Only two games this weekend, with Ireland treating Italy like a Welsh prop’s face and England facing their sort of nemesis in Cardiff. France and Scotland have had their game postponed as a result of an outbreak of lurgies in the French camp which was due to Galthié being a messiah very naughty boy. Craigsman, of course, would never do this.
Italy vs Ireland – Rome
Gonna be a spanking. I was going to leave it there but to be honest I should explain why. Ireland will be hurting after a disappointing run against Wales and France and will be keen to get back on track by putting a lot of points on Italy (who last won against them in 2013). Ireland also have an almost full strength squad too. They are just missing Cooney who, for some reason isn’t included. No one apart from Big Faz knows why this is and it really needs to be a talking point on the notablog. Has anyone mentioned that? Someone should mention that.
Italy will score one or two tries but are always a few years behind the curve and they don’t have the players. I can see them holding out for the first quarter before the floodgates open and we can all talk about whether they should make way for Georgia.
13 – 45 to Ireland
Wales vs England – Cardiff
I’m not sure about this one. Have Wales been spawny this year or have they been tenacious when behind and fought back valiantly to win? I think it’s both. You have to be good enough to capitalise on your luck and some of the tries have been great. They have fielded a team with a mix of old and new heads and seem to be finally getting to grips with Pivac’s style of play. If they can get it right and build an early score, then it will be tough night for the Saes.
England seem to be wobbling a bit. With Eddie emphasizing defence and several players out of form they haven’t set the world on fire recently. That said, they should be tough to beat and I’m hoping that they will have a bit more confidence about them this week. Expect a lot of kicking and muscle which hopefully will see them home in a tight game. Some might complain about this, but not me.
30 – 22 to Wales or 20 – 15 to England
France vs Scotland – Paris(ish)
So this has been postponed. What a bunch of les muppets, eh (who I hope will fully recover)? I can’t even ask ‘which France will turn up’ just to sound like a knob. Ah well, let’s pretend that it’s going ahead and look into my crystal ball…
I reckon France at a canter. They are looking very good at the moment and will likely stuff the Scots up their holes. There will be some nice stuff from the visitors but ultimately France are becoming more and more evil every year. It started with some strange glasses, then came a blunt talking defence coach and a change of culture a few thought would be unpalatable and then selection of form players and a sensible game plan going forwards. Who’d have thunk it? Witchcraft, I tell you.
I could be wrong. No good ever comes from a postponed game. None at all.
35 – 15 to France
As foretold by Britney Spears
Onna telly this week
Friday 26th February
| Treviso v Connacht | 17:30 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Sale v Exeter | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
| Cardiff v Munster | 20:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Ulster v Ospreys | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Saturday 27th February
| Edinburgh v Scarlets | 12:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Bristol v Leicester | 13:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Italy v Ireland | 14:15 | ITV |
| Newcastle v Harlequins | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wasps v London Irish | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Gloucester v Worcester | 15:15 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wales v England | 16:45 | BBC1 / S4C |
| Zebre v Dragons | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 28th February
| Northampton v Bath | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Leinster v Glasgow | 17:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
‘Short novel’, Craigs? I would have thought a trilogy in at least four parts…
Nice ATL, thanks: wholly sensible predictions, fully supported by copious evidence. You’d never have got away with that sort of thing on the old notablog.
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From previous: “♪♪Howling Julio down by the school yard♪♪”
I have hummed and hawed about riffing on this in the childminding setting, but ultimately the verdict was ‘possibly inappropriate’.
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Brookter – trilogies can be short. Pamphlets and the like.
Cheers :-)
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Ulster and Cardiff matches on at the same time YET AGAIN! Grumble, grumble, harrumph, etc.
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This is just for fun, cross-posted from elsewhere:
QUIZ: Fill in the blanks to complete a Norn Irish expression
Answers to include translation….
1/ I’m not as _____ as I’m cabbage-lookin’.
2/ D’ye think I’ve just come down the _____ in a bubble?
3/ _____ yerself on!
4/ _____ ache Jimmy, close the windy; me balls are Baltic.
