It’s the play-offs for both the URC and the English Premiership. As Ulster v Munster kicks off shortly, I shan’t waste any more time.
Onna telly this week
Friday 3rd June
| Ulster v Munster | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
Saturday 4th June
| Bulls v Sharks | 12:45 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Gloucester v Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Northampton v Newcastle | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Leinster v Glasgow | 15:15 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Stormers v Edinburgh | 18:00 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Yeah, Jacinda always strikes me as one of the few leaders who has their head screwed on properly
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rugby:
I read Exeter have signed Sharks young lock, van Hearden.
Anyone seen him play, rate him or otherwise.
Losing Skinner, Hill and Lonsdale, Exeter are a bit thin on quality locks at the moment – Jonny Gray plus some promising youngsters……………
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Slade, I saw him play schools rugby 7, 8 years ago and have seen him on the telly in a few games since. He’s very solid, a good player, but had some injuries this year I think.
Slightly strange that the Sharks have let him go but they’re getting Etzebeth next season – though he’ll be away a lot – and have another younger van Heerden (no relation) who’s highly rated on the way.
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Suavo, good to see you again. Keep on keeping on.
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Glad to hear you and La Suava are fine.
Same here, wrt vax. LadyFlair got the covid in spite of having had her 3 injections at the time. She went through five quite unpleasant days but she’s fine now. Bad weed like me got through without catching it. Had my 4th injection a couple of weeks ago.
Congrats on the 73. Shot my best ever, 75, which like you destroyed my handicap for some time. Am back around 7 now. Won’t last though, as my tiny tactical progress is nullified by age creeping in. Still great fun.
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I guess our friends over in league have had a 100 year start on us in answering the questions about how to keep the game “watchable” (from a spectator’s POV…is there any other?). I think I read somewhere “what did union expect when developing league-style defences with 2 extra players??”
We may or may not come up with same solutions (they got rid of lineouts, we allowed lifting) but we have the same issues. There might be something in pushing the ruck offside line back (5m? it’s a loose scrum so why not apply the scrum laws) – hard to police though.
Caterpillar rucks – I’d suggest something like no-one can join the ruck once the 9 touches it, and apply “use it” more strictly….
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Thanks Tomp – his solidness will be welcome.
Perhaps Baxter stardust will further improve him?
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The cricket… could they???
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@Dab – root gone early so they’re more likely to lose now. Not sure England have the players to shut up shop (or that Stokes will feel able to given the rhetoric about positivity) so how they go about it will be interesting.
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@CMW yup – just a matter of time now for NZ. Terrible commentary from Isa and Tuffers – gave the kiss of death first to Pope then to Root.
Isa is an awful commentator – never tells you anything about the bowler’s actions – just tells you what the batsman is doing. I blame Mountford.
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Great time for Bairstow to silence his critics, Stokes to smash an uber-positive hundred etc so I suppose you never know. Surprised Lees has gone so well, didn’t look the part at all when he was scratching around, but he’s starting to look quite good…
Both matches have been good enough that I haven’t been irritated at all by the commentary though I know what you mean.
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I actually can’t switch the wireless back on for fear of jinxing them…
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Yeah, Dab,even I’ve got TMS on the computer here in Connecticut. Turn it on, your missing something. If they lose , they lose, but at least they are giving it a go.
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I’m quite taken with my new-found powers.
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Plenty of the folks without much in the way of critical faculties have fallen in thrall to the conspiratorial mindset
That’s what happens when you let a whole load of disgruntled Saffers into the country. Conspiracy theories are our national sport. Although we’ll probably be cheated out of the medals again at the next World Champs.
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Ireland squad for NZ
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Watching Ulster vs Stormers – Warwick coped well with Kitshoff and Malherbe…. by comparison Cian Healy got 5 mins vs Bulls. Healy looks done at international level. Loughman from Munster is an odd pick too…
No spot for McCloskey or Doak but Harry Byrne is picked… ahead of “the brother” (Carty is injured). Unfortunately, Baloucoune is also out injured. Looks like that opened the door to Larmour – who while a devastating open field runner really shows very little sign that he’s fixed his issues under the high ball…
No sign that we’re fixing the shortcomings in the 2nd row – McCarthy is the new “big thing” – but although invited into Ireland training camps – has played very little significant time for Leinster (5 mins vs La Rochelle) although did start vs Bulls.
Still missing a hard bastard at THL
10 is becoming a worry – Sexton doesn’t get any younger, Carbery isn’t any way near his old level and Byrne (H) hasn’t had much time in big games.
