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 
I think so, and the non-related Du Preez is coming to Glasgow. Probably how they can afford Hill and Ford. I assume Faf will be Sale’s ‘elite’ player? If and when he plays again.
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Luke pearce being very Exeter friendly .
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…..and why not, I ask?
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Ask Refit, not me , Slade, old chap. I suspect he may give you a few reasons.
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Refs tend to favour the dominant team in a match.
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Did Connacht really sneak past Munster this evening? Quite a result!
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There is rugby on. Clermont and someone. Been round a friend’s house (ventilated, with tests) for the first time in nearly 2 years. Bit pissed.
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Lot pissed.
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They have a sign on their wall that reads No-one here gets out sober. Honest.
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Happy New Year all!
Connacht won fair and square. Now, I do tend to get peeved that they don’t raise their game to the same extent when playing other teams…
That said – Munster should know what’s coming and be ready for it.
Munster were very poor. Not all at clear what the game plan was or it was fairly primitive. Crazy period before half-time…Munster had 5 or 6 fruitless attempts at a tap-and-go on the 5m. Connacht picked up a yellow after 3 or 4 pens.
At that point, the choice had to be to scrum down with a man advantage – maybe a penalty try or exploit the space if Connacht go with 8 in the scrum. Instead – we have further tap-and-goes and no pretence that we might go wide. Failure to get at least a 1-man latch and penalised for holding on.
That was typical of the thought processes….
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On our way back from the Wild Coast with heavy hearts. Work tomorrow. Enjoying the last of our road trip in the Defender, biltong nice and moist, slightly fatty which retains the flavours better, beautiful rolling hills of the Eastern Cape and high, fluffy clouds for company, all to the sounds of er, ABBA, as we barrel along!
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Hope you got back OK, Deebs and weren’t too traumatised by too much ABBA!
Also wonder if Thaum’s sobered up yet….
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Just about….
Although the thought of ABBA nearly drove me back to the bottle.
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Nowt wrong with ABBA
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MY EYES!
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Another comment to scroll it up the page.
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Whew, that’s done it.
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Happy new year
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Fuck you OT.
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And the fucking horse you rode in on.
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(I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course.)
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Is this ok?
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Yes :-)
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I liked both….
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Morning all! Got back to Jozi in one piece despite the best efforts of my fellow South African road users. We really are an abysmal lot on the roads, and it’s no wonder our death tolls are so high. But, back I am and looking forward to a great year at work, at play and most definitely with the coolest cyber family out there: the great folk of Ovally Balls! Hope your 2022 rocks!
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Well, Deebs, you didn’t miss much as most of the matches were cancelled.
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Thauma, the New Year’s Day beach rugby in Morgs was great fun at least. The Eastern Cape is the one province in SA where rugby is the preferred sport of black South Africans (all of us actually) and every village, no matter how small or rural has at least one rickety set of posts on an uneven, cowpat-ridden field where they play throughout the year, even in freezing winter conditions. A bit like Scotland, but better quality all round – players and cowpats – and the annual 7s touch rugby on the beach is a highlight for everyone, whether from overpriced private schools or under resourced village sides. It’s brilliant to watch.
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Well, I figure I might as well break the silence….
U14s start back to training tonight after Christmas and New year break. We’ve a match on Saturday (we think) – our opponents tend to struggle for numbers due to clashes with soccer / football – so potentially they might scratch.
Our U18s had a Munster level away game on Saturday over in Waterford, but asked for a postponement due to covid. They had a few cases, plus a few close contacts and were looking at a 3 hour bus trip – so all in all it seemed sensible to ask to postpone. Now, it might go down as forfeiting – but equally might be classed as 0-0 draw.
U16s looked concerned for numbers too – earlier in the week. #1 son has found this age group tough this year – from a physical point of view. Missed about 4 or 5 weeks with a hip problem and now has a minor achilles issue. Biggest issue is getting him to continue with his physio routines after the problem has gone and to persuade him to ease himself back – rather than going at it gung ho once he’s no longer actively hurting. He’s found a niche playing scrum half – it allows him to indulge himself by being at every ruck/breakdown (and giving out orders) while recognising that he’s not yet big enough to play back row.
Munster have a big game vs Ulster on Sat. The 2 games I’ve attended this season were vs Stormers (we were cack until 38th min) and vs Castres (mediocre all way through). So after New Year’s Day fiasco in Galway – hopes aren’t too high.
