Gazing at life through a haze of opiates, I’m intensely relaxed about not getting a proper blog post up, and just giving you the matches.
But I will add an emphatic TSK!* that the Cardiff and Ulster matches have yet again been scheduled at the same time.
*This is more vehement than a PFFT!
6N Blog Meet Update
The Heidelberg Tourist Information Bureau has posted this:
Falcon tries to decide whether to deliver a TSK! or a PFFT!
And this.
And as a reminder, here’s the info.
On the telly this week
Friday 3rd January
| Cardiff 14 – 16 Scarlets | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ulster 38 – 17 Munster | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Sales 48 – 10 Harlequins | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 4th January
| Treviso 19 – 38 Glasgow | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Gloucester 29 – 15 Bath | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Dragons 25 – 18 Ospreys | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Zebre 41 – 13 Cheetahs | 15:00 | Freesports |
| Leinster 54 – 7 Connacht | 17:30 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Edinburgh 61 – 13 Southern Kings | 19:45 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 5th January
| Wasps 31 – 35 Northampton | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Adams at 13? I really really hope not.
Sure he could do a job there, but he is one of the best wingers in the game, certainly Wales’ best. Moving him in will limit his effectiveness in both attack and defence.
If they are to move a wing in one, North or Lane, both of whom have played a bit of 13 (and whose long term future may be there) would be better options.
On balance, I would probably go with the best of the actual centres available. Hughes is being talked about – looks a decent pro14 level player but nothing more. Morgan looked the business a few years back, but not since injuries. Williams I dont rate, but has experience. Uninspiring choices.
I would pick Rees Zammit vs Italy. For this, and the cenre weakness, I would start Davies and Biggar as they, with Parkes, HalfP and Adams, have played a lot together and can look after the 13 and LRZ
Forwards I largely agree with Yos, but would have Navidi at 6 or 7 as almost the first guy picked.
LikeLike
In the old days you’d have Bill McLaren teamed up with Philip Matthews. Scotland come out on top in that one.
LikeLike
Just remembered another Northern Irish fixture on British telly – the great Vincent Hanna. I was a huge fan of the big man’s work.
LikeLike
Thought Al Pacino failed in the way he portrayed him in that there fillum.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLike
Stormers are playing all 4 Western Cape universities. I quite like the idea of it. And they’re doing it in Parow or somewhere. Good practice for the Uni teams, a workout for the Stormers. Am in favour of it.
It’s nice. Not thrilling, but nice. Hardly the sharp workouts that the Kiwi and Aussie sides will be getting playing each other, even if at half pace (Premiership pace).
LikeLike
Truly wonderful news.
LikeLike
Ach, Ferris is just embarrassing as a commentator. Of the other presenters, the only one I’ve heard of is Gloria Hunniford – is she still around? Possibly the others are people I’ve seen recently but didn’t know their names.
LikeLike
Lane Train hasn’t played 13 in senior rugby so I’d expect North to play there ahead of him. Adams was run at 13 in training during the BaaBaas match week, and played the last 20 there with Lane on the wing.
I’d forgotten about Hughes, who I like. I don’t think he’s going to be a Welsh GOAT but he is a tidy all round player, low error count. And a Turk so he might make the cut.
LikeLike
As per tomp’s observation, there have always been a few of us kicking around on TV. Probably more Norn Iron accents than Northern English ones, per capita.
Except in Corrie, although Jim McDonald was placed there to improve standards.
LikeLike
I seem to remember “Why Don’t You?” being dominated by the Belfast Gang rather a lot when I was a kid.
Plus we had Ian Paisley on the news every night, as well as an actor pretending to be Gerry Adams.
LikeLike
@enzo
I can vouch for this. One of my Dad’s regular tirades at the telly during the 80s consisted of his moaning about there being too many Irish (particularly Norn Irish) and Scots on the telly.
LikeLike
@Iksy
“You also checking the train times to HD Slade…………………………………….?”
Thanks for the reminder – but getting a new knee at the end of January so planning nothing at the moment!
LikeLike
Stephen Rea played Gerry Adams for a bit.
LikeLike
This is another Norn Ireland accent I remember. Basically all I know about Ireland and The Troubles too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wish Stephen Rea would do a voiceover on Mark Robson’s commentary.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Also, thaum, are we going to do 6N previews this year?
LikeLike
Caron Keating, there’s a blast from the past. I had quite the crush on her back in the day
LikeLike
died young as I recall…..
LikeLike
Harry from Pentyrch:
LikeLiked by 2 people
James Galway was on the telly a lot when I was a nipper.
LikeLike
An Irish fellah and an English woman came into our wee bar in the village in the Pyrenees. We struck up a conversation and somehow the subject of how Irish and Scots are portrayed on TV came up. Me and the Dubliner guy complained that we are always shown as drunks. She said that the vast majority of Scots and Irish you see around London bars are usually pissed.
So she went off and had a look around the place and me and the bloke proceeded to get absolutely hammered,
LikeLiked by 8 people
I found this interesting, I saw a pic of a hemp & lime block with a burner blasting one side of it, it was claimed to be producing 650 degrees C on the one side for four hours, whilst the other side was at a constant 2 degrees C.
