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 
Another head contact review coming up at Bristol? Nope, the ref is just ignoring the TMO’s message.
LikeLike
Another card in Wales/Scotland – the Scottish 8 gets 10mins (and a review) for a dangerous clear-out at a ruck.
It’s 17-14 to Scotland, with 64 mins played – Wales having just scored from the resulting penalty lineout.
LikeLike
The Bristol game makes Super Rugby look calm and collected.
LikeLike
A Premiership record! 10 tries in the first half of a match, Randall diving over from short range, after Exeter stop a maul in the corner. 40-24 at half time.
Meanwhile both Wales and Scotland now have red cards, the yellows issued to either team both being upgraded.
LikeLike
40-24 at oranges! That’s quite something. What exactly, I don’t know. But it’s something.
LikeLike
5 mins into the second half and no-one’s scored. This is rubbish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
30 seconds after I type that, Luatua drives over the line to score, after a quick tap, following a lineout from another penalty, deep in the Exeter half. 47-24
And Scotland have won against Wales, 24-21.
LikeLike
A real ding dong going on in Newport. Drags six up with 12 to go. They’ve just missed a penalty coming off the upright.
LikeLike
Ulster score! Drags tried to run it out from their line, got stripped and Ulster pounce! 30-31 to Ulster. Lucky bounce for the Dragons and from the lineout they’re onto the attack, but cough it up.
LikeLike
Exeter actually get some possession and break into the Bristol half. However Bristol regroup really well, turn the ball over and Randall clears the ball well into the Exeter half.
LikeLike
Exeter try to go wide from the resulting lineout, but their player is scragged and then the Exeter players are driven off the ball for a Bristol penalty. They tap and go, the ball wide to Bates on the wing, who scores his hat-trick! 52-24 on 57mins.
LikeLike
Randall is subbed for Marmion and he looks absolutely shagged. He’s put in a hell of a shift tonight.
LikeLike
Exeter have now had a warning for repeated penalties in their 22.
LikeLike
Yay! Ulster win.
Sad to hear that Cooney is going to Brive, but not surprising.
LikeLike
Yeandle breaks the line and scores for Exeter. 52-31
LikeLike
It feels like Exeter are getting away with launching themselves into/over rucks a lot.
Will Rigg bounces through a couple of defenders and scores for Exeter. 52-38 with 5mins to play.
LikeLike
Bristol down to 13 for the last 2 minutes, Naulango drops a shoulder into an Exeter player, who puts a chip through.
LikeLike
Bristol stop an attempted Exeter maul and force them into touch.
LikeLike
Bristol set their own maul, from a lineout in their 22. They drive 10m+ up field, eating up the final 30 seconds of the clock. Final score 52-38
LikeLike
I now understand why Slade’s mouthguard went off and he went for an HIA. At 2:03:
LikeLike
Hope Italy can give a good account of themselves this afternoon.
LikeLike
Two tries down inside the first 10 mins isn’t looking promising Deebee.
LikeLike
England look like they’ve scored a try, of the back of a maul. But on replay, the ball is dropped before the line. However, it was only dropped because the Italian hooker changed bind on the maul to tackle the England player. Penalty try & yellow card. Italy also lose their starting 10 to injury.
21-0
LikeLike
Try Italy! England concede a penalty defending one driving maul, so Italy try again and they guide it over the line really well. Conversion missed 26-5 35mins.
LikeLike
The onfield commentary team we’ve got down here are beyond puerile
My general experience is that the SA commentary teams tend to be a lot more clued in than much of what we get. Read the game better and have a clearer idea of what’s going on.
Pronunciation of “Ahern” leaves something to be desired, though.
Too frequently, we get a generalist commentator with a summariser who hasn’t played/coached in 20-30 years. They frequently don’t know what they’re seeing or why.
LikeLike
@deebee
what was the general drift on Bulls beating Leinster?
Some of the coverage here was “brave Leinster – robbed of their Ireland internationals – beaten at last gasp” or “Bulls struggle to beat Leinster second string”
Second string that had 13 internationals… which in itself throws shade on how second tier Leinster players get international call ups.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leinster had one bloody job! Beat the Bulls and keep them further behind Glasgow! (‘Cos I know we’re not catching Leinster at the top). One bloody job!
LikeLike
Trisk – the onfield team I was talking about were a bunch of fringe ex-players and wannabees who think they have to be kool with da kidz and say fuck all about the rugby. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. Hopefully an aberation.
On the ritual slaughter of Leinster’s wee lambs, there was fairly mixed opinion: those who believe that the Bulls should beat a below full strength Leinster at Loftus, and that they made inordinately hard work of it, and those who say a side packed with capped internationals, including the likes of Slimani, Snyman and Barrett, J (who was my MoTM, just class) isn’t a weak side, even if not the strongest Leinster can put out. The argument being that these guys play with the ‘A’ side all season, so the step down is minimal – a bit like the depth being developed by the Boks (crosses fingers).
Me?
