The briefest of all possible previews.
Georgia v Fiji
Fiji are a very good side, but have not played a test match due to their Covid problems. Georgia were much improved last week. Georgia by 5.
Ireland v Scotland
Both sides looking rather pedestrian at the moment. With the inexplicable void where Hamish McFuckface should be, as well as the return of Sexton and Ireland’s home advantage (and despite the dropping of McCloskey), Ireland by 10.
Wales v Italy
Wales by 25. You know why.
England v France
With France putting out a C side, there is not much doubt: England by 15. Although I suspect France will throw some surprises England’s way.
Onna telly this week
Friday 4th December
| Bristol 18 – 17 Saints | ||
| Connacht 31 – 14 Treviso |
Saturday 5th December
| Australia v Argentina | 08:45 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Georgia v Fiji | 12:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Ireland v Scotland | 14:15 | Amazon Prime |
| Bulls v Cheetahs | 14:30 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Leicester v Exeter | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wasps v Newcastle | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Worcester v Bath | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wales v Italy | 16:45 | S4C / Amazon Prime |
| Golden Lions v Western Province | 17:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Glasgow v Dragons | 19:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 6th December
| England v France | 14:00 | Amazon Prime |
| London Irish v Sale | 14:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Gloucester v Harlequins | 16:15 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Tam, Speckman was why I began following the Bulls, I loved watching him play.
Good to hear Graham isn’t crocked, I don’t think he’s our long term answer at 8, but he’s been the best backrow on the park when I’ve seen him in recent weeks.
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He’s at the Cheetahs now. Scored a couple of good ones since the Saffers started up again.
Bulls have a big game against the Sharks tomorrow. Kick off has been switched from 7 to 2 because of likely storms in the evening. I reckon it’ll be hot in Durban.
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Good game in Ulster. Must be embarrassing for Stockdale now but I don’t know many players who would guess Kolbe foot work. Why Cooney is not with Ireland is beyond belief. Great pkayer. Love the little FB too.
Dab, thanks for the answer. I probably reflect a majority of continental Europeans when I say I feel really sorry that the UK decided to go on its own. Making both the EU and the UK weaker and lots of people will suffer from it.
But I also tend to believe the EU have been rather consistent in their negociation. I can’t blame Barnier and al to demand some sort of UK commitment when they’ve faced liars and braggards for years. What can you do when the other party fully admit they passed a law that breaks international law? Trust has been in short supply since the Thatcher years, it’s nonexistent now.
I’m the first to deplore it because it will take decades to rebuild. What a shame and what a waste.
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Dab, just read back a bit more.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I know several people who suffered from the Covid, most with the mild version but some with the long term effects. My own daughter caught it in March and I was more scared than I have ever been. Thank dog it’s over now.
Stay well.
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Thanks Flair. None of us are coughing, so I think we are going to be ok. Fingers crossed that we don’t have longer term effects.
I absolutely agree with you that Brexit is a terribly, terribly sad occurrence. For all of my adult life I’ve thought of myself as European first and British second, and I hate the separation that’s coming. I utterly deplore our leaders, and can’t think of one move they have made that I have approved of since the vote. But with all that said, I do believe there are serious wrongs on the EU side, and that the demands made for the purposes of agreeing a trade deal, as I understand them, are not reasonable. The crisis that is about to come will be our politicians’ fault for not preparing properly for no deal, and of course for seeking a hard Brexit instead of a soft one from the outset, but I believe ultimate responsibility for failing to reach an agreement will lie with the EU.
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“I believe ultimate responsibility for failing to reach an agreement will lie with the EU.”
Dab, I really can’t understand this point of view, from the very beginning the Remain side were stating that the UK’s was never going to be anything other than a terrible negotiating position, that the very best deal that we could have was the one the one we had before the referendum, with all the exceptionalism we had over currency and vetoes, the free trade, the vanishingly small number of times the UK votes weren’t carried by the majority etc etc.
