Considering how poor was Italy’s display during the match against Ireland on Saturday, I wonder why should I or anyone else want to buy a magazine with lame Bergamasco bros on it.
They should focus more on actually playing rugby and less on pretending to be rugby stars slash models, ‘cos they are neither.
Cheers.
It’s 6 Nations time again! No matter how it will go, no matter who will win, it always cheers me up — especially thinking we’re welcoming the Scots in Rome again, on the 27th (and my sis’ is arriving, too, hurrah!).
It may sound weird to you, but seeing Rome invaded by a kilted moltitude is just brilliant, and it doesn’t even look unnatural or wrong, au contraire! I don’t know if this makes any sense, but that’s the way it is. (just in case you don’t know, Bonnie Prince Charlie was born in Rome, and he died here, too. OK, I know, it still doesn’t make sense, but who cares.)
Anyway, tournament begins this weekend and for the first round we have:
Ireland v Italy at Croke Park tomorrow (kick off at 3.30 PM CET)
England v Wales at Twickenham right after the game above (kick off at 5.00 PM CET)
Scotland v France at Murrayfield on Sunday (kick off at 4.00 PM CET)
You can read (if you understand Italian, that is) Sergio Parisse (allegedly) blogging about it all on La 7 website — he’s injured, therefore ruled out of the tournament, and I’m really sorry for him, hope he gets well soon.
Still I’m quite annoyed as this year I won’t be able to watch all the other games on the telly like I did in the past years because La7 is now only broadcasting Italy games, while the other ones will be on Sky TV — aka pay TV. Which I refuse to get, as I can’t pay for a whole year of TV I won’t be seeing (mostly football games, and I couldn’t care less about football.) just to watch 6 Nations matches. Also, it won’t be a live broadcast, but a recorded one, which is just silly because by the time it’s on TV (6.00 PM CET) I’ll already know the full time score, as the game actually starts at 3.30 PM…
D’oh.
So I just hope I can find some decent web stream to watch all games…
Photoshoots at press conferences can be tricky, especially when you’re one of the photographers out of a bunch of quite a few dozens — and I know what I’m talking about. But if you’re snapping pics of an actor or a singer, chances are they’ll know what to do with their faces and bodies before a camera.
On the contrary, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that rugby players don’t (and please don’t start babbling on about the Dieux du Stade calendar, because they make weird faces on that one, too. And I know people don’t buy that to look at their faces, but that’s not the point.).
The one you see above is the best shot from yesterday. Yes, yesterday it was launch day, and we’ve been graced once again by the same boring pics as the previous years.
Because, in case you didn’t know, ruggers walk:
And, oh, look, last year they walked, too:
And, guess what? Women rugby players walk too! That’s amazing, isn’t it? Only, since they’re women, they’re multitaskers, so they manage to smile in the meantime as well:
Then of course there are the “look, we’re schoolboys being taken end of term class pic of” shots:
Highlights of this year’s launch:
– Leonardo Ghiraldini sporting a weird face while holding the trophy (probably being aware that’s the only occasion he’ll be ever allowed to hold it);
…but, above all, I absolutely loved the presepe shot: Brian O’Driscoll as Baby Jesus, Ryan Jones and Steve Borthwick as Mary and Joseph, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Dimitri Szarzewski as il bue and l’asinello and Chris Cusiter as the angel singing “Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis“…
This is better than the snowball fight set from three years ago and the “oh, look, we’ve got socks!” one from 2008.
My favourite ones won over the pink ones. Heh.
Too little, too late, though — shame about that, Heineken Cup season is over for us.
Still, it feels good. Très bien.
My favourite ones are welcoming Stade Français tomorrow at Murrayfield (kick off at 3.45PM — 4.45 PM CET) and coach Rob Moffat has made six changes in the lineup: Simon Webster starts for the first time in the match squad this season, while Mark Robertson, Nick De Luca, Kyle Traynor, Andrew Kelly, Geoff Cross and Ross Rennie are back into the starting lineup for the final Heineken Cup pool match.
Meanwhile, I’ve started the countdown to Italy v Scotland, on 27th February, at the horrid Stadio Flaminio (which apparently will undergo renovation works to be expanded after this year 6 Nations, Italy’s home games will be probably played at Stadio Olimpico next year.) here in Rome — my sis’ and I will be there! Can’t wait!
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 Chris Paterson (capt), 14 Mark Robertson, 13 Ben Cairns, 12 Nick De Luca, 11 Jim Thompson, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Greig Laidlaw; 1 Kyle Traynor, 2 Andrew Kelly, 3 Geoff Cross, 4 Jim Hamilton, 5 Scott MacLeod, 6 Alan MacDonald, 7 Ross Rennie, 8 Roddy Grant
Substitutes: Ross Ford, Allan Jacobsen, David Young, Craig Hamilton, Scott Newlands, Ross Samson, John Houston, Simon Webster.
