Saturday, March 14th, 2026
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10:20 pm - The end
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A dramatic end to a dramatic tournament.
I've always had a soft spot for the goal kickers (my three current pet players are Finn Russell, Tommaso Allan and Thomas Ramos, in that order, before any of the other Scots get a look in!), so I do like a win from a final kick.
So France lost to Scotland who lost to Italy who lost to Wales who lost to England who lost to Ireland - and yet won the whole thing. (On the other hand, they did beat Ireland right back at the start!)
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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8:21 pm - Confusing
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France playing in pale blue which looks exactly the same as England's white in the overhead shots. That's helpful. At least they have bright red socks!
Nice result for Wales - they've been building up to that. A very confusing ending, though, with Italy over but not over and over and not over and over...
current mood:  confused
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(comment on this)
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4:04 pm
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Oh well. Always unlikely!
I think it was a bit closer than the final score makes it look, but Scotland just never quite hung on.
Do I really mind what happens now? Not much, I suppose, but a Welsh win would be nice - and I feel a bit more magnanimous towards France than towards Ireland, since we beat them!
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(comment on this)
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Saturday, March 7th, 2026
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4:56 pm
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I'm always a bit confused trying to add up rugby tables, with the bonus points, but if I'm right then nothing that England (or Italy!) do now can put them higher than fourth, and this game is just for fun (for me, anyway).
When I was in a pub after my walk last weekend they were joking about the whole of Scotland having to turn into England fans next weekend. Not quite so much of a joke now...
Ireland aren't quite as invincible as they used to be - on the other hand, Scotland are constitutionally incapable of playing well for two weeks in a row. Do I believe Scotland can beat Ireland? No. Did I believe Scotland could beat France - also no!
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(comment on this)
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3:01 pm - Weekend 4 continued
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Wales are definitely getting back some self-respect, which is nice. A win would have been even nicer, for their own sake and to keep Scotland second!
I don't think I dare comment on Scotland so far.
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(comment on this)
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Friday, March 6th, 2026
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8:59 pm - Well!
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This is not at all how it looked like it was going to go after the first few minutes. Come on Wales...
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(comment on this)
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Saturday, February 14th, 2026
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5:30 pm - Another week...
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That's looking a bit more like it - if they can keep it up!
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(comment on this)
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Saturday, February 7th, 2026
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4:50 pm - Well.
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Without denying for a second that Scotland were shite (I think the only decent lineout was when they had two hookers off the pitch and Matt Fagerson had to throw in), I do think a lot of people forget that Italy are pretty damn good these days.
Still, you would think Scotland were most used to playing in a lake...
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(comment on this)
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2:15 pm - Mist
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"We're peering through the mist of the pyrotechnics" - well, if you were in Edinburgh you'd just be peering through the mist so think yourself lucky, Andrew.
Nice purple outfits for Scotland - on Thursday everyone ended up with bright green bottoms, so at least they'll go nicely!
current mood:  amused
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(comment on this)
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Thursday, February 5th, 2026
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11:14 pm - Here we go again
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I don't know what the Six Nations is doing on a Thursday - I've been worried all week that I would forget all about it. But it's here, although starting off with the two teams I'm most indifferent to, and the kind of match I don't particularly like!
I do mean to write about something that's not rugby some time, honest...
current mood: amused
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(comment on this)
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Friday, December 19th, 2025
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11:51 pm - Sleepy facts
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Fact 10: Rhamphorhynchus was a type of pterosaur, an extinct flying reptile.
Fact 11: The largest pterosaur had a wingspan of about 12 metres, making pterosaurs the largest flying creatures of all time.
It seems to be pterosaur season.
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Phil Cunningham's Christmas Songbook tonight, only with no Phil Cunningham. Lovely mixed up music :)
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Thursday, December 18th, 2025
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11:16 pm
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We're never going to get there if we don't have some facts.
Fact 6: Ankylosaurus was an armoured dinosaur that was around 7 metres long.
Fact 7: The name dimetodron means 'two sized teeth'
Fact 8: The name stegosaurus means 'roof lizard'
That would be a very strange kind of roof.
Fact 9: Some dinosaurs would have seen snow!
This is obviously a very exciting fact, but - surely snow predates dinosaurs!
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Last exam delivery tomorrow. Maybe I'll feel a bit saner after that.
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
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11:15 pm - Belated facts
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Behind with facts already. I do have news, but I'm too sleepy for that.
Fact 3: While dinosaurs ruled on the land, some very different reptiles roamed the seas. These marine reptiles included plesiosaurs that lived 220-65 million years ago.
Hooray! Only three days to the first non-dinosaur fact.
Fact 4: The name Triceratops means 'three-horned face'.
Fact 5: The name Rhamphorhynchus means 'beak snout'. Rhamphorhynchus had a wingspan of around 2 metres long.
Are spans long?
These facts are very keen on names.
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First exam of the season today, collected in whatever this storm is called. Fortunately none of it blew away.
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(comment on this)
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Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025
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11:10 pm - Dinosaur fact #2
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Monday, December 1st, 2025
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8:09 pm - Dinosaur facts reprise
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I have dinosaur facts again - maybe I'll actually manage to post some this time.
Fact 1: The largest dinosaurs were called sauropods. They included the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth.
Today was the annual outing of the organ variations on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - along with some more sensible music. On my birthday there are going to be Baroque Splendours, which also sound quite good...
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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Friday, November 28th, 2025
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5:07 pm - Poor alien Aberdeen
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House of Games contestant, asked where the longest bridge in the world is:
"I went over a really long one when I went to Aberdeen recently - but I don't think that's in the world."
current mood: amused
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
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7:41 pm - A very brief summary
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Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
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9:26 pm - Oh subtitles
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Saturday, March 15th, 2025
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4:30 pm - Bother
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A bit too close, that - Ireland with the bonus point, but not with the difference in score that might have kept them ahead given a tight England win.
I think Scotland will finish fourth overall regardless of anything that happens in any match today, so I don't suppose it matters what happens tonight - but I'd rather not sit through another defeat just the same!
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(comment on this)
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3:19 pm
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A very confusing day rugby-wise. I'm glad Italy are playing well, but a bonus point win for Ireland would make the rest of the day slightly less nerve-wracking!
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(comment on this)
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silly