#let’s go U20 World Cup come through with the goods | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bluelockednyx · 4 months

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" or for Isagi to stop looking at Rin's thighs whichever is easier" I- 🤣. ( this was so noticeable in that leg extension machine scene he had no reason to go and check up on him, stop him from overworking and prompt him to take rest but he DID)

I thought I was crazy for thinking that abt that one Rin panel but I'm glad I'm not the only one, since Kaisagi is rising in popularity esp w/ Hiori's comments abt the in-universe social media. Idk whether to lament over the lack of rinsagi or absolutely LOSE it over Isagi's reaction. Like it wasn't the kind of cute denial that Raichi was saying it was, bro was so OFFENDED. I can't.

Then again, it makes sense since public has seen more of Kaiser-Isagi than with Rin. I wonder what Isagi's reaxn would be if it had been Rin's name that had come like that 👀. Definitely not visceral disgust to this level.

Besides, recent chapters had carved a place for kainess in my heart and I feel like those 2 should cuddle and go to therapy. ( Any thoughts on recent chapters, that choking scene was disturbing...).

Do u think the light novels and profiles are not written by Kaneshiro? Bcz while they weren’t bad at all( they were quite great) there was this missing spark in them. Like with Isagi, they made him out to be able to see mosquitos across a room and note the temp change in the air as a BABY?? I-??????. I am very confused.

And in a profile, he has 200 level or smth eyesight?? Normal is 150 so.., idk maybe I am just being extremely dumb.

But to me, manga Isagi was so loveable and inspiring bcz he was a normal person who was willing to break and challenge himself to reach his goal, forging a will that was strong enough to withstand all the pressure. Not superpowers.

And in his profile, his type is someone who smiles a lot and it fits bachira but to me it sounds like another way to fit in to what people expect of him. There was a meta on Isagi and anger expression floating around in tumblr. And it says how Isagi loved Noa's style bcz of how brutal it was and through football he was able to exert anger in a socially acceptable way instead of being the peace maker and going along with Ichinan style football and just agreeing with Tada's decisions and blue lock is a release frm that. And like you said, isagi isn't as driven abt bachira as he is about him. Narratively too, that is a good thing, allowing bachira to make new connections and new bonds in Spain instead of being fixated with Isagi. And frankly, I don’t think it's healthy for Bachira to get with the first person to be his friend. Let him experience life first.

Well then, I am so excited for Pxg VS BM. The potential match ups, Kaiser most def knows Sae so some interesting conflict w/ Rin if he mentions that like Luna did. The Isagirin matchup, I'm just so excited. Also ,"# Stop looking at Rin's thighs challenge."

P.S. - I wrote a Rinsagi fic, so plz check it out.

How can I read your fic if you didn't send a link lol

Kaneshiro-sensei literally addressed the Kai//sagi shippers in the chapter: nope, not happening, no way, via Isagi himself. He may subvert this later on, but as far as I can tell, given the story's trajectory + Isagi's own character arc, it won't happen. Kaiser will most likely be coming back as a rival/enemy in the U20 World Cup arc too. There simply is no motivation for Isagi to ally with him at all.

Rin's spotlight and turn is coming up, so again, I'm not worried about the current lack of Isagi and Rin moments. It is supposed to be THE highlight of the NEL arc for good reason. And yeah, I doubt Isagi would be as offended if fans had been saying that about him and Rin. On the down low he really is fond of and respects Rin, whereas he despises Kaiser for just about everything besides his skill in soccer.

Truthfully, I've grown a little bored of the recent chapters. Not so much that they aren't good chapters, but more that there's a lack of variety to the characters. IMO Kaneshiro-sensei has hit a bit of a wall on character cast and variety - Ness' backstory is a touch too commonly seen for me to really get into, and feels lacking in effort, though tbf Ness is at best a tertiary character in-series who's there to prop up Kaiser's story.

