Rejoice, northern hemisphere rugby fans! For there is actually some rugby on the telly tonight, in the form of a pre-season ‘friendly’ between Ulster and Exeter. Scarlets v Bristol and Leinster v Harlequins are also tonight, but on some dodgy channels I’ve never heard of. On Saturday and Sunday, there are Rugby Championship and Top14 matches.
Ulster are putting out a slew of new/little-known faces, including five new signings. Jake Flannery (10) and Michael McDonald (9) start at half-back, with the other three newbies – Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Frank Bradshaw-Ryan and Sean Reffell – in the pack.
There’s a massive replacement list that will have to be whittled down before kick-off, but Jacob Stockdale is expected to make an appearance.
Ulster: Shea O’Brien; Aaron Sexton, Angus Curtis, Ian Madigan, Rob Lyttle; Jake Flannery, Michael McDonald; Callum Reid, Declan Moore, Jeff Toomaga-Allen; Frank Bradshaw-Ryan, Sam Carter; Harry Sheridan, Sean Reffell, Jordi Murphy (capt).
Replacements from: Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, John Andrew, Marty Moore, Gareth Milasinovich, Alan O’Connor, Cormac Izuchukwu, Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, Greg Jones, Nathan Doak, Conor McKee, Billy Burns, Jacob Stockdale, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Rory Telfer.
I can’t find any info on the Exeter side, but let’s hope it’s equally experimental. Perhaps Slade can enlighten us.
Onna telly this week
Friday 2nd September
| Ulster v Exeter | 19:00 | BBC2 NI / iPlayer |
| Scarlets v Bristol | 19:00 | recast |
| Leinster v Harlequins | 19:30 | 247.tv |
Saturday 3rd September
| New Zealand v Argentina | 08:05 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Australia v South Africa | 10:35 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Racing 92 v Castres | 14:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| England v USA (women) | 15:00 | ITV4 |
| Stade Français v Clermont | 16:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| La Rochelle v Montpellier | 20:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 4th September
| Bordeaux v Toulouse | 20:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
Ovally Balls 
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Flair, I thought Freddie Mercury died some years ago?
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Can’t watch the rugby this morning. Bah! Will have to follow it on Twitter or something.
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Deebee, that’s cheeky about FM.
If need be, will try to run a commentary, although you may prefer to watch it later without knowing the result?
First, no idea who will win this. NZ seem to be in a better place but both teams blow hot and cold. Still, holding the Bledisloe for almost 20 years is some achievement.
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What git decided 10:45AM on a Thurs was the sensible time to put on a rugby match? Lucky I’ve got a day off work.
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Foley at 10, Gordon at 9 for Oz.
NZ mostly unchanged, save Savea, by his wife’s bedside.
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Thanks Flair – as you see fit, I’ll probably watch highlights later, but commentary on here is always superior anyway.
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Oz are doing the 2011 French answer to the Haka, a V shape arrow moving forward.
Raynal’s the ref. Good but finecky.
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Try NZ after 4 minutes. 3 mauls after 3 lineouts close to the Oz in goal line. Mounga transforms. 7/0.
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First blood to the ABs. Aus mess up the kick-off and the ball goes off a hand into touch, on their line. ABs try to set a maul, but Aus infringe and they get a penalty. Rinse-repeat and on the 3rd attempt Taukeiaho crosses the line with the ball.
0-7. 3 mins
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Question – is SBW the worst commentator at the moment?
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Scrum penalty against Oz. Jordie Barrett misses.
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They’ve closed the stadium roof and set off fireworks in the lead up to the match – now there is just smoke lingering in the air.
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New penalty against Slipper in a ruck. Mounga succeeds. 0/10.
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Right, got it on a dodgy stream on my phone. Tuned in just in time to see the Wobbly LH popped like a champagne cork. Luckily Barrett botches the penalty to keep Aus within a single score inside the first 10 minutes. All UnZud so far.
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Only 10 mins played, but 91% possession to the ABs.
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Apparently my dodgy stream is about two minutes delayed. Will the Kiwis have the bonus point before half time is the only question worth posing now.
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No pressure on the Kiwi kicker on the clearance – gives them plenty of time to get a decent boot on it. That’s really lousy defence from Australia on the first time they had the ABs under pressure.
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If you’re 2 minutes behind, I’ll stop commenting.
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Oh, Aus can play. They have a lineout in the ABs half, go long and Wright picks a wonderful line, only getting stopped near the ABs 5m line. They go wide, but Koroibete gets the ball ripped by J Barrett.
