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 
Chimpie, I was on the terrace, just down from the clock and a bit towards the corner where Stanger scored.
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Jalibert ran into Foxy’s elbow, and was HIA’d oot.
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Brass banding also caused me to miss the game where Mike Hall scored the (perfectly legitimate) winner that kept Wales’ unbeaten run against England in Cardiff going for another couple of years. Can’t find it on Youtube, someone should tell them it’s OK if they want to check the grounding now.
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And indeed the game with Saint-Andre’s amazing try. Again it’s surprisingly hard to find footage devoted to Simon Hodgkinson kicking penalties over and over again, never mind.
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@ticht
I was halfway up the south end of the west stand
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That was 31 years ago. 31 YEARS!!!!!
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I was in the crowd when Dylz didn’t call Wayne Barnes a fucking cheat.
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I was also at this classic. You can see me in the mass of people when the camera pans out.
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My lad was in the crowd when Daly got hisself sent off after about 23 seconds against Argentina.
I was in the crowd when Alessana Tuilagi killed Ryan Lamb in what was probably the most one-sided final since the previous one where Glaws got crushed. I had brilliant seats too, off of a Bristol fan on the eBay.
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Enjoying the posted clips. The Elwood one is interesting. Doesn’t look like a particularly high tackle from Llewellyn but Jenkins goes in well late on Elwood tipping him onto his shoulder. Clearly he could see into the future and ensured that he nobbled Elwood so he couldn’t see straight to kick the goal. Concussed, not choked.
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This is what brass band contests meant for us. Even down to the plastic pint glasses. Best place to go was Delph.
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OT – you in the crowd in that clip?
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I was in Latvia during the ’94 Championship and would only find out the results of games a couple of days after the match. I remember the great delight in reading about Scott Quinnell’s score v France which was almost called back but then the touch judge realised Wales were playing in green socks and France in red and it was a French jambe that had touched the line. Then there was this finish by Nigel Walker:
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I think Iksy, me and Daff were all at the Wales-England game in 88.
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@craigs
No, but in another clip from that section of the film contains my old brass band with my mate banging the bass drum. We were supposed to share the duties that year (one goes for the beer while the other marches) but it clashed with my exams. I didn’t know they were in the film until I went to the cinema that Autumn and was surprised to see loads of people I knew up on the screen.
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What could possibly go wrong with this idea in Northern Ireland?
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Happened a few years ago, no? Or the reverse when SF and the SDLP wanted not to fly the British flag over city hall in Belfast. I think the flag-shaggers went after the Alliance Party cos they’d come up with the compromise of the flag over city hall some of the time.
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FLEG!
Can’t wait to see customs posts with the UJ flying on them. What about police stations and prisons? Schools?
Courts? – Oh yeah, you’ll get a fair trial here.
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@thauma
That is a VERY partial reading of NI history.
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OT – it’s almost as if they didn’t consider NI at all when coming up with this brilliant idea.
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@thauma
You know full well most people in the UK have a clue about Irish history and why we’re in the position we are.
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I was in the crowd for Wales vs England 2017, right above the corner where Daly went over for the win. Not my favourite player but he’ll always have a place in my heart for that sweet moment.
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Aye I was there in 1988. Even glimpsed myself on my video recording of the game because I was sat in the wrong seat near the front and close to the halfway line, and was allowed at half time to walk along the touchline to get to my proper seat which was in the heaving Welsh yob-mob behind the goalposts at the end Hadley scored.
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It’s also a bit of a go at the Welsh and Scottish as well, even though both devolved governments fly the Union flag in addition to the national flags.
The Tories used to know about this sort of thing and make it clear that the N of I was a difficult case but now people like Jenrick think they can get away with anything. And, to be honest, after his failure to resign last year over the Desmond Affair, Jenrick probably can get away with anything.
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This was the only time I saw Dan Carter play live. He wasn’t very good but kicked well. Like a kiwi Owen Farrell:
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TomP – I was wondering how the Welsh and, especially, Scottish would take the edict as well, but thought I’d leave it up to our blog denizens from the appropriate nations to comment.
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Ah
The new regulations will not apply to Northern Ireland, where there is particular legislation about flying flags from government buildings, given the cultural and political context of the region.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/24/government-buildings-to-fly-union-jack-every-day-under-new-rules
Someone must have mentioned something….
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Not many Union Jacks where I am now but lots of roads named after 19th Century British soldiers. Kind of thing I’m interested in, naming stuff. Have some maps of Prague from the 1930s, 40s and 50s and you see the street names change as political power is grabbed. Then lots changed after 1989.
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Any thoughts as to how this charming image may relate to rugby?