No real thoughts yet on the choking scene. Currently it's only a sign of Kaiser's desperation to me. The throne he thought he had secured might well be about to collapse from underneath him due to Isagi's growing skill. Seeing how he'll match up against Rin is also interesting, seeing how Rin is actually very much self-sufficient as a striker, while Kaiser thus far seems quite dependent on Ness. I also believe that the PXG match will bring Kaiser into direct confrontation with Loki, who is posited as thus far the best U20 striker we've seen, given how he's a master for the PXG team, rather than simply a fellow player. Fingers crossed that Loki smokes all of them, including Noa, if he comes out to play too.

No, the light novel most likely isn't written by Kaneshiro-sensei, given what I know of the industry. The bulk of it is likely by Moegi Momo-sensei; with credit given to Kaneshiro-sensei because he's the OG creator of the Blue Lock series. That said, there's a good chance that Kaneshiro-sensei provided Moegi-sensei with story ideas and rough character backgrounds who then developed it into proper stories for novelization.

The character profiles are more likely to be done by Kaneshiro-sensei himself, though I am going to point out that it's published as 'supervised by', rather than 'written by'.

Emphasizing this: I generally don't care about light novels, character profiles etc. in terms of my interpretation of the story. To me, what appears in the manga is the only canon there is. Everything else that's official are canon-adjacent and supplementary; fun to read and get an idea of how the characters' personalities and relationships are off-page, but otherwise unimportant unless explicitly referenced in-story. Whatever is not depicted in the manga proper is free real estate.

As for Isagi in the light novel. Well.

He reads as autistic, from that apparent hypersensitivity + his hyperfocused interest in football, and as I've mentioned before: Isagi is also written very much as a tabula rasa, a blank slate of sorts, for target readers to be able to slip themselves into. I think that the emphasis is on Isagi having very clear vision, his personal advantage, amongst the rest of the cast, but again, to me, the light novel is not as important as what we see depicted in the manga proper.

No comments on Isagi's type in the profile, and how it could be Bachira. They're decently written together, and I understand why people would ship them, but they are also just kind of 'meh' for me. Kaneshiro-sensei may intend to write them as a pair, but they are a pretty run-of-the-mill standard MC + best friend ship, with the highlight being Bachira's personal growth via his relationship with Isagi. There are more satisfying ships for me in Blue Lock, and better romances in other animanga series, and while I am fond of shipping, I'm not reading Blue Lock for the shipping. It's just a nice bonus that I find Isagirin's relationship so damn interesting that I've stayed invested.

I haven't read that meta, but that's an interesting interpretation of Isagi's character. Blue Lock is somewhat of a meta commentary on the failures of the general Japanese culture's need to conform to societal pressures and not 'rock the boat', and how it has led to an under performance in football. Isagi as a whole has also been growing more assertive and more confrontational with others, though Kaiser's the only one whom he views with solid enmity.

In the light novel, Isagi's idolization of Noa stemmed from how Noa bypassed the opposing team one after the other, and then from how Noa would rather 'lose a game by a hat trick than win one with an assist'. And doesn't that sound quite like a certain someone, lmao.

Cheers to having PXG match to look forward to next year after the hols!!

#niki answers asks #drop the fic link!!#also I want to see Karasu so badly #and i would not be opposed to seeing barcha vs pxg match #bachira has his own relationship with rin independent of isagi too!! he lost to rin in the second selection too!!

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fleetwooded · 4 years

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Are you a canucks fan? Could you spare a moment to elaborate on their history/narrative? Or tell me about what makes the team interesting? I’m looking for a playoff team to get invested in now that the pens are out

ABSOLUTELY I CAN!! lets go through these questions one by one

1. are you a canucks fan?

WHAT a question. am i a canucks fan? am i? like, yes, but no, but obviously, but i wish i wasn’t, but i will never quit them. the thing about being part of a hockey family in canada is that you don’t really get a choice about being a fan of your Team, and also no one really considers themselves fans per se. if you are a part of a hockey family, watching hockey is something that is embedded in your blood and your rituals and the legacy of your forefathers... but i feel in a very different way then i’ve seen in american football families or etc?

i don’t know, maybe i’m wrong, but being part of a hockey family is really about solemnly, often miserably, sometimes joyously, watching hockey Together. it’s about false nationalism and having no collective identity as canadians and therefore constructing one around hockey customs and rituals and superstitions and rivalries. at least in my experience, it’s not at all about like... masculinity, or anger, or even really competitiveness. you don’t get mad when your team loses - you grit your teeth and you bear it and you talk about how the coach should be fired and you patiently wait until your team gets good again. and if you haven’t suffered - if your team has not been Terribly, Devastatingly Bad, if you have not Earned It, then you should not win and everyone hates you (hence why no one likes the vegas golden knights).

anyways, if being a fan means knowing everything about a team and feeling passionately when they win and feeling grateful that they give you something to talk about with your dad then yes i am a canucks fan!!!

