With a Welsh strike narrowly averted, minds can concentrate
In golf, the 3rd round is known as the Moving Day (or some such), when those in contention put down a marker, thunder up the leader board and peer imperiously down at the chasing pack before the Sunday finale. This Could Be That Weekend in the Glorious Six Nations! Northern Hemisphere rugby is in rude health at the moment, with Ireland France at the top of the global pile, Scotland playing their best rugby in years, Italy threatening to make the 6N a real thing and England and Wales rebuilding (apparently). It is a fabulous feast fit for a Fürst (yeah, stretching it, I know)!
Guinness Pie over Ossobuco alla Milanese by 18.
FD always blathered on about a return to the mean in rugby. Well, Ireland have made six changes to their side, but remain mean, rather than returning to it. Perhaps a little light in the front row, although that didn’t stop them from bashing France with barely a glimmer of a smile (unless they were laughing uncontrollably, just to tick all the Expro boxes, sans the jumps). Casting an eye over the side, there’s no real weaknesses at all and you’d expect that a settled squad with sprinklings of stardust and oozing all-round quality will have too much for an Italy side exposed by England last week. Italy have the capacity to play wonderful flowing rugby, but if they’re dragged into a dogfight, their bark is a whimper and their bite wouldn’t dent overcooked pasta.
Yorkshire Pudding over Leek Soup by 4.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood gave us the searing inshite that when two sides go to war, one of them will shoot and score. This match may well disprove that as stodge splashes into gloop. An England that managed to bully Italy off the park won’t have it all their own way against a Wales side looking to poke the blazers in the eye. Wales’ travails may soon be mirrored across the Afon Gwy with the looming threat of mass exodus (and not in a wonderful Bob Marley style) as cash-strapped English sides lose their stars. It won’t impact this weekend, although Tipuric and Faletau may do that in an effort to strangle any English ambition in the backs. Wales have 2 caps in the midfield (where’s Manu when you need him? Oh.) which could spell danger and have brought back a heap of blokes we all thought were out to pasture. No new coach bounce for them, or even a dead cat bounce. Just the sorrowful sound of soup splattering the sidewalk.
Coq au Vin over Neeps and Tatties by 8.
A rich and satisfying French dish to prevail over a Scottish offering still missing a bit of Haggis to round it all off. France were out-muscled and out-thought in Dublin a fortnight ago, but aren’t the first and won’t be the last to suffer that fate at the Palindrome against a mighty Irish side. It should be the match of the round, with both sides capable of scoring end to end tries; both with strike runners and support play that makes them dangerous from anywhere on the field. Scotland know that a Famous Win in Paris will put them tantalisingly close to a first Championship this century and even the possibility of the holy grail of a Grand Slam, albeit with Ireland still to come. Crunch time for them – can they keep their heads whilst all around them are losing theirs, or will the guillotine cut them down to size? France too know that a loss puts them out of realistic contention of retaining their crown and keeping the momentum towards the World Cup later this year: time for a splash of champagne, a slug of cognac and some (legal) magic potion to see off the pesky Picts.
The Gospel according to St. Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Friday 24th February
| Italy v Ireland (U20s) | 19:00 | BBC iPlayer / RTÉ2 |
| Wales v England (U20s) | 19:15 | BBC iPlayer / S4C |
| Bath v Bristol | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
| France v Scotland (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC iPlayer |
Saturday 25th February
| Sharks v Ulster | 12:00 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Lions v Glasgow | 14:10 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Italy v Ireland | 14:15 | ITV1 / RTÉ2 |
| Wales v England | 16:45 | BBC1 / S4C |
Sunday 26th February
| Exeter v Sale | 13:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| France v Scotland | 15:00 | ITV1 / RTÉ2 |
Ovally Balls 
Glasgow beat Zebre 50 – 8
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Why can’t Glasgow match Bristol’s standards? ;-)
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It’s all about the opposition, Thaum. :-)
It was a good run out for Rory Darge and Scott Cummings, the former looks like he needs a few more games, Cummings might make the bench for next weekend, it depends if we go 6/2 or 5/3
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Will do.Thaum.
Although Slade, as a British in France, should have quite an interesting vantage point . Wonder if he would be interested to preview the Twickenham game?
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I had a slightly unusual experience this week, I had to drive my wife to a meeting at Rolls Royce. The “factory” – I put the inverted commas there because it looks nothing like a factory – it’s perfect, in the way that computer graphics of a futuristic working environment would look perfect, down to the precision-cut perfectly cubic trees.