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“Congratulations to Risca Under-13s who have today been crowned the first-ever Dragons Virtual Cup winners!”
Dog knows what it means but c’mon my home town!
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Beadle – English rugby commentators?
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thaum, It’s in legislation already from the Good Friday Agreement I think.
Paisley really picked up steam in the 1960s with a protest against the tricolour being flown in Belfast. It’s interesting the history of flags up there, depressing but interesting.
What most impressed me the last time I was there was how they’d been able to order those blue, red and white kerbstones.
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Lawes eyeing the exposed ribs of a wispy French 10 who’s only focus is getting the pass away?
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Oh, you drive from one village to the next in Antrim, and the kerbstones are either red, white and blue (painted, though, I think!) or green, white and orange.
I don’t think the GFA specifically legislates about flegs; I believe that issue came up somewhat later. But it’s an obvious consequence of the GFA that neither one side nor t’other should be doing a lot of fleg-domination. Especially on government buildings.
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That article does state that it should be from UK government buildings – I’m not sure which UK Government buildings there are up here – the Scottish Office perhaps, though I’ve no idea where that is. Also, it says that the Union flag can’t be flown if there is already another flag being flown on that pole (that’s how I read it anyway).
Anyway, I’m sure Nicola’s happy to be telt which flags to fly by some Tory nonentity.
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Lawes is known in our household as OneBrainCell. Unlike ‘Hamish McFuckface’, this is not a mark of respect.
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You’re right, thaum.
It’s the Flags Order (NI) 2000 and Flags (NI) Regualtions 2000, i think.
Plus, there are only 7 “government buildings” in the North specified.
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Beadle – it’s a new way of testing for possible concussion? Saw a headline in the Graun but didn’t read the article. Some players may drool more than others…
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BB – aye, the divil’s in the interpretation of ‘UK government buildings’, isn’t it? Scotland and NI have devolved judicial and educational systems. But the article I linked suggested that the fleg should be flown even on local council offices.
It’s all so sickeningly Yank.
The Tory ministers doing interviews have now all got flegs and portraits the Q-Ween on their walls. It’s sickening. Arlene probably loves it.
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^^So sickening that I had to use the word twice.
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So typically of the Tories they stir up the flag passions and the angrier people’ll start kicking up a fuss about the flag not being flown where it doesn’t have to be and that’ll feed the anger.
Little mention to Gordon Brown and (New) Labour who went big on the flag loving in the last term they were in power. Starmer loves the flag, of course.
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thaum, the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, out of the GFA,:
That’s why you got the Loyalists kicking off in Belfast a few years ago when the flag wasn’t flown all the bleedin’ time over City Hall.
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We already have our own problems with eejits flying the union flag. It seems to have been a lot more prevalent in the last few weeks. Can’t think why.
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These are all good answers but BB has the points. It’s from the research paper published just now looking at saliva testing to predict concussions.
Here’s the link for the paper: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/09/bjsports-2020-103274
I’ve just skimmed it but it looks promising. I guess if there’s anything that helps to get away from trusting players to answer without trying to game the system then it may be a step up in terms of safety.
Of course football with its vast reservoirs of cash is so far ahead with concussion, safe in the hands of the FA and Gordon “you’ll never take me alive” Taylor, oh wait…
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Probably everyone here knows this already, but in the US, every government building – every school, every court, every local government office, etc etc flies the flag. Schoolchildren are expected to stand up, put their hands over their heart, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag on regular occasions, if not daily.
As an obstreperous 12-year-old being moved into that situation, I refused to do it. It’s safe to say that it caused some consternation. (I also refused to mis-spell aluminium as ‘aluminum’, which lost exam points, but I wasn’t going to back down.) Americans, despite their vaunted individualism, are actually the most conformist people I’ve ever run across.
Would be interested in SBT’s thoughts on this.
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TomP @21:25 – er, yes, and how exactly did flying the fleg over City Hall 24×7 promote good relations? Ask a Loyalist, because it’s a mystery to the rest of us.
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And don’t talk to me about Starmer.
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If I sound grumpy, it’s because I am (work-related shit…), but I don’t mean any grumpiness to anyone here, so apologies if it comes across that way.
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One of my favourite books about this is by Michael Billig and is called Banal Nationalism. It’s 25 years old now I think. Was just re-reading it the other month, a key book. He also shows easily that everyday everywhere-around-you nationalism can be tweaked to supporting, for example, wars. Also, how Hot Nationalism is the province of excitable foreign types.
In the Czech Republic it’s the same with the flag, but not an oath of allegiance. Plus you need a picture of the President in every school and public office.
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*cough* Starmer *cough*
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