Testing, testing…

Test matches galore!

And happy birthday to Craigsman.

Onna telly this week

Friday 2nd July

South Africa v Georgia18:00 Sky Sports Action

Saturday 3rd July

Ireland v Japan13:00 Channel 4
Wales v Canada15:00 BBC1 / S4C
Lions v B&I Lions17:00Sky Sports Action / Main Event

Sunday 4th July

England v USA14:00 Channel 4

Wednesday 7th July

Australia v France11:00Canal+
Italy U20 v Ireland U2014:00BBC iPlayer
France U20 v Scotland U2017:00BBC iPlayer
Sharks v B&I Lions18:00Sky Sports Action / Main Event
Wales U20 v England U2020:00S4C

1,536 thoughts on “Testing, testing…

  1. BB I backed the Lions to win comfortably and they did. Beware the wounded punter. Also backed Wales to beat Cananda and the Kiwis to pip Tonga so I think I’m on a roll here.

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  2. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    You also had Czech Republic to beat Denmark. So good on rugby, not so good on fitba’.

    In other sad news, England have just taken the lead against Ukraine. Bugger.

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  3. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    I backed the Lions to win comfortably and they did. Beware the wounded punter. Also backed Wales to beat Cananda and the Kiwis to pip Tonga so I think I’m on a roll here.

    You’re some kind of seer picking the winners of those three.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Good start from England

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  5. You’re some kind of seer picking the winners of those three.

    TomP recognises my seering insights and routine excellence, you should all take note.

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  6. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Shevchenko’s wearing some very comfy shoes.

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  7. Romania and Argentina locked at 17 each apparently. With about 11 to go. Glad the Boks avoided Romania this weekend.

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  8. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    What’s your prediction for that one, Mystic One?

    I saw the Argentina team and they looked very strong.

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  9. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    He’ll let you know in about 12 minutes.

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  10. Romania 17-24 Argentina. Final score. Only saw a few miso can’t comment. Few miso! Minutes. I blame the red wine. And heading for more.

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  11. Red wine is my prediction. And I’m spot on! 🍷

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    Double bugger.

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  13. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    Ukraine making England look bloody good here. 3-0 now (3-3 in DeeBee’s world).

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  14. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    England have been in total control for 55 minutes

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  15. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    I didn’t think they were very good in the first half, ticht. Ukraine had a bit of a go and England didn’t really do too much.

    That’s a smart save.

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  16. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Netherlands 6 – Serbia 1 is the highest score in a finals.

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  17. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    Ye dogs, we’re going to get “It’s Bloody Coming Home” stuffed down our throats for the next few days.

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  18. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Whit? There was only one team in it in the first half, bar about two Ukrainian forays into the England half.

    England have dominated this from the start

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  19. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    *Moral Victory Time*

    Still the only team England haven’t scored against in these finals….

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  20. Does anyone else look at the match clock and have to consciously add 10 mins onto how much time they think is left?

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  21. Denmark 2-1 England in the semi. You heard it here first!

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  22. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    ticht, there’s a great Dutch phrase that was coined by Co Adriansee. It’s called Scoreboard Journalism. https://scoreboardjournalism.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/why-scoreboard-journalism-the-background/

    England were excellent in the first 5 minutes of the first half and the first 10 of the second half, really really good. Minute 5-45 I thought they were comfortable but didn’t have “total control”. They gave the ball away a couple of times, didn’t create a huge amount. No biggie

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  23. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Deebs, it’d be good for Denmark to score first.

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  24. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    That doesn’t take into account how the game played out, the England keeper could have been baking bread all night, tending to his allotment, he did get vociferous twice, but there was no threat.
    On the other hand both English wingers have given the Ukraine defence nightmares, let alone Kane finding a bit of form at last

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  25. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Now I’ve read the first paragraph of that link it’s completely irrelevant to tonight’s game.

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  26. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    The Danes will be a whole different kettle of whatever Danes eat. Even if they do have to go from Baku to London to play the game (which is a nonsense).

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  27. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Well done England.

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  28. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Well, the first paragraph doesn’t mention what it is. You have to get to about the 7th paragraph.

    Pickford made a save from a shot in the first half. England were much better than Ukraine and had total control, probably from the 2nd goal.

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  29. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    Looking at the teams left, Italy have been the best so far, Spain and England behind them (England having caught up in the last couple of games) and Denmark just behind England. Not much really between the semi final teams though.

