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 
Flair, there are a couple of things from those btl comments that ring true, well more than a couple but in particular I’ve seen similar activity here to that described in the comments. Brighton seems to attract demonstrations and there are anarchist groups that turn up to all of them with the sole intention of attacking the police and causing trouble. The organisers of marches and demonstrations can do little about it, but it’s scary when you get inadvertently caught up in it, I had one of my children with me who was about eight years old at the time when we turned a corner in town and there was mounted police engaged with guys throwing stones, cafe chairs, anything they could grab at them.
The Right wing groups target Brighton too, English Defence League etc
The otherpoint made by one of the two commentators you mentioned is a Francophobic tone to articles in the media here. The Telegraph in particular is not content with pushing its Brexit agenda, it really wants the EU to fail and in particular it wants Macron to fail
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pretty simple isnt it? If the Telegraph wants the EU to fail, then the EU must be doing something good.
I was also pointing at the stereotyping by some pundits of the leftist press. For instance how they pursue their own agenda by romanticising the brave French who dare to oppose en masse the reforms vs the more obedient Brits. IIRC, the English were the first to behead some if their kings and queens.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think there is maybe a hangover from the 60s in that way of thinking on the Left and the romanticisation of the protests in France. Events like those become embedded in how places and peoples are thought of, perhaps.
To be honest my recollection of history is that if Kings or Queens were beheaded it was usually as a result of someone else wishing to take over, but England does have a labour movement stretching back hundreds of years.
LikeLike
Stuart Hogg is to retire from all rugby after the World Cup
https://scottishrugby.org/stuart-hogg-announces-retirement-post-rugby-world-cup-2023/
LikeLike
Thats a surprise, Ticht. Young. Hope he goes out on a high note. He has lit up the rugby world for a few years, somehow always seems 1 pass or bounce of the ball away from deserved glory. What constitutes a fitting send off ? Scotland getting out of the group would be pretty good, I think.
LikeLike
It’s a very very long shot that we get out of the group, SBT, so yeah, that would certainly count as a success, but if we do manage it, it would means we’ve beaten one or two of South Africa and Ireland, if we can do that then who knows?
We’d need a huge step up from the pack, absolutely no injuries and everyone playing the best rugby of their lives and even then it would be a very very long shot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Something strange happened to Bath yesterday. Thought Beno Obano and Ben Spencer had particularly good games. The other personal performance of the weekend was Pearson of London Irish. All three should be on Borthwick’s radar.
LikeLike
Bath were very good – Exeter wereawful.
According to the Club’s website, Baxter is furious with the players and there are also rumours that it is time for Baxter to change the coaching team – Hepher should be worried.
Anyway, they have got some terrific young players on the fringes and now financial space to make signings.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rustling thru the family bible to see if Welsh granny had any Scottish connections, so I can throw my weight fully behind Hoggy’s final surge for sporting gold.
LikeLike
Do you really have a family bible with genealogy, SBT? I thought that was the stuff of novels….
LikeLike
ps I would be delighted if Scotland beat SA … but not us.
LikeLike
ps I would be delighted if Scotland beat SA … but not us.
***Put’s Thauma on the Treacherous One to Watch List***
LikeLike
I read that Nashville was something like the 128th mass shooting in the US this year, the year was 85 days old.
Three nine year old and three teachers plus the person who murdered them are now dead, mostly because of the way US politics is funded and the strength of the gun lobby, it always come down to money first second and third
LikeLiked by 3 people
When you see social media trying to pin the shooting on trans people, just remember
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes Thaum, there is indeed family bible in the hands of a cousin, altho it’s not very exciting, really only covers 3 generations from around 1830 – 1900.
LikeLike
Refit, if the shooter was Muslim, it would be a terror attack and if the victims LGBTQI+, they would deserve it, according to those who look at identity in these tragedies for everyone who isn’t a white male.
LikeLike
Apparently Handre Pollard was decent for Tiggers against Bristol on the weekend? I almost don’t want that, if it means reverting to high bombs and one-off pick and goes in France.
LikeLike
* Where the gunman isn’t a white male, to be clear.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 1 person
Second part for those who don’t twatter
LikeLiked by 2 people
Personally I don’t think the shooter being trans has anything to do with it and I hope that any backlash is minimal to zero. The shooting was a tragedy that doesn’t need compounding further.
But I’ll just note that suddenly everyone is crystal clear on what a male is and can correctly reference male patterns of toxicity and criminal behaviour.
LikeLike
I just think Keir’s a lying synt
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Craigs – I’m not quite sure what your comment means, considering the shooter is currently identified as a trans man.
LikeLike
Refit – everyone is pointing out that most shooters are men and point that out as a specific characteristic. And I agree. Suddenly sex does matter.
LikeLike
Nope, still don’t get your point. People are pointing out that the vast majority of shooters are men and that isn’t used as a giant stick to beat men with. In this instance, the shooter is an AFAB trans man and the right are using that to attack trans people as a whole.
In fact, most progressive/liberal/lefty types I’ve seen are just repeating the same points from ALL the other shootings that have happened – more gun control and probably better healthcare would reduce the instances.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is what I’m talking about
LikeLike
Paul O’Grady RIP
LikeLiked by 1 person
Refit – my point is that when it comes to violent crime being male is a far higher predictor of whether someone is likely to perpetrate it or not. You and I are far more likely (but still unlikely) to shoot up a school than Thaum is.
