We laughed at his five locks, his centre on the wing, and May at full-back. We laughed long and loud, and now are laughing out the other side of our faces, as our grannies told us we would.
Then we cried as we watched Ireland.
Sexton and Murray played with the all élite international skills and passion of reluctant replacements in a U14s game on a wet and cold Sunday afternoon at the end of a losing match in a losing season in Moneyrea when not even their dads could be arsed to turn up.
Meanwhile, Jones’s locks, particularly Itoje the Octopus and One-Brain-Cell (MotM), were rampantly joyful, or perhaps joyfully rampant – never been too up on these heraldic terms. Joseph was fine on the wing, and May didn’t even drop any balls (or so we’ve heard).
The one tiny crumb of comfort is that Ireland improved dramatically when John Cooney replaced Murray, and even managed a consolation try.
The warm-up matches to the Great Event were, of course, Italy v Scotland and Wales v France. The former had a few flashes of brilliance – Bellini, Hogg – but was otherwise a tedious affair.
Wales v France was one of those bonkers matches that looks more like pinball than rugby. Disappointingly (to Welsh fans), France forgot to throw the match away in the last quarter.
The rest of the Six Nations is up in the air due to Coronavirus; Ireland v Italy has been ‘postponed’, and we are certainly hoping for a rematch date and not the dreaded two-pointer.
Similarly, the Pro14 Ulster and Ospreys matches in Italy scheduled for this weekend have been put off, with the threat of a 0-0 draw being recorded for Treviso v Ulster if an alternative date cannot be found.
Further Reading
FalteringFullback’s thoughts on last weekend
On the telly this week
Friday 28th February
| Highlanders 22 – 28 Rebels | 06:05 | Sky Sports Action |
| Waratahs 29 – 17 Lions | 08:15 | Sky Sports Action |
| Edinburgh 14 – 6 Cardiff | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Leinster 55 – 19 Glasgow | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Gloucester 17 – 23 Sale | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 29th February
| Hurricanes v Sunwolves | 03:45 | Sky Sports Action |
| Reds v Sharks | 08:15 | Sky Sports Action |
| Stormers v Blues | 13:05 | Sky Sports Action |
| Harlequins v Exeter | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Bulls v Los Jaguares | 15:15 | Sky Sports Action |
| Munster v Scarlets | 17:00 | TG4 / Free Sports |
| Dragons v Cheetahs | 17:15 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 1st March
| Bath v Bristol | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Looking forward to some ProWoo action tonight before shovelling stone chips all weekend. What fun.
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Is that a euphemism?
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Cooney really should be given a run over Murray.
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Nope. Not a euphemism. Literally going to be moving about 2 tonnes of stone chips using a shovel and a wheelbarrow.
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Ach, it’ll be character-building. Particularly if it’s pissing it down and blowy.
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2 tonnes?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,pffffftt!
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…..hope they are geologically interesting for you!
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Yosoy would use Martian stone chips.
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Pretty boring stone chips TBH. did another 2 tonnes the other weekend.
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Cecerrelli is leaving Edinburgh for Brive on a two year deal. He’s been good for us but there is a log jam in both propping position due to us only have the two teams, and there are young Scottish lads who need to play.
I REALLY hope the next news item is bollocks, as Dougie McLean says, “you know it would make more than sad”
“They” are saying there is no money to keep Matt Scott at Edinburgh next year.
I’m buying a lotto ticket right fucking now.
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Ceccarelli, even
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We’ll all be using Martian stone in the future. It’s a better quality rock.
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Pffft.
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@Ticht
heard that about Scott. Flipping lunacy. Divert some funds from the fricking blazers.
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In even worse news than that, Big Leone’s out for about 6 weeks with ligament damage. Bugger.
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Oh, I always enjoy that quest in search of what my wife terms “dodgy” beers. Browsing amongst the IPAs, West coast, East coast, Hazy or looking in amongst the stouts and porters – export, baltic, imperial, imperial russian – what’s new, what’ve I had before, …dare I risk €4-€5 on what might end up as a drain pour….? When I’ve beer in the house – I alway wonder if there’s something missing
Actually, I have converted Mrs T from Coors-light type beers to stouts, porters and malty brews. She’ll never be a fan of hop bombs though….
