I’m not sure who invited Liz Truss, and perhaps that’s why everyone looks a bit nervous, as if they’re expecting a devastating mini-budget in the middle of the festivities.
Nevertheless, a very happy feasting season to all, and may there be some cracking derbies over the next week or so.
Crackling derbies would be good too, only that depends on the pork markets.
We don’t see any cheese boards, and obviously That Is a Disgrace.
Ovally Balls 
Or Glaws to strike back.
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Lovely evening in Munster.
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Drags are 0-10 up, but have just seen a man go to the bin, with review.
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Bath looking a bit rattled tonight.
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Glaws have now scored 3 without reply. 21-7
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Actually, that’s a bit unfair on Gloucester.
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Wow! Drags 18 points up on Munster!??!?!?!
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Only 13 points up, apparently. Even so, what’s happened to Munster?
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BB – no, second try written off.
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Bath have bounced back. 21-19 at half time.
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Munster bouncing back too.
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Watched my disappearing Ospreys take on Deebee’s beloved Lions on good old S4C. Enjoyable contest in comically bad weather in Bridgend which either side could have won in the last minute. O’s should probably be the more disappointed. Of course it’s possible that neither side is particularly good and that the result didn’t matter all that much, but it was fun regardless.
Only other games I’ve seen recently have all involved the Dragons who do not seem to be the worst team in any of the main leagues at least for the time being. Nice to see!
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Of course it’s possible that neither side is particularly good
Don’t poke the bear! Lions on course for a first QF! We’re on the up and will win this damned thing soon enough! Hopefully in 2029, to piss on the Stormers ‘Project 2029’ waffle.
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@Deebee – I’m quite confident we won’t win it in 2029, doesn’t look likely to be a good year for us…
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A critical moment* in that game last night was just before half-time. Ospreys knocked on from the kick-off after scoring themselves, but the ref gave it as a knock-on by the Lions. There was some pushing and shoving at the ruck after the whistle went, mostly from the Lions scrum half and pretty minimal, ref wasn’t interested in giving a penalty at all and didn’t seek a replay, but told both players off. With the scrum then just about set he got a word in his ear telling him he got the knock-on wrong and he reversed the put-in. Scrum resets, Lions go through a load of phases and eventually score having also used up about four minutes of the yellow card they were on.
Now it would obviously be churlish to complain about the right decision having been arrived at (can you hear me churl) and in any case both sides seemed to be better when they were down to 14 anyway, but what makes this knock-on more important to examine than any other? I keep seeing this sort of thing in rugby these days with some minor errors corrected while many others are ignored and it’s got so that the responsibilities of the TMO are completely unclear to me.
*at least as it turned out – obviously both teams had chances to win the game regardless, the O’s more so than the Lions though the O’s were probably also the luckier side not to pick up a red card.
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Briiiiistolllll!
(Sorry Slade)
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Horrible weather at Sandy Park. I think we’re in for an afternoon of rucksy-dropsy.
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From the main camera it all looks fine, but then they switch to a touchline camera and there’s just a wall of water.
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Firsts points on 28mins! A Slade pen from the edge of the Bristol 22.
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Somehow Bristol have scored a try. From a 5m scrum on the Exeter line, LRZ cuts back across the park and passes to Heward who scores in the corner. 3-5, 35mins.
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That was certainly a half of rugby.
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Started watching, but the commentary was so poor I gave up after about 10 minutes. She’d obviously been to the Jamie Lyall School of Commentary (Overhyping Division). It’s almost like they have a list of over the top things to say, and they have to get through them. I don’t mind the stats,, though they can get overdone sometimes, it’s claiming that everything certain players do feels like the bestest ever.
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First points of the second half are scored on 79mins. Bristol penalty and they now have the incredible lead of 3-8.
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I believe the term for this match is ‘one for the purists’.
Meanwhile, in London Saracens are leading Newcastle 66-7 and Quins are losing 0-24 to Tigers.
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Dare we mention on here that Ulster lost? Or more accurately, Scarlets won?
