I’ll try to keep this as short as possible.
Three games this week-end; that is, if France once again do not shrug their way out of the most porous bubble (called a sieve here, see below) ever seen since John Boyd Dunlop invented the flat tire.
The teams:
England: At the moment they look like a good example of someone’s definition of madness: do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
Wales: Don’t call them fortunate; they hate it. Napoléon would have a word with Pivac though. A disastrous autumn followed by a welcome revival. Tedious at times, lethal sometimes. Will finish first unless France get a GS.
France: Will achieve a GS (see Wales).
Ireland: Stale but still mid-table. Reaching their tipping point on the declankidney-o-meter. That green jersey looks more and more like a corset, including to the meanies usually in blue.
Scotland: The perennial underachiever. Couldn’t even beat covided France by forfeit. Lovely to watch though. Definitely the colour of a dark horse.
Italy: they prove that the old adage “it’s easier to organise defence than attack” is plain rubbish. They produced lovely moves but they could not catch a slug on a Zimmer frame.
The games:
Italy vs Wales: makes me sad that a 6 Nations game is a foregone conclusion. Italy have unearthed some exciting new players but they lost what was their main strength, a solid if unimaginative pack. Their scrum is so wobbly they could hire Australians to improve them, the line-out is a mess and their defensive line look from above like a child’s drawing of a bolt of lightning. The only uncertainty is whether Wales will get the bonus point before or after the oranges. As for Wales, it’s a bit strange not to experiment a bit more, most of the team being a known quantity. Pivac probably wants battle hardened warriors for next week’s game, but it looks like a missed opportunity to blood new players. I’ll watch it, if only for AWJ and of course for Liam Williams: he may look like a horse rider but he’s a superb full back.
England vs France: both teams pick themselves but for different reasons. Eddie is so conservative he’d make Maggie look like a socialist. Apart from the obvious, he seems quite reluctant to change a formula that has shown its limitations. Scotland, who play a similar game to France, cruelly exposed them. And so did Wales in a different style. In both games England seemed incapable of changing gear and controlling their discipline. Of course, they’ll be more fit and the inclusion of Malins will bring more threat but Daly is still on the bench. Funny how a vibrant club game does not translate into a more fluid national squad.
France easily beat England in Paris last year and came close to winning the AI cup with a B team. It certainly helps in terms of confidence, but this is different. They might be as rusty as England, after the covid bubble burst. They also have the same problem as England in terms of discipline and the team that will remain on Andrew Brace’s side will take a big step ahead. But France have been rebuilding seriously for the past two years, they have a young but settled team, they know what to do and they’ll trust their ability to do it. A curiosity: France’s bench will be 6/2 whereas England’s will be 5/3.
I can see only one outcome. If the packs cancel one another, which I expect, then France have more threat in the backs. France by one score. With a bonus point, like Wales? Nah. A win would be good enough.
Scotland/Ireland: this should be a cracking game and it’s a hard one to call. Both teams lost to Wales, with one man down, but in different fashion. Both could’ve won (fine margins etc.) but I thought Scotland were the most enterprising of the three.
Ireland play a well-rehearsed game, easy to read, hard to stop. Sexton is a fading force but the way they play, he can still do the job for a couple of years. What’s that I hear? Deep sighs from the notablog showrunner? And where is Cooney, anyway?
I expect a lot of box-kicking, some good chases, some not so good and then beware Hogg and friends.
Just like France, Scotland might be a bit rusty for missing a game but I heard they played within their clubs. They should play a looser game than Ireland, with more unpredictability. Finn had a mediocre game last week with Racing. Was he keeping his powder dry? It does not really matter because Scotland have proven last year they can play without Finn, and well.
My money would be on a Scotland win but not by much.
I hope you all enjoy the week-end of rugby and I hope the refs will not be at centre stage like two weeks ago.
Oh, and before I go, a little recipe. No need for a sieve, but keep one handy, just in case you need to escape from Marcatraz (that’s what the French players nicknamed their rugby camp in Marcoussis, south of Paris).
The most famous omelette in France is served by La Mère Poulard restaurant (overrated and overpriced) in the Mont Saint Michel. It may not be the best omelette but it’s quite striking.
You’ll need 10 eggs.
