In the exciting battle for the wooden spoon between Ireland, Wales, Italy and England, coaches have not learninged much from their previous selection errors. To be fair to Italy, they don’t have a huge range of players from which to select, and they have played brilliantly; they could and possibly should have beaten Ireland, so we’ll let Quesada off.
As for Ireland, it seems that Farrell has at least learninged that the Prendergast experiment has woefully failed after watching him splash around in the shallow part of the pitch in the first match, and create his own wadi in the second. While Crowley, like his other possible replacements, is dubious with the kicking tee (and by the way, kicking points is only HALF YOUR FUCKING JOB as a fly-half), he’s clearly much more effective on the pitch.
The inclusion of more Ulster players made a clear difference in the second match with Player of the Match being narrowed down to a choice between McCloskey, Baloucoune, Fischetti and Zuliani: two Ulstermen, and two Italians. So of course Farrell drops Izuchukwu, who also performed well, and Timoney remains on the bench.
As for England, the inclusion of Stewart continues to please ABE supporters, and Genge is always on a hair trigger for a card. Maro is looking less saint-like these days. Boris Johnson’s illegitimate son, the Pillock, provides a figure one loves to hate, sadly also because, like most super-villains, he’s pretty effective.
On to Wales. Well. Their set-pieces are functioning well, and I reckon they can beat Ireland. Also first-week Scotland, but not brilliant second-week Scotland. Probably not Italy either, especially if they keep kicking possession away, although possession is often coughed up anyway.
France obviously don’t need any learnings*.
*Have I mentioned how much I hate this horrendous evisceration of the English language?
Ovally Balls 
Exeter just got away with the most obvious forward pass, for a try. Not one official decided to have a look.
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Bulls’ strategy appears to be send all the Munster players off with head injuries.
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Oops, missed the start of Glaws vs Tigers and apparently Gloucester aren’t bothering this week. Tigers have already scored 4 tries in the first 15mins!
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Munster managed two bonus points, but could and should have won.
One very brilliant individual Bulls try to make the difference.
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AARGGHH, they’ve just asked what the ‘learnings’ were from last week! Fire ’em into the heart of the sun!
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Most of the Bulls supporters on R365 agree with you, Thauma. Not in front of a telly, but I gather that without Papier at 9, the Bulls would’ve lost.
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I’d completely forgotten James O’Connor is playing for Tigers.
Bit rich of Austin Healy to make cracks about him getting his hair done, considering the number of plugs in his scalp.
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Lions 5-0 up early doors. Dragons knocking on the door though.
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Bristol vs Quins at the Principality. Dombrant crashes over the line early, but it’s scratched for a Bristol player being held on the floor.
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Randall almost scores, but it held up just before the Quins line. Harding gets the ball and just manages to squeeze over. 7-0.
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I don’t understand ‘advantage’. Bristol scrum pretty much on half way. They get pen adv and break down-field, before being pushed into touch right on the corner flag. Apparently advantage wasn’t over and we go all the way back!?
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I’ve not been paying attention to the half time break, but is Josh Navidi DJing on the pitch?
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Booo! Quins hold Bristol up over the line, then work their way down field, ending with Isgo finding a gap and scoring. 7-15 with 20mins left.
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Refit – Probs; saw him doing it somewhere else recently.
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Ooh, 1-point game with 3 mins to play, Bristol scoring after a lot of pressure on the Quins line. 14-15
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Dombrandt gets a turnover after Bristol receive the restart. They’re going for the posts and are up to a 4 point lead with 1 minute left. 14-18.
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Bristol pinch the ball from the restart and get into the Quins 22. They’re driven back to halfway, get the ball to Ravouvou on the wing who…kicks it into touch trying to chip through. Quins win.
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Edinburgh 14-12 up against the Stormers. Just tuned in so no idea what’s been going on.
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GWAN Embra!!! Currently leading Stormers by 2 points.
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Spake too soon. Stormers have scored again.
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Stormers get a scrum advantage but play off the back and Sazi Sandi does a Rhys and scores! 19-14 Stormers with 15 to go.
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Mchunu with the proo try, not Sandi.
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*prop. Sigh
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Shouldn’t have spake at all. Stormers score again through half-hearted Embra turnstile tackle. That’s their bonus point, and they now look like they’re just warming up. Still over ten mins to go.
