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 
“Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street”
I knew he was a wrong ‘un.
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Tomp – that’s a good point but in today’s neo Marxist palimpsest how can we trust the unreliable reviewer? That invariably highlights the feminine nature chaos, polygamy and the undermining of Judeo-Christian hegemonic norms and Western civilisation. When Noah was swallowed by the whale he realised that he needed to tudy his room and. be the most useful person at the funeral. Only then could he become mighty but instead he was pinged for holding on at the ruck.
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I still haven’t watched JP debating Sam Harris. Mrs Craigs is going out tonight so maybe I’ll do that.
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“Noah”
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‘I still haven’t watched JP debating Sam Harris.’
Think I’d rather watch Scotland losing at fitba than watch stuff with JP in it.
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Racing vs LaR sounds a good option
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Slade – getting my rock band and bible stories mixed up innit
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Prefer the band if I’m honest.
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There’s an amusing guy who works in the advertising industry called Dave Trott who said “Stupid people think complicated things are clever”.
This is a diagram from one of Peterson’s books
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OT – looks good. My only criticism is that the Chaos bubble should be bigger. And maybe red.
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Slade – I like the fact that when I write complete bollocks you still take the time to F&R me. This probably means that everything I write is bollocks but it still makes happy.
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So….
that diagram seems to be basically saying that doing a bit of planning and enacting said plan can help with achieving stuff and feeling good about yourself.
Except inna really complicated and unhelpful way.
JP seems to occasionally have a point but wraps it in a load of nonsense and wankery. Like all good hucksters I suppose.
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JP seems to occasionally have a point
Have a long hard look at yourself sonny. It’s a short and slippery road to the alt right.
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The unbearable present….
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Socks, colourful pasta, a pasta maker, school bag, knitted jumper, a Now compilation cd. All unbearable.
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Just having a chocolate chip shortbread cookie. My present is pretty bearable.
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Zeppelin fan, obvs:
What is and what should (never) be………………………………
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@Craigs
yep! it’s good to be that way for me.
Merci.
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This is quite the rollercoaster
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@craigs
Don’t see the problem. I’d be out of there in a couple of hours
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I see Starmer’s managed to oust the Tories in the Cat’s constituency. One up for the Forensic Lad.
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‘your’ Exeter side to face Sale (again):
15 Jack Nowell, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ollie Devoto
, 11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds (capt), 9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Harry Williams
4 Jonny Gray, 5 Jonny Hill
6 Jannes Kirsten, 7 Richard Capstick, 8 Sam Simmonds
16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Sean Lonsdale, 20 Don Armand, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Stuart Hogg
As needs must, Baxter being creative.
Nowell and Gray in, Hogg to the bench.
Looks like a holding job in the first half and then rip into them in the second.
The back row will find it hard – no Skinner, Ewers and Vermeulen is tough to make up for.
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Sale have selected an ultra-bosh 23 that includes 1or 2 speedsters.
I fear for Exeter’s health.
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Scotland U20 team to face Ireland on Saturday at Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff (kick-off 2pm)
15. Ollie Melville* (Boroughmuir Bears/Glasgow Warriors)
14. Finlay Callaghan* (Ayrshire Bulls/Glasgow Warriors)
13. Scott King* (Heriot’s Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
12. Elliot Groulay (Sale Sharks)
11. Michael Gray*(Boroughmuir Bears/Glasgow Warriors)
10. Cameron Scott* (Southern Knights/Edinburgh Rugby)
9. Murray Redpath (Newcastle University)
1. Cole Lamberton* (Watsonians Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
2. Patrick Harrison* (Southern Knights/Edinburgh Rugby)
3. Olly Frostick (Ealing Trailfinders)
4. Max Williamson* (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors)
5. Alex Samuel* (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN
6. Archie Smeaton (Cambridge University)
8. Ben Muncaster* (Watsonians Rugby/Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Harri Morris (Southern Knights)
Replacements
16. Jamie Drummond* (Ayrshire Bulls)
17. Michael Jones* (Boroughmuir Bears)
18. George Breese* (Stirling Wolves)
19. Euan Ferrie (Glasgow Hawks)
20. Rory Jackson* (Ayrshire Bulls/Glasgow Warriors)
21. Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter University)
22. Rhys Tait (Southern Knights)
23. Ethan McVicker (Melrose Rugby)
24. Christian Townsend* (Ayrshire Bulls)
25. Thomas Glendinning* (Glasgow Hawks)
26. Ross McKnight* (Stirling County)
*FOSROC Academy Supported Player.
Listed clubs are for the 2021 season.
There are a few missing due to injury, so I’m familiar with a lot of the players there.
Redpath at 9 is brother of, son of.
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And Gregor’s son on the bench.
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Isn’t that Toonie’s lad in there aswell?
