Week One has provided some excellent rugby, dodgy refereeing and unfortunate injuries.
I think we can all unite around Uruguay as WC champions.
Other competitions are also starting up, so cancel all engagements and be prepared to spend your entire weekend and parts of the midweek glued to the screen. Hopefully not literally.
For those of you who lack rugby preparation skills, let me remind you to order in adequate supplies of booze, fags and possibly food.
Exciting rugby on the telly this week
Friday 27th September
| Cheetahs 48 – 14 Glasgow | 18:05 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ulster 38 – 14 Ospreys | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Leicester 27 – 7 Exeter | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 28th September
| Argentina 28 – 12 Tonga | 05:45 | ITV |
| Japan 19 – 12 Ireland | 08:15 | ITV |
| South Africa 57 – 3 Namibia | 10:45 | ITV |
| Northampton 32 – 36 Wasps | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Munster 39 – 3 Drags | 15:00 | Freesports / TG4 |
| Southern Kings 27 – 31 Cardiff Blues | 15:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Scarlets 18 – 10 Connacht | 17:15 | PS2 / S4C / TG4 |
| Treviso 27 – 32 Leinster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Edinburgh 50 – 15 Zebre | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 29th September
| Georgia 33 – 7 Uruguay | 06:15 | ITV |
| Australia 25 – 29 Wales | 08:45 | ITV / S4C |
Monday 30th September
| Scotland 34 – 0 Samoa | 11:15 | ITV |
Wednesday 2nd October
| France 33 – 9 USA | 08:45 | ITV4 |
| New Zealand 63 – 0 Canada | 11:15 | ITV4 |
Thursday 3rd October
| Georgia 10 – 45 Fiji | 06:15 | ITV4 |
| Ireland 35 – 0 Russia | 11:15 | ITV |
Ovally Balls 
I think it was Jordan Peterson
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Dunno. Nobody got either misgendered or deadnamed.
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Cat – I know. But if that’s not in the guidelines then someone can complain onna technicality.
Guidelines need changing.
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Not sure how much JBP can do from rehab.
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The complainer was also complaining about Dan Walker (her co-presenter on the day). You do have to wonder if, as the complainer alleges, “They make no secret of their left-wing and anti-Trump bias” he (or she) continues to watch BBC Breakfast. Perhaps they are looking SPECIFICALLY for moments like these?
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/sep/30/bbc-racism-row-naga-munchetty-complaint-was-also-about-dan-walker
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“France haven’t played their second match yet. Argentina have. Can’t reasonably promote them until they fist the USA like Fisto onna Fisting Rampage.”
If I remember my Bloodborne correctly, does this mean the USA are pigs?
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General rule of thumb the beeb should consider – if your guidelines mean you’re not allowed to call someone saying something universally acknowledged as racist, a racist, then your guidelines probably need changing.
If it looks like a duck etc.
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FFB – correct. I successfully fisted a pig once. Imagine how pleased I was.
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I think the BBC is terrified of getting on the wrong side of the Brexit Culture Wars as they extend their reach into all areas of British society.
I think they live in fear of the holy 17.4 million switching off.
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Craigs – I didn’t realise you were a friend of Cameron’s at university
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Ffb – this was later in my studies when I attended Yarghul.
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The try that Bryce Campbell scored in the dying seconds of England’s victory was significant in another way than merely denting England’s clean sheet.
The USA have scored at least one try in every match they have played (37) since their squad players lost 64-0 to South Africa at the last RWC on 7th October 2015.
That is a pretty fine record for a T2 team.
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Guardian columnist and USA megastar Will Hooley:
“People have also been wondering about my recollections of the game’s opening seconds. When George Ford kicked off down the middle of the field my first thought was: ‘Good, I’m getting myself into the game early.’ The next second I’m being clattered.
The first thing to stress is that I bear absolutely no grudge towards Piers Francis. He wanted to start his World Cup with a bang and that’s literally what he did. When I was asked if I wanted to make a statement to his disciplinary hearing, I declined. It was the beginning of the game, nothing came of it and, contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe I was hit in the head. Trust me, you know when that happens. If anything, the contact felt like it was to my shoulder.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/sep/30/will-hooley-no-grudge-piers-francis-usa-england-rugby-world-cup
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I was actually referring to this:
https://images.app.goo.gl/NZznVvS9iLwpTUNr5
But you’re referring to this:
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Yup.
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@Pro
He seems like a decent enough bloke from that piece.
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@Cat
Would there be any reason to assume one of the Eagles would not be a top, top lad?
Apart from the Irish born, Irish raised smasher of Poor Owen.
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Mark ‘Gareth Keenan’ Francois:
“I want nothing more than to see the sun rise on the 1 November on a free country.”
I don’t live in the UK (thank Dog) so I need to ask – how are you all surviving not being free?
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Glenn Frey and Don Henley are/were pretty much bastards. Wrote some cracking tunes though.
Ah.
THOSE Eagles.
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Most of the tries from Saturday’s Edinburgh v Zebre game, all pretty good scores, not least of which are the two Italian tries, I’d really recommend watching them, the first is a terrific piece of athleticism from the Zebre number 8 Giovanni Licata – a good charge down and as fine a grounding as you’ll see.
