Season 7- Episode 11- Do They Play for South Africa? (Premiership Round 9)

Transcript

Jarrod Dyke: Happy New Year, everyone. It is the Fancy Ruby Yanks. My name is Jared Dyke.

Grumpy Old Prop: I'm Ben Glauser. Do you want to do that again?

Jarrod Dyke: Woo -hoo -hoo. No, I don't. That was great. I got it out. I got it out.

Grumpy Old Prop: All right.

Jarrod Dyke: I got it out. I was out of practice, especially since I changed the wording, but that's okay.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's all right.

Jarrod Dyke: But just the same. Happy 2025, everyone. Welcome in. We missed you all. I am going to practice beautiful beverage that I found from my home state.

Grumpy Old Prop: Ooh. It even has the humane bear on it somewhat.

Jarrod Dyke: It's, I mean, it's, or no brewing. So, so, Oh, you had some left hand.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, there you go. I'm having this this left -hand brewery, that peanut butter milk stout.

Jarrod Dyke: That's right.

Grumpy Old Prop: If you have the option to get one of these, I highly recommend it. It's it's such delicious.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. This is literally just called let's go black bears. They did not get there.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's literally like a beer that's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Jarrod Dyke: That's interesting.

Grumpy Old Prop: Cause it's almost like chocolatey.

Jarrod Dyke: See, like,

Grumpy Old Prop: And then all of a sudden you get the little bit of the peanut butter and then it goes back to like chocolate stout.

Jarrod Dyke: okay. See, ah one thing I find weird, a weird flavor is the peanut butter because like, have you this have you had the screwball, the whiskey?

Grumpy Old Prop: No, no, I yeah, I don't know that I'd do it in whiskey form, but a beer.

Jarrod Dyke: Not for me.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, not not my cup of tea, for sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: I like, I like honey whiskey. I like that a little too much.

Jarrod Dyke: I do too. I do too. Yeah, no, it's meh, meh, meh, meh.

Grumpy Old Prop: too

Jarrod Dyke: Anyway. um Make sure that you buy our good friend George the Fantasy, where we keep a coffee or beer, especially with Six Nations around the corner.

Grumpy Old Prop: He's gonna yeah, he is super busy I don't know if you saw his thread on on the social medias, but uh, holy crap he's all the stuff that he's he's working on is a hefty

Jarrod Dyke: That man is gonna be extremely busy.

Jarrod Dyke: I did.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah. So support that man by him, by that man of coffee.

Grumpy Old Prop: And, and for buying him a coffee, he he said something about buying a coffee members. There's like access to something interesting coming once the, uh, the official's fantasy six nations game is up.

Jarrod Dyke: That's right.

Grumpy Old Prop: So buy him a coffee, become a member of the, of the buy me a coffee site and her club and he'll, uh, he'll hook you up with some funness.

Jarrod Dyke: Sweet.

Jarrod Dyke: Buying a coffee club and.

Jarrod Dyke: i Yeah, and that's a good enough reason for me. I mean, him being him is a good enough reason for me, but you know.

Grumpy Old Prop: and Exactly.

Jarrod Dyke: um Okay, there is no discrimination here on this podcast, nor should there be in sports or in life. you' You've picked something else for us special, what do we got?

Grumpy Old Prop: I have, so um once again, we see like just now come and see the violence inherent in the system. It feels so silly to say, both but but that's what we have.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: um And it's just kind of, again, across the board with our criminal justice system, where um we saw a video of an inmate at New York, I think Penitentiary, who,

Grumpy Old Prop: um was beaten to death by guards. He was like handcuffed and in the ah medical um center. And like the guards just beat beat him to death.

Grumpy Old Prop: And like the medical staff just kind of sat and watched.

Jarrod Dyke: Sounds like a great idea.

Grumpy Old Prop: They didn't intervene or do anything about it. And um like I realized that inmates have wronged society, but Their punishment is their loss of freedom not that they deserve to be beaten to death while you know and Basically incapacitated like can't fight back by guards.

Jarrod Dyke: Yes.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's not That's not freedom.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, there's a difference.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's not well, you know, if we're supposed to be this You know a great country this is not how you treat people and um

Grumpy Old Prop: we just as a society year like are just downright mean to people. And of course, obviously it's... it's for Jared and I being white, it's not us.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's the, it's, you know, anyone who's not white, you freema at this point, anyone who's not male, and like, you're just, you could be violently assaulted by agents of the state pretty much at any moment.

Jarrod Dyke: People of color and anybody marginalized. Yep. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: um And yeah, it's worse if you're in the criminal justice system, but, or you have the attention of say police.

Jarrod Dyke: Them. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: And that's not not the way, You know, that's not the way a healthy society operates. And if nothing else, I would, i like, I'm trying to appeal to people, at least their sense of, you know, humanity, which kind of falls a lot on deaf ears in this country.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: But at the very least, don't you want to live in like a decent society that doesn't just kill people at will from, but again, by agents of the state? Like, that's not right.

Jarrod Dyke: would be nice. be nice.

Grumpy Old Prop: And the worst the thing is, it protects us.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like, yeah, right now, there's because ah you know one thing that growing up that was obviously ah ah um something that was drilled into me, even outside of my Jewish community was the the poem about, you know first they came for the communists and I was not a communist, so I didn't speak up.

Grumpy Old Prop: Then they came for the trade union unionists, but I was not a trade unionist, so I didn't speak up. And like at the end, it's then they came for me and there's nobody to speak for me. And it's like, you let this hat, like You know, bringing this back to rugby, we talk a lot about the standard you walk past as the standard you set as coaches.

Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, if you, if you're okay with this, that means you're okay with it happening to you. And personally, I'm not okay with it happening to me or or anyone I love.

Jarrod Dyke: No, no, nope.

Grumpy Old Prop: So um I'm not okay with it happening to anyone.

Grumpy Old Prop: But we yeah, so so that on top of a couple additional police murders, um not to mention the looming Islamophobia we're about to go through yet again, that's gonna be so much fun.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, I see that coming too. Yeah, I do too.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah, like we just need to fucking move past this, but the next four years are gonna be, unfortunately this segment will not be stopping anytime soon.

Jarrod Dyke: No, I don't see that happening.

Jarrod Dyke: I do not. Anyhow.

Grumpy Old Prop: anyho

Jarrod Dyke: Not to dismiss that, but let's, uh, we'll get off that for for a little bit.

Grumpy Old Prop: Anywho Yeah, that's true.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, yeah we'll give it another week till we get back there.

Grumpy Old Prop: Let's go to more Let's do less gloomy things like Saracen's performance this weekend. Oh, were not I know we're not we're not there yet.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, wait a minute.

Grumpy Old Prop: Anyway, but

Jarrod Dyke: No, we're not. Uh, so before we get there, uh, don't forget to grab our Patreon. We have had. Um, some content going on there and I got one more thing that's going to go down there for those of you that are looking, cause I think you are seats off this week.

Jarrod Dyke: So, um, those, those of you looking forward to shaping it's got, but I do have something that'll be for you also though that'll come.

Grumpy Old Prop: I believe so.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, but yeah, go ahead and hit that pretty little subscribe button. Even if you don't want the content, we appreciate your support anyway.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes we do, that we do.

Jarrod Dyke: OK, so we did some years. We end up doing Festivus and end of year and one because we know we're not going to get a pod in between. Festivus time and end of year, so this year we happen to be able to split it up, which is great, because it's not going to be this, you know, three hour long beast.

Jarrod Dyke: The last one was pretty long, too.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah, it was.

Jarrod Dyke: But we're going to we are here with for end of year stuff, which usually for us means um 15 of the year, rookie of the year, director of rugby of the year, and then a top five rugby moments for us. um Where shall we start?

Grumpy Old Prop: um So I, I mean, I have my list is that I did the 15 Coach player rookie and then the top five, but i'm willing to go in any any order you want to go with that So interesting tidbit my player of the year is not in my 15 of the year No So that's why I have i like I don't know if you did a separate player of the year but but mine um

Jarrod Dyke: That's no, that's a good one for me. So let's go right to it. So 15 of the year for us. And, um, if I can manage to i'll maybe put out a combined 15 between better and myself.

Jarrod Dyke: No. Okay. Okay. Okay. Um, uh, that's no, I did, I did do a player of the year, but, um,

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: It's in the team. It's in the team. Um, anyway, so let's kick it off. Lu said, you know, I had him on my radar, but I didn't go with him.

Grumpy Old Prop: ah Angus Bell, dude.

Grumpy Old Prop: He's, he's just, he's transitioned from like, I mean, obviously we, we talked about it earlier where, ah um, remember we remember his like first match where it went to, um, Tupo just beasted him and and got him a card, um, and his debut in super rugby.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm.

Grumpy Old Prop: And um it's been like his progression since then. And that was not that long ago. um I mean, he was like 20 at the time. So, you know, not, there's no criticism of him here.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm. No.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's just that like, it was one of those, okay, you know, he's learning now. Let's see what he does with it. And man, he's, he's, he was amazing in the internationals.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, oh he had a great he had a great autumn, especially big time.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And he had a great super rugby season, but um certainly once, once the internationals hit, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Big time. So I went a little bit of a Homer pick. Hope Rogers.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'd say that's an excellent pick.

Jarrod Dyke: she's, and we've we've talked ad nauseam about how and but certainly I have about how impressed I am with Hope's growth over her time and how initially when she burst onto the scene with the Eagles, we were not impressed because she just wasn't playing fit.

