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 
Ticht
A few years ago, I had a Scottish boss (who was brilliant, btw). He had grown up on a farm and had a pretty thick accent. He told me that he’d learnt to slow down his speech so that non-Scots could understand him, and then he went back home for a visit, and was berated by his parents: Why are ye fuckin patronising us? D’ye think we’re thick the noo?
At least, I *think* that’s what he said….
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TomP – I was in Prague around the time of the 2017 elections, and got into conversation with a couple of women who were out on the lash. They were completely disgusted about Babiš getting in. They had a lot to say about Havel as well, who I’d obviously actually heard of at the time. I think it mostly consisted of them disapproving with Havel’s closeness to Yanks, but also being in a somewhat cheerful mood, I can’t recall exactly.
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I probably speak reasonably quickly, but I’m dead slow compared to some of the kids at work. They speak so quickly even I can’t understand them.
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Havel’s complicated but interesting. Babis is neither but much more powerful. There’s a sympathetic biography by a guy called Michael Zantovsky* and a more critical one by John Keane, but they’re both a bit gossipy. A bit like Mandela, he gets a freeish pass in the UK because people know the name and associate him with great important changes but know little else about him.
On the politics – The initial left and right parties in the 1990s were up to their necks in dodgy dealings, weren’t mass membership and deservedly got canned by the electorate.
However, most of these newish politicians run on anti-corruption (ha!) and run the country like their businesses platforms and attract a lot of support outside the big cities and among those without tertiary education. Plus Babis, for instance, owns a lot of media and gets sympathetic treatment.
I’ve learnt not to be too critical because of the inevitable and “What about Brtiain?” retort.
* I taught a really nice lady pyschiatrist who was a colleague of Zantovsky’s. She told me it was “a shame Michael gave up sexology for politics”.
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TomP – thanks for that insight.
Yep, I’m one of those who knows a very little about the Havel legend but nothing of the detail.
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BB – many years ago, I took a morning train journey in Scotland with my then-partner, who was a Yank. We ended up sitting with an elderly gent who claimed to work on one of Her Majesty’s estates, and who was very free with the Famous Grouse at about 10 am.
I struggled to understand a lot of what he was saying, and it was impossible for my partner. It probably didn’t help that he was slurring a bit. (A lot.) But he had some quite entertaining stories about Her Maj. I’ll always wonder if he really did work on her estate; I thought it dubious at the time.
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Very disappointing for your daughter Avs. I suppose organisers have to err on the side of caution in case it all goes haywire when the kids are away from home.
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🎵In the jungle, the mighty jungle the llama sleeps tonight (a Chimoie a Chimoie…)🎵
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Really sorry MrIks but I’m afraid that we can’t come to Heidelberg.
I won’t be paid until the end of April which will wipe out my savings and the credit card has taken a slight pounding too.
Really wanted to come :'(
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Morning all! Not much time at the moment for more than a bit of lurking and the odd random post. Or a random odd post, if you prefer. Not sure what’s happening in SA rugby, but it looks like Jesse Kriel and Marcel Coetzee could be heading back to SA and the Bulls (along with Duane Vermeulen, but he only after the SR season ends), whilst Fat Frans Steyn may be going to the Cheetahs. Not exactly a flood of senior Boks going home, but it would be a lovely trend to see more of our top players back in SA sides.
Caught a little of Joe Biden’s cat who got the cream speech this morning and he seems to be promising the American people everything under the sun. Outflanking Bernie Sanders and stuffing it up Trump’s hole at the same time. Don’t know much about him to be honest, other than he never escaped the magnetism that was Obama’s personality, but he has too much of a Hollywood smile for my liking.
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Biden took the south, with Bernie taking the pot-smoking states and North East. I wonder if AVS is polishing his Trump mask in anticipation of needing to rally the troops?
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That’s a pity Craigs, it would have been nice to meet you this year.
I still have everything crossed C-19 doesn’t scupper the whole thing.
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Deebee – no, you bloody cannot have Coetzee back! He’s ours!
Iks – me too.
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But you’ll never catch all of Joe Biden’s cat.
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Thauma, enjoy him whilst you can – the sands of time on his northern sojourn are running out faster than face masks in a chemist.
Yos – Qat is a mildly addictive plant chewed in Somalia and parts of Djibouti and Ethiopia that does a roaring trade across the region. Like chewing dope, apparently. It’s pronounced ‘Kat’. Would love to see a chew off between the candidates when they visit Colorado next!
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Deebs, there’s long been Somalis in Cardiff. Sailors originally. They married and set down roots. A lot of them in or near Tiger Bay. If they kept up the chewing habit, you could call them the Big Cat/Qat Community.
