I considered writing a proper Six Nations preview for this weekend’s match, but as it’s Ireland v Italy, decided not to bother. This means that I have probably jinxed Ireland. Italy by 5.
You can have the teams for the internationals, though.
Scotland v Georgia
Scotland: 15. Blair Kinghorn, 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Chris Harris, 12. James Lang, 11. Duhan van der Merwe, 10. Adam Hastings, 9. Ali Price, 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Fraser Brown (capt), 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Ben Toolis, 5. Scott Cummings, 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: 16. Stuart McInally, 17. Oli Kebble, 18. Simon Berghan, 19. Rob Harley, 20. Nick Haining, 21. Cornell du Preez, 22. George Horne, 23. Finn Russell.
Georgia: 15. Soso Matiashvili, 14. Akaki Tabutsadze, 13. Deme Tapladze, 12. Merab Sharikadze (capt), 11. Sandro Todua, 10. Tedo Abzhandadze, 9. Vasil Lobzhanidze, 1. Mikheil Nariashvili, 2. Jaba Bregvadze, 3. Lexo Kaulashvili, 4. Nodar Cheishvili, 5. Grigol Kerdikoshvili, 6. Otar Giorgadze, 7. Beka Saghinadze, 8. Beka Gorgadze.
Replacements: 16. Shalva Mamukashvili, 17. Guram Gogichashvili, 18. Giorgi Melikidze, 19. Giorgi Javakhia, 20. Giorgi Tkhilaishvili, 21. Gela APrasidze, 22. Giorgi Kveseladze, 23. Tamaz Mchedlidze.
That’s a very Giorgi-heavy bench.
Ireland v Italy
Ireland: 15. Jacob Stockdale, 14. Andrew Conway, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Hugo Keenan, 10. Jonathan Sexton (C), 9. Conor Murray; 1. Cian Healy, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Andrew Porter, 4. Tadhg Beirne, 5. James Ryan, 6. Caelan Doris, 7. Will Connors, 8. CJ Stander
Replacements: 16. Dave Heffernan, 17. Ed Byrne, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. Ultan Dillane, 20. Peter O’Mahony, 21. Jamison Gibson-Park, 22. Ross Byrne, 23. Robbie Henshaw
Italy: 15. Jayden Hayward, 14. Edoardo Padovani, 13. Luca Morisi, 12. Carlo Canna, 11. Mattia Bellini, 10. Paolo Garbisi, 9. Marcello Violi; 1. Danilo Fischetti, 2. Luca Bigi (C), 3. Giosuè Zilocchi, 4. Marco Lazzaroni, 5. Niccolò Cannone, 6. Sebastian Negri, 7. Braam Steyn, 8. Jake Polledri
Replacements: 16. Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17. Simone Ferrari, 18. Pietro Ceccarelli, 19. David Sisi, 20. Johan Meyer, 21. Maxime Mbanda, 22. Callum Braley, 23. Federico Mori
France v Wales
France: Anthony Bouthier; Teddy Thomas, Vrimi Vakatawa, Gael Fickou, Vincent Rattez; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Mohamed Haouas; Bernard Le Roux, Damien Willemse; François Cros, Charles Ollivon (capt), Gregory Aldritt.
Reps: Camille Chat, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Demba Bamba, Romain Taofifenua, Dylan Cretin, Baptiste Serin, Arthur Vincent, Thomas Ramos.
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny; George North, Jonathan Davies, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Rhys Carre, Ryan Elias, Samson Lee, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Reps: Sam Parry, Nicky Smith, Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies, James Davies, Gareth Davies, Rhys Patchell, Louis Rees-Zammit.
On the telly
Friday 23rd October
| Pumas v Stormers | 17:55 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Scotland v Georgia | 19:30 | ITV4 |
| Leinster v Zebre | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Treviso v Scarlets | 20:15 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
Saturday 24th October
| Lions v Cheetahs | 15:25 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Ireland v Italy | 15:30 | ITV / STV |
| Ospreys v Glasgow | 17:30 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Bulls v Sharks | 17:55 | Sky Sport Arena |
| Exeter v Wasps | 18:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Ireland v Italy (women) | 18:30 | iPlayer |
| France v Wales | 20:00 | S4C / ITV4 |
Sunday 25th October
| Scotland v France (women) | 14:20 | BBC Sport website / BBC Alba |
| Ulster v Dragons | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Edinburgh v Connacht | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
Monday 26th October
| Munster v Cardiff | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Oh dear.
