The top two sides in each Pro14 conference face off this weekend: Ulster at home (yay!) to the Blue Meanies (boo!), and Munster hosting Connacht tonight.
In the Premiership, Bath v Exeter looks like the most exciting match.
Onna telly this week
Friday 5th March
Munster v Connacht
19:35
Premier Sports 1
Leicester v London Irish
19:45
BT Sport 1
Sale v Newcastle
20:00
BT Sport Extra
Saturday 6th March
Zebre v Glasgow
14:00
Premier Sports 2
Bath v Exeter
15:00
BT Sport 2
Wasps v Gloucester
15:00
BT Sport Extra
Worcester v Bristol
17:15
BT Sport Extra
Ulster v Leinster
19:35
Premier Sports 1
Ospreys v Dragons
19:35
S4C / Premier Sports 1
Sunday 7th March
Harlequins v Northampton
15:00
BT Sport 1
Edinburgh v Treviso
15:15
Premier Sports 1
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465 thoughts on “A Brief Interlude for Pro-woo and Premiership”
Hope that Megan woman has let Harry keep his Ducati, thats all I can say. Wills missus made him promise to give his up, then the Currant Bun dobbed him in by publishing a pic of him out on it one Sunday morning. Bloody paperazzi.
Think they had some nice motorcycle gloves a few months back, bizarrely, but I expect Harry has already got a pair made out of snow leopard or similar.
Thaum, I would but the game is in England. Shouldn’t an English man (or wowan, it’s about time) write it?
As for Ireland/Scotland ( Finnless or not, I have no clue) one of the Celts from this esteemed blog would seem more qualified.
Wales /Italy doesn’t need a preview, does it? Blame the red cards or the ref or both, and give the BP to Wales.
As for the royals, seen from this side of the pond, it’s so obvious they are parasites, I wonder when you guys will find the proper vaccine. Only took a year for covid, you can do better.
Flair – we’ve already had an English viewpoint (and an Irish one) on the 6N, so I’m hoping for representation from the other nations – except we don’t have an Italian.
Slade – but that doesn’t happen in France or Ireland, does it? The role of President is not very powerful or glamorous where the president isn’t also the head of government, so it doesn’t attract the Blairs of the world.
You can put me on standby Thauma, but it would be nice if someone closer to the local action did it.
Also I’m already fretting about the giant Italian banana skin looming up. It is their BIG GAME OF THE 6N now the Scots and the French have moved on from struggling against Italy.
Craigs, am afraid you can’t buy them out, them being filthy rich. So, it would involve some form of coercion that may not be popular in modern times. The guillotine is a bit rusty these days.
The idea that we need a head of state on top of the one we elect and who exercises the real power is ludicrous. Some countries ( Germany for instance) have one, they are mostly useless.
Slade, although has great experience of working for Presidential pals such as Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Nursultan Nazarbatev of Kazakhstan and Ilhan Aliyev of Azerbaijan, I don’t think he’d take the job as the pay wouldn’t be good enough.
All I was trying to suggest was that there might be advantages to having a titular, apolitical head who does all the ceremonial stuff separate from the political hurly-burly.
I believe that any president who is tainted by party politics would be an absolute disaster.
Please note, I am by no means a royalist. At the same time I cannot tolerate the idea of a ‘presidential’ Johnson or Blair – but the political system would have to accept and actively support an apolitical alternative and I can’t imagine that ever happening. In the meantime, a slimmed down royalty by accident of birth kind of thing might as well carry on. Lizzie seems to have done ok.
Blair is perhaps the classic example of someone who left politics vastly richer than he entered it. Same goes for Clinton, Obama and Clegg. Not sure about Bush Sr or Jr or Cameron but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Not sure I get all the fuss over the Royals, either way. Its a shit job, I wouldn’t want it. It brings in a lot of tourist bucks. Comedy value quite good. Lizzie was jolly spiffing in the war etc etc. If you kicked em out and repoed all the wealth and property, it would be approximately 5 months before Prez Blair, or Boris , or whoever, had managed to flog it all awf to their mates for paltry sums, just like reservoirs, hospitals, school playing fields, allotments, railways etc, so don’t think for one minute the British people would benefit financially. Its not like they actually wield much power, whatever the Guardian/SWP/ClassWar would have you believe.
