Now that the anguish of the World Cup is behind us, we can all* pretend that it was all a horrific nightmare and concentrate on the leagues. Ulster have got their international players back at last, although very (very, very) sadly, Munster don’t have Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Tadhg Beirne or Dave Kilcoyne back yet.
*Except Deebee, obvs. I expect he’ll mention once or twice over the next four years that the Boks have won it twice in a row.
So sit back, pour yourself the beverage of your choice, and relax with a nice friendly match.
Onna telly this week
Showing matches that are televised in the UK and Ireland or on popular subscription services. Bold indicates free-to-view.
Friday 10th November
| Zebre v Sharks | 17:30 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Cardiff v Bulls | 19:35 | BBC2 Wales / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Ulster v Munster | 19:35 | BBC2 NI / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Gloucester v Bath | 19:45 | TNT Sports 1 |
Saturday 11th November
| Toulouse v Perpignan | 14:00 | Viaplay |
| Treviso v Stormers | 15:00 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Leicester v Harlequins | 15:05 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Lyon v Stade Français | 16:00 | Viaplay |
| Ospreys v Glasgow | 17:15 | Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Scarlets v Lions | 17:15 | S4C / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Edinburgh v Connacht | 19:35 | TG4 / Viaplay Sports 2 |
| La Rochelle v Bayonne | 20:00 | Viaplay |
Sunday 12th November
| Dragons v Leinster | 13:15 | S4C / RTÉ2 / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Northampton v Exeter | 15:00 | ITV1 / STV / TNT Sports 1 |
| Toulon v Racing 92 | 20:00 | Viaplay |
Ovally Balls 
I am getting quite excited about the young Ulster players coming through. Several of them are very good indeed.
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I would never boast about back to back wins at the World Cup. Never. Ever. These fuckers might though.
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All square in Treviso after 20 minutes. Scorers untroubled.
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Jo Simmonds continues to demonstrate what a loss he is to English rugby and gain to French as Pau lead (ish) the Top14 and he heads the points table
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Deebee’s Lions have beaten the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets.
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Deserved win for the Lions.
Scarlets really missing Blackett who turned their seasin around last year.
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Embra v Connacht was a good match to watch.
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despicable Craig Gilroy
what did I miss? Or was he also “involved” in a certain incident/incidents ?
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I am not a fan of Frank Murphy as a ref, and wasn’t before this match either
Generally, Munster fans aren’t either – as we see it he’s so scared anyone might allege he’s biased towards Munster that he goes completely the other way…
Got lovely hair, though!
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Trisk – Gilroy wasn’t there, but was suspended for a time by Ulster for sending a message the next morning: ‘Any bitches get fucked last night?’
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Excellent win for my boys! After three narrow losses it’s good to get one the other way for a change. We’re still woefully lacking in squad depth and a few big name players to make us more competitive over the whole 80 minutes week in and out, but I’ll take a win on the road any day. More than the Bok-laden Stormers and Sharks can claim!
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Thauma, I cannot imagine what kind of mind sends a text like that. Or even thinks it. But even worse, for him to send a text like that gives an insight into what was apparently standard behaviour for that group of players. Disgusting.
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Deebee – yes, exactly.
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@thaum – ah, I’d missed that part of the story…..
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Somebody make some popcorn. Cruella Braverman has just turned the fire hoses on Sunak.
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My main problem with Conway was that it was very hard to tell him apart from Keith Earls. :-)
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Thauma, there’s a disturbing number of people on that thread who think she’s brilliant and PM material. Luckily there’s also plenty who think she’s shit.
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Deebee, she could quite easily end up as next Tory leader. Hopefully after they get booted out of office.
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Just to clarify as well, I see there’s headlines about burglars breaking into SA Rugby headquarters and stealing expensive brandy – I wasn’t anywhere near the crime scene.
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gosh! that’s a relief to know
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Scrum halves always seem to be in two places at once.
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Good
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…….evening all. Fantastic, well done Keir, you lilly livered sop to Bibi, now you are destroying what is left of the Labour Party ,because you can’t bring yourself to utter the word “ceasefire”. How hard can it be ?? Perhaps if you are willing to throw away all your principles to support a corrupt and racist regime,and help them ethnically cleanse their adopted homeland, you really shouldn’t be in the Labour Party at all. Hop over and join Boris and his chums. and take the rest of your Zionist apologists with you.
