Can you feel it? That frisson in the air? No, it’s not fucking Phil Collins! (Don’t be an idiot.) Kick off your high-heeled stud boots; it’s party time. SIX NATIONS OPENING WEEKEND! WOOHOO!
The delectable anticipation, the raw hunger, the beautiful dream as yet undisturbed by some snot-nosed kids bringing your blissful reverie to a sudden and brutal end.
First up on the menu is a tasty treat in the form of a re-Gatted Wales against a McCloskey-powered Ireland. Roof is to be closed in Cardiff, apparently. Ominous.
Next up is England v Scotland. Can Scotland be Karl-like and pull it off again at Twickenham?
Finally, on Sunday, we have Italy v France. It would be surprising if Italy won, but could home advantage and perhaps a ref decision or two produce some drama?
So sit back and enjoy the anticipation! By the end of the weekend, half of us will be asking ¿Qué bandolera que eres tú?
Onna telly this week
Friday 3rd February
| Wales v Ireland (U20s) | 19:00 | BBC iPlayer / S4C |
| England v Scotland (U20s) | 19:00 | BBC iPlayer / RTÉ Player |
| Italy v France (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC iPlayer |
Saturday 4th February
| Sharks v Stormers | 12:00 | Viaplay Sports 2 / TG4 |
| Toulouse v Bayonne | 14:00 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Wales v Ireland | 14:15 | BBC1 / S4C |
| La Rochelle v Lyon | 16:00 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
| England v Scotland | 16:45 | ITV1 / RTÉ2 |
| Montpellier v Toulon | 20:00 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
Sunday 5th February
| Italy v France | 15:00 | ITV1 |
| Stade Français v Bordeaux | 20:00 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
Munster giant No 8 Brian Gleeson gets MotM.
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And in the 77th minute, Wales score a lovely BP try.
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Tricky touchline conversion is good, and if Wales score again they’ll have a LBP too.
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But no! Ireland look to have scored again, but grounding is being checked.
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Booo! 41-36 now. Game almost done. Seconds left.
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It’s a try! 27-44.
Score doesn’t really reflect the match, which was very entertaining.
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We did a lot better than we have in recent years, there was a lot of heart in that display. Some of the defence was terrific.
The fly half Simpson and fullback King look very promising.
The pack held up very well against massive opponents.
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Italy lost by one point. It’s Italy of old, a huge pack that scores from mauls and from short range. One of their prop already weighs 135Kg ! Look out for their number #7, a star is born.
France were bullied all game and still managed to win thanks to a terrific defence and some great counterattacks. Sounds familiar? It is. But Italy will win most of their games.
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I didn’t know this, about Shaun Edwards
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I expect Shaun is very persuasive on the doorstep
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Italian #7 is Odiase, he plays with Oyonnax who lead the ProD2 by 15 points. Not sure he plays with the senior team yet. Wo t stay there for long.
Just like the TH, Gallorini. Ony 18 yo and already 135kg. Plays in Italy at sub URC level. He destroyed the French LH, who had to be replaced before HT. If Gallorini is as good on the pitch as in the scrum, ( I didn’t spot him ) he’ll be another star like Castrogiovanni.
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I’ve just watched the highlights of the Ital/Fra and Wal/Ire games.
These Under 20s packs don’t exactly look like colts, do they? England France and Italy in particular look huge. Power wins at this level, I expect Flair is correct on Italy.
Scotland are in the second tier competition in South Africa this year, this cohort should do enough to get out of that (he says without any knowledge of the opposition), we had a good team in 2020 before Covid put paid to our hopes of getting back to the top table, power is always an issue for us at the age group stage, we only have junior orcs on adolescent dinosaurs, but our scrum did pretty well last night, as did the maul defence.
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Ooh. JGP oot. Also Healy. Kilcoyne in. 2 Ulstermen starting!
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Farrell is picking up an Irish accent.
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Looks like whoever’s in charge of washing Ireland’s kit has done it at the wrong temperature or something. The colour’s washed out.
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Watched a little of the Ireland Wales game, some of the handling is outrageous, little back handed flip pass/offloads like bullets over six or seven yards. Makes me wince tho to see 19 year olds repeatedly doing the try line pick and go drive thing. Can’t help feeling that that is the area that needs more attention than the tackle height law.
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Ken Owens blowing hard already in the warm up. Need Hibbard on the bench.
I’ve got a tenner says we hear Delilah ringing round the stadium before the afternoon is out.
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You are right there Thaum, shirts are rubbish. Same as those England ones . Why ?
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Thaum, you’re a fan of the Scandi Noir stuff aren’t you?
There is a new one starting tonight on BBC 4, set on the west coast of Ireland. It originally aired in Sweden, I believe.
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Gibson Park being out is a huge blow for Ireland, it took me a long time to appreciate his role in the Ireland set up, but this is a swing to Wales.
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Ticht – yep, I am looking forward to it!
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Can’t braythe.
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Oh, Kilcoyne’s just been moved up to the bench.
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The bad kit was just for the warm-up. Normal kit on the field. Whew!
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TRY Doris at the two-minute mark!
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Bloody hell, that didn’t take long.
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Great start from Ireland, good accuracy
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Didnt take long!
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That pretty much all came from the little chip that Lowe did, behind the Welsh defence (the Squidge video is paying off already).
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Refit – the chip came off McCloskey’s brilliant pass….
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Murray knocked it on at the ruck about three phases before.
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TRY Ryan!
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Long afternoon for Wales if it goes on like this…
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Unlucky bounce of the ball for Wales.
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Also, good work by Keenen to get there.
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Wales don’t want to be nilled.
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Knock on by Williams was wrong decision. He had a clear lift and Doris played it on the floor out of his hands.
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TRY Lowe from well within our own half! (I didn’t think he could run that fast.)
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Ouch. Was just thinking Wales were looking pretty good.
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Jiffy has just called DOC ‘Don-cha’ like cha-cha-cha. Twat.
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Biggar not covering himself in glory here.
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Someone elsewhere has just said that Pivac must be pissing himself
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Gatland the red-nosed Redeemer not working out that well.
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Would you look at that, there’s some shirt-pulling and POM’s in the middle of it – things you love to see.
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Jeez, tackles made – 103 Wales against 39 by Ireland.
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Looked like Morgan was short rather than held up.
From the dropout we get Faletau’s umpteenth error, having his worst game ever.
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Oh, that was almost special by Jack Morgan, just a little too much on the kick.
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Well that was as exciting as watching Leinster-Cardiff.
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@Refit – Tipuric looked offside anyway.
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