Last night I was ‘forced’ (Mothership usage of term, meaning doing it quite voluntarily) to watch a Peter Green tribute show led by Mick Fleetwood.
There is a star-studded cast of musicians, mostly playing very well, but they insist on playing twelve-bar blues, which must be the most rigid and repetitive form of music in existence, except for the even more terrible ones.
It’s like watching endless pick-and-goes, only there might be a chance of something exciting and different happening as a result of those pick-and-goes. A try might be created, or a horrible mistake might occur that leads to an end-to-end score by the opposition.
No chance of anything like that with twelve-bar blues, even as played by expert musicians. It is going to have exactly the same key and rhythm, the same clichéd lyrical and musical tropes, everything completely predictable and boring. The musical ball gets recycled, stuffed up the jumper, and goes again. And again. And again.
It’s also like watching scrums being reset for what feels like hours, but is probably only about three or four minutes. And the same thing happens in every scrum, but the referee just calls for a reset again. And again. And again. A dystopian nightmare.
But rejoice! There is some rugby available to watch in the near future, and hopefully it will be much more exciting than that.
Onna telly in the next week or so
Showing matches that are televised in the UK and Ireland or on popular subscription services. Bold indicates that it’s on a free to view channel. Times are in the UK zone, so adjust as necessary.
Friday 6th September
| Tonga v Fiji | 04:00 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Japan v USA | 11:05 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Scotland v Wales (women) | 19:35 | iPlayer |
Saturday 7th September
| Bayonne v Perpignan | 13:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
| England v France (women) | 15:30 | BBC1 |
| South Africa v New Zealand | 16:00 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Argentina v Australia | 20:00 | Sky Sports + |
| Bordeaux v Stade Français | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 8th September
| La Rochelle v Toulon | 16:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Vannes v Toulouse | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
We’ve just replaced Dodson, who was the head of the SRU. Dodson was a lot of things, but he did help stabilise the SRU financially, as I think they were nearly bust after the refurbishment of Murrayfield. Selling the naming rights was a big step forward. But against that, there was the set-up then demise of the Super Six, semi-pro teams which were supposed to be a link between the clubs and the URC sides. There was also a big push on various academies to bring young players through, but again, I don’t know what happened to that.
Ticht will have a better handle on things I think.
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No idea what that little 8 is doing in my last post and have absolutely no idea how I did that!
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Thanks BB, Scottish rugby is in a difficult position of needing to expand, but not do a Wales in the process. Doesn’t bode well that this bust up happened as the sides are gearing up for Week 1 of the URC either.
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Eddie Jones saying St Maro isn’t England captaincy material. He just can’t let things be. What’s amazing about Itoje is that he’s only 29 and already has 84 Test caps (including 6 with the Lions), so if he stays fit, healthy and available for another six years or so, be could end up with well over 160 caps. Amazing.
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Shocked, BB, thats all I can say. Dodgy looking tackle technique in that article , looks like hes tucking the right arm in order to drop his shoulder into Richard Hill.
On the world rugby thing, would have thought he would be a great breath of fresh air after old Blacklegs Bill , who was a great hero of mine in my youth, but hasn’t covered himself in glory in the driving seat of World Rugby. My suspicion is that JJ upset some of the more corporate types in the SRU.
Rugbys loss is farmings gain.
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Fair number of names I don’t know in the Leinster line up. Injuries, strategic or new generation?
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Or ignorance, quite likely!
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Better late than never……
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C’mon Bris!
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One of the nuggets from that video was that Glasgow were the only side in any of the major leagues to score two tries in every match!
I think – some of Squidge’s facts go by so fast I’m halfway through the next section before my mind goes “Whit?!?!”
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Pierre Schoeman, leading try scorer of the season so far!
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Embra score first! Now will that just annoy Leinster?
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First try to Bristol bang on 5mins, Williams* on the end of a lovely mid-field move.
*he looks like someone shrunk Jamie Roberts.
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Yes it did.
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Barf have scored at almost the same time.
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Scrums are a bit of a mess. Bristol have gifted Falcons two penalties so far, which is giving them field position and allowing them into the game.
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Saints score a lovely try to level things up.
Leinster score again (sigh)
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Callum Chick chose the wrong option, attacking the Bristol line and got absolutely splatted by Genge. Two Falcons players so far, have required attention after getting (fairly) tackled by Genge.
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McDuhan scores!
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A lovely Bath try now. Some rugby breaking out in between the kicking.
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Well, this is exciting! Rugby and brussels sprouts – it must be autumn.
