And now, the end is near….
That sounds good. I should put it in a song.
That can wait, though. The real reason you’re reading this gibberish is to find out what the results are going to be on Saturday.
First up, Wales against Italy. Wales have scored 5 tries to Italy’s 4. That makes you think it might be close! Until you realise that Wales have conceded 7 to Italy’s 24. Which is a bit of a problem for Italy. (Nae shit, Sherlock). Italy played better against Scotland than they had in the other games, so is this the time they can back it up with another good performance? Probably not.
Wales have struggled a bit this year. Thumped by Ireland, scraped past Scotland, somehow losing to England despite scoring all the tries and never really looking like they would beat France. So, can Italy pull off a huge shock and get past Wales in Wales?
Let’s ask Predict-A-Bear!
Answer: Nah. Might be closer than expected, but probably Wales by 15.
Next up is Ireland against Scotland. (Sob). This was going to be The Year! The year to end (Way too many to count) Years Of Hurt! A brilliant start! And then everything turned Scottish. A disappointing – to say the least – defeat in Wales, thumped by France, then showing what we can do against Italy, before deciding that things were far too easy and that we should turn Scottish again.
Never mind, it’s only Ireland. The team that has been reinvigorated under Farrell The Elder. The team that beat the All Blacks. The team that thumped Wales, gave France their closest game so far and who managed to be disappointed in only scoring 57 points against 15, 14, 13, 12 man Italy. They have scored 20 tries to our 10, conceded 3 to our 11, Sexton’s on his Neverending Farewell Tour and have the might of Ulster (cheering them on from the sidelines).
So. Any hope for Scotland? Well … Ireland’s scrum looked strangely out of sorts against England. They also seemed a bit too rushed at times. And Finn bloody owes us one! So of course, Toonie sticks him on the bench. But probably none.
But let’s find out from Predict-A-Bear!
Answer: Nah. Much as I would love to be wrong, Ireland will win this fairly comfortably, by about 15 (at least). Can’t see us even getting any sort of bonus point. (Sobs again.)
Finally, the main event! France against England! France at home and going for a Grand Slam against a (fairly) average England team. (I mean, come on, WE beat them!) Eddie’s playing mind games again, although the only people he seems to confuse with these are his players. They have looked fairly toothless in attack (7 tries scored – and they’ve played Italy!), wonder boy Smith hasn’t quite lived up to the hype (but he will), the midfield has a Manu-sized hole (but then it frequently does) and Jack Nowell will probably end up hooking in the front row. And please (don’t) let Joe Marler take more throw ins. On the good side, Maro’s been a right annoying bastard on the pitch.
But France! They have everything: they can play tight; they can be expansive as (cliché alert) only France can. They have the best player in the world, and a few others who would probably be in a world XV, strength in depth and Shaun Edwards as defence coach. They haven’t perhaps scored quite as many tries as their play would suggest and had to tough it out against Wales.
So who will win?
Predict-A-Bear to the rescue!
Answer: A France win and Grand Slam!
Predict-A-Bear whispered sweet nothings into BorderBoy‘s ear.
Onna telly this week
Friday 18th March
| Bulls v Scarlets | 17:10 | BBC2 Wales / Premier Sports 2 |
| Glasgow v Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Newcastle v Leicester | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 19th March
| Lions v Munster | 12:00 | RTÉ2 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Wales v Italy | 14:15 | BBC1 / iPlayer |
| Sharks v Zebre | 16:30 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Ireland v Scotland | 16:45 | ITV |
| France v England | 20:00 | ITV |
Sunday 20th March
| Stormers v Cardiff | 12:00 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 | ||
| Wales v Italy (U20s) | 14:00 | BBC1 Wales / iPlayer / Website | ||
| Ireland v Scotland (U20s) | 17:00 | BBC1 iPlayer / Website | ||
| France v England (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC1 iPlayer / Website |
Ovally Balls 
“Deebs Kok and Bradbury had a good match up last week”
I think I speak for everyone when I say we don’t need to see the footage of this.
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This is great:
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Bosch missed a couple of touch finders (or non-finders) last week and a couple of supposedly easy kicks at goal in the pissing rain. We’ve had that with van der Walt many times – the touchline is 100m long, how the fack can you miss it?
However, Bosch did punt from hand well and link properly so it wasn’t all bad from him last week
@Trisk, I watched Super Rugby for many years and it looked like the pace and physicality was in a different league to what we were used to. Perhaps the SA teams aren’t as strong as they were a few years ago, I’ll leave that comparison to others.
I wouldn’t like to see South Africa in the 6N, I love the new comp now and I have nothing but respect for the history of SA rugby, the current team and the huge revolution that Mandela started in the Boks by not doing what his advisors wanted in stripping that Bok jersey as a symbol – that was an act of genius.
From what I gather the Boks fans regard The All Blacks as their one proper challenge, I don’t think it’s too difficult to sell the RC to the South African public
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He’s a confidence player. Some players – Marcus Smith, for instance – can fuck up and put it behind them but still to be convinced Curwin can. He strikes the ball beautifully and can kick it miles but what was needed last week was to kick those points and to find those touches and repeatedly he failed.
He’s not best served by having Tapui and Louw outside him, who are solid at the very most. Rumours are that de Allende might go to the Sharks next season so with de Allende and Am we could see what Bosch can do with some real class outside. Still he’s not yet 25 but I hope he can get better.
