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 
Pffft! This is the best argument for the existence of god you will be presented with and you reject it out of hand, there is no hope for you.
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Txs all but I have nothing to do with any win or defeat.
France a bit sloppy tonight but that’s because Scotland were so good.
IMO Scotland were the second best in the 6N, ahead of England and certainly Ireland. But let’s be fair, even a bit fortunately , England beat both Fr and Sco in London.
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Well done France, a superb team. How the hell they didn’t get the slam is a real puzzle. Great tournament all round, even a few good bits for Wales.
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Agree, Flair. Easy on the Eye Championship Won by France, with Scotland a close second, then Italy, who are ahead of England, Ireland and Wales, in that order.
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Lets just put one cluché to bed tonight, France not travelling well. France win the 6N with 3 away games.
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Oh dear
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Glad that Dupont is front and centre in the celebrations.
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Glad I stayed on for Sean Edwards interview, and watched the ceremony as well, which was really heartwarming, as Alex Corbisiero has just agreed.
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Refit, that is really bad.
May I leave my thoughts on Mauvaka until tomorrow?
Congratulations France, I do think they were the best team in the 6N, if they had had their hands on the end of their wrist in London they would have won the championship before kick off tonight
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Thoughts, Ticht? It’s been tomorrow all day so far!
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Okay Deebee, here we go.
The Gruaniad wrote it for me, the whole system of the 20 minute card and yellow review is a cop out.
I’d really like to know in what version of the laws is a a deliberate head butt not an immediate and full red card?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/15/gregor-townsend-says-system-is-failing-after-peato-mauvaka-reprieve
Galthie was rightly vocal in his condemnation of the officials and system after Dupont’s bad injury. I know a coach isn’t going to go after one of his own players in public but he couldn’t complain if Mauvaka is cited
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Bath are giving Exeter an absolute humping, in the Prem Cup, 14-43 with 6mins to play. You love to see it.
Wait, another try as I type, 14-48.
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Bath have won, destroying Exeter on their home turf.
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Ticht, agreed that it was bizarre, to say the least, that he was judged on the tackle threshold, not foul play. Red all day and the officials bottled it in technicolour. To add insult to injury, I don’t think he can be cited, as he was given a yellow which was deemed sufficient?
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Deebs, a player can be cited if the Citing Commissioner deems him or her deserving of a red card, even if they’ve had a yellow. Eg even in the unlikely event of a player being sent off for two technical yellow cards, they can still be cited if the CC decides there was foul play in one of the incidents. They can’t be cited for two non foul play cards.
However, the realpolitik is that the citing of a player that has seen yellow is an admission of failure on the part of the match day officials and that is unlikely to happen.
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It does feel like there’s been a directive from the powers that be, that refs shouldn’t actually issue a direct red card, except in the most egregious of circumstances, and refer everything ‘to the bunker’ instead. And then the bunker is too cowardly/have been told not to give actual red cards.
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Can ‘the bunker’ give a full red card or is the 20 minute one the extent of their powers?
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My understanding is the straight red is for punching or stamping – but unless reckless – head contact gets a yellow and a review.
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So if you’re going to punch someone make sure you punch them in the head.
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Trisk, that description of head contact pertains to a high tackle.
Striking with the head is the same in the laws as punching, kicking or biting an opponent.
CMW, I’m not sure if the bunker can issue the full red and I can’t find anything online as yet
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@ticht
I get that but there does seem to be an attempt to split deliberate violence (punch, kick, etc) from foul play as part of the “normal” activities (eg tackle or ruck)
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Sexton for a Lions coaching position?
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Unlike O’Gara – who did “his time” at Racing and then the Crusaders – Sexton was initially smuggled in as “consultant”
We’ve not seen the benefits from an attacking point of view. In 6N, compared to 2024, tries and points scored were down.
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Bulls and Bok loosie Elrich Louw, touted as one of the next generation of SA backrow stalwarts suffered a bad knee injury in January. His take on it gave me the shivers:
“There was a lot of pain and I could sense nothing was keeping my lower leg attached to my upper leg.”
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Happy St Patrick’s day
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Irish folks!
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Is everyone off celebrating St Patrick’s Day today? Without me? You utter, utter, bastards!
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Drinking red wine on my own. To hell with green beer!
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Not much to celebrate, tbh. Trump. Gaza. Starmer.
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Mauvaka is being cited, however, so there’s a small glimmer of hope for humanity: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c4gmv5732meo
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Good think Expro’s not here. He would be having a seizure about how the Italians have already been hung, drawn and quartered, but Mauvaka still hasn’t appeared before a disciplinary hearing!
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I think they will make a right mess of the Mauvaka hearing. They will treat it as a tackle situation, which it most certainly was not, the whistle had gone and it was off the ball.
By treating it like a tackle situation, which is what Carley and Tempest did, they can say that there was only light contact and the player wasn’t injured – outcomes can define sanction in the competition for the high ball and for the tackle, ie landing on head/neck area compared to backside or back. In the tackle mitigation can be applied if there is merely a glancing blow – low level of danger.