LikeLike
Villian? Jeez…. just noticed that now…. that should be “villain” (of course)
LikeLike
What we need is Villanelle.
LikeLike
Frank Bough RIP
LikeLike
I would write a villanelle about Frank Bough, but it feels like too much effort.
LikeLike
You were born in Fenton Stoke-on-Trent
You served in the Royal Tank Regiment
That’s 8 lines out of 19 sorted out. Quite a lot to get in in the other 11.
LikeLike
Frank can sort his own lines out.
LikeLiked by 4 people
That could be a more entertaining repeating line to work from, just need something that rhymes with it and then decide which is line 1 and which is line 3. I feel my selections from the “Early Life” section on Wikipedia might not turn out to be all that fruitful.
LikeLike
Your handsome Breakfast Time salary meant
You could afford to snort the dealer’s sediment
LikeLike
Earliest known sighting of OT??
Brian Cox claims its not him as he was 14 in 1982 when this was taken….
LikeLike
@trisk
I recognise that – it’s on Ripponden Rd just before it gets to Albany St. If that kid was walking home he/she probably went to Watersheddings primary school 100 yards or so down the road. In 1982 I would have been at Our Lady’s infants half a mile up the road so it’s not me. I remember that winter quite well because I was able to do some great sledging on Count Hill. The roads going east are often shut due to snow so they even have warning lights coming out of the town centre to warn people
LikeLike
I still think it’s touching that Professor Brian Cox was an inspiration to the young OT and pushed him towards Physics.
LikeLike
It was all Brian Cox’s seemingly permanent slot on Granada Reports throughout the 90s telling everyone he was studying physics wotdunnit.
During one particularly slow news summers day they interviewed the singer from D:Ream strumming his guitar sat in a radio telescope at Jodrell Bank to promote the study of physics to the northwest masses.
LikeLike
I reckon the Nobel Prize people should institute a new award – the Nobel Prize for Top Telly Presenting. Then, Professor Brian Cox could have one to go along with his Nobel Prize for Physics.
LikeLike
@OT – I don’t think your couplet is any use for the form.
LikeLike
Here you are then:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/oct/26/the-20-best-sandwich-recipes
I’ll have the mackerel on the assumption that OT’s already taken the sausage and egg.
LikeLike
@tomp
Cox would have to join an orderly queue behind the likes of Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths.
LikeLike
“If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian.”
Sir David Attenborough.
LikeLike
Pretty sure that’s the Nobel Prive for Telly right there.
LikeLike
Cox could never do this. Not in a million years
LikeLike
Prive? Prize
LikeLike
OT, you left Professor Brian off the start of your post here:
LikeLike
@tomp
Cox by name, cox by nature.
LikeLike
Mentioned on Saturday during the game that France were being brutal at the breakdown. le Roux gets cited for this:
https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/watch-saffa-lock-cited-for-foul-play-jones/
LikeLike
They discussed it in the studio at the end of the game, the citing is no real surprise. Would imagine he’ll get a short ban for the very last bit.
LikeLike
Pfft. I trudged home through the snow of ’63, and the only carrot was the thought of yet more boiled cabbage, if you get my drift…
Lovely pic though. Literally brought back memories of a kind.
LikeLike
Pfft. Wasn’t even born then….
LikeLike
I grew quite anxious when the jelly refused to leave the mold. I grew even more anxious seeing Derek Griffiths again. I remember him as a proper trouper who (albeit with un-researched) hindsight was used as a Steppin’ Fetchit caricature when he tried to join the big boys on the national telly variety circuit.
LikeLike
This is cool
LikeLike
💥 💥 The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one! But still! Craig’s came! 💥 💥
LikeLike
Deebs – it’s the Moon silly.