When he came out of school, he got a massive contract at the Sharks and there was a whole weight of expectation on him that he’d be the player to build the club around. He got fucked around a bit when Robert du Preez Sr was choosing between him and Robert du Preez Jr, which can’t have helped, and his tackling has always been unenthusiastic, which made senior rugby a struggle because there’re a lot of big guys who know where he’s standing.
Willemse’s another stellar age group player who found the step up and the expectations on him tough but he’s looking good at the moment.
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The 4 away games at the start of the season was a bit of a rude start for the South Africans. No travel outside SA in the preceding 18 months, new venues, new countries, for the vast vast majority of players, the Covid restrictions that were still in place all would have made it tough for them this year so I think they’ve done quite well
They spent 2020 and 2021 playing endlessly against each other and suddenly got all this. The game is different as well, more emphasis on double tackling and the collision, different refereeing interpretations – which really riled them at the start.
The big thing for me is I hope they can keep their squads intact and have some continuity. The Kings were dead in the water from the start because of the contract situation with their 2017 SuperRugby side and they had to rustle up a squad from somewhere. The Cheetahs were ok in the first year and then lost many of their strongest performers to the other SA SuperRugby sides, Japan and the Scarlets.
If they can hold on to their players, they’ll be better off next season, apart maybe from the Sharks who’ll lose a load for the RC
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SA definitely see NZ as their biggest rivals and vice versa. It is the best test rivalry for me as well. It’s not the game they hate losing most, mind.
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Going to do a big catch up. We went for our vineyard safari this morning. We could have seen a wild boar. We didn’t though.
It snowed, in Provence, in April.
Fantastic wine though.
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Ulster ahead 3 – 9 at HT.
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They’re playing very well, thaum, very impressed. Bulls a bit slow to the breakdown.
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It’s a B side … but they’re doing pretty well. Expect them to start dropping like flies soon.
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Bulls score after a dodgy ref decision.
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With a fair sprinkling of your main starters – Henderson, Vermeulen, Timoney, Hume, Lowry, Doak.
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Dodgy ref’s decision that said it wasn’t a try.
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Yes – a fair few, but also a fair few missing.
I meant the previous decision.
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The one that was very close to the not-a-try decision last week, but going the other way this time.
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Ah, right. The Saffer TMO called that one.
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Yep.
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Bloody hell. It might be all over now.
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Ulster go all wrong in midfield and Tambwe holds off Lowry to score.
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20-9 now after a fine touchline conversion from Smith.
Top pick-up by Harold Vorster in the build-up.
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Ulster seem to think it’s a game of pinball now.
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Me: watch fucking Madigan miss touch.
The mister: rolls eyes as touch is missed.
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Marshall’s playing well. Went well last week, on his first game in donkeys’.
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MAAARRSHAAAALLLL!
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Good try. Very nice the way the big lads kept running on to the ball and then Madigan taking it right to the line.
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Possible punch thrown by an Ulster prop.
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Ah, Jonker’s gone for the wrong thing. Treadwell head shot. Nothing too bad with it.
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Yeah, well, he’s got a yellow.
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A yellow card. Hmm, there was enough mitigation there I think.
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Again I’m reminded of a decision last week that went the other way.
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And the Bulls take advantage. Kick to corner and a drive over v 7-man pack.
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Ouch. Doak punts a penalty into touch and cramps up immediately.
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Oh look, there’s another shoulder to the head (from Coetzee). Will *he* get a card?
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Well, he does get a yellow.
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Yes. Ex-Ulster player so that has to be taken into account. He learnt the dirtiness up there.
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Oh fucking hell. What a poor pass (forwards anyway) for the intercept try.
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TomP – ‘scuse me, but Ulster have the fewest penalties of all teams. He’s obviously learnt his dirty ways back in his homeland.
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Bonus point try from Arendse on an intercept of a tired-looking pass from a tired-looking Doak. Shame for Ulster and as Tredwell was about to come back on to make it 15-14.
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Ulster’s next 3 games are Toulouse (x2) and Munster. April might be the cruellest month after all.
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Oh hell. Thanks for the uplifting thought.
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Bulls up to 6th for the time being, Ulster stay second until after Munster-Leinster game at least.
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‘Mon Munster!
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SA panel in a hurry but Breyton Paulse says you have to feel for Ulster and Dan McFarland might be the unluckiest coach in SA at the moment.
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thaum, if Munster win, they go second.
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Gnecchi the ref in Egoli. Some sort of masterclass coming up from the man with the whistle.
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Oh. I should pay more attention.
But can’t bring myself to wish a Leinster victory.
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Immelman murders a drop goal, 50 metres and still going. Phenomenal kick.
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Dan Biggar’s a lucky boy. Went into a tackle against Randrandra upright and bounced his shoulder off the ball, up into the Bristol player’s head. Only a penalty, no card.
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Refit – sounds quite similar to Treadwell’s card.
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The was almost the most wonderful try, from the Saints 14 Tommy Freeman. He runs down the wing, into the Bristol 22. A Bristol player flies across to tackle him, but he puts in a deft grubber, runs around the defender, regathers and then dots down for the try…
…However the TMO spots that his heel just brushes the line as he catches the ball. Shame, that was some lovely skill.
Saints 3-5 Bristol. 23 mins
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