Italy vs Argentina
Two sides struggling to make an impact in recent times. Well, for Italy, pretty much forever despite one win over the Boks at our lowest ebb, for the pedants and pot stirrers who like to keep dredging that up. Argentina seemed to be on the up when they pasted the All Blacks last year (funny how competitive they were not having been beasted by the Boks beforehand), but have reverted to the mean (in a marshmallowy sort of way) this year. Can Italy use home ground advantage to eke out a win, or will the superior talent available to Argentina tell in the end? Tricky one this, but I’ll go for a Pumas win by about 9 as the Azzurri Fade to Grey.
Scotland vs South Africa
A fabulous match in store in this Currie Cup Clash, as Ticht called it. Much spoken about the four Saffas in the Scotland side, but in all honesty there’s plenty more for the Boks to worry about than a couple of down the pecking order forwards and backs who sought lucre over homeland. Scotland showed just how dangerous they can be ball in hand against the Aussies last weekend (one just past, keep up at the back), but couldn’t quite put it together as a complete package. The Scots forwards were excellent and showed some real grunt, which they’ll need on Saturday if they’re to get decent ball to Finn and Co. The Boks will surely try to batter them like a lonely Mars Bar on a Saturday night though and with a more settled back division, will probably squeak it in the end. The bench to do the job again, Boks by a score or thereabouts as they say it in Broken English.
Ireland vs New Zealand
The respective unsmiling sides of the two hemispheres go toe to toe, both having eased into the contest with little in the way of stern opposition: usually the Kiwis use this as an excuse for World Cup exits (along with Suzi, norovirus, referees, time zones, grass type and anything else rather than decent oppo), but both sides have had lopsided wins in the last week, with Ireland’s dismantling of Japan possibly slightly better than the Kiwis mangling of Italy with a reserve-ish side. Ireland will have a real go at the Kiwi pack at set pieces, where they were vulnerable against the Boks in both 4N matches this year and have been for a while now. The Kiwis will look to decimate Ireland out wide and in broken play and it should be a huge match. Kiwis are pretty confident at the moment, so I’m picking them (against the heart) to win by 4. Either way, it’ll be a Crowded House in Dublin, weather permitting.
Portugal vs Japan
Can Japan be as bad as they were against Ireland? I’ve no idea and writing this on the hoof not having seen the line-up for either side (not that that would make much difference, let’s be honest), it remains to be seen if they can bounce back. They’ve still got good players and should have too much nous for Portugal, despite the Iberians’ recent decent form at Tier Two level. Japan by 15. The House of the Rising Sun will once again shine. Tenuous link if ever!
England vs Australia
Keep feeling tempted to just write ‘looks weak’ and leave it at that. England have stormed out of the blocks with a hammering of hapless Tonga, which probably means little in reality, whilst the Wobblies duly wobbled after a five-match winning streak against stubborn Scotland last weekend. However, the result would probably have been very different but for the discipline issues they suffered from, that potentially cost them 14 points. They’re still a decent side, even without the J-League party-poopers and love nothing more than a crack at the Poms. But they’ll possibly be without Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou, leaving their improving front row in tatters. Dave Rennie will need to crack the discipline whip harder than a dominatrix at a Tory dinner party to keep them in the game. England, with a very good pack, Owen ‘Venus de Milo’ Farrell cleared of Covid and some good gas out wide should have too much for this now more disjointed Wallaby side. It’ll be tight and feisty, as always, but in the end, it’s England by 12. And as the man who sold the world, Eddie Jones will be smiling.
France vs Georgia
Doesn’t matter which France pitches up, Georgia are no match for them or as replacements for Italy in the 6N. That’s the Boks’ next target, ahem. A brutal mismatch that will put Georgia firmly back in their box. France may be distracted by the looming challenge of the All Blacks the following weekend, but even that shouldn’t see this being anything other than a training ground run for Les Bleus. Georgia’s last outing was a 40-9 thumping by a very rusty Bok side in July, although they’d be doing okay in the Tier 2 stuff before that. France by 35. You know I’m gonna say it, it’ll be a rainy night for Georgia, Randy Crawford to the fore.
Wales vs Fiji
Another mismatch in store, with Wales looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat against the Boks last weekend. Fiji, as everyone knows, have some superb individuals in their side, but haven’t been able to put it all together into a coherent package for a long while. Wales have had to re-jig their side a bit, with the Horse back on the wing and Adams moving into midfield, but you sense that won’t make much difference in the end. It’s Wales’ match to win by pretty much whatever score they’d like to, especially after Fiji struggled to subdue Spain last weekend. Fitness, structure, technique and a stronger bench will see Wales home comfortably in the end. Wales by 28. And as every Manic Street Preacher in Cardiff’ll tell you – if you tolerate this, your children will be next. You’ve been warned, Fiji.
Preview by the incomparable Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Friday 12th November
| Gloucester v Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 13th November
| Wales v South Africa (women) | 12:15 | BBC2 Wales |
| Italy v Argentina | 13:00 | Prime |
| Scotland v South Africa | 13:00 | Prime |
| Ireland v New Zealand | 15:15 | Channel 4 / RTÉ2 |
| England v Australia | 17:30 | Prime |
Sunday 14th November
| England v Canada (women) | 14:30 | BBC2 / iPlayer | ||
| Wales v Fiji | 15:15 | Prime | ||
| Scotland v Japan (women) | 16:10 | BBC Alba / iPlayer |
Ovally Balls 
Found a post of Chimpie’s in the comment queue (too many links, I think). It’s here.
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Lovely stuff.
Probly going to miss it all at the weekend cos work. Boo
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Not sure anyone missed much by not seeing that post
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Thanks for ATL Deebs and Thaum.
