Getting to the business end now, so things are hotting up or cooling down, depending on your perspective. Three teams still in it, and away fixtures for the two favourites, so could be a good round of games. Could be.
As the times demand a number of contradictory but yet plausible expert views, the blog’s favourite possibly evil nine-year-old is on board this week to provide the comfort of a second equally valid set of predictions. She also gives her assessment of each team’s most important player. And that would be the one who scores all the points. Won’t win if you don’t score points.
Wales v France
While Friday night Six Nations games shouldn’t be condoned, it does provide a good opportunity for the TV-watching audience to enjoy a match without ruining dinner/missing dinner/having to make alternative arrangements to get children to ballet classes. Some might think Wales will have gained confidence from their showing in the second half at Twickenham, but only being able to score tries when playing desperate catch-up has been a bit of a thing at times under Wayne Pivac, and the first-half wet fart, along with the Dublin débâcle, don’t give much cause for hope. On the flip side, Wales have been dogged as anything in recent home games against the Boks and the Scots, so could just about conceivably grind something out. On the selection front, Pivac has gone full Gats, chucking in Navidi when he’s probably not fully fit, presumably on the basis that it worked with Faletau the other week. Wales also field three out of four players who suffered head injuries at Twickenham. Whilst I’m sure they have all passed the various tests, it does make you wonder if Wales deserve anything this time out at all.
France were absolutely ruthless when it came to taking their chances at Murrayfield, and anything like that will surely mean a big win for them. Dupont has been passed fit, Penaud misses out due to Covid with Villiere returning, and otherwise they’re as you were bar one further bench change. Hopefully Geraint Pillock’s cousin Dylan Cretin will make it on to the field at some point. If we do see them in full flow with the glorious short passing and brute force of the forwards and some sparkling back play, then there will be nothing to begrudge. So can Wales drag them down? France have had off spells in some of their recent games and come roaring back, but could they be due a real off day? Clutching at straws maybe, but anyway:
CMW’s prediction: Can’t be going for three away wins and don’t know which one of the two big games to go for as the upset.
Wales 26-23 France
Middle One’s prediction: Dan Biggar doesn’t always make good decisions – shouldn’t have gone for that drop goal when they could have scored a try against Scotland. He’s always shouting at people so might not be a very nice man. Don’t know who kicks the goals for France, but it’s probably some really super person who never misses.
Wales 21-28 France
Italy v Scotland
The phrase ‘nothing to see here’ could perhaps be used for a lot of Italy’s Six Nations games, but their last outing may well have trumped all previous efforts on that front. Will being on the wrong end of an unfair and pretty arcane part of an unfair and pretty arcane rule that is only necessary because rugby is full of cheating bastards inspire them to great heights? Or will their challenge fade to nothing at the first sign of Scotland being anywhere near on their game? I know which I expect. The Scots will be missing Duhan van der Merwe after a slightly unfortunate sending off playing for Worcester, but with plenty of other exciting runners and their pack likely to dominate this should be a comfortable win.
CMW’s prediction: Italy 13 Scotland 37
Middle One’s prediction: Finn Russell needs to take things more seriously if Scotland are going to win anything, he’s always smiling and laughing even when he’s done something bad. I don’t smile when I’m playing netball and he shouldn’t either. Who kicks goals for Italy? Who knows and who cares?
Italy 17 Scotland 43
England v Ireland
England took advantage of some sloppy Welsh forward play to get their lead last time out with soft penalties and an even softer try, and then didn’t do a lot after that. That said, they had looked good in parts up to the point of not scoring tries during the first fifty minutes or so, and at Murrayfield they also had a lot of the game without capitalising on it. Is there something fundamentally wrong or is it just all waiting to click and if so could this be the day? Considered opinion on Ovally Balls has been that playing two proper flankers wouldn’t go amiss. I had been hoping to see Lewis Ludlow, previously unknown to me though reading around the subject I see that this was probably because he was known as Dinham for a very long time. Sadly Eddie has cast him aside, leaving Curry as the only flanker left in the squad. He’s an injury doubt so we may yet see two number eights and a second row starting in the back row. I had heard that George Ford would be missing out with the apparently not very good George Furbank as the outside half cover on the bench, but see that that was just some training squad shenanigans and Ford is back in, though it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see Smith play the whole game anyway.
Passing over the Italian hooker-based non-event, Ireland’s last game was the defeat in Paris. I felt they might have got a proper hiding if it hadn’t been for Hansen’s skilful but freakish try. However, the comeback in the second half was impressive to the point that they could have gone on to win, so it’s hard to know what to make of that performance. It’s good to see significant Ulster presence in the wider squad; I’m sure they’ll all be there on match day. [Ed: harrumph!] There’s a lot more pace in Ireland’s passing this season, some of the play between the forwards is great to watch, and they look a really good team when they get going. England, though, always have a chance to win at home no matter whom they’re playing.
CMW’s prediction: Can’t be going for three away wins etc.
England 26-19 Ireland
Middle One’s prediction: Marcus Smith is the annoying-looking one who’s always really pleased with himself and has weird hair. Don’t like him though he does score a lot of points sometimes. A boy in my class wants to be Johnny Sexton and seems to support him even though he should be supporting England. Like Johnny Sexton, he plays rugby when he isn’t injured though he broke his collar-bone scoring a try the first time they were allowed to tackle each other properly, so can only play on his own at the moment.
England 27-35 Ireland
Bowwow Woofwoof Grrrr as David Bowie would say.