The point being this material could be used for building in bushfire-prone areas. It’s probably with exploring for wider use, too.
This is the first I’ve heard of this material, anyone know of a downside?
LikeLike
@ticht
What would you glue the blocks together with? That would need to have similar properties. Bit like with Grenfell – I believe the cladding passed fire tests but they were then drilled to make way for bolts etc thus rendering those test results invalid.
Plus the structural integrity of the buildings created would need to be adequate, but I don’t know if it is strong enough or not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yosoy
I’m all for it! Are you volunteering? ;-)
LikeLike
‘Also, thaum, are we going to do 6N previews this year?’
Scotland: Excess of centres, nae props. No half back depth. Likely win one or two.
There. Done
LikeLike
I’d tell the missus to pack her bags and get us a flight to Canada, too.
LikeLike
Maybe Chek could return with some of his classic pre 6N optimism to counterbalance my gloom-mongering.
LikeLike
@thaum
Yes, I’m volunteering Iksy to do the Italy preview.
LikeLike
If one of the other Welsh ladz wants to do the Tîm Wales preview, I’m happy to do a quiz or Wales in space or something instead.
LikeLike
@chimpie
Shame on you.
LikeLike
No, shame on you.
LikeLike
Be nice if we could do England over at the ‘field, mind.
LikeLike
Again.
LikeLike
We have three weeks until 6N kicks off, so could do two previews per week? Who’s up for writing them?
LikeLike
Thauma, I’m volunteering!
Enzo for Ireland
Chimpie for Scotland
Iksy for Wales
Flair for France (nailed on with that)
Craigs for England
AN Other for Italy*
* I could possibly do a small bit on lunches in Italy. Hoping to be back there soon too!
LikeLike
Seriously, 3 weeks? That’s the most exciting news I’ve heard in ages! 6N is a brilliant comp!
LikeLike
Damn you with all the damning that jealousy allows. Just for that, I’m putting you down for Italy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh. Right. Um. How’s that Sergio, eh? Goes well with saffron risotto I hear. Or something.
LikeLike
Can’t really complain about the number 1 on this list, although London Calling is very close for me…
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/09/the-clash-40-greatest-songs-ranked
LikeLike
Mainly cut n’ pasting Squad Yos, here’s my 6N Transitional Team.
LH: Wyn Jones, Smith, Evans. Carre seems yost in space, so I’m guessing Pivac will select players in or around first teams.
Hooker: Ken, Dee, Elias.
TH: Dillz, Brown, WillGriff John. No better ideas. Shame Samson Lee has faded away.
Locks: President Jones, Beard, Ball, BAILLCH (British and Irish Lions Legend Cory Hill). Wild punt into fantasy land – The Screecher. Going well for the Drags, 27 so prime lock time, and might do a BAILLCH if put through his paces in the Welsh camp.
Back row: Taulupe, Wainwright, Tipuric, Navidi, Basham, Moriarty, Griffiths – Pivac is picking Shingler whether Iksy likes it or not… Not in my squad.
SH: Tomos, Gareth, A.N.Other. I don’t think automatically adding Webb is a good idea. It might turn into the 3 Graeae fighting over one eye.
The Tenz: Everyone loves Dan Biggar, Jarrod, Sam Davies. It is how it is, but Sam needs help to stop trying to live up to yesterday’s hype.
Centrez: Parkesy, TMHMIR™️ because he is a proper 13 and is on the way back, not on the way out. Watkin, Hughes perhaps. North as last resort. Bit bleak.
Wingz: Adams, North, Lane Train, McTurkle.
FB: Halfpenny, Amos, Liam.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I’m on standby for the Wales preview. You might get less repetition and more wit and wisdom from the other Welshies here though.
I’d give Yos a pass as Wales in Space is an offer too good to refuse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fucking hell … the Middle East is on the brink of WWIII, Australia’s on fire, and BBC News leads with a ten-minute segment on the richest benefit-scrounging family in the UK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should add that the Lane Train is there on popular demand, as I haven’t noticed anything thus far that lifts him above the likes of Holmes, Steff Evans, Tom James and a paddocked Horse.
LikeLike
Terrible idea. They won’t have seen him play since 2017.
LikeLike
I’ll put up a new thread tomorrow, before the rugby kicks off.
LikeLiked by 2 people
BB – The Clash is one of my favourite bands of all time. Ironically, I was introduced to them when in the apartheid army here in SA, by an English kid whose dad worked at a power station (very common in those days for Brits to come here for heavy industry). We named him – with great wit – Pommie.
The Clash is one of my ‘alone time’ bands, where I can just lie back and meander through their music.
LikeLike
Maybe I’ll do a Clash homaged preview of the Saffer Super conference. ‘Should I stay or should I go’ perfect for the Pound, Euro and Yen brigade, whilst ‘Ghetto Defendant’ sums up what’s left of the Lions pretty well.
Somebody Got Murdered is a Bulls classic.
LikeLike
I’ll hold you to that, Deebee!
LikeLike
Erm … when does the Super Saffer conference kick off, anyway?
LikeLike