Preamble
A pleasing sell-out crowd and a Big (Chief) Red Cloud-sponsored Nige reffing augured well for a festive atmosphere and a good local derby contest. Even the weather was fair at the start, favouring the Blues in the first half before turning Newport Docks evil in the second, when the unfortunate Dragons had to play into the bitter wind and driving rain.
The Encounter
After a start almost as bright as the Dragons’ peeled-satsuma away kit, things looked promising. Decent lineout ball and early indications of a strong mauling game, Ashton Hewitt vigorous with and without the ball, Moriarty making a couple of inroads and Taine Basham a whirlwind of energy. After 20 minutes I realized I hadn’t used the fast-forward button, which is normally a technological godsend when watching a recording of a Drags match.
There was even a half-break from The Most Handsome Man in Rugby™, finally getting some injury-free game time for the Dragons.
Perhaps inevitably, the tide slowly turned in the Blues direction. Cardiff’s ‘interesting’ but effective breakdown tactics and the Drags poor clear-out work / sluggish passing combined to slow us down. The Blues defensive line speed and some seasonal goodwill from Nige’s patrolling of the offside line saw us under pressure and getting pushed backwards.
Our attempts to cross the gain line emphasized the poor quality of the Drags front five as ball-carriers, and our 9’s sluggish service meant they often made a standing stand rather running on to the ball at speed.
In contrast to Cardiff, the Drags deployed a more passive gain line defence, spreading across the field like a tangerine daisy chain. Unfortunately, this suited Jarrod Evans’ excellent heads-up with time-to-spare game management. A lovely dummy sent Welsh Legend Wainwright into the wrong player as Evans glided through a gap to send winger Lewis-Hughes in for the opening try.
Cardiff were taking command, and some very poor box kicking from Rhodri Williams who seemed to misjudge the conditions and playing surface (we are not in Rodney anymore, Rhodri), meant the bright start petered out. But lo, against the run of play the Drags executed a good driving maul from a lineout, and that man Basham bustled over for the touchdown. 10-5 at the, ahem, oranges.
Cardiff started the better at the outset of the second half, unsurprisingly with all the elements in their favour. But some dolly-drop passing on the Drags 22 saw an intercept from Basham, who sprinted towards the Cardiff line chin-on-chest, like a ram looking for a gate. Evans caught up and made the tackle, but Basham kept the ball alive, and after a couple of surge-and-fumbles Screech scorched over at lightspeed..
That was as good as it got from a Drags perspective. The Blues forwards further dominated the collisions and started to push our boys backwards in the tackle. The Drags bench didn’t really make an impact, and after a poor clearing kick from Williams Josh Adams went on a typically surging run. Lane was unable to gather the resulting cross-kick, but Nige yellow-carded Hewitt for I think loitering in his own 22, and a tired Drags team started to leak penalties. The Blues eased to a 16-12 victory.
Pastries and Crumbs
Although the set-piece forward battle was well contested it underlined how both teams have underpowered packs, with neither side really getting the upper hand. The Blues defence was quicker and better organised, and the Drags suffered throughout from slow ball and a lack of forward power. Basham is a fierce competitor and earned his Player of the Match status, and he seems a good leader by example.
Cardiff’s ancient warriors Gill, Andrews and Turnbull seemed to be enjoying themselves, but their Welsh Legends had quiet games, as did our lads Dee, Wainwright and Hill. Amos and Adams seem good acquisitions for the Blues, and Tovey’s last quarter kicking game (the best one of the 3 fly-halves on show) complimented Jarrod’s earlier passing and running work to close out the game.On a positive note, I always thought the Dragons has a squad good enough to compete rather than capitulate as was the case under Blarney Jackman’s peculiar tenure, and so it seems to be. We need more front five oomph which would hopefully speed the half-backs up, but otherwise matches are now bearable to watch. Marvellous.
As reported by OvallyBalls operative MisterIks.
On the telly this week
Friday 27th December
| Ulster 35 – 3 Connacht | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Bristol 21 – 26 Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 28th December
| Treviso 36 – 25 Zebre | 13:00 | Freesports |
| Northampton 33 – 26 Gloucester | 14:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Edinburgh 29 – 19 Glasgow | 15:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Harlequins 30 – 30 Leicester | 16:30 | Channel 5 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Munster 6 – 13 Leinster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 29th December
| Exeter 14 – 7 Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Terrific skill. He’s playing very well at the moment.