The Lions lost a match they should have sewn up before half time, so who cares what te Bulls did.A good win, Saffer sides won three of four, although none convincingly. Our sides seem to have gone from very forward oriented, predictable flyhalf dominated territorial rugby, to let’s fling it about like the Harlem Globetrotters until we’re behind with 15 to go and then play forward-dominated rugby.Watching sides like Leinster, Glasgow, Cardiff, Munster and others, and the intelligence of their attacks, with players all seemingly aware of space and support, the Saffer sides look muddled in their thinking, relying too much on Hail Mary passes and the off the cuff play. And don’t get me started on the bloody three phases of drift followed by a grubber into the shins of the nearest defender lark.
Glad you asked!
LikeLike
BB – Munster had one bloody job!
LikeLike
Trisk just to clarify – not the actual commentators, who are almost bearable, but the plonkers outside before the match interacting with the fans.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Start saving!
B&I Lions to play France in SdF in 2029. Seems to be a one off. I wished it was a full 3 tests series. Still, mouth watering as rugby writers say in the G.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wish the Lions could tour France for three weeks (Cognac and Armagnac alone would help selecting a fit XV!), play the local ” provinces”, for instance Atlantic coast – Bayonne, UBB, LaR and Vannes- a Mediterranean combined (Montpellier, Perpignan, Toulon) and an inland one ( Racing, Stade, ASM, Lyon).
Toulouse being excluded as they provide half of France XV. Castres would be charitably on vacations.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That would be a great tour, Flair, but I would wager the proximity would put people off, plus the Lions is all about the money and France would have to persuade Oz, SA or NZ to take a break from the income and that just won’t happen I’m afraid.
Personally I’d follow that tour, tracing a route across France via little market towns in the sunshine is my idea of heaven. Long straight roads lined with plane trees, fields full of sunflowers, leading to a little Auberge. Checking out the local wine and cheese, finding a lake for a dip, sitting at a cafe in the city, people watching, the heat at night when you’re having a late dinner outside…. sigh, there is nothing better in this world.
One of my closest friends has just started a job in Paris, he’s there for three years. Unfortunately it won’t overlap with the Lions game, but I’m looking forward to visiting him all the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let’s not complicate this too much, Flair – Lions can play a match in Paris, and you send me the Cognac and Armagnac.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Deeb, send your Lions to Paris and we’ll share the Armagnac at my place!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ticht, let me know when in town.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Flair, it’s a deal – as soon as they actually qualify for a Euro tournament!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLike
Interim head coach Easterby swanning off toOz – so now we have an ‘interim’ interim head coach in Paul O’Connell….
LikeLike
Ticht, your description of a slow tour of rural France appeals to me too. Although I did weeks long tours in a camper van of SW USA and another in Mexico, I never thought of doing one here and yet it’d be the perfect place in June or September.
I did a one week long trip on a barge on the Burgundy canal and the slow rythm suited me perfectly. Bicycles rides, lazy naps, picnics, bliss.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Flair, it’s funny how we don’t really think about touring our own back yards and will fly for hours to travel through other countries. One of the things I want to do now that I’m back in Scotland is to travel through every nook and cranny. We’ve done a fair bit since we came back six months ago, but it’s mainly been city and cultural based, concerts, cinema, museums and theatre.
One of the things that struck me about France is the space, outside of the cities there is so much peace and quiet, same in Scotland, go north or south of the central belt and there is just so much space
LikeLiked by 1 person
Refit, I’ve just seen the tackle Big Bill put in on Henry Slade – Edinburgh fans have been watching him do that through our fingers for a long time.
Ouch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trisk
Interim head coach Easterby swanning off toOz – so now we have an ‘interim’ interim head coach in Paul O’Connell….
Now this I like!
LikeLike
There’s a possibility we get the worst of all posible outcomes from this summer tour
Lions are packed with senior Irish players, and fringe/development players go to Portugal and Georgia – but absence of senior management means noone really sees how they get on directly.
This happened on the two emerging Ireland tours – on the first, Frawley got injured and Crowley who was supposed to be the back up got rave reviews as starting 10 , on the second it was designed around Prendergast getting game time – nothing anyone else did was relevant
Lions are packed with senior Irish players, and Portugal /Georgia is treated like Emerging Ireland and it’s full of recent U20s plus experienced players to babysit
Lions are not packed with senior Irish players – these players at then dragged on the summer tour (cos if guys have “central contracts” – why aren’t they playing? ) – fringe players get squeezed out
I want see most of following (injury etc excepting)
Ulster – Baloucoune, Reid, McCann, McNabney, Postlethwaite, Carson, Moxham, Hume, Murphy
Connacht – Forde, Jennings, Devine, Gavin, Murray x2, Dowling, Aungier, Prendergast (C)
Munster – Ahern, Coombes, Hodnett, O’Connell, Edogbo (either/both), Nash, Kendellen, O’Connor, Quinn
Leinster – Osborne x2, Tector, Boyle, McCarthy x 2, Gunne
Presume Crowley or Prendergast (S) go to Portugal/Georgia – can’t see Crowley on Lions (Smith, Smith, Russell, Farrell are ahead) – Prendergast neither.