Plausible Expert Views by ClydeMillarWynant and The Middle One.
Onna telly this week
Friday 11th March
| Sharks v Scarlets | 17:10 | TG4 / BBC2 Wales / Premier Sports 1 |
| Italy v Scotland (U20s) | 19:00 | BBC iPlayer / website |
| Wales v France | 20:00 | BBC1 / S4C |
Saturday 12th March
| Bulls v Munster | 14:05 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Italy v Scotland | 14:15 | ITV |
| England v Ireland | 17:15 | ITV |
| England v Ireland (U20s) | 19:15 | BBC iPlayer / website |
| Ulster v Leinster | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Montpellier v Toulon | 20:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 13th March
| Lions v Cardiff | 14:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 2 | ||
| Northampton v Wasps | 15:00 | ITV / BT Sport 1 | ||
| Stormers v Zebre | 16:05 | FreeSports | ||
| Clermont v Bordeaux | 20:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
Ovally Balls 
It’s effective, but fuck me that high ball is a hard watch
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Welsh scrum half replacement sucks.
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Toby is rocking the eyeliner. It’s a sexy look.
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Jiffy is an out and out loon
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The coach in the glasses is the Frenchest-looking man ever.
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Dab – very.
Welsh defence has really got France guessing, they’ve done a good job
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Wait. What?? You can’t touch the ball with your boot in a ruck? When did that come in?
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Dab, it was after lots of hoofing it through from the ruck, you can still heel it backwards
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Thaum, I think I’m getting comments sent to the bin
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hold that thought, they are just taking a while to appear after posting
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TMO can watch a video, no?
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Cheers Ticht. Makes sense I suppose.
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mon Dieu/ mon chien, France have made a lot of errors
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Ticht – one went into the spam bin; I’ve released it.
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I will always lovely you, Foxy.
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Neil Young says it:
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I’m torn here, France have always been my second side but a GS should be precious and hard won. If they are not worth the win then fair enough
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Thaum, the problem is always around this inherited Mac that I got from my Middle One
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That scrum call was nonsense. The ball was available.
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I’m not torn at all. If France lose, then Ireland still have a chance.
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Ticht – nah, it’s WordPress/Kismet and its mysterious ways.
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Thaum, I do love this Mac, it’s loverly to use
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I mean, that advantage could have been a little longer – but not by much.
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Very long advantage in time, but didn’t get back to the kick.
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If I were a nail-chewer, I’d have nubs my now.
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God, Wales are good at fucking it up.
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Ach, good French defence but ach.
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Ach, brilliant ruck by Danty.
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Danty has had a good 6N so far
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Great test match tension
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AARRGGHH. Wales could have had that on multiple occasions.
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Ach, ach, ach. Top defence by France. Best game we’ve played so far, as tough as Ireland was for France.
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I don’t see England beating France in Paris, so it looks like a French slam. Well, they’ve deserved it.
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That’s a proper Grand Slam progression match, hard won against a tough opponent.
Really enjoyable game
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Ugh. That was frustrating.
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Wales not as bad as most people( including me, sorry) thought, France not as good as most people thought (not me, yet).
Ugly win, but I suppose Galthié ( and Edwards) will take it.
Well played Wales.
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Wales need to get more attacking options than Bigger hoofing it in to the night sky
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Well played Wales. Could have mugged them. Can’t see England getting that close. Rowlands had a great game, I thought, and Navidi makes a whole heap of difference.
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Paul Willemse doing well with the bromides in his second language.
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ticht, we had that against England at Twickenham in the 2nd half so we can do it and we have as many tries so far in the comp as Scotland with their super flash outside half. France’s defence was really good.
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The way Dan Bigger conducts himself on the pitch makes you think he is not a very nice man, but after the game and how I’ve seen him interact with the likes of Finn Russell makes me think he is a winner – a complete tosser to play against on the pitch, good guy off it
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Biggar’s matured a lot. He played very well today.
Not too sure I’d like him off the pitch, but who knows?
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Tomp, do you think Wales are a great attacking side?
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thaum, he really hates Abba, but is really keen on Bowie.
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ticht, no, not really. But there’s slightly more there than just kicking the ball in the air. France kicked the fuck out of it as well in the 2nd half (and most of the first half as well). Some games you get it like that.
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France did kick the fuck out of it, but mostly for a purpose and not as a main attacking weapon, as they’ve shown in their other games.
I think Wales are a good side, better than the way they have played. Pivac created a very good team at Scarlets, it would be good to see more of their ethos in the national side.
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Ha, just noticed the auto correct from my typing of Biggar being changed to Bigger – no slight intended
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TomP – oh well, he is an all-around great bloke then!
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The main attacking weapon is a purpose. And it was France’s main attacking weapon in the second half as far as I could see. We tried a fair bit attacking the 10 channel with Navidi and Cuthbert but didn’t get too much change out of Ntamack or not as much as we’d got out of Smith a fortnight ago at least and were at times better on our ruck ball.
I reckon we’re approaching ok but it’d be good to have two wide players in the back row as that’d suit the Pivac way of playing better. Well, you can see from last year when we had Tips and Toby with Navidi in the back row for a few games.
France can be a top attacking team, not many sides put 6 tries on Scotland at Murrayfield, but they were struggling to do much tonight.
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always about Scotland and a way to kick them
deary me,
You could just say, Wales could look for ways to use their midfield and dangerous back three
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