After all that talk…. I’m looking forward to a beer or 5… all rugby cancelled tomorrow ‘cos of Storm Jorge (Hor-hay) – so no early start required and more importantly no early start that necessitates driving anywhere. Mrs T is away with cousins at a 40th (I think) birthday – so just me and the three lads.
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Sounds like a good weekend Trisk, my will be similarly quiet.
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Beer? $11 a pop in the airport here for a small can of fizzy crap. Not even a client account can justify that. Certainly not more than a few anyway. Then again, they’re based in Dubai and print money. But probably watch expenses closely which is why they’re so successful. Hiding it as ‘food and beverage ‘ won’t cut it as they require the actual bills or won’t pay. This is a shitty quandary I find myself in. Would use my credit card but they don’t take them. I will try to survive somehow.
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Top work Thauma. Du bist ein Schatz!
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I think the Historical Records show that the best Martian rock is blue, and if you hold one you become a Martian.
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I might be thinking of prisms made from blue quartz though. Tricky blighters those Martians.
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Ha, cheers Iks – had to look up what a ‘Schatz’ was!
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I’ll tell you what, I don’t speak German at all, and Shatz does not look like what it is (TY Google translate)
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Oh and tapadh leat for the atl, Thaum
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Thaum, I had my mate the Ulster plumber round the other day to fix the boiler. I mentioned I was doing the duolingo Gaelic thing and said that there are some words I recognise from Scots, the one I can think of right now is “pressa” for pantry – in Scots the press is the pantry and he said it’s exactly the same in Ulster Scots.
I found it interesting, there are lots and lots of these crossovers, but of course my mind is a blank right now.
I believe that kirk is the same word in German as it is in Scots and the Swedish for vaccum cleaner always makes me smile as it’s stoor sooker (though probably a completely different spelling to that)
I think I mentioned laughing out loud at something in The Bridge when someone in the interview room said to the cops in Swedish, (it may have been Danish) “Can ah go noo?” it would be instantly recognisable to any Scot, and probably Ulsterish person.
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Nick Williams and Ioan Davies had to get late flights up today, so they’ll be well prepared for pro rugby.
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Ticht – according to Google, tapadh leat is Irish for ‘hurry up’! What, you want another one?
I’ve noticed some crossover between Welsh and French, eg pont (bridge).
We always referred to the airing cupboard (ie where the boiler was) as the ‘hot press’.
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I’m surprised it’s so different in Irish, tbh.
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Aren’t there similarities with Breton, Cornish, Welsh and Manx?
It would make sense geographically
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What French for Trendy Pontcanna?
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Le quartier merdique
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Le Pont-prudent-branché.
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Welsh and French for window are more or less the same, thaum
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Here goes, ‘mon the (Leone-less and Jonny-less) Weedge!
Lets keep them to under 30!
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Fenêtre?
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What’re Welsh & French for sash?
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and ffenestr
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OK, maybe 40?
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I like the German spiegel, the Spanish espejo and the Italian specchio, all clearly connected, all mirrors. But the French say miroir
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TomP – that’s interesting. I’d expect espejo to be derived from esperar?
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Oh dear. Charge-down from the restart after a pen gives Embra an easy try.
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Where’s LADOAB been?
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thaum – think speculums.
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Do I have to?
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There’s a very remote chance that London Irish, Nick Phipps’s London Irish, could be second in the English league by the end of the weekend.
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Gloucester have got “Be Kind” on the back of their jerseys. Comes from Danny Cip’s initiative.
(Unfortunately, reminds me of Simon Hedges.)
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Unimpressive by embra
Looked bad for Taylor. Blues have won last 4 games at embra apparently
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Vintage Edinburgh here, all the fire and passion of a sloppy old lettuce at the bottom of the salad drawer
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Hickey has hit the post twice, which must be worth something
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Charlie Shiel has a great pass, it zips out at breadbasket level off both hands
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