to much though.
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It’s not a classic but it’s enjoyable. Russia have exceeded my expectations and are doing everything they can to hang in the scrap – they’re being aggressive, disruptive, trying to play in the right areas. I don’t think you can ask much more of them.
I think we’ll see a different Japan next half (and throughout the rest of the pool) but it’s been a better opening match than it looked on paper.
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Chimpie-pleasing half time fare, large espresso, coffee cake and glass of water
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