Front Five - 04.12.20

Start your day with five eye-catching egg-chasing quotes & links from around the ruggersphere.

ICYMI click here for our weekly list of

upcoming rugby on Irish TV

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Jacob Stockdale continues at full-back in an unchanged back-three as Andrew Conway loses out to Hugo Keenan and Keith Earls.

Sexton leads strongest team available as Farrell looks to finish 2020 on a high

Ruaidhri O'Connor - Irish Independent

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Performance anxiety was highlighted as one of the factors behind Ireland's poor showing at the 2019 World Cup in Japan

Andy Farrell drafts in Gary Keegan to help side's mental preparation

RTÉ Rugby

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Van der Walt...is Scotland’s fifth stand-off of the autumn and displaces Duncan Weir in the starting line-up

Gregor Townsend defends use of residency rule as Scotland pick four South Africans

Graham Bean - The Scotsman

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It’s been suggested that Itoje’s new representatives could be set for talks with French heavyweights Toulon

Maro Itoje: England lock could make shock loan move

Ruck.co.uk

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Connacht have been kicking in play more often in this 2020/21 campaign than in 2019/20.

How Connacht are looking to save fuel by playing 'smart football'

Murray Kinsella - The42.ie

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Feel free to share any interesting links you spot yourself about t’internet by email, Twitter, Facebook, blog comment or carrier pigeon – whatever works for you. JLP

Note - views expressed in "Front Five" links do not necessarily reflect those of HarpinOnRugby

Rugby on TV : Dec 3-10

Rugby on TV is brought to you by

the IrishRugby TV YouTube channel

Editor's note - we've done these posts pretty much the same way since 2013 and we've decided to make a little tweak.  We're assuming you don't necessarily want to watch a replay of Dragons v Zebre on a Wednesday morning at 6am so for the foreseeable future, this feature is going to include mostly just the live matches on the weekends, with selected programming during the week. 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

6AM

THOMOND PARK

DOCUMENTARY 

EIR SPORT 1

1PM

EDINBURGH V ULSTER (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

3PM

MUNSTER V ZEBRE (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

4:55PM

PUMAS V GRIQUAS (L)

CURRIE CUP

SKY SPORTS ARENA

7PM

BRISTOL BEARS V NORTHAMPTON (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT 1

7PM

IRELAND V SCOTLAND (R-2019)

CLASSIC RUGBY WORLD CUP

EIR SPORT 1

7:30PM

CONNACHT V BENETTON (L)

PRO14

PREMIER SPORTS 1

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

5:30AM

MAORI ALL BLACKS V MOANA PASIFIKA (L)

FRIENDLY

SKY SPORTS ARENA

8:15AM

AUSTRALIA V ARGENTINA (L)

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT 

SKY SPORTS ARENA

11:50AM

GEORGIA V FIJI (L)

AUTUMN NATIONS CUP

PREMIER SPORTS 1

1:30PM

IRELAND V SCOTLAND (L)

AUTUMN NATIONS CUP

RTÉ2

2PM

DURHAM V SALE (L)

WOMEN'S PREMIER15

YOUTUBE

2:25PM

BLUE BULLS V CHEETAHS (L)

CURRIE CUP

SKY SPORTS ARENA

2:45PM

LEICESTER V EXETER CHIEFS (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT EXTRA

3PM

WASPS V NEWCASTLE (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT EXTRA

3PM

WORCESTER V BATH (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT EXTRA

4:55PM

WALES V ITALY (L)

AUTUMN NATIONS CUP

PREMIER SPORTS

S4C

4:55PM

GOLDEN LIONS V WESTERN PROVINCE (L)

CURRIE CUP

SKY SPORTS ARENA

7PM

MAORI ALL BLACKS V MOANA PASIFIKA (R)

FRIENDLY

SKY SPORTS ARENA

7:10PM

GLASGOW WARRIORS V DRAGONS (L)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6

2PM

ENGLAND V FRANCE (L)

AUTUMN NATIONS CUP

PREMIER SPORTS 1

2:30PM

LONDON IRISH V SALE SHARKS (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT EXTRA

4PM

GLOUCESTER V HARLEQUINS (L)

PREMIERSHIP

BT SPORT 1

7PM

AUTUMN NATIONS CUP HIGHLIGHTS

CHANNEL 4

10:30PM

PREMIERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

BT SPORT 1

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7

8PM

AGAINST THE HEAD

RTÉ TWO

10PM

PREMIERSHIP TONIGHT

BT SPORT 2

11:10PM

RUGBÁI BEO

TG4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8

7PM

LEINSTER V MUNSTER (R-2001)

CLASSIC PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

8:35PM

MUNSTER V LEINSTER (R-2011)

CLASSIC PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

10:35PM

LEINSTER V OSPREYS (R-2012)

CLASSIC PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9

3PM

MUNSTER V ZEBRE (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 1

3PM

CONNACHT V BENETTON (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

5PM

LEINSTER V MUNSTER (R-2001)

CLASSIC PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10

1PM

MUNSTER V ZEBRE (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 2

3PM

EDINBURGH V ULSTER (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 1

5PM

CONNACHT V BENETTON (R)

PRO14

EIR SPORT 1

11:20PM

THOMOND PARK

DOCUMENTARY

EIR SPORT 1

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L = LIVE

R = FULL REPEAT

T = TAPE DELAY

H = HIGHLIGHTS

Times generally refer to beginning of broadcast not kickoff

Check local listings for repeat showings

Feel free to let us know if something is missing! paganoblog@gmail.com

Front Five - 03.12.20

Start your day with five eye-catching egg-chasing quotes & links from around the ruggersphere.

Just to clarify my position on a

"British & Irish League"

 IMO it would make a mockery of the Champions Cup.

If there's to be reform then why not

go whole hog and create a pan-European league

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 "It’s a relatively new squad, a lot of young people, a couple of old boys like me and we have a clear plan."

Cian Healy confident player-empowered culture will deliver

Gerry Thornley - Irish Times

(possibly behind paywall)

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"That's the challenge for us, to go out and right the wrongs from last weekend. Scotland have no fear of coming to the Aviva."

Conor Murray Knows Scotland Will Sense Blood In The Water

Balls.ie

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Ireland have been the masters of dominating territory during the Autumn Nations Cup.

Ireland v Scotland: Autumn Nations Cup 2020, Match Preview pt I

Kevin Millar - Scottish Rugby Blog

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Gosper...spent almost nine years in charge of World Rugby's operations, overseeing successful Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019.

World Rugby chief Brett Gosper leaves to take Europe NFL job

BBC Rugby

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It is easy to see why the Welsh clubs are keen on a British and Irish League. They could do with the money but they need to up their game.

Face-off: Should rugby have a British and Irish League?

Rugby World

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Feel free to share any interesting links you spot yourself about t’internet by email, Twitter, Facebook, blog comment or carrier pigeon – whatever works for you. JLP

Note - views expressed in "Front Five" links do not necessarily reflect those of HarpinOnRugby