2 table spoons of crème fraîche
40 g of butter
Salt, pepper
It will serve 4 people or a prop.
Save two eggs for the end.
Separate the yolks from the white. Whip the yolks lightly, but the whites ferociously with the salt. If by hand, at least several minutes, so they become almost solid.
Melt butter in a hot pan, add the yolks. When they begin to stick to the pan, add crème fraîche and the whipped whites. Do not stir. Make sure it does not stick too hard on the bottom. When ready, fold the omelet in two, so it looks like this:
Spray freshly ground pepper on top and serve immediately. Some in an upside down universe recommend Latour ‘82 with it, but it’s bollocks. I have yet to find a wine that goes well with eggs. Cider will be fine.
While you enjoy your first fluffed omelette, take the remaining eggs and throw them at my face when – if, he says tentatively? – my predictions, as usual, do not come true. As I said, I tried to keep this as short as possible.
As foretold by Flair99
Onna telly this week
Friday 12th March
| Zebre v Leinster | 17:45 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Bristol v Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
| Munster v Scarlets | 20:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Glasgow v Ospreys | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Saturday 13th March
| Newcastle v Bath | 12:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Exeter v Harlequins | 12:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Italy v Wales | 14:15 | ITV / S4C |
| Northampton v Sale | 14:45 | BT Sport Extra |
| Gloucester v Leicester | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| England v France | 16:45 | ITV |
| Dragons v Ulster | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Connacht v Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 14th March
| Treviso v Cardiff Not-Blues | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| London Irish v Worcester | 13:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Scotland v Ireland | 15:00 | BBC1 |
Ovally Balls 
Tomp – Italy should get 59 to 61 so it’ll be a close game.
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TomP – noticed him when he came on as a sub last weekend or the one before – he was impressive! In fact, I think I mentioned him here.
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Well, that killed the blog. Is that suicide?
To clarify, for those of you who’ve expressed an interest in joining the Super Saturday Zoom call, I will email you at the address you sign in with with the details – probably on Saturday morning, to give everyone time.
If you don’t use the email you sign in with (and your name isn’t Ticht), then email Craigs to get the details at the address he provided earlier.
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I feel powerful all of a sudden.
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It’s because of that lovely avatar you’re wearing.
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Thaum – like a Bond villain.
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The pussycat?
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Italy side:
15 Edoardo Padovani, 14 Mattia Bellini, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Federico Mori, 11 Montanna Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Michele Lamaro, 7 Johan Meyer, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Luca Bigi (c), 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Subs: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Maxime Mbanda, 21 Marcello Violi, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Marco Zanon.
Looks beatable.
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TomP – you’re having a laugh. Unassailable.
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France vs Scotland confirmed on March 26.
Unfortunately Scotland may not have all its players available , as English clubs may not release them. That’d be quite unfair on Scotland.
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@Flair – Best for everyone then if Wales win the Championship on Saturday.
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We’ll probably lose by 8 and then France will win the Championship by virtue of having engineered time off sick so they can annihilate Scotland B. Of course if we really are to be the luckiest winners ever we’ll lose by more than that and France will then lose to Scotland B…
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Don’t think I’ll be watching much of the 6N this weekend, what with the nicest bunch of my in-laws arriving from the Eastern Cape this weekend, but that won’t stop me from making a bold grab for mid-table mediocrity with these laser-sharp predictions on ‘Bru:
Italy have been thrashed by an average of around 40 points a match so far this tournament and things aren’t likely to get any better for them this weekend when Scotland look to turn a corner from some agonisingly narrow defeats. Forget the usual dross about Italy being competitive for the first 60, or 40 or 10, Scotland will rip them a new one from the get go. If anything, Italy will score a couple of late tries to give some sheen to the score line as the Scots play silly buggers with the result in no doubt. Scotland by however many their concentration allows, but around 35.
Eddie Jones relentless quest for trophies continues this weekend and will not go unrewarded! A reverse Triple Crown is tantalisingly within grasp as England travel to the palindrome. A markedly better performance against France last weekend has put the spring back in EJs step and the smirk back on his Cheshire cat face – but can England produce the level of intensity and flow they achieved in the first 40 last weekend again, and more importantly, for the full 80 against a relentless Irish side looking for a third win, a positive balance sheet and second on the table? I think not. Ireland by five in an intense arm wrestle!