My general sense is that there’s no-one too sad about the departure of van Graan. Most seem to feel he’d done as much as he can with this group, and style of play doesn’t suit the players available. The endless tap and goes vs Connacht – without heavy duty ball carriers like Leinster have (Porter, Kelleher, Furlong) – were easy to defend (esp if ref is slow to pull out the card).
Lot of talk about Declan Kidney returning as DoR…..and lots of optimistic chatter about Scott Robertson or Steve Hansen. O’Gara ruled himself out…. but with van Graan and Larkham in situ until end of the season – seems high potential for drift
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Appreciate the updates, Trisk. Always enjoy the vicarious feeling of reading grass roots and insider reports. Likewise Deebee.
My actual contact with rugby is very limited nowadays, but I did drive past Sandy Park last night on the M5, so gave them a wave from Slade. Also feeling really chipper, having just signed the petition to get Tony’s gong removed. Doubled today.
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https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-tony-blair-to-have-his-knight-companion-of-the-most-noble-order-of-the-garter-rescinded
just in case anyone else feels the need :)
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Tony can have his gong, it’s what the system is there for. Get rid of the system by all means, but no point quibbling about obvious recipients getting their dues while it’s there.
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Hope everyone had a really good Christmas and New Year. Mine didn’t come into that category for pretty upsetting reasons and I may be largely absent for some time as I don’t trust myself not to talk about things I should keep to myself, but that can’t be helped. I still love this place even though we seem to be so few and am often grateful to it so thanks to Thaum and other contributors for keeping it going.
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CMW – very sorry to hear that. Best possible wishes.
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CMW, sorry to hear that,hope new year gets better for you, and you can lurk a bit . Broad 5 fer, would have thunk it ?
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@CMW
Sorry to hear your situation. I hope things improve soon. And I second SBT’s suggestion – lurk away….!!
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Sincere Best Wishes, CMW.
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Hello all, I haven’t spent much time on t’internet over the festive period.
I did however find the answer to the question, “Is there such a thing as too much Bunnahabhain?”
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@Ticht
I’m guessing the answer is tending towards ‘Yes’??
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I’m afraid my dander remains down regarding TB and the knighthood, je m’en fou.
On the other hand, I’m delighted the “Colston Four” were found not guilty yesterday.
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That is correct, Trisk.
I’m doing Dry January as a result.
hmm, I’m having to login in for each comment.
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CMW, I really hope things improve for you and that you’re with us, either lurking or posting soon.
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Ticht – an enforced dry January is not the answer. It plays havoc with your routines and system and is likely to negatively impact on your mood as well. Just switch to whiskey and you’ll find your consumption drops sharply enough anyway.
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@Ticht
Some interesting Twitter threads on Colston Four. One from Matthew Scott way back in June 2020 outlined how you’d argue for a not guilty verdict and that no jury would convict…
(I’m old enough to remember the Clive Ponting case and the case against Pat Pottle and Michael Randle for helping spy George Blake escape in 1966)
I probably follow as many legal twitter accounts as rugby ones…. realise late in life, I probably should have “done” law (that or brewing)
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Trisk, it’s an interesting defence, from what I read they didn’t deny any of the facts of the case, but argued that their actions were justified because of Colstone’s deeds re slavery.
I’m surprised, but as I say delighted, that the bare facts of property destruction were not held to be as important as the actual and symbolic acts carried out by the protesters
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As for realising what we should have done before, I bought a fiddle 18 months ago and I wish I had started at around age five.
I love it, but it’s a bloody difficult, and uncomfortable, beast to play.
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@Deebee
Now .. if you’d said “whisky” you might get a hearing from Ticht.
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Trisk, I think Ticht is in perfect agreement with me regarding whisky and whiskey.
Graun has Bruce Willis’s top 20 movie roles. Where’s Cat when you need him? For me, the review is far too serious and sensible (it’s Bruce Willis after all!) and that Hudson Hawk doesn’t even get a mention is a travesty: a cheesier, more dad-pun, but fun movie he’s never made.
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Happy New Year to all.
Wishing the best for you, CMW.
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Deebs, Hudson Hawk is rubbish from what I remember but the James Coburn character who’s the head of the CIA has the same name as the non-existent spy that Cary Grant’s mistaken for in North by Northwest, which is a great great great film.
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George Kaplan
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