Wasps v Bristol and Exeter v Bath in play-off drama, The Blackness v the Wobblies, and round two of the new Pro-14 season.
And John Cooney inexplicably left out of the Ireland squad.
Here be the weekend fixtures.
On the telly
Friday 9th October
| Sharks v Lions | 5:55 | YouTube / Sky Sports |
| Dragons v Zebre | 20:15 | Premier Sports 2 |
Saturday 10th October
| Wasps v Bristol | 13:30 | BT Sport 1 |
| Cheetahs v Pumas | 15:25 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Exeter v Bath | 16:30 | BT Sport 1 |
| Ospreys v Ulster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Treviso v Leinster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Bulls v Griquas | 17:55 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Cardiff v Connacht | 19:35 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Munster v Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 11th October
| New Zealand v Australia | 04:00 | Sky Sports Main Event |
| Glasgow v Scarlets | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
‘Geology goes on everywhere. All the time.’
Everywhere terrestrial. obviously. Before someone pedants me.
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It’s not like cricket.
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That said 4.5 billion years and nobody’s won yet sugests they are beginning to get the idea.
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@Chimpie, a shit day is a shit day. No perspective required.
And yes, I’ve had a shit day too.
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oops.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/14/wasps-premiership-final-preparations-hit-by-covid-19-outbreak-at-club
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Chimpie
I have a collection of stones from shores around St Abbs and Cockburnspath on my bedroom mantlepiece – memories!
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Thaum
that you btl on John Crace?
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Might be, Slade!
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SBT – oops! Out celebrating with the students, perhaps?
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And Slade – if you liked today’s Crace, you’ll probably like Marina Hyde’s from yesterday (if you haven’t read it already):
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If I was given the offer to take the stones from Cockburnspath home I think I’d probably tell the hospital that I was happy for them to dispose of them for me.
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Refit – video doesn’t work?
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Should I know who this Alkison Pearson person is and should I care?
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She’s a novelist, former reviewer on the Late Review and newspaper columnist. She’s also an idiot.
Don’t care about her.
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Alkison might be an appropriate nickname for her.
Good result for the form team in European football tonight, BB.
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She did something last week that was brilliantly stupid as well. Something called the Coronagettes. Details are sketchy in my mind.
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Thanks TomP. 8 games unbeaten! Unheard of for a Scottish fitba team. Ironically it seems as though we played better against the main Czech team than we did against their ‘C’ team last month. Hopefully we’ll play against you again next summer in the Euros group stages, although I reckon Serbia may well beat us in November.
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Cheers Thaum, I broke the link when I posted it. Fixed now.
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/300131027/how-a-spell-at-an-irish-school-put-beauden-barrett-on-the-path-to-rugby-stardom
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Refit – video doesn’t work?
I disabled it!
I broke the link when I posted it. Fixed now.
Oh. Sod. Whilst that was a low point for Bok rugby, but far from the only or worst one, you can’t take anything away form Japan that day (unless I just did?). They simply refused to give up and had amazing belief in their game plan and execution. Complacency is an old Bok weakness and Japan exploited it ruthlessly (Eddie’s insights?). The Bok plan was to give game time to a couple of the guys coming back from injury to get them ready for the ‘tougher’ matches ahead. Backfired spectacularly, but also ultimately galvanised the Boks who came within a kick of beating the All Blacks in the semi.
Just read the Beeb report of that SF and an interesting stat I didn’t know was that before that match the Boks had won 21 on the trot against the Kiwis when they had been level or ahead at halftime. The trick of course, is to actually be ahead at the break.
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It was good for South Africa to lose that game. Psychologically. For the nation. As Saffers love complaining. This was perfect for them.
Much as I like Jean de Villiers, with his good looks, his charm, his terrific rugby ability, it really was a waste of time picking him for a World Cup.
That’s one of my two Golden Rules of South African rugby.
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The sem-final was a really good close game. I’m pleased the Kiwis won because I thought they had more about them as a team but South Africa made it really difficult for them.
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You always only pick de Villiers for a half, never mind a whole match or dog forbid, six week tournament. I have no complaints about the result of that match, and it seems from media coverage at the time that the Bok supporters at the match were pretty gracious afterwards too. Same as 2011: we played dumb rugby to lose to a crap Aussie side in the QF. Never adapted to the ref and paid the price. Can’t blame the ref or Pooper (were they in tandem? Can’t remember), just the Boks for playing one-dimensional rugby that wasn’t working.
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I’m not taking the bait on the other golden rule.
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It was the Pocock show.
Lawrence was not good in that game. I think the ABs would have found a way to win the semi-final.
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If the Boks had beaten NZ in that semi-final then Australia might well have won the cup. Think it was probably all for the best the way it turned out even if the alternative could have been a moral win for Scotland.
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Very very good points, CMW.
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The only time I can remember being really upset with the ref was that 30-3 game in Cardiff when Steve Walsh told our front row to ‘shut up and scrum’. I didn’t think they were even saying that much and, amongst all the other shite that was happening in that match, it really pissed me off.
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That and all the other times England have lost or had a penalty or try scored against them. Or a try chalked off.
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Sometimes I just throw darts at a picture of the refs face.
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All the cards against England were bullshit.
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We’ve had a subsequent World Cup won by a team that could have lost to Wales. I certainly don’t think that needs to be extended any further to having World Cups won by teams that should have lost to Wales. No time for Aus 2015 or France 2011 on this basis.
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See also SA 2011. Of course if they had actually managed to lose to Wales (and they put in a pretty good effort at it) then they may well have won the tournament.
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@SBT
Ha – I recall my eldest “handing off” an opponent and howls from the sideline (and a snigger from me). Although it was pretty obvious…. the ref missed it (or let it go …. probably forgot temporarily that hands off aren’t allowed in gaelic).
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That’ll be the power of the Catholic Church for you.
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@craigs
Steve Walsh should have been stopped from refereeing international matches years before that anyway after the way he behaved rowards England at the 2003 RWC and towards Shane Horgan on the 2005 Lions tour. And loads of other stuff as well.
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Nice file you’ve got there, OT.
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@tomp
My attention to detail is not my greatest strength.
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Deebs, at least have a guess at what the second Golden Rule might be.
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OT – I remember them now you mention it. He came across as very disrespectful at times.
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It’s a good thing Maidstone isn’t in London, otherwise I’d be pushing for Kexit right now.
#nothinggetsinthewayofginnight
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On this day in 2004 Andy Robinson was made England coach apparently.
Fuck they were grim times.
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I’d forgotten what I got for my birthday back in 2004.
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In 2011 it was Warburton getting sent off before breakfast and all the rest of that.
This year it was supposed to be No Deal Brexit, but now it’s being put into Tier 2 Covid restrictions instead.
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Heimat Zwei, Archibald and Austin Rover made me a cake yesterday which I believe has been iced this morning by Sancho Panza and Howling Julio. Have to wait and see whether this is a good thing or not.
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TomP – no.
If it’s leather (or modern rubbish synthetic version thereof), kick it? If it’s not leather, but wasn’t born (or raised) in South Africa, kick it? If it was born here and left, Judas-like for other shores, kick it? If it’s Sean Fitzpatrick kick it three times?
I give up.
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If it has a needle and Sky riders haven’t emptied it, inject it?
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Didn’t get a cake in 2004.
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