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 
Nice sendoff from the crowd & players for Rory Best
What a game is rugby
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Classic 10 play from Bosch. See the hooker in the line, dummies and steps to beat him and outpaces the cover to score.
Never seen him before, but looks a great player. Siege gun boot as well
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Fantastic game in Paris between Racing and Bordeaux.
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Not for the first time, Gareth Davies channels the spirit of the great Mike Phillips.
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Utna – yes, brought a slight tear to the eye.
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Sam Davies has been appalling. It was one way traffic until he came on.
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Welsh crowd boos 1/2p kick. Shalck Britz so right
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@yos
You are so right, Sam Davies has been terribe. Like his dad, Sam had a good game once and has been saddled with the atrociius label of “creative player” ever since
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Utnap, Bosch is helluva talented, but blows hot and cold. He’s also been accused of being shy in the tackle zone.
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Nice last-minute try for the Legends win!
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Legends win out in Benetton with a last minute score. Fuck you, WRU.
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Bosch is a beautiful player, utna. Big worries in SA over his defence but he’s a lovely runner and side-stepper and a monster boot. I first saw him when he was a 16 year old playing for Grey High in Port Elizabeth, same school as Siya Kolisi. Looked a future star even then.
One problem a guy like he has is that when he’s such a stellar schools player he didn’t really need to do the gritty defensive stuff and then got put more or less straight into senior rugby. There was one schools game he played in at the Craven Week festival. In 2014 he’d played brilliantly to help Eastern Province win the unofficial title. The next year he got them back to the “final” where they made a seriously talented Western Province team that won by 80 points or so to nil. Bosch ran away from a few tackles on big lads.
Also he had a very good-looking girlfriend in 2017. I was buying some jeans in a store in Pretoria when the SA Under 20s were training in the capital before JWC and he and she were there too.
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The other thing is he got kinda shunted around at the Sharks last year (and before) between outside half and full back.
Coach Robert du Preez seemed to fancy the other outside half, Robert du Preez Jr (relation), to run the cutter but CB did well in Kiwiland at 10.
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BIG win for Bordeaux at Racing…………..
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Sam Davies needs one of those sports psychologists or something. Dread and failure are hanging over him like a shroud. He needs sorting out because he has a good kicking game and good handling skillz.
Ollie looked sparky. I fretted he’d be injured at any moment.
Wainwright is a really blessing, and I don’t know why Shingler wasn’t at 8 giving their respective strengths. I think Shingler is there because he does lineout and can cover lock. In general I still don’t think he is international quality.
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Welsh outside half pecking order for the 6N:
Biggar
Jarrod
Me
Ioan Lloyd
Tovey
Ryan Lamb
Sam Davies
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Du Preez’s treatment of Bosch should have got him the boot. He’s got more talent in his bootlaces than poor old Bob Jnr.
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And as BaaBaas teams go that was a relatively poor one, so I hope the fact we scored some tries is kept in perspective.
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@Yosoy about a year or so ago I think. I still haven’t been in.
Mind you, the Railway, by Llandaff Station finally got a new landlord and is now a nice little boozer.
So would there be any appetite for a Cardiff Ovally Balls meet up??
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This was the first game of schools rugby I saw on SA TV. Hershel Jantjies at 9 for Paul Roos. Bosch at 10 for Grey. 3 or 4 of the other lads turned pro. Damian Willemse would’ve been playing for Paul Roos Under 16s on the day:
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“He’s got more talent in his bootlaces than poor old Bob Jnr.”
Way too harsh on Robert Jr. He’s all right.
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Just about to head out to watch Glasgow get thumped by the Really Bad Guys’ ‘C’ team (or is it their ‘D’ team?).
Anyway…
Mon Ra Weedge!
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Keep warm, BB.
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I’d have you above Jarrod, Yos.
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I’d be up for a legendary Ovallyballs meet.
Bagsy outside half.
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Me too. I was being modest.
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Iks – long johns on, extra T-shirt, hand warmers – Scotstoun is a bloody cold stadium at the best of times, never mind on a sub-freezing night when we’re getting pumped.
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Have a good one, BB, and to echo our thoughts, Mon Ra Weedge
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your thoughts, our thoughts, everyone’s thoughts
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There’s a movement afoot for the next 6N blogmeet to be in Heidelberg, Yos. If it happens and you make it I’ll present you with a t-shirt with ’10’ and ‘Legend’ printed on it somewhere.
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Very tempted. Anything for free swag.
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Yos, someone told me the other day that that twitter account is very good, very funny
@MtIks, I’d love to attend that, I really liked Germany when I was there, mind you it was Oktoberfest in Munich
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Mt Iks?
ffs
Sorry MrIks
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Poor Kings, getting Whitehoused to the max.
The drop off from Nige is huge in our league. Joy Neville is good, she will be excellent in a few years, hopefully but after Nige goes we will have no international quality referees
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Having said that, they’ve not exactly helping themselves
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@ticht
I’m pretty sure that there are Ospreys/Cardiff/Scarlets versions, but the Dragons version is the creme de la creme.
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@Ticht:
Down boy.
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Niko’s hair is outstanding
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It isn’t as cold as the Lyon game last year, but that also had icy drizzle all game.
I think we might need Jonny to make his 147 tackles again.
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Big Leo is a likeable guy, he has a nice way about him.
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TomP, Curwin is a different class to Bob Jnr, who is a solid player and not much else. I’d happily donate him to Scotland.
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“the Barbarians’ adopted anthem, God Save the Queen”
Why do the Barbarians need an anthem? And why choose that one?
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that’s a pen try
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Hope you lot could see what happened there cos nothing was happening on the stadium screen.
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The Fast Catz aka Cheetahs going well down in *checks notes* Neath.
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That’s Springbok Number 10 Robert du Preez, Deebee. If anything, his problem is that he isn’t solid enough. He’s one of those number 10s South Africa produces a decent number of at the moment – Brandon Thompson, JL du Plessis – who have the skills but can’t quite use them quickly enough at top pro level. I like all of them but wouldn’t really want them playjng at 10 for my team. Coincidentally, they’ve all gone through spells of playing with their socks down around their ankles. James Mollentze, who the Lions have just signed, might be another.
If what’shisname Reynolds the Lions guy got picked for a Bok squad ahead of Bosch then there’d be serious problems.
Of course, Willemse’s at least the level of Bosch. Lombard may be the best of the lot but he needs a lot more time at 10.
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Looks bad for the Leinster guy.
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Christ, just watched my recording of the Drags vs Zebra with a little help from the fast-forward mercy button, and we were shite personified.
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TRY
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