Gimme Hope Jo'anna: Rugby in 2021

[Ray de Galles]

I think Beard is a very understandable and useful addition.

He's there to add height and bulk to counteract the Springbok pack in the set piece and could continue to play the Charterisesque spoiler role in the maul he does for Wales.

Tour captain is a very ceremonial role isn't it? More about off the pitch duties and very different from being an on the pitch captain in a test. Still bewildered by the decision.

[Ray de Galles]

Get. The. Fuck. In.

Christ Almighty, can we please win a trophy that doesn't rely on last gasp heroics? Just once. My heart can't take it.

Also - fuck Paul Gustard.

Congratulations Eggchaser, so pleased for Quins and happy to see Exeter miss out.

I missed the coverage of the match watching Wales in the Euros but will find highlights of that and the Top 14 decider today.

It seemed to be a vintage climax to the season in the English Premiership, our cross-borders league is still a long way behind.

[ursus arctos]

Three Boks have tested positive and the entire squad is to self isolate

[Eggchaser]

This tour is going to be an absolute clusterfuck.

[Ray de Galles]

...and behind closed doors given the increased restrictions imposed again in SA, surely?

[Antepli Ejderha]

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets); Jonah Holmes (Dragons), Willis Halaholo (Cardiff Rugby), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Tom Rogers (Scarlets); Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Rugby); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Elliot Dee (Dragons), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Rugby), Ben Carter (Dragons), Will Rowlands (Dragons), Ross Moriarty (Dragons), James Botham (Cardiff Rugby), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons).

Replacements: Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Leon Brown (Dragons), Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Rugby), Taine Basham (Dragons), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), Nick Tompkins (Saracens).

The Wales team to face Canada looks really strong, only two new caps with three on the bench. Seeing as we play Argentina twice after this I'm surprised others aren't getting a run out in this match.

Leigh Halfpenny is scheduled to make his 100th test appearance, that's some achievement.

[Ray de Galles]

English Premiership to expand to 14 clubs from 2022-23 season

[Antepli Ejderha]

Lions team to face Emirates Lions: Hogg; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Farrell, Adams; Russell, Price; W Jones, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Hill, Lawes, H Watson, Faletau.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Vunipola, Fagerson, Henderson, Simmonds, Davies, Aki, Daly

Hogg captains the side as Gatland continues with his promise of giving everyone a start in the first two games. Faletau and Lawes start despite playing most of last week, albeit in different positions.

[Antepli Ejderha]

AWJ is looking like he'll now be returning to the Lions for the tests, that's some recovery if he does make it.

[Antepli Ejderha]

https://twitter.com/KyranBracken/status/1410933146477023232?s=19

Luke Cowan Dickie able to play today despite this last weekend, it makes no sense. The old protocols weren't great but it was a mandatory 3 week break for concussion.

[Ray de Galles]

Ireland v Japan just about to kick off and live on C4.

The second of five consecutive matches today, NZ beat a severely weakened Tonga 102-0 earlier but the visitors has been forced to call up locally-based amateurs due to Covid restrictions denying them their European based players and others.

[Discordant Resonance]

Cracking game so far, Ireland lead 33-31, and could still very much go to either team.

[Ray de Galles]

It has been good, hasn't it. It took me a while to realise I was there when they last met at RWC19!

Good to see there's a crowd in as I wasn't sure Ireland was allowing them yet - what is the wider situation now?

[Ray de Galles]

Wales v Canada immediately follows this on BBC2 Wales and S4C.

[Ray de Galles]

Halfpenny injured in the first minute of his 100th cap! Think he's going to have to go off with a knee injury.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Halfpenny injured in the first minute of his 100th cap! Think he's going to have to go off with a knee injury.

At least it's not his head, I worry for him in the future.

[Discordant Resonance]

It has been good, hasn't it. It took me a while to realise I was there when they last met at RWC19!

Good to see there's a crowd in as I wasn't sure Ireland was allowing them yet - what is the wider situation now?

Very much depends on the whims of the day - a number of test events being held where a capacity of circa 10% is being allowed, so 3,000 at a hurling match in Thurles tomorrow, and 8,000 attendance in Croke Park tonight, but the general allowance is 500, which, rather ludicrously, isn't linked to the size of any particular outdoor stadium.

[Ray de Galles]

Tomos Williams has made four passes out of the back of the hand already. I suspect him and Howley have a spread bet on the number he manages today.

Seems like an ACL for Halfpenny, that could be career-ending at 32 with the damage he's sustained in the past.

[Ray de Galles]

Eggchaser how was the Lions match? Once I confirmed it was behind closed doors I decided to record it and focus on Cze v Den in the Euros.

Wales v Canada was a bit of a blowout but at the enjoyable end of such things.

[Eggchaser]

Lions (British and Irish) a bit disjointed but still superior to the plucky but picked not to be too plucky opposition until the ability to bring Test starters off the bench took effect and then they ran riot.

[ursus arctos]

The state of these kits

https://twitter.com/rugbyromania/status/1411414878657691654

[Ray de Galles]

If you think they're bad I'm not quite sure how to break this to you :

https://twitter.com/rucked_mag/status/1411961885201739777?s=21

[Antepli Ejderha]

If you think they're bad I'm not quite sure how to break this to you :

https://twitter.com/rucked_mag/status/1411961885201739777?s=21

At least that looks like a rugby kit unlike the football jerseys above.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/timessport/status/1412085439599681538

[Antepli Ejderha]

Does that mean their match against Georgia is off?