Preamble
Following the lead of the esteemed French rugby philosopher and Chef de Cuisine Flair99, I will try to keep this short, at least by my standards.
In keeping with the odd times we live in, the 6N Super Saturday ingredients are not all there for a grand finale, and we’ll have to pop France vs Scotland back in the popty-ping microwave at some point to truly finish the feast.
Scotland vs Italy
Move over France, because it is time to ask the question ‘which Scotland will turn up?’ Having got off to the best possible start to the tournament, the Scots have coughed and spluttered their way through the following games and were unfortunate to find their progress further stymied when the French overdid the ‘Liberté’ bit and burst out of their corona-bubble to do some coughing and spluttering of their own.
With Finn finally HIA-d after playing in a slightly detached dream-state for most of the tournament, we are going to be treated to Hoggy at 10. Could go well, but it might not as he has enough on his shoulders captaining a pretty unfamiliar lineup while playing out of position. Then as I ignorantly ponder on, are the two new second rows going to ease themselves into the set piece, especially in a line-out which had a torrid time against Ireland?
Hark! The voices of doubt grow louder. An exciting backline, but are the omens pointing towards chaos and a replay of that infamous match against Italy when Scotland opted to only pass to Italians for the first quarter of the match?
This Italian team must have one good rather than just brave performance in them. Brex and Mori at centre are likely to do better at defending and crossing the gainline. Garbisi is a dangerous playmaker at 10, and Stephen Varney just might orchestrate things as well as his uncle Manto did. Throw in a decent backrow led by the all-action Negri and what are we left with?
Italy by a score.
Ireland vs England
England played well against France last week, but it is worth remembering that France entered the game looking like they expected to give England a thrashing – similar in fact to how England started their RWC Final – and went a bit run-it-from-anywhere bananas especially after scoring such an early try. England maintained their structure, but also looked sharp when attacking through Slade and Watson particularly.
Ireland are entering the match in good form, playing to their strengths of playing controlled, driving rugby, going through the phases, loads of bosh up the middle and at the breakdown, and Murray re-joining Sexton for some box-kicking and pill-roosting to bring joy to the purists, and to remind Malins that he is not playing away to Worcester any more. Ireland will miss Ryan though, and I fear that Beirne’s influence will diminish at lock, and the lineout will suffer accordingly.
I see a close game, but the England camp sniffs off to me. Even after good performance and what should have been a cathartic win, it still sounds like it’s all a bit of an ordeal for Eddie and his boys. Choosing a solution which involves having your captain – who sounds like an over-tired 7-year-old at bedtime – stop talking to the referee altogether might well backfire. I’m not sure how this will work if Ireland’s phase play starts drawing a string of penalties out of England at the breakdown, and Faz’s frustration builds up in front of his dad.
Ireland by about 9, and a shoulder-to-the-head tackle by Farrell on Henderson, followed by the patented Faz-flop n’ roll on the grass. Yes, the game might depend on the rat-poisoned mindset of the English players, and a French referee.
France vs Wales
Is the Jam-Slam on? Possibly, he said with authority.
Wales have annoyed and frustrated France over many games in recent years, up to and including the last RWC, when Vahaamahina elbowed his way to the front of the early retirement queue. But lately the pendulum has swung back in France’s favour – a relatively easy win last 6N, and a thrashing dished out last October. Ominously, France have sensed they can score tries at will against Wales if they quickly move the ball into the outside channels, and the marvellous try they scored direct from a lineout against England last week doesn’t bode well for the Welsh defence.
An injury-free Gaël Fickou has been a delight to watch, seeming to almost effortlessly create time and space for himself and others. Both sets of forwards have a settled look about them, but unlike the rest of Wales I do have concerns about Navidi’s defending against a team adept at offloading and running into space rather than contact. Botham offers much the same off the pine, so I think the omission of Wainwright could prove to be a selection mistake.
On the other hand, I expect JD2 to have his best game of the series so far (a low bar) and hopefully his Foxy wiles will compensate for the injury problems he still seems to carry in his legs. I even dreamt he scored the winning try last night, in identical fashion to the one Hendo flopped on for Ireland in Scotland’s in-goal area last week.
France by 13, I just feel they will score more tries. Our best chance is an over-confident France being put on the back foot by a Welsh team determined to win, and one that keeps the scoreboard ticking over much to French annoyance.
