This post has very little to do with rugby (there is some connection), but I lost the plot after reading about David Frost’s ‘speech’ on Tuesday, in which he repudiated the world-beating, superfantabulistic deal that he and Spaffer Johnson negotiated and signed with the EU less than a year ago.
These morons have no understanding at all of Northern Ireland, and nor do they care to understand. They seem to be only listening to the DUP, who are in serious decline, and whose worldview is anathema to most of the population – a population who you will remember voted against Brexit.
Why do people vote for them, you ask? It’s not because they like them or agree with their politics or religious fetishes, but because they are (were!) afraid of ‘Them-uns’ getting in instead.
It’s true that the Republic of Ireland was rather priest-ridden in my youth, but those days are long gone after the Magdalene Laundries scandal and other events; meanwhile, you will still find signs on the roadsides in NI proclaiming things like FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, and other lovely, inspirational messages, while abortion remains next to impossible and same-sex marriage has only recently been forcibly imposed by Westminster. Many people in NI who might previously have supported unionism are reconsidering on the basis of these changes and non-changes.
The Belfast / Good Friday Agreement has effected an amazing alteration in the physical and political landscape. Gone are the metal detectors and the tanks of my youth; in their place is a vibrant (yes, an overused word, but it fits here) downtown Belfast, with plenty of two-way cross-border traffic, a great food / café / arts culture, and a general air of tolerance and co-operation. People in East Belfast are learning Irish and playing GAA sports.
Northern Ireland has seen some empty supermarket shelves, but primarily in those retailers who are English-based. Other businesses have adjusted, and are buying in from the Republic and the wider EU. There haven’t been any petrol shortages.
(As for ‘sausage wars’, no honest Irishperson buys the clearly inferior English sausages. Irish sausages are gorgeous, and almost certainly have a lower sawdust percentage [citation needed].)
So along comes David Frost, with the DUP cooing in his ear, to assert that the Northern Ireland Protocol – which, remember, he negotiated and signed and proclaimed to be the greatest deal ever – is not fit for purpose, mostly because it exposes that NI, which remains in the Single Market, is prospering much better than the rest of the UK. And he wants to scrap the whole thing, putting the entire peace process into question.
So in other words, the DUP would prefer to have the Northern Irish people suffer the same privations as those on the island of Britain, because that would make them more British.
It seems that most Northern Irish, of whatever persuasion, don’t agree. They seem to prefer the all-island approach that is clearly advantageous.
And here’s where rugby comes in. Rugby has been an all-island sport since partition, and has seen a massive benefit from that: not just in trophies and matches won, but as a unifying factor. (Football has been divided, with little success for either country.) Ulster has its nine counties, with Tommy Bowe, for example, from County Monaghan. We have punched above our weight for such a tiny country in which rugby isn’t even the second or third sport. We have, in good GFA tradition, fudged the ceremonials by doing two anthems. It might not be ideal, it may irritate others (sorry!), but it’s the best we can do for now, and it works.
The likes of Frost and Johnson are careless of this carefully-built cooperation, and willing to destroy it all on the altar of their own egos. They are willing to send us back to bombs and threats and check-points and feel-ups and knee-cappings and murders. They are willing to divide an island – yet again – that their predecessors have ravaged and pillaged and planted and starved. They are the greatest argument for a united Ireland in my lifetime, and I expect now to live to see it happen.
Onna telly this week
Friday 15th October
| Ulster v Lions | 19:35 | BBC2 NI / RTÉ2 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Dragons v Stormers | 19:35 | BBC2 Wales / Premier Sports 2 |
| Sale v Harlequins | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 16th October
| Zebre v Glasgow | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Brive v La Rochelle | 14:00 | FreeSports |
| Wasps v Exeter | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Treviso v Ospreys | 15:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 |
| Montpellier v Clermont | 16:00 | FreeSports |
| Leinster v Scarlets | 17:15 | S4C / TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Edinburgh v Bulls | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Munster v Connacht | 19:35 | RTÉ2 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Cardiff v Sharks | 19:35 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 |
| Toulon v Racing 92 | 20:00 | FreeSports |
Sunday 17th October
| Bath v Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 | ||
| Lyon v Toulouse | 20:00 | FreeSports |
Ovally Balls 
My eldest child has an occasional moan about how life / everything was better when he was younger.
