Ireland v South Africa
With Bundee Aki in detention for being a bad boy and Robbie Henshaw pulling a hamstring in training, Stuart McCloskey is at last getting a start in a big game. Fellow Ulsterman Flying Robert Baloucoune also starts on the wing, with Rob Herring and Kieran Treadwell on the bench. Springboks better be careful! Ireland by 5 (McCloskey try).
Italy v Samoa
Hard to predict as I’ve no idea what Samoa’s form is like, but they may benefit from some poached players returning. Draw.
Scotland v Fiji
Fiji are never a side to be discounted, but a strong Scotland will do the business, even without Finn’s flair. Scotland by 15.
Wales v New Zealand
With half the first-choice starters injured (and Halfpenny currently an injury doubt too), this can only go one way. NZ by 38. (It would have been 48, but talisman AWJ is on the bench.)
France v Australia
France have rediscovered Gallic flair and are currently a truly frightening side to face. They are also hosting the World Cup next year, and will want to put on a good display. Wobblies are wobbly. France by 15.
England v Argentina
Eddie Jones has named a tired side, albeit with Marcus Smith at fly-half and a new bloke. As astutely pointed out by the notablog denizens, Billy Vunipola is unlikely to last more than 20 minutes. Argentina by 2.
Onna telly this week
Friday 4th November
| Northampton v Exeter | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 5th November
| England v Canada (women) | 03:30 | ITV |
| France v New Zealand (women) | 06:30 | ITV |
| Scotland v Fiji | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Sale v Gloucester | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Italy v Samoa | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Wales v New Zealand | 15:15 | Amazon Prime |
| Ireland v South Africa | 17:30 | Amazon Prime |
| France v Australia | 20:00 | Amazon Prime |
Sunday 6th November
| Pau v Bordeaux | 14:10 | Viaplay (formerly Premier Sports) |
| England v Argentina | 14:15 | Amazon Prime |
Ovally Balls 
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your Sure Fire Winners™ for this weekend:
Tonga v Chile Tonga by 20
Ireland v Fiji Ireland by 23
Italy v Australia Australia by 3
Georgia v Samoa Georgia by 6
Spain v Namibia Spain by 5
England v Japan England by 14
Wales v Argentina Argentina by 7
France v South Africa France by 8
Romania v Uruguay Romania by 11
Scotland v New Zealand New Zealand by 26
The only real questions this weekend are how much Ireland win by, whether Italy give us something to snigger about (or whether they’ll wait for next weekend for that), whether Japan can get a bit closer to England than 14 points – possibly, if Wales can be less crap than against the ABs, whether South Africa will kick themselves for having their only kicker on the bench (would probably miss an attempt to kick themselves anyway) and whether Scotland can keep it tidy. The rest I have no idea about.
LikeLike
Seem to recall there were several ,ahem, distilleries in the Macroom/ West Cork area
Yeah, there was a lot of poitín – esp in west Cork. My father always reckoned whiskey in any pub in Ireland was “watered” down with it.
Doesn’t seem to be a much of it around as once – maybe it’s better marketed or as we’ve all gotten richer – we’re happy to pay for the genuine article.
LikeLike
………..why do I feel uninspired?
LikeLike
FIVE Ulstermen starting and one on the bench!
O’Brien; Baloucoune, Henshaw, McCloskey, Hansen; Carbery, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Herring, Furlong (capt), Beirne, Treadwell; Doris, Timoney, Conan.
Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, O’Toole, Prendergast, Deegan, Casey, Crowley, Ringrose.
LikeLike
Faf really can’t compete with King Goldilocks here:
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well, shit
LikeLike
FFS, Cusiter is only 40.
Did we talk about this already? About how to care with men in their 40s who go through the angry and sometimes violent phase that early onset dementia brings? Some of them will be six foot three or four and weight in at around 18 stones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Scotland v New Zealand New Zealand by 26”
That would be depressing but probably accurate, if not a little flattering to Scotland. Leaving Russell out of the squad was a big mistake, it was petty and done for personal, not professional, reasons.
Now if Kinghorn starts, as he should do in the circumstances, he is under a huge amount of pressure for a guy still learning a new position at this level.
If Finn starts it undermines the whole squad.
Add that to the fact that our form is woeful, and we are not in a good place going into a test against New Zealand.
I’m not sure Hogg is the player he was, he is trying to recapture some glory by doing everything himself where a pass would serve the team better.
Our pack is just not up to it, I don’t think we’ve got one forward who would trouble a World Second XV. I like Jamie Ritchie a lot, but he’s stalled a little, he was going to be our PO’M, but he’s not quite there yet. Watson is struggling for form, the rest don’t enter the conversation for World squad.
Ali Price is not playing well, Redpath has been released back to Bath this weekend so it looks like Tuipulotu will start at 12. We have two devastating wingers who play very different games, but can we get them some ball in half a yard of space? Duhan usually makes his own space in his own inimitable style, and Wee Darcy can, as the cliche goes, sidestep three players in a phone box, but they can’t do it all on their own.
No team wins whilst constantly on the back foot, and I fear our pack will get done over and the breakdown will go one way, we get isolated and turned over far too often, our discipline is rank, we compound stupid penalty upon stupid penalty, leading to surrendering an attacking posting and getting punted 70m or more back up the park.