Grumpy Old Prop: She's been amazing.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And now not only she fit, she is hands down the best loose head on the team. And she's usually one of the best loose heads in the world bar none.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right, right.

Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, and her obviously your club season is going wonderfully now and was pretty good last year as well.

Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.

Jarrod Dyke: So roll that all into one.

Grumpy Old Prop: that She scored like six tries this year, right Yeah, well done um hooker this took me a while and um And my mind goes for kind of a

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, she hasn't played that many games either. She's played three games, maybe four. So cheers to you, Hope. Well done, well done Gal. Fuck.

Jarrod Dyke: I had to think about this and then i I had an idea and I was like, wait a minute, this actually makes sense. So I'll let you go first, though.

Grumpy Old Prop: career appreciation It's a hooker who I believe he's retiring now finally at like 70 but He's been an international for forever.

Grumpy Old Prop: Here's the here's the fun thing that I learned from watching squidges end of year um So when he went when Gus Creevy got a turnover against Wallace a TT in In their match against New Zealand in the Argentina match against New Zealand

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: he played against Satiti's dad in his debut.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh wow.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like, what the fuck? um And really just to go out like that, you you know as like you know, he's not 70, he's 39.

Jarrod Dyke: Old man.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's still fucking might as well be. That's that's ridiculous age.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's, that's old and rugby. That's for sure. Especially international rugby.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I can confirm. um Well, not for the international, but it'll just hold and rugby, yes.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So just well done, Gus Creevy, on your, what what an amazing career and what a way to cap it off at the end with, you know, playing to go out like that.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. So I went, there are two players actually from this team um or two teammates. So then I won't say which teammates they are that I ended up getting in my team, but, um, I have, uh, Niamh Jones from, um,

Grumpy Old Prop: She was on, yes, I had her.

Jarrod Dyke: from Gloucester and Ireland. She was a part of the Irish win against the Black Ferns.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yup.

Jarrod Dyke: And obviously she's been doing a dynamite job for Gloucester Heartbreak on top of that. So um with Gloucester Heartbreak being at the top, I had to, number one, I had to at least get one of them in there. I gave an honorable mention to another one, but um yeah, this was this was an easy pick.

Jarrod Dyke: but Once I looked at it real hard and I said, you know what? This is the obvious choice though. So yeah, Ms.

Grumpy Old Prop: No, yeah. She was my pick until I, she was my pick until Gus popped in there and I'm like, I gotta go Gus.

Jarrod Dyke: Jones,

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's fair. It's not wrong.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay, um three.

Grumpy Old Prop: No, neither. I wonder if we have the same guy here. Um, I don't know why I think that, but I'm just wondering, it's a hunch. Um, but I went with.

Jarrod Dyke: Does he play for South Africa?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.

Jarrod Dyke: Does he play for Bath?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep, du toi.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah. ye

Jarrod Dyke: That wasn't, I don't think that's hard. I think he's one of the more popular players right now in terms of analysts, coaches, everybody loves him. He plays both sides of the scrum at international level, which is not a cakewalk.

Grumpy Old Prop: No.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, and he's a terrific player for his club as well. Like he made immediate impact coming into bath last year.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: We, I think he was in both of our premier 15 teams of the year for the end of the last year.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: So, uh, last season. So yeah, big time, big time, big time.

Grumpy Old Prop: There we go.

Jarrod Dyke: We might have this, we might, we might have one of the same second rows.

Grumpy Old Prop: I agree too. Does he play for South Africa?

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Is he ridiculously tall and and angry and annoying sometimes?

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. His name is Ebonette.

Grumpy Old Prop: ah but Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. He's one of mine. He's one of my second rowers.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, he's he's one of mine as well um for obvious reasons.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: I think he was the best like overall rugby player this year.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: so

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. And, uh, next to him, I, I have actually, planted the um men's rugby player of the year, PSDT, as a second, because he did play there a little bit this year, and I wanted to finagle someone else into the team, and I was like, you know what, this is actually okay, so I'm gonna do that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay You did That's not bad, um, my my five is abby ward Who has yeah for so many reasons, um For running off the field coming back from having a baby just being ridiculous on the pit like just what a beast she has been um this year so

Jarrod Dyke: For a lot of reasons. Yeah, on and off the field.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's well done to her. And obviously, she she helped lead Brizzle almost all the way. um But that she has them competitive. You know, she's one of the driving forces behind them doing a lot of of unseen work, but then also the scene work like that's again, that's why it's about is on that list for me, because like there's a lot of, the um you know, the dirty grimy stuff that he and and Abby do.

Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: But then they're also doing the the glory stuff and and playing well on the loose. So got to love them.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah. All right. So back row.

Grumpy Old Prop: I have three eights, but they've all played in the position where I've played, where I'm putting them here. So that's why I'm dealing with that.

Jarrod Dyke: I have, I have, yeah, I have three people that have all played their the position that they're, that they're at.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: So I think it's legit.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. So my, my six is Wallace. satitti Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: ah He's my seven. So that's fair.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, just what a, what a breakout performance from him.

Jarrod Dyke: great, great year, can't say enough, you know, people are yeah obviously it's, it's natural for us to wonder who's going to take Artie Savannah's place, who's going to play take the guy that's currently got the helms place.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right He has a shortcomings no doubt, but like it's something where he could grow into But Wallace a TT has just put his hand up be like, you know what rather might grow into it when I can just do it He was Yeah

Jarrod Dyke: And we're all thinking, you know, obviously, to to to would have been a perfectly able and capable replacement, but and, you know, I'm yeah, and but obviously, to tt has answered that bell.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I mean, and he was thrown into the fire too. and he And he thrived so well. I was like, okay, this dude's legit. All right. Look out world hang on to you and then even like, an honorable mention in terms of guys that just were thrown into the fire luck high.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: When he was playing when they were playing France, I was like, Yeah, all right, this dude can play.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: um But my six is a Opie wafer from Ireland as well.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then who's so who's your staff? Who's your sex? Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Excellent. Excellent choice.

Jarrod Dyke: a wonderful Six Nations for her. And obviously ah she was the talisman against the Blackburns in that historic win for Ireland and WXV.

Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.

Jarrod Dyke: So, and she has definitely made everyone realize that there's some good back rowers in Ireland for the women too.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, there are quite a few.

Jarrod Dyke: And she's, she is one of them and, um, she's going to be scary. So look out for anybody in the six nations, um, duck and cover. She's going to come for your head.

Grumpy Old Prop: So my my seven, you mentioned him, it was Artie Sevilla, because he has to be in in your 15 of the year, the way he played this year, and um he's played at seven.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So I said, you know what, I'm spotting him there because I have someone who's a pure eight coming up.

Jarrod Dyke: I do too. I have a puree. Homer Pick.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah yeah he's been amazing he's been ah fantastic for saris and i don't know what he's got to do to i don't like yeah seriously like what you need to see curry more are you serious like or even under hill like i like under hill don't get me wrong but why did you pick someone who can only do one thing

Jarrod Dyke: But he played really fucking well. And I really wanted him to wear a white shirt more often than he did. But Tom Willis.

Jarrod Dyke: is He's been dynamite for the Saracens. Not have Barthwick be the coach, honestly.

Jarrod Dyke: I'm here can't play it can't play though.

Grumpy Old Prop: um over someone like the Willis who can do anything he really wants to on the pitch um and help in any phase of the game.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So yeah, that's it that's a great call. My pick is um International Former Player of the Year and PWR Champion ah Zoe Aldcroft from Gloucester Harbor.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, good pick. Good pick. Also a good pick.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, she's good.

Grumpy Old Prop: She's okay, She can.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. I like Aldercroft so much in the fact that while I think it's probably her best position, she can slide around the scramble a little bit. She can go into the second row. She can go over to six and still do just as good of a job as she does at playing number eight.

Jarrod Dyke: I think you'd be silly to pick at her and not at number eight otherwise.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right, right, but.

Jarrod Dyke: But still, yeah, so good. So, so good. So very good. Um, nine.

Grumpy Old Prop: Look, this is under, this is a very, not very well -known player. um He came from sevens, oddly enough.

Jarrod Dyke: Uh, might've been the reason that I picked them.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, seriously, the what what didn't the guy do? um And and well we'll we'll talk about him in the top five moments later, but Anton DuPont, what what a fucking year he had.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. I'm not sure the guy's done much.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, Audible mentioned him a hunt in the way, the job she's done for Gloucester Harbor and England.

Grumpy Old Prop: Indeed. Indeed.

Jarrod Dyke: But yeah, DuPont, for sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: um See, 10, I was like trying to sort out who in the world has had a really good year for 10s and it I couldn't land on anybody that was great for both club and country or played a lot for both club and country. And then I landed on Zoe Harrison.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's a good one. I consider her.

Jarrod Dyke: but And that that that is true for her in spades always, almost always, but especially, you know, she came back this year um from WXV and, you know, made it a point like, yeah, I'm still the 10 guys.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: like

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: stop messing around with anything else. I'm, I'm still the 10. Um, and then last year, we're certain this year didn't end well last year, but she was still the most, without a doubt, one of the most consistent, if not one of the best, um, players on that team hands down the whole way through.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, Zoe Harrison's my 10.

Grumpy Old Prop: So my 10 was severely limited by his international coach. Just showed up amazingly when he was when he was able to play.