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Trump in for another 4 then. The Dems is useless.
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MrIks – yeah, I hope it goes ahead too. Nothing like drinking through a plague.
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‘The Dems is useless.’
You’ll come round to my way of thinking Tomp. Slowly but Shirley…
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Tulsi wins American Samoa though.
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I hope there are tigers in Tiger Bay
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No big cats down the Bay. Not even any qat.
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On the celebrity watch, I had a Pro-pleasing meeting yesterday – met the dad of US Eagles centre Calvin Whiting. He didn’t buy me lunch, before anyone asks, but had some nice insights into the system in the USA and how the draft prevents any one side from simply piling money into a club and dominating through financial muscle.
On a less interesting note, someone just sent me a link to Kelly Clarkson covering Hopelessly Devoted to You. I didn’t listen to it, but now have the original washing through my brain. May I not be the only one to suffer through this today. You’re welcome.
Maybe we could change it to Hopelessly Devoted to Yos?
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Only if Deebee can be the official Ovallyballs Olivia Newton John.
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Sorry, Yos – not Physical enough.
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Craigs, it’s a vehicle. With the wrong owners.
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Very quiet for a 6N week. That’s what happens when Ireland v Italy has been cancelled and Dave Kearney wasn’t even playing anyway.
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Yos,
I’m half expecting all the others to get called off by tomorrow. I especially cant see Scotland / France going ahead.
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Tomp – plus ca change innit.
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Why is that Dov?
Only yesterday the French sport minister said it was going to take place, with the caveat that the French fans may not be allowed to attend. There are very few alternative dates before next autumn.
There are no restriction in place here, except for indoor venues beyond 5000 seats.
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think the games have been confirmed as going ahead bar a sudden massive change in conditions
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@dova
I’d happily go with the remainder of Pro14 fixtures decided by Mario Kart races. Let’s see how Leinster like being Princess what’sherface.
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Wot flair said
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got travel restrictions in place now at work for ‘non critical’ travel. Nae more management jollies.
Not going to stop me being temporarily Dublin based next week though. Might even get a couple of lunches.
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Leinster have probably got a top notch Mario Kart development programme
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Afternoon, everyone. Life is a total shitshow at the minute. Late pregnancy plus virus-caused cough = broken ribs for my wife. Add in extreme work busyness and I’ve been totally shafted. Six Nations shafted, too. Depressing lack of Ireland-Italy this weekend. Would have been a great chance to see Lions captain Ryan Baird in action.
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https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561186900
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Enzo – that sounds bad for your good wife and nothing much can be done about it (except not coughing, obvs.)
Poor her -and you.
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More likely you’ll get shafted on Mario Kart after someone sabotages your Switch controller.
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@chimpie
We have that as well. But they are admitting that is a cost reduction measure to counteract the likely drop in revenues from China.
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Yosoy – the job’s mine. Plus I’ll enjoy the extensive travel requirement.
I’ll be the first pensioner in space with artificial joints and a strong liking for wine gums
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Enzo, your wife has broken ribs AND a cough? While pregnant?
Ouch! I’ve had broken and half broken ribs several times, it’s very painful even without laughing or coughing. Take good care of her.
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I hope we get some rugby. Just seems to be escalating fast. Airlines grounding planes, Italy shutting down their entire education system. If these things are needed a rugby match bringing together 10000s of people from two capital cities seems daft.
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Been told we have to take laptops home every night from today.
Still waiting for a response to my question (statement, really) about us being a couple hundred VPN licences short.
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@OT
Quite. Imagine it’s to help offset potential future loss of revenue from a potential pandemic. If we can get a client to pay will probably be fine.
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Quite a big jump in the numbers today. My work takes me through Amsterdam and Brussels most weeks at the moment. I expect that’s going to stop. Its not jollies either, there’s a lot of that travel actually required to get the job done and Im just a small part.
Looks like they’ll have to cancel all those brexit meeting soon as well with the break out in the EU buildings.
It’s all going to be messy.
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Ouch, all the best to Mrs Enzo, broken ribs is not good.
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Enzo – ouch! Poor woman.
We’ve had a few colleagues who’ve returned from Italy on business who were told to self-isolate, but that’s about it so far.
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‘Perhaps the worst doomsday scenario is this: being stuck on the toilet and finding you’re down to the last square.
At least that appears to be the nightmare prospect scaring many Australians right now, who have become the latest group to respond to coronavirus fears by buying toilet paper en masse.’
who needs food & water. gotta keep the ol’ mudflaps clean.
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I think fd’s book is published this month.
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