As dreamt by MisterIks
Super Saturday Zoom Piss-up
We can’t let a Super Saturday go by without having a blog piss-up. This year’s will be via Zoom. Let us know BTL if you’d like to join, and I will email you at the address you sign in with to give you the details, or if that address doesn’t work, email Craigs at craigsman@outlook.com.
Expect the details on Saturday morning.
Onna telly this week
Friday 19th March
| Munster v Treviso | 18:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Newcastle v Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
| Ulster v Zebre | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Leinster v Ospreys | 20:15 | Premier Sports 2 |
Saturday 20th March
| Harlequins v Gloucester | 14:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Bath v Worcester | 14:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Scotland v Italy | 14:15 | BBC1 |
| Exeter v Leicester | 14:30 | BT Sport Extra |
| Ireland v England | 16:45 | ITV |
| France v Wales | 20:00 | BBC1 |
Sunday 21st March
| Sale v London Irish | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Northampton v Bristol | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Dragons v Glasgow | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Monday 22nd March
| Scarlets v Connacht | 20:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 |
| Cardiff v Edinburgh | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Craigs, 1 video devoted to George Ford – subbed after 50 minutes. Whimper!
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Where have we got to with George Ford now? Better than most when the pack put his team on the front foot, but not one of the better ones when they don’t? I think that’s probably what a lot of people thought before he was promoted to best in the world.
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‘To be fair I’ve recently been quoted in a press release and I can safely say I have never, ever uttered the words attributed to me.’
Was it an anecdote that didn’t involve Oldham?
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I saw that OT. At first I was surprised to see you saying “My congratulations to Professor Brian Cox, Britain finest scientist” but after some reflection I realised you were right.
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@chimpie
It did not involve Oldham because I didn’t say it.
Makes sense really.
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@tomp
every man has his price
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@OT – If anyone took it seriously you can use the defence that no reasonable person would believe you.
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Tomp – yeah but 2 vids for England. BOOM!!!
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Can’t recall who would have been the alternative ….(googles….ah Luke Fitz or Shane W)
And yeah……poor Ugo didn’t cover himself in glory in that 1st test
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The lad squidge isn’t dumb. He knows what the demographics say. There’re more English and they love being told how great they are.
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OT, I’ve done a fair share of interviews down here and even when you’re given the article prior to publication to correct any errors, they usually don’t. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the bulk of mainstream journos simply don’t understand much of what they’re writing about or just cannibalize Reuters.
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Flair’s query over the July test schedule made me look up wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_July_rugby_union_tests
Scotland play England in the USA and then Romania in Bucharest. France are in Australia, Wales in Argentina, Ireland don’t seem to have anything listed.
Italy are going to New Zealand, gulp.
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A project I was involved with made a local paper a few years ago. It was hilarious the slant and outright falsehoods that made it to print. Imagine some lawyers could have had a field day with it.
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Assumption everyone was off to SA (le cheile)
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ticht, Ireland were meant to be going to play Tonga and Fiji but they were leaving off making a final decision until after a Lions announcement. Last I saw it was very touch and go whether they could do it, which’d be a big shame for all 3 teams.
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Ticht, thanks for the July schedule.
And thanks for the video. I had seen it but I didn’t dare post it here, coming from a Frenchman it would’ve been poor taste after the cruel last minute defeat.
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I didn’t dare post it here, coming from a Frenchman it would’ve been poor taste after the cruel last minute defeat.
Neatly summing up why the SH have won all bar one of the World Cups so far. And Sir Clive’s mob were more cruel and less tasteful than most Bok/AB/Wobbly sides anyway.
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I don’t mind the last minute win, I just feel for the other side and see no need to twist the knife days later.
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Your French team for Friday night:
XV de départ : Dulin ; Penaud, Vakatawa, Vincent, Fickou ; Ntamack, Dupont, Ollivon (cap.), Alldritt, Jelonch ; Rebbadj, Le Roux ; Haouas, Marchand, Baille.
Remplaçants : Chat, Gros, Atonio, Taofifenua, Cretin, Serin, Bouthier, Thomas.
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Fickou on the wing to counter VDM I guess, as Teddy isn’t much of a defender.
Leroux on the right side, unusual for him, but Rebbadj is considered a bit lightweight (at 115kg, I know!) hence Jelonch for Cretin as flanker.
Bouthier back on the bench after a poor run of form.
Galthié going for power rather than pace, a bit weird.
