It all started off with such high expectations: in honour of Welsh Legends, a pre-match drinky at the Owain Glyndwr. Unfortunately the beer was being served by an amateur, and headless Brains was the result.
Not to worry! A text arrived from a colleague of the mister’s (a Tigers fan) announcing that he was at O’Neill’s, so we made our way there. The colleague was nowhere to be found, and the beer (and wine) was equally shit. The main point of interest was that the owner must be a County Antrim man, judging by the exquisite photographs on the walls.
Next on the agenda was to find somewhere to watch the Munster v Racing match. After considerable traipsing, eventually found a pub that was both showing it and had drinkable booze. Hooray!
As you’ll all know, that was quite an exciting match, ending in a draw.
On to Arms Park for the main event!
Arms Park is a civilised ground that serves Courvoisier doubles. Whoever designed the signage must have been overly-appreciative of said cognac, because the signs in no way resembled any of the seating information on our tickets.
With the help of a friendly usher, we eventually found our seats, in the middle of a garish sea of Leicester supporters. A particularly large-lunged one was sitting directly behind me, and was given to shouting YESTIGAHS every time Leicester touched the ball.
Noticing me flinching, he said, “Sorry, I’ll try to warn you before I shout. But I don’t always know when I’m going to do it.”
“Oh. A bit like Tourette’s, then?”
As for the rugby itself:
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.
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(Yay, try Cardiff.)
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Ah shit.
Further Reading
Weekend team selections start here.
ClydeMillarWynant’s views on known knowns and unknown unknowns.
On the telly this week
Friday 29th November
| Munster v Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ulster v Scarlets | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Bath v Saracens | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 30th November
| Wales v Barbarians (women) | 11:45 | S4C |
| Wales v Barbarians (men) | 14:45 | Channel 4 |
| Northampton v Leicester | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Treviso v Cardiff | 15:00 | FreeSports / PS2 |
| Connacht v Southern Kings | 17:15 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Dragons v Zebre | 17:15 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Glasgow v Leinster | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ospreys v Cheetahs | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 1st December
| Harlequins v Gloucester | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
If lo-fi somehow doesn’t mean Pavement any more it’s fightin’ time.
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Although hip hop having a lo-fi evolution makes sense.
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But only if Malkmus is on lead.
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My son went through a 90s New York hardcore patch. That was fun on long journeys.
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Larry – I’ve always found them a bit pedestrian…
I’ll get my coat.
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Literally the most ‘OK Boomer’ thing I could ever say. Absolute dad joke.
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Lionz 2021 schedule:
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No game against the Fast Catz, no game against South West Africa, no stop off in Kenya.
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No Deebee’s Lionz?
he’ll be spluttering his Milanese lunch
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Like a mini-RWC wrapped into a summer tour.
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Also, look at those dates. Long, long season for the top top top players.
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Two games in Joburg. The fnoise in the stadium for the frst test’ll be huge. Saw a football game there and my ears’re still ringing.
Good to have an August test again.
Scotland nailed on for a 2022 Slam.
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Feeling proud of myself today.
A flock of the Heidelberg parakeets flew over the roof this morning, and there was quite a thump. One daft bugger had flown straight into the net keeping the cats off the roof at such a speed that it dislodged a supporting pole and got completely entangled in a crucifixion pose.
The cats were curious at first, but the squawking was so incredibly loud that Cat Minx turned-tail and scarpered back indoors.
Your scared-of-heights intrepid hero went up a step-ladder on the balcony armed only with a scissors and and a hand towel, and managed to cut it free amid squawks, panic and pecks. It was a delicate operation because the netting was tight around its neck and chest, and there was a lot of struggling and trapped flapping.
It flew away ok, still bloody squawking its head off.
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Long season?
Not that any of our players will be involved anyhoo.
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Heroiks
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We need some wild early predictions for the 2021 Lionz.
I’m going Aaron Wainwright will start all three tests.
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Pfft, Chimpie. No Milanese lunch for me. I’m in Pesaro at the mo. On my to Milan, mind, but won’t have time for lunch. Will get boozy at the airport though!
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Aye, tour squad built around a nucleus of Drags players.
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I was going to say more than 3 Scottish players on the tour, but that’s far too wild
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Could see Wainwright doing that. Back row is all attrition though. He could be injured for all three tests.
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Iks – similar thing happened a few months back with a hedgehog in a football net in our garden. We came back at the end of the day to find it entangled.
It took the entire Team Craigz to free it. All parties survived and were happy afterwards.
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Back row will also be very competitive. They might even have to leave Dan Thomas at home.
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RA and Jizzy reach a settlement. Jizzy gets a fucking apology.
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In another case relating to stupid shit said on social media:
“Just as I thought it was obvious that he did not mean to physically sodomize me with a submarine, I thought it was obvious that I didn’t mean he was a pedophile,” Musk said. He argued that he did not retract his statement when he initially apologized to Unsworth because that “would have been worse”. “If you call someone a motherf’er, I think it would actually seem sarcastic to say, ‘I didn’t mean that he committed incest’,” Musk explained. “That would have seemed disingenuous.”
