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”
To rugby matters:
1. Is Kitson speaking sense in his latest oevre?
2. Chuffed for Sam Skinner back in the Scotland squad – he’s been playing really well in the 2nd row, leading Exeter’s forwards but, I’m not sure his selection does Exeter any favours for their game vs. Quins this w/end!
the whole thing is depressing craigs, from the sad and sorry institution of royalty in this day and age, to a large block of the population fawning over this nonsense, to the tabloid frenzy and the casual racism evident in so many circles.
And yes, delighted Skinner is fit and firing, he’s a quality player when on song.
Main concern for the weekend is the scrum holding up against an irish battering. Start with Bergs & watch him get stuffed up his hole, or start with wullie N and lose any impact in the loose. would be tempted to start with nel to avoid penalty leakage.
Inside centre is a concern with no Redpath in sight, need someone defensively solid with Henshaw & Ringrose looking in form.
Jenkins, bless him, is sorting out Ireland having dealt with Wales the other week. Kitson is somewhere in England or France depending on whether he’s applying varnished end product or indulging in earthy soulful considerations. Scotland and Italy escape the pair of them for the time being.
“amusingly spent hours reviewing and editing a word document before I realised spellcheck wasnāt on. Turns out without it on I write total gibberish.”
This fate could have befallen my kids, but happily a global pandemic came along that gave me the opportunity to sort them out.
Assume you mean James VI of Scotland OT, he was the guy who later become James 1 of England and Ireland.
Undoubtedly what caused all the problems. How come noone ever talks about Independence for England ?
Honestly, try to do the English a favour by giving them a monarch out of pure and selfless motives and endure centuries of moaning and they try and blame Ireland on us!
Also to be fair, the English had all the enclosures behaviour tried on them first, particularly down in Kent , hence Peasants revolts etc. Scots and Irish got left alone way longer.
Liam Williams; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Jonathan Davies, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Jake Ball, Aaron Wainwright, Lloyd Williams, Callum Sheedy, Willis Halaholo.
I can understand Hill getting a start, but Beard shouldn’t miss out having played well against England. I guess Ball is on the bench to get his 50th cap before he packs it in. Gatland would not have done this.
Didn’t know Hardy was out for the rest of the tournament. I’d much rather see him and Tomos Williams as the two scrum halves, but can’t be helped.
Sheedy should really be starting this game. Would be nice if Halaholo was too, but I suppose if Pivac wants to start Davies and North against France then it makes sense to give them most of this match together as well.
‘James regarded the need for civilisation as sufficiently important to employ “slauchter, mutilation, fyre-raising, or utheris inconvenieties” if necessary.[2] In fact, he had initially planned to murder all of the native inhabitants in order to facilitate settlement, but was persuaded to abandon this plan as impractical.[3]’
@SBT – I have a feeling that Wat Tyler and all that wasn’t all that much to do with enclosures etc being a bit on the early side. Got to stick up for Norfolk here, Kett’s Rebellion is I think traditionally regarded as the biggest English uprising against the Tudor enclosures.
“No hills in Norwich? We’ve got Kett’s Hill and Gas Hill” as my mother points out when those of us from slightly more uppy-downy bits of the country comment on Norfolk being a little bit flat.
Ovally Balls 
Half way between Harry and anyone.
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To rugby matters:
1. Is Kitson speaking sense in his latest oevre?
2. Chuffed for Sam Skinner back in the Scotland squad – he’s been playing really well in the 2nd row, leading Exeter’s forwards but, I’m not sure his selection does Exeter any favours for their game vs. Quins this w/end!
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the whole thing is depressing craigs, from the sad and sorry institution of royalty in this day and age, to a large block of the population fawning over this nonsense, to the tabloid frenzy and the casual racism evident in so many circles.
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‘1. Is Kitson speaking sense in his latest oevre?’
This is akin to Jenkins making some kind of valid point coherently
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And yes, delighted Skinner is fit and firing, he’s a quality player when on song.
Main concern for the weekend is the scrum holding up against an irish battering. Start with Bergs & watch him get stuffed up his hole, or start with wullie N and lose any impact in the loose. would be tempted to start with nel to avoid penalty leakage.
Inside centre is a concern with no Redpath in sight, need someone defensively solid with Henshaw & Ringrose looking in form.
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Thanks Chimpie I’ve read the latest Jenkins now. Main thing I’ve taken away is the image of Johnson’s boiling fudge which I could have done without.
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Brave. I’m not going anywhere a Jenkins these days.
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I’m trying to work out whether Jenkins is halfway between Harry and Kitson or Kitson is halfway between Harry and Jenkins.
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Jenkins, bless him, is sorting out Ireland having dealt with Wales the other week. Kitson is somewhere in England or France depending on whether he’s applying varnished end product or indulging in earthy soulful considerations. Scotland and Italy escape the pair of them for the time being.
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The best way of solving the Irish question is to grant Scotland independence on the proviso it gets to keep NI.
Can’t see what could possibly go wrong.
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@OT – Jenkins will write that article at some point. If he hasn’t already.
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I’ve always maintained NI was more of a Scottish problem than an English one, anyway.
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Jenkins isn’t bothered whose problems he takes on. He just takes them all in his stride.