The second by a beast of an 18 year old centre, Federico Mori – 188cm and 106kgs and he can shift.
Our tries were pretty good too
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The Saj has just announced that the Tories will raise the minimum wage to 10.50
The Express published this on Saturday:
“LABOUR’S plan to increase the minimum wage to £10 per hour have been torn apart by critics, who raged it could cost millions of Britons their jobs and destroy the efforts get employment levels to record highs”
I wonder how the same ‘critics’ feel today? Totally different I imagine.
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Freedom? Seriously pro?
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Don’t think he’s being entirely serious, Craigs.
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Unless that was sarcasm onna read back?
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@Pro- I wasn’t insinuating anything. It was merely an observation.
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BB – no, on second reading…
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Ticht – some good tries there. Nice to see Bennett and Scott back fit and well. Do you think Bennett can get back into the Scotland team or has his time passed?
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BB, I kind of hope both of them will get back into the Scotland team, otoh I’d be glad of them just being available to Edinburgh for the whole league campaign. They are looking sharper than they have done for a while. Bennett was quoted in the Offside Line as saying he’s been “shite” for two years, but this is the first time in that period he’s had a proper preseason due to injuries. Matt Scott bulked up massively to over 17 stones on his lay off over last winter, he looked far too big. He shed the excess and looks really quick again.
With Darcy Graham and Blair Kinghorn to come back into the side we could have a backline to do justice to our pack, at last. Big Duhan looked hungry on Saturday, skittling defenders for fun.
Of course it will all go very runny very fast, but what do they say? It’s the hope that gets you.
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I think somewhere inside the persistent Aussie whining is a deep-rooted belief that Wales are a second tier outfit in comparison to them and they should never lose a big game against them.
I watched the whole of the Cheika press conference and it was toe-curling at times. Also the irony was completely lost on him regarding the notion that the game might be going soft with a bleeding, broken-nosed and exhausted Hooper sitting next to him.
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Nice highlights clip, but it is annoying when the editing has clipped out good build up play, which seems a trend these days.
The young lad from Zebra was indeed fun to watch.
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Loathe though I am to be fair to him, it was something like 13 years between defeats to Wales. You can see how the complacency set in- particularly given that Wales contrived to throw it away in a good few of those games.
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Raiders LB Burfict banned for the rest of the season for this sickening deliberate helmet to helmet hit on a defenceless receiver
https://deadspin.com/vontaze-burfict-ejected-for-particularly-heinous-late-h-1838596827
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helmet to helmet hit on a defenceless receiver
Can’t not Karl that.
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Anyhoo, shouldn’t Maitland have been penalised for deliberately going to ground and not immediately playing or releasing the ball?
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I mean it’s rugby, not tobogganing.
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Asking for a friend…
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With you on this one Iks. I’ve got your back. Just like the Samoan defender.
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@Iksy
Cheika’s salty, salty tears made it even sweeter and of course he doesn’t rate us. The press conference was everything I wished it would be and more. He lived up to every ‘Aussies are bad losers’ cliche in the book.
What a hero.
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In the most shocking news of the day:
The UK government has refused to launch an inquiry into its links to financial speculators who are accused of shorting UK assets to profit from a disorderly departure from the EU.
If there was nothing going on you’d surely wish to demonstrate that, right?
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MrIks, reminds me of something I saw during the last World Cup. It was from NZ TV and Jeff Wilson and his gang were talking about teams that might be a threat to the All Blacks. Wilson blithely dismissed Ireland by saying “they’ve never beaten the All Blacks.”
Also, all he needed to say was “they’ll have to play a quarter final.”
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We won’t talk about the All Blacks but Wales have beaten Aussie twice in a row in close games and South Africa 4 times on the bounce. It seems those 2 SH teams have some psychological weakness preventing them getting over the line v Wales.
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Pop quiz:
Hugo Southwell; Chris Paterson, Ben Hinshelwood, Andrew Henderson, Sean Lamont; Dan Parks, Chris Cusiter
Allan Jacobsen, Gordon Bulloch (c), Gavin Kerr; Stuart Grimes, Nathan Hines; Ally Hogg, Donnie Macfadyen, Jon Petrie
What did this Scottish XV achieve?
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Have we done Scotland practising with their balls slicked wet with shampoo yet?
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And either way rugby fans, if you had a friend who was faced this morning with the announcement of his workplace of sixteen years closing down and is a wee bit miserable about it, would you recommend that he watch the Scotland game on playback or give it a miss?
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@TomP – Feck all?
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@TomP. That wouldn’t be the Scotland team that put 100 points on Japan in Perth (the Scottish version) would it? If not, then I’ll go with Clyde’s answer.
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@Clyde. Sorry to hear that – in all honestly, probably not worth watching the whole game if you want free-flowing exciting rugby.
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@TomP
Those 4 matches (other than the curious Washington one) were all in Cardiff, no? When did Wales last win on SA soil. Or a competitive match on neutral soil?
That Scottish XV looks awful enough to have beaten the Boks at Murrayfield. Or maybe Aus in the rain in Darwin, was it?
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That would be that team, BB. 15 tries and a Scottish record that still stands. Even Hugo bagged a couple.
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