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  30. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    Wonder if the news is going to show pictures of the Blond Buffoon pretending to watch England win again.

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  31. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    The first paragraphs talks about “after the fact”, whilst tonight’s comments were “live”

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  32. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    They’re all pretty decent sides, BB. England are solid and have some very good attackers.

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  33. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    BB, that is the first whole game I’ve watched, and it was only because there was no rugby.

    I have to say I was impressed with that and the last quarter of the Scotland England game, it was much better than the football I watched ten years ago that put me off for about a third time.

    If truth be told rugby leaves me a bit unmoved now, it’s all about power and the slightest of margins at the top level, and there is very little joie de fucking vivre in that from my point of view – Utna says something similar from time to time, but I’m loathed to let rugby go, I’ve been playing and watching for forty five years – I’d rather it just got more open, thankfully that does look to be the case, Quins left me with some hope, Edinburgh leave me wanting to smack the back of my hand with a five pound hammer.

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  34. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    “The Danes will be a whole different kettle of whatever Danes eat”

    I wonder what became of Dafodane?

    I hope he is well.

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  35. Borderboy's avatarBorderboy

    TomP – they do. And they still have a few on the bench too. Just not sure about the defence – it hasn’t really been tested yet. IF they get past Denmark (which isn’t a gimme) then both Italy and Spain keep possession far better than England, Busquets and Pedri for Spain and Jorginho and Verratti for Italy have been brilliant at keeping the ball. Even Ukraine tonight could play through them at times.

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  36. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    That made me chuckle, BB

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  37. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    ““The Danes will be a whole different kettle of whatever Danes eat”

    I wonder what became of Dafodane?

    I hope he is well.”

    I don’t know if that is supposed to be speculation that the Danes have eaten Daff, but that’s how I read it. Might have to consider supporting England in the semi-final if they have.

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  38. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Ha, it was just that I was reminded of our erstwhile colleague.

    I remember he used to get himself into confrontations on trains and the like, hopefully no one ate him.

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  39. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    BB, I don’t mind mind watching them play it around at the back and Southgate’s got a plan for them. They’re usually pretty comfortable on the ball as well, but sometimes they just nod off for a while in matches, like in the first half today at times. 5 games, no goals is very strong and no one’s really pushed them that hard.

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  40. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    However, the Danes destroyed my hopes. And the hopes of my adopted nation. So it’s only fair that they the destroy the hopes of my English friends.

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  41. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    Daff would probably just see it as cannibals being cannibals.

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  42. sunbeamtim's avatarsunbeamtim

    Probably pickled herring , and lots of bacon ? I don’t think Daff would be safe to eat, if I recall correctly he wasn’t exactly organic , think there were a lot of additives and pharmaceutical supplements in his past. Besides, CMW, them Danes did a lot of pillaging in the Norfolk area, not to mention the coastal areas of Wales. really should be a no brainer who to support, the plucky underdog English.

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  43. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    The Middle One is very much supporting England and we can’t really have more than one person doing that in this house.

    The Little One has lost interest now with the departure of Switzerland. They and Sweden were both ‘Sweetland’ in her head and that meant she was supporting both. When I told her last night that Sweetland was now out for good she growled at me, said she was a motorbike and went to bed.

    The Eldest never had any interest in the first place. Supports Wales at rugby though.

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  44. tompirracas's avatartompirracas

    Am off on a trip tomorrow to Waterford, oldest city in Ireland. Founded by Vikings it was. It’s basically little Denmark.

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  45. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    Went and saw the glass-blowing in Waterford when I was in the scouts and we went over to a thing in Wexford. Think it got closed down since, not sure.

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  46. flair99's avatarflair99

    May I add to the list of rugby games coming up, the three games France will play in Australia:
    Wednesday at noon, ( 11am, your time?)
    Same time on the 13th and the 17th.
    All games on Canal+.
    It’s basically France C or D. Out of 41 players, 22 uncapped.
    Could be fun though, as many of them are recent U20 WC champs and Australia being an unknown quality.

    WRT to football, I haven’t seen a better team than Italy. A joy to watch, which to me comes as a surprise. They’ve always been efficient but not great fun. Mancini is doing a wonderful job, unlike bloody Deschamps. To be fair, I don’t really care. I tape the games and watch them on FF. Excep Belgium/ Italy, where the quality required normal speed.

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  47. England are playing some great football too and their cricket side is very dominant at the moment. It’ll thus be up to the other three nations to carry the Lions by Cat’s reckoning.

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