Cooney. Baloucoune. Stockdale. McCloskey. All injured last week by the brutal Weegiegibbons. This means Ulster are starting nineteen-year-old Nathan Doak at scrum-half. Good luck to the lad!
Today’s picture was inspired by today’s walkies, where we ran across an enormous Doberman carrying a rugby ball in his mouth (a real ball, not a toy as in this pic). Owner hastily explained that Dobie had ‘found’ the ball and there was not a crying child somewhere.
My own dug was enormously impressed and tried her best to get him to do a bit of rough-and-tumble, but he was disdainful. Or was not going to be fooled into dropping the ball.
Onna telly this week
Friday 1st October
| Scarlets v Lions | 19:35 | BBC2 Wales / Premier Sports 2 |
| Connacht v Bulls | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Bristol v Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 2nd October
| Argentina v Australia | 08:05 | Sky Sports Main Event |
| South Africa v New Zealand | 11:05 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Treviso v Edinburgh | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Lyon v Bordeaux | 14:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Leicester v Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Glasgow v Sharks | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Biarritz v Toulouse | 16:00 | FreeSports |
| Zebre v Ulster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ospreys v Cardiff | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Munster v Stormers | 19:35 | RTÉ / Premier Sports 2 |
| Castres v Toulon | 20:05 | FreeSports |
Sunday 3rd October
| Dragons v Leinster | 14:00 | S4C / RTÉ2 / Premier Sports 1 | ||
| Sale v Exeter | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 | ||
| Clermont v Racing 92 | 20:05 | FreeSports |
Ovally Balls 
“It’s the (false) hope that kills you.”
You’re not kidding
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Cracking try (Gromit) finishes Connacht’s evening
It ends a well deserved 34-7 to the Wesht
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Apparently the Dunn ‘hairdo’ is for Doddie Weir’s charity. Not sure how that works, but I suppose if you’re going to look like a pillock, it might as well be for a good cause.
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Bristol did a win!
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Gromit?! Ha! The dug does Gromit impersonations all the time.
And congrats to Refit!
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Well dine Bristol (and Refit). Not sure how SInckler got MOTM though. Thought others did more to get Bristol back into the game, mainly Kerr. But he’s Scottish so maybe I’m biased.
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Well dine Bristol? Well they might be eating out on that result for a while……
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I’ve heard there are fine restaurants in Bristol.
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Just been watching this. Great, bitter break-up song. (Yeah, I know it’s a little bit country.)
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Thaum, as a genre there is nothing to beat Country Music for break up songs.
This is not mainstream country, it has acoustic instruments, but it is one of the best break up songs I’ve ever heard, it conveys the bleakness of it, not so much the pain, but after that, the grayness…
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btw, I love Dobermans, thy used to be owned by fuckwits in the 80s, but recently they’ve gone for other breeds, especially the bull terriers, but Dobermans are so elegant and graceful.
Bull terriers are great fun and very intelligent and playful, depending on who is at the other end of the lead.
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Pfft. on the first comment.
Still watching the Tom Petty / Nicks thing, so your vid will have to wait. :-)
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The Doberman in question was not at all aggressive dog (as some are), and of course didn’t have cropped ears or tail. He was brown rather than black, too.
Friendly chap, proud of his rugby ball. What’s not to like?
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Thaum an RSPCA women gave me the quote I used above, hers was more like, “if you are looking at a problem dog, you are looking at the wrong end of the lead”
Dobermans with the ear cropped was a cliché of a dangerous dog in the 80s. My friends family had Rottweilers, that was the first time I realised that I’d have no chance if these dogs turned on me. I have worked on farms with German Shepherd Dogs as guards, and I had to pull three of them apart when they got into it, but this was something else entirely.
Dobermans are like GSDs, fun dogs, very bright and they need to be engaged with.
Rottweilers are similar but built like props, props who can outpace Usain Bolt.
The dogs I’d really like to get ton know are the South African Boerboels, they are magnificent.
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Ticht – yep, there are some breeds where you just pause to check if they’re okay, Dobermans and Rottweilers being two of them. Both can be really soft if bred/raised properly. GSDs can be friendly to humans too, but I’ve never met one that likes other dogs much – they may tolerate, but they don’t reciprocate.
Not familiar with Boerboels.
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@sbt – spot on. I’ll probably be offloading the 2 for the Connacht game (I’m away that weekend anyway)
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Reminds me of new Ireland kits… change shirt is black. We literally only ever have to change vs SA…. so why have another dark shirt??? Obviously (answering his own question) black_/ dark sells better to punters….
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“Not familiar with Boerboels.”
Deebee is fluent in it.
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The dogs I’d really like to get ton know are the South African Boerboels, they are magnificent.
Bred originally to protect the boer trekkers cattle from lions, they are magnificent beasts. Also badly misunderstood because too many have been owned by arseholes and bred to be aggressive. My business partner had a stunning boerboel weighing in at around 65kg who used to lie on the office floor with the cat on his head. The most even tempered dog I’ve ever met.
When she got him as a pup, he used to sit on my lap in the office. As he grew he still tried to jump on my lap until the chair’s gas lift broke! He was long-legged and on his back legs could easily reach the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and spent a fair amount of time at the vet getting pineapple tops removed from his backside. Stunning dog!
