Six Nations have announced that they are ringing the changes for next year’s tournament. OvallyBalls had an exclusive mole in the decision room.
Six Nations Clown Five: Listen, chaps, I’m awfully sorry we failed to get the Six Nations behind a paywall so that we could destroy the popularity of the only tournament that is broadly watched, but we’ll try again in a couple of years.
SNC2: I’m not a fookin’ chap.
SNC4: Ah, bellissima! Like me, you are wearing a molto clever disguise to our top-secret meeting in this luxury ristorante.
SNC2: Catch yerself on. I’m wearing what the boss told me to wear: blue.
SNC5: Can we just get back to our onions? We have a tournament to ruin here.
SNC6: Onions? Oignons? En France, we return to our moutons.
SNC3: We quite like our lovely sheep as well.
SNC1: Ach, can we knock the tired wee 70s jokes on the heid? We’ve two major things to discuss here: playing matches on a Thursday (a THURS-DEE!), and deep-sixing one rest weekend.
SNC3: Thursday matches! It was bad enough, look you, when the Friday ones started. Working people are not going to be able to get to these matches, or maybe even watch them on the telly.
SNC5: Surely they will just have their servants do anything necessary on those particular evenings?
SNC6: Bah, the British do not know how to live. They eat their dinner – and quelle horreur d’un repas – at a silly time. They are weaklings who cannot stay up to a reasonable hour.
SNC4: Sono d’accordo.
SNC1: I dinna like the Thursday match, but I’m a wee bit more concerned about losing the rest weekend. That’s 5 Test matches in six weeks. Do we not have a small concern about player welfare there?
SNC3: We’ve not got a huge squad to field from the valleys.
SNC4: È vero, this also concerns us.
SNC2: Agh, it’s all right, we’ll just call on Leinster’s academy if half the squad end up in the hospital.
SNC6: Eh ben oui, we have many teams in the Top14, and perhaps we can bend the rules on players being called up.
SNC5: No worries here either, chaps … heh, heh: and chapesses. So is it all settled, then?
SNCs 1, 3 and 4 (simultaneously): Fuck off / vaffanculo.
SNC5: Perhaps I have not yet properly explained the emoluments available to those who agree to these proposals.
[whispers]
All: Crack on!
Ovally Balls 
Could be – as I said, it’s a relatively inexperienced front row and weather supposed to be wet – so could be a lot of scrums – and possibly pens following.
That said – with Izzy, Mur-ray, Baird and Coombes – plenty of counter jumpers….
Boyle, McCarthy, Clarkson have all played high level for Leinster but usually with experience alongside or behind.
LikeLike
Speaking of one-sided sport England find themselves 25/3 in response to 587. They are ahead in the series though I suppose and there are aspects to ‘Bazball’ that irritate me so I don’t really mind.
LikeLike
Too many Ulstermen in that side to be competitive. Georgia by 35.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Deebee – Too few Leinstermen is the real issue…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Though I can see the Ulster thing is an issue too. I mean Wales are only starting one guy from the Dragons even with our Lions stars away while Ireland have got four from their equivalent in the XV.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t forget it’s the Juniors on tonight, just to get you in the mood for tomorrow!
LikeLike
At HT Wales led vs France 21-14.
Final score 21-35 for France. Dreadfully hot in Italy. The Welsh faces were as red as their shirts.
Next in SA vs England. Should be tasty.
LikeLike
At HT Wales led vs France 21-14.
Final score 21-35 for France. Dreadfully hot in Italy. The Welsh faces were as red as their shirts.
Next in SA vs England. Should be tasty.
LikeLike
Very good game between SA and a very impressive England.
LikeLike
Deebee, your boys were terrific. Wonderful game.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I missed the bloody rugby!
LikeLike
Lovely early birthday present as I managed to get the last half hour or so of Scotland beating the Maori All Blacks. Final score was 26-29. Typically fraught from us (with mainly a B or almost C team), we had lots of ball on their 5 metre line, they give away lots of penalties, ref gives a warning but no card. Then for 5 or 6 minutes after the hooter, they go through something like 28 phases, get a couple of penalties, we get a card (no warning – French ref), but hold them out.
Hoped to get some highlights of the game after the final whistle, but Sky immediately went back to the Sports News!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Saw the highlights, both sides played some lovely rugby. Baby Bok backs have some real talent and gas to burn. Haashim Pead, the 9, has an amazing future ahead of him if he keeps growing his game. Scored a stunning 80m solo try. Fly half Vusi Moyo is another to watch – 6ft, 90kg and slots them over from 60m, when not unleashing his outside backs. Like a skillful Frans Steyn. The 9/10 axis is where we’re a bit thin (and hooker) so it’ll be good to see if these lads can step up a level.
LikeLike
Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 BB! I trust the rest of the day will be equally pleasing!
LikeLike
Happy birthday!
Not sure how Wales contrived to lose that match.
