Moriarty played age grade for Mordor but still chose the light side.

Eastmond has been banned for six weeks; three weeks for each decapitation attempt. I assume they were each reduced fir his previous clean record.

Any Englishers still wanting to debate tmo decisions and criticise those that question them please step back in time a bit and go here:

And in other news, Georgians are good a scrumaging and Lawes is not that great at boxing, bet SBW is better!

Don’t see the issue AA, English crowd, players and commentators are correct, as they were last weekend…

“Don’t see the issue AA, English crowd, players and commentators are correct, as they were last weekend…”

So the tmo was incorrect and you are a bit of a hypocrite, thats fine..I wonder if Cueto has stopped whining about it yet..foot clearly in touch!

I think we can all move on from the try that never was, that wasn’t given now. I’d like to see professional, tech savvy TMOs embedded with the broadcasters to get exactly what they want.

That scrummaging video is interesting. Lots of penalties given each way. To really know what was going on, you’d need to know what the Georgians were asked to do. It’s never as simple as a straightforward pushing contest. There was a lot of early shoves going in – Inimagine England wanted to practice against every scenario, legal and illegal. Good to see Hughes back in and packing down at 8 – almost didn’t recognise him with the beard.

I think we can all move on from the try that never was, that wasn’t given now.

We can indeed, AA won’t as noted by his response to my obvious trolling comment above…

As for the Georgian practise, clearly a rehearsal for Scottish scrum collapsing and all over the place.

oh, and 😉

“We can indeed, AA won’t as noted by his response to my obvious trolling comment above…”

You really are an odd one

Teddy Thomas booted out of french squad. Thomas is a good welsh name we’ll have him!!

Moriarty injured, hopefully its just so he doesnt have to play for Glaws this week..
Is Adams going back to Worcester? Might see him lose out to North.

Ospreys.

Half time.

Urgh.

Got the 4 tries in the end. Only thing shittier than the two teams was the ref!!

Quite. Ref was abysmal. So were the Ospreys, apart from Arhip who was sublime in the tight and brutal in the loose.

edinburgh beat ulster in Ireland with the last kick of the game.  that puts them in a euro cup place 😉

AA; Adams is back with Worcester so North may well take his place.

Williams looked in reasonable fettle for Sarries last night; scored the only try but was also yellow carded in what was a dour game.

As a slight aside I just want to write in praise of Saracens. Causing me to reminise about my youth spent playing in the streets i reflected on this half term, whereby Saracens ran a two day “Rugby Camp” for kids U12 and U9. Junior attended 5 hours a day with lunch in the middle, made loads of new friends and spent a great deal of time learning – he was in U12 as he’s tackling now – tackle technique, rucks and balls skills. He loved it, learned loads and made some new friends and seems to have found the position I always suspected might be his – Scrum half. He earned the nickname Mr Fast from the Sarrys coaches as well 🙂

Thanks to the Saracens coaches for taking the time out to do this I’m sure the many kids and north London clubs appreciate the effort even if they don’t see recognise the opportunities they have today!

“he’s tackling now – tackle technique, rucks ”

“seems to have found the position I always suspected might be his – Scrum half”

Tackling and rucking are optional for him now!! 😁

Kryton – i went to a sarries home game last year, v exeter, the players were brilliant before the game signing programs for the kids.  Such a small gesture but the kids loved it.

Ref was abysmal

I assumed that he was there for comedy effect. Is it a tackle, is it a maul, who knows? I’ll call tackle then give a scrum for a maul. Habberfeld complaining about being taken out at the ruck – yes, his hands were on the ball but the SA player was almost behind him. But mainly the ref didn’t control the game and allowed the Kings to disrupt everything, which the Ospreys couldn’t cope with. They were dreadful though. Not aggressive or abrasive enough, lazy getting back in position, naive in letting other bully them – even the Kings!

“Is it a tackle, is it a maul, who knows”

It was comedy genius when he shouted tackle and all the SA players shouted maul so he changed his mind and agreed with them!

Wonder how that obviously forward try scoring pass was missed.

