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 
I’m hoping that the KFC film is a large corporation finally trolling the libtards.
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Actually, I think a weight limit would be a solution. It would completely change the game obviously but it seems to be the only way to reduce the impact on collision. Unless we have a speed limit on the pitch.
Imagine all those saffas being told that they are too big to play rugby.
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Oh me knees. When I finally go to the doctor so they can tell me to stop playing cricket I hope they tell me stop painting skirting boards while they’re at it.
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CMW – I’m thinking about your poor knees in these difficult times.
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You think about my knees. I’ll think about how the dado rail looked fine and didn’t need painting until I painted the skirting boards and now it looks like shit.
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Craigs, I imagine it’s a kind of vanity thing like that FIFA film a few years. FIFA stumped up the cash to pay for Tim Roth. KFC found the money to pay for yer man off of Saved By The Bell.,
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I usually end up lying on my side when I’m painting the skirting boards. Takes me about 15 minutes to stand up after it, mind…
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It won’t change the result of last year’s final.
(Their pack was lighter than England’s, by the way)
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I can vouch for BB’s lying on your side technique for skirting board painting. Saves knees and back a world of pain. Handy for a quick snooze too.
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@BB – there’s been some of that going on too, but let’s face it there’s no good option. Maybe doing it at some point during the last eleven years instead of now would have helped.
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‘I’ll think about how the dado rail looked fine and didn’t need painting until I painted the skirting boards and now it looks like shit.’
This is the trouble with starting a decorating job. you end up doing the entire house.
Then when you finish the first bit doesn’t look right.
Etc.
Best not to start in the first place.
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Not much to add on the dementia thing. horrible.
Reduce amount of full contact training & high speed ruck collisions may help. Be pretty horrifying if this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Slade, old chap, not denying Exeter are playing excellent attacking rugby from all parts of the field. Just saying that their close to the line driving, which they have elevated to an artform, is scary to watch from a players health point of view.
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SBt
I can’t disagree with that…………..
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Tomp – I know they were lighter but I’ve heard a few Saffas say they were told they were too small. Not all saffas mind.
It’s the only thing I can think of that will change the physics of the game.
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I’d adopt a two referee system – as used by hockey and lacrosse amongst others. These two, plus more active line judges have more capacity to see and punish the illegal/blindside stuff and get rid of the TMO and keep the game flowing. Officials decision on the field stands and force players to play more within the rules…………………..
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I was asked what style of skirting board I like today. I deferred this question to Mrs Craig’s.
Needless to say I won’t be putting these in or painting them.
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…….players must adapt to tighter and immediate application of the rules.
Imagine being Johnny Hill (6ft 8in) for example. He has to think very hard before every tackle – otherwise it’s liable to be high – that’s an example of trade-off between extreme physical specimens and restraint.
Hill manages very well – I would imagine is seen as a very fair player and makes a great contribution to his team
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Is it my imagination or is it the back-rows that over-seek the big hits – I’m thinking Billy V and Tom Curry as examples
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Slade – it’s their job tbh. Dominant hits innit.
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News about a very big South African lad:
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“I was asked what style of skirting board I like today.”
I would go for ones that haven’t been painted really badly by someone else donkey’s years ago.
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hmm – read that as ‘skating board”………………………………
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Imagine all those saffas being told that they are too big to play rugby.
Our scrums are regularly lighter than the Aussies, and our backs are tiny compared to them and the Kiwis. Aussies are just fat and useless and the Kiwis have World Rugby in their pocket.
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I’m actually all for banning anyone new who’s more than 2.06m and 122kg. Roided freaks.
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Typical bloody Scots. Now we knowcwhat they put in that awful haggis.
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You meant to say ‘wonderful’ haggis.
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I didn’t know Melhuizen so looked him up. Apparently, he was at Paarl Boys High. I couldn’t remember him playing there when I was watching schools rugby in South Africa so checked out the season he would’ve been in his final year/ matric (2015) . He didn’t play 1st XV. The seconds was the best he got. The first team locks were Salman Moerat, who plays for Western Province and the Stormers, and Ruben de Villiers, who also played for SA Under 20 and the Stormers but seems to have disappeared.