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@Flair, I don’t think there’s anything untoward in the clip – it’s fun and should be taken in that spirit. I think most of the Welsh posters would agree. And you haven’t flattened them just yet either…
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Tomp – are you implying he’s been captured by his audience? Like a Welsh rugby Dave Rubin?
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Flair – the Wsh posters were posting their fave tries a few weeks ago. Including the one which denied us a GS in Wembley. Feel free to mock as mercilessly as possible.
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Wsh? Welsh.
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Be a great opportunity to throw younger / fringe players into it and give the others a rest. there’s a bunch of lads across the provinces I’d love to see get a chance.
Now, not certain IRFU will look at the books and say “hell with it – let’s go”
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“And you haven’t flattened them just yet either…”
I’m assuming there’s a part two where the one with the Scotland badge kicks that last defender in the nuts, hands the ball back to the little chap and carries him over the line.
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Not really captured by his audience.
Also, in the context of this year’s 6 Nations England beating France is an astonishing result so deserves an in-depth look.
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The likes of Craigs are probably still wondering why these sorts of things aren’t so funny when Boris Johnson is involved.
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Scotland team to play France at Stade de France in the 2021 Guinness Six Nations
Friday 26 March (kick-off 8pm, UK time) – live on BBC One
15. Stuart Hogg CAPTAIN (Exeter Chiefs) 84 caps
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh) – 18 caps
13. Chris Harris (Gloucester) – 27 caps
12. Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors) – 17 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh) – 9 caps
10. Finn Russell (Racing 92) VICE CAPTAIN – 54 caps
9. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) – 41 caps
1. Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) – 15 caps
2. George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) – 16 caps
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 37 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) – 11 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) – 44 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) VICE CAPTAIN – 26 caps
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) – 40 caps
8. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) – 13 caps
Substitutes
16. David Cherry (Edinburgh) – 4 caps
17. Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors) – 7 caps
18. Simon Berghan (Edinburgh) – 30 caps
19. Alex Craig (Gloucester) – 1 cap
20. Nick Haining (Edinburgh) – 7 caps
21. Scott Steele (Harlequins) – 4 caps
22. Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) – 22 caps
23. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) – 30 caps
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Zero surprises given the squad & hat treacle toes been sent back to sarries
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Handy looking french team but where is Jalibert?
Fickou is a better centre than wing but can’t say he’s exactly bad out there. Would have been fun to see VDM running at teddy but hey ho maybe he’ll get a chance later on.
France less depleted than us at second row.
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I think it shows remarkable restraint to have only posted one try that denied England a Grand Slam during the course of the entire tournament. I refuse to count the Cuthbert one from 2013 as the game was already won without it.
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Do I have to go and mention Duncan Hodge?
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Appears I just did.
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Only another couple of days and I’ve had made it if it wasn’t for Craigs.
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CMW – I don’t think that Squidge has done a video on Boris. Let alone 2.
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CMW – thing is after all that heartbreak came this (so you need at least another 2):
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The darker Ireland’s shirts have become, the duller their rugby has become…
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@Craigs – I never saw that game as I went to work. Then again I didn’t see the Hodge game either as I went to the cinema and saw Magnolia. Didn’t see this one either as I was on the way back from a brass band concert in Swansea:
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CMW – fascinating if true.
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@Craigs – Now I think about it it was actually a contest rather than a concert. One of these dreadful things where a load of different bands play the same godawful ‘test piece’ one after the other to show their technical ability at playing music nobody would ever want to listen to. OT knows all about them.
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The world of brass band contests is a weird mix of anally retentive nerddom and just an excuse to get pissed (e.g. Whit Friday)
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For me it almost invariably had the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea with its curious artworks thrown into the mix.
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Brass banding also meant I didn’t see Wales’ previous filed attempt in a Grand Slam game which I’m given to believe they never looked like winning though it was surprisingly close on the scoreboard. It only came about because of this (just for BB as he likes the shirts):
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I was in that crowd shot after Tony Stanger’s try.
It’s a bit tricky to make me out, though.
I remember on the old Graun days, there was a Welsh poster called Horrid Helen, she said that she’d been at THAT Baa Baas v All Blacks game and when the camera pans across the crowd after Edwards scored THAT try, she was beside the guy with the sheep placard.
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That Stanger try happened not far in front of a teenage Chimpie. Can’t see me in the stand though.
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ahem, I was also at Murrayfield to watch Jim Aitken’s team win the GS, in (looks up wiki) 1984, ffs.
Peter Dodds was on kicking duties, try from Calder
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