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 
@ticht
I’m putting the case why he was selected to start 2 of 3 ahead of Genge – he clearly didn’t deliver it.
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“Left Tadhg Beirne out of 33+ club… Now he didn’t start playing at high level until he was 25-26”
Would recommend taking care not to let this slip out on a night out in Llanelli…
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@cmw
I’m including Llanelli there but getting my dates wrong….. 2016 wasn’t it ?
But our fervent prayer is that is can maintain his current level or close to it another couple of years.
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@cmw
I was including Llanelli in that assessment – 2016 wasn’t it ?
Our fervent prayer is that he keeps this level another 2 or 3 years ….
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Ah, caught a dose of Flairitis……
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Sheehan gets a four match ban, to be reduced by one if he does the tackle school thing that hasn’t made a jot of difference to Owen Farrell’s interpretation of the skill. He’ll miss a friendly and two URC matches.
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Probably wouldn’t have played in any of those games – IRFU will manage the minutes of everyone on the Lions tour – don’t expect any of them back before mid-October (exceptions – late arrivals like Osborne, Clarkson)
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Devious bloody Irish! On the other hand, it’s a great time to play Leinster if you’re anyone else!
On other matters – sigh – I fear the Boks are going to get pasted this year. Local media houses are really ramping up the hype around Rassie’s squad depth, with one even putting out three complete 23s that could be put on the field this year. The 3rd side probably wouldn’t beat many URC or other top club sides, but it’s not stopping some down here.
I’ll declare it now: the Boks won’t win the next World Cup, and may even get knocked out in the QF, depending on how the bones roll. Too many players in the twilight of their careers, being nursed through to 2027, but I can’t see it working. We’ve got sone very good players coming through, but some generational talents that will be some way down the hill by then – Mbonambi, Etzebeth, Siya, Faf, Mapimpi, Malherbe (if he even makes it back), Kitshoff already retired, Marx will be touch and go, ditto Kwagga, Am (out of form for two years now), Willie le Roux – that’s a chunk of the 1st and 2nd choice players. There a few others as well.
In some ways, it may be good for the Boks to struggle in the 4N this year, so that Rassie can reset sooner, rather than later.
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Too many players in the twilight of their careers, being nursed through to 2027, but I can’t see it working
@deebee
You sound like me…
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These days I struggle to nurse a drink through to 20:27, never mind anything else.
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@deebee
Like ye, Ireland have a bunch of players that look doubtful for RWC2027 – age, injury – Aki, Gibson Park, Henshaw, Conan, van der Flier, Furlong, Lowe, Ringrose, Beirne. You can add in Herring, Henderson, McCloskey too. Form should probably add to that to that list
Again – like ye – good replacements exist but get no significant exposure in big games. Or when they do play – look “janky” because it’s all new combos.
So. Farrell gets a fright and we’re back to ‘tried and trusted’. Changes tend to come with retirement/injury/absence – eg Sexton retired, so we have the Crowley/Prendergast, Keenan at Olympic 7s – so Osborne played in SA, Hansen injured in 2024 and Nash came in.
In 6N, Clarkson and Healy(!) were sub props vs England, Scotland, France. Clarkson started va Wales, and Boyle/Gus McCarthy subbed in vs Wales/Italy. Murray replaced Gibson Park throughout (Casey was injured).
No real changes in BR although Baird started England, sub in next 3 games and omitted vs Italy), Beirne/Ryan/Joe McCarthy alternated in second row – Aki, Henshaw, Ringrose covered centre. Osborne started at 15 vs Scotland and 14 vs France.
Overall, rate of change isn’t quick enough to get to a situation where if facing NZ in a RWC quarter-final, you wouldn’t fall back on Ringrose/Aki or Doris/Conan/van der Flier -because the alternatives haven’t had enough exposure
Plan is to tour Oz/NZ next summer – do we do a France and go with the 2nd / 3rd tier or try for another 2022 and go fully loaded ?
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Just need to find some funding for the other 3 regions, then!
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Thought Cardiff were funded by the WRU? Or was that just a tempoarary thing?
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Bok side for Saturday named today. A few surprises in it, but should be too strong for Australia. The backs are really full of running, with Grant Williams (by a long way our best 9) and Manie Libbock (by a long way outr most divisive 10) likely to try and run the Wobblies off their feet. Esterhuizen and Kriel in the centres offer power and gainline advantage, whilst vd Merwe, KLA and Fassi are a potent back three. Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe both withdrawn with niggles.
In the forwards, the tight five is very strong, with Louw a rock at TH, Ox probably the most destructive LH around and Marx one of the best hookers around, both at set piece and in the loose. Lood de Jager makes a welcome return at 5, next to his old mate, Etzebeth – de Jager has looked very good so far in the early Tests this season. PSDT and van Staden on the flanks, with Siya Kolisi moved to 8: he played there a few times in the URC and offers an intelligent option, excellent ball in hand and linking with the backs, so I’m expecting the Boks to really throw it all at Australia.
The Bomb Squad looks a bit diluted, definitely a step down on the World Cup one, and I think this is Bongi’s swansong season, he’s just not the force he was a year or two ago. Wessels at LH is okay, nothing more at set piece, but is very good carrying, whilst Ntlabakanye is surprising mobile for a 140+kg man. He’s lost about 15kg in conditioning camps this season too. Mostert is another who is probably approaching the end of his Bok career, but still gives 100% and Kwagga is Kwagga, as long as he’s not the starting 8, he’s fabulous. The backs are an ageing, but still very good Reinach, Moodie, who many are tipping as the next starting 13, and Damian Willemse, who can play 12 or 15, and 10 at a push.
