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 
I’ll have to defer to Deebee on Ward and Campbell.
Sexton – obvious bastard
Humphries – bastard
ROG – still got to be a bit of a bastard
Eric Elwood – Hero
Think that covers all the ones that have made an impression.
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@Slade – think he was pretty much knocked out even before missing the tackle for the try before the penalty. And the missing of the tackle looked painful too.
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Think about half the team would have failed modern HIAs in that game had they had them though most of them had to go off anyway.
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There’s never been any doubt in my mind that ROG was (probably quite seriously) concussed during THAT moment. Love him or hate him, he generally had a cool brain as a player.
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But not quite always:
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CMW – ach well, he was but a youngster then. And I don’t know what he was doing running up into the ‘tackle’; we all know that the team had to adapt so that he wasn’t involved in tackles.
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He seems to have been 28 so yes I see your point.
Obviously he had plenty of good days against us going right back to when he first started which has something to do with that moment being memorable. Quite a memorable occasion full stop mind.
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Squidge on the final
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seems like a really good bloke
Has that Cork self confidence like Keane (Roy) – can come across as grating but he’s got a track record now to support it.
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… and Lions vs SA 2nd test wasn’t his finest hour
On tackling, he wasn’t much of a tackler but he put himself in the way most of the time – we try to instil that to U14s – just because you’re not much of tackler doesn’t mean you can’t get in the way at least……
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I’ve just read an extraordinary stat, and it almost makes me want to watch the Heine Final again, just to check –
The Leinster 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 didn’t give or receive a pass to each other the entire match.
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That’s an amazing stat, Ticht. You’d think it’s not actually possible unless you’re playing 10 man rugby. For the whole 80 minutes with 10 percent possession!
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Not even from a quick lineout? This has me exercised!
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The stat gave me the motivation to watch it again,
When Leinster got the ball they went to a forward pod to bosh it up or Byrne hoofs it into the Dublin sky. When they were in their own half it’s JG-P to Lowe who biffs it downfield.
They had nothing bar a couple of snazzy lineout moves.
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Ach no, this is sad, Tina Turner RIP.
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I don’t know if anyone remembers Ephemerid, from back on the mothership? But she’s just had some really good news – she’s been given the all clear for cancer, from her doctor.
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There is something about watching AWJ galloping up the pitch, with the ball held in just one hand.
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Conflicting emotions: sad about Tina, and very very pleased for Ephemerid! Sounded like her prognosis was pretty dire, last time I heard.
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RIP Tina, not only a magnificent singer and entertainer, but a great survivor and fighter against the odds as well.
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World Cup chatter has already started in earnest down here. Rassie warning that the match against Ireland is not the important one for the Boks in the pool stages – we need to put away a very good Scotland first. Lose to Scotland and we could be home after the pool stages, but beat Scotland, Tonga and Romania, and we should be through whatever the result against Ireland.
In more immediate matters, I wish like hell that I was in Cape Town this weekend! The atmosphere must be superb. That match is too hard to call for me. The Stormers haven’t beaten Munster in the URC yet and lost to them at home a month ago. That said, Manie Libbock had a nightmare off the tee, which would have seen a different result.
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World Cup predictions, so you can stop worrying and just enjoy the matches:
Quarter-finals
Sat 14 Oct Winner Pool C (Australia) v Runner-up Pool D (England): England’s recent dominance over Australia continues with a brutal win.
Sat 14 Oct Winner Pool B (Boks) v Runner-up Pool A (France): Boks, having rested their frontline players for nearly 3 weeks destroy a France pushed to the limits 8 days before by Italy
Sun 15 Oct Winner Pool D (Argentina) v Runner-up Pool C (Fiji): Argentina cruise through, with Fiji not able to replicate their fine win over Wales.
Sun 15 Oct Winner Pool A (New Zealand) v Runner-up Pool B (Scotland): Scotland’s golden tournament continues as they add the All Black scalp to the Ireland one of the pool stages.