Are we getting bad deal over fishing? Who was our representative on that? How many times did he actually attend meetings on the subject he took his salary for?
This is a fuck up not of the EU’s making, I don’t blame them in the slightest for driving the hardest bargain they can get, the Remain campaign said this would happen several years ago.
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On a separate note, I’m glad to hear that even though Covid has affected some of our number it isn’t too bad – if I was a praying man I’d pray it stayed that way.
The speed of the vaccine delivery has been incredible, and I think it’s an example of what can happen when we look for the goal of public well-being over any other criteria.
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Deebee said it back in 2016. The EU, as is their right, are utter bastards in negotiation.
Actually said it first in the late 90s when we were negotiating a trade deal with the EU. Absolutely cynical scum to a person. The Tories have made a desperate effort to outdo them, with a generous sprinkling of buffoonery to top it off. It’s sad to see this unfolding, but the EU were never going to give the UK an easy ride, because of the threat from other countries at the time of Brexit to follow suit and ruin the European project. And then the Tories gazed deeply and meaningfully into their collective conscience and pondered who the absolutely worst collective would be to lead their negotiations. And duly put them in place. It’s scandalous.
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Deebs
I agree with you and Ticht re the EU’s negotiating stance.
They have other ‘club’ members to manage as well as their own basic trade interests.
From my perspective I believe that the EU have played straight ‘hard ball’ – and why shouldn’t they, but also that the UK has played every card that would piss off the other side in negotiations: from wasting time, through trivialising false claims to outright lying (from Davis’s 80 dossiers etc onwards. All with no cards in their hands. Idiots.
I feel so sorry for those that will suffer from this mess and for putting their faith, however misplaced, in this Con., lot.
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I have a nasty hangover so may have been a touch hyperbolic in my description above. Or not.
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So, 4 and a half years after a referendum won by idiots with no actual plan, after may agrees a deal which is then rejected, after lies, bluster and bullshit, after bojo the frigging clown wins an election on the basis of his apparently agreed ‘oven ready’ deal which he then reneged on parts of, its entirely the other lot’s fault for not falling for clumsy and transparent last minute brinksmanship.
Pffft I say.
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A fortnight ago my insider at Nissan told me he had been promised a deal that week and was unworried about no deal happening. He was just a bit annoyed that it was delayed, that’s all. That is very different to Nissan’s public pronouncements.
So that makes me think what we are watching/reading in public is just bluster and politics. I think we’re more likely to muddle through for years yet accompanied by politicians doing their thing.
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I still believe a last minute deal will be signed. I’m pretty sure a lot of what we’re seing now is a face saving exercise from BJ. It may yet backfire as the EU doesn’t care that much about Brexit now, having more important fish to fry.
Cohesion has been exemplary but still need to be reinforced WRT the North/South divide, the economy recovery plan post Covid and the authoritarian tendancies in some ex Soviet colonies. Not even mentionning increasing inequalities and terrorism.
Brexit is on the back burner, and rightly so. We wasted too much time, energy and money on it. A deal will be signed and as usual the devil will be in the details.
usual the devil will be in the details
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I hope that’s the case.
But why all this s unnecessary crap?
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@Ticht – I totally agree that remain was by far the best deal. I’m a straight remainer. But if no deal happens it will be because the EU demanded that the UK give up a lot more than Canada for the same terms. That’s on them.
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Wirecard is one of my favourite “What the fuck now?” stories of the year. Latest installment:
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Tbh I’ve given up following Brexit. I have no control over it and it’s very depressing.
Since the vote I’ve had a few times where I’ve wanted to live abroad. Usually after speaking with someone who voted to leave.
I feel like we are causing our own irrelevance through bluster and hubris. It’s bollocks. We could have been a part of something bigger but chose mediocrity.
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Don’t be too pessimistic. Geography will trump politics. It may take a little while and the UK may disappear but GB won’t. We’re too close to turn our backs on each other. Let’s just hope the blame game doesn’t go too far.