Law 9.12 doesn’t say anything about outcome, it only talks about “striking with the head” (the relevant part here). Low entry for striking with the head is a 6 week ban, mid range 10 weeks and top end entry is 16 weeks (for all “weeks” count matches, if that is longer)
We saw the two Italian players get 7 weeks each, reduced to 3 and 4.
I’m a Toulouse fan, it’s very easy to be so, I have been for ages and since Blair Kinghorn started playing with them I think I’ve only missed one televised game.
Speaking as such, if Mauvaka gets less than either of the Italian player the authorities will yet again show they really don’t give a toss about player safety.
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Stormers and Bok hooker, Joseph Dweba has signed on for Exeter Chiefs. A very controversial character – he started his career like a house on fire for the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, before a move to France saw him lose his way completely. France does seem to be a death knell for for SA players (Kolisi blamed the magnificent food!). Anyway, Dweba came back to SA, to the Stormers, was chucked into the Ellis Park Test against the ABs by Rassie, which we lost and Dweba copped a lot of blame for that (even though the Boks had fought back to lead with less than 10 to go and he’d been subbed before half time!). Let’s see what Rob Baxter and company can do with him! He’s a really nice bloke, gives his all and I hope that a stint away from SA will get him back to his best.
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Eddie Jordan’s passed away – not sure what this means for London Irish?
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Dweba tends to be a name to bring a wry smile to Munster faces – couldn’t really back up his promises before the 2023 URC final.
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“France does seem to be a death knell for SA players.”
Hehehehe! For some may be but Pieter de Villiers and Brian Liebenberg were good enough to play for France (never liked BL, but PdV was magnificent) and out of the top of my head I seem to recall Kolbe, Dylan Leeds, Duane Vermeulen certainly seemed to enjoy their stay here.
Am glad Mauvaka’s been cited. IMO every dubious incident should be reviewed afterwards. Either the players clear their name or they get a ban everyone can agree with. Please show the public all the evidence. And enough of these bans halved for being remorseful or going to bloody tackle school.
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“France does seem to be a death knell for SA players.”
Hehehehe! For some may be but Pieter de Villiers and Brian Liebenberg were good enough to play for France (never liked BL, but PdV was magnificent) and out of the top of my head I seem to recall Kolbe, Dylan Leeds, Duane Vermeulen certainly seemed to enjoy their stay here.
Am glad Mauvaka’s been cited. IMO every dubious incident should be reviewed afterwards. Either the players clear their name or they get a ban everyone can agree with. Please show the public all the evidence. And enough of these bans halved for being remorseful or going to bloody tackle school.
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Flair there were also a couple of Saffer locks that played for France, as well as that magnificent fullback (can’t remember his name) who was of the large carthorse variety. Etzebeth’s French stint wasn’t great – him and Bakkies Botha had a few words over it.
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And Rory Kockett? Did he play?
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*Kockott
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I think Kockott did play for France a few times (perfect name for a french recruit!) as did Scott Spedding, the most unfrench full back ever, though I was deeply moved when his selection was announced to him, he was so happy!).
Bakkies had a great stint as well with his fellow second row in Toulon, damn his name escapes me.
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Victor Matfield.
And :
Van Niekerk
Elstadt
Habana
Aplon
Bismark
Steenkamp
Kitshoff
François Steyn etc etc
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Victor Matfield.
And :
Van Niekerk
Elstadt
Habana
Aplon
Bismark
Steenkamp
Kitshoff
François Steyn etc etc
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Bernard Leroux and Paul Willemse also played for France. Must be something in the air.
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Yes, Spedding – i was trying to think of him and came up with Tony Marsh instead
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Marsh was from NZ, wasn’t he?
Mauvaka gets 3 weeks ( not games, I wonder why?). Nobody’s going to be happy (you should read the French lunatic fringe in Midol) nor the Scots, who should’ve played about an hour with an extra man. I’ve only seen the game once as I was at a family dinner, barely stealing a few glances at the mute TV. For instance, I had no idea why Scotland try didn’t stand at the end of the 1st half so I won’t argue either way about the White/Mauvaka incident.
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Flair, the Scotland try didn’t stand at the end of the first half because Kinghorn had a shoulder in touch before the next part of the move – two years ago the TMO couldn’t go that far back (only two phases back then) but now they can go back a lot further to check on any forward pass, in touch or anything else.
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Flair, Joe van Niekerk is probably the best Bok who seldom if ever gets talked about in ‘best of’ conversations. He was very special.
Scott Spedding! That was him! 😅 He moved to France straight after school from memory and completely bought into French culture, especially rugby culture, even if he couldn’t emulate a classic French 15!
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Ticht, I didnt see a replay of the action, so was surprised to see the score at the beginning of the second half. Too bad it was chalked off, it was a wonderful move.
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