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit , 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.
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A few notabel exclusions, de Allende and Kolbe due to injury, RG Snyman not on the bench even, nor Ruan Nortje (not sure if they’re being saved for the Kiwis?), Jasper Wiese still suspended, Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu both out of the 23 (so really no back up kicker if Manie has one of his horror days off the tee or is injured), Faf de Klerk released from the squad and only Ntlabakanye of the new Boks in the 23.
The side Rassie’s picked has a very strong tight five starting, a very experienced loose trio (even if Siya is playing slightly out of position), and a backline that, if given decent front foot ball, could cause mayhem on the highveld. I really, really do hope so!
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Is ‘notabel’ some code similar to ‘notablog’ with which I am not familiar?
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It’s ‘notable’ typed squinting at my mobile because I was too lazy to get up and fetch my glasses!
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Australian XXIII to run rings around the Boks on Saturday:
15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
Only change to the starting XV from the one that absolutely hammered – HAMMERED – the Lions is up and coming 10, James O’Connor, in for the injured Tom Lynagh. Surely it must be Australia by 15? On the other hand, I don’t think the Lions were all that flash, and certainly didn’t live up to the hype or the potential they should have. Not sure why, I’ll leave that to others, so a comfotable-ish win for the Boks. Especially given that Australia have brought Nick White out of retirement for this clash and his halfback partner is 35 and played a bit-part role for the Crusaders this season.
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Bristol have a new signing
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thought nic white retiring ?
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Zammo shoulda had gone back to Glaws.
Got to log in with every comment :(
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SBT, he did retire, but was persuaded to have one last Tango in Parys (small town on the Vaal River, not that other one) after a couple of injuries to the real 9s in Australia. Will be interesting to see how White and O’Connor cope on the highveld. O’Connor played an average or 20 minutes a match for the Crusaders this year, with one start in 16 matches, is 35 and hasn’t played a Test in 3 years. The plan was to have him on for the first half and then bring on Ben Donaldson, but he tweaked something in training on Thursday, so is out. Apparently, if O’Connor doesn’t go the whole 80, Nick White or Andrew Kellaway will play 10. Seems a bit risky with PSDT, the ‘Malmesbury Missile’ flying off the side of the scrums!
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Not sure you having to log in with every comment is reason enough to subject Zammo to that level of purgatory.
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SBT – I have the same commenting issue.
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As someone who watched Grange Hill in the 80s, having ‘Zammo’ as a nickname still throws me.
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Boan Venter drafted into the replacements for the Boks after Jan-Hendrik Wessels picked up a niggle in training. It’ll definitely strengthen the Bok replacement scrum, but possibly lose a bit in the tight loose.
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Just reflecting on this for a moment, I think Rassie is busy evolving the Bok pack and that by 2027 it will look significantly different in Australia. You’ll still have an unmovable lump at TH to lock the scrum, with Ox Nche doing his bit at LH, but from there it gets a bit more interesting. Bongi will be gone – he’s really not the player he was a couple of seasons ago, so Marx will likely be the starting hooker going forward (he is so far this season).
What’s more interesting though, is the replacements: in 2019 and 2023 we had the ‘Bomb Squad’ with a replacement front row that was as strong, arguably better, than the starting one. However, the likes of Boan Venter and Jan-Hendrik Wessels are not only very good scrummagers, but very mobile too. I can see a situation where Venter is replacement LH, Wessels replacement hooker and Thomas du Toit, himself a very mobile prop, replacement TH.
Add to that Andre Esterhuizen playing a hybrid 12/flank role, and Kwagga off the pine at 8, and you have the ability to really speed up the game in the last 25 minutes or so. I’m starting to warm to this scenario.
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Time for kick-off.
Hope AVS is doing okay.
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Boks over in a couple of minutes.
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Well, that didn’t take long.
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These Boks can only play one dimensional rugby, can’t they?
That was an absolute beauty of a try!
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That try was a thing of beauty.
Apparently my ‘Bru prediction of SA by 12 was overly optimistic for Australia.
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It’s a massacre already.
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I don’t think I’ve seen Eben have this much fun, since the last time he had a rumble with an English player.
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Aussies in!
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Don’t like this camera position. Too low.
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That’s probably a better half-time score than Aus would have expected, after 5mins.
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22-5 at half time. Boks got off to a fast start but Aussies have come back into it. Boks still look like they could score at any time though.
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Wilson thourgh from nowhere and over for the Wobblies!
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Not entirely sure how that pass was “clearly backwards”.
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Interception for Australia! Only 3 points between them. Who would have thought that after 20 minutes. South Africa haven’t scored for a while.
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Bloody hell, Aussies in front now! Wilson in for a second try and cramps up as he scores!
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Oh my good god.
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What the hell is happening?!?! Aussies in again!
Fear for Deebee’s sanity (and sobriety…)
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Sean Maloney is absolutely losing it, on commentary.
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That was an insane 30 seconds.
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Rugby eh? Bloody hell.
As a famous Scotsman almost said once.
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38-0 to Aus, since 20mins. 62 years since Aus have won on this park.
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SA have not scored a single point since the 18th minute!
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