5/ I’ll be gettin’ blootered the marra, so I’ll be hangin’ like a _____ onna Sundee, so I will.
6/ I’m just after wettin’ the _____; how’s about one yerself?
7/ You’re a buck _____.
8/ I’ve been runnin’ around like a blue-arsed _____.
9/ It was dead easy, so it was: it was wee _____.
10/ The oul computer was banjaxed, so I got a new one, and now I’m suckin’ _____ on the internet.
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Anyway,
Seeing as
1) People have been disgracing themselves all afternoon with gastrointestinal wordplay;
2) People are humming Paul Simon songs;
I feel that that there is an opportunity for some synergy.
Don’t blame me. CMW made me do it.
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@Thaum,
I think I know 1 and 8 and can make a guess at 6, but the others…
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That was quite brilliant, DCI!
The fun is in the guessing for the quiz.
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I’ll be expecting MichaelNumbers and Larry (if he’s lurking) to get 100%, of course.
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Treviso beating Connacht by 3 with <5 mins to go!
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… And they get a penalty straight away, and go for the corner.
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… And once more without rhythm….
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TRY!
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17-19.
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RealEddie’s hiding his lockdown hairdo under a duncher.
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Faff is not faffing about
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That was lovely from Cordero!
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If you get a chance to see the try Cordero just scored for Sale, take it.
It is special
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Kolbe-esque, BB
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@Brookter – It’s good, but it’s only the third best thing I’ve got someone to write today after an ‘information text’ about leopards and a diary entry of a first class passenger on the Titanic.
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Scored for Exeter Ticht.
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Here’s the Cordero try:
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Williams is getting battered in the scrum but the ref disagrees
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Ospreys sneaked a try while I was watching Cordero. :-(
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Exeter Exeter their way over for a second try.
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You would have thought, after the last couple of weeks, players would stop launching themselves into rucks.
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Mum! Those fucking Ospreys are bossing us!
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Bosspreys
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Refit, I thought it was unfortunate, the other Exeter player cleared the Sale guy out illegally and in doing so lifted him to the right height to get biffed in the puss with the hooker’s shoulder
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I blame The Middle One for my silly mood. It all started when one of her tasks was to write ten silly sentences featuring her ten spelling words for the week. “I’m can’t be bothered with that,” she said, “I’ll just write a silly paragraph.”
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Madigan’s fucked up every chance we’ve had so far – not that there have been many, because we’ve hardly touched the ball.
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I bet Cockerill would have Faff box kicking at every ruck outside the oppo 22
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There was a no arms tackle by Williams that caused the knock on
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15 – 15 at oranges and one man down.
Fair enough.
2nd half will be tough: I don’t think Exeter’s wide defence is good enough to try and open things up.
Need to hang tough and take every advantage of Sale’s poor discipline.
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First half was fun. We’ll still lose, but it’s not been boring at all and that’s the best sort of losing.
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Skinner has been really good these last few games – can he and Vermeulen last 80?
Need something special from Sam Simmonds now.
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The plan was to watch the first half of Salexeter and then the second half of Cardunster, but I’m quite enjoying this
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I don’t think so DC, Sale are strong enough to see this out backed by McGinty’s accuracy.
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COOOONNNNEEEEYYYYY furra line, out of nowhere!
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TBF, Timoney had a lot to do with that.
Cooney converts his own try, so it’s evens now, just before HT.
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I can’t wait until we can get crowds back into these games.
In the scale of things crowds at sport is not the most important thing, but it is a symbol of what we took for granted, and I want it back so we can value it all the more.
I was thinking this the other day, the first game with a full house is going to be like nothing we’ve ever witnessed
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“They” – Manu is off to France
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I find Jon Ross a nasty dangerous player – a cheap-shotter
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It’s only just struck me that I work with a Manu – but he’s Indian.
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there’s my boy!!!!
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What’s the reason Sam Simmons isn’t with the England squad again?
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BB, he is too wee and upsets the balance of the England backrow, it says here
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Best 8 in England this season, from what I’ve seen, btw
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Ooh, nice little shuffle from McGinty for thr score, but they butchered an overlap a minute before
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That’s a bit rough
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