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GrrrrrrrRRRRRR!
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“Scarlets won”
They might still be around in 2029.
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Sharks (Durban variety) giving the Stormers a torrid time in Cape Town. It’s 12-22 and the Stormers don’t look like keeping their 100% record in the URC intact. If anything, the Sharks look like coming away with five points and the Stormers bugger all.
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30-man rumble at Sale / Saints.
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12-25 as the Sharks knock over a penalty. Stormers have been crap and will finish with 14 players as replacement prop Sazi Sandi takes out a player in the air. Not as dramatic as it sounds.
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Connacht lose by one point to Leinster. Bad rugby day, except for the Stormers, obvs.
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Sharks win 30-19! Throws the URC open a bit.
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23-34? That’s a helluva point, Thaum.
Obviously, Glasgow will be here soon to save the rugby day.
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BB – ha! Apparently I forgot to look at the first digit. They were pretty much neck-and-neck during the first half, which I was actually watching, sort of.
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Munster bouncing back too
Got out of jail on that one – half backs weren’t great. Dragons got a comedy try when 9 (Coughlan) and 10 (Butler) left a kick to each other – you’d be tearing your hair out if U14s did that.
Upside – Coombes came on and started to break the gain line and got 2 tries. Also first sighting of Sean Edogbo (younger brother of Edwin or Eddy as he refrred to him)
We can moan and groan when 2nd and 3rd string Leinster players get funnelled into Irish squads – but when you see our 2nd and 3rd strings making errors that U16s would be appalled at – you can’t but think they’re making the right decisions
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Fin Baxter to undergo foot surgery, further diluting England’s prop stocks before the 6N. Ben Curry also still being rehabbed in England. Wales by 13.
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Then again, Keiron Assiratti has been ruled out for Wales, with Sam Wainwright taking his squad place. As you were, England by 45.
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diluting England’s prop stocks
Seems to be an epidemic – Ireland’s first choice LHs are all out – Porter, McCarthy, Boyle (Porter at least till mid-6N*, McCarthy, and Boyle look gone for season)
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And Uini Atonio has been forced to retire after having a heart attack! That’s a real shame for the big man.
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Apparently Bundi’s been a naughty boy and isn’t in the Ireland training camp.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cvgpzyv5y7no
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Two more Ulstermen on the squad!
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Irish edifice in freefall.
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Bundee Aki suspsended for four matches – misses this weekend’s match against Zebre, which shouldn’t be a problem, but also the first three Six Nations matches, against France, Italy and England, which is a bit more problematic.
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Apparently Bundi’s been a naughty boy
Got shirty with the ref and ARs after the Connacht vs Leinster game – rumour has it it went on into the dressing rooms
Not his first or even second offence – so no issue with the suspension, and in truth his form has dropped off a cliff this season. I guess with a central contract he was always bound to get selected. Might be the end for Bundee with Ireland. McCloskey was surely going to start at 12, so the question was who – Ringrose? Farrell? – at 13
Upside – Postlethwaite is included, so maybe he sees time vs Italy
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Postlethwaite
No matter what way I write it ….. looks wrong (but Postelthwaite looks worse)
Visited Slaithwaite in Yorkshire in 2024 (Pennine Rail Ale Trail) – they apparently pronounced it “Sla-wit”
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There are a lot of Thwaites of various flavours in Yorkshire.
I had been wondering if Jude Postlethwaite was related to the actor Pete, who I mistakenly thought was Irish, because I thought they had similar cheekbones. Turns out they aren’t.
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old Danelaw name component ….apparently thwaite is derived from old Norse þveit (where þ is thorn a letter equivalent to “th” sound – as in think)
ð is edh which represents the ‘th’ sound in there/then etc
I think we should have kept them …..
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…… refers to ‘a cleared meadow’.
Similarly, ‘holm’ is, I think, a small settlement.
Real Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Northumbria, Cumbria stuff
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Mon ra (baby) Weedge!!!
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To borrow a phrase from Sag, it looks like Simon Zebo has been slapped with the Colin Farrell fish.
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