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Mmm – Toulon vs Sale on the box this afternoon – could coincide nicely with our afternoon meal time, and Montpellier vs Leinster for later
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https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sourcing/british-food-trapped-in-europe-as-port-chaos-spreads/651282.article
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Bristol v Clermont early doors as well, Sladey. In under an hour and I’m out for the first half at least I think.
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Beautiful to see.
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Lovely try from Clermont!
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Intercept try from Clermont! Bristol need to wake up soon or Clermont will be out of sight soon.
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Bristol making a game of it by giving the underdogs Clermont a bit of a headstart. Ooof.
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And there they go again….
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Third Clermont try in 15 minutes!
Sorry Refit.
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We’re gonna get proper humped here.
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Fightback starts now! Try Bristol!
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No it doesn’t. Bonus try for Clermont.
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Oh, it ain’t over yet….
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Dab, isn’t the problem Northern Ireland and the provisions of the GFA? This is what makes it a uniquely difficult situation. Again a British problem glossed over by leavers
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I think I would be giving the new Fijian a try over Purdy now, could be a fun second half.
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FABULOUS Brizzle try!
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ha prompted Purdy to up his game.
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Oh, and a very good Clermont try, too. Great match.
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Every time Bristol think they’re back in it, Clermont pull away again. That was a lovely pass from Parra.
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Bristol get the LBP at least.
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@Chimpie – the GFA has meant that UK had to accept an effective border in the Irish Sea. UK give has huffed and puffed and threatened to break international law about it, but have now basically conceded it. But that doesn’t mean much for the level playing field in trade or fishing rights. There is certainly the issue of the UK government acting in bad faith affecting the negotiations, but I don’t believe even that justifies the EU’s position, which is essentially that EU can change the terms of the trade agreement any time they like, hit the UK with tariffs if they don’t follow the new terms and send any arbitration to the EU’s court.
@Flair – well said. I do fear that the blame game in this country will drive a wedge between us and our brothers and sisters in the rest of Europe. Yet I think that those who are pro-European do the cause of solidarity a disservice if they pretend that the EU are acting justly.
On rugby: Malin looks like the future at 15 for England. Clermont very good.
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Got back for the last 20 . Which was very entertaining.
Big Christmas offers on the beer over here so picked up a 10-pack of Plzen for about 7 quid.
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Dab, this is worth a read:
https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2020/1212/1183991-tony-connelly-brexit/
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Clermont and Bristol gave us a very entertaining game. Some cracking tries.
Eddie Jones must be seriously one eyed not to select Malin.
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Gareth Davies is a decent player but I wouldn’t put him as one of Wales’s all-time greats.
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Malins is in the squad, flair. Played a bit in the autumn. Only explanations I can think of is he’s not played that much top-class rugby before this year and he can’t whack it over from beyond the halfway line.
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I think Malins will soon take the FH or FB jersey from one of the current ponderous incumbents. All he needs is a SH with a faster delivery than B.Youngs .
Great player to watch.
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Not sure he’s good enough at 10. Or rather Simmonds is a better bet.
Plus, showing the flash v Clermont is ok but they often smash English clubs while giving up 20 or 30 points.
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After Bristol/ASM try fest , the Toulon/Sale borefest
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‘This is the climate ahead of Sunday’s deadline. Member states are adamant that Britain simply cannot have zero tariff and zero quota access to the single market without abiding by some rules of the game.
London is digging in on the view that retaliatory tariffs, if the UK refuses to stay in step with EU standards, make a mockery of the entire raison d’être of Brexit.
Brussels sees the treaty as lasting generations, and loosening more and more strings for the UK would erode the fairness of the relationship.’
Interesting read. The above seems to sum it up.
If we want this mythical ‘total sovereignty’ best no have any trade deals at all as they all involve following some form of agreed rules.
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flair, get on the Bath-Scarlets game. Bath are dominant enough but Scarlets are better at the nice stuff and are 20-19 ahead at the moment.
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TomP – interesting article.
Dog forbid workers should have rights.
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