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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP ROUND 16 DRAW
Munster Rugby v Toulouse
Gloucester v La Rochelle
Wasps v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Exeter Chiefs v Lyon
Leinster Rugby v RC Toulon
Bordeaux-Begles v Bristol Bears
Racing 92 v Edinburgh
Scarlets v Sale Sharks
Ties to be played April 2/3/4
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Only three absolute home bankers in that lot I’d have thought. Should be some interesting games.
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‘Iāve always maintained NI was more of a Scottish problem than an English one, anyway.’
A variety of people would like a word, going all the way back to Ollie Cromwell and Hank VIII
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@Chimpie – With Liz I, Francis Drake etc in between. I assumed OT was trying out the new jenkins he’d just had delivered though.
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‘Racing 92 v Edinburgh’
I have high hopes we’ll stay within 40 points
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@Chimpie – That might have been one of the three…
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Hang on CMW, are you saying OT and Jenkins are the same person?
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@chimpie
It’s primarily the fault of King James VI, I’ve decided. Who, I’ve also decided, was primarily a Scottish king.
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@Chimpie – Certainly not. I just don’t see how anyone could resist playing with a jenkins if they got their hands on one.
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Ooh, countries are to be held currently responsible for the behaviour of historic royalty that harks from their shores? This’ll be interesting.
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I’m trying to give up playing with any jenkins. It’s not good for my sanity.
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amusingly spent hours reviewing and editing a word document before I realised spellcheck wasn’t on. Turns out without it on I write total gibberish.
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@Chimpie – You clearly haven’t got a jenkins and are suffering from playing with other people who have got one. You really need to get your own.
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“amusingly spent hours reviewing and editing a word document before I realised spellcheck wasnāt on. Turns out without it on I write total gibberish.”
This fate could have befallen my kids, but happily a global pandemic came along that gave me the opportunity to sort them out.
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Assume you mean James VI of Scotland OT, he was the guy who later become James 1 of England and Ireland.
Undoubtedly what caused all the problems. How come noone ever talks about Independence for England ?
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I don’t know why the Irish moan so much, the first victims of the Scots were the English (and the Welsh).
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Honestly, try to do the English a favour by giving them a monarch out of pure and selfless motives and endure centuries of moaning and they try and blame Ireland on us!
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@chimpie
To be fair the Irish could have sorted all their own problems out until the Scots* came in and nicked half their land.
*This story may be missing some details.
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yep! – easy isn’t it?
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Also to be fair, the English had all the enclosures behaviour tried on them first, particularly down in Kent , hence Peasants revolts etc. Scots and Irish got left alone way longer.
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the bois:
Liam Williams; Louis Rees-Zammit, George North, Jonathan Davies, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Rhys Carre, Leon Brown, Jake Ball, Aaron Wainwright, Lloyd Williams, Callum Sheedy, Willis Halaholo.
Imagine they’ll put 40-something on Italy.
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half the gentry have had their land since 1066 and ol’ bill the conqueror gifting it willy-nilly to his mates. Blame the Normans.
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Plantation of Ulster: – what a mess!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantation_of_Ulster
Power grabs still get made by those that can………………………..
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Anyway it was Ireland that invaded Scotland first back in the mists of time so there.
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referre to as “A Plague of Monks” by Shakespeare in All’s Well that Ends Well*
*I think
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James VI tried this out before the Plantation of Ulster:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_Adventurers_of_Fife
I think we’ve all been oppressed by Suavo.
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I can understand Hill getting a start, but Beard shouldn’t miss out having played well against England. I guess Ball is on the bench to get his 50th cap before he packs it in. Gatland would not have done this.
Didn’t know Hardy was out for the rest of the tournament. I’d much rather see him and Tomos Williams as the two scrum halves, but can’t be helped.
Sheedy should really be starting this game. Would be nice if Halaholo was too, but I suppose if Pivac wants to start Davies and North against France then it makes sense to give them most of this match together as well.
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Blimmin Fifers.
james was a charming chap
‘James regarded the need for civilisation as sufficiently important to employ “slauchter, mutilation, fyre-raising, or utheris inconvenieties” if necessary.[2] In fact, he had initially planned to murder all of the native inhabitants in order to facilitate settlement, but was persuaded to abandon this plan as impractical.[3]’
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In Suavo’s absence we can just put the blame for the NI “Troubles” on Nicola Sturgeon and be done with it.
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@SBT – I have a feeling that Wat Tyler and all that wasn’t all that much to do with enclosures etc being a bit on the early side. Got to stick up for Norfolk here, Kett’s Rebellion is I think traditionally regarded as the biggest English uprising against the Tudor enclosures.
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“No hills in Norwich? We’ve got Kett’s Hill and Gas Hill” as my mother points out when those of us from slightly more uppy-downy bits of the country comment on Norfolk being a little bit flat.
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Think the battle that finished off Kett’s lot was somewhere round about where my grandfather’s post office was.
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I’m starting to see why we shipped ol’ jimmy six off to England. He was a bit of a cad.
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….very frilly, as well……and lace hankies
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lace hankies? we’re approaching chris ashton territory here
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Post office has been the death knell of many a fine warrior.
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In Suavoās absence we can just put the blame for the NI āTroublesā on Nicola Sturgeon and be done with it.
Absent or present, the Kiwis are to blame. For everything.
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