There are no Irish teams in them, so hardly worth mentioning!
Might as well think about the Wee Cup too.
Bristol v Bordeaux
In a fight between Bears and Beagles, there can only be one winner, and I’m afraid it’s not the lovable hounds.
Racing 92 v Saracens
French home advantage to edge it.
Exeter v Toulouse
Probably another close one, but French inability to play away to lose it.
Toulon v Leicester
How did the Tiggers make it this far? They won’t get any further.
On the telly
Friday 25th September
| Bristol v Bordeaux | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 26th September
| Racing 92 v Saracens | 12:30 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 3 |
| Exeter v Toulouse | 15:30 | BT Sport 3 |
| Toulon v Leicester | 20:00 | BT Sport 3 |
Monday 28th September
| Harlequins v Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Tuesday 29th September
| Northampton v Sale | 17:30 | BT Sport 1 |
Wednesday 30th September
| Bristol v Leicester | 17:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Exeter v London Irish | 17:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Worcester v Saracens | 17:30 | BT Sport Extra |
Ovally Balls 
“your” Exeter team to face my local heroes:
15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds (capt), 9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Harry Williams, 4 Jonny Gray, 5 Jonny Hill, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Sam Skinner, 8 Sam Simmonds
16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Dave Dennis, 20 Don Armand, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Gareth Steenson, 23 Ollie Devoto
Hmmmm – no idea why Vermeulen and/or Kirsten don’t feature – they are two great motors but Vermeulen looked physically ill last week.
Skinner looking fitter now, however.
O’Flaherty face to face with Kolbe on the same wing will be interesting to say the least.
I think Exeter will have it in the forwards but Toulouse in the backs. Will be interesting.
Perhaps the 2 Jonnys will be crucial.
A game for spectators as, in my opinion, Toulouse are the best French team to watch and Exeter the best English, obvs.
LikeLike
Erm, Thaum? Exeter and Toulouse are good, but I’m not sure even they can play a game on the Saturday then a game on the Sunday. Nice shoehorning of Ulster though…
LikeLike
Slade – wee article on the Two Johnnies here.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/25/weve-waited-a-long-time-exeters-hill-and-gray-relish-toulouse-test-rugby-union
They do seem to fit well together.
LikeLike
BB – to be fair, it was more a case of time-travel, as it was clearly labelled Sunday 20th….
Thanks for the spot!
LikeLike
Watching the IPL until the rugby starts. It’s pretty boring.
LikeLike
That’s coz its not Real Cricket.
LikeLiked by 1 person
BB – thanks.
I’ve seen that article and they are very destructive together. Also, it has liberated Hill as an attacking force (that and his improved fitness).
LikeLike
‘Mon the Bears!
LikeLike
I think Saracens could pull off another away victory this weekend, there was a steel in that performance in Dublin, rather than a team playing above itself.
French teams still travel badly so Brizzle have a great shout tonight.
Tiggers will get bounced.
Exeter v Toulouse could be a cracker, with Exeter’s home advantage being the decider, even in an empty stadium
btw, cheers for keeping this going Thaum
LikeLike
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eixkop3WkAIh30V?format=jpg&name=large
LikeLike
Ticht – it’s a group effort!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ticht, Sarries’re still a very strong side – 4 Test B+I Lions + 2 tourists + guest player Barritt, a RWC-winning Bok and lots of experienced players. But last week’s first half was so good, so perfect for the game, the opposition and the weather that I’m not sure they can do the same again. And Racing play a faster game than Leinster that’ll be another challenge for them, They can still do it, mind.
I have a feeling they might try and get after Russell.
Also, echo your thanks to thaum.
LikeLike
I’ve been chucked out of the notablog by wordpress on my ipad, it demanded that I reset my password but then wouldn’t accept any effort at doing so
LikeLike
At least the desktop version works
LikeLike
Tom, sure I didn’t mean Saracens were any kind of callow or below-par team, just that they were shorn of 12 of the 23 that appeared in last year’s final, iirc.
I guess that’s the kind of depth housing portfolios buy you
LikeLike
This notablog disclaims any responsibility for the behaviour of iOS devices.
LikeLike
There might be something afoot and this could well be Itoje at al’s last ever game for Sarries. The 2020/21 Championship season looks less and less likely to be going ahead.
LikeLike
That was some finish, I say finish, he scored it from nowt
LikeLike
Bristol would be doing a lot better, if they didn’t keep dropping the ball.
LikeLike
Thaum, it turns out that iOS was looking after us all, I used the same password on several rugby blogs and it was for that reason that iOS blocked me on here because it’s apparently a security risk
Trouble is, the BT email address is defunct and so I can’t reset the password via that email, so now I can’t log in as Tichtheid except on the windows laptop
LikeLike
Ticht, if you edit your gravatar on your Windoze box, you can add a secondary email to use.
LikeLike
Hmm, just turned the match on and it seems the Bears have given the Beagles a good head start.
LikeLike
There we are; just needed me to tune in and tell them what to do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers Thaum, I’ll give that a go later.
Edinburgh would have beaten Bordeaux last week if it weren’t for our own mistakes, if Bristol carry on as they are they will win, just keep running the Beagles around, be accurate in what you are trying to do and it will come .
LikeLike
That’s a harsh card.
LikeLike
*mentions accuracy*
cue lots of errors from both sides
Jalibert is a big miss now
LikeLike
Looking at those masks, the best one I’ve seen so far had the Rolling Stones’ lips ‘n’ tongue on it.
LikeLike
I saw one the other day with a Banana Splits mouth on it, Thuam.
LikeLike
I sport various tartans, myself.
My mum makes them
LikeLiked by 2 people
Aha, there we go, second try. If TMO-approved and converted, puts Bristol in the lead.
LikeLike
Ah, and that was some lovely play by Bristol.
LikeLike
Unfortunately denied.
LikeLike
I’m a big Pat Lam fan – every side he coaches plays beautiful rugby (and wins). His next step will surely be a national coach?
LikeLike
Afoa to Piutau – I’m having flashbacks!
LikeLike
How stupid was that from the Bordeaux 7?
He could have hooked it with his foot
LikeLike
Where is Avs?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Were Bordeaux offside there?
I have to say that I didn’t think so
LikeLike
O ye of long memories – what has Avs said on the subject?
LikeLike
Can’t repeat it Thauma. It was all a bit Blue.
LikeLike
Bordeaux have got Joseph Dweba on the park now so I reckon they can pull this back.
LikeLike
But for all Dweba’s positive power Benny Botica’s on as well. Bristol by 134.
LikeLike
Blue, blue, electric blue
Is the colour of my room
What’s that got to do with it?
LikeLike
Penalty only is correct. But Brizzle need to keep focused now.
LikeLike
I love Joseph Dweba.
LikeLike
Rubbish. Shurely my first prediction can’t fail?
LikeLike
Joseph Dweba seems to like the pies in Bordeaux! Looks a wee bit heavier than previously.
LikeLike
Dweba does seem to have been something of a game-changer.
LikeLike
Or, per Deebee, perhaps also a game-eater.
LikeLiked by 1 person
TomP, Dweba is a great hooker. Covid shenanigans allowing, he’ll be a Bok in the next 12 months.
LikeLike
thaum, Pat Lam is fine. A great player, a very good coach (but helped with the money at Bristol). He did, however, spend a time coaching the Blues in Super Rugby., which doesn’t equal winning rugby in the modern era.
LikeLike