First a nod to the retirees. *Nods*
Tonight we have the Little Cup Final, Glasgow v Toulon. The French side are half-way down their league table while Glaes are fourth in the URC, and have home advantage … but I think it will be a close-fought affair all the same. The Home of the Big Yin by 4.
Then tomorrow there’s the Big Cup Gladitorialism of Leinster v La Rochelle. Ronan O’Gara will be rubbing his hands at the prospect, especially after his club side beat the Blue Meanies last weekend in the URC semi-final. But Leinster have made 12 changes to the B-team they put out last week – mostly to concentrate on this Cup, one assumes. BUT Sexton is still injured, which could be a big factor; one of they Byrne brothers is in instead.
It’s a tough one to call too, but I think home advantage will tell again. The Home of Leopold Bloom by 5.
Onna telly this weekend
Friday 19th May
| Glasgow v Toulon | 20:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 20th May
| Leinster v La Rochelle | 16:45 | ITV1 / STV / BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
Just to add to that, England seem to be lacking a proper all-rounder (Stokes bowling bouncers through the pain barrier isn’t it), a top four batsman capable of building an innings whilst those around him biff it to all parts, a keeper, and a real spinner – Moeen is close to being the all-rounder England want, but he isn’t the one the selectors want except in an emergency.
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Sad news out of SA – Greig Oliver who was Elite Player Development Officer with the Munster Rugby Academy and in SA with his son Jack who’s with Ireland U20s was apparently killed in a paragliding accident.
I’d guess Ticht and BB would remember him with Scotland….
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Trisk, heard that on the news here this morning. Terrible. Apparently two paragliders collided. You see them swirling over Sea Point every day, and I’ve long wanted to do it, because the views from up there of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, the 12 Apostles, the city and the view out to Robben Island is something else, but it appears that there isn’t enough control over who goes up and how many at a time. Very sad news.
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YOUR Springbok side to take on the Wallabies on Saturday at Loftus!
Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esternhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Duane Vermeulen (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden; Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.
Substitutes: Joseph Dweba, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie; Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.
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Decent side, but missing a few big guns: Steven Kitshoff (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (locks), Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez (utility forwards), Kwagga Smith, Siya Kolisi and Jasper Wiese (loose forwards), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (wings), Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel (centres), are all travelling to New Zealand this week to get acclimatised ahead of the match there next Saturday.
Starting to get excited to see if the blooding of a host of new players over the last couple of seasons will bear fruit and provide the depth we need for the next five months or so.
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Bok side contains three Saffers that Irish folk may recognise who ply their trade there – Vermeulen, Kleyn and Snyman.
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And for once, there seems to be relative harmony BTL on the Saffer boards. That can only spell disaster. Aus by 17.
Actually, if the pack gets the upper hand and Reinach and Libbok click, there’s some really exciting outside backs looking for the ball. Could be some great tries – Libbok does need to click though!
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Yeah Dab, am fucking furious at the idiots for throwing their wickets away, top four need firing into the sun, or given a lesson in ashes test history at least. They will probably die of embarrassment when they are older, and I mean all of the batsmen. Crawley, Duckett, Brook and Root all got out at least once, but mostly twice to stupid shots when set, Bairstow was playing too cool, its the fucking aussies for christsakes, and if he had the chance to do the same to Warner he would. Also, see lower order, Stokes could have farmed Broad better, I get he didn’t want to risk it with a dogdy knee as well, but Broad , Robinson and Tongue also tried desperately to throw their wickets away. Jimmy showed em how to do it, play sensible, at least pretend you are Geoff Boycott, don’t leap about like an orangutang with ants in your pants playing like farmer bill on the cider batting at seven for the Lower Twistledown Sunday 3’s. I make that 9 wankers out of 11 who need to grow up and realise what this series is all about, and a bit of whiny stuff when you have lost cuts no ice. Look in the book in 4 years, when you have been stuffed 5-nil home and away, and you are ready for your pipe and slippers, and you stepped outside your leg stump to hoick it over cover on 98 at Lords. Me, i would happily drop the bat on it for two hours to get that extra 2 if I had the chance, even if Lord Eton and all his stripey chums in the pavilion were booing and slow handclapping me.
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Deebee, stinks of complacency but I guess developmental for the world cup. Looks like AB’s and
Wobblies my do the same .When does Eddie name his side ? Argies will probably go full strength from word go, and may be all the better for it as a honed unit come September.
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Jimmy showed em how to do it, play sensible, at least pretend you are Geoff Boycott, don’t leap about like an orangutang with ants in your pants playing like farmer bill on the cider batting at seven for the Lower Twistledown Sunday 3’s.
I’m still laughing at this 12 hours later!