I had to park our 20 year old Ford Galaxy in their car park, I did feel out of place.
I’m told, … well, I was about to go on about how enthusiastic my wife was when she came out of the tour and the meeting (she has no interest in cars whatsoever), but suffice to say that Rolls Royce is indeed the last word in just about everything to do with luxury – they have a led display of the night sky from wherever you are on the ceiling, and a shooting star goes “ping” every now and again – I remember reading that the ticking of the dashboard clock is the only noise you hear inside a Roll Royce when it’s in motion.
The Galaxy doesn’t cut the mustard anymore unless it’s on the ceiling of the car you are being driven in.
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@Flair /Thaum
ok – will do
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Amazing scores last night – should be another cracker today at Twickenham – Quins vs Exeter
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Excellent, Slade. I’ll concentrate on the other two games. I’ll just have a short update about Eng/ Fra.
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Also, Quins Women / Exeter Women is live on BT, before the men’s match.
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Just when you thought TV commentators had accepted that hitting someone inna heid was actually a bad thing, Daylgo pops up.
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oh dear……………….
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Lions thrashed the Bulls today after dispatching the pesky Scots last weekend. Think we’re nailed on for the title next year!
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You think Marcus Smith was making a point to Borthwick?
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Was just watching the hightlights of Canes/Rebels and they had a yellow card upgraded to a red, while the player was in the bin. The TMO continued the review, in the background.
I like this idea, although I can imagine it giving some UK pundits an aneurysm.
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Refit – ha, yes!
Tryfests in the URC tonight; Embra, who were impressive in the first half at least, got 4 while Leinster got … approximately 14 (9, I think). So far, two to Ulster and one to Cardiff.
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And TRY Doak!
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8-21 at HT.
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BP TRY Burns! Who has been playing out of his skin tonight, making multiple line breaks.
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Maul TRY Ulster – Stewart, I think.
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Try Lane for Cardiff.
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Another Cardiff try after an intercept of very good Ulster play.
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Moore in for another try. The mister is not happy.
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20-42 at FT.
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Watched the 2nd half of the Blues-Brumbies match this morning. Pointless. In every sense. I gave up on how many knock on and turnovers there were, but it was a terrible match from two supposedly top sides. Even the Bulls aren’t that bad.
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Marcus Smith put in an annoyingly terrific // terrifically annoying performance yesterday.
Quins combination of back row, Care, Smith and backline mesh together beautifully and now play almost instinctively. Very impressive to watch.
The trouble is, a national side requires a long time of stability for such cohesion to embed. This is the national coach’s dilemma. The result is to not always pick the ‘best’ player from across the league for each shirt number. The frothing English media and BtLers don’t seem to get this.
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Jo Marler put in a great performance yesterday. Apart from his play, what really impressed me was his concern for opposing tight head Harry Williams, whose leg got badly twisted in a ruck and then his post match encouraging words for Marcus Street, William’s replacement, with a smile and an arm round the shoulders. If he stays free of injury I think Street will become England’s first choice tight head in due course.
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Another Exeter-related thing……
Two/three years ago I genuinely thought that Jo SImmonds was going to become a possible England #10. He was playing beautifully, kicking and ditsributing well, very good off the tee and solid defensively. He seemed to purr along.
Then after Exeter won the Premiership, he hit the buffers and his confidence evaporated. I have a feeling that Eddie Jones had some influence – but no evidence, just timing.
Now he is a shadow of his former self and no longer a first XV pick.
He is coming to Pau next season so I hope he gets a chance to refresh and rediscover. If he does, Pau will have a gem.
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The frothing English media and BtLers don’t seem to get this.
Spot on! Get Care and Cippers back in the England side ASAP! And stick with them. Big Billy too. And Nurse Marler.
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Smith is included along with the England captain, Owen Farrell, as well as George Ford with Steve Borthwick selecting all three of his fly-half contenders in a 36-man squad.
Smith at 10, Faz at 12 and Ford at 13? SB may be onto something here!
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Same Graun article mentions that England haven’t lost to France at Twickers for 18 years! Didn’t know that. Puts a slightly different spin on things for this weekend. England by 25.
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I see we have 100% agreement, then.
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50%, perhaps – I’m on the fence.
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England by 25?
Nah. Can’t divide 25 by 3.
But then, as Farrell misses most of his kicks, it could still be five tries and no conversion?