LikeLike
Very BBcentric there OT. Think introduction to science for thousands should be Jack Hargreaves and Fred Dinage.
LikeLike
Talk about kicking a man when he’s down!
(My parents turned 14 that year.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always associated the science on ‘How?’ with Jon Miller…. my recollection of Fred Dineage was more in the line of party tricks to impress your friends….and Jack Hargreaves tended towards knots and how to shoe a horse in an emergency….
I’d guess the faux-Native American theme and salutations would meet with disfavour now…..
LikeLike
How *do* you shoe a horse in an emergency? Seems to me you’d need a really hot fire, some handy iron, a wee bit of knowhow, etc.
LikeLike
Jon Miller it is then. So, we have Brian Cant, Derek Griffiths, Jon Miller, Jack Hargreaves, Fred Dinage, then Brian Cox.
Cheers for Scandi tips guys, desperation for subtitled fun has led me to Barbarians in German ( not much rugby), and some Russian plague thingy, will report back. First one is a sort of continental Last Kingdom, with added Romans and nicer forests, second one not sure yet. Will report back.
Weekend rugby- Scotland, didn’t see much, Ireland likewise but both job well done. Interesting to see Scotland muscling a big Georgian pack.
Wales-surely Biggar needs to go ? At 31 he is hardly the future, and if they are going to serve up that dross until the next world cup……………. Of course, they will probably beat England in a couple of weeks.Thought Patch at least offered some spark.
Exeter, well done, shame about the weather.
and NRL, evil Melbourne Storm beat the Panthers , but only just, after managing to lose a massive lead. Quite the exciting game of the weekend, it was.
LikeLike
SBT – watched the first couple of episodes of Barbarians tonight. Was OK. Followed it better once I stopped trying to follow the rubbish dubbing and just used the subtitles. Wonder if it might end with a suspiciously familiar figure muttering about Unleashing Hell?
Anyway, in happier news, good to see this bunch back. Something like their Sixteenth Album That Sounds Exactly Like Every Other One, but if it ain’t broke….
LikeLike
Always carry spares is the first step, thaum.
LikeLike
@sbt
You forgot Henry Kelly, Matthew Kelly, and Floella Benjamin.
LikeLike
@Thaum/TomP – You just have to make sure they always take their wellies out with them, then you can do it properly when you get back home. The fashion-conscious teenagery ones can be difficult about it, but you have to put your foot down.
LikeLike
@OT – I can see Floella getting stuck in at the breakdown, but I’m not sure about some of the others.
LikeLike
Cant can’t cos he’s brown bread. Hargreaves has the same problem. Miller’s met his maker.
Dineage is very problematic as he was the amanuensis of the Kray twins. A friend of mine was very into that London leave your back door unlocked Only hurt their own gangest mythology and gave me one of the Kray books to get Dineage to sign when I told her I’d be meeting him. Coincidentally, I met Dineage the same week I met David Icke.
Professor Sir Brian Cox’s our man – most especially OT’s man.
LikeLike
@tomp
Reminds me of the trip to Sainsbury’s when I saw both Jeffrey Holland from Hi-de-Hi and Moira Stuart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is there something about subtitles that means you need to concentrate harder – so it becomes more enjoyable…? Or you’re not distracted by the words you hear and mouth movement not aligning?
LikeLike
Dubbing is a crime. You don’t get the actor’s voice, and you don’t get the rhythm and cadence of the language. Plus, I picked up enough Italian from watching Montalbano to get by….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup, that about sums it up Thaum.
Not looking good for Brian Cox then, not a healthy trade to be in by the looks of it.
LikeLike
No one can say Sir Keir Starmer isn’t a man of his word:
LikeLike
Gone.
LikeLike
Tiptoes in, finding nothing but the quiet, becalmed dust and silent resignation of a deserted site, once brimming with brio, packed with panache, well eloquent, but reduced to echoes of a distant song, hints of long forgotten laughter and the faint whiffs of gunpowder rendered from battles of Pro, Top and Super proportions. Wonders if Kinshasa Part 3 will revive the reverie?
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’d be great, Deebs!
LikeLike