redfiona99

It's now been two whole Six Nations tournaments since Wales last won.

This year, they even got nil-ed (https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/m6n/fixtures/2025/france-v-wales-31012025-2115/report).

I mean, what are they even adding to the competition?

I am only being sarcastic, and I don't want rid of Wales, not least of all because I love Adam Jones.

But it is interesting that while there are suggestions that Wales (who came bottom of the 6 Nations) should have a play off against Georgia who won the Rugby Europe Championship, which is the next level down (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cn04pz1wezyo), to see who gets to be in the 6 Nations next year, there's nothing like the volume of suggestions that really, the bottom team ought to be got rid of, like there was when it was Italy down there, not being able to scrape a win by any means.

Why the difference? Is it because Italy, being the newest participants in the 6 Nations are not one of the "old boys", or is it because the other "big teams" are scared that one day it'll be them down there?

In my sports-watching life time, I have seen every 6 Nations team other than England be the Wooden Spoon (team in last place) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Nations_Championship#Wooden_Spoon If you think it could happen to you, you're less likely to suggest it when it happens to a Union of the same venerability as yours.

Even 8 years ago (https://fulltimesportsfan.wordpress.com/2017/04/02/how-dyou-solve-a-problem-like-italian-rugby/) I was suggesting a play-off would be better than straight replacement of a team, so I'm glad everyone is realising I was right.

It's even more important now - lack of regular play against the top teams *is* holding Georgia back, and given Portugal's heroics at the last Rugby Union World Cup, the lack of mobility between what I will call tier 2 and tier 1 gives them very little to aim for or any way of improving.

If it's just one team swapped out permanently, that doesn't solve the problem of growing the depth of the game.

There are some downsides to the playoff plan - most importantly, where to fit the game in an already packed calendar and maintain player welfare. But I can't think of a more equitable solution.

Classical music makes me very snobby and opinionated. It's a failing. Presently I am being obnoxious about Rolando Villazon. Because while I think he's adorable, I still don't think his voice is all that good, and his unfortunate facial expressions when he's acting do nothing for me.

That being said, I have just been introduced to the wonder that is Andre Rieu. And I know he's everything I should be snobby about but I don't care because I love it when someone decides to re-popularise waltzes and he's great fun.

I'm not so sure if I like the meme going round about 'topics you would like me to post about' because that's what I like about reading other people's blogs, they cover stuff I know nothing about. It makes life interesting.

Torchwood - The One with the Wedding

It gets points for using Super Furry Animals's 'Fire In My Heart'.

I find it amusing that Nerys Hughes seems to have turned into her mother - which will be a joke that goes flying over the heads of the younglings and the non-Brits on my f-list.

Okay, so I'm cheap and easy so I enjoyed it. Especially Tosh and the irritant. And that the best way of insuring Owen's presence on a date is to assure him it's not a date. There was much laughter in our household at that part.

( Spoilery thoughts )

And now for my rant about Torchwood fandom

Has no one ever considered that Ianto might be entirely okay with Jack flirting with everyone, and possibly might also be alright with him loving Gwen.

I know we've not been told that he is, but at the same time we haven't been told that he isn't, so why jump to that conclusion.

Part of the problem is that GDL has the same problem as me - sad face syndrome. He always looks marginally uncomfortable.

Also, if he doesn't realise that Jack is Jack and he can love 16 different people at the same time, well then Ianto is dumber than a brick, and I have little sympathy. If you claim to like a character at least give him the intelligence he's shown to have on-screen.

Also, and this is a direct quote, Ianto described what they do as dabbling. That means there's every chance that it's not that serious yet. There is nothing in this world that pains me more about my gender than the large swathes of them that don't get sex != love. And also the reverse. Ianto has just (say 6 months) had his girlfriend, the one he was going to marry, die on him, in fact, I believe shot in front of him, so there's every chance he's not up for some great world ending romance. And, you have to admit, Jack is probably the most fantastic rebound hook up ever.

First, Fall Out Boy.

Yes, I know, I am sworn to hate them, and still mostly do. (I admit to loving 'Sugar, We're Going Down'.) This however has nothing to do with their music. This is me despairing of modern teenage girls.

