Three years ago, we were in Bilbao for the Challenge Cup final. What a difference a pandemic makes. Also, the sun was shining, at least in Spain.
Regarding the Little Cup, Flair99 says: “To find Montpellier there is quite stunning, they’re fighting to avoid relegation, and they’re certainly not pleasant to watch. How about Leicester?”
Same, Flair, same.
La Rochelle v Toulouse will undoubtedly be a more interesting match. I’m calling it for La Rochelle, because I would like them to win.
Onna telly this week
Friday 21st May
| Leicester v Montpellier | 20:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 22nd May
| Sharks v Stormers | 12:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Lions v Bulls | 14:30 | Premier Sports 2 |
| La Rochelle v Toulouse | 16:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 23rd May
| Nada |
Ovally Balls 
Ticht, I did not see those “several” opportunities Ntamack butchered. But what I saw was his impeccable kicking for points and the wonderful missed pass for Tolofua that created Toulouse try. I thought he was quite good, especially during the second half.
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Flair, I didn’t see them in real time either, it was during stoppages that Healy brought them up – he does this every week during the English premiership games, as well as the European games.
He usually has the camera angle from behind the attacking team and stops the action and shows the options available at the time.
It’s not always in criticism, on the contrary he uses it in praise of players who have taken the right option too, showing how a defence was opened up.
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I like Austin’s analysis when he’s not being an idiot, and I like Ben Kay too. Super Sam W can be good, but Ugo and Lol not so much.
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BB, I think they all have their plusses and minuses, except Lol, who is unremittingly bad.
Ugo likes to have a bit of a laugh, and whilst it doesn’t inform the viewer, it is a bit of fun at least.
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I enjoyed the final. Attritional though it was …
I thought LAR were a trifle unlucky despite the fact that I also thought Toulouse were the better team. Red card was ‘clear and obvious’ though I thought Toulouse 12 was lucky with his tackle on Alldritt – didn’t seem much different from the earlier one. Toulouse also got a handy 3 when Ntamack ran into Skelton.
In the end, team with the better kicker won. That’s obviously harsh on West – but I recall he wasn’t great vs Sale – but it got lost in the euphoria of 30-odd(??) point win (might have been less than 30 as Sale got a try at end).
Saw nothing of the Challenge Cup.
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Yeah, Lol is of the ‘Repeat What The Main Commentator Just Said’ school of punditry.
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All the chat about Freddie Mercury earlier…takes me back to Live Aid – my mom wasn’t a rock fan (big fan of Tom Jones though) but after watching Mercury do his stuff at Wembley – she turned to me and said “oh…he’s very good…isn’t he?”.
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Ye dogs, a ROCK band won Eurovision! Song is surprisingly decent too.
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And the UK finished bottom of the heap – again. Wonder if there could be any reason for that….
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Maybe the UK should leave Eurovision and start its own contest with ex-colonies and others that it can write rules with to suit itself.
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Sing back better!
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The Veralynn Song Contest…………………….
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BtL comments on yesterday’s game quite revealing: it seems to me that ex-players really enjoyed or got something out of it; mere spectators complain it was boring.
I thought the tension and commitment were fantastic.
T’s game plan seemed to be to keep it tight as long as possible, as though fearful of LA’s energy in broken play.
It’s a shame for LA that quality from the tee lost it for them.
LA will win a re-match if they have their first choice backs available.
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Watched the game last night after a long day out. Ntamack wasn’t particularly good but most importantly the good things he did were very very good. Same with Dupont, he made 3 or 4 bad decisions , his passing was ropy, and then some excellent work. La Rochelle had big chances in the Toulouse 22 in the first half and couldn’t do much with it. It was enjoyable enough and good to hear a crowd again.
My lad watched it and kept asking why Toulouse didn’t get the ball to Cheslin more than twice in the game. A good question.
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I think I’ve mentioned previously my mate who is on the Biontech cancer vaccine trial (same as the Covid vaccine except with the mRNA of his tumour rather than the virus). Well he’s now a media star having been interviewed by the Mail on Sunday. As he is a cabbie you’ll appreciate he probably said a lot more than was written down
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9607927/How-pioneering-science-Covid-jab-soon-offer-new-vaccine-cancer.html
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That is fantastic, OT.
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…….may have missed this?: Owen Franks leaving Saints for the ‘Canes…………..
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……..aaaannd………………..Coventry 0 – Saracens 73
how are the (once) mighty fallen?
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That is brilliant, OT, truly amazing.
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I enjoyed watching the final, but my C4 feed started to pixelate and brake up in the second half. I thought LAR seemed more up for it and were better prepared for the physical stuff, but maybe that also undid their chances because of the red card.
Some players still seem slow to learn that their trademark big hits which are not aimed at being foul play are no longer acceptable.