Jarrod Dyke: Sometimes they are.

Grumpy Old Prop: um A lot of times he in matches he started that England lost. um They were leading when they pulled him. Um, and a couple of big ones. Um, and obviously the guy is a terror at in the prem. Um, so my 10 this year is Marcus Smith.

Jarrod Dyke: marcu yeah and ah yeah you're You're right, he he was limited, but that's also what made me turn um turn off just a little bit from it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'm not going to punish him for that.

Jarrod Dyke: like

Grumpy Old Prop: I'm going to, I'm going to.

Jarrod Dyke: no

Grumpy Old Prop: to go with what the the the performance he put on the field and the position he put his team in, um given the limitations of of the ah system in which he's allowed to, he did hit that drop goal.

Jarrod Dyke: Did hit that drop against Ireland to win it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, he he had some some serious balls he plays, so um I think he's earned it. It also comes down to who else would it be? Like New Zealand doesn't really have a 10 right now. Andre Pollard's oak like okay, but

Jarrod Dyke: He didn't he didn't do a ton like they were messing around with Libach and, um, uh, fine bringing them Zulu.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: So it's like, it was. Yeah, it's not really fair to give Pollard that for his entire...

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, granted, you could give it to him for his Tigers play, because he played very well, even though the Tigers were terrible last year, last year and they're better this year.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: um Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then Ireland have been rotating their 10s. France have been rotating their 10s. Well, I mean, Intimac was hurt. So like, There was a lot there.

Jarrod Dyke: And they're toward Argentina, it was awful, so...

Grumpy Old Prop: He just wasn't available for. So it's like, right. So it's, it's it.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, hard to say that. but

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. It's hard to find a better, you know, a better option there for, as you said, club and country, because, um, shit, who was it for, uh, Argentina who had a really good autumn, but like that was, uh, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I'll burn us. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: And, but that's, that was it so far. Like, okay, you have my attention, but the, you know, for the full year.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, decent, a decent rugby championship as well. But I mean, he plays, plays for Benson right now.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: So it's like, ah yeah, nope.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah. I started in this week, so in URC.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Anywho.

Jarrod Dyke: Ouch. We're gonna go midfield.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay. Well, um I'll break the spoiler. Mine's Geordi, 12.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.

Jarrod Dyke: Really made things happen for the Hurricanes and got them in a decent position for the further Super Rugby.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: He has performed well since he's moved to Leinster and um in terms of the all black shirt like. there was probably one game where I think he was questioned, but then he proved it otherwise and said, no, no, no, this, you're not moving, removing me.

Jarrod Dyke: Don't do that. That's a terrible idea. So, um, yeah. And obviously I have a little favoritism towards him because he's my dude.

Grumpy Old Prop: Sure.

Jarrod Dyke: So, um, yeah, I'm going Jordy.

Grumpy Old Prop: All right. Do your 13 now.

Jarrod Dyke: Uh, I bumped him in from where he usually plays ah my 13th Freeman.

Grumpy Old Prop: That, that good choice.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. He's proven he can play there. but you do a better job than certain other 13 that wears white. um Yeah, I like him a lot.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: He, you know, he's, didn't he start at full back too at one point, like in this whole process of him getting into a white shirt.

Grumpy Old Prop: He's been yeah, he's been freaking everywhere No,

Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, versatile player, but um I like him. I don't mind him at 13 at all. He's obviously got the size for it.

Grumpy Old Prop: yep, I

Jarrod Dyke: That helps. um It's not everything, but it helps.

Grumpy Old Prop: Mean Lawrence and him it that would be Yeah with with Marcus like that and then Finn coming up stop, but we have Bortho so we don't get those fun things So I can sum up my 12 and 13 of the year with one word

Jarrod Dyke: And that'd be fun.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Let's say we're not going to get that because we're and we're not going to get them to attack anyway. They're just going to kick the leather off the ball.

Grumpy Old Prop: Huey Palatu is,

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, good one.

Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, both of them have just been putting their mark down and saying, you know what, I'm the best, you know, one of the best of my positions right now playing. And it's hard to argue with either of them because they both do so many things.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I like it. I like a lot of what Cioni's doing especially.

Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, this certainly him um at that 12 Jersey, just punching holes, dealing out the bat, like he he can do all the things that we used to

Jarrod Dyke: I really do.

Grumpy Old Prop: um When we got the Chances the Esther Hays in the lot to plot who is playing like him but at an international level which is not easy to do and then there's Hugh Jones who is like, the you know, it's thunder and lightning with those two and so it's like you you you have to put the bodies onto Cione and then that means who has a ah one -on -one and he's winning those and

Jarrod Dyke: It is. It is. Yep. Agreed.

Jarrod Dyke: And he can win that. He can win that all day.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And not many 13s are doing that.

Jarrod Dyke: For sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: So it's not, it's not, you know, it's as a, you know, he's just showing, I thought ahead of of other 13s.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Jarrod Dyke: It's not, it's not wrong. It's not wrong. Certainly in terms of out and out 13s.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I'd say he's definitely right there as the 1A1B type of person right now.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: All right, back three. I can guess at least one of yours.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'm sure you can. Um, so my 11 is two people.

Jarrod Dyke: It's just a matter of where you put them.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, that's cause they're, they're, they're splitting it, um, mostly because they're basically splitting it at their, um, international level as it is. They are both basically going back and forth saying, I'm going to take the try scoring record.

Grumpy Old Prop: No, no, no, I'm going to take the test scoring record.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, oh, London Mervyn and Graham.

Grumpy Old Prop: and royal penis.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Oh no, it's Darcy Graham, sorry.

Jarrod Dyke: No, yeah, it's Graham. It's great.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah I just wanted to say royal penis, dammit.

Jarrod Dyke: he say i know I know you meant that's fine.

Grumpy Old Prop: um yeah but so No, not Kinghorn, Darcy Graham.

Jarrod Dyke: ah by Listen, that's okay. It's okay. Yeah, Graham and Johan.

Grumpy Old Prop: Darcy, the other royal penis, correct.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah. He has his own girl penis that he can, that he can show off.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah

Jarrod Dyke: ah

Jarrod Dyke: ah um Yeah. So my 11th till then we'll play it the year right now. um I only did that because the, the guy, the guy I picked a full bite just doesn't fit at 11.

Jarrod Dyke: I know 15th her spot, but she certainly thrived anywhere in the back three.

Grumpy Old Prop: Interesting. and Yeah, now I'm intrigued to see where you you have 15.

Jarrod Dyke: So I'm not gonna.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: My 14 is Tommy Freeman though.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay, so we got so we got him in there.

Grumpy Old Prop: So we we win we went over that.

Jarrod Dyke: We've gone there. um fourteen My 14th Colbay.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, not a bad pick. He's all

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, especially the way, and we're gonna get more into South Africa in a little bit, um the way they have just found a way to turn through the gears and now there're and they're attacking and obviously they have these wonderful attacking weapons with the likes of him.

Jarrod Dyke: He is now thriving in a spring box jersey every time he touches the ball.

Grumpy Old Prop: No, wait, time out a second. I you just just yeah caught my attention there with, we're gonna have more South Africa in a second. You motherfucker, did you did you pick Willy LaRue?

Jarrod Dyke: We will.

Jarrod Dyke: No, not that one. ah That guy.

Grumpy Old Prop: ah

Jarrod Dyke: I did my I did my duty by being nice to him a couple of weeks ago.

Grumpy Old Prop: ah okay Okay, all right, that was just concern there.

Jarrod Dyke: No, no, no.

Grumpy Old Prop: We can move, okay. keep keep Continue keeping praise on Cheslyn Colby as he deserves.

Jarrod Dyke: No. Yeah. but Yeah. I mean, hot stepper. What else? you get What else are you going to say?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, exactly. He's amazing.

Jarrod Dyke: um and I actually i just started reading Khaleesi's book and he was talking about him and that, too. I was like, this is fun to listen to. So, yep. Call Bay wins.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And my 15 is obviously Ellie Kildon, who play of the year just crushes it wherever she, whenever, wherever she plays.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay, I'm not shocked there.

Grumpy Old Prop: And um you can, you can account for her all you want. She's going to tear you up anyway.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, ah barring the miserable trip down to Argentina for France, um Ramos has had a wonderful year for both club and country. like you know Is there anybody you trust with the team more?

Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, he's got the T too, like, like he's, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I don't think so. So, yeah, exactly. So it's, it's, I mean, he's, I think he was at 10 for just for the autumn, just because they had guys banged up, obviously, and Temac was not completely available.

Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, it's lots of 10, but why? I don't get, I never, I didn't really get that. Um, other than he has the T, but Intimac was hurt.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, they didn't have a ah wonderful automation, excuse me, Six Nations either, but he's still been one of the most consistent players.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: And then for Toulouse, he's always like that guy.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: It's like, You can count on one hand how many times he's missed big games for it to lose and done or done poorly for it to lose in big games.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, true.

Jarrod Dyke: So yeah, Thomas Ramos.

Jarrod Dyke: ah Which form are we gonna go with? Player of the year?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's all ah let's do player there. Yeah, we'll stick with that.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay.

Grumpy Old Prop: um So as I said, my, my player of the year, actually, no, do yours first. You said you, you had your player of the year in your 15. So.

Jarrod Dyke: i'm I'm running a wrong, it's at the Beth, it's Evan.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay. yeah ah And my, my player of the year, um, is Loonamar.