Back for an ABs pen infringement. 10-3 19 mins
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Penalty Wobblies for tackling the man without the ball. Came from an overthrown lineout they snaffled and got over the advantage line. Lining it up in front and Foley pops it over 3-10 after 18 minutes. Of course as I’m typing this, it’s possible they’ve conceded down the other end.
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Carry on, Flair (my wayward son)! I read just as slowly!
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The way Sean Maloney over enunciates “Koroibete” is starting to get a little old.
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Great move by Oz but try should be disallowed, as grounding incomplete. Poor finish.
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It was good work by Ioane to hold Kellaway, but ultimately it was his own wrist that prevented the try.
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Hell, that’s a great try! Really took it up through the middle through phase after phase, sucking in the Kiwi defence, then wide left, back across the park into acres of space and try time Wobblies! Looking at a potnetial ‘contact to face area’ from Mo’Unga too. Chalked off the try? No commentary so no idea why? Lost over the line?
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Havili has failed an HIA.
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@Deebee – Kellaway’s right arm ended up under the ball and stopped it touching the ground.
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Ah. Right. Pity. Aus need the rub of the green in this match if they’re to stand a chance and they’re not getting it so far.
And their scrum is back to dodgy.Fabulous scrum by Australia! Just seen the replay of the non-try. Kellaway was silly. Sam Cane off, should improve the Kiwis quite a bit.LikeLike
Havili fails his HIA.
Now Cane off for an HIA.
Oz kicks to touch instead of taking the points. Good choice. Valentini scores from close range. YC for Cane’s replacement.
12/10 to Oz.
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Valentini scores for Aus. They get two scrum pens in succession and opt to go for the corner. They’re a little way out, but splinter the maul and Valentini drives over. Yellow for Papali’i (on for Cane), from the maul.
10-10 26 mins
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Thanks Refit – just saw that. Silly boy!
No doubting that try from the line out and maul! Only real question remaining is whether Australia will get their bonus point before half time! Cough. Papili’i off for 10 minutes after only being on the pitch for about 2.
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Good game, quite lively.
And its 10/10.
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Not sure VdM used his arms in that tackle.
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Need to take those chances. Had the ABs under the cosh, great defence though.
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Impressive work by the ABs. Aus get a scrum pen and put in the corner. They reverse off the lineout and are stopped near the touch line. They recycle and work in-field, and the ABs repel 6 attempts at the line, without conceding even a pen.
Now Clarke charges into the Aus half. He gets into the Aus 22 before he is stopped and Tom Wright gets a yellow.
Cane has failed his HIA.
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Fruitless 15 phases attack in the tight by Oz . Penalty for NZ.
Great counter attack by Clarke, a bit greedy. Nevertheless YC for Wright. Leota injured off .
Now TMO reviews foul play by Oz Swain. Wallabies down to 13 men.
NZ kicks to touch. And…
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Yellow for Darcy Swain, for targeting the knee of Tupaea, as he’s acting as 9. Tupaea has gone off injured.
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Great save by Gordon. No try. Scrum 5.
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Taukeiaho looks to have scored, but great defence by an Aus player forces the ball out of his hand as he tries to get it down.
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Oops. Nope. Kick from their goal line to Oz.
Tupaia off injured. Barrett on.
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Aus down to 13 and Smith itching to pull a Nick White there. They’re gonna be badly stretched either side of the break, which is where the Kiwis like to do their scoring. Crikey, another Kiwi off! They’ll have emptied the bench by 50 minutes at this rate.
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ABs roll over an Aus scrum and get the ball. It goes wide and it’s a 3 on 2, but Ioane throws it behind B Barrett and it ends up an Aus pen.
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Half-time hooter. 10-10
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10/10 at HT.
Players fall like flies in a DDT cloud. Scary stuff. Doubt they’ll have enough subs.
ABs look like a Formula 1 engine without oil.
Oz doing well with 2 men down, don’t think they can sustain the efforts throughout.
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ABs not messing about at the start of the second half. They take the kickoff in the far corner and recycle a couple of times. Then they go mid-field and Barrett pokes a ball across the pitch to Jordan, who dinks a ball into the Aus half. ABs counter-ruck, then go wide and Taukeiaho busts a couple of tackles to score after 50 secs.
10-17
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ABs almost do it again, except Setutu makes the baffling decision to put through a grubber and Ioane is penalised for a high-tackle.
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Aus back to 15.
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Horrible start for Aus, conceding a soft try and then almost a second from the restart. Kiwis cutting them up at will. Wobblies need to slow it down, get back to 15 and hope they can claw their way back into it. And they get a penalty and two players back simultaneously! That’ll help!
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