‘Tis a cruel, cruel championship that makes you play the same very, very good side two weeks in a row.
Ulster somehow managed to pull off an away win against Toulouse, but nearly threw it away at the end.
What was so scary about the champions?
- Their seven-foot (or nearly) line-out stealer
- Their incredible counter-rucking
- Their loosey-goosey attack
- Their more than solid defence
- The World Player of the Year™
We face them this weekend at Ravenhill, but they are going to be revved up, I reckon. The score was 20-26, and that’s not a comfy cushion (‘No! Not the comfy cushion!’)
Read on for the other fixtures.
Onna telly this week
Friday 15th April
| Leinster v Connacht | 17:e0 | BT Sport 1 |
| Bristol v Sale | 20:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 16th April
| Chiefs v Moana Pasifika | 05:35 | Sky Sports Main Event |
| Highlanders v Hurricanes | 08:05 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Western Force v Waratahs | 12:30 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| La Rochelle v Bordeaux | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Munster v Exeter | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Leicester v Clermont | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Scarlets v Dragons | 19:35 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 |
| Ulster v Toulouse | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 17th April
| Saracens v Cardiff | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Racing 92 v Stade Français | 15:30 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Ed Sheeran should just be banned. Full stop.
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Didn’t realise everyone would take Deebee’s banning of Ed Sheeran quite so seriously…
Or maybe we’re all just celebrating?
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*Blows Sag’s party squeaker thing*
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PAR-TAY!
I’m more concerned about Flair’s near-failure to guess yesterday’s Wordle, which was … FLAIR.
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Got it though, near failure’s still a win.
I do it every day, like the US v.p apparently. Good for my aging brain they say. Fun seems to be a forgotten concept.
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I don’t know who Ed Sheeran is, though.
Should Toulouse thank him?
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Don’t even acknowledge him, Flair. And thank your lucky stars that you haven’t been subjected to his music (or whoever he pinched it from. Allegedly, cough).
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@OT – I’d reckon “Galway Girl” probably brings to mind the Steve Earle song – a cover by Mundy was a big hit here a while back. So, Sheeran will probably escape for that one…
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Galaxy brain predictions for the weekend:
Toulouse by 5
Tiggers by 3*
La Rochelle by 10
Sharks by 3*
* or the other team by millions.
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DCC’s lad has some skill with the paint brush
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Are there many old AODers on twitter?
I have a twitter account but I only really read it and occasionally retweet the likes of Scottish folk musicians and Jack Monroe
oh and the sheep dog from Skye
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The only ones I know of, are DCC, B12Simon and DCI. Checkh used to be, but haven’t seen him in ages.
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Larry is on there.
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Fd also actually.
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Worst romcom ever.
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OT – starring Neil Morrissey, Sarah Lancashire and Russel Howard.
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And Harold Bishop from Neighbours as FD
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I have a Twitter account for work but go on there less than I do Facebook. And I only go there a few times a year on instruction from Mrs Deebee to wish someone happy Birthday etc.
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@deebee
I’ll probably be talking to this bloke over the weekend….
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OT – given that it’ll probably be on Netflix I imagine Prince Harry would play FD.
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OT – good solid cricketer, who was on the cusp of national honours here for a while, without ever making the breakthrough. Good team player.
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@deebee
He played against England a couple of years ago. He’s going to be very popular in this part of suburbia.
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Octordle has gone mental today
Daily Octordle #88
5️⃣5️⃣
5️⃣5️⃣
5️⃣5️⃣
5️⃣5️⃣
octordle.com
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So it has!
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Angus Bell red carded after 3 minutes in the Chiefs-Tahs match for a spear tackle on Sam Cane. Silly bugger. He should know that you never do that to an All Black captain. Especially if he’s wearing number 7.
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Some good pop passes by the Tahs tight five gets them deep into the Chiefs 22, with a 5m line out to come. They opt for the penalty and 3 points instead.
So, my understanding of the new red card rule is that they’re down to 14 for 20 minutes and can then replace the sent off player with another and get back to 15. But they’ve already sent on their replacement prop, so will likely just go back to the flank who was subbed to accommodate the prop in the first place. Does mean the replacement prop will have to play for 76 minutes, something of a novelty in the modern game.
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Tahs down to 13 for the next few minutes as Wales Legend Jamie Roberts is binned for something – not sure what – and the Chiefs make hay, going in for another try (I seem to have missed one just now). 15-3 after 18 minutes. Craigs, you’re a cruel man for invoking the ghost of FD just in time to see his side get another pasting form another Kiwi side. Shame on you!
