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 
Comments on the Bok side:
Front row is good and solid, with the replacement front row beastly. Will be interesting to see how early Nienaber brings on the likes of Kitshoff and Marx, who should really up the tempo at set piece and in the tight exchanges. Thomas du Toit is one of those blokes I’ve never completely warmed to as a scrummager, although he’s apparently improved this season.
Second row having Etzebeth back is excellent, adding ballast and carrying ability, with Orie decent in the lineouts, but not as physical as Lood de Jager, when he’s fit. Lots of moaning here about him, but he’s part of the Stormers 2nd row (with Moerat who also started against Italy) that has been excellent in the URC.
Back row as expected with Wiese back to club rugby. Great to see Evan Roos finally get a start; let’s see what the young man is made of at this level! Kolisi was excellent against Italy and has been getting more consistent as the tour has progressed, but Mostert at blindside still seems like treading water – some suggest shifting Kolisi there and playing Marco van Staden at openside, but that’s replacing one lock with another, really. Or Kwagga, but he’s an impact player under the current system.
Forwards bench should have a great impact – Marx, Kitshoff, Kwagga and van Staden are very dynamic, the first three also good jacklers so we could have some great turnover ball to work with.
Backs? As expected really with Faf and Willemse at 9-10, de Allende back at 12 and Kriel at 13 with Esterhuizen back to his club, Mapimpi back in with Kolbe back to France, Arendse shifted to the right to accommodate him and Willie le Roux at 15. Pretty much how we lined up against France and played much more ball in hand than what the England set up are apparently expecting.
The replacement backs could complement the replacement forwards superbly, with Libbock showing just how good he is at unleashing his runners in Genoa and Canan Moodie a superstar in the making. Not sure Jaden Hendickse will get a lot of game time.
All in all, happy enough given injuries and unavailability due to the club situation. Most of these guys have played in the system for a while now, so not too disruptive. I just hope that the Boks don’t get out of the gates too slowly like against France and end up playing catch up rugby all day.
LikeLike
Although we actually led against both France and the All Blacks this year after clawing back deficits, but then blew it in the last five to ten minutes in both instances. Fitness? Mentally thought the job was done? Don’t know, but we should be closing out those games.
LikeLike
Don’t know, but we should be closing out those games.
England will be licking their lips Deebs…
LikeLike
Saudi Arabia beat Argentina and now Japan have only gone and beaten Germany! Massive! In a week of minnows beating big, nasty favourites, it can only mean that the Boks will complete the hattrick and win at Twickers!
LikeLike
I’m surprised(?) that EJ has excluded Jack Willis (unless he is injured) – I fancy that toe-to-toe with the Boks would be right up his street.
LikeLike
Finn to Bath, possibly
LikeLike
Bath??? Hmmm. I would have thought there were perhaps other English teams that more closely fitted his style than Bath. And that are actually a whole lot better.
LikeLike
Finn to La Rochelle, possibly.
It’s almost like his contract is up for renewal and stories are coming out linking a name player with other clubs, as they do.
LikeLike
I suppose it might depend on where he and his partner feel would be best to bring up baby.
LikeLike
I suppose it might depend on where he and his partner feel would be best to bring up baby.
Joburg is lovely at the moment.
LikeLike
LikeLike
Don’t imagine Van De Velde would have tried to play his shot from the Barry Burn in that weather.
LikeLike
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Owen Farrell (c), 11 Jonny May, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Alex Coles, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 David Ribbans, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Henry Slade, 23 Jack Nowell
Who is Alex Coles?
LikeLike
Both Vunipolae in the side? Interesting. I thought they were a combined busted flush? Yet another lock at number 6 as well, so Eddie is going for massive mass to combat the fleet of foot Bok forwards, I see. No idea who Tommy Freeman is, but a Torygraph headline went along the lines of ‘Meet Tommy Freeman who gymned himself into England contention’ so I’m assuming he’s a large slab of Yorkshire pudding who’ll be used to bosh his way around.
Sounds like EJ and England are preparing for the Boks who played the B&I Lions, rather than the ones who played France and Italy. Should be interesting!
LikeLike
Craigs, from what I read elsewhere he’s been playing well at 6 for Saints this season, though he’s primarily a lock
Eddie does like his locks to play 6.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmpph!
Bench looks stronger than starters
LikeLike
A lock, at 6 obvs.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good times in the Cat household
LikeLiked by 2 people
@refit
I saw that too – sweet potatoes are grand – diced and hidden away in a curry – add some ballast and absorb flavours. Using them as a substitute for a “real” potato is always a fail
LikeLike
Sweet potatoes/yams are nice with lamb.