Jarrod Dyke: I'm running a wrong here, it's at the Beth. It should have been the whole fucking way it's at the Beth, so he's mine at least.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, nice, okay, well that makes sense for a lot of reasons otherwise, okay. Now I understand why your play of the year was not in your 15, because she hasn't touched the field for 15s in a little while, but she will soon.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes. Um, not, not yet. I mean, yeah, I was considering throwing, in throwing her in at like 12, but then I'm like, hasn't done that yet.

Jarrod Dyke: ah

Grumpy Old Prop: I know she's either a center or a wing, but either way, um, this, cause this goes honestly beyond the game itself.

Jarrod Dyke: Yes. Uh -huh.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, just as we've talked about, like, you know, immediately, um, you know, like,

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Totally agree.

Grumpy Old Prop: the impact she's had on people, as on human beings. And as we've said, like, there's millions of rugby fans around the world who know Anton DuPont, Evid at Sibeth, all these stars.

Grumpy Old Prop: um There's also millions of people around the world who have no idea who any of them are.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. There's many millions that know who Alana is.

Grumpy Old Prop: and though what But those people know who Alodomar is.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm. Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: and right like she signed with Bristol and immediately the first game where she's eligible to play it's not even that this is her first match they didn't come out and say she's going to play they said she's just eligible to play on January 5th and immediately they sell so many goddamn tickets that they have to move it to Ashton gate and they may sell out Ashton gate like

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. For a lot of reasons they know who she is, but yes.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm. The gate. And that's that's a a lot of tickets sold out there.

Jarrod Dyke: Sold there, so.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's yeah, it's this is like It's beyond just rugby. This is what this is something rugby needed and I Heard you if you haven't watched squidges and this is you know, not just for for you Jared, which you still should um Even if you don't watch the rest of the video Watch at least the top two for ah from his video this this past year for the two is DuPont and and his whole thing Which we'll get to in a little bit um But Number one, his number one was, was Alona Mars spoiler alert.

Grumpy Old Prop: And just going through all of it, that, that this, how this affects the game. And this is something we've been waiting for. And especially that it's America and the U S really needs to be brought into the, the rugby world and that this could connect that us to it finally and get people interested in and and involved.

Jarrod Dyke: and stop giving air to mouth breathers as well, please.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Right. And the bot and also the, the, um, the body positivity.

Jarrod Dyke: Yes.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like, we need that. And, and especially, you know, women and women athletes need that. That's one thing that kind of started when I was around high school, like it was still um like we had this one field hockey player who I was fucking infatuated with.

Grumpy Old Prop: But she had like, just broad shoulders and she was ah she had fucking like the chisel jaw and I was just like,

Jarrod Dyke: No. ah

Grumpy Old Prop: One time we actually played field hockey at one point as like a PE class in like eighth grade. And she was already a star. And like, somehow, I got matched up with her in an open field. And I'm like, and so put it this way, I'm, you know, I'm an offensive lineman for the football team. And I'm like, I want nothing to do. Like, I like turned and like, like was ready to charge at me. And I'm like, I know, no, so thank you, but also kind of yes, please. um And it's like, we but we need to make that, you know,

Grumpy Old Prop: um You know, we need to be more positive. Like, yeah. So women can be big too. Women can be jacked. Like that's nothing wrong. Nothing wrong with that. Um, so, and we gotta, to you know, make it more, you know, the, there's a stigma around it for some reason and I don't get it. Um, but, uh,

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but again, I'm very comfortable with my own sexuality. So it doesn't make me like, wait, am I, have does this make me kind of get, no, cause it's not, ah she's a girl dumbass.

Jarrod Dyke: No, jerks.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's okay.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and either way it's okay. Like if the answer is yes, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with that either. Like, why do you, why do you make me so there's a whole bunch of issues that, you know,

Jarrod Dyke: nothing Nothing at all.

Jarrod Dyke: Why are we gonna make it about that?

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. That, and again, I'm sorry, I'm going back into the, the no discrimination thing, but at the same time, like this is the, the, the, what we need for certainly women's athletes in general, uh, but also men, like, you know, not every, not every prop can look like fucking max LaHeeffe, you know, like, yeah, again, she's in good shape.

Jarrod Dyke: No, no. Who else is it going to rig for a prop, Genji?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Like not everyone.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, but like every every prop's not going to look like that, and not every prop needs to look like that in order to operate like a high high class prop either, so.

Grumpy Old Prop: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: Exactly. You still have your you can have your Adam Jones's and that's fine. Um, there's a place for you in rugby Yeah, right Not the fittest man, but a fucking legend Yeah, yes Right So yeah, just amazing what she's doing gonna do for rugby.

Jarrod Dyke: I'm joking, this is a legend in a lot of ways.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Absolutely. Like Castor Giovanni. There you go. That's one. That's one for everyone right there. Not the prettiest rig, but definitely a legend in his own right.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, hopefully hidden we're you know, we're all pulling for her because

Jarrod Dyke: Let's say as long as everybody gets the fuck out of their own way.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: Jesus.

Jarrod Dyke: Rookie of the year.

Grumpy Old Prop: So, I'm wondering, I mean, my neither.

Jarrod Dyke: He's not, he's mine's not in my team either, so.

Grumpy Old Prop: um And I did have Walla Satiti who was kind of an our honorable mention for this.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: But my rookie, the year guy who comes the fuck out of nowhere in his first ever professional rugby game against the what would the in the future would be

Jarrod Dyke: Definitely.

Grumpy Old Prop: the, um, that league's champions and puts up a casual hat trick, like no, no big deal. Um, and then just keeps backing it up. And I can't wait to see what this guy's going to do, um, in his second year as a pro.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then when he finally gets the chance to, uh, to play international and he will, um, the junkyard dog, Tim Ryan is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, yeah, that's a good one. I like that one. I like that one a whole lot. Um, I went with Fay Bobo, so obviously he's been capped and all that, but I mean, the year the kid had last year and then capped it off with getting capped by England, both in the six nations and on tour, um,

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yep. Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he was a little bit of a ghost in the autumn, I'll give you that. But you know this is wickki he's still this is still this is now his time to adjust to the to everyone else now.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's this rookie year. Yeah. Right. Because now, ah as as we've said, like people have seen him.

Jarrod Dyke: so

Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's like, okay, we're not going to let you surprise us. We're not going to give you space. What can you do now? And now he's going to have to see if he can rise above that.

Jarrod Dyke: Right. But it certainly made people adjust to him, that's for sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right, but if you do that as a rookie, then you've done well.

Jarrod Dyke: Done okay. Done okay, kid.

Grumpy Old Prop: If you've done okay such that they're like, oh shit, we have to, we we cannot just leave you one -on -one, like that can't happen.

Jarrod Dyke: Don't get penisy.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Right, the problem is that your team is is not helping you to get one -on -one situations.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: So that's really where where things are falling down for him.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Um, coach director, of director of rugby of the year.

Grumpy Old Prop: My coach, and I'm going to butcher her name because it's French, and i so I apologize, I don't know exactly the pronunciation, but sangren,

Grumpy Old Prop: <unk> it aric I see again, I'm fucking it up. um But the too long, um the first woman to be a head coach for a top division professional rugby team.

Jarrod Dyke: Nice. Yeah, that's true. I remember that now. That's a good one. I like that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Cause the act, the, the actual head coach had to take himself out of, he had to sit, I think he, he kind of punished him till he suspended himself for something he did. Cause I think he was a dick to the team and realized they said, Nope, I need to step back for a week.

Grumpy Old Prop: And so she was, and she's the sideline coach.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I will step back for a week. Yes, I remember that now. Yeah, good call. I like it.

Grumpy Old Prop: So she, she got the but coach's armband and, uh, that's just such a, you know, that's. Good that's it's happened now, and she's she obviously she's more than earned it.

Grumpy Old Prop: um but Now it's time to to make it a full time gig for for someone.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, like too long to slouch either.

Grumpy Old Prop: But at the same time, well done to be a trailblazer to break a massive glass ceiling.

Grumpy Old Prop: And, you know, obviously has the respect of the the club and players and so. It can happen. So let's, let's make it happen. Cause fuck. Do we need another Steve diamond? Do we need another Rob Baxter?

Grumpy Old Prop: Like how about we, you know, I'm sure there's better women's head coaches out there than them.

Jarrod Dyke: No, we do not.

Grumpy Old Prop: So make it happen.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I'm, I'm sure of this as well. No, we don't need more of them. No. So I'm gonna shot the crap out of you.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: um Director of rugby of the year for me is Razi.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: like, this is a machine right now.

Grumpy Old Prop: I can see it. It really is.

Jarrod Dyke: And, and you and you brought up the point when you were being when you when you said something nice about him the other day, like, he is getting more bodies into the spring blocks rotation, while also still maintaining quality rugby.

Jarrod Dyke: And they've evolved the rugby to the point where it's like, they're not just gonna, they're gonna beat the crap out of you. But also, they're now gonna just give it to someone like you a Kobe and let him dance in find him find him in space.

Jarrod Dyke: And it's, and And again, it's not just one guy that's playing 10, not just one guy that's playing 12, 13. It's all these different fellows that are just rotating through, you know, um, Hendrickson and Grant Williams have been reappearing in spring box green these days. And they won their first, that was the first time they won the rugby championship for a little bit. Like.