Also, its absobloodylutely amazing how much fuss the ‘merkins seem to make over them. Lady Di is worshipped to a degree only slightly smaller than Madre Maria, and most people I know seem to be far more invested in the current shenanigans than I am. Almost watched the Oprah thingy last night just so as I would know what they are all talking about. I am surprised to observe that the HarryandMeganometer has shown a massive swing in the last two weeks, dunno what they have done, but it must be something really offensive in California, like skipping a yoga class, or being seen giving money to a street person.
The French bring in far more money via Versailles, etc., with their long-guillotined monarchy, because people can actually visit it, unlike Buck House.
And they have more power than most people realise: did you read the recent Guardian articles on royal consent?
You have a point about the Tories flogging it off to private interests, though.
Disney claim that the Disneyworld complex in Florida gets 60 million visitors a year. Got I suppose now.
Disney was famous for it’s non-woke hiring practices as well. Perhaps if the royals want visitor numbers up they should cryogenically freeze Prince Andrew until the statute of limitations on his case runs out.
Well, its either a bad case of love blinding all concerned, or Megs took a cold calculated career decision, and decided it was worth the risk. Personally more worried about the historical precedents. Wallis Simpson marries Ed 9, or George 7, or whoever, causes a shitstorm, and three years later the Panzers are rolling thru Poland and France.
Pension ’em all off, I say, and by that I mean that state pension. Maybe they can be moved slightly up the queue for social housing for services to the nation. Well, not Andy.
Many of those 60 million Disney visitors would probably vote for Donald Duck, he’s white enough. Suppose you’d have to ask Daffy Duck to run against him, for obvious reasons.
Agree about Oprah, who’s not averse to promoting all manner of fast-buck New Age fruitcakes, although I must admit I have great difficulty dealing with how American individualism and magical thinking has jumped the shark. I fear for the future, he said cheerfully.
The most depressing thing for me was the baby skin colour question. It’s not even like they have a choice and who would care and why do they matter? It just doesn’t make any sense.
It probably helps to imagine being a racist, Craigs.
When Diana, Princess of Wales, was dating Dodi al-Fayed there were similar “concerns” raised in the media about a possible sibling of Princes William and Harry being “half-Muslim”.
Tomp – it’s more about why people give a shit about racists. If you have a problem with a child in the royal who is likely to have skin colour somewhere between Harry and Meghan then who the fuck cares about your opinions?
Thinking about this it’s probably something that isn’t surprising to people who aren’t white. It’s just so depressing.
Ovally Balls 
@craigs
My cousin has worked for Aldi for years (he drives lorries for them now). Much better than any of the other supermarkets from what I can gather.
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Would any Scottish or French (ie Flair!) person feel like writing this week’s ATL?
Then perhaps a Welsh person for the following week’s potential Grand Jam?
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Of course, France are still in the running for a GS.
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“I hate the nightclub toilet guys.”
Can’t say I much like the sound of them.
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“On so many levels.”
Think I went to a club like that once.
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Hope that Megan woman has let Harry keep his Ducati, thats all I can say. Wills missus made him promise to give his up, then the Currant Bun dobbed him in by publishing a pic of him out on it one Sunday morning. Bloody paperazzi.
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@SBT – Perhaps he’ll get the Special Buys aisle and have first dibs on one when they have some.
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Think they had some nice motorcycle gloves a few months back, bizarrely, but I expect Harry has already got a pair made out of snow leopard or similar.
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Thaum, I would but the game is in England. Shouldn’t an English man (or wowan, it’s about time) write it?