2. what’s the deal with their history/narrative?

for this bit it is important to keep in mind the Big Hockey Thing i mentioned above, which is that all teams/fans must suffer, and only through suffering can you earn victory. this probably indicates something fucked up about us but that’s another conversation!

so here’s a quick breakdown of the past 10 years of canucks history:

in 2011, the canucks had assembled a Perfect Team. our stars were the sedins, a pair of extremely talented swedish redhead twins who were acquired through some trading magic. we had alex burrows, a talented french-canadian trash talker, ryan kesler, a talented asshole, chris higgins & mason raymond, two talented hot men, and several star defencemen. and in net, roberto luongo, who was a GREAT goalie but would get into his head and absolutely fall apart at a moment’s notice. this Perfect Team dramatically beat our Nemisis the chicago blackhawks in the first round and made it to the stanley cup finals for the first time since 1994... only to come face to face with the boston bruins. the bruins were a huge, mean team, and they beat the canucks to a pulp every game. the entire city was losing it. we were so close to the cup, so close!!! and nothing else matters but that cup!!! and then - game seven - as close as you could possibly be - luongo has a complete breakdown and the bruins win 4-0. every goal worse than the last. the city riots! it was really really bad! all of the grinning and bearing it went out the window. people were devastated.

but the canucks were still good! right! right? well, they were good enough to win the presidents trophy the next season (prize for most regular season wins, no one cares about it) but not good enough to avoid losing the first round in 5 games. and then getting swept the next year. and then not even making the playoff the year after that. the glory days were over.

and then... well. longtime coach alain vigneault gets the chop, and in his place, the canucks decide to hire john tortorella, a man noted for being.... um.... an abusive asshole!! his habits included: incessantly berating his players, both to their faces and to the media. getting into physical fights with other coaches. basing his coaching approach around punishment and cruelty. etc etc etc. he decides he hates roberto luongo (who had already been the victim of several years of vitriol from the entirety of vancouver media). in the 2014 heritage classic, he chooses to start the backup goalie eddie lack - two days later, luongo is traded.

and that’s that. the sedins retire. the playoffs wither into a far off pipe dream. the team cycles through a couple more coaches and management teams, and continues to resist a full rebuild. several prospects who are supposed to revitalize the team end up fading away.

and then! whats that on the horizon! in the 2017 draft, the canucks choose elias pettersson as their fifth overall pick. just a little boy from sweden (continuing the canucks longtime love affair with swedish players) who rocked the world of the U20 SHL with one of the greatest seasons in the history of the league. he’s skinny and tall and sweethearted, and his debut is thrilling. all of a sudden, the canucks are fun to watch again. they have energy! they have speed! they have nifty passes!

the team, which seemed so listless before, lights up around him. bo horvat is the new captain, a boyish but Very Serious little leader. brock boeser is the american hotshot with the prince charming hair and a great shot. jacob markstrom is the new goalie anchoring the team - one of the players the canucks got out of the luongo trade who developed into a MUCH better goalie than anyone thought he would!! and now, a new baby rookie, little quinn hughes, who despite his talent moves through the world with an expression of constant existential horror.

somehow, suddenly, the pieces fall into place!! the team is... fun?!! they hold the leads that they used to inevitably give up! they score the goals that used to miss! they WON A PLAYOFF SERIES!!