On the Boks, it’s a condensed 4N this year, so playing Aus in SA on Saturday, then hoiking it down to New Zealand on Sunday, arriving late Monday night or Tuesday morning in NZ, another couple of days to get over the jetlag, then three days before the Test, so I understand the need to have enough powder in the keg to take on the Blackness in good stead. No idea when Eddie will smirk his side to the public, or if he’s brought a full squad out here, to be honest. I haven’t followed their rugby at all this year (other than a couple of Super rugby matches, which were dire).
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On this day in 1963 my dad wrote in his diary…
“K**** had a son at ten past one this morning was down to see her at night both are well. Warm and sunny in the forenoon, but fiery, came on heavy thunder rain in the afternoon, some bright flashes and loud cracks. Finished singleing turnips, the bairns got their summer holidays.”
I’m amazed dad mentioned me BEFORE the weather report. And that the turnips were more important than my brother and sister getting their holidays…
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Happy birthday BB.
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Happy birthday BB 🥳🎉🥳🎉
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Happy 60th BB! A great milestone!
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I found the party-squeaker thing 😁
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60 is the new 40……………………….
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God I hope not! That would mean I still have 20 years of work left! Quite happy with 60 being the new 60, thank you very much.
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Happy birthday, BB! We sailed past your homeland today on our way back to Blighty from Norn Iron, and gave you a wee wave.
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Thanks Thaum! Was visiting my old Borders haunts today, so I’ll give you a wave back in your general direction now!
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B.B. I need you to keep working to fund my state pension.
p.s. your future will be someone else’s problem, obvs.
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So, this is it. In five days or fewer, we’ll know if England has any chance of regaining the Ashes, at best, or at worst sending Smith, Warner and a couple of others into retirement never having won an Ashes series on English soil. Can they do it? The first Test was England’s for the taking, with better bowling and fielding; the second could have been, with better pretty much everything – and they’re capable of it.
Australia are two up and will want to bury the series in Yorkshire and tick off the never won in England box for everyone in this side. England have won the toss and elected to bowl first – not usually seen as an attacking move, unless you think you can run through the opposition and then bat just the once, or chase a very small target. Really wish I’d won the lottery over the weekend; I’d be on a plane over right now!
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Will Broad join the 600 wicket club this week? Would go some way to keeping the series alive!
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Just 6 more! Warner gone for four! Smart slip catch too by Crawley. Just the start England wanted!
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Bazzballin’ byes has 14 out of 39 so far! And chanceless too!
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Has Bairstow just dropped the Ashes??? England in a good position, could have been great if they’d had Aus four down by lunch!
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If Bairstow drops a clanger and I’m the only witness, did it really happen?
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Root drops a clanger, Aus should be six down, not four. This attack, with Wood and Woakes in, already looks better than what we’ve seen so far. Wood was sending them down at around 95mph earlier!
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Those two drops – Root’s in particular – are hurting right now. Almost 100 partnership at almost a run a ball.
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Ach, bugger. In important cricket news, the Netherlands beat Scotland to get the last place in the cricket One Day World Cup.
Bloody Dutch, knocking us out of a competition again…
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Good omens for the rugby tho, BB
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Why are we all numbers? I am not a number!
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WP is having technical issues.
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Thank you Number 1. From Number 1.
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We’re all just footnotes to history.
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Cricket’s going well then?
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@bb
Belated happy Birthday…. !
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WP is having technical issues.
His scrummaging in a nutshell.
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Getting very nervous about this afternoon’s Test. Eddie had a habit of tripping the Boks up and we’ve got some untested combinations, especially in the second row and half backs. Our choice to be fair. If the Boks do click, it could be a magnificent affair, with some real skill and panache in the backs (except perhaps Andre Esterhuizen!). I do hope he runs a lot a QC though.
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Oof, the Aus scrum just crumbled there.
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Wobblies 5-0 up after 10 minutes. Klein stole the lineout, but Aus won the loose ball, got it out to Koroibete quickly who scored in the corner! First scrum coming up. Aus scrum creaked but held up.
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Refit, I’d like to scrum a bit more!
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Libbok knocks over a penalty from out in front 3-5.
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Was that QC’s first touch, after 15 mins? Certainly the first mention by comms
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Bokke! Getting good front foot from the forwards and then wide for Arendse to score on the left! Conversion good, 10-5 to the Boks after 17 minutes.
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Gee, Libbok just sliced them open, but couldn’t find support and turned it over. Sloppy lineout by Mbonambi, Aus opt for the scrum.
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Great kick from Nick White takes it to the Bok 5m line. Excellent lineout, but Libbok hoiks his clearance into touch 15m out. Aus take it through a few phases, but knock on and Libbok sends it way downfield.
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Blimey, Libbok’s got quite the boot on him (when he’s not shanking it).
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Hodge misses a fairly simple penalty after the Boks penalised at the breakdown. Wallabies using a lot of varied kicking, but so far not really getting much change out of the Bok defence.
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The stadium PA really needs to lay off the music. It’s really not needed for every break in play.
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Arendse! Scorches them again to score his second, and his 9th in 8 Tests!
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