Being short of time as I’m travelling tomorrow, I have shamelessly stolen Deebee7‘s prognostications.
But first, I’m sure we can all rejoice that Stuart McCloskey has kept his starting place on the Ireland team with Aki relegated to the bench.
Your results for the weekend:
Tonga v Uruguay: Tonga by 14 – Tonga are enjoying playing against Spanish speaking sides, and will dish the pain once again!
Italy v South Africa: South Africa by 4 – Boks have had two narrow losses and will look to get their tour on the board, with four straight losses for the two sides so far. Bench to haul them over the line.
Wales v Georgia: Wales by 19 – good win for Wales last week and they’ll look to build on that (and cement their place in the 6N at Georgia’s expense).
Romania v Samoa: Samoa by 6 – just because I don’t have a clue, but Samoa seem to better at the moment.
Scotland v Argentina: Argentina by 3 – Did Scotland blow a gasket against the Kiwis last week? Argentina have some good scalps this year and will look to take a Scottish one on their own turf.
England v New Zealand: New Zealand by 9 – don’t think it’ll be a shellacking, but the Kiwis are cruising this November tour after a dodgy start against Japan.
Ireland v Australia: Ireland by 8 Aussies are one from three, but all their matches have been single point affairs so far. Ireland will put a bit of distance on the scoreboard, but not that much.
France v Japan: France by 24 Japan won’t be as bad as they were against England, but they also don’t have the ability to step up and close the gap that much either. France for win 13 on the trot and getting within touching distance of some serious records.
Onna telly this week
Friday 18th November
| Sale v Harlequins | 19:30 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 19th November
| Italy v South Africa | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Wales v Georgia | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Scotland v Argentina | 15:15 | Amazon Prime |
| England v New Zealand | 17:30 | Amazon Prime |
| Ireland v Australia | 20:00 | Amazon Prime |
Sunday 20th November
| France v Japan | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
Ovally Balls 
SBT – I’ve noticed that Glaws play like a different (better) team when 36 is on the field.
Elsewhere, Leinster have done a Leinster despite a poor first half, and Cardiff came from I think 23-3 behind to pull ahead, only to lose 37-24. Didn’t see that one as you had to pay, just followed the score.
Now I need Clermont to lose to the Sharks away (quite possible), preferably without any bonus points and certainly not more than one, and/or Montpellier to lose to London fucking Irish (v unlikely). And then the small matter of Ulster beating Sale, preferably with a BP, and without letting them get 2 BPs.
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Has something happened at BT? I’ve not heard a single commentator dispute any of the red cards that have been issued so far, this weekend.
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Exeter leading Castres 14 – 3 at HT.
Castres’ road show going well – they are now down to 12 (2Y 1R) for the beginning of the 2nd half.
They really are awful and crude.
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I missed the very start of the second half and had to recount the cards.
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Meanwhile in Cape Town, the first half ended I think 6-9 to Clermont.
But the Stormers are storming in the second half! Another try scored as I typed this – now 25-9. Go Stormers!
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Oh no! Clermont’s Argie winger made an intercept in their 22 and scored!
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But Stormers immediately retaliate for the BPT!
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Clermont have come quite close to scoring a try that, if converted, would give them a LBP, but the same winger who made the brilliant intercept try has just dropped the ball! Hooter’s gone and it’s a Stormers scrum, so disaster averted (I hope).
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And that’s it! 30-16.
Now Ulster just need to win. Against the side that nilled them a few weeks ago.
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Exeter eventually made it ok, 40 – 3.
Is there a rule “bringing the game into disrepute”?
If so, Castres club, their captain and especially Kockott should get banned. They are awful.
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Hopefully they will get relegated from the Top 14
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Saw Slade (the younger one) scoring a try during the other-match updates.
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Exeter started very poorly – lots of mistakes- including fumbles by Slade but after that he had a perfect game kicking and passing.
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Ulster playing in yellow again (a decision of which I approve), but pretty much getting hammered so far.
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Slade, Edinburgh have been playing absolute honk for the last few months and we still beat Castres home and away quite comfortably. Castres looked out on their feet after half an hour last week.
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Thaum, what is the yellow flag with the red hand as opposed to the white one?
I used to know this, but I’ve forgotten, is the yellow one the Republican version, or some such?
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Ulster defence has held up bar one stupid penalty (0-3), and now the fightback is on. And Sale have a yellow.
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But Sale win a penalty in front of their try-line. Bastards.
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TRY Lyttle! And there was a high tackle on Lowry in the run-up that may merit a second look.
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Nope, no-one cares that his heid nearly came off. Doak misses the tricky touch-line conversion. 5-3.
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Some stupid bastard went offside in our 22, so it’s 5-6.
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Sale are murdering us at the breakdown, but they keep knocking on, which is keeping us in the game.
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Penalty Doak! 8-6 at 39 mins.
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And that’s HT. Phew!
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Now it’s breather-time, the point about the yellow shirt is that the Ulster flag has a yellow background when it’s for the 9 counties; the white background is for the 6 counties.
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Doak has been yellow-carded in the Ulster 22 for some reason I’ve no idea of.
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Big defensive set from Ulster, Ashman made a mistake there.
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Thaum, I think it was for a deliberate knock on.
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The mister says he knocked it on. Ulster turn it over and clear, but Sale win the ball and score.
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Ticht – simultaneous posting. :-)
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This is a proper ding dong European match, great stuff.
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Conversion is almost exactly the same one Doak missed early on, and Sale miss it worse. :-)
8-11
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Stockdale seems to have benefitted from being named to the Ireland squad. He’s not been great lately, especially under the high ball, but hasn’t missed one yet.
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Ulster seem to have taken a forward off to bring Cooney on. :-S
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Bonkers. Ulster may or may not have scored, and it’s being checked, but it’s probably impossible to tell. No on-field decision.
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Judged to be held up, so goal-line drop-out.
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Ulster win the ball back and get to the line, but held up again!
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Ulster win it back, but Hume makes a mistake and it’s a Sale ball.
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Ulster get a free kick at the scrum!
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Sale win a line-out but take too long to get there and it’s another free kick to Ulster.
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… Or a scrum, as it happens.
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But they drop the ball, then get it back, and attack magnificently! Line-out on the 5-metre line.
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TRY Herring!!!!!
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Cooney converts, and it’s 15-11.
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Ulster get a kickable penalty and go for the corner (my advice; not the mister’s) and win an advantage.
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The maul doesn’t work, and there’s a frantic attempt to score, but there’s a penalty and yellow card for Sale. We go again. 3.5 mins to go.
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Under the posts!!!!
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(Vermeulen)
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22-11 with less than 2 mins to go. :-) :-) :-)
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WE’RE THROUGH!!!!
I don’t expect us to go any further as all the matches will be away, but that was sweet revenge for getting nilled.
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