Turn off the phones, lock the kids in the soundproof basement, prepare your food and drink and turn on the telly, ‘cos it’s time for the European cups again.
Prognostication is not my forté, but I’ll give it a bash for the Big Cup matches.
Northampton v Racing 92
I was surprised to discover that Racing 92 are only in 8th position in the Top 14, whereas the Saints are sitting pretty in third place in the English Premiership. However, Racing know how to bring their best game to an important match, so I’m going for les Parisiens by 7.
Cardiff v Toulouse
Can’t see anything other than a Toulousain trouncing of the hosts by about 15 points.
Leinster v Bath
With Bath languishing at the bottom of the Premiership, this can only go one way. Blue Meanies by 40.
Bordeaux v Leicester
The two top teams in their respective leagues, again to my surprise. I’ll raise a glass of Haut-Médoc to the home side by 3.
Clermont Auvergne v Ulster
Having attended this fixture in a previous competition, ordinarily I’d say a safe win for the home side. However, TomPirracas’ sleuthing informs us that Clermont is a Covid-ravaged camp, so that and downright foolish optimism leads me to predict Ulster by a point.
Exeter v Montpellier
Another tough one to predict, so home advantage to provide a narrow win.
Ospreys v Sale
Ospreys must be exhausted after last week, but Sale are not doing very well this year. Ospreys by 7.
Connacht v Stade Français
Connacht are on good form, and have been unlucky to narrowly lose a couple of their matches so far. I have no similar insights on SF, but they are towards the bottom of the table. Connacht by 4.
La Rochelle v Glasgow
Two fifth-place sides competing. Hmm. Chez nous by 3.
Wasps v Munster
Given Munster’s very depleted squad, Wasps by 15. At least.
Onna telly this week
Friday 10th December
| Northampton v Racing 92 | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Lyon v Gloucester | 20:00 | BT Sport 3 |
Saturday 11th December
| Cardiff v Toulouse | 13:00 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| Leinster v Bath | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| Bordeaux v Leicester | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 |
| Clermont v Ulster | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| USAP v Dragons | 17:30 | S4C |
| Exeter v Montpellier | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 12th December
| Ospreys v Sale | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Connacht v Stade Français | 13:00 | BT Sport 3 | ||
| La Rochelle v Glasgow | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 | ||
| Wasps v Munster | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Just can’t bear to fade into obscurity can he?
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He’s still a colossal knob.
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To be fair Chimpie, there are quite a lot of colossal knobs (current and former) in this government to choose from.
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Knobs everywhere. Splendind
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Covid everywhere too. Been pretty much isolating awaiting arrival of the outlaws later today along with a baby and dug etc. thankfully I’ve got a melbury to hide in if it gets too much.
Covid ruined my plans for going to the m-field to watch Embra wrest the 1872 cup from those dastardly westerners. Boo.
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Chimpie, just giving you a heads up, remember to stock the Melbury good and proper with enough beer, wine and spirits to see out a 14 day isolation period. Longer than current guidelines, but wise nonetheless
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Some food would probably be a good idea too.
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Guinness, or Murphys would probably work as food as well as drink, why waste space ?
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Well, here’s something to look forward to.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59766719
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Well, maybe I’m mellowing (or something) with the years – but Coldplay don’t actually get on my nerves.
Interesting that Cummins implies there’s more party photos… seems like everytime the story goes quiet another set of photos from yet-another-party emerges…. drip, drip, drip
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This morning I heard The Harder I Try by Brother Beyond on the radio and thought “that’s quite a good tune”.
I’ve changed.
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‘Brother Beyond’ ? Wow…. that’s definitely a blast from the past…. now I can’t recall anything by them except their name
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For Trisk
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@OT – can safely say, no memory of that.
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Coldplay. I’m sure I must have heard some of their music, but I just can’t remember any of it.
My ‘I’ve changed’ is Prince: hated him back in the day, but quite like him now. When Doves Cry was the turning point, I think: that’s a cracking tune.
Still loathe Michael fucking* Jackson, mind.
*allegedly
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Not all Scots deserting the sinking ship:
https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/hogg-reaffirms-commitment-to-the-chiefs
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I think he and his family are very settled in the area, plus the countryside around Exeter is sort of similar to the Borders where he grew up.
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Perhaps he will continue to be Exeter’s one marquee player……………..
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Apart from the two Simmonds’, Slade, Nowell and Cowan-Dickie?
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well….the 4 mention came up through the ranks. Hogg was bought in.
Each Premiership club will be allowed 1 marquee player from next season on….as well as a reduced wage bill
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Joyeux Noël à toute la bande, ou à ce qu’il en reste.
Merry xmas to all of you.
Be careful and have fun.
Am off for a last round of golf before the usual pandemonium.
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@Flair – Joyeux Noël aussi! (stretching my French to breaking point here)
Happy Christmas and best wishes to all.
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Off for final pre xmas swim. Happy hols everyone.
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Bah! Humbug!
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Joyeux Noël à vous tous et aussi à vos proches et à vos proches.
J’espère sincèrement que 2022 s’avérera être une amélioration à bien des égards!
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Xmas: I like the feasting. The rest of it can fuck off.
Still, I hope everyone has one that suits them down to the ground.
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Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 all! I hope you all have a wonderful day and may all your wishes come true!
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May your day be filled with feasting & booze.
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Merry Christmas to everyone in the best little corner of the interwebs.
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Merry Christmas everyone.
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Santa has called off the Ulster/Connacht match. >:-(
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……………….luckily for Ulster
(only kidding)
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You might not be wrong! They stuffed us last time. But not at home….
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I just read a great quote from Brian Eno;
“Much of the energy behind crypto arises from the very strong need that some people feel to operate outside of a state, and therefore outside of any sort of democratic communal overview. The idea that Ayn Rand, that Nietzsche-for-Teenagers toxin, should have had her whacky ideas enshrined in a philosophy about money is what is terrifying to me.”
Merry Christmas
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Cricket going well again. Blog tells me that is a duplicate comment as I have said it before, apparently.
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Belated by Thaum-friendly grumpy Christmas, everyone.
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Hope you had a good one, Iks.
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Cheers BB. Just looking forward to 2021 fecking the feck off.
Hope all went well for you and yours.
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Merry Christmas to one and all.
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ticht,
This is brilliant about crypto and covers a lot of areas: https://shows.acast.com/jacobin-radio/episodes/dig-cryptocurrency-w-edward-ongweso-jr-jacob-silverman
It’s also funny.
They mention something that was touched upon in a piece in the Financial Times recently that crypto is worse than a ponzi scheme.
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On the Ayn Rand bit. In Britain the leading Randian isn’t in charge of the money but in charge of health, which is probably less than ideal in the middle of a pandemic.
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Bears Tiggers quite fun, Genge and Sinkler having a great tussle.
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That’s a sickener for Bristol, Tiggers win in the 84th minute!
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Janice Long RIP.
I met her once when she came to Oldham Music Centre as part of a workshop run by Clint Boon to help local bands get into the music business. My mate asked her “how’s Cheggers?”. She replied “he’s fine”.
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RIP Archbishop Desmond Tutu. One of the finest humans our country has ever produced. Met him only once, at our school prize giving day as a nipper. His laugh and kindness were infectious.
After the day was over he was standing talking to us kids and a Rolls Royce pitched up and parked behind him. When we asked if it was coming to fetch him, he roared with laughter and said “I am a man of the cloth, not of silver!” and roared with laughter again.
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Sorry, OT, just saw your anecdote now. Didn’t mean to compete with it. Who’s Cheggers?
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Janice Long’s brother
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