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 
15000 people voted for their 6N XV on the Midol website ( rugbyrama). Am pleased to note that the lunatic fringe abstained. I might have Cros for Morgan or Gros for Porter, but all in all not the paroquial team I expected.
Le XV type du Tournoi
15. Kinghorn ; 14. Freeman, 13. Jones, 12. Menoncello, 11. Bielle-Biarrey ; 10. F. Smith, 9. Dupont ; 7. Morgan, 8. Alldritt, 6. T. Curry ; 5. Guillard, 4. Itoje ; 3. Stuart, 2. Sheehan, 1. Porter.
For me the stand out player was England FH, Smith. And no, not Marcus. The other one. Already brilliant, yet very simple, quite the future.
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@flair99
reasonable selection – Porter wasn’t as big a presence as in the past, so I’d have had no quibbles if others had been picked
Morgan was probably quiet enough in last couple of games.
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Hahaha, less paroquial than I thought, simply because I misread the Midol website. It’s not the French fans choice, but the official (whatever that means) 6N XV.
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Ah! The joy of getting back to real rugby! The Lions really need to pitch up in Cardiff tonight if they’re gonna make the top 8. Glasgow-Munster should be a tasty affair too!
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Lots of Lions pressure after a few opening minutes of pretty scrappy play. They turn the screw and wee Asehathi Ntlabakanye darts over! 0-7 with the conversion
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153kg of Ntlabakanye just got smeared by the Cardiff 9! They get a penalty too, get it into the 22 and over! Good response from Cardiff, who’ve been under the pump for much of the opening 20. 7-7.
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Ref’s blowing the breakdown very quickly – both ways – making it a bit stop start. Although we do kinda want the refs to police the breakdown more.
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Frustrating from the Lions. Too many 50-50 passes that are going wrong. They’re losing ground and getting penalised a lot because of it. 10-7 Cardiff. It’s the way the Lions play and when it works it’s brilliant, when it doesn’t its frustrating as hell!
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The stats will tell you that Cardiff are doing a lot of defending and tackling, but for the most part, pretty comfortable. Lions score! But looks like a forward pass. Yeah, way forward. Was a good move, timing off.
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Half time! 10-7 to Cardiff. They’ve been under the pump, but are ahead. Can they keep it up? Have the Lions blown it?
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More importantly, will my wine last until the final whistle? Getting a bit edgy here.
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Lions with a penalty. 10 each.
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Cardiff not committing numbers to the breakdown and just defending until they can turn it over. Working pretty well so far.
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13-10 to Cardiff and 14-18 to Munster in Glasgow. Two tight matches, not necessarily good though.
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Lions batter their way over! Not pretty, but it’s points on thr board! 13-17 Lions ahead with 21 minutes to go
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Ah! Bugger! Lions were looking like a try all day, but a great intercept and Cardiff score at the other end. Conversion good too! 20-17 with 15 to go.
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More importantly, will my wine last until the final whistle? Getting a bit edgy here.
You cannot seriously mean that you only have one bottle?
Forgot about the rugby and have tuned in now!
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I’m sorry. That’s the worst yellow of the season! Even the Welsh commentators think it was bullshit. Fucking pathetic!
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Lions doing all sorts of dirty stuff now and mostly getting away with it.
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Deebee – ha, you must have a different Welsh commentator.
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The ball may or may not (no clear angles) have bounced off the Lions player in the tackle, and what was a scrum Cardiff was upgraded to a penalty and yellow card.
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Dunno who they are, Thauma, but they were unanimous in waving it away as a scrum and no more.
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This is a refereeing farce.
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Well, justice prevails as Cardiff manage to hold up the ball on the line at the end (again – first time TMO said held up, but ref did something else after ignoring off-ball no-arms sack on Callum Sheedy).
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Wow. Some interesting calls in the last ten minutes. The Lions should have wrapped it up well before that, but were sloppy at crucial times. Story of the season. Cardiff defended superbly and scored when they had chances.
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That was a weird decision, Thauma, it was a clear clean out off the ball. Penalty to Cardiff there would have negated the farce that followed.
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Glasgow came from behind to beat Munster. The onfield commentary team we’ve got down here are beyond puerile. Fuck me! How embarrassing!
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Deebee – on the earlier incident that led for a card, the mister was calling for a penalty try, which I thought was excessive.
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Bugger. The Bristol match is on at the same time as Scotland v Wales. Guess it’s going on the 2nd screen then.
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Ah, the bunker can issue full red cards. France 12 has her yellow upgraded to a full red, for being fully upright in a tackle & headbutting the Irish ball carrier. Chance for Ireland to come back and win this now?
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Sharks pipped Zebre 35-34 with a try a couple of minutes from time. I only saw the last 25 minutes, but for a side with so many big Bok names, they really don’t live up to their billing.
Looking forward to the Bulls up against Leinster now!
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3-0 Bulls after an early offsides penalty.
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Leinster straight back and under the posts after nobody claimed a high kick. Youngster called Jordie Barrett looks promising for Leinster.3-7 after 5 minutes.
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Culhane, the Leinster 8 off with a HIA. I don’t think he’ll be back. Max Deegan now also going off.
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Bulls prop binned for a grasscutter tackle. Leinster been under the pump a bit, but now have a chance for another 3 points for offside. Byrne slots it and it’s 3-10. Restart out over the deadball so scrum on the halfway to Leinster. They get a scrum penalty with the Bulls a man light. Bulls steal the lineout though and can clear.
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Both players failed HIA, now Ross Byrne going off.
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Leinster getting into their groove now. Bulls hanging on a bit.
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Osborne in the corner for Leinster early in the 2nd half. 6-15 with the kick to come. But did he lose contact with the ball? Pretoria thinks so. They would! Looks like a couple of fingernails still in contact to me. Yip. Try given. Byrne NAILS the conversion from the touchline! 6-17 and Leinster good for that lead.
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Bulls with the penalty try and getting back into it, but stupid penalties and not holding onto the ball is costing them. Should be in the lead, but just so sloppy.
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Frawley drops a clanger outside his 22, giving the Bulls the scrum and a bit of momentum. Bulls have bossed the scrums, but it’s messy. And another. Bulls opt for the 5m lineout. And cock it up.
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Bulls drive over from the lineout and they lead 18-17! There’s still 8 minutes left, and the Bulls are down in Leinster’s half. Leinster clear, Bulls lineout and they hoof it downfield, and de Klerk is off. Straight red for taking the defender out in the air
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Leinster retake the lead and its 18-20 into the red. One last scrum, and the Bulls get a penalty! Kriel to take. And it’s over! Bulls win 21-20! Amazing finish!
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7-7 in Newport between the Dragons and Ulster after 10 minutes. Looks a lovely day too!
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10-7 to Drags as Herring gets binned for a head to head tackle. Could really have been red. 17-7 now. Missed a try changing a light bulb, of all things.
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Missed the start of Bristol v Exeter, but it seems to have been very exciting – 26-19 to Bristol after only 23mins!
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Bristol 26-19 up against Exeter after 20 minutes! Tackle stats must be interesting!
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The old knee?
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Ok, in the two games I’ve got on there have been head contact incidents at the same time (Wales 8 gets a second yellow for it and Santi Grondona has just been given a straight red for Bristol). I’m beginning to think that rugby players need to be taught how to tackle again.
9 tries inside half an hour, at Ashton Gate.
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33-24 inside 30 minutes and the Bears 6 has been red carded for a head on head tackle.
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Henry Slade has just failed an HIA, from just being tackled – no actual head contact.
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