As for Ireland/Scotland ( Finnless or not, I have no clue) one of the Celts from this esteemed blog would seem more qualified.
Wales /Italy doesn’t need a preview, does it? Blame the red cards or the ref or both, and give the BP to Wales.
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As for the royals, seen from this side of the pond, it’s so obvious they are parasites, I wonder when you guys will find the proper vaccine. Only took a year for covid, you can do better.
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Flair – we’ve already had an English viewpoint (and an Irish one) on the 6N, so I’m hoping for representation from the other nations – except we don’t have an Italian.
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@thauma
*Coughs*Expro*coughs*
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OT – we used to have someone fanatically pro-Italy….
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Flair – got any tips on how to get rid of them?
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I really don’t get the pro royal people in the UK.
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……………….only that the idea of a politically appointed President is at least as bad……………………….
President Blair anyone?
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Slade – but that doesn’t happen in France or Ireland, does it? The role of President is not very powerful or glamorous where the president isn’t also the head of government, so it doesn’t attract the Blairs of the world.
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You’d be more likely to get someone like David Attenborough.
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Thaum, I thought I had written some sort of 6N preview before the first game?
When do you need it?
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You can put me on standby Thauma, but it would be nice if someone closer to the local action did it.
Also I’m already fretting about the giant Italian banana skin looming up. It is their BIG GAME OF THE 6N now the Scots and the French have moved on from struggling against Italy.
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Craigs, am afraid you can’t buy them out, them being filthy rich. So, it would involve some form of coercion that may not be popular in modern times. The guillotine is a bit rusty these days.
The idea that we need a head of state on top of the one we elect and who exercises the real power is ludicrous. Some countries ( Germany for instance) have one, they are mostly useless.
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Flair – you wrote a preview for the Autumn Nations back in November. How time flies! :-)
Should you choose to accept the mission, Friday by mid-afternoon would be fine. (The Scots seem to be keeping their heids down.)
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And thanks, Iks! What with lockdown, you’re as close as anyone else in any real sense.
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Slade, although has great experience of working for Presidential pals such as Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Nursultan Nazarbatev of Kazakhstan and Ilhan Aliyev of Azerbaijan, I don’t think he’d take the job as the pay wouldn’t be good enough.
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Tomp -I assume you mean Blair?
All I was trying to suggest was that there might be advantages to having a titular, apolitical head who does all the ceremonial stuff separate from the political hurly-burly.
I believe that any president who is tainted by party politics would be an absolute disaster.
Please note, I am by no means a royalist. At the same time I cannot tolerate the idea of a ‘presidential’ Johnson or Blair – but the political system would have to accept and actively support an apolitical alternative and I can’t imagine that ever happening. In the meantime, a slimmed down royalty by accident of birth kind of thing might as well carry on. Lizzie seems to have done ok.
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Slade, yes, Blair. The bringing democracy to the Middle East fella .
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Blair is perhaps the classic example of someone who left politics vastly richer than he entered it. Same goes for Clinton, Obama and Clegg. Not sure about Bush Sr or Jr or Cameron but I wouldn’t be surprised.
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Thaum, will do.
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Not sure I get all the fuss over the Royals, either way. Its a shit job, I wouldn’t want it. It brings in a lot of tourist bucks. Comedy value quite good. Lizzie was jolly spiffing in the war etc etc. If you kicked em out and repoed all the wealth and property, it would be approximately 5 months before Prez Blair, or Boris , or whoever, had managed to flog it all awf to their mates for paltry sums, just like reservoirs, hospitals, school playing fields, allotments, railways etc, so don’t think for one minute the British people would benefit financially. Its not like they actually wield much power, whatever the Guardian/SWP/ClassWar would have you believe.