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Media getting desperate
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/133288593/world-rugby-concedes-all-blacks-disallowed-try-in-rugby-world-cup-final-should-have-stood
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G’morning Stewie! There’s another article on that thread which takes the exact opposite view:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/301009161/bad-call-highlights-rugby-world-cup-final-tmo-shocker-but-it-didnt-cost-all-blacks-title?cx_testId=12&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=2&cx_experienceId=EXE6G6ISTGR0#cxrecs_s
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Cricket about to get underway. Relatively nervous about it, but there is simply nowhere near the atmosphere and anticipation down here for the cricket as there was for the rugby. I suppose if we win this match – big if – and make the Final, things will start to heat up, but I don’t think there’s any side around at the moment that can live with India at this World Cup. Played 10, won 10 and can’t remember them being seriously tested in any of those!
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South Africa off to the sort of flyer you’d expect from them in a Cricket World Cup semi-final. Looks like the most unlikeable final imaginable is on the cards, never mind.
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While I do think there needs to be proper clarity about what the TMOs can get involved in and it should be stuck to rigidly I’m definitely be in the camp that would have expected the Boks to grind out another miserable penalty had they turned out to need it.
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The Guardian tells me that “South Africa will hope it rains for the next 36 hours” as that will put them through. I’m pretty confident that it will. Unfortunately it will most likely be doing it right outside my window rather than in India, but so it goes.
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Right, I’m dashing off to grab a quick bite to eat. I suspect we’ll be bowled out and Warner will have hit the winning runs by the time I get back.
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Pyjama cricket my friend.
Jonny gets a 3 match ban, Faz would have walked.
https://sports.yahoo.com/jonny-may-handed-three-game-170802489.html
Other exciting news, never been to Vegas…….
https://www.allegiantstadium.com/events/detail/rugby-league-in-las-vegas
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That’s a hell of a long short lunch that Deebee is having.
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SA lost, so the short long lunch will have developed into Drowning Of Sorrows.
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Typical bloody weather, never rains for 36 hours where you want it to. At least it was close which I’m sure makes it no better at all.
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I’m not bothered particularly by rain. It’s mud I don’t like.
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Mud is fine, can even be glorious. It’s the Indian and Australian cricket teams that I’m not so keen on.
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Forget the Indian and Australian cricket teams, it’s Netanyahu that really bothers me.
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Lions strike a deal with Premiership to make players available!
(Also made same deal with URC, but they don’t count apparently)
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/nov/16/premiership-cuts-deal-with-british-irish-lions-to-boost-hopes-of-glory
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Back from lunch, cough. Bloody Aussies. Bloody Proteas. Everyone will talk about how Starc and Hazelwood bowled immaculately in the first 10 overs and effectively ensured we didn’t get off to a flyer, but it would have been very different if the Aussie fielding in those opening overs hadn’t been so spectacular: between Warner and Labuschagne alone they cut off at least five boundaries, which would have eased the pressure and meant de Kock didn’t have to go for a desperate heave-ho and foment the collapse that we never really recovered from. And then we were still only a couple of half changes and ‘Umpire’s Calls’ away from a sensational victory anyway. Pissed off, but not overly despondent. I suppose the Boks used up all the national half-a-chance good luck tokens in their three one point victories that led to a 4th World Cup triumph in 8 attempts. Not sure if this has been discussed on here at all?
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* half chances, obviously.
Not sure the weekend gets any better, with the brave, brave Lions being thrown to the unsmiling Test-star packed Ulster mob this evening. Edinburgh are going to chomp the Bulls, despite Jake White prizing away their two glittering stars in Jaco van der Walt and Henry Immelman, whilst the Sharks, despite having an array of actual glittering stars, will get stuffed by Connaught in Durban, and Munster will complete the pain with a demolition of the Stormers in Limerick.
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Real rugby news:
I shan’t bore you with the list, but Exeter’s team to face Gloucester contains 9 from last year’s typical 23. Good to see Stu Townsend back at 9. These are massive changes and win or lose spirit is high (at the moment)
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Apart from that I am too f**king depressed by UK politics and global strife at the moment. Hypocrisy doesn’t nail it at the moment – too much greed, ignorance and faux hypersensitivity to criticism. A pox on them all………………………………………………..
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A pox? Just one? You’re a better man than I am.
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No inspiration has struck for a new ATL, so I’ll just post Ulster’s team against Deebee’s Lions:
Stewart Moore; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jake Flannery, Nathan Doak; Andy Warwick, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson; Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (capt); Dave Ewers, Reuben Crothers, David McCann.
Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Marty Moore, Harry Sheridan, Lorcan McLoughlin, John Cooney, Billy Burns, Michael Lowry.
Will be keeping an eye on young Flannery. Hope he does well.
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Thaum – how is Dave Ewers getting on with Ulster? I think perhaps you got him a season or two too late…………?
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Haven’t noticed him too much, Slade, tbh. Although I think he did something good last week.
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It’s been all Lions so far, and now the bastards have scored.
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Lions! Surely it’s full time too?
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0-7! Absolutely thrashing Ulster! Call it off, ref!
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