Probably unbalanced and probably missing a few obvious names.
I’m not interested in seeing anyone who starts regularly for Ireland who doesn’t make the Lions – they can have the summer off. eg can’t see Ringrose, Henshaw, and Aki all going – when there’s Tuipulotu and Jones available . I can see 4 of 5 – but someone will miss out, there’s no point in having Henshaw (for example) go to Portugal or Georgia
LikeLike
So, to the weekend’s matches! The URC is really tight below the top four, where Leinster are pretty much guaranteed top spot at the end of the league phase, barring a catastrophic (some may say hilarious) collapse. Glasgow are in pole position to finish second, but can’t afford a slip up with both the Bulls and Sharks lurking with intent four and five points adrift respectively. Then there’s a nine point gap to Cardiff in 5th – but only five points between them and Lions in 13th spot, so pretty much everyone from 5th to 13th is still in with a shout with five rounds to go. Predictions:
Edinburgh by double figures over Dragons, who’ve been woeful this year and have a worse points difference than Zebre, Scarlets, Lions, Connaught and Edinburgh combined. A full house for Edinburgh, and they’re up to 36 points and firmly in the mix.
The Stormers are getting some big names back and have put together a winning run of, well two, but they’re looking better than earlier in the season, so may scrape it by 2 in Belfast, where Ulster will be the least hospitable Irish hosts of the season. Shame on them. Both sides could go as high as 5th this week, depending on other results, so a big match for them.
The Bulls should have way too much for Zebre at Loftus – but the Sharks struggled to put them away. Can Zebre back up their display in Durban with another good one? They’ve been much better this year than their near-basement log position suggests, so it’s not one way-traffic at Loftus. Still, going for a two score win or more for the Bulls.
Connacht will be desperate to stay in the hunt and could squeeze a win at home, but this’ll be anybody’s game. Munster won’t be as phased by the Wild Wesht as some touring sides are, and will look to consolidate their top six status, and maybe even move up one on the log. Munster have lost their last two, so will need a bit of a shake up to get going again.
Ospreys by two scores over the Scarlets – the O’s are finding a good run of form and Scarlets are, well, not. Ospreys have only lost one of their last six, whilst Scarlets have lost three on the bounce – only one winner here.
Not sure how many first-choice players Leinster have sent to Durban, but the Sharks should have their measure and I don’t think they’ll need a last gasp penalty either. Leinster were badly disrupted by injuries last week and almost won anyway, but again, the Sharks have won four of their last five and are looking for another win to cement their top four place.
Benetton are another side desperate for a good win to stay in the mix, whilst Cardiff are a bit wobbly at the mo’. Can’t see Cardiff getting past the Italians: even with an outrageously lucky win last weekend, that was on the back of three straight losses. Cardiff currently fifth in the standings, but their season is looking shaky unless they can arrest the slide.
Finally, the match of the round, possibly the tournament, as the Lions roar into Glasgow! They threw it away last week in the Welsh capital and won’t want to repeat that in Scotland! According to one of their magnificent pack, they deserve to be in the top eight. Well, not if you’re 13th and can’t win two on the bounce, you don’t. Anyway, they’ll be raring to go, champing at the bit, relishing the challenge, battle hardened, (etc etc, add your own hyperbolix here). Glasgow by 15 or more. Weeps into coffee. Weeps that’s it’s coffee not wine.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Deebs, Glasgow are missing six starters to injury so there is room for optimism for your lads. However, they have selected a very strong bench, a Bamsquad, if you will.
1 Nathan McBeth (50)
2 Grant Stewart (57)
3 Sam Talakai (14)
4 Gregor Brown (31)
5 JP du Preez (27)
6 Euan Ferrie (30)
7 Sione Vailanu (29)
8 Jack Mann (11)
9 George Horne (131)
10 Adam Hastings (61)
11 Kyle Steyn (C) (83)
12 Tom Jordan (62)
13 Stafford McDowall (85)
14 Jamie Dobie (80)
15 Kyle Rowe (29)
Replacements
16 Johnny Matthews (89)
17 Rory Sutherland (10)
18 Zander Fagerson (160)
19 Alex Samuel (31)
20 Henco Venter (32)
21 Rory Darge (58)
22 Ben Afshar (17)
23 Sebastian Cancelliere (52)
Unavailable for selection: Scott Cummings (arm), Jack Dempsey (hamstring), Gregor Hiddleston (ankle), Huw Jones (ankle), Josh McKay (ankle), Ollie Smith (shoulder), Sione Tuipulotu (pectoral), Duncan Weir (shoulder), Max Williamson (hand).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Soz, seven starters
LikeLike
Ulster pre-match update: Hume unwell, Carson filling in. Baloucoune back after 11 months out. McCloskey’s 200th cap.
LikeLike
A little something to get us in the mood
LikeLike
They’ve spelt it ‘Balacoune’ on the backdrop in the studio – I’ve checked, and I am right!
LikeLike