Also, its absobloodylutely amazing how much fuss the ‘merkins seem to make over them. Lady Di is worshipped to a degree only slightly smaller than Madre Maria, and most people I know seem to be far more invested in the current shenanigans than I am. Almost watched the Oprah thingy last night just so as I would know what they are all talking about. I am surprised to observe that the HarryandMeganometer has shown a massive swing in the last two weeks, dunno what they have done, but it must be something really offensive in California, like skipping a yoga class, or being seen giving money to a street person.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The French bring in far more money via Versailles, etc., with their long-guillotined monarchy, because people can actually visit it, unlike Buck House.
And they have more power than most people realise: did you read the recent Guardian articles on royal consent?
You have a point about the Tories flogging it off to private interests, though.
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Oh, and I agree that it’s a shit job that I wouldn’t want, so that’s why I wouldn’t bloody marry into it in a million years.
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Disney claim that the Disneyworld complex in Florida gets 60 million visitors a year. Got I suppose now.
Disney was famous for it’s non-woke hiring practices as well. Perhaps if the royals want visitor numbers up they should cryogenically freeze Prince Andrew until the statute of limitations on his case runs out.
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Bette Midler meets the Queen:
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TomP – I don’t think there’s a statute of limitations in UK law?
Mind you, it’s the Yanks who want him, isn’t it….
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Well, its either a bad case of love blinding all concerned, or Megs took a cold calculated career decision, and decided it was worth the risk. Personally more worried about the historical precedents. Wallis Simpson marries Ed 9, or George 7, or whoever, causes a shitstorm, and three years later the Panzers are rolling thru Poland and France.
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SBT – yeah, the second one, I think.
Whichever one Simpson married was quite pro-Nazi, innit. Marriage a coinkidink, I reckon.
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Obviously the real lesson for royals is that it’s a bad idea to marry Americans.
I had a long-term relationship with one, but I got better.
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@Thaum *cough*
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And on the benefits of the monarchy, financially
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Telegraph caught in right-wing propaganda shocker. Nicely-done tweet.
To be fair, I can’t see either of Love’s Penniless and Persecuted Royals de nos jours supporting that kind of ideology.
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Well I have to say that americanising royal pish with the Oprah Winfrey treatment doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.
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Good video.
Pension ’em all off, I say, and by that I mean that state pension. Maybe they can be moved slightly up the queue for social housing for services to the nation. Well, not Andy.
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In the main, we’ve avoided too many superannuated politicos as president- and Michael D (even though an ex-TD) has been superb.
That said, there’s been a few horrors on the ballot in the last two elections but thankfully they’ve been well-beaten.
I think- on the whole – we’ve gained a taste for an erudite professorial type who can make a well crafted speech.
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I think- on the whole ā weāve gained a taste for an erudite professorial type who can make a well crafted speech.
Is there a lunch allowance in that? Asking for a friend.
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And it ends in the grotesque chaos of President Professor Brian Cox.
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Many of those 60 million Disney visitors would probably vote for Donald Duck, he’s white enough. Suppose you’d have to ask Daffy Duck to run against him, for obvious reasons.
Agree about Oprah, who’s not averse to promoting all manner of fast-buck New Age fruitcakes, although I must admit I have great difficulty dealing with how American individualism and magical thinking has jumped the shark. I fear for the future, he said cheerfully.
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Our friend couldn’t believe we didn’t watch the interview on ITV last night. We were too busy grinding our way through the Marvel timeline on Disney+.
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The most depressing thing for me was the baby skin colour question. It’s not even like they have a choice and who would care and why do they matter? It just doesn’t make any sense.
I’ve probably been over thinking it.
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It probably helps to imagine being a racist, Craigs.
When Diana, Princess of Wales, was dating Dodi al-Fayed there were similar “concerns” raised in the media about a possible sibling of Princes William and Harry being “half-Muslim”.
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Tomp – it’s more about why people give a shit about racists. If you have a problem with a child in the royal who is likely to have skin colour somewhere between Harry and Meghan then who the fuck cares about your opinions?
Thinking about this it’s probably something that isn’t surprising to people who aren’t white. It’s just so depressing.
LikeLiked by 1 person