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Women's Six Nations 2025, Week Two

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This week Scotland and Wales are the sacrificial lambs, Ireland visit Italy for the competitive match of the weekend. The Matches France v Scotland If you only look at the final score you might think ☑️ job done by France, next please. And, at the very highest level, that’s fair. France scored four tries, kept Scotland to two, one after the clock had gone red, and kept the scoreboard moving with penalties and a drop goal as well. But the French coaches will not be completely happy. Les Bleues dropped try-scoring chances like a drunk trying to pick up a €1 coin when they can’t stand unaided. Three of their tries came in a ten minute period when everything clicked for them and the Scots just couldn’t live with them. For the rest of the match, the Scots might have been hanging on by their fingertips, but they essentially denied the French attempts to score tries, or forced them into silly mistakes. On the plus side, the French continued to dominate territory and possession and were tak...
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Women's Six Nations 2025, Week 1

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The biggest question, the perennial question of recent times, is can anyone beat England? But, that’s not the only question. At last year’s WXV Ireland were the surprise package. Did they flatter to deceive as other teams blooded new combinations before the World Cup later this year or was it a real improvement? Whilst I have a lot of sympathy for Cunningham, who paid the price for some terrible off-field behaviour by the WRU and the uncertainty that sewed throughout the squad, we have a new Welsh coach, literally hot off last week's PWR victory, and a fresh team. How will the Welsh Women go? The Italians also have a new coach, although not quite as minty fresh as Sean Lynn. The Matches Ireland v France This was a game with a lot of effort and good moments, but a lot of inaccuracies. France will rue the penalties, and particularly the red card, that they gave away. These conspired to keep the Irish close for longer than they probably deserved. Equally, the Irish will look at the...
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Men's Six Nations, 2025, Team of the Tournament

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With no Grand Slam this year I’m not constrained to think of reasons not to pick a XV from a single country. Normally I pick by units, front row, second row etc, but in some places combinations of injuries, suspensions and tactical changes are making that frankly impossible. For the most part I’m sticking to picking units from a single country still, but not always. Rather than picking 1-23, I’m going to pick in sections, and give honourable mentions in each section. Front Row Gros Mauvaka Atonio L'équipe de bombe, that is the French Bomb Squad, Baille, Marchand and Aldegheri all deserve a mention. I don’t think Sheehan is as good an all-round player as Mauvaka and Marchand, particularly in defence, but he is very good at what he does. Shoeman and Fagerson would make my Lions squad and round out this section. Porter would probably make a lot of teams but, for me, he was a) shown up by WillGriff John, and b) he still draws too many stupid penalties. I’m sure many people would ...
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Men's Six Nations, 2025. Week Five

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Super Saturday and everyone, except Scotland, has something more than pride to play for. Wales and Italy are scraping to avoid the wooden spoon. Although France are in pole position, in theory any of Ireland, England or France can win the tournament. That’s the order in which they play, so they each know what they have to do as they take the field. The Matches Italy v Ireland This was a frustrating match to watch, certainly as a neutral, I suspect even more if you support one of these teams. Ireland, for most of the game, were poor. They made a lot of handling errors, gave up a lot of penalties and were generally out of sorts. They did click, from time to time, and scored, but they often made hard work of it. That’s despite a red card and two yellow cards given up by Italy that had an impact, and a card right at the end of the game that’s probably going to be red. The resulting penalty was kicked up and then out to end the game, so it didn’t affect anything. But Italian ill-disciplin...
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Men's Six Nations 2025, Week 4

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This weekend starts with the match that every pundit had marked as the championship decider: Ireland v France. France dropping a million tries in Twickenham didn’t stop that, but it means if they win they almost certainly stop Ireland not only racking up a record breaking three in a row, but another Grand Slam. Then we have Wales v Scotland and questions are swirling around both sides. Are Wales really starting to surge in form under Sherratt or was it a dead cat bounce? Scotland have turned out to be nearly men again, can they actually put it together this week? Finally we have England v Italy. On paper, England should continue their unbeaten streak, but the team selection seems odd, and the English wide defence is not their strength while it’s the mainstay of the Italian attack. Reversing that, who knows what the English attacking strength is? England have to start as favourites but Italy have to be in with a real chance. The Matches Ireland v France This match really has a few big ...
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Men's Six Nations 2025, Week 3

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In Wales the news is that Gatland has walked away, head high, and we have a temporary coach (Matt Sherratt, from Cardiff, but going back) for the rest of the 6N. He’s torn chunks out of Gatland's teamsheets and we’re hoping for brighter things while facing the Irish. Ouch. In England, the media seem to believe that beating the French was due to English brilliance rather than poor French handling and a second Hammering of the Scots is due. I’m doubtful. France are out for redemption in Italy. Match Reviews Wales v Ireland If I told you before the match that Wales would dominate at scrum time, virtually milking penalties at will, and would be winning the lineout battle too I would have doubted my own sanity. Add to that Hymns and Arias ringing around the Principality Stadium as Wales looked to secure a halftime lead and you could have sectioned me. But when Morgan grounded it by the posts with the clock red at the end of the first half, the roof lifted, both there and here, as Wale...
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The Gorge (Apple TV+)

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Generally, even if I don’t review them here as religiously as I should, I like a lot of Apple TV's tv shows ( Slow Horses, Silo and Severance in particular, but others too) but I’ve been less impressed by their film output. The Gorge changes that for me. Let me be clear, this is not a great piece of art. It’s unlikely to change your life on a deep, emotional level. I’ve seen a review that says “there are so many plot holes in The Gorge that…” and this might be true, but it’s missing the point. This is monster-slaying fun, very much in the mould of The Mummy , the one with Rachel Weisz in it. Both of them have plot, but that’s not really important, there’s just enough that as things bounce along the switches and changes have something to hang on, if you care. I paid enough attention to notice them, but I’d have been happy enough if they weren’t there. I need to say, before going on, this film is very dark. Maybe not Daredevil dark, but approaching it. Often it feels appropria...
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