3. what makes the team interesting?

okay, that was all very much a hockey family account of the canucks, and now i will do my very best to think through what makes them fandom interesting.

obviously, the thing at the heart of the team is Baby Boy Elias Pettersson. personally, i love the hockey team dynamic of This Is Our Boy And You’ll Die If You Touch Him. the hockey announcers LOVE talking about how everyone is always after pettersson - i believe a direct quote the other night was “all the big guys love to go after fresh meat, and pettersson is the freshest meat on the ice.” he’s teeny by hockey standards, so the other boys must protect him!!

beyond pettersson, there is just a LOVE that these boys all share with each other!! i think that they all feel acutely the responsibility of all the history above. they just won the first playoff series in like TEN YEARS and they feel the weight of that on their shoulders. but also they’re doing it!! they are the team we’ve been waiting for and they know it and they are so happy to be doing this together!! and the fact that they all share both that responsibility and that pride... ohhh i love it. i love that they probably have so much anxiety right now that must be soothed. i love that they must just all be so grateful for the prodigal son. i love all of it!!

#IDK IF ANY OF THIS IS AT ALL HELPFUL!!#if you decide to care about the canucks welcome and cross your fingers #vancouver canucks #hockey #long post

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calacuspr · 6 years

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When the dream fades – how one Tottenham Hotspur and England youngster dealt with disappointment

It was World Mental Health Day in early October and one area where individuals often suffer is in the world of elite sport.

Ben Bowditch had a sparkling career ahead of him after starring at youth level for Tottenham Hotspur and England but injuries curtailed his career before t had really begun.

He had to face the reality of his dreams being shattered when mental health issues were still considered taboo.

Now founder and Director of Bows Soccer Academy, here is Ben’s story, one many will relate to, whether they are in sport and other walks of life.

From 11-17 years old I was living ‘The Dream’ after signing for my boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur, further going on to play for England Schoolboys up to U20.

I showed a lot of early promise as a youngster, which resulted in me playing the year group above for Tottenham. This led me on to breaking into the Tottenham reserve side at just 17. I made my debut away to Southampton at the Dell, being coached by one of my favourite coaches of all time, Chris Hughton.

I had the privilege of playing in some fantastic stadiums such as White Hart Lane, St James Park, Vicarage Road, The Stadium of Light, The Riverside, The Reebok Stadium, Elland Road, Goodison Park, Old Trafford and one of the most iconic stadiums of all time, Wembley.

Whilst travelling with the England youth teams, I was lucky enough to visit many beautiful parts of the world, including Europe and Israel where the European Championships were held.

I was also fortunate enough to travel to Brazil for a tournament that featured Mexico, USA, Japan and of course Brazil.

I was unaware at the time, but the experience that I gained from these trips were to be priceless. They have helped mould me into the person I am today, with one of my biggest achievements leading my country in the U20 World Cup.

Along this journey I have played against some outstanding players, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Carlos Teves, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Andreas Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name but a few.

I had had the privilege of playing alongside Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley, and Dean Ashton as well as being coached by Glenn Hoddle, Colin Calderwood and Les Reed.

By 18, I had experienced so much and was being offered the world at such a young age.

Tottenham were paying me £800 a week plus bonuses, which was more money than many families were earning at that time. I had the world at my feet, but I had no real idea.

Despite having these luxuries it just felt ‘normal’. I did not have to work for any of it as such; it was all laid on a plate for me from the age of 11 and I did not know any different.

I had wonderful support from my family who travelled the world to watch me play, with my parents doing all they could, whatever was asked of them, to allow me to have these opportunities.

My agent (yes I had an agent), was also excellent. I could not have asked any more of him in terms of support and encouragement, both on and off the field. However, it was all still too ‘normal’.

I would be in the local papers, play live on Sky Sports, people would know my name and tell both myself and others how good I was.

Sadly, between the ages of 18 and 20 I experienced several injuries that would prove to be huge setbacks.

Each time I recovered and gained full fitness another problem arose leading to my playing time being reduced as I spent more time in the treatment room than on the field.

My confidence was severely affected and I found myself lower down the selection order when I was fit to play. I was having to work hard to get better, something I had not had to do before and I did not know how to deal with this.

I was still being selected to play for my country, even with this gradual decline. Being away with the team would lift my spirits but on my return I would feel myself gradually falling back into a dark state of mind, with my confidence decreasing daily.

