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 
Murray is not a good enough defender.
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Boo, Welsh granny says from beyond the grave. Williams didn’t affect the play there.
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Marcus Smith joining in holding up Anscome was cute,
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We are the experts at the uncontestable kick.
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How did England not select a replacement lock?
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LCDSoundsystem really needs to work on his darts. They’ve been pish all tournament.
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Ok, forget any criticisms I have of LCD.
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We don’t know what we’re doing. Thankfully it’s a little infectious at times.
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We needed that to stay in.
‘This man’s off his feet first.’
Fucking penalise him then.
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LCD should be good at throwing in considering he’s nearly standing next to the lineout by the time he takes the throw.
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Bloody hell, Wales could have had 3 tries.
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They’ve got one now!
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Nice from Tomos Williams.
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The ‘Prince’ of ‘Wales’ looked distinctly unhappy at that try and conversion.
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That was a lovely pass by Tomos Williams, for the try.
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That didn’t take long ;)
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Well deserved.
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And a great tackle from TW, but they score anyway.
I thought Gats was right to bin Anscombe just wrong not to pick an alternative. Seen nothing to change that since but then I never thought he was that good in the first place.
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Nicky Smith could easily have stayed on his feet there and then Earl couldn’t go for the ball.
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Absolute rubbish from Wales this half, every bit as bad as anything in the last couple of years.
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Bonus point for England! Wonder if there’s a few little flutters in Paris?
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Ah hell, this is poor from Wales.
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We need a break here
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Not going to get any today though.
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Really impressive from England.
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Well, that was a bit of a disaster of a half.
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Oh dear, poor Wales, England trying a lot of little flourishes, and unusually, they are all coming off.
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I hadn’t spotted Genge heading the ball, in the build up to Stuart’s try.
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Wales finding SO many different ways to not score a try.
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Well that sums up Wales at the moment: do so much good stuff and then their best player of the night can’t hold on with the line in front of him. Poor old Adam Jones up in the coaches box looks like he wants the ground to swallow him up. Not sure Mother Earth can open her mouth that wide though!
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Earl to centre and a child at 8?
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If Mee gave it straight away either of the others would have scored.
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Thats 5 now. Holy cow, Wales could easily be up 42 to 33.
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Daly taking a leaf out of Genge’s book and using his head to knock the ball forward in the tackle.
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We have had some appalling luck as well as everything else.
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Adam Jones looks shell shocked.
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I can’t watch this any more. It’s a massacre.
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That was basketball, not rugby.
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Adam Jones now completely catatonic.
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A brace of tries on debut? Dream start for Pollock.
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That’s just a cruel kick, right inna bollocks.
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Danny Care’s voice feels like it’s too deep for his size.
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Jones with the thousand yard stare at the end.
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In the immortal words of David Bowie:
There’s slaughter in the air
Protest on the wind
Someone else inside me
Someone could get skinned
Ow.
My, my
Someone fetch a priest.
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Well done England, that was an absolute battering. Really not sure how the hell we let this Wales team back into the game.
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@BB – I guess we did see some signs in the second half as to how – Wales were never going to get back into the game but could have had a couple more tries. In Scotland’s case Wales did finish some chances and Scotland’s bench were poor. Hope they’re better later on. Scotland don’t physically dominate teams to the same extent England did today even if they do have other things they’re better at.
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Danny Care & Maro Itoje need to swap voices.
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I do like Maro Itoje.
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