Cardiff 17-3 up against Zebre at HT. They had the opportunity to seal the BP at around the half-hour mark, but somehow blew it.
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Spencer scores a typically sneaky scrum half try! Bath lead 21-10 on 35 minutes.
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Half ends with a Falcons penalty and Bristol lead 3-5 at the break.
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Pretty much the whole of Edinburgh drove that over! Used a few small towns on the periphery too!
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Slow poison, slick hands and Leinster even it up! Some outrageous homer scoring, with the tele crew giving the conversion to Edinburgh!
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Seems to be the worst thing that Edinburgh can do Deebs is score, ‘cos that just means Leinster will get one of their own straight after.
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Gibson-Park had no right to score there, but hell!
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“Gibson-Park had no right to score”
That’s all you really needed to say….
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Fucking scrum-halves, eh?
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Took a bit longer for the first score of the second half, 10mins for Bristol this time. Hell of a finish by Naulago, diving into the corner to touch the ball down, even as Radwan puts the shoulder in. 3-12
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Edinburgh back in it thanks to McDuhan! 24-31
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McGintey gets a should right in the ribs, as he turns to pass the ball and there’s an extended stoppage as he gets treatment. Hopefully he’s okay, because Bristol don’t have another 10 on the bench.
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He’s back up and okay. (Some of his team mates might be calling him soft)
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Malins in for Bristol’s 3rd try. Bristol pressure on the Falcons line, then the ball goes to the FB, coming at pace. 3-19 65mins.
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22-17 the final score in Cardiff. The ex-Blues have a try BP, but the Italians also have a losing BP.
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Ooh, the Falcons’ 7 hits takes the ball at pace, through a gap in the Bristol line, into the 22. He passes to Docherty, but it doesn’t stick and it’s a Bristol scrum. Possibly the best period of play by Newcastle.
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Edinburgh close but no cigar. 31-33 in the end, Edinburgh get 2 bonus points.
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Ooh, lovely Bristol try. Van Rensberg and Lane tear down the far wing. They’re stopped by defenders, but McGintey puts a lovely cross field kick, which ends in Malins hands, as he steps over the try line.
3-24 76mins.
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Almost a Newcastle try, right at the death. Brown heads for the corner, but Malins and Jenkins force him into touch, just before he can get the ball down. And that’s the end of the match.
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Missed the first 10 minutes of the Wobblies-ABs, which kinda put the result to bed, but the Wallabies have stormed back to only be 7-21 down at the end of the 1st quarter!
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7-28 with 6 minutes of the half to go. Wallabies can’t be faulted for endeavour, it’s just that for all the huff, puff and helter-skelter, they’ve got shocking skills and decision-making. And then barge over for a close-range try to give themselves a sliver of misplaced hope. Poor bastards. 14-28
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All Blacks are finished. Taking the three from 30 yards out. Nic White doing his best impression of a gobby little shite. Interesting that when I type shite, it autocorrects to White. Well I never!
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DMac has passed a couple of final balls well behind the support runner today. He’s had a very mixed bag. Slipper comes on to become the most capped Wallaby and cement fact that Aussie rugby is now 2nd tier. Nic White appears to have saved a try getting his hands under the ball. Yip! Remains 14-31 after 52 minutes.
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Nic White told to zip it by the ref or get a card. Think that’s the third time this RC.
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That sums it up: Wallabies hot on attack inside the Kiwi 22, ball carrier isolated and throws a wild, speculative pass, Kiwis pick it up and go the length. That also sums up the Kiwis this season – DMac goes from passing behind the support player to a forward pass. Kiwi sides of the past wouldn’t have made that elementary error.
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No try, approaching the last 20. The only intrigue now is whether the Kiwis will fail to score in the final quarter for the 5th match in a row.
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Huge break down the middle by the Aussie lock and eventually after a few pick and goes, Paisami goes over! 21-31 and still 14 to go.
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Kiwis down toc14 as well for repeated infringements. From the restart, the Wallabies pour downfield and should have scored! Just one support runner short and the ABs get the penalty.
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Kiwis down to 13 and Clarke is binned for a cynical knock down and from the penalty they score under the posts, but called back for a knock on! Ah bugger! Been a strange match: the Kiwis have looked imperious ball in hand for much of the match, but silly errors have kept them out: the Aussies have looked hopeless most of the match but have conjured up just enough to stay in touch.
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ABs win a penalty on their own tryline, then botch the lineout maul and Australia come again! And score! 28-31 with just a minute to go! Can they do it?
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