My peers were surpassing me one by one breaking into the Reserve Team or the First Team, players I had always been ahead of previously.

I could feel it all slipping away from me and I just did not know what to do.

At 19, whilst recovering from a long term Achilles injury, I was told that I would not be offered a new contract at the end of the season. It was heart breaking news for me. I was devastated.

When I got home I cried in my bedroom. I can never forget that day as the weight of that news was unbearable even though I think I knew it would happen.

I spent another month at the club getting fit before I left to join AB Copenhagen in Denmark.

On my final day at the club I arrived at Spurs Lodge full of nerves. I felt lost and empty, I had been there all my life and now it was suddenly coming to an end. I walked into the canteen after my final session at the club to find all my coaches that I had worked with during my time there.

I fought hard to hold back the tears whilst I shook their hands and thanked them for all their hard work with me. When I got back to my car I broke down. I just could not handle the emotion. I wanted the world to swallow me up. I felt like I had let everyone down, especially my family, who had sacrificed so much to support me.

Arriving in Denmark gave me strength again, a new country and experience, a wonderful time, allowing me to regain some focus on pursuing a career in professional football.

I returned to England at the end of the season to join Colchester United in League One with Phil Parkinson in charge. He had said he did not wish to sign any more players in my position but I was determined, so with a strong attitude and positive performances, I was offered a contract. The hard work had paid off, I was back and felt the best I had for a very long time.

This was not to last long as I was to have yet another injury, a hernia injury that was initially treated as a hip problem. I had surgery for the hip before finding it was actually a hernia, which needed extensive surgery.

I ended up not playing for an entire season and further not being offered a new contract. I went on to play for Barnet in League Two, having an indifferent season.

I then had one of my best seasons though in the conference at Cambridge City before moving to Bishop’s Stortford where unfortunately I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament.

Trying to maintain the lifestyle I had become used to, I ran up huge debts on credit cards and loans, driving in cars I could not afford, buying more clothes that I needed and going on out with friends.

I felt like I was forever chasing a dream trying to find my way back to the level I had reached at such a young age.

The decline felt like I was drowning, I just could not find my way back out of the water.

All I wanted to do was let myself sink but I did not want to let my family and friends down, so was trying hard to overcome the feelings for them. If it had not been for them I may have given up long before.

I continued to play as I hoped one day my eight-month old son would be able to watch me, but whilst playing for Potters Bar I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament in the other knee. I have not played since.

I knew then I had to think about him and my family and now focus on our future.

Our future is now Bows Soccer Academy with my attention on helping young players achieve the best that they can with my guidance along with our highly motivated and passionate coaching team.

I realise I can now offer my valuable experience as an ex-professional footballer, using some of the fantastic lessons I learned with the great coaches I have worked with.

We are now fortunate enough to live in a world where mental health issues have been made more aware to us all.

Each and every one of us is making our own individual and unique journey in life. We will all encounter hurdles and stumbling blocks along the way, however with the support of those close to us and with the raising of awareness, we can help each other break through these barriers to find a solution.

I had the support from my family and close friends as a young professional player, but there was a lack of awareness around mental health.

I suffered with mental health as a young professional footballer and was too afraid to address my emotions. Had there been available support at that time, I may have been able to deal with my psychological state of mind in a better way than I did.

I now understand more about mental health and am no longer afraid.

Its OK to not be OK. Be kind to yourself and others. Talk. Do not be afraid of being judged. We are not alone and there is always someone who can help.

#Tottenham Hotspur #Mental Health #Bows Soccer Academy #Cristiano Ronaldo #Wayne Rooney #England football #Glenn Hoddle #Sky Sports

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Gareth Anscombe dampens Six Nations joy by threatening Welsh exodus

Gareth Anscombe fired a warning to Welsh rugby – sort out the regional chaos or risk of an exodus of the Grand Slam heroes to English clubs.

The fly-half, 27, who kicked Wales to the Six Nations title and won man of the match in the final game against Ireland having notched 20 points in a sublime display sent a warning to Welsh suits.

