The image editor posts hopefully
Scotland vs Italy
Previously the wooden spoon fixture, these teams have made some recent progress but the Italians are definite underdogs here. Italy have made 4 changes and given a dayboo to Simone Gesi on the wing. However, they lack Capowuoouuzzzo at full back so, whilst they look fairly settled, they don’t have much in the way of X factor.
Scotland have made 5 changes including leaving out Finn and Hoggy so, while I predict a win, the margin will be smaller without them. Also, given they have lost their last 2 games, they will be motivated to end in style (same could be said for Italy tbh).
Scotland have a better pack and cooler heads. Against Wales, Italy played like headless chickens for much of the game and gave Wales some points either by coughing up the ball in their half or failing to execute the basics. Scotland will be patient and gradually rack up a decent win.
Head-to-head Planet Rugby says that Scotland have won the last 8 fixtures but this only goes back to 2017 and I haven’t dug further. It would take a miracle or a card for Italy to win and it won’t happen this weekend as Scotland get their 9th (or more) win in a row.
30 – 10 to Scotland.
France vs Wales
France, France, France. Until last weekend many people said they had been underwhelming despite only losing in Dublin. That all changed when they swaggered into Twickenham and put 50 on some boys Borthwick had found. They said they could play rugby, double promise, cross their hearts – but they couldn’t.
To be fair, that was the best performance I’ve seen from a team against the English since the dastardly Saffas won the 2019 RWC. Maybe even better. Every time Dupont kicked the ball into space it opened up the back line and a French player waltzed over the line about 10 seconds later. Their defence was aggressive, their ruck speed brutal and every carry seemed to gain at least 3 Robshaws. But most impressive was how clinical they were. I can’t remember a scoring chance being wasted.
Wales on the other hand were solid last weekend but otherwise haven’t set this tournament on fire. They still drag around the reanimated corpse of AWJ but have some new talent including a footballer on the wing. How there isn’t a better 13 in Wales than George North I’ll never know.
There is a ‘last hurrah’ feel to this team but rather a white orc filled Dad’s army willing its way to victory, this feels like a Clive Woodward selected Lions team. If Clive Woodward had coached Wa…. You know what I mean! France to make it 5 in a row against the men in red.
50 – 12 to France
Ireland vs England
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
60 – 8 to Ireland (*starts crying*)
Laughing and crying by Craigsman
Onna telly this week
Friday 17th March
| Bulls v Western Province | 17:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
Saturday 18th March
| Scotland v Italy | 12:30 | BBC1 / RTÉ2 |
| France v Wales | 14:45 | ITV1 / S4C |
| Ireland v England | 17:00 | ITV1 |
Sunday 19th March
| Scotland v Italy (U20s) | 14:00 | BBC iPlayer |
| London Irish v Exeter | 14:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Ireland v England (U20s) | 17:00 | BBC iPlayer |
| France v Wales (U20s) | 20:00 | BBC iPlayer / S4C |
Ovally Balls 
Leinster giving away loadsa penalties.
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“Leinster giving away loadsa penalties.”
Shurely shome mishtake?
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Ulster first on the scoreboard with 3 points.
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Unfortunately the Blue Meanies even things up.
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Glasgow score their second via a lineout maul
Horne pots the conversion 14-0.
This could get ugly if Glasgow start to cut loose
oooh, just before the restart is taken they look again, it’s close as to whether Mathews lets go of the ball, the TMO and ref can’t hear each other, but the ref is quite adamant that the try stands
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Grr. Leinster score.
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Drags get one back, they outflank Steyn to get in at the corner
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Bit of Karma there, Drags ten gets cleaned out by Glasgow tighthead, but Sordoni was not through the gate so he gives away the penalty. The Drags ten pats Sordoni on the head several times and then misses touch with his penalty.
This leads to Glasgow scoring their third
prick
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Bastards add a penalty. 13-3.
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TRY Hume! Lovely thing started off by Stockdale, with a beautiful cross-field kick by Burns to Hume.
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Hat trick for Johnny Mathews on 26 minutes, comms say he’s scored three in 11 minutes
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I think I’ll go to the Lein/Uls game for the second half, this should be done and dusted
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Conversion sadly missed. Leinster then awarded a dubious penalty, but it’s missed, so karma. 13-8.
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oh maybe not, Drags score a second through their footballer winger
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Bastards get over the line again.
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Oh wait – no try! But it’s going back for a penalty.
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Drags 1 nuts George Horne, I think it was an accident, but it has to be red
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Leinster go for the corner but they can’t find a ball.
Oh, there’s one.
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I had missed the fact it was Seiuli who played with Glasgow for a bit
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Mathews gets a fourth from the lineout maul
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Ulster defend like mad, incur an offside, and win the ball back, but are on a warning for a yellow.
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Leinster decide to go for the posts. Curious.
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Stockdale, who has otherwise been playing very well, puts one out on the full.
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Ulster line-out on their own 5m line as the clock goes red for HT.
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They get the ball and boot it off.
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Dragons get a third try, they look good in attack, as they usually do.
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Glaws going toe to toe with la Rochelle. 15-15 at the break. Kind of feels like one way trafic La Rochelle winning colisions and breakdown, well in top in scrums, and seemingly getting the lucky bounces too, but somehow Gloucester still in it.
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Johnny Mathews has just scored his fifth try for Glasgow this evening
8 in the last two games
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Nooooo, Mathews is replaced by Turner on 47 mins
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laRochelle go one up after lewis Ludlow is binned for collapsing a maul. Looks like the floodgates will open, but somehow Glaws get back upfield and 36 chips for Zammo to score in the corner.
22-20
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Hume gets the inevitable yellow.
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And inevitably Leinster score (although I think there was a knock-on), and Burns has gone off ostensibly for an HIA, but he was getting treatment before he got knocked again in a bad tackle.
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36 brought his kicking boots, and a Glaws penalty sneaks them ahead as Ludlow returns’
22-23
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George Turner gets in on the act, that’s Glasgow’s fifth maul try of the game
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Looks like Cooney’s gone to 10, and Moore – who I think is a winger – has replaced Burns so we have no scrum-half, but NEVER MIND, HERRING OVER!
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Well, Cooney’s doing SH business at the scrum, with Lowry at 10.
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Glasgow on 61 now.
The defence hasn’t been great but they’ve just run in two scores from about 50m
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Well, it’s game over.
Cooney now has a hand injury, our replacement hooker (Stewart) lasted about 60 seconds, and Leinster go over again.
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Thank fuck. James Ryan going off. (MotM for me, the utter bastard.)
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Ulster get another yellow for head contact (replacement prop).
We are dooooomed.
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Glaws hanging on, and give away a pen for offside,but ref spots a dngerous clear out that looks like it has ended Ackermans season. Pen reversed and yellow for La Rochelle.
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Switched over to LarGlaws in time to see a horrible croc roll by the La Roch prop on a Glaws player, fucked his knee by the looks of things
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36 calls for the t, 22-26 to Glaws, ten to go.
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The atmosphere at La Rochelle is terrific
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Glaws line under siege again.
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LaR need to get it wider
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Teddy gets there when they spin it
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Comms are right, the Glaws defence was incredible
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Well, Conan gets MotM. I thought Ryan caused more trouble, but Conan has been good too.
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I should have chosen that match from the start
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