With two rounds down in the Six Nations, the shocking truth is that OvallyBalls underdoggers have been proven right – or perhaps have so disheartened their national sides that the players lost the will to play.
Here is the state of the nations:
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Pts Diff | Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Bleus du mal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 39 | 20 | 1 | 9 |
| Smiling Green Machine | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 26 | 17 | 1 | 9 |
| Leeks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 24 | 32 | 1 | 5 |
| Saracens | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Kiltie-wearers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 32 | -14 | 2 | 2 |
| Pasta-scoffers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 77 | -55 | 0 | 0 |
From this, we can observe several things. One is that the rankings should be based secondarily on the fewest points conceded, as it indicates a better defence. Any fool can score tries against a weaker defence. In the case of England, we can see that their attack and defence are equally great / rubbish [delete as appropriate]. And Scotland are the only side to have achieved two bonus points, although perhaps for the wrong reasons.
However, it’s still wide open for at least four teams. The remaining fixtures are as follows:
| 22/02 | Italy v Scotland | 14:15 |
| Wales v France | 16:45 | |
| 23/02 | England v Ireland | 15:00 |
| 07/03 | Ireland v Italy | 14:15 |
| England v Wales | 16:45 | |
| 08/03 | Scotland v France | 15:00 |
| 14/03 | Wales v Scotland | 14:15 |
| Italy v England | 16:45 | |
| France v Ireland | 20:00 |
The Super Saturday fixtures are, of course, being played in Heidelberg, so all true rugby fans should get their arses there.
My prediction is a narrow win for each of the home sides next weekend, which will bolster the excitement of the following rounds, except for Scottish fans, who will be gurning into their whiskey and cursing SuperSergio, homer refs and the professional era in general.
Meanwhile, this weekend we have Pro14 / English Premiership matches, if Dennis doesn’t menace all of them; Dragons v Treviso has already been cancelled.
Further Reading
TomPirracas has a better idea of how the Italy v Scotland match will go.
Chimpie is looking forward to this weekend’s ProWoo.
On the telly this week
Friday 14th February
| Blues 8 – 25 Crusaders | 06:05 | Sky Sports Action |
| Rebels 24 – 10 Waratahs | 08:15 | Sky Sports Action |
| Glasgow 56 – 24 Zebre | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Munster 68 – 3 Kings | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Gloucester 15 – 26 Exeter | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 15th February
| Sunwolves 17 – 43 Chiefs | 03:45 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Hurricanes 38 – 22 Sharks | 06:05 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Brumbies 22 – 23 Highlanders | 08:15 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Lions 30 – 33 Stormers | 13:05 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Leinster 35 – 12 Cheetahs | 14:30 | Free Sports |
| Leicester 18 – 9 Wasps | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Scarlets 9 – 14 Edinburgh | 15:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ospreys 26 – 24 Ulster | 17:15 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Connacht 29 – 0 Cardiff | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Los Jaguares 43 – 27 Reds | 23:00 | Sky Sports Action |
Sunday 16th February
| Northampton v Bristol | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Cheers, gecko. The Umagas one surprised me. I file them in different decades.
How about your Stormers? What a difference a top-class Welsh lad makes to the team.
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@TOM – Ja, I noticed Deebee is missing. After my side SMASHED his, stealing it with the try after the hooter.
As for Dr Jamie Roberts, I can only assume his presence bring some calm as he hasn’t done that much ball in hand.
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Oops. Missed this
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
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Hmph, that didn’t work
Sutherland, McInally, Fagerson
Toolis, Cummings
Ritchie, watson, Bradbury
Price, Hastings
Johnson, Harris
Kinghorn, Maitland, Hogg
Brown, Dell, Nel, Gilchrist, Fagerson, Horne, Hutchinson, McGuigan.
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*Sigh*
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Bradbury needs a big game to keep his place. Haining is unlucky, Fagerson the younger looked very hungry last week, he will be determined to make his mark when he comes on.
I’ve nothing against Chris Harris and Sam Johnson, but I get the impression that Matt Scott must be a fallout casualty of the Finn Affair – keeping the club mate alongside a relatively inexperienced fly half makes sense, but I’d love to see Scott back in Scotland colours.
Presumably Darcy Graham is still not 100% fit
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I heard that Italy are planning on naming their strongest team this week. That would be bad news for Scotland.
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Is this the game Parisse comes back for the one-off goodbye? In that case, I hope Italy sneaks it.
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Don’t get Jones being dropped, or Haining for that matter.
Fagerson (M) is a good player but a bit lightweight in attack & defence.
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Italy by 27. Got one of my bad feelings about this.
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‘Now what has Cheesy the Llama done?’
firstly, I object to such pigeonholing, secondly nothing whatsoever. I’m just being persecuted.
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pffft
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Pardon you
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This team is going to give palpitations to the toonie oot brigade.
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Scotland are too good for Italy Sergio or no Sergio.
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I think it’s right not to pick Skinner.
