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 
Oh, and grubber kick is ‘ petit coup de pied par dessus’.
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@Ticht – I suspect I could find Big Mike quite entertaining if I was feeling the need to revel in ‘Welshness’ and some of the things that can go with it. There would definitely be some laughs of the ‘at’ nature as well as the ‘with’. The outside world probably doesn’t need it though.
In terms of the general standard I was talking to Mrs CMW about this sort of thing earlier, a conversation which largely widened to cricket commentary which had a much stronger tradition of commentators who were not famous players or even professional players at all, largely due to its existence as a separate artform on the radio. And those that were ex-players were successful on the basis of their commentary not their fame. The modern world has moved on and I feel that I am but a humble dinosaur of the vegetarian sort, mauled to death by a T-Rex with my fossilised remains being misinterpreted by ignorant halfwits.
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@Flair – the Paddington joke was about British children’s books of the 1970s so was half-dead before it was born. I insist on my right to make jokes for my own entertainment rather than for others though, it’s a family tradition. ‘Talk for your own pleasure, communication is a bonus’, it’s a way of life. I will try to use the French sometime though it is rather a lot of words.
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It was definitely TCod with the stare, I rewrote Yeats’ The Stare’s Nest by my Window for him (from Meditations at a time of Summer Tours) as one of my first posts on AoD.
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Know the books, read them with my daughter … a long long time ago. We both liked them.
Hope you enjoy success with your French, but ‘petit coup de pied par dessus’ won’t be easy to insert in a conversation.
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Know the books, read them with my daughter … a long long time ago. We both liked them.
Hope you enjoy success with your French, but ‘petit coup de pied par dessus’ won’t be easy to insert in a conversation.
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Know the books, read them with my daughter … a long long time ago. We both liked them.
Hope you enjoy success with your French, but ‘petit coup de pied par dessus’ won’t be easy to insert in a conversation.
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Know the books, read them with my daughter … a long long time ago. We both liked them.
Hope you enjoy success with your French, but ‘petit coup de pied par dessus’ won’t be easy to insert in a conversation.
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Thrice?
How did I do that?
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And another while I was typing my surprise!
I guess I get the BP.
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@Flair – If I post it twice should you lose the BP for not having three posts more?
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In T-14 yes, which I think is the best system.
I give it to you though, that Wales definitely deserved 2 points today.
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In T-14 yes, which I think is the best system.
I give it to you though, that Wales definitely deserved 2 points today.
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Haha, twice now. I’ll stop or I’ll destroy the internet.
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Flair, Benjamin Keyser is another I could listen to all day.
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Spectacular internetting btw, Flair
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dessus and dessous were words I never got to grips with – I couldn’t hear the difference in the sprint-speak of the locals.
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Dessous should be easier for you. As “ou” sounds like in English.
“U” is the one anglophones have a hard time with as it doesn’t exist in English. Think about “une” as in “une femme” and it will be easier.
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Flair I recall a conversation I had with a Frenchman and a French Canadian. The Quebecois guy couldn’t understand why I had trouble with dessus. I think because he was fully bilingual it didn’t occur to him that there were sounds that didn’t exist in either language for the other. The French bloke got what I was saying.
French uses the mouth more, I think, if you know what I mean, dessus is a good example of this
Scots can be terrible mumblers, you can have a conversation with someone here and their lips will hardly move at all, ventriloquist-like.
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Capuozzo and Bielle-Biarrey look separated at birth.
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Was lucky to go to Scotland a couple of times. Yes, it was sometimes challenging to understand the locals, specially when asking for directions in the countryside. Lovely people, always ready to help.
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In Midol just now: no Irish player will be cited, said the citing commissioner, whether for the Dupont injury nor for the Nash YC, that could’ve been a red. I can’t say I agree with not reviewing the incident, as for me Beirne was at least reckless, but these experts should know better.
As an aside, does anyone know if a citing can only occur if the foul play deserved a RC?
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BTW, it’s official now: Dupont ruptured his ACL. He’ll be out for a minimum of 8 months.
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Andrew Brace? Bugger.
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Random Decisions Ahoy!
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That was disappointing/good English try.
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It’s quite impressive, watching Freeman running down the wing, holding the ball in just one hand.
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“does anyone know if a citing can only occur if the foul play deserved a RC?”
I think that is the case, yes.
I may have said this already, but the Welsh U20s player who get red carded for exactly the same incident on Friday night against Scotland didn’t cause any injury to the Scottish player.
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That was a hell of an pen advantage to England.
Kind of feels weird, England having an 8 who runs their weight.
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Fuck, that’s Lawrence out for a while then.
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That was a proper face-plant.
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Lovely Italian try! Beautiful stuff.
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Oh, that was a wonderful try for Italy. What happened to Ioane just being a lump in midfield? Can we have him back please?
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Forza Italia!
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Love that Brace only looked at one angle, before making a decision.
Fuck it, we’ve scored anyway.
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How has Daly become one of England’s most effective players????
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Just brilliant!!!!!
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What a step by Capuozzo! And good gas by the 8, to finish it off.
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Cracking Italian try!
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Shit-hair* scores in the corner.
*Not really narrowing it down that much.
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Cursed officials, Brace & Jonker are going to throw up the most random decisions.
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Great work by Stuart, to get behind the gainline.
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Oh, I think the Italy collapse is starting.
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Bloody hell, Curry almost put in a grubber just then.
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England finished that off pretty quickly after halftime. Got a bit boring after that, but shouldn’t really grumble as there were plenty of good tries in that game.
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CMW-highlights will look a lot better than watching the match. England are fairly rubbish.
Thats horrible about Dupont. I don’t think it was deliberate, at any rate, he was looking elsewhere as it happened, and was driven sideways by support. Didn’t look to be wrapping for a bind much tho. Benefit of doubt.
I have taken to watching Scrum V Warm Up every week, there is some excellent Welshness going on regularly, there is not any particular editorial censure, and its really fun, with lots of little player insights about dressing room and actual thoughts during game from days gone by etc. Frightening to see all those “OLD” retired players like Foxy, Cuthbert, Jamie Roberts and Hookey looking so ridiculously young, altho Hook does have the decency to have gone a bit salt and pepper.
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He’ll be out for a minimum of 8 months.
If it’s any consolation – Sheehan did his ACL in SA in June/July(?) and was back by January
I follow another rugby “not-a-blog” run by Three Red Kings – general consensus was that Beirne was reckless at a minimum – diving in, no wrap, made worse by Porter driving. Expectation was a citing and for it to go to a hearing at least.
It is “not a good look” for the world’s best player to be injured by a reckless challenge.
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How has Daly become one of England’s most effective players
didn’t see the game but I’d guess the answer here probably is “play him in his best position”?
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Trisk, I checked. A citing can only occur if the foul warrants a RC. I guess the logic of the citing commissioner was that Beirne’s recklessness at worse would get him a YC?
I don’t want this debate to be only about Dupont. I think it’s high time the refs were less lenient about the ‘cleaning’ of the rucks. Every player who joins a ruck must bind to another player, stay on their feet and keep their shoulder higher than their waist. It never happens, and yet it’s rarely enforced. Hence many ‘unfortunate’ accidents.
And yes, I’m bitter in spite of the large win. Rugby is a show for me, and not being able to watch Dupont (or any other brilliant player for that matter, be it Savea, Etzebeth or Finn) for a full year grates. These ”incidents’ could easily be avoided if only they were policed properly.
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