Scotland are available at 25-1 to win the 6 Nations.
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Tam, the problem for us is getting him on the front foot, the way Racing’s bruisers do. His nutmeg try against Munster was a bit of magic but his forwards bought that vital extra wee bit of time.
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Neil Innes RIP
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I’m not normally good at picking up steals from songs but even I know noticed Oasis nicked that for Whatever.
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I liked Neil Innes. It’s funny how songs get stuck in your head, I could sing along with that despite not hearing it for well over 30 years.
Tam, something else has occurred to me regarding Scotland’s chances in the 6 N, we don’t have a goal kicker, or not one who would be the first choice kicker at their club.
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Also, I’ve just had a look at itsrugby and Allan Dell has started one game for ‘Irish this season, meaning that we don’t have a loosehead as a starter for their club, Oli Kebble qualifies after the 6N is finished iirc, Schoeman is on five years to get residency
The others are decent club pros
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Happy new year everyone*!
*see video for context.
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Going back to Neil Innes for a second, my boss in France went to Newcastle Uni and he was the social secretary for the NUS there, so he booked bands to come and play.
The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band were due to go on but no one knew where founding member Viv Stanshall had got to, they searched all over the place and my boss finally found him outside at a bus stop, he was wearing a brightly coloured evening gown and a tiara, with a large Union Jack cape. He was playing a bugle at the time.
The other people at the bus stop were huddled together some distance from him.
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Almost saw a Neil Innes/Ruttles gig earlier this year. We were looking for a pub after the Pro Woo final (that didn’t happen) and wandered into one that my mate said was quite good. I’d gone in first with my mate and it was only after we got to the bar that we realised there was a band ready to start. The rest of my mate’s family came in and told us it was actually a pay-at-the-door gig (even though there was no-one at the door stopping us getting in). So we left. It was only as I was leaving that I realised who was on.
My life with the rich and famous, eh?
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Ticht – that was great skill from Finn earlier. Just the sort of off-the-cuff skillz that the Lions coach will look for when playing World Champions South Africa in a couple of years.
*Remembers who the Lions coach is*
Ah well. Just the sort of skills Toonie will be looking for as Scottish coach on our tour to Georgia/Fiji/Argentina/Wherever the Lions aren’t in a couple of years.
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British and Irish Lion Finn Russell.
I disagree that Gatz won’t choose any Scottish players.
No need for him to delberately try and knacker the English out any longer. Nor to pick an excessive number of Irish ladz in order to select and then drop them to win the series. And, of course, he doesn’t have to worry about selecting Welsh boyoz so as not to upset them and lose the team.
Plus most of the Scots lads have a fairly good knowledge of SA having grown up there.
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Rhys Webb leaving Toulon at the end of the season. 31 years old now but would be a good signing for the Dragons or the hapless Ospreys. I suppose he could get a tonne of cash from Bath or Bristol.
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“Plus most of the Scots lads have a fairly good knowledge of SA having grown up there.”
playing this with a straight bat, I think only Dell and Kebble will be available for the Lions pack as JockBok contingents.
Schoeman is under the full five years and won’t qualify ’till 2023, but he is the best loosehead playing in Scotland, assuming there is a Lions tour to Oz in 2025, he will be 31 at the time. He may miss the boat for that as much of his game is based around his dynamism around the park.
WP Nel’s time is coming to an end, he has been great for Edinburgh and Scotland but he really toils with the pace of the game now, he is still a magnificent scrummager and had the better of Kebble at the weekend. WP turns 34 in April, he can’t have too much left in the tank.
Duhan van der Merwe is our best bet for a homecoming tour with the Lions, I reckon
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Wee Greeg is also leaving Clermont at the end of the season, he can still do a job for teams during the 6N and November tours, but I don’t think we need him at Edinburgh, though I’d take him back.
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“Plus most of the Scots lads have a fairly good knowledge of SA having grown up there.”
Boa levels of snide there. Nice.
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Think Huw Jones might also have been in his thoughts as, although he’s Scottish, he did grow up (in rugby terms, not schooling) in South Africa. Hopefully he’ll continue his recent upturn in form.
However, if the Lions need Byron McGuigan, then everybody’s in trouble.
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Anyway, by 2021 everyone playing in the ‘English’ Premiership will be South African, so Gatz won’t be able to pick any English players.
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Marfo has just signed for the Crisis Ospreys (who have also, finally, confirmed that Allen Clarke has been given the boot).