Jarrod Dyke: Fucking the guy annoys the hell out of me, but credit where credit's due.

Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And this team is a nightmare to play against right now.

Grumpy Old Prop: And the thing is, but I think I missed in this that the there to me as ah as a coach watching what South Africa do, there's so there's clearly a ah high level of use of video footage and actually good use of it.

Jarrod Dyke: So I am not going to be looking forward to anybody that has to go play them this year. So have fun.

Grumpy Old Prop: and understanding what the other teams can and can't do, because like, they, the players are drilled to know, okay, this is what to expect at this point from this team. And here's how we, and so it's, that's how they slot anybody in. There's an expectation of, you need to know what to like, we, when we run through these drills, you need to be able to run through them in training and then take them out onto the pitch.

Grumpy Old Prop: and execute your role and only your role, like guys who try to do too much. No, you're not gonna, you're not gonna last long. It's gonna be the guys who just do your job. And when you simplify it like that, but you make it complex, the jobs are complex, but you just do your job where you find yourself.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's why they're just a terror to play against, because they will take away your what you're trying to do, they'll just be like, Okay, this is what we're gonna do, your main attack, this is what we need to stop it.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So what are you going to do?

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: How are you going to scramble?

Jarrod Dyke: You're a move after that.

Grumpy Old Prop: And the thing is, they get a lot of teams then isolating themselves.

Jarrod Dyke: Like.

Grumpy Old Prop: Because they're like, oh, shoot, now we've got to make a pass. We're not really used to making, or we're not comfortable making, or we don't do a lot. And now a guy is isolated. And then we turn him over. And like that's the whole plan is to be like, we're going to shut down option A so that you have to go to option B and maybe option C.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then in option C, we'll just take the ball away from you because you're really not prepared for it.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: And fucking amazing job he's done.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep, it's hard to i'm sorry to deny.

Grumpy Old Prop: The prick.

Jarrod Dyke: It really is hard to deny.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay, moments. This magic moment. All right, um so we'll go five to one.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: I think we should just do all five for one of us and then switch back only because yeah, it tends to get a little messy.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. So which way you want to fuck this pig?

Jarrod Dyke: Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Grumpy Old Prop: All right, I'll go first since you went.

Jarrod Dyke: Okay. Sounds like a winner.

Grumpy Old Prop: Whatever, i think i whatever, I'm going.

Jarrod Dyke: Go for it.

Grumpy Old Prop: My number five is Julian Sevilla setting the world the record for the most super rugby tries.

Jarrod Dyke: No arguments.

Jarrod Dyke: Good one.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Just, a you know, a bit of a shadow of his former self, but this year he actually kind of showed up. He was pretty damn good. um And part of that seemed to be getting that record try.

Grumpy Old Prop: After that, he he kind of it kind of broke a seal for him and he kept scoring.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So.

Jarrod Dyke: Took it away from that dirt bag too.

Grumpy Old Prop: so ah hu Number four, ah the Max Jorgensen try versus England to win at the death.

Jarrod Dyke: oh ah Sorry, England fans.

Grumpy Old Prop: what ah Sorry, what a fucking try that was.

Jarrod Dyke: Sorry, not sorry, England fans, but like, damn. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah. Number three, um Scotland scoring with a clock read to beat France and the Six Nations except fuck you Nick Barry and Brian McNeese.

Jarrod Dyke: Oh my god, the whole thing.

Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck you.

Jarrod Dyke: The whole thing.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's down.

Jarrod Dyke: What a bunch of muppets that fucked that up.

Grumpy Old Prop: The foot's out of the way. There's like, oh, we can't see the ball. Well, there's literally nothing between the ball and that in the ground. Anyway, that because that's not actually number three then. um Actually, number three is, you know, to a Palatu, captaining Scotland, scoring his first try versus his native Australia with his grandmother in the stands, having surprised him before the match.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm. Yeah, that was great Right that was wonderful Yeah came on as a sub and that one too, right?

Grumpy Old Prop: What a fantastic story that was.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Number two, um, was that Anton DuPont, first off of anything, it was his gold medal match. Um, coming on and just, he came on as a sub and just destroyed that match.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah

Grumpy Old Prop: Just was like, this is mine now. I know. And then for all the people who, so obviously he had the doubters of the, Oh, can you go between 15s and sevens? I don't know.

Grumpy Old Prop: Which he just did. He's like, yeah, I'm good at sevens now. Um, it took him like one. Uh, one tournament to be like, Oh, okay.

Jarrod Dyke: One tournament.

Grumpy Old Prop: I kind of see what CUNY was excellent in that tournament. But then he's like, okay, this is this kind of shape. I got to be in. And this is the things I got to do. Awesome. And then he just did it. Um, and then his return to fifteens because, Oh, that's not going to be easy.

Grumpy Old Prop: Well, he scored a fucking hat trick in like nine minutes and and assisted another try. Like, yeah, yeah I think, I think it's, I don't think it's that hard for him.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no problem.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, no.

Jarrod Dyke: It's not hard for him.

Jarrod Dyke: this this whole This whole oval ball thing is pretty easy for DuPont.

Grumpy Old Prop: And the number one.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And, and the number one, and this this was truly just a single moment, about 10 seconds worth of time to to change the which to change the fortunes potentially of the this entire sport and an entire nation um to and and potentially shatter the rugby world.

Jarrod Dyke: Was it that long? It felt like it was longer.

Grumpy Old Prop: in the long -term was Spiff Cedric's ah almost hundred meter dash.

Jarrod Dyke: About or so.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, with, no, she broke the line at like the the five and then she's gone.

Jarrod Dyke: That's true, actually. Yeah, she she she bumped someone there.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. um Yeah. And the ripple effect that that caused with him you know right immediately, but we'll see the long -term ramification, we just won't know.

Grumpy Old Prop: But also that, you know, the immediate $4 billion investment right after that, met like, just all these things are going to build on on themselves.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm.

Grumpy Old Prop: and And, you know, these, these players are going to be heroes for a long time, there's going to be, um you know,

Jarrod Dyke: There'll be poetry we're written about these gals.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of, you know, I i didn't start playing until I saw a spiff run. I saw a loan a, you know, stiff arm some Japanese player into the next week.

Jarrod Dyke: Truck stick someone. Yeah, yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: I saw how any of the the ladies on that team. um But you know that that one run.

Grumpy Old Prop: mattered so much.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: And it's just amazing to sit how it went down. So yeah, that was my number one moment of the I mean, it wasn't I know you both of us were watching at the same time and just like yelling and and everything waking up the babies and whatnot.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: But we weren't alone around the around the country, certainly.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: So big ups to spiff and the team.

Jarrod Dyke: yeah

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. No, no kidding. Um, yeah, sure. It's going to be number one on all of this, I think.

Grumpy Old Prop: she's right

Jarrod Dyke: Uh, all right. So for five for me is a, uh, more of a, while there were many, great moments this year. Obviously the birth of Ben and I's children has been number one, has definitely number one, but not rugby wise.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right Yeah, not not quite rugby related Yeah, I think it's true

Jarrod Dyke: Maybe someday they'll be rugby wise, but that's a different story for a different day. Um, but, uh, so for me personally, otherwise, um, uh, my boys seem won their first playoff game that they, it since I've been, been there and, you know, I don't know what that says about me, but, um, got a quarterfinal win and got to a semifinal and and the boys,

Jarrod Dyke: Our boys aren't very big in terms of size. So the fact that we were able to do what we did and did in the manner we did, I was actually watching game tape from this past season and last week. Cause I was just looking at a few things and i'm I'm continuously blown away by the way the boys played and and especially in in that game. And then one of the best games I played in a long time was in a loss to a much better team, but we went toe to toe with them and lost at at the death. Uh,

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, incredibly proud of those guys. And um yeah, the last time he made the playoffs was my second year of being head coach. And we got thumped in the and that in that particular game.

Jarrod Dyke: So getting ah getting their first one was well deserved. And that was ah it was a fun moment for me and and the coaches that but were on the staff with me. So had to put that in there.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's a pretty good moment.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: There's nothing wrong with that.

Jarrod Dyke: um

Grumpy Old Prop: And because it's great. One of the things I try to tell the kids that I coach is like I do this for the like, not the coaching, but I played for the experiences and like those kids got that experience of being, you know, first Brookline kids to to win a playoff game, not just for you, but for you know, for the program for a little while.

Jarrod Dyke: for a little while. It had been since since I got there, even like even before I was the assistant, we hadn't won a playoff game.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: but So yeah, it's been a bit.

Grumpy Old Prop: So it's been a spell and that's like ah that's a big thing for them to build for them not having seen it before. It's huge and that's gonna be an experience and they're, it's gonna, ah another ripple effect, so.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I can only hope. Number four. Mr. Horst like himself, Kieran Frawley drop goal versus South Africa to win it.

Grumpy Old Prop: That was, that was okay.

Jarrod Dyke: And especially after missing the one he missed in champions cup and just to have the, have the ice in his veins, just brush that off. Cause obviously that can live with you forever. And it probably still did in his mind, but he just, he ignored it and was able to just know he wouldn't hit it from way beyond where he had it from too.