Their school team was packed with stars and went unbeaten (and for the next 2 years). About 9 of them went on to play pro rugby.
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I’m no medic but is it possible that Thompson’s case is clouded by the fact that he played on after a broken neck ‘recovery’ and Lipman played on for 3 years after being advised by medics to stop?
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Sladey, no doubt that playing for longer than maybe they should exacerbated their problems.
But there are the 6 others who are claiming in this case according to The Guardian. Plus, the 70+ the NZ Herald mentioned with Hayman.
Thompson didn’t have a broken neck but had had surgery. He did get the all clear to play again.
In a few of the interviews the players’ve said they needed more information and more protection. Clubs were happy to pay them to play because they were good players.
I was trying to remember when concussion protocol was changed. In the dim and distant it was a 3-week lay-off but now it’s a week if you fail an HIA I think. That can’t help.
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@Slade – I wondered this too, especially with regard to Lipman. It must have been taken into account by those involved though when it came to bringing the case and should they win will make it all the more resoundingly clear that the responsibility for safety is with ‘the game’ rather than with the individual. On the face of it (I’m no medic either) I hope this is shown to be the case whatever the wider consequences.
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…………..tricky…….liability depends upon what was known at the time – not hindsight.
The players’ contract of employment will also be relevant insofar as to what it contains. Both parties (player and club) agreed a deal: money for work (playing rugby).
Also, what accident and health insurance did both parties have?
I had a quick look at the Rugby Players Association website………………not a peep on the subject.
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This is the pi… oh, I can’t be bothered. Pro sport is just annoying:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/10/armpit-advertising-australian-cricket-umpires-to-carry-deoderant-ads-under-their-arms
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https://www.talkingrugbyunion.co.uk/why-potential-concussion-litigation-group-could-be-a-landmark-moment-for-rugby/28610.htm
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“I had a quick look at the Rugby Players Association website………………not a peep on the subject.”
That’s pretty poor really even if it’s easy easy enough to see that they might be in a difficult position.
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Of course they may lose their case in terms of the Unions’ liability while still demonstrating that (professional) rugby is too dangerous for anyone to play.
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CMW – they’ll be brand new and someone will paint them. Just not me. My knees will be fine.
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Are they replacing burned down ones?
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CMW – essentially. Well, we didn’t have any before, but we’ll go with that.
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A shall be very disappointed if anyone burns down my skirting boards now that I’ve painted them.
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A lot of the conversation about the brain injuries has implied that whilst the players fully expect their bodies to be fucked, the heid is an entirely different matter.
But the heid is part of the body and if you break your body it affects the heid. Exercise eases depression etc. A while back I saw a drawing of all of Sam Warburtons injuries. I hate to see what he will be like after 50. Why is this taken far less seriously than a buggered brain? Not to take anything away from Thompson et Al but this should be a broader conversation.
And it takes me back to thinking that there needs to be some kind of regulation around the weight of players at an elite level. Otherwise they will just get bigger and bigger. That and no contact training.
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CMW – Mrs Craig’s says that we did have some downstairs and (helpfully) her ‘biggest mistake’ was painting them because she chipped the paint hoovering.
I’m wondering if she is being honest about her other mistakes in life.
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The dado rail is still fair game.
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I have an irrational dislike of dado rails.
The last house had them and I took them all out.
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@Craigs – Your knees would have known you had them if it had been you that had painted them. Either that or you’d have fond memories of lying on your side with BB and Chimpie.
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Anyway today’s subject is skirting board beading for crappy laminate wood floors.
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…….no half measures; don’t forget t’ wainscotin’ and the lincrusta wallpaper
…….my advice for the day
ps french masking tape is crap
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knee pads
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I have become a devotee of Frog Tape.
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