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Not becoming- it is a worry. A 37 year old incumbent, an out of form backup, alternatives (Burns, Byrne, and Carty) discarded and no time to test the alternatives ….
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Trisk – no McCloskey or Doak – FFS! Hume is very good, but he plays exceptionally well with MsCloskey, who ALWAYS makes ground. They just read each other very well.
I am also v worried about 10, and don’t see an obvious solution.
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On a different topic, there might be hope for humanity:
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I don’t understand the football. If its not the Euros, and its not the World Cup, then why have it and why give a shit?
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It’s intended to stop there being international ‘friendlies’, plus it gives teams at similar levels a chance of playing other teams at that level. And it is a way of getting to a play-off for the Euros (which is how Scotland got to the last tournament).
Strange that this should come up tonight. Wonder why….
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While there’s an element of cluttering up the schedule with extra matches – the competitive side is good.
Ireland have played quite well in last 2 games.
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BB – Strange that this should come up tonight. Wonder why….
I literally only found out about this tournament on Saturday as I don’t follow soccer much. I like Southgate and the team seem better people than previous incarnations, which is nice.
Some friends were moaning about last night’s result and I was non plussed. It’s probably fair to moan tbh.
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Theb cricket was fun though.
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Theb?
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Last time England got walloped at home by Hungary in football Wales beat New Zealand in rugby later in the year.
(So, a hell of a long time ago.)
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Tomp – Papacraigs was also born in that year.
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Stupid Papacraigs killing the blog.
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Stormers and Bulls killed blog more likely. Irish 10s replacing England centres as topic d’jour. Is Sexton planning on another World Cup?
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He’s going to be at the next World Cup for about 25 minutes…
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Probably all too accurate, BB.
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Driven to temporary(?) insanity by the extreme heat hereabouts, I researched Peter Bone MP on Wikipedia…….why?
If he is the standard we really are beyond help
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It seems possible that the Boner may have played cricket v CMW at one point.
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Important day in cultural history today. June 16th is, of course, the day that Private Harry Speakup bit Staff Sargeant Stanley Sowici’s finger, according to Sowici’s testimony in this classic episode of The Phil Silvers Show:
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Also, Bloomsday. Saw a few people dressed up in an Edwardian-stylee in the centre of town earlier today and thought that was ok, a bit weird, but ok. Nothing really to do with the book but y’know it’s just like fans of Harry Potter dressing up like a wizard. Some people take the day a bit more seriously, however, and will perform parts of the book as I found out when we were cycling past Sandymount Strand earlier. Shocking scenes.
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@TomP- Good memory for our fixture list you’ve got there, but we only started playing them last year. Some of their team were old enough, but were too Pakistani to be him.
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It stuck in my mind because it was funny and the Methodist link.
The Methodists are always at it, mind. My grandmother was at Methodist College in Belfast and she was good friends with twins called Nat and Mary Cromey. My gran lived just off the Crumlin Road for a bit and the twins’ home was a few hundred yards away. Their older brother George became a reverend and was a top outside half at Methodist College and later for Ulster, Ireland and the Lions. Because of my great-grandad’s job I asked her once if they’d known each other well both being Methodist ministers and all that and she said that George and family were Presbyterians but Methodist College accepted all sorts.
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Is Sexton planning on another World Cup?
Well, unless force majeur intervenes, he’s nailed on starter for RWC 2023. However, I think that’s it for him.
But behind Sexton, it’s a mess.
Carbery is out of form and looks a bit shy of contact (naturally enough with his injury record),
Ross Byrne is behind his brother. The brother has had very few starts in serious games – none in Europe.
Carty and Burns – their chance has come and gone.
Healy at Munster has been overlooked – while not the finished article, he’s had plenty of starts in URC and Heino.
Frawley(Leinster) is capable of playing 10 or 12 but appears to be 4th choice 10 at Leinster and now 3rd choice 12 (Leinster just signed Ngatai from Lyon)
Plenty of candidates but insistence of playing Sexton all the time has crippled any succession plan
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I had to go to Munster Branch AGM, so I put on a few podcasts from R4 In Our Time – learned a lot about Comenius and then on the “Davidian Revolution” – the changes brought in the 12th century Kingdom of Scotland by King David. I was interested to hear that prior to David – who oriented his country to the east and towards the south – Scotland was regarded as an “extension” of Ireland. I knew SFA about the history of Scotland before James V….
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What’s the northern take on the Ireland tour to NZ?