Just dropped vinyl collection off at a record shop to be valued. Guy in there flipped thru a couple of boxes and was drooling, interesting to find someone else with such bad taste in music. Memories, memories. Old girlfriends, old haunts, quite traumatic it is, and I haven’t agreed to sell em yet.
Disagree with Deebs on the England game, Aussies have their strongest pack in years, and if the backs click…….
Here is a memory from 87/88 in Aus, took me ages to find this on vinyl in the UK.
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SBT – ha, I shudder when I remember a few of the vinyl records I had. Most, of course, are good stuff!
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WOW. Scottish fitba’ team wins a game that WE HAD TO WIN shock!
We’ll bugger up the play-offs though.
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yep, for every Cold Chisel, Blind Lemon Jefferson or Fairport Convention there’s probably a Macc Lads, Krokus or Anti-Nowhere League. Stuff gonna be popping into my head for weeks. here’s another one.
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Hell’s teeth, Krokus! The Swiss AC/DC (with song titles to match. Wasn’t Long Stick Goes Boom one of theirs?)
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“We’ll bugger up the play-offs though.”
You might have to play a better team than Moldova.
You might even have to play Wales, that would be a throwback and could easily go well for you. No idea how they sort out who plays who.
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I had a Scorpions LP….
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Think I was too old to actually buy a Scorpions Lp..
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Which one Thaum?
Saw them live at the Edinburgh Playhouse many moons ago. Great gig. As an encore they got a piper to come on and he played ‘Flower of Scotland’ with the Scorps singing along. Of course, they left after the first verse. He sort of gave a shrug and carried on with the rest of the tune.
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Being from the golden age of recorded music when the cassette was king, I’m afraid I’m too young.
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Never too old to buy a Scorpions LP/album. Never too young either. As long as you’re prepared for it to be completely over the top, nowt wrong with it. Still going strong too.
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*looks it up*
Love at First Sting
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I also had this one. Possibly only SBT will know who this is.
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Heard of him certainly, but not heard much by him.
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I’ve got the two before that and it was the Blackout tour I saw them on.
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I think I saw them live too, at Detroit’s Pine Knob which was an outdoor venue. There was a pavilion with seating, and then a hill behind it which was a free-for-all: you brought your blankets, weed, booze, etc…. Many good times there!
Santana played it every year right around my birthday.
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In rugby news (sort of…)
Hadn’t realised that Cam Redpath had ruptured his ACL in May. Probably won’t see him in a Bath shirt until next year and I suspect he might miss the 6N. Such a shame.
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From Wiki:
Another excellent outing in the area was the Cranbrook planetarium which used to – and apparently still does – host gazing at the stars whilst listening to Dark Side of the Moon. There may have been hallucinogenics involved in some participants. You could then go and roam the vast gardens of the private school in which it’s located.
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You could then go and roam … come to think of it, there may have been some fence-jumping/wall-climbing involved.
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Some years later, I became a friend of the then-director of the Cranbrook Science Museum, and they moaned about cleaning up the boak after the PF shows.
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Oof, Glaws are giving Barf a right humping. 33-3 at HT and another try at the start of the second half.
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Glaws are giving Barf
Speaking of boak….
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(‘Barf’ is Yank for ‘boak’.)
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Italy get an 88th minute and Jorginho slots a kick into the top stand. 1-1 so the Euro Champs might, just might, have to be playing against Scotland or the mighty Wales.
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88th minute penalty.
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Final score is 71-10.
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There’s an article, a puff-piece, about Courtney Lawes on the Guardian. I know the journos want access but Robert Kitson and the sub who wrote the headline and lede know fuck all about politics.
https://archive.discoversociety.org/2014/05/06/the-centre-for-social-justice-decision-based-evidence-making-to-punish-the-poor/
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@TomP – Worse than that the article manages to mention Scott Williams without mentioning this:
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Disappointing from Kitson given how easy it would be to write a much better article referencing Courtney Lawes, social justice and Scott Williams.
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Told you the Scorpions were still going strong…..
(Although this song could have been written at any time in the last 40 years…)
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I wouldn’t have thought any of them had a pacemaker forty years ago.
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Yup. know Biily Squier, no vinyl tho.. Got love at first sting, and Blackout too, saw them on the Blackout Tour at hammy Odean,BB. Got a feeling it may have been Krokus supporting them.
Can’t do a full International round up from the doomed vinyl, but can throw in this on , came thru Dublin on the way here a couple of weeks back. Aer Lingus. Got this live on the B side of the Bad Reputation EP
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Listened to an interview with the reformed Boomtown Rats on the plane, which reminded me that I also have this album, seeing as ST.Bob is referenced in that the last song. Interestingly enough, to me as a local, they were writing and recording this album while living in an old mansion next to Chessington Zoo, and it had weird decorations everywhere, because the previous occupants had been Steve Hillage and Gong.
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I remember Billy Squier.
Thin Lizzy were great
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Lizzy were one of the (far too) many bands I would loved to have seen in their prime. Sadly, a combination of being too young for most of the 70s bands, geography (not many bands hit Selkirk) and parents who just weren’t interested in my brand of ‘noise’.
Now if it had been Jimmy Shand…..
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Right – dog walked, wine poured, food ready. Let’s go!
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‘Mon Scotland!
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Sorry Deebee, but ..
Allez l’Ecosse!
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What. An. Anthem! Never get tired of Flower of Scotland!
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No offense taken, Flair! BOKKE!
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Scottish pack is huge! Maybe too heavy to stay up in retrospect.
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Nobody expected sunshine to be a factor in this match.
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Need to score soon.
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Scotland’s maul defence is doing very well.
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That van de Merwe lad’s a little rapid.
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Great defensive 15 minutes from Scotland. Boks really needed points from that dominance. Now they’re behind!
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