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 
Munster controversially get a penalty try (and yellow card for Leinster).
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“Munster controversially get a penalty try (and yellow card for Leinster”
In Dublin? Didn’t think that was allowed.
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Thaum – Comms have just clarified that exact point. Uncontested isn’t really helping Sale. They are back to full strength now.
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Bloody hell, the entire Sarries backline did a trick-pass run. All spin-&-pass, flick-pass, out the back.
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That’s it!!! 7-31. Oh, hang on – they’re looking at something.
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Ah yes, Coombs has been carded. Leinster do score, but it obviously doesn’t matter.
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50 up for Sarries. Calouri creating this time, with a grubber that ends with Earl crossing the line. 52-14, 12mins to play.
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Sale have properly given up. Saracens players are able to leisurely stop, turn around and pop the ball to another play, unmolested.
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All in all, it’s been a very satisfying rugby weekend. Zebo is beside himself.
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4 for Caluori! A lovely pass from Izekwe putting him into space. 58-14. 5mins left.
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Oh no. Rhys Carre just broke the line and set off on a charge into the Sale 22. He passes to Caluori and he now has 5 on debut!. Final score 65-14.
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For Thaum
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That’s the moment he got sent off, is it?
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I would recommend looking up the highlights to this match, just to see this lad’s performance.
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Caluori, you mean? Couldn’t possibly subject myself to watching Saracens tries.
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What is the deal with players putting their fingers to their lips for their team photo?
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Piardi has just awarded Ospreys a penalty try and yellow card, but the TMO has other ideas.
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So, yellow undone and try gone, penalty to Glasgow.
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Good win for The Weedge in the end.
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Ok, I know you’ve all been waiting;
Real Rugby Update
Today Dunbar hosted league leaders Haddington, to say they are local rivals wouldn’t really be true as they’ve been leagues above us for a long time, we haven’t played them in a peer championship fixture for decades.
Haddington were stunned by a couple of tries from our winger who it would be fair to say is a veteran player, then he got his hat trick- which was a poignant moment as the pre game was lead by a minute’s silence for his father who died just this week.
The Reds from up the county fought back and the game became very close, it was even on the hour mark, before Haddington eventually took the lead. This was one of the best games of rugby I have ever seen, it was physical, both defences were crashing into tackles and both attacks were looking to put players into space.
Haddington dominated territory and possession, but somehow Dunbar kept them from increasing their lead until the last quarter when two Dunbar tries put them in a commanding position.
Haddington struck back with a try of their own but it wasn’t enough and time had run out on them.
Final score Dunbar 39 – 34 Haddington
Honestly it was the best game I’ve seen from any level for years, there was a big crowd of hundreds and their appreciation was very loud.
Get down to your local rugby club, that is where the real action is at
To finish, this leaves Dunbar ahead of Haddington on points difference at the top of Arnold Clark East region Div 1.
We had a great time in the pub with the players. A good few of the Haddington players were on the lash with our guys, it was a terrific day all round.
I’m pissed.
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Pissing it down at Sandy Park, we’ve got a full on game of rucksy-dropsy happening.
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Just about sums up Quins performance so far. Exeter 24-0 up at half time.
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Final score 38-0 to Exeter and Quins finished with 13 players (2 yellow cards). Crap by Quins.
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They’d still batter the (Durban) Sharks.
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Oi! Less of the Ulster-dissing.
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Just a comment on the Coombes exit – he’d gotten a yellow for playing the 9 at a ruck close in (actually looks like Jack O’Donoghue might have been the hand that pulled van def Flier arm as he tried to lift the ball) (and by the way – the constant whining from van der Flier all through the match was painful)
Coombes on-field persona is very much non-expressive – play hard, if you get hit hard, get up and go again, and what the ref gives the ref gives.
So on the yellow he starts to trot off… and then 31-7 up with 20 seconds left he starts to smile – the Munster part of the crowd start to cheer – probably partly because he is normally so straight faced.
He is a huge favourite with Munster fans – probably now O’Mahony has gone – the favourite (Edogbo may get there), and no-one understands why he isn’t in the Irish panel nevermind the team
Suspicion is that it’s comnpletely personal – he’s scored 50+ tries for Munster (Zebo has the ecord at 61, I think) – in about 125 games, and in an era when – 2023 apart – it’s not exactly been chanpagne all the way for Munster.
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on the match itself – it was terrific.