’tis a natural tendency I think. I sometimes miss those younger days when I was relatively responsibility free.
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Things were definitely not better when I were a lad.
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OT – those people were just lazy. Should’ve spent 4 years riding round the world on a Triumph.
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Trump’s message of remembrance about Colin Powell is something else.
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@tomp
I’d much rather someone was honest about how they felt than hide behind the usual platitudes.
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OT – I told my brother that if he has to describe me after I’ve died he can say I ‘was really annoying at Christmas and other family events’.
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The Omanis (of Pakistani origin) have let Scotland and their Saffers down. Worst possible result really, should Scotland lose to Oman even by 1 run then Oman will go ahead of them and any sort of win for Bangladesh against PNG would almost certainly take them past Scotland too.
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That sounds like a very Scotland way of not going through, so that’s what will probably happen.
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OT, Saville seems to have left quite a treasure trove of appearances in photos and on Honours’ lists and there aren’t many explanations about them.
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@BB – Earlier on the English radio commentator was baiting the Scottish one on precisely that basis.
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Craigs
But it had none of the lone motorcyclist romance of the first book.
This one?
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A cwiz I’ve posted elsewhere for those who are literary-minded:
Here are nine quotations from the original version of literary works. Can you name each book and its author?
1/ Il prouvait admirablement qu’il n’y a point d’effet sans cause, et que, dans ce meilleur des mondes possibles, le château de monseigneur le baron était le plus beau des châteaux, et madame la meilleure des baronnes possibles.
2/ Y así, después de muchos nombres que formó, borró y quitó, añadió, deshizo y tornó a hacer en su memoria e imaginación, al fin le vino a llamar Rocinante: nombre, a su parecer, alto, sonoro y significativo de lo que había sido cuando fue rocín, antes de lo que ahora era, que era antes y primero de todos los rocines del mundo.
3/ Mit aller Bestimmtheit will ich versichern, daß es keineswegs aus dem Wunsche geschieht, meine Person in den Vordergrund zu schieben, wenn ich diesen Mitteilungen über das Leben des verewigten Adrian Leverkühn, dieser ersten und gewiß sehr vorläufigen Biographie des teuren, vom Schicksal so furchtbar heimgesuchten, erhobenen und gestürzten Mannes und genialen Musikers, einige Worte über mich selbst und meine Bewandtnisse vorausschicke.
4/ La sfera, mobile all’estremità di un lungo filo fissato alla volta del coro, descriveva le sue ampie oscillazioni con isocrona maestà. Io sapevo – ma chiunque avrebbe dovuto avvertire nell’incanto di quel placido respiro – che il periodo era regolato dal rapporto tra la radice quadrata della lunghezza del filo e quel numero π che, irrazionale alle menti sublunari, per divina ragione lega necessariamente la circonferenza al diametro di tutti i cerchi possibili – così che il tempo di quel vagare di una sfera dall’uno all’altro polo era effetto di una arcana cospirazione tra le più intemporali delle misure, l’unità del punto di sospensione, la dualità di una astratta dimensione, la natura ternaria di π, il tetragono segreto della radice, la perfezione del cerchio.
5/ Все счастли́вые се́мьи похо́жи друг на дру́га, ка́ждая несчастли́вая семья́ несчастли́ва по-сво́ему.
6/ Rien ne se passe, personne ne vient, personne ne s’en va, c’est terrible.
7/ Sin embargo, antes de llegar al verso final ya había comprendido que no saldría jamás de ese cuarto, pues estaba previsto que la ciudad de los espejos ( o los espejismos) sería arrasada por el viento y desterrada de la memoria de los hombres en el instante en que Aureliano Babilonio acabara de descifrar los pergaminos, y que todo lo escrito en ellos era irrepetible desde siempre y para siempre, porque las estirpes condenadas a cien años de soledad no tenian una segunda oportunidad sobre la tierra.