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20-3 with a simple line out, off the top, down the line, one runner looping around and a beautiful skip pass out wide for the 3rd try so far.
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The foolproof Deebee Kiss of Death™ stirs from his slumber as soon as I type the last comment and the Tahs, who’ve looked decent enough ball in hand, split open the midfield channel for the third or fourth time in the opening 30 minutes and make it count with a very good try of their own. Conversion is wide, 20-10 with eight to go to oranges.
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More good hands from the Chiefs, who recycle calmly and effectively through the phases, getting it out wide with runners from deep creating space and doubt in the defence, to eventually go over in the left corner. Simple, excellent rugby. Conversion wide, so 30-10 with a minute to HT. Will Harrison the Tahs 15 has limped off with an ankle problem by the looks of it.
Tahs win the restart, straight up the middle and pass it around a bit without getting over the advantage line, until the flank Charlie Gamble, who’s looked a handful this season, busts a tackle in midfield and sends the wing Alex Newsome in for the try. Conversion is good and it’s 30-17 at the break. Some very entertaining rugby, helped by some indifferent defence and the Tahs are just about hanging in there!
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Uncontested scrums now as the Tahs run out of props. 30-20 early in the 2nd half. Chiefs are exerting a lot of pressure and getting the ball through the hands. Unfortunately the bloke who latches onto a slightly speculative pass is Jake Gordon, whos scampers downfield to score under the sticks, and it’s suddenly 30-27!
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Seems the Tahs have lost both hookers – Harry Johnson-Holmes, who looks like the love child of Bojo and Prince Harry – takes the line out throw. Tahs take it off the top and spread it wide – right into the hands of Chiefs winger Johan Lowe, who strolls in for the try.
From the restart it’s almost a repeat but the Chiefs can’t hang onto the ball. 37-27 with 20 to go. Jeez, this Super Rugby is powderpuff, basketball-lite stuff. Cough.
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Both sides kicking more this half, until the Chiefs settle it down and bust up the middle, offload to Jonah Lowe is good and he’s got a hat trick! 44-27, into the last 10 minutes. Chiefs replace one prop with another, which is curious when you’re going with uncontested scrums.
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Chiefs down to 14 for killing the ball close to the line. Tahs tap and go but can’t get over. Another penalty and they opt for the 5m uncontested scrum, fling it out wide, almost lose it, a cross-grubber to the wing who is then pinged for holding on. Very scrappy.
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J Lowe in for number 4! Ireland pinched the wrong one! This one has better moves than J-Lo too!
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51-27 is the final score, and keeping to musical themes, cheap, instantly forgettable, but strangely satisfying, the looks on the Tahs players faces are saying ‘Oops! I did it again!’ as they trudge off after another trans-Tasman hammering.
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Even allowing for the absence through injury of Nowell, Devoto, J.Hill, Sam Simmonds, Williams and Ewers, this is a pretty wild looking selection for Exeter vs. SAracens in a ‘must win’:
Hogg, Woodburn, Whitten, Hendrickson, O’Flaherty
Slade, S. Maunder
Hepburn, Yeandle, Street
Gray, Skinner
Kirsten, Capstick, Vermeulen
Innard, Keast, Schickerling, Jenkins, Greondona,, Townsend, J. Simmonds, Hodge.
Saracens by quite a few??……………….or, not
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Just realised my galaxy brained predictions wasn’t for the weekend. But I knew that, I meant The weekend.
There we go, saved.
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Glasgow going well so far, 7-0 up against the Stormers in Cape Town, 26 minutes gone
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Stormers take the lead after a penalty and good try
10 – 7
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Thanks Ticht! Was so busy moaning about the power being off that I forgot about the rugby. You seem to have Deebee’d Glasgow with that comment!
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The first one, obviously. 13-7 to the Stormers at brannas en Coke. Otherwise called half time.
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Can someone tell Brace that a ball going forward off a player is not allowed the laws, unless it’s from the boot
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Stormers trying to be too cute ball in hand. Too many 50-50 offloads with the receiver in a lousy position. Can’t fault the ambition, but execution and thought processes a bit frenetic.
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Easy run in for Stormers there, Glasgow were MIA
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Lovely try
Glasgow nowhere now
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Looks like Superbru were right to laugh at me when I thought Glasgow could win down there.
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Stormers showing both sides of their DNA, going from scrappy crap to great hands and supreme confidence from one phase to another. Glasgow looking a wee bit shell-shocked at the moment.
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Still 20 minutes to go BB. Keep the faith! Great cover defence! Not sure what the ref is checking for? Yip nothing.
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Not for the first time Glasgow fall apart, the lack of leadership on the field hurts them unless they are battering the opposition.
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