6 nations musings part 5

Super full moon influencing events.

Tonight the moon is closer to earth than it has been for 20 years and it is 14% bigger and 30 times brighter.   What does this rare event mean humble earthlings?

A marathon session slumped athletically on the sofa today suggests some clues to Fantasy Bob.  The curtain crashing down on the 6 nations championship with Pakistan ending Australia's 12 year 34  World Cup match unbeaten run and Bangla imploding again. Stranger than fiction?

Meanwhile in the cricket, Scotland had the wooden spoon cruelly wrested from their grasp by the Italians and England lamely surrendered their chance of the grand slam, yet again, by going down to Ireland, yet again.  As a Scottish person Fantasy Bob feels great sadness at England's failure.  But stranger than fiction?

Unnatural - a Scottish try

Fantasy bob suggests the additional gravitational pull of the moon so close to earth must have something to do with these events.  Even more strange was the fact that Scotland scored 2 tries - such a rare event in the history of the universe that can only happen with the most exceptional alignment of heavenly bodies - er well Nick de Luca and Nicky Walker anyway.  Obviously, Andy Robinson has been at fault for not selecting enough players with the Christian name Nicholas, but this can be corrected by the time of the World Cup. 

The championship was hardly a classic.  The best moment was Italy's victory over France. It looks unlikely that any Northern Hemisphere team will really challenge for the World Cup Trophy.  for all their potential France stuttered and still don't know who their best XV is; England looked bright for 2 games at Twickers but were easily beaten by Ireland and should have lost to Scotland.

Gray on the rampage

As far as players go, it was again Sergio Parisse of Italy that contributed consistently in everything he did.  What a star.  The new wunderkind Ashcroft looked pedestrian today, now defences know he will track inside, and has a tendency for head high tackles that may well get him in trouble.  The brightest new player to come into the scene is actually Scottish - Richie Gray.  Again for a Scottish player to make such a significant impact reflects the extraordinary impact of the moon's close orbit.

And so on to the quarter finals of the Cricket World Cup.  Richie Gray will be sitting them out.  It looks like England could face Sri Lanka.  FB wouldn't back them.  Pakistan remain the real dark horses.  But of course England are the new Pakistan.

Afridi is still a strong candidate for player of the tournament - he is the leading wicket taker so far with 17 at 11.47 and a economy rate of 3.54.  Leading batsman is Sangakarra with 363 runs at 121.  Top strike rate of leading bats is Sehwag whose 327 runs (ave 65.40) have come at 125.28.

Now the games get serious.  Fantasy Bob's previews are the only ones to ignore.