When we had this discussion last time (IIRC) I was arguing this but you seemed to be saying that being a trans woman changed this (please correct me if I am wrong). Now, the line from yourself and others appears to be that the trans identity isn’t important. Don’t use this to bash trans people. Cis men (which means male) are far more likely to shoot up a school. Look at the stars etc etc. I agree with the last part but view it as inconsistent with the first.
I agree with everything in your last paragraph.
Tldr: I view trans identity as immaterial when it comes to patterns of criminal behaviour and am being consistent. Gun ownership in the USA is stupid.
Re progressive accounts tweeting. Well, you posted one above, but here is another.
LikeLike
The shooter was born female, but had transitioned to being a trans man, so the “men are more likely to be perps” is a non-starter in this instance.
It wouldn’t matter which way they transitioned, the fact that they *were* trans is the thing that is latched on to. The transes are evil, you see and this is proof
LikeLike
article about Obama’s thoughts has some interesting perspective:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/29/rupert-murdoch-has-fuelled-polarisation-of-society-barack-obama-says
LikeLiked by 1 person
Murdoch has been a poison on UK and US society for decades.
LikeLiked by 2 people
agreed – but not often you hear a world leader say it ………………………….and in Oz, too.
LikeLike
No doubt we’ll see lots of hatchet job stories about Obama in the press in the coming months
LikeLike
Ticht, why no wild celebrations on Scotland handing it to Spain last night?
I see none of our Welsh brethren are around, so clearly still out on the tiles celebrating the demolition of Latvia last night.
LikeLike
@Ticht
LikeLike
One for Thaum
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ticht, why no wild celebrations on Scotland handing it to Spain last night?
Deebee, I was put off football due to the numbnuts who support Castle Grayskull and Mordor in Scotland
I kind of liked Arsenal for a while but I’ve grown away from the game that was my first love.
So as far as I’m concerned, great Scotland beat Spain, but can Scotland beat Ireland and South Africa is what occupies my thoughts
LikeLike
Sadly (or not sadly from my point of view) this Spain don’t hold a candle to their great sides of roughly 2008-2012, yet they still try to play the same style of football. Scotland ‘got right intae them’ and they didnae like it. Had to laugh at the Spanish captain Rodri complaining about Scotland’s rough tactics. That’s from Man City and Spain’s enforcer-in-chief.
We will, of course, probably lose to Georgia and Norway in our next games.
LikeLike
Lions down to one-legged players for the clash against Racing on Saturday…
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WPqNoQ8LuwzVkIvgFP_zquWi7YAdFgpjUzkuLb7DnmVBRoMZ-PuE30XqevfDP4iwm3qjbpd-SHREZi61wPcBddpWZSDqB49Rlgk=s1200
LikeLike
Dunno how to upload pictures into WordPress.
LikeLike
Ticht, BB, being a Liverpool supporter from the late 70s onwards, I’ve always had a soft spot for Scotland because of the great names like Souness, Hansen, Dalglish etc.
LikeLike
“You and I are far more likely (but still unlikely) to shoot up a school than Thaum is.”
I believe the direct comparison would be Thaum and Sag. Though they may actually be equally unlikely.
LikeLike
I had a look at the highlights of the Scotland Spain game and the atmosphere sounded fantastic, the old Hampden Roar used to be famous but there hasn’t been a lot to shout about since those great Liverpool names played
LikeLike
@Ticht – There was a game against Italy I think some years ago (quite a while now probably) that had they won they would have qualified for something and the atmosphere coming across from the TV was really something, up there with the best from any stadium I can think of. They didn’t win though.
LikeLike
Deebs
Dunno how to upload pictures into WordPress.
You have to be an admin. :-)
LikeLike
@craigs
The observation that “the vast majority of high school shooters are male” does not necessarily mean “each individual male is more likely to be a high school shooter than each and every female”.
For example there is zero probability that I am going to walk into a school and shoot a load of kids. I can guarantee there is a woman out there with a probability >0 of doing this.
Pedantry moment for the month of March is over, for now.
LikeLiked by 3 people
“there is zero probability that I am going to walk into a school and shoot a load of kids”
Exactly. Though even if this wasn’t the case there’s also zero probability I would be able to overcome the practical obstacles to doing it. The US has some work to do on that front of course.
LikeLike
The murderer’s trans status is clearly going to be relevant in terms of their individual path to how they ended up doing this terrible thing as it has to have been a huge part of their short life. Treating this as an issue with respect to this individual only and not using it to slur a whole group of people who had nothing to do with it is a task the media will fail at and in a lot of cases will wilfully do the opposite.
LikeLiked by 3 people
@cmw
Apparently Canada has similar gun laws to the US and a fraction of the number of murders from shooting. So whatever it is that “causes” high levels of gun crime it is not immediately obvious.
Found an interesting website:
Canada vs US:
https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/United-States/Crime/Violent-crime
UK vs Canada:
https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/Canada/United-Kingdom/Crime/Violent-crime
LikeLike