Since there’s nothing else worth watching this weekend (Ulster’s season having finished), Flair99 has some top tips on Top14 matches:
Three intriguing games in France this week-end.
Friday at 20:45: Racing vs Stade Français
The winner gets to the semi, the loser goes on vacation (about time). So Paris vs Paris, about 5kms separate their two stadia. Subplot, Fickou who played 90% of the season for Stade now plays for Racing. Probable winner: Racing.
Saturday 17:45: Biarritz vs Bayonne
Biarritz, ProD2 finalist, host Bayonne, who finished 13th in the T14. About 5kms between the two towns. Winner stays – or climbs – to the T14, loser goes down or remains in ProD2. The biggest game in the Basque country since Asterix. Winner? Who knows, probably Bayonne.
Saturday 20:45: Bordeaux vs Clermont. The other QF.
Probable winner, Bordeaux.
LaR and Toulouse lie in wait.
And so does Galthié who’ll fly to Australia without his skipper (Ollivon sidelined for about 6 months) and all the players involved in the T14 final (they may play only in the third test).
And Deebee7‘s take on the SA squad picked to play the Lions:
Actually in terms of Bok selection, I think Lizo Gqoboka should be in ahead of Coenie Oosthuizen who’s scrummaging technique has always been suspect. As one scribe here put it, he’s been off the Bok radar for so long he may need a visa to get into the camp. Of the newcomers in the Bok set up, I love Joseph Dweba’s all-action style of play, I believe Jasper Wiese has been in excellent form for Tiggers, Wandisile Simelane is a classy operator in an otherwise journeyman Lions outfit, Aphelele Fassi is fast and exciting, whilst Rosko Specman is electric with ball in hand and has great 7s experience. The ones I’m not sure about are Yaw Penxe from the Sharks who has oodles of pace, but little else (so did Mapimpi to be fair before Rassie got his positional play and defence up to scratch) and I have no idea about Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg from Montpellier as a lock.
The squad has been picked with not just the two Georgia and 3 BIL Tests in mind, but also the SA ‘A’ side that will face the Lions, so I think some of the selections are expressly with that in mind – have the players in the Bok bosom, up until the SA ‘A’ match, so that they’re part of the structures and plans should any of them be called upon because of injury in the main squad. My pick for that SA ‘A’ side would be something like this, with F Steyn covering 10, 12 and 15, and Damian Willemse covering 10 and 15 as well. Think I’ve gone 5-3 split which is probably not what Rassie and Nienaber will do, but hey ho. So you could probably drop one of F Steyn or Willemse from the backs and put Rynard Elstadt in as an auxiliary loose forward.
The Lions should deal with that combination fairly easily given that it’s a scratch side, but there are some exciting players who’ll be looking to make a mark for the future and potentially the last two Tests and the 4N after that.
Props:
Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 12 caps, 0 pts)
Vincent Koch (Saracens, 21 caps, 0 pts)
Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Coenie Oosthuizen (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts)
Hookers:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux-Bègles, uncapped)
Scarra Ntubeni (DHL Stormers, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Locks:
Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier, uncapped)
Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers, 3 caps, 0 pts)
Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks, 13 caps, 10 pts) – I believe he’s played largely at lock this season?
Loose forwards:
Dan du Preez (Sale Sharks, 4 caps, 0 pts)
Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo, 6 caps, 0 pts)
Marco van Staden (Bulls, 3 caps, 0 pts)
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Scrumhalves:
Sanele Nohamba (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier, 14 caps, 30 pts) (difficult choice between him and H Jantjies as to who is 3rd choice behind Faf at the moment)
Flyhalf:
Morne Steyn (Bulls, 66 caps, 736 pts)
Midfielders:
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, 46 caps, 60 pts) (Kriel to move to 12 or F Steyn to start there?)
Wandisile Simelane (Emirates Lions, uncapped)
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs, 67 caps, 141 pts)
Outside Backs:
Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, 11 caps, 40 pts)
Rosko Specman (Toyota Cheetahs, uncapped)
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers, 6 caps, 5 pts)
Onna telly this week
Friday 11th June
| Brumbies v Highlanders | 10:45 | Rugbypass |
| Zebre v Munster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Racing 92 v Stade Français | 19:45 | FreeSports / Premier Sports 2 |
| Leinster v Dragons | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Saturday 12th June
| Rebels v Crusaders | 05:35 | Rugbypass |
| Bues v Western Force | 08:05 | Rugbypass |
| Waratahs v Chiefs | 10:45 | Rugbypass |
| Bath v Northampton | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Bristol v London Irish | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Exeter v Sale | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Harlequins v Newcastle | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wasps v Leicester | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Stormers v Lions | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Sharks v Bulls | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Bordeaux v Clermont | 19:45 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 13th June
| Scarlets v Edinburgh | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 | ||
| Ealing Trailfinders v Saracens | 16:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
@OT – Ticht did a nice job of leading you up the garden path.
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Bok team to play Georgia on Friday:
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Albertus Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse.
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8 is Kwagga Smith. 1 is Ox Nche.
5-3 split on the bench. 6 starters from the World Cup final starting XV. 6 more of the World Cup final XXIII in this XXIII.
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8 is Kwagga Smith.
