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 
Is Carbery done?
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4 LBPs for the beaten sides in the Ulmster games (2 for Scarlets, 1 each for Edinburgh and Cardiff) and a few other respectable 12 point-ish losses. You can probably count the number of worthwhile home games for the three teams on one hand. Now I don’t live somewhere that I can go to any Pro14 matches, but I think that whoever I supported the only ones I would consider attending if I did are the various derbies as I have no interest in uncompetitive matches or complete crap with nothing on it.
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Carbery??? No return date yet.
Upside is that he’s only just gone 25 – despite the fact he seems to have been around a long time.
To recap – he injured the ankle in a world cup warm-up vs Italy, played in the RWC. Missed a few PRo14/ECRC games before Xmas then played vs Leinster in Dec 2019. straight into the New Year he injured a wrist and the decision was taken to look at the ankle again.
Waiting game right now – I guess the hope is that like Leavy he’ll be back given sufficient time. It’ll certainly brighten the prognoses for 10 and FB if we’ve a fit Carbery
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Congratulations to Christie Nicklaus, grand-daughter of Jack, and her new husband, whose name is … my goodness:
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@tomp
One letter away from having the best name in the world ever.
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Nice pic here of the lovely 13th C church at Sevington, and its new car park. used to ride past it occasionally on my way to work.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/15/kent-lorry-park-to-miss-brexit-day-deadline
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A month or so ago George Ford was interviewed and he was talking about how Jason Ryles was going to revolutionise England’s attacjing game, citing his work with Cameron Munster from the NRL. I was a little disappointed not to see Owen Farrell doing this in the Autumn internationals (Cameron Munster is the number 6):
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SBT
– delays due to rain in autumn in England – well, who could possibly have anticipated that. Now, come on, be fair…………………..
…….f**kers
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OT – astroturf pitch techniques don’t translate to grass, as I’m sure you know………………
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OT, he gets the ball in his hands 3 times and kicks it 3 times. Farrell can do that.
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Nothing says ‘greenest government ever’ better than tarmacking over half of the ‘garden of England’.
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OT, looking to league again for ways to break down defences. First we got the decoy runners in front of the ball, now we have the kick behind to break down defences. Understandably the main option on the last tackle where a handover is the other choice, but generally a 50-50 at best. A lot of Englands attacking moves are now being wasted by kicking, instead of good passing and support running, turning a 100 percent try chance into a 50-50 . Daly and Farrell most often here).
Interestingly enough, the NRL looked to be cracking down on decoy runners in front of the ball last season.
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Not saying they were stopping them, but just that they started being more chossy about what constituted obstruction of a defender, and was penalised. Kind of looked like they were being stricter than Union.
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Kind of sad, Thaum, really, just how much decimation has gone on in the last ten years around Ashford.
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Where next for Cippers?
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“Kind of sad, Thaum, really, just how much decimation has gone on in the last ten years around Ashford.”
I blame the railway.
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Just because I can these days.
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Sbt – shame the decimation isn’t in Ashford really.
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Sbt – have you seen the lovely new developments just outside Ashford on the way to High Halden?
Ugly, overpriced houses, no local pubs and a lovely management fee when you live there.
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CW: England’s awesomeness
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I feel quite sorry for Cips; not the guy I would have in my team but he certainly has talent.
I hope he finds a berth that suits him and where he can show his skills.
A restless soul…………..
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May well go down as his vintage season
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Cips killz the blog. The bastard.
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Think he just dropped it and knocked on.
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It’s crazy to think that Cips had only 16 England caps while Toby Flood accrued 60.
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At least Shaun Perry only got 14.
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Andy Goode got 17.
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Deebs – is this how long a notablog scrum reset takes? Will have to talk to those naughty Tichtheids who keep collapsing.
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I think it’s the need to talk very slowly to props that delays everything. Just penailse the fatty who wobbles the most on the way down.
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Toby Flood is still playing, probably better than ever and his team (Newcastle) are currently 3 wins from 3………but, he has no international future………….
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Exeter got covid, game off at the weekend
Glasgow also called off as half the squad isolating Possibly with a sigh of relief
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Also, Hastings to Glaws confirmed. They really, really need a new FH.
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Can think a few more positions they need some players in.
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1 to 15.
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Shame, they really seem to be inna pickle currently.
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they’ll need the rest to cope with their annual loss of the 1872 cup.
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“We thought we were playing PSG a couple of times with all the rolling around and diving and complaining.”
Anyone seen Danny Care or Expro in the same room?
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Gloucester have also signed Giorgi Kveseladze, the Georgian lad who scored that cracker v Ireland.
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“Fish could still sink Brexit deal, says EU’s Ursula von der Leyen”
C’mon BB, isn’t there some kind of Prog charter to prevent this kind of thing?
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https://www.loudersound.com/news/fish-puts-european-touring-plans-on-hold-amid-no-deal-brexit-concerns
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I’ll be interested to see what result the ‘powers that be’ deem appropriate for Exeter vs. Toulouse.
I predict a cop-out draw.
Is this the result of tasting the exotic delights of Great Western Road?
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There must be a more exotic Great Western Road in Exeter than there is in Glasgow then.
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BB – no idea, but I did live and work in the west glasgow area for 17 years……..
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ps-I’ve never been to Exeter
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They should go for a straight win for the team who didn’t cause the cancellation. It’s what they did to Castres a couple of months ago.
In the South African SuperRugby Unlocked tournament (won by the Bulls), they decided on a 0-0 draw.
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But then there’s a problem in that Glasgow get penalised for something that wasn’t their fault. But then Lyon and Toulouse would be hindered as well if the games are called draws.
It’s a shame, I was looking forward to Toulouse v Exeter.
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I’ve been there, sladey.
It doesn’t look like this:
http://www.georgecatlin.org/thumbnail/131000/131212/mini_normal/Sioux-Village.jpg
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Dunno, TomP. I hitchhiked there with a mate in the late 80s to meet some friends, on a sort of round about trip to Glastonbury, and bits of it looked a lot like that.
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A friend of mine’s just been appointed as CEO … of the Czech Cricket Association.
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Fiji got a bp against them in the autumn Cup thingy cos covid. Probably be the same here
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