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 
Beating Leinster would be a waste of time. Beating Ulster would be a much more worthwhile contribution though it’s not going to happen anyway.
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PS stream has gone down, so forced to switch to S4C, which is working.
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Ah good, PS stream back.
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Technical query if anyone can help –
My computer is telling me the Ospreys are beating Ulster. Have tried turning it off and on again but that didn’t work as it just added 5 to the Ospreys score.
Any ideas?
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Its a disruption in the space-time continuum.
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TomP – please rewind your machine to the last known good back-up, as it’s having knock-on effects to the space-time continuum.
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Ha!
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Phew! Faddes in for a try.
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BEAUTIFUL TRY!!!!
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Risky cross-field kick by the new fly-half that lands perfectly in McCloskey’s hands.
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This is what I’m here for.
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Johnson, for it is he, makes the touchline conversion to put Ulster up by a point.
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My wife is watching some programme on tv, she has just told me that black bears are responsible for more break-ins in Colorado than humans.
Lock that back door, Avs.
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It’s so odd to think that we all consume so much American culture and politics and thus is feels amazingly familiar but at the same time it’s just so different.
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Shit, shit, shit! Ospreys win a penalty and slot it.
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Northern Ireland – in fact, all of Ireland – is a heavily rural place but it’s a totally different vibe from Murica.
Here you’re pretty much always a few miles from a city or town or village or whatever. There’s probably nowhere that isn’t an hour or two’s walk from one townland or another.
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More importantly, there aren’t any wild bears in Ireland.
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Travelling an hour is a long way.
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Murka is very definitely a foreign country.
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I dreamt I was in Sun Studios, Memphis last night with all the ladz.
Didn’t seem that different from South Wales.
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Penalty to Ulster as the clock goes red. They go for the corner.
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Well, not quite the corner – more like the 22 line.
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Coetzee’s hands resting on the floor, drags them back, gets the penalty.
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Kickable penalty awarded as a result….
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Good win that for Os, it was tense at the end, though
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So Ulstery.
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What happened to that penalty?
Oh well, Ospreys have won, and it was fully deserved.
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“Coetzee’s hands resting on the floor, drags them back, gets the penalty.”
Marius’ Rules.
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,blockquote>Travelling an hour is a long way.
Not if you walk really really slowly.
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Top spot is done and dusted, but that leaves Ulster on 37, Cheetahs on 31 and Glasgow on 29.
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We’ve got both of them at home to play this season (going to the Cheetahs one in April). Not sure we’ve played Ulster away yet? Might squeeze into a play-off place yet.
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BB, I think the most significant thing is that whilst Glasgow’s early season form was, lets be honest, crap compared to recent years, they have picked up and are playing good rugby again.
Pete Horne was very good last night, he is a good option at 10 at league level, his brother just gets better and better – 7 tries from 6 league games plus 1 in Europe.
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Under most other eras Dennis Buckely would have had a number of Ireland caps, now he doesn’t even start for the Wesht.
He is a fearsome scrummager
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We were truly shite to start off with. We started picking up a bit over Christmas. I think beating Sale and going toe-to-toe with Exeter has given a lift, plus the Big Man coming back. From now on is usually when we play our best. It is (very) unlikely but it would be good for Dave to leave with some sort of trophy.
Still think big changes are ahead for next season though – in the playing department that is.
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Had to serve up dinner with ten minutes to go. I’ve checked the BBC in case the talk on here was an elaborate wind up.
There we are then.
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Someone tell me Norwich beat Liverpool as well please.
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Too easy for Connacht.
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Oh dear, The Tovenator rather crapped out of that tackle
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CMW, Norwich almost didn’t lose to Liverpool.
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Mrs CMW and the girls stayed here in the end so no freedom for me and no opportunities for my mother-in-law to drag any of our kids down any stairs (which I’ll have Iks know is what the only witness with her wits about her reported at the time of the original incident). Now it has to be said that the mother-in-law no longer has any stairs in any case, but it was still decided this morning that discretion was the better part of valour.
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Bit pathetic really on Mrs CMW’s front not wanting to drive to Campbeltown today. Road’s still open for heaven’s sake.
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Thanks TomP. I felt it in my waters that they almost wouldn’t.
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Somewhere, Claw is a happy man.
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@Thaum – I think that’s just how he is anyway.
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He’sh a very happy man, Kat’leen, y’know.
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Who’d a thunk mid-Feb Galway would provide the best weather of the day so far?
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@Ticht – this is my point. If they’re playing rugby in Galway then Mrs CMW should be driving over the Rest and Be Thankful with three kids in the car.
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Of course when I put all the peripheral stuff to one side I’ve fundamentally been a happy man ever since Claw gave me a French chicken hat.
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Ha! You just made me lol, CMW.
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Connacht get their third try. Blues are scoreless. 22-0.
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