Grumpy Old Prop: Uh, a little bit, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: So yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: He had room to spare.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Karen for Ali dropping against South Africa. Just me or look out. Uh, that was, yeah, it was fucking awesome. Um, yeah, in South Africa is no joke, by the way.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, Number three, uh, near and dear to my heart, TJ's last all blacks game and just the moments afterwards, watching him and and the appreciation he he had and that people had for the contributions he's given to the game, to the all blacks and, um, he's playing in Japan now and black Ram, but.

Grumpy Old Prop: Hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he is. And again, he's he's probably going to be one of my favorite all -time nines. Obviously, I'm very biased towards that because I'm a Hurricanes fan and he spent 99 % of his club career with the Hurricanes.

Jarrod Dyke: um i'm Yeah, I'm going to miss that guy. And he's ah he's a wee bit of a chipper, but the the guy did it in good fun.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, yeah Right, maybe they need to find a new haka lead because it's not it's not the same with it I mean, it has it's never been the same without him when as long as he's been Available for the all -blacks.

Jarrod Dyke: And ain't nobody that leaves a hocko quite like TJ. so

Grumpy Old Prop: It's one of those like if he wasn't playing and they had someone else like a guest star And it was ah it was never never as good as him. So it's getting you know, maybe some of that is they didn't do it enough but at the same time they need someone who brings that the personality and the the The essence of it, the way he did, who really like, yeah, who, who was like feeling it the whole time, not just doing it.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, certainly some intangibles in there for that guy. Mm hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: They need that again.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, always and always spoke um in native tongue as well at the end of um hurricanes games when he was talking.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: So and in any of the all blacks games that he was interviewed in as well. So, yeah, class act.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: And despite the fact that he was a complete ticket hit on the field, sometimes um he will be.

Grumpy Old Prop: He's just, he's denying that's his job.

Jarrod Dyke: yeah He'll be missed to be missed.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's literally his job. so

Jarrod Dyke: Um, number two was LeRumelan's try in the corner, in the final for the free jacks to give us a, help you give us back to back W's for, uh, MR championship.

Jarrod Dyke: And yeah, it was, that was not as fun as his winner the year before, but still that was, that was some skill, just the same.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Well.

Grumpy Old Prop: What a, what a 12 months he had.

Jarrod Dyke: I know, right. Broke his leg. won the one M .L .R. Championship on his score, broke his leg in the World Cup against the All Blacks, came back to and won another M .L .R.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: They won. They won his court.

Jarrod Dyke: Championship and scored again.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Like those are the only two tries that that he he had scored for the Freejacks as well, by the way.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. I know.

Jarrod Dyke: So, ah yeah, I mean, if there's a time to do it, thats that is the fucking time to do it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Fine. Good.

Jarrod Dyke: Well done, sir. And I don't know if we can go over number one more, honestly, like, I mean, we could, it's, best it's, it's metric.

Grumpy Old Prop: What is it yeah ah what could it?

Jarrod Dyke: It's metric. It's nobody else.

Grumpy Old Prop: What could it possibly be?

Jarrod Dyke: Like people are just like, it's bronze. I'm like, you have no idea what a metal. in this sport means to this, you know, the United States rugby as a whole, like, yes, they were technically the defending champs from the, when the sport was brought back in, but that was 15s and that was like in the 1920s.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Nobody fucking remembers that shit.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Nobody cares. It's, it's, uh, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Also that, but also that, and it's, yeah, and i I had the feels just watching her and then obviously watch it, like, I love Sammy Sullivan on the sideline.

Jarrod Dyke: Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, but but it's not over. It's not over. It's not over.

Jarrod Dyke: but

Grumpy Old Prop: It's like, it both, everything, everything.

Jarrod Dyke: I was like, Sammy, are you telling everyone else that? Are you telling you yourself that? Like, definitely a little bit of both.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's like, calm down. and can read to yeah And then she had to leave to go get married.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Great character, by the way. I love her. God damn it. Um, fair enough though. You know, whatever that happens, sir but she, so yeah, love the whole, the whole thing that happened afterwards.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. but

Jarrod Dyke: And obviously hometown here, Christy Kerr, she got

Grumpy Old Prop: Yes. yes

Jarrod Dyke: herself a medal as well. And she actually got to like have some awesome thing at the Boston Celtics the other night too. She was, ah she was all about that.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's cool. That's real cool.

Jarrod Dyke: She was all about that for sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, that's, but that's what winning ah a medal, even a bronze does. It's, it's, yeah, Americans want gold, but at the same time for a sport, we don't know.

Grumpy Old Prop: We'll settle to watch them win a medal. I mean, you'd rather, again, a tournament like this, you'd rather win bronze than win silver.

Jarrod Dyke: lose a loose and get a sofa.

Grumpy Old Prop: Silver is the worst. I will, you know, other than finishing fourth, but, um, silver fucking sucks.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that sucks.

Jarrod Dyke: Agreed, agreed.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Once again, I will, we'll go back to when I won the the bronze in the McAfee games and it was us and Australia had won gold and over, they won over, uh, the UK.

Jarrod Dyke: I'll even look at like,

Grumpy Old Prop: and like we were all partying till the sun came up and afterwards, and well, Australia and us were. The Brits were like, well, the UK, because they were from everywhere, were not, they weren't out very late.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's like, you got silver, we like you beat us in this the semis, but it just sucks losing that last game.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: it's There's something about it. So um yeah, winning bronze is an awesome thing.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: Nothing wrong with that.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. No, no, no. Yeah. So we, we will, we will, um, yeah, that was, that was just too good.

Jarrod Dyke: Too good.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah

Jarrod Dyke: I don't know. I have no, um I have no other. words for that moment, yeah other than it left me speechless.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Uh -huh.

Jarrod Dyke: And like, I'm and for the amount of girls I coach as well, for them to see that and have that hope, like, Oh, I could be that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, it was the one moment that those girls needed to say, I can do this.

Grumpy Old Prop: Because that's that's the other thing.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, because like, for some of us who've had maybe not the like a great chance, but an opportunity to to at least consider and and get be put in a position where it would be a ah possibility of of being an an international player for for the US. It's like, to the point where we've gotten the okay, here's what it's going to take for you to do it.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then you look through what what it takes to do it. And then you look through what it means to play for the Eagles. And you're just like, no, I'm not doing it. Like it sucks to make that decision that I'm not even going to go for this opportunity, but only because it's like, what, I'm going to work my ass off, do all this stuff.

Jarrod Dyke: and Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then we're just going to get the shit kicked out of us anyway. Like, no, I'm not going to do it. Whereas this transitions that to, wait, we could win a bronze at the Olympics. Like, fuck yeah, I'm in. Like, ah and then that builds.

Grumpy Old Prop: So yeah, huge for the sport.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry. I didn didn't get that in earlier.

Jarrod Dyke: No, that was near, near bang on with it. Bang on with it, sir.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Right. Um, we'll try to wrap this up in somewhere around the next 20 minutes. So this is Frank and pod, but, um, PWR game of the week fucking tear and ball it again.

Grumpy Old Prop: Thanks.

Jarrod Dyke: Fuck you guys. Get it right this week, please.

Grumpy Old Prop: puddles Yeah, they better get it right this week because it's it's the Bristol match get it right.

Jarrod Dyke: Assholes. Get it right this week, dickheads. Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: Don't fuck this up Right sale crushed Bristol without AJ Right

Jarrod Dyke: Please. Um, For the sake of time and my own pain and Janice pain, we're going to skip the first three matches of this weekend for a lot of reasons. um We'll get into the other one. We'll get into those in there and our superlatives in a little bit anyway. So um no doubt. But so we'll talk about a little bit of Twickenham, obviously. And the amazing match that was that people were treated to and in the big game, Lester and twins and just yeah And this is, so this is why I was excited about Michael Cheka coming to Lester when I saw that.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I was like, wow, I don't hate Dan McCaller by means whatsoever. It sounds like he, his plan was just stupid. So that's why they got rid of him.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Like he walked out of their meeting with his like, you know, next year plan and they're like, what the fuck? We're fucked. And they had to fire. They fired him like immediately.

Jarrod Dyke: And you're fired.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And then check checks, you know, has a, you know, he's animated. We'll say that, but he, he's got, he was always going to bring the, the thing that Lester were missing.

Jarrod Dyke: And we know Lester loved to play a certain way because that's what their fans want. But at the same time, you need to be able to keep up with the way the premier ship's going. And right now it's, you better be able to put points on the board.

Jarrod Dyke: Otherwise you are going to get left on the dust and a lot of teams are figuring that out this year, including three of the ones from this weekend.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, So i'm if I'm Lester, I am like over the moon at the way things have started and I know there's still a lot to olymp room to grow for them. There's probably some guys they can cut and chop and and probably get out.

Jarrod Dyke: We'll talk about a couple of those in a little bit. um my My first thing is they need to play Will Wand and and and Woodward as much as possible. like They need to find spots through the two of those guys on the field as often as possible because they are going to be guys that really bring them to the next level and they're going to be there for a long time, I think.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah

Jarrod Dyke: so they need to get the... and the the town is clearly there. So, stop fucking around with guys like Dan Kelly and...

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah I was like do we really need to see more den Kelly like Kata I have a problem.

Jarrod Dyke: Cata, same thing.

Grumpy Old Prop: I Yeah, no, I I just mean that like he is So there's there's well who the fuck is he at this point because like he gets a lot of cards and

Jarrod Dyke: We'll get to that. don't We'll get to that, don't you worry.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm -hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: But like, he also does really well when he's playing well, but then he also just disappears for stretches. So it's like, fucking pick a lane, dude. You're all ah literally all over the place. You're either great, or you suck, or you're guarded. Like, this is not a good, you know two of those three or three things are bad. And so be less of those than the good, because you can be amazing. And and I don't know what his problem is right now.