8/ Jemand musste Josef K. verleumdet haben, denn ohne dass er etwas Böses getan hätte, wurde er eines Morgens verhaftet
9/ Un omo che ai jorni nostri campa in un paìsi civilizzato come il nostro (ah ah) se percepisce nel mezzo del sonno botte di cannonate, certamente le scangía per truniata di temporale, spari per la festa del santo patrono o spostamento di mobili da parte di quei garrusi che abitano al piano di supra e continua bellamente a dormir. Ma lo squillo del telefono, la marcetta del cellulare, il campanello della porta, quelle no, quelle sono tutte rumorate di richiamo al quale l’omo civilizzato (ah ah) non può fari altro che assumare dalle profondità del sonno e arrispunnìri.
A couple of hints:
– One is a play.
– One is a fairly recent pot-boiler, and the name of the main character will suffice rather than the name of the book.
Further clues may be available … tomorrow, as I’m off to bed now.
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I think I know #2, but from a science-fiction book/show.
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Refit – hmm, not sure about that. It’s one of those world classics. Who knows, might have been adapted! There is a clue in a character name.
Feel free to post any answers & I’ll respond mañana.
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1’s the best of all possible worlds so must be 18th Century flatterer of a Russian monarch. 2’s the daddy of novels. 6’s Irish (sort of) and a play. 7’s Colombian. 8’s Czech (sort of).
French and Spanish I can do and the one of the Germans is clear to me.
5’s probably Tolstoy cos of the famous opening but me cyrillic’s dodgy.
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Only got 1, 2, 7 & 8 three of which didn’t require any knowledge of the languages. Didn’t think hard enough about 6. No real chance with the rest (haven’t read 3 or 4, can’t read cyrillic, didn’t even know 9 on TV was based on books).
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Is 9 Montalbano then? It’s not exactly Italian so might be Sicilian.
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Joking about a civilised country and all that.
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5’s probably Tolstoy cos you’ve got “счастли́вые” and then “несчастли́вая” and “несчастли́ва”, which I guess are “happy” and “unhappy”
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The Expanse used a name in #2 for the name of a space ship. I’ve never read the original book.
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You lot are good!
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(I’m not sure I’d want to travel in a spaceship named after *anyone* in 2.)
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TomP
It’s not exactly Italian so might be Sicilian.
It took me ages to find the original text, because of course I was googling Italian words….
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From a local rag:
“The retirement of Morne Steyn reveals a gaping hole in the depth of the Boks at flyhalf.”
When was there great depth at 10 in SA? It’s been an Achilles Heel for as long as I can remember. Pollard is the incumbent and is good to very good on his day, Elton Jantjies is a better attacking 10, but prone to moments of madness and not great behind a retreating pack, but still good enough. Johan Goosen was being talked up as the natural heir to the throne before getting injured and neither Damian Willemse nor Curwin Bosch has impressed when give a chance. I’d take Willemse over Bosch any day of the week if pushed and it looks like that’s where the Boks are headed. Given time and settled in one position, he could well grow into the role too. Jordan Hendrickse at the Lions is also crocked but is one for the future, whilst Chris Smith at the Bulls has been solid behind a generally dominant pack, but uncapped at 27 means his boat has probably sailed.
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Bok squad out of interest (or not):
Forwards: Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Ox Nché, Trevor Nyakane, Joseph Dweba, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat, Marvin Orie, Siya Kolisi (captain), Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Franco Mostert.
Backs: Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams, Elton Jantjies, Handré Pollard, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Aphelele Fassi, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Sbu Nkosi, Damian Willemse, Frans Steyn.
Matches:
November 6: Wales, November 13: Scotland, November 20: England
Pretty settled, with notable injury absentees being PS du Toit (long term shoulder injury), Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Frans Malherbe and RG Snyman. Salmaan Moerat gets a chance at this level as expected (but lots of controversy down here, naturally with Jason Jenkins the preferred tourist for many), whilst at nine the injuries to Faf and Jaden Hendrickse (not to be confused with Jordan at 10) have opened the door for Grant Williams to tour.
Players that will probably enter the equation should there be any more injuries are Elrigh Louw at the Bulls and Evan Roos at the Stormers, who look like the future at blindside and number eight respectively, assuming PSDT continues to struggle with injury and Vermeulen retires at some stage. Also Warrick Gelant will soon be contesting for the 15 jersey with Aphelele Fassi, as Willie Le Roux’s star begins to wane.