Huge battle, started badly conceding after 7 mins but then won the next 70 mins 31-0. Bits of luck with the Farrell try and the Coughlan intercept….and maybe even with the PT right at the end – but as you’ll recall luck with reffing decisions hasn’t been something Munster haven’t benefitted from rtecently
Scrum wasn’t good – conceding 6 or 7 pens which gave Leinster their desired 22 access, lineout was 100% though, and with one exception held Leinster maul well
Crowley had a great game. Nankivell came on the wing early on but handled Lowe well – and also wound him up
Defensively – very strong, committed and focused – in the past after half a dozen phases, Leinster would have broken through – this time they were held and sent backwards. Beirne of course is a “cheat code” in those close-in rucks – his timing is astonishing.
Munster won 14 or 15 turnovers and Beirne got 7 of those – including 3 in about 10 mins between 50 and 60 when Leinster had lots of possession and had they scored – enough time ot start to claw their way back
Is it a false dawn or a new beginning – McMillan seems to have focused the team – I’m given to understand we’re playing more like the Chiefs – certainly it’s less ‘KBA’ than under Rowntree.
Partly though that comes of resolving the awful injury lists that had Coombes or academy players in the 2nd row. Kleyn is back fit, Edogbo is back, Wycherley seems revived, Ahern – though currently out – has been generally fit- that’s a huge difference in power in the pack, plus Jager. Previously, the tendency was to play like Wigan vs Bath – ‘don’t take it contact’, but it’s less helter-skelter than previous seasons.
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Also caught last 50 of Lions vs Scarlets and 2nd half of Sharks/Ulster
Lions and Scarlets – odd game 5-3 at half time and 29-18 at the end. Essentially, Scarlets gassed out against the bigger team.
One thing I thought was strange ./ jarring was ref referred to “scarlets” in his calls, which I thought was a little confusing as Scarlets wore white and Lions wore red
And so to the Sharks and Ulster – well, we often say of a team with a lot of talented players “sure, anyone could coach them ” – apparently not.
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Trisk, I haven’t seen the game yet, but it was a terrific win for Munster. I’ve always rated Gavin Coombes and even given that Leinster have had some very good backrow players, 3 caps seems a pitiful number for a player that good.
Maybe having Coombes and O’Mahony in the team would be too much for Dublin to bear? There have definitely been stories about players from the other provinces overlooked because of personality clashes or whatever, Cooney from Ulster was one, also I don’t know how Denis Buckley never got a full cap
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There was also talk that James Hume from Ulster upset some – though his injury record recently has mostly stood in the way of any questions about his omission.
Cooney was supposed to have fallen out with Sexton – though I’ve seen criticisms that his try and kicking stats covered over the fact he wasn’t the greatest passer / decision maker. But that said he was very much in the Gibson Park-type 9 as opposed to either Murray or Casey – if you want to make a change at 9, maybe you want a different option
Buckley – probably not seen as offering enough outside scrum
Prertty sure every country can point to a player who was mysteriously excluded
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Apologies for inflicting Saracens footage on the blog, but Caluori does seem to be rather special
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Got some great skills, including his timing and anticipation in the air. I believe he’s 6’5″ as well! Got the lot as a modern winger.
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Lee on the Blood & Mud podcast described him as looking like Israel Folau, but without the bigotry.
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More handsome too, something Folau would frown upon me saying, for a couple of reasons!
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Thaum (and others) Joeli Veitayaki of Fiji, Chiefs, Blues and Ulster has died age 58
https://www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/10/22/carnet-noir-joeli-veitayaki-ancien-capitaine-des-fidji-decede-brutalement-13007658.php
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Sad to say, I don’t think I remember him.
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Wow, the R360 sounds even more terrible than I thought
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Wessels has been given a 9 game ban for ball-bothering
Wessels receives nine-game ban for genital grab – https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/cew4gdvvk9vo
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Saints 3 tries up against Sarries. The “Saviour Of English Rugby” has barely been mentioned. Amazing what happens when a team doesn’t give up against Sarries.
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Commentator’s Curse….
Burke over for Sarries.
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Annoyingly, Sarries on top now.
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That was very much a half of two halves.
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The Weedge getting a bit of a humping from the Bulls….
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Saints back on top now.
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A quick tap from the Sarries 9, Malins actually holds on to the ball and Saracens are just one try behind now. 38-31
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Sarries get a try they shouldn’t have. They get a penalty when their player blocked a Saints player from chasing a kick.
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Weedge going from being humped to doing the humping!
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Good game in Glasgow tonight, I think the Weedge will be relieved that they managed to pull that one out of the fire.
Having said that, the Bulls didn’t have much possession or territory
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Thought Glasgow could’ve and should’ve won by more. The Bulls forwards were strong, but their defence is still too passive and disorganized. They were a couple of passes sticking from getting an Ulster-style pasting. That said, if the TMO hadn’t picked up the fumble on the disallowed try, it could’ve been different. But he did. And it wasn’t. Not sure what my point was. Need more coffee.
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