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 
@deebee
How does my mate Tinus pronounce “Stefan”?
Can’t quite work it out.
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Cmon Eddie, prove me wrong.
Eddie’ll be singing like a castrato on a cactus about the scrums, linespeed, mauls, rucks and anything else before the weekend to get in the ref’s ear, so you should be ok.
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OT, it’d be st (as in stutter) ear farn (as in Farnborough)
St-ear-farn!
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Your mate Tinus should be pronounced with short vowels too.
Ti- as in Ni but with a T and nus, I have no idea how to do that in English. It’s a short u with a ‘dropped’ sound?
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Tinus has one short vowel, Deebee. The i is long. Easiest way for an English speaker to say it is “teen us”.
Good example of it right here at the start of this interview:
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“Ti- as in Ni but with a T and nus, I have no idea how to do that in English.”
Brilliant.
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Retshegofaditswe is pronounced “Ox” as in Oxford but the ford is surplus to requirements, like George is for England.
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How do Afrikaans speakers pronounce “Blamire”?
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TomP, There’s Tinus and Theunis, the latter which is more teen-us. Also slight regional variations between the Cape, Free State and North. Sometimes the pronunciation overlaps a bit, but there is a difference.
OT – I think they pronounce it ‘rooinek’ on a polite day.
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I think in any pronunciation dispute our first reference should always be Last of the Summer Wine.
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If that fails then we move on to All Creatures Great and Small (with Christopher Timothy).
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Actually, OT, blameer is Afrikaans for blame or fault, so it’s pronounced blum (southern u, not northern) -eerrr (rolling rrrr’s at the end) when the scrum goes tits up.
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I suppose a few folk might have a rolled arse at the end of a tits up scrum.
Although that level of flexibility might be beyond a number of front row players (though not our own Supple Leopard).
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Coaching:
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A fantastic new rugby series coming your way!
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@BB – How many copies have you ordered for the library? Enough to get yourself a free one I assume?
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accusation of sleaze blocks b(l)og……………
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@Slade – It would be disappointing if he used it to wipe his bum when the rest of us are all waiting to borrow it.
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I threatened to wipe my bum with one of The Middle One’s favourite Lemony Snicket books the other day. It was by way of explaining that an unfortunate event was about to occur if nobody responded to my second urgent request to bring some toilet roll upstairs. She declared herself to be ‘not very pleased with me’.
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Cmw – at least she’s old enough for it not to be her first memory.
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Sad news about Jannie Du Plessis.
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@Craigs – If she’d been capable of reading Lemony Snicket when she was young enough for it to become her first memory then she’d probably be taking over the world by now. Which would be a scary prospect what with her predilections for perpetual winter, turning people to stone, sacrificing lion gods on stone altars etc.
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Erasmus banned from all rugby for 2 months.
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Probably old news but wee Georgie Ford off to join Sale at end of season Replacing McGinty and teaming up with possible England #9, Quirke.
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Craigs, not something you’d wish on your worst enemy. Absolutely tragic.
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Slade, that will cause a lot more resentment down here than the player of the year non-event. I wouldn’t want to be in an England jersey on Saturday.
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Slade – off to a prison planet for 30 years of hard labour too by the looks of things. England by 456
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Well obviously I wouldn’t want to be in one at all, any time, but you know what I mean. #J4R
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Very measured response on SA social media. Key themes are:
1) CONSPIRACY to put the Bokd off against England because of the timing of the announcement!
2) CONSPIRACY because, because, because er World Rugby.
3) CONSPIRACY! World Rugby hates criticism that’s true!
4) Boks are fecked! Nienaber is Rassie’s puppet and can’t win anything without the fabled Rassie!
5) England are fecked! Boks will rip into them with more ferocity that Cetshwayo’s Impis at Isandlwana.
Last one probably most likely, although this Bok side is growing in maturity and if anything, if the Boks win with a thumping display it’ll be more media chirping than this episode. The Boks badly want to win in any case.
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Deebs – I don’t really see the leg to stand on here but agree that your boys will be pumped up. Red card for Etzebeth in the first quarter.
Springboks by 3056.
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It’s a bit like being caught molesting some good ol merican apple pie.
Except you posted a video of yourself with the pie on social media.
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And now everyone is angry with the pie.
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Craigs, I don’t condone the video, although some are saying it was actually leaked to the media from an Australian IP address. I have no comment either way on that as it isn’t proven.