Ntamack was a Finn-esque mixed bag, but he nailed the points which is essential in a tight match.
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Chuffed for your friend, OT.
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Sladey, that’s the sort of score I was expecting Sarries to put on everyone except Ealing.
Coventry are one of those clubs, like Moseley, that I know of being a first-class side but haven’t been at the top table for over 30 years. It’s a strong rugby city, used to have its own combination, so pleased to see them back among the top 20 sides in England.
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Cov is, of course, also home to Wasps.
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Neil Back, Danny Grewcock, Tom Wood, Leon Lloyd are all from Coventry. Jim Hamilton went to school there.
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BBC4 documentary Dark Matter about the intersection between the slave trade and black (mostly African-American) art and music, and sci-fi, was great. Recommend watching!
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Didn’t realise that it was Eurovision until last night and apparently Glasto was on virtually too. Maybe living in a cave is not ideal for keeping tabs on the important stuff.
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Didn’t realise either. Never watched either of them either. Welcome to my cave.
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Quiet day eh?
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Yep
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Aye.
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Brendan ‘biscuits’ Venter believes a Bok 3-0 sweep of the Lions will be bigger than the World Cup win.
Discuss.
The real Lions hammered TomP’s blustering Bulls on Saturday, all but ensuring that the British Isles version will get hammered in the opening engagement 💍.
Discuss.
Bojo apparently looking at a wedding date. Tory donors have been put on notice.
No need for discussion, I’m assuming the lobbying for ‘gifts’ is all but wrapped up.
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Ian Anderson >Fish.
Discuss.
If you actually know who they both are, pretend you don’t.
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Aye.
Shortest verse in the Prog Universe. Assuming BB’s interweb crashed under the weight of the tome that followed.
Discuss. Except for BB.
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Fish>>>Ian Anderson.
Steve Hogarth>>>Fish
Aye.
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I know who Ian Anderson (nearly typed Henderson there) is. Assumed fish was fish.
Saw the Tull live in probably the late 90s. Anderson’s voice was shot, but still a great show. Flute-playing was fine! (Karl)
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I know a Steve Hogarth, good man to have around if you want something hitting with a hammer. Fish are less good at this though Craigs will doubtless now tell me they have arms. I know several Ians whose surnames I don’t know so one of them might be the other guy.
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Isn’t Anderson a roe-farmer? So of course he has mastery over Fish.
The Detroit area had a great outdoor venue called Pine Knob: it had some seating, but also a big grassy hill behind that where there was a real festival atmosphere. That’s where I saw Tull, Santana (nearly every summer), and many more.
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Don’t think he is a fish (or Fish) farmer any more, plus I thought it was salmon? Yep, Wiki says the Scottish one was sold off in the 90s.
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Pah, pernickety details. Obviously he still had mastery over fish. Unless you think the fish outwitted him, causing him to sell the farm.
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Saw the result, Deebs.
I think after the Stormers beat the Sharks earlier on Saturday and the Bulls cruising at 33-20 early in the second half someone had a word and the Bulls kindly threw the game so there’d be something to play for in the last two rounds and the Lions wouldn’t be too embarrassingly adrift at the bottom of the log.
Well done to your lads. First win in 9 against the Bulls I believe.
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Scottish Isles inspired Tull song from before he sold the farm on Skye.
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Fish being fishy.
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Hah! Love the big guy, but that was him when the lyrics were flowery and wordy.
I think he’s better when he simplifies things. This is about his dad who had Alzheimer’s (his mum has it too).
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Sweet song, BB.
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Reel big fish being fishier
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Aye.
Just so.
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That would have been my dad being talkative.
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When not shouting at his dugs, that is.
Or talking to other herds about sheep.
Sometimes they would say ‘Aye’ twice!
In 4 hours!
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Would be accused of verbosity on here at the moment. Or perhaps stream of consciousness.
Think the Boks are gonna destroy the Lions. You bastards are useless.*
* got my fingers crossed behind my back.
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Deebee, I have no way of knowing where the standard is at the moment, I was really looking forward to the SA teams in the Rainbow Cup playing ProWoo sides.
I’ve watched a few of the SA games and they looked, there is no way to soft soap it, pedestrian, I should know, I watch Edinburgh play pedestrian rugby every week.
Some of the forwards looked fat and out of puff very early in the matches, compared to the New Zealand stuff it was a different sport.
It could be that there is more than enough power in the Boks pack to dictate how the games go, the likes of PSDT looked very good last weekend running in open prairie against fat fucks who couldn’t get near him.
I can’t help but be insulting about the games I’ve seen from South Africa, they didn’t fill me with dread and if they turn around and batter the Lions then I’ll eat my hat.
There, gauntlet thrown.
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