Edinburgh legend
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England not giving an inch in the opening 10 minutes. Mainly because they’re statuesque. Germany 3-0 at a canter.
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Bok side is a bit of getting some blokes back to match fitness, giving others a chance at this level and wrapping the rest in cottonwool. Don’t expect fireworks.
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England should’ve been up before the break. A couple of gilt edged chances that went abegging. Great save from Pickford early on in stanza 2 though!
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That’s disappointing.
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Ooh a goal. And not in the England net.
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Scotland now the only team England have failed to score against in this tournament. Or I should say, that Raheem Sterling failed to score, as he is the only person who has scored for England at all.
So, obviously Scotland >>>> Germany.
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Not now, as the Greatest Striker In The World, Harry Kane gets England’s second.
Still better than Germany.
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Ed Sheeran’s going to record a dreadful version of Three Lions now isn’t he?
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TomP will be dancing in the streets………
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Thanks DeeBee.
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Now they’ve nicked Sweet Caroline from the cricket
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Good to hear the BBC pundits and commentary taking a measured approach to a laboured and slightly fortunate win.
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SBT, Germany were really not very good. Only switched on 15 minutes in and was slightly surprised with Southgate’s 7-2-0 formation.
( I don’t mind the England team and like a lot of their players and Southgate. It’s just the noise that gets me.)
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That old Group of Death turned out to be a bit shit as the 3 qualifiers all knocked out in the last 16.
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Finally, Prince William will support anyone that gives him an honorary position and free tickets.
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Thanks DeeBee.
If my betting was as good as my predictions are bad, I’d be a rich man.
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See if you can predict what percentage of the commentary on the Sweden vs Ukraine game will be taken up with England.
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Oi! Oi! Oi! SVERIGE!!!
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Oj Vad Vi Är Bra Alla Svenska Vänner Oj!!!!!
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Hampden in the sun! Doesn’t happen often. Just a shame we have the rubbish Jonathan Peirce commentating.
It’s the Yellow and Blues against the, erm, Yellow and Blues!
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“THERE WERE 10 GERMAN BOMBERS IN THE SKY!”
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If Sweden lose this, will the brass band play the Last Post for Forsberg? Twice.
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Judging by the number of mentions they are getting I thought England were playing in this game as well.
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OT, such a lovely evening and then you post that twat doing karaoke. Why? Can’t even laugh at him he’s so pathetic.
Supporting Ukraine here to piss off Putin. And Craigs. Anybody ever seen Putin and Craigs etc etc.
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Commentator says the second half was dour. It has got a bit slow now, but between them they hit the post or bar three times with what would otherwise have been spectacular goals. Not convinced it isn’t the better game of the day.
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Unfortunately it has been more traditional extra time than any of the other ones we’ve had so far.
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“Anybody ever seen Putin and Craigs etc etc.”
I saw Putin kicking Craigs inna bags and taking his money.
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I’ll be amazed if either side have enough players left who are fit enough to take a penalty after this. Players going down all over the place (and rarely faking it either).
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@BB – The one who took a knee in the head should be off to be checked for concussion. Total accident, but I thought that about the sending off (and injury) earlier on.
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Good goal. Bit of a shame really, think Sweden are the better side and would also have been better suited to maybe turning England over.
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Fasen
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Just discovered an album of Motown songs recorded by the original artists for the European market. This is Se il Filo Spezzerai by The Supremes:
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….what a great find!
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Pfft! Jack Grealish is a better find.
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Wish I was Putin. Half naked horse back rides in the Urals, strong arming Donald Trump, getting all that money, being a bond villain without actual bond….
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Just the total lack of fucks given would be nice.
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but it’ll be a bad day for you when you get to meet St Peter at the pearly gates…………………………..
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The red card was just an unfortunate accident – but it looked awful in slo-mo and not much better in real-time. Ukraine player – who was just on and eager to get involved ran hell for leather into Danielson’s uplifted foot. Closest thing I can think of – from rugby world – is that red card Hastings got for catching Leinster(?) player with outstretched leg.
On a general point, I do cringe when I see soccer players coming back on again after a blow to the head (Pavard vs Germany was particularly bad). Has it gotten worse in soccer ? Or do we notice it more now we take more notice in rugby?
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@Trisk – I think we just notice the head knocks thing more because of rugby making more effort than it did.
I thought the Ukraine player should have realised he wasn’t going to get the ball and pulled out – surely that happens loads of times every game when defenders make clearances. Maybe he was too keen or just unlucky. It doesn’t happen with most clearances and I’m not convinced that’s because the players making the clearances are taking great care to ensure it doesn’t, I think it’s more to do with their opponents making sensible choices.
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Slade – St Peter would be meeting me actually.
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Yeah, never liked him either – too hysterical for my liking.
That said, I find most commentators irritating. Guess it’s an age-related thing. Especially irritating are the cohort who commentate on the match they expect to see – if Team A should beat Team B – they’ll spend the whole game giving the narrative of how it was just a matter of time when A score – irrespective of the fact that the score was against the run of play.
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“St Peter would be meeting me actually.”
Kicking you in the nuts actually.
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Making it a good day for you personally of course.
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Cmw – that’s why Vlad is getting so rich innit.
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@CMW
Yep, I think we’re more attuned in rugby now.
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