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 
(And Ticht!)
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SCW can get in the bin too (for multiple reasons).
Yay, for BOD though.
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Rory Best can stay too.
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Wonder what Woodaward, Dayglo (and Dawson on the BBC site) would have said if that incident had been the other way about with Steward running into Keenan.
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TV back on. Regretting it already! “Duty of care” – yes, if you’ve got the three seconds the slow motion replay gives it. In a split second reaction, accidental contacts are sometimes going to happen. You have to accept that or you don’t have a game. And maybe that’s the answer – maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe it isn’t worth it.
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I can see the case for it being red or being nothing. Can’t see why it would be yellow which is what someone (SCW I think) wanted.
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Dab, my thinking is that it’s not too different from the cards for taking a player out in the air. That changed behaviour over time and the sanction for head contact will too.
If there are borderline cases in the meantime then that is a price worth paying so that there no more Steve Thompsons, this is, to my mind, a problem which threatens the existence of the game and we must take it seriously
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Dab – you are Dayglo and I claim my £5. ;-)
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They only seem to ever mention half the story of the 1973 5 nations. Scotland and I think Wales didn’t travel because it was a few weeks after Bloody Sunday and the teams were told not to.
England went to Dublin a year later
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Ticht – yes, full credit to England for that.
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For me the issue is the overuse of the show motion replay. Once it’s established that the contact was with the head, it needs viewing in real-time to see what chance he had to pull out. Just repeatedly showing it in show motion makes it look like he had more time than he did.
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Thaum, my point is that if England were scheduled to travel to Dublin in 1972 they would have been prevented from doing so, like Scotland and Wales were.
A year later was a different landscape
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Ticht – oh, I am thinking of something else. Can’t remember what!
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Bloody hell, Sexton!
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Fuck’s sake. Time to put the Ulstermen on! At least Tom O’Toole.
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What happened to blood substitutions? Porter bleeding everywhere.
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So’s Porter.
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Yay! Farrell Sr is clearly reading the blog.
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England are doing really well today
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TOT on and Ireland win scrum penalty and Ireland SCOOOORREEE!
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Total bullshit from Peyper missing the high tackle that led to the scrum :(
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Nice hands from Aki
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Sexton with a shoulder into Curry’s head there… where are the 20 slow motion replays???
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Sheeeeeeeeehan again!
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That is a great pass out of the tackle by Conan(?)
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I didn’t think England would ship 50 points, but I also didn’t think they would really push Ireland the way they have.
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Could be another red!
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Ulsterman HERRRRRRRING furra liiiinnnneeee!
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Looking for personal pastries, we’ve been the only team to deny Ireland a BP.
Ireland have been the best team in the tournament.
England can be pleased with their performance today, if not the result
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Congratulations Ireland, a deserved GS.
This is the best Ireland team I can remember
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Congratulations Ireland.
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Congratulations Ireland. 13 points difference with a red and a yellow. Great effort from the lads but frustrating.
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England were a lot more competitive than their last match would have led you to believe.
Well done Ireland, a well deserved GS.
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I think last Sunday took its toll on both sides, Scotland and Ireland were not at the same level today as last week
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First of all bravo to England, certzinly toothless in attack but wonderful in defence.
Am in the school of the harsh red card, as were Nyanga, Yachvili and Clerc. Most saw it as this: Ref had blown his whistle for a knock on, the Irish player kept on running straight into Steward, who basically turned his shoulder to protect himself. Yes very dangerous, so a RC, but wasn’t it also partly the responsability of the Irish player?
Anyway it’s a minor point ( except of course for the potentially injured player, I hope he’s OK) as the result was never in doubt. A wonderful and richly deserved GS for Ireland. I was afraid they might bottle it around the 60th minute, but no they didnt choke. They’ll take some stopping in September! Bravo!
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“They’ll take some stopping in September! ”
I think so too, we’ve yet to see where the Big Three are, we’ll know more after The Rugby Championship, but right now France and Ireland are both looking very strong.
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Still think France are nailed-on RWC winners.
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Big Three – is that NZ, SA and Argentina?
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Very well done Ireland – the best team and staff in the Tournament.
Now, can you regather focus and the emotional high for the WC? I hope so.
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BB, since Deebee is away, I think Ticht meant NZ, Fiji and Oz.
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I had forgotten the extra 3 points for a GS, Ireland finish on 27 points
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Very proud of my England team in the way they rose to the occasion.
Regrettably, I lost hope for any ‘miracle’ come-back when Watson was dragged by the neck over the England try-line (no review).
Great Tournament overall.
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well…………………..
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I’ll post some Daniel O’Donnell, just for Thaum in a minute
Not really, I’m not that cruel.
Maybe some Rory Gallagher
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Good lord, my grandparents used to listen to Val Doonican. Sorry, but I can’t. ;-)
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