LikeLike
Wow! They seemed to be cruising at one stage. Match not live here, but 19-7 up at HT. Jeez, that’s horrible.
ABs 21-13 up at the break and the dam wall could open at any moment. France have been gallant, but outgunned.
LikeLike
NZ win! But only by 4 points. Lots of possession, two tries (that I saw) disallowed (in New Zealand? Thought that was allowed), massive French defence. That’s their ‘C’ team????
LikeLike
At some point, the Lions won’t cock up receiving a restart.
LikeLike
Warbs doing “soft hands for a big lad”.
LikeLike
Excellent game in Dunedin where NZ win 31/27. That was close, France even had an opportunity to score at the last minute.
I guess Justin Marshall and all will eat humble pie after their earlier disparaging comments.
Galthié’s new boys certainly took advantage of some NZ rust but they showed grit and talent. At least three or four of them will join the A team.
LikeLike
Excellent game in Dunedin where NZ win 31/27. That was close, France even had an opportunity to score at the last minute.
I guess Justin Marshall and all will eat humble pie after their earlier disparaging comments.
Galthié’s new boys certainly took advantage of some NZ rust but they showed grit and talent. At least three or four of them will join the A team.
LikeLike
Why do the commentators keep banging on about ‘inent’ when there’s head contact?
LikeLike
Didn’t the Tahs 4 come in at the side, on that ruck?
LikeLike
Flair, the chances of Marshall even glancing at the humble pie are smaller than winning the lottery.
And, yes, Refit, I thought the Tahs player came in from the side in the build up to their 2nd try. Actually thought they were looking at foul play there.
LikeLike
I’ve found a stream with Aussie comms. So much less annoying than Sky.
LikeLike
Sky must be fucking dire in that case! I’ve got Aussie commentary.
LikeLike
Deebee, for a start, someone really needs to tell Sam Warbouton that “Big D” has another meaning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Watched the Lions disjointed 2nd half. A bit meh from the backs, except the excellent Mitchell. Such forward dominance should produce a larger margin.
LikeLike
Cummings good ‘at things that don’t need skill’ according to Sam. Which was pretty damning with the faintest or praise. Thought Scott was excellent tonight, replacement front was good (though Genge did give away a few penalties), Huwipolotou were good, Mitchell was excellent, Blair got some minutes. Earl was OK, backrow better when Morgan came on. Thought Beirne was disappointing, as was Ryan. Think Keenan needs more minutes and Hansen didn’t do much.
LikeLike
Rugbypass is very low-key!
TRY Tommy O’Brien very quickly.
LikeLike
There’s no ref mike, and the commentator doesn’t appear to know any of the Georgian players’ names, and few of the Irish (‘Nick Tominey’).
Second TRY for O’Brien, who also set it up by a good kick forward leading to a scrum 5!
LikeLike
Georgia go on the attack and cross the line, but the player looks to have dropped it.
LikeLike
No try.
LikeLike
Boks did enough, but not really a commanding performance. No problem, though, the boys will get better as the season progresses. It’ll still be tough though, with key players getting towards the end of their careers.
LikeLike
Thaum – my RugbyPass stream has ref comms and a commentator who knows names. Are you watching the EU version?
LikeLike
It’s pissing it down in Tblisi.
LikeLike
Deebee, it was simple, effective and a bit meh. I had more fun watching your terrific U20s.
To be led 14/0 and still come back to win rather handily is quite something. The young 9, 10 and wing (Jooste?) are stunningly quick. Pace is irreaplacable, as OF will soon expérience if he ever breaks into the Lions squad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deebee, it was simple, effective and a bit meh. I had more fun watching your terrific U20s.
To be led 14/0 and still come back to win rather handily is quite something. The young 9, 10 and wing (Jooste?) are stunningly quick. Pace is irreaplacable, as OF will soon expérience if he ever breaks into the Lions squad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does look like the Georgia shirt sponsor is ‘To Be Confirmed’.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Refit – don’t think so! Was a bit difficult to set up on the firestick, but also checked on my laptop and no ref comms or crowd noise. The commentator appears to think we can hear the ref though.
LikeLike
Re the sponsor, I thought that too!
LikeLike
Shit, Stockdale’s going off injured.
LikeLike
This is where I’m watching on my laptop – https://rugbypass.tv/live/286777.
Briefly tried to watch via the Playstation web browser (the other week), no luck at all.
LikeLike
I legit didn’t recognise Stockdale with cropped hair. I saw a shaved head and slight hunched back running down the wing and thought Earls had made a comeback.
LikeLike
Yep, same link. Can hear the ref very, very faintly.
LikeLike
Tried to download the app to the firestick, but it didn’t work.
LikeLike
How weird. I can hear everything he’s saying.
LikeLike
I also thought he was Earls earlier on! We are having very similar thoughts. Scary.
LikeLike
Get in Georgia!
LikeLike