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:
.
.
.
(Yay, try Cardiff.)
.
.
.
.
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 
It’s quite nice that after a terrorist attack in London you can walk through the city and people are still getting pissed and carrying on. That fucker has affected the poor people that were on the bridge at the time but beyond that no one is going to change anything.
I’m feeling strangely defiant right now.
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“The towns are all in England”
I’m sort of minded to include “The Meaning of Liff” in the genre in which case one of the first and best entries is for Aberystwyth, but for the most part I would accept the point.
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Godalming is a crap town.
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Had a good conversation this evening about the differences between Aberystwyth and Scarborough.
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*Throws another potato at Craigs*
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“I’m feeling strangely defiant right now.”
Like a pepperami.
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Might throw some potatoes into next door’s garden tomorrow in honour of Clarice Bean.
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Of course it needs to be understood that aside from anything else any seaside town on the east coast is crap because the sun does the wrong thing at the wrong time.
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Mark Steel went beyond England for his radio stuff on a similar bent, but of course it was done with some love which the sort of thing Ticht is on about really isn’t.
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They don’t need them as they’ve got coypu.
Giant muskrats aren’t building any dams anytime soon, CMW.
And dams are important for hydro-electricity…
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@LADOAB – I’m no hexpert, but I feel the opportunities for hydroelectric might be a bit limited in Norfolk regardless of the prevailing rodents.
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Anyway if beavers become available in Norfolk then what was the point in my parents leaving and all the convoluted carry-on that led to me having a sister-in-law living locally to the first beaver release in Knapdale?
Am I to tell my mother she should just have settled for a job in Norwich Union after all????!
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Craigs, be defiant as you can – get a large shish kebab on your way home, with extra chilli sauce.
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Yes.
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That fateful evening on the Norfolk Broads when we contacted Sid James by seance began when we speculated that the droppings on the bank opposite to the pub we couldn’t reach were from coypu.
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@Iks – seems reasonable.
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@MrIks
That fateful evening on the Norfolk Broads
Norfolk Broads?
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reasonable or a result of about half a kilo of fly agric by tea
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@LADOAB – we can talk about this in Broad Norfolk if it helps (it won’t).
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LADOAB, the Norfolk broads are a series canals
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I have heaps of whisky, anyone care to join me in a dram?
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Mine seems to be a Jura 10 which is OK and has the advantage of being what I’ve got.
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I would have gone for ‘they be a series canals’, but not a bad effort.
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As Tichto said waterways in Norfolk, LADOAB. One of the most peculiar holidays I ever made, on a barge with my ex and 4 other friends. I didn’t take any drugs but I swear I was in an hallucinatory trance prior to reaching the sea at Great Yarmouth.
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Not that that’s really what they be of course.
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For me Yarmouth will always be about riding the giant snails.
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Here they are:
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Well, I’m glad to learn that MrIks wasn’t using ’70s slang for women in his anecdote.
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He wasn’t halluciating either though, it really happened.
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We haven’t proof of that yet.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/brazils-president-claims-dicaprio-paid-for-amazon-fires
This both made me laugh and utterly saddened me.
Laugh because the sheer stupidity and totally transparent BS
Saddened because this seems to be the way of things now. Spout nonsense, perform morally dubious or downright evil acts, profiteer and exploit. Then, when called out on it, point the finger at someone (often your opponent or accuser) and invent spurious “facts” to justify you acting the victim in it all. This is a particularly egregious example of a phenomena seen world wide in so many contexts.
World is screwed up.
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My ignorance is just as valid as your knowledge
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LADOAB, have you never listened to David Bowie’s classic Life of Mars, with its line from Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads?
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Marina Hyde in devastating form in the Graun.
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The Andy Beckett piece is better.
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Ticht – I missed the kebab shop I’m afraid. There’s a great one that delivers but I was pretty full last night.
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***Throws potato at Andy Beckett***
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Ospreys chairman Rob Davies believes a British and Irish league will be launched in 2022-23 after investments from private equity company CVC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50608122
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Just been to watch an U16 match in Llandaf as my nephew was playing. Glad I’m too old to get the shit kicked out of me at that level.
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@Yos ah crap I wish you’d said I’d have come to meet you – I live close by!
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@Dab
Mate, I stopped in the Heathcock on my way back to Llandaf station. When did that get posh?
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One of my favourite things about south Wales is that there’s a no drinking on the train rule that only applies between Pontypridd and Merthyr.
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@Thaum
LADOAB, have you never listened to David Bowie’s classic Life of Mars, with its line from Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads?
That part of the lyrics would’ve meant little to me. I probably would have thought he was talking of women at Ibiza and Norfolk, if I had ever tried to understand what I was listening to…
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Watching 1st 20 mins of Wales vs BaaBaas.
With this limited sample (FD where are you?) i draw the following conclusions
Wales are a decent team, but so much depends on 2 30+ players who arent playing (AWJ + JD2)
Jarrod Evans is quality, but give me Biggar❤ any day
Parkes isnt a long term solution.
Tipuric and Adams are amazing
Wainwright is not an 8. But is an intelligent and accomplished back rower
Tomos Williams should be the 9 going forward, unless Webb comes home
Shingler has no intl future
Dillon Lewis needs to have a run of games as a starting FR
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My ignorance is just as valid as your knowledge
That’s sounds about right… I don’t know very much.
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Our David would never have been so coarse.
Did I really write Life of Mars? Yes, I did. Life on Mars, of course.
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Really enjoying the play of this BaaBaas 10, “Bosh”
Looks a really accomplished player. Nice hands and great kick selection
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Bastereaud is brilliant. Size of a small planet, soft hands, great reader of the game.
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Good points Utna. My stream was kept running through the half-time interval. Bonnie Tyler ohne ende!
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McTurkle fits into Pivac’s style so well.
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