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ol’ knee
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Ireland’s side:
15. Jamie Osborne (Naas CBS/Naas RFC/Leinster)
14. Ben Moxham (Larne High School/Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
13. Shane Jennings (Garbally College/Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
12. Cathal Forde (Colaiste Iognaid/Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
11. Josh O’Connor (St Peter’s College/UCD RFC/Leinster)
10. James Humphreys (Dean Close School/Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
9. Conor McKee (Sullivan Upper School/Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
1. Temi Lasisi (CBS Enniscorthy/Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
2. Ronan Loughnane (Cistercian College Roscrea/UCD RFC/Leinster)
3. Sam Illo (Wesley College/Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
4. Mark Morrissey (Blackrock College/UCD RFC/Leinster)
5. Harry Sheridan (Sullivan Upper School/Dublin University FC/Ulster)
6. Alex Soroka (Belvedere College/Clontarf RFC/Leinster)
7. Oisin McCormack (Garbally College/Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
8. Alex Kendellen (PBC Cork/UCC RFC/Munster)(Captain)
Replacements:
16. Eoin de Buitléar (Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiáran/An Ghaeltacht/Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
17. Jack Boyle (St Michael’s College/UCD RFC/Leinster)
18. Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork/Garryowen RFC/Munster)
19. Jack Kelleher (PBC Cork/UCC RFC/Munster)
20. Reuben Crothers (Wallace High School/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
21. Will Reilly (CBS Portlaoise/MU Barnhall/Leinster)
22. Tim Corkery (St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny/UCD RFC/Leinster)
23. Chris Cosgrave (St Michael’s College/UCD RFC/Leinster)
24. Donnacha Byrne (Summerhill College/Sligo RFC/Connacht)
25. Ben Carson (Wallace High School/Banbridge RFC/Ulster)
26. Daniel Okeke (Ard Scoil Ris/Shannon RFC/Munster).
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Harrison could be quite something if he gets is darts sorted. Muncaster didn’t look out of place starting for Embra. 2 players at least with pro experience.
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A thaum pleasing no. of norngibbons on display there.
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OT – I’ve never seen me and refit in the same room either.
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The Humphreys at outside is son of.
Alex Soroka’s a good story. His parents are Ukrainian and were going to send the older brother to Belvedere College, which is a famed nursery. So they wanted to give him a head start and took him to a club to play. Little brother Alex went with him and fell in love with the game. The older brother Ivan played for Connacht for a bit.
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5 players with pro experience in the Irish team.
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Chimpie, I am almost certain to be jinxing him, but Harris won’t have the kind of pressure on his jumpers as he did in a full professional game, I hope.
He is very quick, not even “for a hooker”.
26 players in the squads to combat the quick turnarounds and no rest weekends, I believe.
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“5 players with pro experience in the Irish team.”
We had seven, but only Harrison and Muncaster are available, Dobie is with the full squad and the others are injured.
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Actually, I missed one, Harri Morris had a few minutes with Edinburgh the other week
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Premier Sports is to continue with the Pro14/URC or whatever it’s called for the next four years.
Top14 plus this new tournament, that’s not too shabby.
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Will be interested to see how many matches the beeb get. If it’s back to the old days of getting occasional games courtesy of other broadcasters I’ll be most disappointed. And have to carry on with premier who’s streaming & app is not particularly premier
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My English non rugby mate is moaning about some of the bs surrounding the footbaw build up. I told him that he should become a rugby supporter and revel in being the bad guy.
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Chimpie, I get Prem as an add on to Virgin, I think the service is very reliable that way, same if you get it via Sky I believe.
I sometimes read on the Glasgow forum about streaming issues, but I’m watching the game fine, and it’s the same if I’m watching via the Virgin app on the computer, rather than the tv.
I’d like a red button option to get rid of Mark Robson, but other than that…
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Sounds like a better way to go. But don’t have cable TV at the mo so not an option. Got to put up with the premier PishStream.
On the subject of games assume one could get a NowTV pass for watching lionz?
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“English non rugby”
Sounds about right. And you wonder why you’re the bad guys.
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U-20 6 Nations kick off tomorrow.
5 consecutive games, over 5 weeks, all in Cardiff.
France games to be shown on F4, free public TV, most games at 5pm your time. Tomorrow vs England.
Watch out for Bibi Biziwu, loosehead with ASM and Mallez tighhead for Toulouse.
Haddad, flanker, already WC in 2019, as he was 2 years below the minimum age.
Ntamack, son and brother of, number 8.
Le Garrec, SH with Racing.
Captain: Joshua Brennan, yes, son of.
For the past 6 years France finished either 2nd or first. OK, mostly second. Should be fun, quite often more entertaining than the older boys.
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In the media:
England football fans – rowdy, despicable, xenophobic thugs
Ireland football fans – fun loving, innocent, loveable underdogs
Scottish football fans – somewhere in between
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Welsh fans of anything – absolutely disgusting.
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Scottish fans – good drunks, possibly the best drunks
Irish fans – good drunks
Northern Irish fans – surprisingly good drunks
Welsh fans – good drunks
English fans – not good drunks
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I have attended one international football match, which was England vs Germany, the first match at the new Wembley.
I can confirm that constant screaming renditions of “10 German Bombers” does really piss you off after a short while.
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Cmw – who said I was confused about being the bad guy?
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I’ve been to 3.
England v Northern Ireland in 1985. Wembley. Dire. Met John Barnes.
Czech Republic v Scotland in 2010. Prague. Beyond dire. Met thousands of drunk Scottish lads.
South Africa v Spain in 2013. Soweto. Poor. Vuvuzelas make a hell of an irritating sound.
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South Africa Under 20s had a hard time of it v Uruguay, winning 29-10.
Argentina Unders 20s had an easier time of it v Georgia, winning 82- 10.
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