I haven’t had anything to do with keeping up with what & when (just checked the itinerary; 3 tests and 2 games against the Maori XV and that’s it) and feel that the ABs are likely to be found wanting, yet again. Ireland have put any talk of a hoodoo well into the past with a couple of recent wins and the ABs front-row has appeared shonky in the last few seasons. I don’t hold out much hope. There may be something approaching parity in the backs but if we can’t get decent front-foot ball we’re dog tucker.
Foster doesn’t have the unfailing support of the public over here and there will be increasing calls for his dismissal (Razor Robinson has plenty of vociferous Cantabrian support) should it all go tits-up. And with RWC looming…
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Joburg is north of New Zealand, so I’ll give it a first go: everyone knows the Ballsacks are there for the taking, with a crap front row based on marshmallow props, over the hill locks and fancy dan loose forwards. Ireland should muller them up front. Decent back row options for the Kiwis, but Ireland are no shrinking wallflowers in that department either. Ireland, however, have a 9-10 axis that went on the Ark two by two with little in the way of back up, a midfield that can match any in the world, assuming 9 and 10 are a) fit and on the field, and b) able to get decent ball to them for long enough periods to work their magic.
The Kiwis have plenty of gas out wide but can’t settle on a 9-10 either and Mo’unga behind a retreating pack isn’t all that. TJ Perenara being booted to touch is either a masterstroke or one gobby Smith niggle away from disaster. I think we can safely say it’s a Greenwash of the most pleasing order.
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What’s the northern take on the Ireland tour to NZ
Mixture of optimism and pessimism. Farrell has gone all in on series win – 40 players in the panel means it’s not regarded as a development tour. Only H Byrne and (to an extent ) McCarthy fit that description.
Team is heavily dependent on Leinster and we’ve seen that they are not invincible. Possibly, NZ don’t have the tight five to take advantage of what looks to be the main weakness.
Potential weakness at half backs – Gibson Park and Sexton is fine. Though JGP’s game relies on ruck speed – slow rucks make his (relatively) inaccurate passing more of an issue. Murray isn’t in good form for Munster. Can’t see Sexton making it through all 3 tests unscathed. Carbery also out of form, and thought of Byrne on the bench is scary.
Back row – loads of options, centres and back 3 – all good. Front row – replacement props are weak. Second row – good, but Ryan nowhere near the potential level we expected when he debuted in 2018
Expectation is NZ will come at us – losing in the Aviva was bad – losing at home would be unacceptable. With Peyper reffing the 2nd test – we’re expecting to get roughed up.
Almost the worst case is to win in NZ – but get routed by France or South Africa in RWC 2023 because post tour euphoria hides the problems against heavy packs.
We’re reliant on a RL style – quick rucks and move the ball before defences get set. Slow the ruck speed and lack of heavy carriers outside front row (Porter, Furlong, Kelleher) becomes obvious – Dorris and Conan prefer wider spaces – and are effective there. Same with van der Flier.
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@Trisk – “Scotland was regarded as an “extension” of Ireland. I knew SFA about the history of Scotland before James V….”
I seem to remember that Sag had views on this sort of thing…
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Any time I’ve tried to read up on early Scottish history I’ve found it too hard to get to grips with.
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@cmw
It was an interesting talk – apparently the early Scottish realm was mainly east coast – northern bits were under Norse control, and Western Isles, Galloway were semi-detached… notionally part of Scottish kingdom but effectively did their own thing.
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I can imagine there’s less of a direct narrative than what the “accepted” narrative for English history purports to be (Alfred the Great – Edward the Confessor – Norman Conquest – Henry II – Edward I – Wars of the Roses – Tudors – Stuarts – Civil War)
(I’m guessing modern viewpoints are much more heterogeneous)
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The very word Dalriada sent a chill running down the little musician’s spine.
I’m uncomfortable with a “nationalist” approach to the history but it is a real thing so has to be accounting for. Still love the short Hugh Kearney book about the “Four Nations” and I recommend the massive 3-volume Brendan O’Leary work A Treatise on Northern Ireland.
One thing I read recently was Gareth Mulvenna’s book on the Tartan Gangs of the north in the early 1970s, which is a slightly obscure read but shows up the continuing linkages between Scotland and (part of) Ireland.
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Oh, and the final nugget was that when David was appointed “steward” (I think) of St David’s Cathedral in Wales (Llandaff?) there was a huge upswing in children (well, boys I suppose) called “David” ..prior to that it was not a common / known name amongst Welsh nobility (I guess it’s their names that were logged/registered not the sons of peasant Owain ap Rhys from down the road)
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Greenwash!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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