Jarrod Dyke: not do And then

Grumpy Old Prop: But yeah, again, that back row um needs help though. Like they played all right. But then again, like even that's not like the Quinn's top back row, right? Chandler Cunningham South played 13 minutes. Will Evans played 17 minutes. Like I'm not sure what was behind that decision.

Grumpy Old Prop: um

Jarrod Dyke: Me neither.

Grumpy Old Prop: But like, I think that that would have been a very different outcome if they had played more, I think, and in my humble opinion.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: And that also, but that also played into, again, into Lester's hands there, because, you know, crack knows kind of mobile, Rafael, good defensive, like, again, what, like a ah Curry type.

Grumpy Old Prop: um And Leibenberg, I love watching him play. It was like, um he does a lot of good things, but nothing great. And that's good.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's good to have, but I just wished he had an element to his game that you couldn't find elsewhere.

Jarrod Dyke: Right.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's what they don't have. That's what Lester are missing is, is just a guy who is like, and you can do things that someone else can't do.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I obviously lost that with visa leaving.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I mean, go to the to the butt crack, but this this was more. Gloucester not playing sticking to their game and playing their game like you could see it every time they decided, oh, right, we can we we can outrun some of these guys, so we should probably just do that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. No, they didn't play their game at all.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: and And some of the times the pass wasn't sticking because the ball was wet and they get it, that sucks, that's hard.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Jarrod Dyke: They can make it really annoying.

Grumpy Old Prop: But that's why you you do it over, it you don't bottle yourself up, you do it over and over again, and then you get it right, and you work from there.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, so.

Grumpy Old Prop: Because like, as i I texted you, like how much have you, When was the last time you saw as many line breaks as Exeter had where they didn't gain like more than five meters from it?

Jarrod Dyke: Right.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like, oh, they missed a tackle, but he's dragged right direct back right down and doesn't move it. Like doesn it doesn't become anything.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: It's just like, oh, as he gets through the line and then he's tackled. like

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, so many, so many of those are moments that happened. I was like, like roots did it a lot.

Grumpy Old Prop: And that's that's happening because

Jarrod Dyke: Like, both works sucks.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. rood Yeah. root How are these guys international? I don't get it. Because like, I'm sorry, but if Jack Clements tracking you down from behind, you know, even Lewis Ludlow, not the fastest guy, but if he's tracking you down from behind, you have to miss it.

Jarrod Dyke: That's why.

Grumpy Old Prop: If there's someone else missing, technically.

Jarrod Dyke: They made Ludlow look all world at some points.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: and no disrespect to him. But like, if he's looking like he is hands down the best player on the pitch for any length of time longer than two seconds, you're not doing that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.

Jarrod Dyke: Well, hate to tell you.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And I feel like Gloucester, like they had a couple of times where they had a potential at a break. And for some reason they'd be like hesitant. They'd be like, Oh, I don't know if I want to go through that gap.

Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: And then they'd start and then they'd go and it's like, and it's like, now it's too late.

Jarrod Dyke: Take the bloody gap, would you?

Grumpy Old Prop: Like you waited too long. If you had just gone from the start, like they they didn't, they were giving the exit or too much respect.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, they hesitated.

Grumpy Old Prop: Not realizing that, no, you're faster than them.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Just run through them.

Jarrod Dyke: Absolutely.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like the, I think you mentioned it, like the only person on that team who scares me is Hodge. and And maybe Tommy Wyatt, who I think also has a little bit of of of burn to him.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Tell me why it looked okay.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like Ollie Woodburn is a great player, but he's not nearly really as fast as he used to be.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, like, right.

Jarrod Dyke: Still does a lot of good things, but it's just not that good.

Grumpy Old Prop: And so I'm looking at, you know, Josh Hathaway and Christian Wade and Karanidis and even Max Llewellyn. Those guys should have had a field day all day and it just never materialized.

Grumpy Old Prop: um

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: that That was kind of a shame but like you do that you yeah you fuck up and I think um for who had this tempo um Was just kind of a dumb ass like not policing the breakdown at all There's a lot of diving overs a lot of hands on the deck.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Oh God.

Grumpy Old Prop: um I think was it Was it see or somebody went like way over hands on the deck and then picked up the ball and and I think that comes It was frost I think

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. i don't remember I know. I remember the moment. but I don't remember who it was though. That would make sense.

Grumpy Old Prop: um And, but then the comm said something interesting, which was like, normally you put hands on the deck and then someone hits you and then you slide your hands as you're, you're getting in, you know, as you're going backwards.

Jarrod Dyke: That's what it used to be.

Grumpy Old Prop: so Right.

Jarrod Dyke: You can't do that anymore.

Grumpy Old Prop: But what I think it was Frost did was he put his hands on the deck. Yeah. And then he so got he stood up and then got the ball like he didn't stand up and he picked his hands up and then got the ball. And technically, yes, you're not allowed to do that. But what they were saying was if there's no ruck there, like you maybe shouldn't just earn it because You know, like the guy did something technically wrong, whereas you never cleared him out.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like he's just sitting there. He had all day to just stand there and get, and so the ref can be like, you know what? Fuck it. I guess we, so we put his hands to the deck. Big deal. There's nobody there to clean them out. So it's not a big deal. So I'm just going to let it go.

Grumpy Old Prop: And that's kind of fair. So it's like one of these, if you don't, if you're not like, but at the same time, well right.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. If you're not there to get rid of him or to or to or to challenge in anything either on either side of the ball like.

Grumpy Old Prop: Challenge him even. Right. Then all right. Let him do it.

Jarrod Dyke: you know, the offy does become a little moot and I and I hate watching stealing off and I hate watching guys put hands to floor while trying to steal the ball.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right. But there was a lot of so yeah there was a lot of ceiling off.

Jarrod Dyke: But if there's no there was and but if you're not there to compete and you're not there to challenge on either in either case, then referees got every right to say, I am not stopping this game because you guys were stupid.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Like that's your own fault.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right.

Grumpy Old Prop: like Because the other times when there are times when guys kind of step out of the rock and so a guy dives over and then they start like, hey, look what he did.

Jarrod Dyke: So I'll give him that.

Grumpy Old Prop: And the ref's like, he backed out of it.

Jarrod Dyke: You stepped out. Shut up.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's the same kind of thing. Like, if you step out of the ruck, then very fine. He got hands on the deck. So what? like Let him poach.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, exactly.

Grumpy Old Prop: Let the man poach. But either way, kind of shitty. out I wish I'd like i wish i would seen this game and in one of two ways. One is Gloucester pulls their heads out of their asses and and plays a little bit better.

Grumpy Old Prop: And two, Tempo pulls his head out of his ass and referees a little bit better.

Jarrod Dyke: Same. Yes, both both cases. um We'll throw it to, um give me three that outdid themselves.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, well, two of them are, are loose forwards for the saints. Um, Henry Pollock and Pearson, um, just massive.

Jarrod Dyke: In Pearson. Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and then I kind of want to say Freddie Stewart, like they had, I mean, come to it later, but, uh,

Jarrod Dyke: I had them on my list. Yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: he No, he had he had it one hell of a performance.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: I thought in a big game Sorry, I'll shut up now Yeah, enough yeah, Haslam Collins had himself a day McCall

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, although I'll throw quirky in on that Marley and um and then hassle Collins as well. Yeah, um she had it.

Grumpy Old Prop: um

Jarrod Dyke: We'll get to that in a second. I just put Saracens in general, but we'll get to that in a second.

Grumpy Old Prop: Saracen's in general, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Bristol without AJ.

Jarrod Dyke: Kata. Yeah, Bristol Fitz.

Grumpy Old Prop: yeah

Jarrod Dyke: Hand in a couple of... Don't hand Ben, carry a fucking try and make him look like an All -Star, will you?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yup.

Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, that was all.

Jarrod Dyke: Please?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, come on now.

Jarrod Dyke: Christ. We don't need that.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Nobody needs that.

Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah, Kata, as you said, certainly.

Jarrod Dyke: Ugh. damn lucky to not, like i would ah knowing what what I know about Salmonakata and the way he does things, I'm kind of pissed that Matt Carley said, this guy does this all the fucking time, I'm gonna read him.

Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm. Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yellow. Yeah, exactly.

Jarrod Dyke: but And I understand he he went by the letter of the law and I know that's what we're doing, but fuck, there would have been a point where I've just been like, I think I'm seeing you do this too much, you're off.

Grumpy Old Prop: i don Yeah, yep.

Jarrod Dyke: Bye. I get it, but still it's like, there's almost a point where I want to just say, you know what, nevermind, we're just going to read.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Nevermind. Nevermind, nevermind.

Jarrod Dyke: Ref coach, young player that did, spoiler alert, I don't have a fucking ref. I thought everything was shit about the refereeing this weekend for one reason or another.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right.

Jarrod Dyke: So, I've done that a thousand times.

Grumpy Old Prop: I went with Luke Pierce, but whatever. Um, exactly.

Jarrod Dyke: Like that's the only one, I was like, I'm not doing that one.

Grumpy Old Prop: What's the point?

