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 
Don’t know what the rules are, but both Farrell and Toonie were wearing masks (at least while the cameras were on them) on Saturday, Pivac was too. Don’t think Franco Smith was and Eddie didn’t seem to be wearing one often. I suppose it depends on how close their other coaches are and how much they are talking to them.
LikeLike
Pivac sort of half wears one and mostly when he’s in shot he’s taking it off to talk.
LikeLike
I can’t wait to see France at their own world cup, 2023 should see these young guys coming in to the side and making their mark.
There is no chance of Scotland winning, so I’m happy to be looking to my second choice, the return of French Flair is long overdue.
I really can’t stand the roosting the pill rugby, as Jack Nicholson’s character almost said in Terms of Endearment, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than watch rugby like that
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ticht, I can’t wait to see them in next 6N.
LikeLike
Pivac sort of half wears one and mostly when he’s in shot he’s taking it off to talk.
I’ve noticed this too, and not just with Pivac. Also they use their hands to grab the front of the mask to take it on and off, which rather defeats the whole purpose of wearing one.
LikeLike
There’s no point wearing a mask outside anyway. Natural convection currents stop the nasty aerosols forming that carry the virus.
LikeLike
Flew down to my beloved Wild Coast on Friday morning and back last night. Very strict protocols in both airports around masks, distancing etc, but as soon as you’re on the plane, you’re squashed together like sardines. The air hostesses fought bravely to ensure that people kept their masks on for the duration of the flight and disembarkation, but I can’t help but feel it’s largely window dressing. And once down in the Eastern Cape, there is a lawlessness that makes your skin crawl when talking Covid. Masks are seen as everyone else’s problem, social distancing is arbitrary and ignored and they wonder why they’re now the epicentre of infections in SA.
I did my bit, using alcohol-based products to protect myself 24/7, although the side effect of that is a massive hangover today. Think I may be doing it wrong?
LikeLike
So I guess everyone disagrees with Billy being Maro of the Match?
As Tomp said, Shaun really earned his corn yesterday.
LikeLike
Ooh, hey Dov!!!
LikeLike
Plus, in the last year and 1 month we’ve got to the wc final, won the 6ns and won the whole amazon thing.
I was frustrated with yesterday’s game but we got there. I don’t think we need wholesale player changes yet.
LikeLike
‘I did my bit, using alcohol-based products to protect myself 24/7, although the side effect of that is a massive hangover today. Think I may be doing it wrong?’
You’re supposed to put it in your ear, Deebee
LikeLike
‘Plus, in the last year and 1 month we’ve got to the wc final, won the 6ns and won the whole amazon thing.’
Quite. Extraordinary amount of grumping considering the whole lot of winning going on. Some people are never happy.
LikeLike
France have quite enviable player depth currently. Bodes rather well for them for the next few years if they can harness it well.
LikeLike
As for Scotland?
*sigh*
Bright start but then fell apart. Got on the wrong side of the ref and leaked penalties steadily. Thought the yellow card was pretty marginal / harsh.
Ireland won the back row battle pretty comprehensively though (POM was very good). This is an area we need to sort, not convinced at all by Fagerson at 8 talented player that he is, he could be a 6 but Ritchie should have that nailed down. Watson / Ritchie at 6 & 7 is a good combo but then we need an on form 8 which is lacking. Recall for G Graham? Bradbury barely good enough for Edinburgh on current form. need someone new coming through here.
Tough debut for VDW but he’ll be fine as a back up 10 behind Finn & Hastings. Darcy had a bad day at the office in defence and never got an attacking opportunity. an ability to unpick defences when on top. What is it with Brown giving away dumb and unnecessary obstruction penalties?
LikeLike
Dammit dov I needed some brewing advice a couple of months back. Think it’s all OK now
LikeLike
LikeLike
Watched the last bit before the line-out that England scored from again. 2 knock-ons on the ground by English players. Ah, well.
LikeLike
They still whine about the ref in the 2003 W**** C** F****.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They also moan about that All Black taking a dive in 1978.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OT – they also moan about centuries of oppression and brutality. Can’t keep anyone happy etc.
LikeLike
You’re supposed to put it in your ear, Deebee
Couldn’t. I was on my ear most of the weekend.
LikeLiked by 2 people
All I can say is that usually I will watch an England game again on full replay to dissect it, and recently can’t be bothered.
LikeLike
Bulls stroppy git Ivan van Zyl set to sign for Saracens. Either nobody has told him they’ve been relegated, or SA rugby is is serious trouble. I’m going for the latter.
LikeLike
He’s done well this year. And always good for a player to leave with a SuperRugby title in his knapsack.
Better players than him coming through, thankfully.