Ultimately, Musk argued, Unsworth’s riposte and his tweet were “equivalent insults”. He added, “Admittedly, this is not classy.”
He should probably settle and fucking apologise too.
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John Barclay won’t be making the Lions tour – he has just retired from international rugby.
Very good player, The Killer Bees seem so very long ago now
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The right time I think. Great player in his prime.
Robbed of probably his best years for Scotland by some petty politics
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Should have been nailed on for the 2015 World Cup. This last one was maybe one too far.
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Anyhoo, good for embra in the international windows
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Chimpie, the Bulls didn’t get a game v the Lionz last time around so it’s not unprecedented. It was a bit of a shame as the Bulls were Super Rugby champions that year (which Deebee’s Lions won’t be in 2021). But the South African franchises didn’t put out their Boks in 2009 and the Lionz murdered the Joburgers by 70-odd points.
Free State have more to complain about – no Test and no game v the Cheetahs or a combination XV/XXIII. This is on top of the Boks not parading the World Cup in Bloemfontein suggests a lack of love between SARU and the franchise/union.
Joburg’s got 2 tests. I’ve been to a football match at the FNB Stadium. It was very very loud. Should make for an amazing atmosphere for the first test.
Good to see an August test. Just like the old days.
Finn Russell to be starting at 10, please.
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Sorry. Ioan Lloyd has that in the bad already.
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In the bag. In the bad is Dragonsesque.
How did Sam Davies go on the weekend?
In the bad.
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Bob Willis RIP.
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As far as I can gather there are four tiers of schools knock out rugby in Scotland, in descending order* there is the Cup, Shield, Bowl and Plate competitions and each are played at U18 and U16. (*I’m open to correction on this)
The top competitions are dominated by the private schools, however my wee school Dunbar beat Hutcheson’s 48-0 in the U16 shield final this afternoon.
Mon Dunbar.
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Shouldn’t it be Dunbear now?
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Ah bollix. My rufty tufty bar by the bus depot has to close. Forced out after 28 years by the landlords, the Bauhaus DIY chain, who seem to literally own the whole street. All other businesses and the bus depot have to clear out too because Bauhaus are closing their branch on the street, and have sold up to property developers.
Just been chatting to Eva who runs the bar – 28 years up the spout without a leg to stand on. Also in the last 6 months a new ‘kebabhaus’ opened up a few doors away with the owner investing 50k in renovating the property without being told he would have to feck off at the end of the year!
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And Eva said as the completion date is 31st December, so the heating and water will be switched off at midnight.
She is trying to find an agreement to extend the deadline because New Year’s Eve is fecked if you have no facilities after midnight.
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Sorry to hear that, Iks old chum. Looks like you’ll have to find another rufty tufty bar – hopefully one with a nice proggy jukebox! That way, when you say “I’ll be home after this last song” you can stay there for another couple of hours!
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Arf, BB.
Rufty tufty bars are almost extinct here in the town centre, so it is a major loss.
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HeroIks, it’s really sad when good old rufty tufty bars have to make way for ‘development’. Whatever that actually means or entails. Hope you find a suitable replacement soon!
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*raises one to the rufty tufty bar*
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This is a disaster! Were we not having the 6N meet-up at the rufty-tufty bar?!
More seriously, that is really shit for Eva and the others (including regulars). Sympathies to her and all.
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Really sorry to hear about the demise of the Rufty Tufty Bar, Mr Iks
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Thanks all. It is quite a sad situation for the owners because there is nothing else for them to fall back on.
The 6N Meet would be elsewhere cos it is not a rugby place, but my rufty tufty pre- or post- mini pub crawl has just lost a watering hole.
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Iks, when I was moving to England, my top priority for where I’d live was a decent pub within walking distance, and this village had one. Within a matter of days, it seemed that I had loads of friends. There was a real community about the place.
Then it got sold to some utter twats who ‘refurbished’ it, meaning that they destroyed all the character of a 400+-year-old pub. I’m sure a lot of it must have been illegal, because it must have been grade II listed at least. The new owners then went about making it clear that locals weren’t welcome. (Erm … duh … country pub, good to keep people within walking distance on-side?) Needless to say, after spaffing something around 750K down the brook, they went out of business. The new owners are better, but the community is lost, and they haven’t spent the money to undo the destruction of the interior.
It’s a real fucking shame.
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Sorry to hear that iks and Thaum. A good local is essential.
Iks – if your old place is closing make sure you steal the toilets like in Men Behaving Badly.
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I was presented what a full liquid soap dispenser when I arrived there today Craigs, which kicked the ‘why?’ conversation off.
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The love affair between Trump and Trudeau continues. Trump left the NATO conference early and has apparently called Trudeau ‘two-faced’.
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Congratulations on your new soap dispenser, MrIks.
However, I’m sad to learn though that it comes at the expense of the Rufty-Tufty.
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LDB…
I see hooker Kyle Cooper has joined Exeter on loan from Falcons for the season – Exeter having a hooker injury crisis.
Is he any good?
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