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Stormers finally get the passes to stick and importantly, the timing of the final pass to put Roos into space for the try. 26-14 with about 10 to go.
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I like a proo try. Sounds like something you might have at a braai.
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Edinburgh with the lineout in the Stormers 22. Battering away. Probably 15 phases at least, but a crucial jackal and penalty Stormers. Great break up field, but Edinburgh return the favour! All Comes to nought and with five to go, the Stormers probably have this in the bag.
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Stormers splinter the Embra scrum on the Embra 5m line and Deon Fourie picks the ball up and dives over! 33-14 simply doesn’t do Embra justice. Game was in the balance with less than 15 to go. Still, a second week of all Saffer wins, so no complaints this side!
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Someone at the BBC’s letting the kids update the stats.
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Or maybe Deebee…!
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(Yes, I did notice that it’s sorted by Points For, which is quite interesting!)
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Italian player makes a concerted effort to gouge McCloskey’s eyes out, and he’s actually getting a straight red.
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Even with the red card, we could easily lose this. We’ve put out a very green side, and Zebre really want it. It’s 7-all at 34 mins.
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Last act of the half was a penalty to Zebre, which was missed.
Half-backs need replacing for the second.
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Replacements not made yet, but Herring dives over the line pretty quickly.
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Well, young Humphreys made an excellent touch-line conversion.
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Now he seems to be cramping up, and I think Doak is covering both 9 and 10 on the bench.
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Doak is on.
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Ha! Herring with an intercept and kicks it from 22 to 22, with Timoney chasing it all the way! And it’s finished off by Zac Ward with Juarno in there too!
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Kok inna corner for the TBP! I didn’t think we’d get there.
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Zebre score a try and the scorer gives a most elegant bow to the crowd. Much better than a splash!
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Well, was expecting Trisk’s Monday analysis of the teams’ performances, but no….!
You’d better have a good excuse, mister. (Hope you’re well!)
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I’ll step in quickly with a weekly analysis: two weeks in a row that the Saffer sides have completed a clean sweep of wins. So obviously the URC is shit, overrated, THE PREM and Top14 are way better (possibly J League and Super Rugby too) and you should just hand over the 2027 World Cup to the Boks now. I think that just about covers it? Oh and Paper beats Bridge at number 9.
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My excuse is two data migration projects running into each other – “my” side (my team’s/colleagues work) is repackaging the data from old Lotus Notes systems into a structure that can go into the new case management system.
For reasons – we’re trying to do 2 over the one weekend / week., so there’s a degree of scrambling going on.
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Only saw highlights of the Bulls/Munster game (we were having a power shower installed so the ‘leccy’ was off)
Disappointed to lose – but so much better. Obviously, drop off from Casey/Crowley is vast. Scored some well worked tries, and in between conceded some hideous ones.
Upsides – obviously Crowley and Casey plus O’Connor the fullback, and the two Edogbos (or as they are known the “Edogbros”).
Season has been a roller coaster – we’re back…no, it’s all over…. we back up….. it’s over…
Right now – we back up…..
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A resurgent Munster makes Exeter fans nervous!
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Brings back memories – bad ones – of that awful implosion a few years back – cruising – then a crazy bounce and Conor Murray had an all time horror show…
Upside – happy memories of Billy Holland stealing a lineout on the 5m line …..
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I didn’t realise quite how much of a turnover machine Williams was. Also, it’s quite funny hearing him being described as “young Liam Williams” every now and then.
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Rassie Erasmus has resigned with immediate effect from the Boks, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ with SA Rugby over the Transformation Charter in place. The Ministry of Sports in South Africa (yes, we have one – it’s actually called Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture, but the current luddide thinks spinning cars are the height of art and culture, so we’ll just call it sports) has called out Erasmus for including too many ‘white, Black African and Coloured’ players in the Bok side, with not enough ‘Indian heritage’ players in national sides. Can’t think of a single one, actually.
It’s really weird, because Rassie has done more for transformation than any coach before him (and definitely more than any politician), and rugby is hardly played in schools in ‘traditional Indian areas’ of South Africa, with cricket being the favoured sport, along with English football.
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Nice one Deebs!
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