Pack your suitcases and prepare for Round Two of the European Cup.
Cardiff v Harlequins
Home advantage and Ellis Jenkins won’t do enough for Cardiff against in-form Quins. Quins by 10.
Castres v Munster
No-one will ever know the result of this match as anyone who attempts to watch it will die the most horrible of deaths from boredom, judging by the reverse fixture.
Wasps v Toulouse
Ooh. Toulouse by at least 35.
Ospreys v Racing 92
Surprisingly, Racing 92 are languishing even further down the Top 14 table than Ospreys are in the URC. I still think they’ll win, though – by about 12.
Connacht v Leicester
This could be the surprise of the weekend, possibly depending on the weather. Connacht by 3.
La Rochelle v Bath
Bath to take a Bath. La Rochelle by 20.
Exeter v Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow have been looking the business in their last couple of matches, and Exeter are not what they were last year. Weegies by 6.
Bristol v Stade Français
Neither side setting the world on fire this season, so home players by 4.
Leinster v Montpellier
Despite being toppled off the top of the URC, Leinster remain a team to be very scared of, and are at home. Blue Meanies by 17.
Bordeaux v Scarlets
Ooh là là, les Médocs par approximately neufty.
Northampton v Ulster
Will the return of Baloucoune and Hume mean an Ulster away win? Probably not, but I’m going for Ulster by 7 anyway. (This is why I never win the leagues.)
Clermont v Sale
Oh dear, Yellow Army by 30.
Onna telly this week
Friday 14th January
| Castres v Munster | 20:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Cardiff v Harlequins | 20:00 | S4C / BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 15th January
| Wasps v Toulouse | 13:00 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| Treviso v Dragons | 15:15 | S4C |
| Ospreys v Racing 92 | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 |
| Connacht v Leicester | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| La Rochelle v Bath | 17:30 | BT Sport 3 |
| Exeter v Glasgow | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Bristol v Stade Français | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 16th January
| Leinster v Montpellier | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Bordeaux v Scarlets | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 | ||
| Northampton v Ulster | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Clermont v Sale | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Finally something sensible out of SBW’s household:
https://rugby365.com/news/sbws-sons-want-to-play-for-springboks/
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Keep forgetting to braythe.
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Madigan has not exactly covered himself in glory there.
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How far away from the national side is Michael Lowry, Thauma? And others, of course. Seems to have some decent gas a lovely step: nicely balanced runner.
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We’ll find out this week, Deebs, when the 6N squads get announced.
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Lowry with the BP try!
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Loved that kick going between the knees.
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Well, we just opened up a huge gap with a big signpost there!
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Phew!!!
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156 metres made by Lowry today.
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He looks a great prospect! Just tuned in to Clermont- Sale, looks like a good old fashioned arm wrestle so far.
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Lovely try by Clermont! Quick hands, spot the gap, straighten, offload and 5 points. Simple, effective, shows you that you can score tries without over-complicating things. And as I type that, Clermont overthrow the lineout, Sale gather, burst forward, use the grubber to great effect and even things up. Good match so far!
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Lowry can also play 10, Deebs. I think it’s his preferred position.
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Been starting on the dinner, but the bits of the Clermont/Sale match I’ve seen so far look utterly chaotic.
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Clermont’s turn to use the grubber! Great timing, Penaud in for the try and it’s all tied up at the break!
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Thauma, I hope he doesn’t get pinged around the backline as a utility player. Looks very good. Clermont-Sale has been decent enough. Some excellent tries but some fairly ordinary stuff as well. But both sides going for it, which is good to see.
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Hume is very good too. He and McCloskey together are a serious force to be reckoned with. And I like Baloucoune a lot too. And Doak. Some nice youngsters we have coming up!
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Clermont-Sale has settled into a pass-behind-the-receiver type of game. Just about last quarter and not much to report so far in the 2nd half.
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Clermont destroy the Dale scrum and have a lineout just outside the Sale 22. Could they break the stalemate? No idea. Sale got a penalty whilst I was typing and are now mauling it up on the Clermont 22. They think 5heyve got the try too! But no deal. Lots of appendages in touch.
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Parra is still a class player.
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Back to the singing of Lowry’s praises, the bloke is smaller than I am (well, shorter – he probably weighs more), but is unafraid in the tackle and immensely strong for his size, as demonstrated today.