This is Fall Out Boy.


Okay. So, generalised poll. Which, if forced at gunpoint, would you admit finding attractive? We shall number them 1-4 left to right.

And, more to the point, why do teenage girls say 1 and 3 when, dude, really they're fug? Mostly because 1 looks about 12, and 3 is possibly the most hideous boy ever to have been declaimed a sex symbol (honorary mention - Leonardo Di Caprio). Okay, so, I'll admit a bias on account of truly wanting Pete Wentz cast out of the bass players union (should such a thing exist) for excessive idiocy.

Also, should anyone wish to point and mock, my choice is number 4.

Also a music meme from Becca, it's the good old fashioned movie soundtrack meme.

1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.).
2. Put it on shuffle and press play.
3. For every question, type the song that's playing. When you go to a new question, go to the next song.
4. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

( So here goes )

Well, judging from the soundtrack it's going to be an arty wierd film.

Tennis-slash fandom, for Lossi.

These are actually unpopular. And possibly incendiary. I have a strange urge to x-post it, but I'd also like to keep my head and sanity.

( Here be unpopular opinions )

That was so much easier to write than the wrestling one because I know these are unpopular and several of these have annoyed me for quite some time. Particularly number 3, if you can't tell.

As is my wont when I should be working, I realise I could do a 10 Unpopular Opinions about Dr. Who. And more than that, they would be both unpopular, right and justifiable.

This makes me happy, being as I am used to my opinions being neither unpopular or justifiable.

Sorry to anyone I have annoyed recently, I've only just realised, and apologies for the TMI, I was all pre-menstrual and therefore more than slightly tetchy.

However since WWE wrestling seems to be determined to make me more techy I thought I might as well rant.

There are three things I like above all others in wrestling. They are cruiserweight/X-division/light-heavyweight wrestling, women's wrestling and tag team wrestling.

WWE right now provides one of those, and that's only when it feels like showing the cruiserweights. I can't get SD at the moment (no fault of the WWE's it's due to bloody Colin) so I have to rely on TNA for my fix.

Someone needs to tell them that La Resistance, the Bashams and whatever made up tag teams they've got to face them this week do not two tag team divisions make. Where have all the tag teams gone? I seem to recall that WWE used to be almost drowning in tag teams. Once again, I am forced to rely on TNA for that fix.

And now that WWE seems to have decided that its womens wrestling division, as opposed to it's womens t 'n' a division, is surplus to requirements. I can't fall back on TNA because TNA doesn't have a women's division either. So where the hell am I supposed to go for my women's wrestling fix?! I can't really watch Japanese women's wrestling, unless it's been subbed or dubbed because my Japanese extends to the numbers 1-10, hello and goodbye and weapon names. And before someone says sit back enjoy the wrestling don't worry about the noise, I quite like the noise, or at least I like to know why woman 1 is wrestling woman 2.

Anyway that all made sense, kind of, so now on to the random bitchiness, catty and petty though it be
- I am not one for being mean about the looks of other women, it's a solidarity thing, but two of the new t'n'a blondes on Smackdown are fugly. And I mean fugly, painful to look at, dogs, mingers, should audition for the ugly step-sisters in Cinderella. Since they are there merely too look good, I feel I have a right to complain.

- on a similar but unrelated tip - Jake Gyllenhall is not attractive or good looking. He has a weird chin.
Also unspeakably unattractive is Dominic Monaghan. Look at him, he has sticky out ears, a pushed in nose and bad teeth - he is a terrier-pug cross in human form. 9/10ths of these girls that are ga-ga over him would ignore his veritable double if they met him in the streets.

Things that confuse me-
Chris Candido in the X-division. I realise it's not about weight limits, it's about no limits but he's always stuck me as being a heavyweight rather than a cruiserweight.

Actually about that, how did the alliance with the Naturals come about?

May I say how glad I am to see the Naturals back. I really do like them for all that I merrily boo the heck out of them. And as an AMW fan I'm worried because they're the one tag team that I don't think my boys can beat.