It’s the second weekend of the Six Nations, and this is where things get (even more) interesting!
Following on from his (unexpected, even by him) success last week, Predict-A-Bear is back! This time in full Technicolor! And with lots of exclamation marks!!!!
First up is Italy vs Wales. Italy looked decent in places last week despite losing. They’ll be hoping that being back home will give them a boost. Although they haven’t beaten Wales in Rome since 2007, but that was a very different Wales. Wales have Faletau back (again) and yet another centre partnership facing up to one of the best partnerships in the tournament in Brexoncello (sorry, not sorry). Predict-A-Bear is going for:
‘Second game on Saturday is England vs France. The Big One! Le Crunch! Even though it isn’t. Not this weekend. Anyway, England have an abundance of Smiths, plus a Willis (but perhaps not the correct one) and a large number of Saints in the backline. France have added a Jalibert and some guy called Penaud on the wing. England will have a good first half and not so good second half. France will have a good first half and a better second half.
Predict-A-Bear is going for:
And that’s it for this weekend!
What do you mean there’s a game on Sunday!? You mean I’ve got to preview it too?
Bugger.
Here goes then (and this is being AI’d before the teams come out). Scotland HAVE to beat Ireland. We haven’t since 2017. Ireland were (slightly) sub-par in Autumn. They have rather annoyingly got better since then (but they did only play England last week). Scotland have lost our captain (and all-round genius) Sione, plus the very underestimated Scott Cummings for the whole tournament. Toonie’s Tombola came up with Dave Cherry last week, and he actually played well! So expect him to be out of the 23 or something weird. Injuries permitting, the only change I would make is Jordan in for McDowall. Sadly, I think the James Lowe Smirk will be in evidence a lot come Sunday evening. Can’t even do the “heart says one thing, head says the other” result – mainly because P-A-B doesn’t have a heart….
Still, Predict-A-Bear is going for:
Predict-A-Bear’s prognostications transcribed by BorderBoy.
Onna telly this weekend
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 7th February
| Italy v Wales (U20s) | 19:15 | S4C, iPlayer |
| England v France (U20s) | 20:00 | iPlayer |
Saturday 8th February
| Stormers v Bulls | 12:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Italy v Wales | 14:15 | ITV1, S4C, STV |
| England v France | 16:45 | STV, ITV1 |
| Scotland v Ireland (U20s) | 19:45 | iPlayer, RTÉ2 |
Sunday 9th February
| Scotland v Ireland | 15:00 | BBC1, iPlayer, RTÉ2 |
Ovally Balls 
I see that the French have – rightly – gotten irate over the IRFU claiming Ringrose would have been released to Leinster for last weekend’s game vs Cardiff.
It’s a maybe if they were playing Glasgow in URC or a Heino cup game – I’m not sure Leinster would see they’d need “Ringer” for a home game vs Cardiff.
This is sharp practice and does us no credit.
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Looks like you escaped Trumpland just in time, Thauma!
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I was quizzed about my flights by Dad’s friend.
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Why has it done that odd formatting thing on post? Oh well.
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Lions head to Durban to hammer the Sharks again on Saturday. Any other rugby on? Of any importance.
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Second weekend of first round of the NRL.
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Typical. League talk chases away rugby fans.
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Tonight, Ire U20 vs France.
Shown here on terrestrial by L’Equipe TV.
The kids are always worth a watch. Doubt they’ll go 7/1 on the bench.
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Flair, let us know how it is, as I suspect the mister will put on the Welsh U20s!
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The Welsh 15 has quite the set of wheels.
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Thaum I will, albeit later. Am recording the game as our dinner will start at KO time.
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Refit – the Welsh lads are good on attack! But the Scottish ones are defending well, and it’s 0-0 still.
Thanks, Flair – didn’t realise they had different kick-off times, so will probably watch the second half.
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And it’s Scotland who score!
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England v Italy kicks off at 1945 and Ireland v France at 2000. All on iPlayer in the UK.
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Uh-oh, 20min red card for the Wales 9.
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Italy open the scoring against England, after possibly the worst attempt to catch a cross-field kick from the England defender. He was moving backwards, away from the ball. 0-7
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Scotland score, Wales score, and then Scotland score again.
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Nice try be England, with the open-side on the end to score. 7-7.
But the Italian winger has dancing feet and scores his second of the match. 7-12
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Looks like Welsh 5 is taking at least a 20-minute holiday as well.
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No, it’s a full red card!
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Wales down to 13! The 5 follows through on the Scotland 9. It’s late and there’s head contact. It’s a full red card this time.
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England take the lead, the captain with an easy run-in under the posts.
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Was in Dundee for a couple of days with Mrs BB. At the hotel this morning there was a bunch of Welsh guys. Heard one of them ask a hotel clerk when the bar opened. This was at 8.40am!!!!!
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I’m sure we can beat this lot with 13…
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BB – seems like an eminently sensible question to me. One must plan one’s day!
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Surprised he didn’t ask why it was shut.
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Having a quick check on Ireland v France during HT, and it’s not good news! 0-5.
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And the French have just scored another lovely try.
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Fortunately not converted that one either.
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Back up to 14 now which will make life difficult.
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Clyde – you did well there when you were down to 12 (injury) for a minute.
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France with a 3rd. They’ve got Manie Libbok sneaking on for the conversions though!
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@Thaum – We’re trying out a few new combinations.
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Wales score again but miss the conversion! 19-12.
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We’ve sussed out this lineout in the corner thing: get them to throw it in.
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Yellow for the England 14. Still 21-12, 8 mins into the 2nd half.
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The refereeing of this game is getting increasingly random.
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France score a length of the field try – a great one – but called back for a deliberate knock on a couple of metres from their own line! Ireland make them pay and from potentially 22-0 at the break, it’s 15-7. Huge moment in the match!
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It’s all kicked off between Scotland & Wales.
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Scotland have held on comfortably enough in the end. Good effort from our lot given the imbalance in numbers though obviously getting people sent off isn’t great and neither is losing the only game they could have expected to win before the tournament.
Surprisingly good game after the sendings off, I guess Scotland will be delighted about the win if perhaps a little disappointed they made hard work of it for so long.
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The boys have been practising pretending to have a fight. Did a good job of looking like they meant it, none of that James Lowe smirking and laughing nonsense.
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See Wales lose, then switch over to see France score their BPT.
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Clyde – it was a very entertaining match.
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Think it was part of a master plan to win tomorrow.
Some weird stuff from the commentators. I don’t think Wales had any pretensions at all to winning the tournament.
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Wales must have had at least 80% of the possession and territory? Especially in the first half. They could and probably would have won if it hadn’t been for a couple of minutes of madness.
The Irish U20s are looking very poor, disorganised and heartless (as in, their heart isn’t in it, unlike the Welsh or Scottish sides).
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Irish player looks to have scored an own goal. ;-)
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Well, Ireland get a consolation try at the death, but fail to convert it. 12-22.
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Thaum, just watched it quickly.
Basically men vs boys. At some point France had 3 YCs! And were still on top. Not the best game, Ireland quite mediocre and France as profligate and complacent as their bigger brothers vs England.
France are blessed (and cursed in a way, no humble bragging here) with a huge number of potentially great young players. Thus coaches prioritize WCs, using the 6N as a testing ground. Fun to watch usually but the team suffer from a lack of continuity in selection. Sometimes they only keep a few players from one week to the next.
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“3 YCs!”
Pfffft.
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Flair, yep, Ireland were awful. I didn’t think France were that great either: they were just better than Ireland.
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