Jarrod Dyke: So, and he else, didn't he do the fricking door taped in Newcastle game?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, there's no, yeah. So it wasn't really a match to, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: It was a little odd. So yeah, I'm not even doing that. Not worth it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, coaches, as he was, yeah, coaches, once again, check, uh, cause, duh.

Jarrod Dyke: So all you suck less, please.

Jarrod Dyke: Yes, checks, same. Yep, I'm ah um um' on that one. um

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, then what was the last one? Oh, try it.

Jarrod Dyke: yeah Young player, young player.

Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, young player. Um, oh, it was Pollock.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep, I've said Pollock a lot, so he was in my head.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: I'll give it to Tommy Wyatt as well.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.

Jarrod Dyke: Played well, and i'm not I wasn't overly impressed when I first saw him, but he's growing on me.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: He's growing on me a little bit. ah Try of the week.

Grumpy Old Prop: Freddie Stewart.

Jarrod Dyke: That's a good one.

Grumpy Old Prop: That was all like, you know, he finished it. It was like fucking hell of a team try. And, um, but yeah, no, I thought that was the the best try of the week.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I went.

Grumpy Old Prop: play the game, because it mattered.

Jarrod Dyke: I went with it did.

Grumpy Old Prop: It was like, in the game that mattered, it was entertaining.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I know that's that. I went from this game to I went with the first merely one that came from the set piece on their own five.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Grumpy Old Prop: That was beautiful.

Jarrod Dyke: I think was it Walker or Dom that fed it to him and he just burned everyone. He decided that he was going to just skin Freddie.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. I think

Jarrod Dyke: He's just like, I see you, Freddie, but I'm running by you.

Grumpy Old Prop: I think it was, I think it was Dom fed, um, Walker who fed like Dom had an excellent offload and then Walker just popped it off because it's like, all right, you, you finished this.

Jarrod Dyke: That was it.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. That sounds right. Yeah. Yeah. They knew that wasn't happening.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Uh, we on player of the week.

Grumpy Old Prop: Do you tick? Oh, um, player of the week for me.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: Um, I think that would then it would be Caden Murley. Actually, no, I'm sorry. Alex Dombrandt.

Jarrod Dyke: Good one.

Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry, missed note. um Yeah, no, he like certainly is putting his hand up for Bortho to be like, hey, maybe you should reconsider, because I can do all of this shit.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm. Yeah, I went having watched him just throttle us emphatically.

Jarrod Dyke: I went with William here, the horse.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Oh, fuck. I blocked that game out. I don't want to talk about it.

Jarrod Dyke: I tried to, but I couldn't.

Grumpy Old Prop: He was amazing.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, and from that same game, my dick of the week goes to Mark McCall and Joe Shaw, like from our sources, there were only a few guys that were actually arrested, but I think a lot of them were considered injured, but they were just having, they just had knocks and like,

Grumpy Old Prop: ah

Grumpy Old Prop: right

Jarrod Dyke: Oh, like, even fucking Toby Knight, you idiot.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right Yeah, well Toby night what's my dick of the week cuz I I tried I was I was mad about it cuz I was like, oh he dipped but then I saw the replays like he didn't dip No, it was just always high

Jarrod Dyke: um Oh, oh, he he's worthy. He is worthy.

Jarrod Dyke: who He was always high and he was just ah fucking asshole. So, yeah, like, McCall and Shaw, oh, answers to every everyone because that was dog shit that was put out there.

Grumpy Old Prop: like i'm sorry i know he's and yeah

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah The other yeah, and the other thing was I know we're not and't talked about it or we're not gonna talk about it more But it's like the one what if you notice what bath did was they got the ball in there and they ran with it They tried to spot holes in the the Saracens defense and and make holes in the Saracens defense. Whereas Sarah's just fucking kicked it again It's like maybe we'll do well, maybe but it's like yeah if you ever noticed like ball in hand and gets you points.

Grumpy Old Prop: Like not this put it up in the air and we'll see what happens.

Jarrod Dyke: Mm hmm.

Grumpy Old Prop: and And like, that's not, that's not the way rugby is done these days.

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Grumpy Old Prop: You know, we talked about it with other, other coaches who are doing it, you know, maybe it's not what they want to do, but they're realizing what's what they have to do. And I know McCall knows it. I just feel like he puts it away in the the dead of winter like this.

Grumpy Old Prop: And I just don't like it.

Jarrod Dyke: No, I don't either. I feel like Joe Shaw is supposed to be the guy that checks him and says, no, no, no, we need to do this otherwise because we're going to get humped.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And maybe he tries to, or maybe Joe Shaw is a part of it. I'm not sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I don't know.

Jarrod Dyke: Um, but either the way, someone in that room needs to just like put the, put their two cents in and be the asshole that maybe gets fired, but also kind of wakes them up and says, uh, guys, this is a terrible idea because we're going to get slaughtered.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And lo and behold, you know, Beth, what's 60 odd on us. And it's like, eh, anybody else kind of regretting that decision because I am so anyway,

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Damn it. All right. Uh, we're gonna go to pick them.

Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.

Jarrod Dyke: How are we doing? How are we doing on time here? Oh, now look at me shooting for fricking 115 and getting damn close to it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Nice.

Jarrod Dyke: As long as my computer art cooperates here. There we go. Okay. Well, I mean, first one is not going to be hard.

Grumpy Old Prop: No.

Jarrod Dyke: ands It's Newcastle against Gwen's.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, let's, let's quit.

Jarrod Dyke: It's Gwen's. Um, Gloucester sale.

Grumpy Old Prop: gloucester

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I will say this. This is like my last nerve. I'm on with Gloucester. They need to write the ship with this game. Otherwise they're not really that improved.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right, this is what's the game they should they should win they're at home They you know, we've said we they can play a little bit. They're not Like they're not awful.

Grumpy Old Prop: They're just not like they're not they don't always hit on all cylinders But this is the game where they need to so let's see if they do it

Jarrod Dyke: No.

Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Uh, Lester Exeter.

Grumpy Old Prop: Lester their home and they're much better Yeah, I'm still going with Saracens on this one Yeah, but I Don't that's the thing.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Saracen's Bristol with Harry Byrne potentially in the team, the new Loney for Bristol, answering their fly off problems. I am too. They need to win this game and fucking write that ship.

Jarrod Dyke: Although Bristol do too. I'm sure this will be better played by both teams.

Grumpy Old Prop: I think it will be better played by Saracens I don't know the Bristol are gonna play better than than they they are without AJ in this match in

Jarrod Dyke: They, I'm guessing they won't have a Betoya either after that Hammy pull.

Grumpy Old Prop: Right so Because they're back three is lean at the moment Too so they're they're yeah, that's why I'm just not um, they might put that I wonder if they're gonna put revovo out there Yeah, because then you you take uh, like I guess Williams is still hurt Hudson too Okay, cool, then then he's probably gonna be at yeah

Jarrod Dyke: So hopefully some guys get healthy for the boys in black.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's a little, might put him at 14.

Jarrod Dyke: No, he he came into this game, this last game. So yeah, you put Williams in and Ben Rensberg in there. Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: So, but either way, I don't think that's enough to beat, I don't think that's enough to beat Cyrus.

Jarrod Dyke: I think that's right. I think that might be on to something.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Uh, Northampton and Bath.

Grumpy Old Prop: I got saints at home.

Jarrod Dyke: See, I'm going to, while Northampton have vastly improved, I still don't think they've improved enough from that game that they're going to be able to overturn Bath. I know they're at home.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: That's probably the one thing that's in their favor for sure.

Grumpy Old Prop: That was it that, yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: And Alex Mitchell is unbelievable. And I get it.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: But at the same time, this bath machine seems to just keep on cranking with Finn at it. And I'm scared.

Grumpy Old Prop: They're scary, they're scary.

Jarrod Dyke: ah The the you know Red Path is back at his best, which is not a good thing for anybody else in the league.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.

Grumpy Old Prop: But this this match, I think they crack a hundred points.

Jarrod Dyke: So.

Jarrod Dyke: The overall scoreboard, you mean?

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it just might.

Grumpy Old Prop: That's my prediction for it.

Jarrod Dyke: I hope this is the one that's free on TRN. That'd be great.

Grumpy Old Prop: If you, so, so you know, know wet we don't promote sports wagering, as you well know, if you've listened to the show.

Grumpy Old Prop: In this case, I will say if you go, you know, if if you if you do that, I would take the over in this. I don't always say that, um but I think the last time I did, I regretted not going into a book when we were over in England.

Jarrod Dyke: depending on what it is.

Jarrod Dyke: You should have put down a fucking fiber, you knucklehead.

Grumpy Old Prop: Cause I was like, Oh, I should put down more than that, but yeah.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, probably true, but yeah, you definitely should have put down at least a fiber on that and we could have drank it. We would have drank it, but you know.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Oh, exactly.

Jarrod Dyke: It would have been free beer, all right.

Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. pre hereer like for all the Ruggers.

Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, free beer for all the Ruggers.

Grumpy Old Prop: So.

Jarrod Dyke: All right. So that's that. We're going to head over to Fancy Corner in just a little bit. um We appreciate you all listening to us talk about end of your stuff and Babylon just a little bit more into your year. If you guys join us over with the Fantasy Corner, we'll see you there.

Jarrod Dyke: If not, enjoy the round of Prem coming up here and we'll talk to you guys next week. Have a good one, everyone.

Grumpy Old Prop: Later.

Jarrod Dyke: Cheers.