Semi-finals
Fri 20 Oct Winner Quarter-final 1 (England) v Winner Quarter-final 2 (Boks): Boks win, with OF red carded at the kick off for an illegal tackle on the ball receiver. Maro Itoje shouts poetry at the ref to no avail.
Sat 21 Oct Winner Quarter-final 3 (Argentina) v Winner Quarter-final 4 (Scotland): Scotland win a massive encounter in a match for the ages as both sides throw everything into attacking rugby.
Third-place match
Fri 27 Oct Third-place Play-off: Argentina squeeze through after a thrilling comeback by England in the last 20 minutes. George Ford misses the conversion from in front to deny them the bronze medals.
Final
Sat 28 Oct World Cup Final: A repeat of the pool match, but with Gregor Townsend at 10, after Scotland’s threadbare squad has simply run out of replacements. A valiant effort, but the Boks have just a bit more left in the tank after beating Scotland (twice), Ireland, France and England to retain the Webb-Ellis trophy.
It’s possible that I’m bored and just pretending to work this afternoon.
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Amusing, if deluded!
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…………. slow Friday down there?
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I keep forgetting that Freddie Burns is now playing for the Highlanders
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Squidge’s tribute to AWJ & Tips
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Disruption at the Prem final. Protesters from either XR or Just Stop Oil made it onto the pitch with chalk bombs. I think one of them got tackled by Tom Curry – a rugby match might not have been the best choice.
20 mins in and Saracens have lost Jamie George (HIA after he headbutted Curry’s shoulder) and Maitland (knocked his knee going for a high ball, just before the interruption).
6-6
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Penalty try and yellow card for Tom Curry. Saracens go right, after the scrum restart. Goode puts in a kick down the wing, Malins kicks it on and Curry tackles him as he tries to get to the ball as it crosses the try line.
13-6
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Was outside when the mister came and told me about the disruption. Came in just in time to see Curry getting sent off. Was it an illegal tackle on the protester? ;-)
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They didn’t actually disrupt the match that much. I think they were about to stop play anyway and there would have been a pause for treatment to Maitland.
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Laughing at Luke Pearce asking van der Merwe if he’s scored, before going to the TMO.
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Naw, there’s a wee bit of orange paint on the pitch.
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Try given and it’s all square after 30mins. 13-13
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Sarries strike back almost immediately. They get a lineout after the restart, on the Sale line. With advantage from the driving maul, they move the ball across the pitch, then back again, before Malins breaks the line to score.
20-13 34 mins
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I really hate the ruck ‘caterpillar’.
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Yes, there should be a different law that doesn’t allow you to attack the scrum-half at the back of a ruck.
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Half time. That was a fun and fairly even 40 mins of rugby.
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@Thaum – I just think that the ball should only be counted as ‘in’ the ruck, if it’s in contact with the last body on the floor.
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Mm, but that leaves scrum-halves being pulverised as soon as they pick the ball up.
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But on the other hand, it would stop Ben Youngs (badly) box-kicking everything.
You can still have guards by the ruck and sometimes they could pass?
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Also, you wouldn’t want to see Faf get splatted repeatedly?
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Ha, or JGP even!
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Well, that was the most unlikely try. Sale have a knock-on advantage just inside the Sarries half. van der Merwe spots a gap, breaks the line and tries to put in a chip (he’s a prop). It slices off the side of his boot, Daly misses gathering it and Roebuck dribbles it over the line to score.
Converision missed, 20-18
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Daly makes up for his mistake by getting on the end of a Sarries play to score almost direct from the restart.
Oh, his foot just brushes the touchline, as he catches the ball.
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Yay!
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That was a Yay for the Sale try to put them in the lead.
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Sarries have scored another, but failed to convert, so it’s 28-25. Could see this going into extra time.
However, will probably switch over to the other match if it does!
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Bah. Sarries get awarded a controversial try.
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Yellow for Sarries. Less than 7 minutes to go; ten-point deficit.
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No luck. Dammit.
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