However, it was appallingly managed by Erasmus and SA Rugby thereafter and the victim mentality that they’ve brought into the whole thing is embarrassing. Now appealing the verdict won’t work and won’t do SA rugby in the broader sense any favours.
Close the chapter, learn the lessons – as hard to swallow as some may be – and get back to playing rugby, not politics.
Apparently World Rugby actually agreed with the bulk of Rassie’s complaints, but that’s not the point, at all: processes need to be followed and our mob didn’t. Those processes and the apparent double standards or prevarications of WR aren’t open to debate in the middle of a crucial Test series, so don’t fucking be so arrogant.
Did the video work? Possibly, although different refs for Tests 2 and 3 so open to debate. Was it worse than coaches opinions being aired publicly about other teams illegal tactics in the build up to Tests? Debatable, going off about offside lines or scrummaging techniques in media briefings surely is the same, just without the analysis and evidence.
Should Erasmus be banned from waterboy duties? Fucking right, video or not. All support staff should be restricted to an area like in football, not patrolling the sidelines shouting instructions.
I just hope the appeals process is quick, definitive and final so we can move on from this. I also hope WR look at themselves and their pompous attitude over the last while but doubt that will happen with the current gerontocracy in place.
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Back from a flying visit to Belfast. First time I’ve set foot on UK soil in over 2 years. Lots of decent places to buy books and had a great walk around , had a great wee walk around in the argot. Forgotten how flat the city centre is and how imposing the mountain is.
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TomP – BBC News at 6 was done from Belfast tonight, complete with a clip of people climbing the Cavehill – something I did very frequently in my yoof as one set of grandparents lived on its lower slopes for a while.
I grew up used to seeing the world ringed in by mountains (well, large hills), and felt rather agoraphobic when I moved to seriously flat Detroit, where there’s barely a rumour of an incline for at least a couple of hundred miles.
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Also, TomP – if you’re looking for music in Belfast, Caroline Music is the place to go. Bought stuff there yonks ago, but a quick search seems to indicate that they’re still going>
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John Crace + Thaum + Talking Heads.
………………..perfect
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Ha – cheers, Slade! The episode I described made me laugh a lot.
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The bassist was called Guido, although I don’t think that was his real name (he was black, which makes it unlikely), and he had a wonderful sonorous voice just like a bass, and a deadpan sense of humour.
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The other bassist I hung out with a lot was a Filipina who was married to the drummer in her band, and who was also the lead singer and frontperson. She used to introduce the band at gigs, finishing up with: and on drums, we have K, behind me … as usual.
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thaum, I saw a BBC journo I recognised but didn’t know the name of doing a piece to camera at the junction of Royal Avenue, Castle Place and Donegall Place at about 2 o’clock. I had some business at my UK bank(s) and was heading back to the bus station from the Oxfam bookshop on Ann Street.
Also popped into Keats + Chapman (wow!) on North Street and went down to Botanic Gardens for the charity second-hand shops there. Picked up a good number of second-hand books – some Glenn Patterson, who I like anyway, and Maurice Leitch, who I don’t know but it looks interesting. Will go to No Alibis next time I’m up.
As a tourist I did a bit of troubles tourism as I walked down Sandy Row on the way back from Botanic Gardens. It’s a weird enough place. What always strikes me is just how close everything is.
Then hit Smithfield Market, which I’ve always liked and is good for record stores, and the top of Royal Avenue. I didn’t know the Bank of Ireland building there but it’s very pleasant Art Deco as is the big former cinema(?)/department store(?) on the opposite corner. I like the fact that when my grandmother was a schoolgirl at the Maltese Cross school those would have been the newest thing in town.
South Dublin’s like Belfast. Really flat and with the hills just at the end of the road. I like it.
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Ah, it was a department store:
http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/Sinclairs+Department+Store/
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Deebs – you’re right and the only reason I’m taking the piss so much is because up until that point I really respected Rassie. The whole thing is a massive shame.
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TomP – visit St George’s market next time, if you fancy picking up some food – you won’t be able to decide which mouth-watering delicacy to buy. There’s a load of tat for sale too, of course, but the food part is wonderful.
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Oh, and it was Faisal Islam who bravely took to the streets yesterday.
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Food!!! I knew there was something I’d forgotten.
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well, there’s someone who likes his Flann O Brien (or more specifically Myles na gCopaleen)
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“What do you mean they hide you on the wing in defence? When I were a lad I to smash people in my own fecking channel!”
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God, Wilkinson’s put on some weight! Didn’t recognise him.
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