There are also the Africanis dogs and Rhodesian Ridgebacks we get down here – all wonderful breeds.
https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TcwL4nPMDJg9OJNTCvKTE7MyyxWSMlPBwBnXAhF&q=africanis+dog&oq=afrikander+dog&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i10j0i10i22i30.22090j0j4&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
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Australia really dominant in the first 25 minutes, but only 3 up. Tomas Lavanini binned for taking out the lifter at the lineout and they should be able to capitalise. And they do! Good maul, splinters the defence and Fainga’a is over! Cooper hooks another one. Pity he didn’t miss 2/3 of his kicks a few weeks back. 8-0 Aus.
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Pumas look rushed, not getting passes to stick. And getting mullered in the scrums.
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Great attacking from a lineout; off the top, outside and inside and Kellaway gets another! 15-0 with five to the break.
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Argentina back to 15 and have a lineout 5m out from the Aussie line. Battering away, but not getting anything. Another penalty and another lineout. Another advantage but the Pumas aren’t making headway. Big win that for Aus as the Pumas take the three. And it’s 15-3 at the break.
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Ticht et al…………..
These are lovely dogs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauceron
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Lavanini is now the most carded international player.
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Who did he overtake, Refit?
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I think Emerick overall. Lavanini now has 7 yellows & 2 reds.
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32-10 to Australia with about 15 to go. Been practicing hiding behind the couch, so missed a whole lot there.
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Angus Bell (20) and Greg Holmes (38) the two props for Aus now.
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Boks have home ground advantage today! We’re gonna smash them!
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Pollard sends the 1st shot wide. Cagey start.
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And then the Kiwis try to go wide off turnover, lose it, Am with a behind the back pass, Mapimpi draws the defender and de Allende scores in the corner! Pollard hits the upright. 5-0 Boks.
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That was filth from Am.
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Kiwis win the restart going short and get a penalty. Marched 10m down for backchat. Jordie with the shot, and it’s over. 5-3.
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Boks with some enterprising play and have the Kiwis retreating – then Faf hoists. But blocking and a penalty with Pollard finally nails. 8-3 after 12.
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Le Roux spills the restart and Barrett cross kicks for Sevu Reece to score in the corner. Conversion is pulled. 8-8 after 13.
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Kiwis slowing the game down with the Barretts taking turns to get treatment. Kiwis move it around, but Kolisi wins the turnover penalty! Then lose it. Then move through some lovely phases but slow ball and they kick to touch deep in the Kiwi 22. Etzebeth down now.
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He recovers to steal the lineout and Mbonambi knocks them aside like nine pins! Ah, but he’s short of the line! Bugger! 1st scrum now under the posts. Can the Boks get the nudge on? Nope. Solid and Jordie clears.
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Kolisi clatters Reece, but he’d marked it. Boks have lots of territory, but not the points to show for it. Get the offside penalty now out in front. Pollard converts! 11-8 after 24.
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Just tuned in to see that lovely try from the ABs
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Ooh! Kiwis break down the left and have the Boks stretched, but a knock on and Bok scrum inside their own 22. Boks run it out up to the 10m and then Faf kicks. Boks caught napping and it’s hoofed downfield. From the lineout, they simply carve open the Bok midfield and Ardie Savea is over! 11-15 with the conversion.
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Matt Carley giving one of the SA coaches an ear-full, for haranguing one of the touch judges.
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Fuck! Boks win the ball and give it air, but de Jager knocks on and then holds on. Kiwi throw deep in Bok turf. Somehow the Boks get it back but not to touch and Beaudie slices them open again. ALB in touch just short. Kiwis have found another gear.
Etzebeth loses the ball at the front and Weber scrambles it over in the corner. Suddenly, they’re 11-20 up with six to go to the break.
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“Robert Sommerville, star of ‘Nae Pasaran’ about East Kilbride Rolls Royce workers, dies aged 85”
He refused to work on Chilean aircraft whilst Pinochet was in power
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19618745.robert-sommerville-star-nae-pasaran-east-kilbride-rolls-royce-workers-dies-aged-85/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR1uhCzo8dOdWt0UUb4xobBr44x_FdVQ9x3bhdL8_-vubIIvt2a0o4Y0G1Q
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Bok lineout just inside the Kiwi 22. They need points, but it’s overthrown and cleared. Just not quite at the races in the last 10 minutes. And boy, have the Kiwis profited!
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Wow! 90 seconds before half time and the entire Bok front row is subbed.
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Boks with a last chance this half for a Barrett no-arms tackle. Pollard lines it up and knocks it over after the hooter. 14-20 at the break.
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SA studio think the Boks are lucky to be in it still and that they need to control the game more if they’re to have a chance. Also that they need to have a proper crack at the Kiwi defence, not just two or three phases. Not sure they have the confidence or composure for that.
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Willie le Roux off, replaced by Frans Steyn. Willie has been very ordinary today. I’d rather Kwagga went to 15 and Fat Frans to the flank. Bok scrum wins the penalty and de Allende flies through the gap, but they can’t find the receivers and blow a great chance. Boks with a penalty on the 5m, but they’re going for posts. Pollard nails it and it’s 17-20.
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