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“malus” – if I can recall any of my Latin from school….
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Difficult to say – notionally, he’s a 10 but rarely plays there for Ulster. Can see him in the wider Irish squad but not in matchday 23 – unless we’re up against Italy. As a 10 – he’d be behind Carbery, and the 2 Byrnes (all of whom are behind Sexton). At 15 – definitely behind Keenan, and maybe Haley.
(of course with general fitness and Covid – who knows how teams will line out)
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Forgot Addison to return (we hope), so that makes 15 slot more crowded at both Ireland and Ulster level
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Irish 10 situation is frankly somewhat confusing. Carbery is injured again but performed creditably in cameo vs NZ and then against Argentina (though probably looked more interesting as FB in that game)
Byrne H looks to be ahead of the older brother. Then Munster have 2 promising 10s in Healy and Crowley (assumption if Carbery stays – one or other will go elsewhere – and apparently La Rochelle ‘tapped up’ Crowley last season)
Carty in Connacht has his fans – great highlight reel but failure to close out 28-10 lead vs Leicester with 20 mins left isn’t a great advert.
Main issue is when do all these get any significant game time at club and international level? Sexton will be number 1 10 going into RWC2023.
Risk is that with Carbery’s ongoing injuries and general wear and tear that Sexton shows – we could be going in with a couple of raw 10s.
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Sexton will be number 1 10 going into RWC2023.
Thought he was slightly older than that.
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‘How far away from the national side is Michael Lowry’
he’ll never do it. He plays for Ulster
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Just to stoke some classic Ulster resentment
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At the moment the question is how to fit Hume into the midfield – who goes out of Henshaw, Aki, Ringrose? Someone said (on Twitter or some talkboard) if he got picked at all – he’d be hard to dislodge.
Baloucoune is also probably closer to the panel than Lowry.
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Hume does look very handy indeed.
I’d give him a run over Ringrose. But then I’m not the coach.
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This Mehler chap sounds like a quality teacher.
Wonder if he actually turns up and actually teaches anything, as that would surely mess up the whole predestination thing
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At the moment the question is how to fit Hume into the midfield – who goes out of Henshaw, Aki, Ringrose?
I’d keep Ringrose for the bench and start Hume & McCloskey.
Baloucoune’s already had at least one cap iirc.
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Hume’s capped as well.
If you want a McCloskey-Hume midfield, you ought to pick Burns at outside half. Keep the Ulster unit together.
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@thaum
Baloucoune is probably fighting it out for 14 shirt with Conway, though he might not make the bench if not selected in XV
We’ll probably go with 5/3 split on the bench (3 FRs, then 2 such as Beirne/Baird who can cover SR/BR) – that leaves 3 backs – 9, 10 and a utility (Earls or Conway if neither picked)
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My gift to you all today (wish I’d thought of it):
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I just read that Leinster’s young lock, Jack Dunne, is off to join Exeter at end of season
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More Mehler:
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Sladey, he’s a really interesting guy. A good signing for Exeter I think. Maybe not international class but very decent.
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Wot, Mehler has signed for Exeter too?
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TomP – you are just trying to wind me up.
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Breaking News! The England Cricket Board has approached Novak Djokovic to open the batting for them! They were very impressed that it took Australia almost two weeks to get him out.*
* I’ll get my coat.**
** Coat? What coat? It’s 27 degrees here.
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There is a cellist/conductor/music teacher called Benjamin Zander, he used to give all his students an A before the term started, so that they could ignore all that useless stuff and get on with learning about music.
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@Tomp:
Irish U20, 6ft 8in and Baxter’s team experts at polishing rough diamonds, e.g. Hogg of Scotland
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It’s funnier if you listen to him
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Mixed weekend for the English sides but some good last minute bastardary shown too.
Fuck London Irish though.
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Fuck London Irish though.
Yes, now and forever more. Preferably very painfully.
Sale have done the decent thing and suspended he-who-shall-not-be-named-on-uk-websites-(yet). What I really don’t understand is the female alleged accomplice. How fucked-up do you have to be to be an accessory to that sort of thing? See also: Ghislaine Maxwell.
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😂😂😂😂😂
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You’re just sucking up to Deebee.
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Thauma, nothing wrong with that! Seems to be a link issue, taking you to the Bok WC Win, but the comments below relate to Folau. Stuff him, just watch the Boks.
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