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Thaum – haha, no. Jupiter’s Travels. And it’s a far, far superior book to The Motorcycle Diaries.
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This is appropriate considering the atl, it left me genuinely open-mouthed, I know Farage is a complete idiot, but some wag got him to say “Up The RA” on camera.
There are fuckwits and then there is Nigel Farage, the thing that really gets my goat about arseholes like him is that he thinks he is fit to pontificate on serious matters when he is utterly fucking clueless.
Having said that, his stupidity did make me laugh
https://boingboing.net/2021/10/19/watch-nigel-farage-accidentally-endorse-the-ira-on-cameo.html
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Deebee, you guys should call up Henry Immelman
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I won’t post the tweet, but there is another of Farage wishing Gerry Adams a happy birthday and signs off with “Tiocfaidh ár lá”, an Irish Republican slogan which translates as “Our day will come”
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Ticht – he’s an idiot but with his accent also a tad funny.
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definitely funny Craigs, in a laughing “at” him way
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It’s funny to laugh at Farage but it costs 86 quid to do so on Cameo.
He went on RTE the other day and get a ticking off but he’s so shameless it doesn’t affect him. He’s a horrible droning tireless little prick.
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There is absolutely nothing funny about Farage – ridiculous, contemptible, poisonous, shameless, venal, etc of course
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Slade – I’m not Farage. How dare you.
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A Farage pile-on. Cool
He probably enjoys watching terrible 70s sitcoms in an un-ironic manner
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But if one only got to know him:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/20/nigel-farage-marina-hyde-pint
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My mental image of Chimpie watching 1970s sitcoms ‘ironically’ gets clearer by the day.
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Speaking of Marina, she was on form yesterday
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/19/hollywood-mel-gibson-antisemitism-domestic-violence-racism
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Fucking hell. What a moron.
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Jeez, Thauma, I thought my assessment of the Boks was fairly measured. back to the drawing board.
Ticht – wisely they didn’t open Marina’s article to comments, although they should have and should force Gibson to read them all.
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England clawing their way back into the match against UnZud quite nicely. Pretty even after 10 overs.
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Actually England have mangled the Kiwis – from 80-odd for three, they’re now 103-9 and Woods ripping them up.
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In memory of Sag:
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England eventually won, bowling NZ out for 150 – 13 runs short. India beat Australia in their warm up and Mighty Namibia thrashed the Netherlands by six wickets.
Now we’ve got the minnows of South Africa, denuded of their stars like the Amazon rain forest to provide feed for KFC, up against the might of the unflappable Pakistan. The Unsmiling Irish™ are hammering Sri Lanka – 8/3 after a couple of overs. Sigh, gone are the days of glorious upsets by the plucky minnows.
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Liked by you
To clarify – liked the post, not the fried pizza.
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Afghanistan are 90/1 after 9 overs against the Windies. Hope they do really well and stick 2 fingers to the Taliban.
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Scotland
Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Sale Sharks), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Nick Haining (Edinburgh), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh), Oli Kebble (Glasgow Warriors), Murray McCallum (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Dylan Richardson (Cell C Sharks), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Sam Skinner (Exeter Chiefs), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Worcester Warriors), Marshall Sykes (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh)
Backs: Mark Bennett (Edinburgh), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Adam Hastings (Gloucester), Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Harlequins), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Duhan van de Merwe (Worcester Warriors), Rufus McLean (Glasgow Warriors), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Racing 92), Matt Scott (Leicester Tigers), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors)
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Notable absences:
Gray the younger (injured)
cummings (injured)
Treacle toes (not injured as far as I’m aware.
Shame Redpath & Lang injured
Looking a bit light at lock & TH (no Nel!), surprised Craig isn’t featuring.
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Swinson?
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Ireland (announced today):
Backs: Bundee Aki, Robert Baloucoune, Harry Byrne, Joey Carbery, Craig Casey, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Joey Carbery, Craig Casey, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson Park, James Hume, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton, Simon Zebo
Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Ultan Dillane, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Peter O’Mahony, Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier
3rd outhalf is of interest.
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