I watched vs. Glos. last w/end and he hasn’t got his zip back yet……………………..when he’s fit he’s very good and worthy of first XV
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Late stage Sergio would only weaken the current Italian back row. Would be a spot of foot-shooting to pick him.
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@slade
Yes, too soon for Skinner he’s only played about 30 minutes at top level after 6 months out.
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Sergio’s test win percentage is 24.6% If selected for this game and they win, he cracks 25%. Just.
Plus a last chance to see Sergio go all ‘lo farò io’
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Shame Graham isn’t quite fit too.
Only real points of contention for that squad are Harris (who needs a big game to justify his selection IMO) for Jones and subsequent inclusion of McGuigan (solid enough option). Would have been more justification for playing Harris in the Ming at Murrayfield last outing and Jones on a hopefully drier track in Italy. And dropping Haining who’s done nowt wrong for Fagerson is a bit odd. Haining brings a good bit of fizzicality as well as work rate.
Toolis is the sensible option at lock with smaller Gray out, he’s our best for lineout & scrum, and hopefully combining with Rambo will sort the lineout, which has been pish onna stick. Bit of a toss up with Brown overall, Rambo’s darts are better & he’s quicker round the park.
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Farrell copying Deccie and reusing team sheets from the last outing.
Ireland: Larmour; Conway, Henshaw, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Herring, Furlong, Henderson, Ryan, O’Mahony, van der Flier, Stander.
Replacements: Kelleher, Kilcoyne, Porter, Toner, Doris, Cooney, Byrne, Earls.
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Scotland too strong for Italy, with or without Sergio, who by the way has been playing really well for Toulon lately. But Toulon would smash Italy, so he probably gets an easy ride. Anyway, I think Sergio’s cameo for his last game was announced vs England.
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It would be better if Sergio’s winning last appearance was against England.
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Italy will beat England one day.
I know its not really how things work but the longer we are the only team to never have lost to them, the more likely it seems to be that it will be next time.
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I think Toastie the Llama has a nicer ring to it. Should have done both sides, not just the top.
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Italy are winning on Saturday. I’ve seen visions. What’s that I can see through the fog? Is it Ben O’Keefe asking the TMO the wrong question?
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I was looking for a joke that I’d posted a couple of months ago from Arthur Rubinstein about his age, when I googled Tichtheid and Rubinstein an old version of AOD came up – I thought it had all disappeared.
I had a bit of fun for five minutes looking through some posts from seven years ago
https://artofdomination.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/as-if-by-magic-huff-time-huff-wits-and-huff-the-sides-are-un-the-shut/comment-page-4/#comments
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“yosoy says:
February 20, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Parisse banned for 30 days.”
I guess he won’t be playing against Scotland, then
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Ha! What was he banned for that time?
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Would that be the time he had a go at a ref?
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Good biscuits at the second attempt.
Also, from the same piece, 7 years ago is a long, long time…
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Well found, Ticht!
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51557395
!!!
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Big England win this weekend. Maybe even a record win.
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Pivac should get Shakin’ Stevens in.
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It must have been interesting for Bono to meet highly-paid Irish people who pay tax in the country.
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Ireland ploughing the English furrow for that elusive top 2 inches.
Rumour has it that both camps invited Chris de Burgh.
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Shaky and Bonnie Tyler. You could pay them in gumshields.
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It’s got the smack of Lancaster England to it. Ireland to lose to France on the last day of the tournament.
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Having Bono invited to training reminds me of when Princes Harry & William would walk into the England dressing room. And make sure they were filmed doing it, if course.
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I can’t believe that proud Welsh supporter Prince William would’ve gone to the English changing room.
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That old AOD link is lovely. A plague on anyone who trolled there for the sake of it.
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That was a nice trip down memory lane. I’m sure I’ve tried to find the old AoD stuff, but nothing would come up. Wonder how or why its re-appeared. Also nice to see some long-lost names commenting there
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That old AoD is a bit sad really. So many quality posters gone missing…
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Meanwhile I’m still having a strange relationship with this year’s 6 Nations. It is only very slowly sinking in now what a superb weekend of fixtures we have before us. Every match has a huge amount at stake.
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That old AoD link…
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I feel some clarifications are in order:
1) I do far fewer corporate lunches than any of you imagine. Don’t have time for such luxuries most of the time;
2) I work bloody hard for the ones I do get – none of the consultancy schmoozing I’m outrageously accused of here;
3) I have neither butler nor chauffeur to assist (in fact after some bastard broke my door handle trying to steal my car on Friday night, I have to get into my own driver’s seat from the back or the passenger side. Outrageous! );
4) Gecko manages to sneak in after his side snuck in against a rank, depleted Lions outfit and waffles on imperiously about his Bok laden side as if they cruised? Pffft!
Wounded, I am. But like Chumbawumba on the tiles, when I get knocked down, I get up again! Take that earworm you bastards!
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@tomp
Prince Billy before he changed sides for PR purposes
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Good grief I was in my 30s when I was posting on AOD
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