LikeLike
I’d like to see Malins at fullback in the 6ns. Watson and may on the wings. Daly onna bench.
Would also like Joe Simmons to feature somehow.
LikeLike
Ben Youngs at scrum half.
It’s easy picking the England side.
LikeLike
“They also moan about that All Black taking a dive in 1978.”
We wouldn’t moan about it if they’d missed the kick and we’d won though. Unlike some.
LikeLike
Could we do a team of the tournament? I’ve not had the opportunity to watch many of the games, so can’t really offer much wisdom in this regard.
LikeLike
“Could we do a team of the tournament? ”
No. It was too boring.
LikeLike
France’s Under 14 Cs, Dab. En masse.
LikeLike
Have had a lesson delayed because my student has to watch and report on the Romanian President’s speech regarding yesterday’s General Election.
The nasty-ist right-wing party has secured just about 5%, which is the threshold for representation as I understand it.
Weirdly to me, they were very popular among Romanians living in the diaspora, gaining a quarter of votes cast.
LikeLike
Bloody Romanian fascists kill blog.
LikeLike
Still Iohannis, IIRC???
LikeLike
It is.
The Prime Minister (Mr Orban, no relation) has resigned. Probably a centre-right coalition government to form despite the Social Democrats winning the election – gaining a plurality of votes.
LikeLike
Interesting stat today – normally influenza kills 500 people each year in NZ. This year it looks like the death toll is… zero. And it’s not because they’ve all been falsely recorded as Covid deaths, or because Covid has knocked off hundreds of people who were scheduled to die of flu anyway – the Covid death toll in NZ still stands at 25. We weren’t even in lockdown over winter, or diligently wearing masks. Must be because we’ve shut out disease-ridden foreigners.
LikeLike
BK casts a thunderous vote for Brexit and Romania’s new President. And Tories in general, including the progeny of migrants. And Trump. And large parts of white South Africa. Think of that BK, you’re almost identical to all those Saffers whining their way through life in Auckland.
LikeLike
Not just Auckland – they’re everywhere. Last week it was the guy doing the paperwork for fixing my car and the not-an-actual-plumber who was sent by the real plumbers to see if he could unblock our sink to save them the bother. This week it was an account manager trying the old ‘shake a scientist and see if anything falls off that I can sell’ trick. All saffers.
But I think the people who usually bring lethal flu strains into the country are returning kiwis. Low population density means we’re never really forced to get to grips with the whole personal hygiene thing.
LikeLike
Sounds like Golgafrinchan Ark Ship Fleet B touched down in New Zealand, having left Pretoria a few millennia before. You’re welcome.
LikeLike
OMG yes. Bleddy Telephone Sanitisers. We did recruit a couple of super nice, super excellent people from somewhere (Cape Town or Durban I guess), but ever since the evil HR Manager and eviller Facilities Manager installed themselves, it’s been nothing but a string of fellow Pretorian Telephone Sanitisers, occupying BS non-jobs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
:-D
LikeLike
@BK
The flu thing is really weird. It has been almost “eradicated” worldwide – Australia missed an entire flu season and in Europe we’ve stopped getting it.
I’m a bit more suspicious but the data is here (download the pdf halfway down):
https://www.who.int/influenza/surveillance_monitoring/updates/latest_update_GIP_surveillance/en/
LikeLike
I’ve got a cold that I can’t shake. I get it every November/December when I think summer is finally here, wander around in shorts and a t-shirt all night, often in the rain as well and then wonder why I get a cold. Not full blown flu and light years from man flu, but still irritating. On the positive side, a good hearty cough scatters the crowds in the shops.
LikeLike
For those of us raised in slightly cooler climates, evening temperatures in SA in November/December are still really pleasant, 18 or 19 degrees.
It snowed here last week and I sent some pictures to SA and Zimbabwe that were met with fear. Then, when I mentioned that temperatures would warm up to around 7 or 8 by the weekend,there was befuddlement.
LikeLike
On the positive side, a good hearty cough scatters the crowds in the shops.
Bet you fart in lifts too.
LikeLike
“Pretorian Telephone Sanitisers”
A must have for any speculative novel in which the Roman empire makes it to 2020.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Bet you fart in lifts too.”
*Casts thunderous vote for Brexit*
LikeLiked by 2 people
I sent this to Kitson over the weekend and bet him a fiver he wouldn’t use it as it was too ludicrously hyperbolic. Another loss.
LikeLike
Bet you fart in lifts too.
I’m a bastard, not a masochist.
LikeLike
Expro will be GUTTED the first one made the list
LikeLike
“England have been brainwashed and are in the grip of an obsessive cult.”
They must be painting their living rooms, same as me.
LikeLike