The Valleys will be heaving this weekend as Wales look to secure the Jam Slam in fair Paris! The bars will be packed from Cardiff to Aberystwyth and from Llanelli to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which, strangely has never been called the Paris of Anglesey (or even the Paris of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch). The Belief™ is back! The pack is crack! The backs are gorgeous! Surely, a Welsh win and eternal glory will light up the City of Lights? Not so fast – France will be smarting from their defeat in the shadows of Waterloo and Trafalgar Square. And they’re still in with a chance of glory themselves. It’ll be tense, it’ll be tight, but it’s France on the night! By four points in a dramatic finish.
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‘Premiership Rugby say the release of English-based players has still to be resolved.
While the clubs are considering a request from the Six Nations, it is believed they are seeking compensation in order to release the likes of Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray, and Sean Maitland.
Premiership Rugby are also thought to be unhappy about the timing of the game, which clashes directly with the Gloucester v Exeter match which kicks off at 19:45.’
Hmmmmm.
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Awww. Poor little Premiership Rugby. Being hard done to.
Anyway, Maitland isn’t a Premiership player at the moment.
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Prolly will be by the time someone else posts here. All hiding behind the sofas in anticipation of the weekend matches are we?
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Cataloguing books at home. The exciting life of a school librarian.
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Making packed lunches, clearing up breakfast, rubbing eczema cream into a suffering child, dressing said child, coating a wall with PVA prior to the plasterer coming round, sanding walls and getting ready to paint a ceiling. The exciting life of the unemployed.
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Sweating in my sun-baked melbury.
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Also spent breakfast time trying to get chimplet 1 to understand that revenge-punching another child for chucking his phone on the ground yesterday, which while understandable, is not the wisest course of action. Especially in a school setting.
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Rebels hammer the Tahs 33-14; a flattering score line considering the Rebels were 26-0 up with 15 to go. Somewhere in Dublin an academic will tell you that another 10 minutes and the Rebels would have reverted to the mean and coughed up 20 points.
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Quite right Chimpie, get the little bastard off school property and then deck him.
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Was it a good punch ? That would make it OK. Sounds like the little prick deserved it.
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Threaten the miscreant with Cheese “on toast”. He’ll be as quiet as mouse that enjoys edible food after that.
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Incoming mail Thauma, including some dross about a competitive Italy!
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*sigh*
got the call from the headmaster an hour or so ago. ‘so and so complained that their little darling had been viciously attacked by chimplet junior’ and there had been a full inquiry launched.
Chimplet junior obviously stays shtum (‘I ain’t no snitch’) rather than presenting his case so it’s up to us to summarise how the poor little darling fully deserved it.
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My message to the headteacher would be “as long as he leaves my lad alone I can promise you, hand on heart, he’ll never, ever hit him again”.
Problem is schools get it wrong over and over again by trying to pacify trouble makers like the hittee. When my old fella was a teacher he used to turn a blind eye to the doling out of natural justice. It solved a problem as the bullies used to get disheartened.
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Quite. to be fair it’s a difficult job trying to disentangle these kind of messes for teachers. & there doesnt’ seem to be much leeway with their guidelines these days.
BWe all knew the wee shites who started the rough stuff and went howling to the teacher / mummy / daddy when they got it back at them. Imagine it’s still the same.
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Exactly. There will be some “punishment” from the school for your lad but it won’t do him any harm in the long run. I can guarantee the other one will leave him alone now, so job done.
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Trisk, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.
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Chimpie – I had a fair few fights as a kid. Tbh, trying to explain why I’d punched a guy who kept saying ‘ergy, ergy, ergy’ (because my absolute synt of a teacher had said this is what Swedish people sound like) behind my back all fricking day is quite the challenge to communicate (realise I don’t know how old your child is) for teachers to understand.
Tell him to not make it a habit. Tell the teachers the other kid touches smaller kids in weird places.
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ergy ergy ergy? Ridiculous
Sounds nothing like the swedish chef off the muppets
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Anyhoo
In a surprise to no one kidz can be arsepieces.
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New post shortly.
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I’d like to try and pop in the Zoom if possible tomorrow!
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It’s here.
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