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it was the old joke about the England cricket team of the late 2000s, ticht.
What chance of Jaco vdWalt getting a cap for Scotland?
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“Huw Jones … did grow up (in rugby terms, not schooling) in South Africa.|”
He wasn’t in my thoughts. It was pure snark. Having said that, Huw Jones had his schooling at Millfield, and not the one in Banffshire.
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I saw that Yos, I hope he goes well, the contract is just for the season but if he gets a decent amount of game time he could get a renewal.
I think Jaco might get a “capturing cap”, Tam, it would be wise to do so, maybe even in the 7s. He is near Finn’s class and he is behind Hastings by a long way, in fact Hickey seems to have overtaken him at Edinburgh.
It’s such a shame Callum McLelland didn’t take to life and rugby in Scotland, he looked the feckin businesss for U20s. Edinburgh and Scotland need another lad like him coming through.
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“isn’t near Finn’s class” is what I meant to type
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Hickey for a cap, then?
I don’t rate either of them very much.
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A classy ten is really what we need at Embra, Charlie Shiel will be great at 9, just turned 22, Cockerill’s natural conservatism is keeping him behind Groom, but he is a much better scrum half for my money, he has serious gas and the ‘nads to take on a break. Decent pass, too.
Not a brilliant box kicker, but that is where rugby is at just now
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What might have been, sigh
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So what’s he decided to do instead?
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If you’ll all excuse me for a second…
*Ahem*
YA FUCKIN’ BEAUTY!
Sorry, just being disgustingly pleased with myself for finishing this…..
https://www.castorland.pl/en/puzzle/c-400041
Took me a ridiculously long time.
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BB, he went back home to Rugby League
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Blog dies in shock at thought of Scottish rugby player playing league shock.
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Yorkshire lad. He’s no George Fairbairn.
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Someone just sent me the most fantastic article.
What links VELVET UNDERGROUND – VENUS IN FURS, DEPECHE MODE – MASTER AND SERVANT and NINE INCH NAILS – HAPPINESS IN SLAVERY?
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Apart from the capital letters.
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I don’t know, TomP. What does link the three titles and/or groups?
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LaDoaB,
Seen the latest results? Russia playing Germany to get the last play-off spot – unless it’s a tie and the Germans win in overtime, in which case the Czechs’ll come last should they lose to … Oh, Canada.
The Russians are 5-0 up after two periods so the Czechs are safely through whatever.
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TomP’s sexual leanings?
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Tremendous jigsawing BB.
“Took me a ridiculously long time.”
I rest my case…
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Rhys Webb back to the wOes next season. Clarke saga finally over, and Ruddock in the paddock helping behind the scenes. AWJ on the cusp of a comeback and Tips in his bootstraps.
All signs pointing to the Drags getting a shellacking on Saturday.
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Well, not PROG long obviously, more like Waiting-For-Dragons-To-Win long…..
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Grags have tucked 6! wins under their belt this season against all-comers, including Russian amateurs, Worcester and shrugging French reserves. And a bogged-down Scarlets team wanting to go home for Christmas!
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Where’s that CMW? Hopefully arranging a new passport for himself and Shooney the Onion Man. Although the latter might already have an EU passport.
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I got my renewed UK passport through just before Christmas. No mention of the EU on the front cover. I was quite upset by the fact.
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My musical taste a bit – 2/3 of them I like a lot – but it’s more from this headline in Kerrang!:
“HERE ARE 12 SONGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE ABOUT BDSM”
https://www.kerrang.com/features/here-are-12-songs-you-didnt-know-were-about-bdsm/
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So with NYE looming up we are off to our friends with the broken but recovering cat for a glass of sekt and to wish them a better year than this, their annus horribilis. Then back to our cats for a peaceful evening which might not even reach midnight.
So have fun out there Ovally Ballers, and catch you later.
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Happy New Year, my online friends
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Happy new year to the regulars, irregulars, others and lurkers.
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The passing of Neil Innes has brought to my attention his remarkable similarity to Meghan Markle
Lhttps://media-manager.starsinsider.com/1920/na_5baa204aa038d.jpg
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See if this works
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Happy New year all. Fleeting visit blfor now but I’ll be back more regularly soon.
Spent a few days with my in laws in Alston after Xmas. Coming back down the motorway sign said ‘The South’ and then underneath ‘Leeds’. I’m so confused.
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*for
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