Leinster Rugby v Scarlets – KO 15:15
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 67th competition game)
AR1: Frank Murphy (IRFU). AR2: Jonathan Peak (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Read more at https://www.pro14rugby.org/referee-appointments/#xEcqMyZfu8C8PS36.99

Nice work Leinster.

Had the new drier arrive so missed the last few mins, why were Scarlets down to 14? Cant stomach sky sports any longer to find out!

North, Adams and Loopy Liam all playing and scoring this weekend.

Worcester beat Exeter last week and Gloucester this week 😳

We now have the possibility of going ahead of Northampton 😳

Six Nations call ups is benefiting us in two ways. Oppositions are weekend and the **** O’Teo is with England.

So the ref in the Ospreys:Kings game actually had lost his cards!!!

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/ospreys-claim-ref-made-unusual-14302228

Biggar, Faletau and 1/2p fit to be picked by wales this weekend. Some big decisions ahead. No news on Moriarty. As Tips was released last weekend maybe Moriarty is fit and Toby to bench.
1/2p, Biggar and Williams will be needed to counter Irelands kick it in the air gameplan imo.

No NotToby, and a little harsh on Patch, I think.

Otherwise, tidy.

<b>Wales team:</b> Halfpenny (Scarlets); L Williams (Saracens), S Williams (Scarlets), Parkes (Scarlets), S Evans (Scarlets); Biggar (Ospreys), G Davies (Scarlets); R Evans (Scarlets), Owens (Scarlets), Lee (Scarlets), Hill (Dragons), AW Jones (Ospreys capt), Shingler (Scarlets), Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Moriarty (Gloucester).

<b>Replacements:</b> Dee (Dragons), W Jones (Scarlets), Francis (Exeter Chiefs), B Davies (Ospreys), Tipuric (Ospreys), A Davies (Scarlets), Anscombe (Blues), North (Northampton).

No NotToby, and a little harsh on Patch, I think.

likely to be a lot of kicking from Ireland and biggar is better in the air and better kicking for territory, patch had a bit of a shocker under the highball against England (although weather deff played a part), however suspect he’ll start again against Italy to build experience / confidence. anscombe offers more cover across the back, so no place for patch unfortunately

Ireland-Wales will show us how much England need to improve by game 5.

prediction time,

Ire 18-15 Wal

sco 26-35 Eng

Fra 32-20 Ita.

IRE 15pts on WAL

ENG 22pts on SCO

FRA 8pts on ITA

The Orc hoard have announced their starting line up.

Great news for England , Russell starts,

Of course Russell starts .  We have no one else.  Scots unchanged bar the bench where Nel, Swinson and Grigg coming in.  Scotland set up with pace and guile if a bit lightweight in places.  Its the dancing elves V the Orc horde 😉

I think Horne is very underrated.  Great rugby brain and reads the game well and an elusive runner.  2nd playmaker as well with a good boot on him.  We are missing Dunbar and Taylor badly.

I can’t see Ireland by 15 points Stoner, one score game I think that I will be happy if we come out the right side of.

Also seeing Ireland Wales as much closer.

I’m supporting Wales this weekend of course.

Farrell a small doubt, but should he miss the game Teo and Joseph in the centres is a bit of a worry for the little Scots.  Predict our pack will give them a hammering and we’ll be running through the backs from tries 2nd half.

They’ll be a shock try from Scotland I imagine.

DD, I’ll buy at 1/2 a pint a point from 15pts IRE over WAL.

You can pay me my beers next weekend when I see you 😀

(TBF Sporting index has the spread at 8-11 pts. Im a little bullish at 15.

FRA v ITA at 16-19 pts – I’m backing a French ****-up.

ENG v SCO at 6-9pts looks very stingy for ENG. That’s worth buying IMO)

Italy by 2
England by 15
Wales by two falls and a submission

Predictions – Ireland by a score, France by a couple, And as for the Calcutta cup?   Whilst not the foregone conclusion it has sometimes been in recent years its hard to see past a England win and a comfortable one at that.

Key matchups in the back row.  Watson and Barclay key for scotland going for turnovers and most critical of all has Toonie been able to put Russells head on properly for this game?

I’m going for a high scoring entertaining game.  england by 12+