LikeLike
Moroccan lamb: butterfly a leg of lamb, stuff it with couscous, mint, petit pois and pine nuts. Salt and pepper. Sew it up, stick it in the oven for two hours or so (depending on size of lamb), slice and enjoy. Simple and delicious.
LikeLiked by 5 people
@Thaum – with or without the marshmallows and cornflakes?
LikeLike
Refit – without!
LikeLike
For anyone (Angry Goode) who doesn’t quite get what England are doing, this is quite a piece of analysis. I hope none of the opposition coaches are watching tbh.
LikeLike
*Andy
LikeLike
Final round of the AIs and two key – nay critical – match ups as the semi-finalists for next year’s World Cup lock horns.
Wales v Australia – Wales by 2
England v South Africa – South Africa by 6
LikeLike
Pfft
LikeLike
Sound of England’s spirit deflating their Craigs?
LikeLiked by 1 person
@craigs
that video confirms to me there is a lot behind the scenes in the England set up we aren’t seeing, and that that switch in tactics in the last 10 mins was a deliberate experiment in that future way of playing Gleeson and Jones are putting together. I noticed in that 10 mins Mako was getting the ball in his own half a lot, which doesn’t usually happen (RU tends to be a territory game, as you well know). So I expect they are building a more possession based game.
Am pretty sure Gleeson is taking on some RL way of thinking here – Simmonds and Curry looked like they were playing like RL second rows (hanging out with the centres), Mako, Billy, Genge, LCD, etc like RL props, and the multiple playmakers has parallels as well (RL has 2 halfbacks, hooker same role as RU scrum half, plus the loose forward or full back often acts as another playmaker -England’s Farrell, Smith and Slade plus scrum half was similar). And carrying out from their own half rather than kicking is similar.
We shall see.
LikeLike
Jack Willis to Toulouse for the rest of the season. Good business for both.
I wonder if and how that decision was influenced by being dropped from the England squad.
LikeLike
@Craigs
That was really interesting!
SA by 20!
LikeLiked by 1 person
No new post today. Been driving back from Dorset. Too depressed.
Hopefully an Ulster win will lift the spirits.
LikeLike
Hope all is okay Thaum.
I turned the Stormers Scarlets game off at half time because it looked like it was going to be a real thrashing, just because Scarlets seemed to think defence is optional.
They must have had a much better second half.
I think Ulster will have a big win tonight
LikeLike
Ticht – thanks, all is fine – had a lovely morning hiking near Corfe Castle, just sad to end a holiday!
Ulster have a bit of an experimental side; rookie fly-half. On the up side, Hendo on the bench so hopefully we’ll see him play at last.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Corfe Castle, we used to go along there a lot, my outlaws lived in Bournemouth. The New Forrest and the Dorset coastline are fantastic.
Did you get to Swanage?
The first time I went there we drove through really thick fog and emerged into the 1950s
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ouch, annoying voice bleed on the coms
LikeLike
Did not get to Swanage, although it was recommended. Did visit Thomas Hardy’s birthplace (which wasn’t open, but worth a look anyway with a tramp through the woods to get there), and also a walk from Lulworth Cove to the Durdle Door was gorgeous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argh! Stream is deid!
LikeLike
Sigh.
I love that part of the world
oh, via-player has just died – never had that with Premier
LikeLike
Stand down the army – it’s back.
LikeLike
I was going Ooh, look, that must be Egdon Heath, etc.
TRY Ulster (Rea)!
LikeLike
Last time I was in that area was to scatter the Mother in law’s ashes.
It was overlooking Pool harbour, and it was the classic Big Lebowski black comedy moment when the wind off the sea caught the ashes and they blew back over the family.
She’d have been laughing the hardest
LikeLiked by 3 people
Poole, obvs
LikeLike
:-D
My favourite uncle moved to Poole a few years ago, so that’s where we stayed, right on the harbour in fact. We were quite lucky with the weather for November, but Monday morning and all day yesterday were dire…. Today was beautiful; even had lunch outside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We scattered our granny’s ashes on the sea on 1st April in Galway some years ago. A beautiful calm day; we even got sunburn, if you can believe it. Not another soul in sight; very peaceful.
Went back to the same place a couple of years ago and it was chock-full of tourists.
LikeLike
♫ Ye cannae shove yer granny aff a bus
No, ye cannae shove yer granny aff a bus
Ye can shove yer other granny
‘Cos she’s yer mammy’s mammy
But ye cannae shove yer granny aff a bus ♫
My daddy’s mammy used to sing that to me – not the one whose ashes were scattered in Galway! Me mammy’s mammy would have loved the splendid isolation but not the tourists.
LikeLiked by 4 people
That is a weel-kent song in Scotland, too, Thaum.
LikeLike
That card was inevitable
LikeLike
Yep, and a well-deserved try for Zebre.
LikeLike