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If you have some time, try to watch last night game between Racing and Toulouse. A makeshift Toulouse ( a center as flanker, 6 or 7 youngsters) still allowed for great tries, lots of flair and invention. Keep an eye on Graou, Dupont’s deputy. Graou finished his engineering studies before devoting time to pro rugby. Quite a talent.
Finn was… huh.. quite finnesque.
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So the Gilchrist ban has finally been announced (a week after the hearing)
Gilchrist was handed down a entry point ban of six weeks, which was mitigated down to three, he has applied to go to tackle school, this would result in a further week reduction, but we haven’t heard if that application has been accepted.
This was Gilchrist’s first red card, I’m not 100% sure how many, if any yellow cards he has had, but it would only have been for technical offences, ie offsides or other “team cards” which do not carry bans or sanctions if you get two of them in a game and therefore a red card.
So Gilchrist is a first time offender and he gets the same ban as Owen Farrell, who has been sent of three times I believe for the same offence (high shoulder) three times, and the same ban as Mohamed Haouas, who has had three red cards in as many years, first off punching, second for high tackle and third for a headbutt. Haouas was actually band for six weeks but got a two week reduction, further migitaged down by the tackle school.
Farrell’s ban was said to include a Saracens game immediately before the 6N, Edinburgh had a game at the weekend but that was not counted in his suspension.
Cian Healy has also had club games included in his suspension from the 6N competition .
I’ve no real problem with the Gilchrist ban, it’s the others that are wrong by comparison.
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yeah, but, he’s Scottish………………and wears a silly red hat
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Ticht, the system is a joke, really, with little sense in the various punishments meted out.
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Slade, surely a silly red hat is punishment enough?
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Deebee, it’s actually worse than I first thought, because they didn’t include the Edinburgh game v Leinster, Glichrist has actually been banned for four weeks, not three.
It’s his first red card in a 12 year senior career that include 186 games for Edinburgh and 62 full Scotland caps, only a couple of long term injuries have stopped him having much higher numbers.
It was a poor tackle that was deservedly a red card, it wasn’t repeat behaviour like Farrell, nor was it violent like Haouas’ punching or headbutt.
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Ticht – any idea who the different Panel members were?
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Slade no idea, there was some talk about “an Irish contingent” on Gilchrist’s panel, but that’s bollocks, it’s not a conspiracy, it’s just ineptitude, though not in this case, they actually got the Gilchrist ban right, what they fucked up was not including the Edinburgh v Leinster match in the ban.
The other bans for Haouas and Farrell were just plain wrong in comparison.
We can’t have a situation where some Unions and club teams game the system and others are not allowed to, that really stinks to high heaven.
The rugby authorities dress this up as a legal process and bestow on it a huge amount of gravitas, but I think the pretendy seriousness and self aggrandising of the rugby hearings are actually quite laughable.
They’ve made themselves a laughing stock.
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I like a good laughing stock. Although you have to be sure not to leave the weed in for too long lest it imparts a slightly bitter taste on the tongue.
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@Thaum
Can you give me an e-mail address that I can send AtL text to?
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Slade – I’ve emailed you at the address you log in with.
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Gary Lineker for Labour leader!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/08/gary-lineker-bbc-uk-asylum-policy-nazi-germany-match-of-the-day-presenter
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I know people don’t like Alastair Campbell, but he’s absolutely right here
‘Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former press secretary, said Lineker was “pointing out the kind of facts the BBC should be pointing out relentlessly about the scale of a problem being exploited for populist polarising reasons”.’
The BBC have been pathetically cowed.
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Jack Nowell being linked to La Rochelle (after talks with Clermont).
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OT, that was Labour’s attack dog being sent out to have a go at the BBC from a defensive, that is something quite different to the licence fee being held as a bargaining chip, along with defunding the free licences for the over 70s.
There is also Richard Sharp, The BBC Chairman – from Wiki
Sharp worked at JP Morgan for eight years, and then for 23 years at Goldman Sachs. He was an advisor to Boris Johnson during his tenure as London Mayor, and to Rishi Sunak as Chancellor. He has donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party.
Then there is the Director General Time Davie
Tim Davie stood as a councillor for The Conservative Party in Hammersmith in 1993 and 1994.
He was deputy chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative party in the 1990s,
Robbie Gibb has been appointed to the board of The BBC, it’s easier to post the link rather than try to list all of his connections to the Tory party
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Gibb
Nick Robinson, Today host and former BBC political editor, was president of the Conservative party at Oxford
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Borthwick seems to have rolled the dice – Farrell to the bench the only change
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