Apart from all that, Happy Friday, Everyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Several media outlets, including Mark Palmer at the Times, are saying Finn will start.
Palmer usually has the inside story.
LikeLike
Good morning all – just checking in after the trip to Cork to see Munster vs South Africa A/Select (take your choice).
Great atmosphere – 40k+ in attendance. Only downside is that stadium is a schlep from town and nothing much in the neighbourhood until you get back to city centre.
Some good performances on the Munster side – Healy kicked his goals, made his kicks to touch and generally looked solid at #10. We also got first sight of Antoine Frisch (Irish mother or grandmother – can’t recall) – looks a good player. Went to SA with “Emerging Ireland” – came back injured – so this was his first match for Munster. Clearly, going to act as 2nd 5/8 or second distributor. His first touch was an out-the back pass to Haley who only had to draw the last defender to put Daley in. More of that please….
Kudos also to Kiran Macdonald (lately of Glasgow – and signed fill in gap at 2nd row – we started season with 7 locks – Kleyn, Snyman, Ahern injured, Beirne off with Ireland, Edogbo is 19, O’Connell 18, and other is 22 – can’t recall name). He got stuck right in – made himself a nuisance at mauls and was right in the middle of the “handbags” at the end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Ticht
FWIW I agree re: Hogg. He just needs to do the basics reliably and well, then trust his team-mates.
Too many silly things at the mo.
LikeLike
Ticht, this is the 2022 All Blacks – they can’t string together two decent games in a row, so having thumped Wales last week, I fully expect Scotland to run them ragged, with Finn back in the hot seat, the Scottikaans props to pulverise the marshmallow front row the Kiwis have, the loose trio to cane the Cane-led and clueless unbalanced Kiwi back row, the callow centres to get short shrift from a 10 who enjoys armchair rides in the second-rate domestic Kiwi comps and outside backs who can’t catch a beachball without instructions. Scotland by 2.
LikeLike
Trisk, by all accounts Munster were too polished for the Bok ‘A’ side (that’s what it is, whatever name they give it), who weren’t at the races for much of the match. Comments down here are also saying that the Bok A side played exactly like the real side – almost completely reliant on forward bosh, which is frustrating. Can’t wait for Nienaber and Rassie to move on, frankly. It worked in 2019, but it’s a busted flush now. France by 26.
LikeLike
France by 26. Hope so. Think it will be a lot closer than that tho.
LikeLike
I defy any of you to be unmoved by this!
LikeLike
Really don’t understand the Finn in or out first choice thought process.
LikeLike
Craigs, he’s in
LikeLike
Jasper Wiese out tomorrow. Kwagga in. France by 45.
LikeLike
Kudos also to Kiran Macdonald (lately of Glasgow – and signed fill in gap at 2nd row
My mistake – he’s from Glasgow but was released by Worcester….
LikeLike
Released by Wasps. He looked good the couple of times I saw him for Wasps on the TV. Even BT Sport mentioned how well he was playing, so he must have been good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cor blimey, Barf just pinched a win from Tigers, right at the end of the match.
LikeLike
I don’t think I can write anything about about Wales that will communicate my despondency and frustration as well as just saying to read Ticht’s post about Scotland again, feel the same feelings and imagine some slightly different content.
LikeLike
@bb
To paraphrase Murray Walker – “unless I am very much mistaken….. I am very much mistaken” – yeah, Wasps not Worcester.
Starts with W … same difference…….
LikeLike
Oooh, it’s really early.
England score inside 3 mins!
LikeLike
strewth – just been reading the mbm on the womens’ final – England ahead 24- 12 but down to 14
LikeLike
10 seconds left and England have a lineout on the NZ line, 3 points behind.
NZ steal it and it’s a knock on. NZ win the WC.
LikeLike
Brutal for England.
LikeLike
Are NZ also a pro team?
LikeLike
Well done Black Fern’s. That’s gutting.
LikeLike
Thaum – for the last 9 months.
LikeLike
Cheers, Craigs. That’s not very long!
LikeLike
Love seeing Michael Higgins next to ginormous rugby players. :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great try by Fiji.
LikeLike
G’wan Fiji!
LikeLike
That’s a card
LikeLike
Think Timoney slipped.
LikeLike
Timoney furra liiiinnnneeee!
LikeLike
Treadwell furra liiinnnneeee! (2 Ulster tries.)
LikeLike
Oh, maybe not grounded.
LikeLike
Nope, held up. But back for a pen I think. And a yellow!
LikeLike
And Ireland maul over from the line-out after McCloskey joins it. Timoney again!
LikeLike
BALOUCOOOUUUNNNEEE! (Well, all he had to do was catch it.)
LikeLike
Great World Cup Final earlier, helluva match.
Ireland are gonna put plenty on Fiji here. Unsmilingly too. Grim bastards. Except the kids in the crowd celebrating like they’ve won the World Cup. Cheeky bastards.
LikeLike
Conan looked to have scored, but had a foot in touch. Only Ulstermen can score in this match.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Italy leading Aus 17-8 at half time.
lol
LikeLiked by 2 people
Australia should be relegated, etc.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lovely dummy by the Italian full-back!
LikeLike
#GeorgiaForRugbyChampionship
LikeLiked by 2 people
Australia get a try back. Boo.
LikeLike