Pandemonium at the regions threatened to de-rail Wales' Championship clean sweep, as talk or mergers, limiting pay bands and uncertainty about contract wrought havoc behind the scenes.

Gareth Anscombe has warned Welsh Rugby Union of a potential player exodus

He delivered an ultimatum to the WRU to sort out the chaos at the regional level

And the Cardiff Blues man, who has sparked Premiership interest as his deal runs out in the summer, said Wales' winners have thought about jumping ship if they are not paid properly.

At present if players with fewer than 60 caps leave Wales they cannot play for the national side, but Anscombe, on 26, warned of a flight to England or France if the regions do not pay up for 'world-class' players.

"It has made all the boys think about being honest," he said.

"We all want to play for Wales there is no doubt about that, but players need to be treated well and we deserve to be.

'We've only got a 10-year window to look after ourselves. You don't want to look back with any regrets.

'Hopefully we can put this mess behind us and focus on this (the Grand Slam) which we should all be really excited about.

Anscombe was man of the match after kicking 20 points in Wales win over Ireland

"We're a world class team and we deserve to be where we are. We're not far off beating anyone, we're No. 2 in the world now, so hopefully that gets reciprocated.

'We've given the union something to be pretty proud about and hopefully the union and the regions come together and sort out the best deals for the players because that's important.

'We are doing a hell of a lot for the team and the country so we should be looked after.

'As players we deserve to get the best deals possible. I'd love to keep playing for Wales, but I've got a decision to make. Hopefully we'll have some news soon. "

Anscombe played for New Zealand U20s before converting to Wales in 2015, qualifying thanks to his Welsh mother who named him after Welsh legend Sir Gareth Edwards.

Anscombe was the subject of abuse on Twitter after swapping shirts with Owen Farrell

Anscombe believes Wales' Grand Slam heroes can go ruffle a few feathers in Japan

Since arriving in Wales he has been the subject of vital abuse from Twitter trolls.

After beating En gland in the Six Nations, Anscombe's fiancee posted a proud picture of the couple.

Anscombe had swapped shirts with opposite numbers Owen Farrell and was wearing the red rose in the picture, which brought savage criticism from some behind their laptops

But the playmaker hopes his recent performance shuts them up.

"I probably will never be the darling boy or Welsh rugby, and that's fine by me," he added.

'As long as people see I try my best hopefully that will improve in the years to come.

Anscombe admits he will probably always have contend with negative backlash from the public

'The boys know how fickle Welsh rugby is. We have all been through it. I have a good couple of mates who have gone through it and left. This is the life we live now.

"My family has always been tremendous, my fiancee is always there to help me.

" I am sure I am going to have days where people will criticize again. That's just the way it is. It is one side of it. I am trying to enjoy my rugby.

'I have seen other guys get it. I am not the first and won't be the last. It is the way that social media works these days, particularly on Twitter and things like people have opinions that are usually negative.

'That's why they want to voice them. I have said all along it's more important to me what the team think than what they think.

'I am a bit older, more mature and have gotten better at not sweating about those things. It's been difficult, definitely.

'I won't be able to change everyone. I will keep my head down and let my rugby do the talking. '

He wants to repay those who have backed him as Wales seek their first World Cup triumph

When he was presented with the man-of-the-match trophy at the Principality Post-Wales stage 25-7 win to seal the Slam, the ground roared their approval

And now Anscombe wants to repay those who have backed him with the World Cup.

"I have had a love-hate relationship with supporters for some reason," he said.

'But that (reception) was nice. I appreciate that. For some reason there is a consensus in the rugby public that they don't rate us. That suits us down to the ground.

"We have reason to believe we can go to Japan and ruffle a few feathers."

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#Gareth Anscombe dampens Six Nations joy by threatening Welsh exodus"

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Two coaches set for final Six Nations showdown and Adam Beard aims for lucky No 13 in Grand Slam bid

So, this is it – the end of the road for another Six Nations

It's been a blast, right !? And still three matches to go. This week we have tales of beards, beers, and Beirnes ahead of the biggest game of the weekend: Wales v Ireland, and plenty more besides.

So before spring has sprung and it becomes less socially acceptable to wear daffodil hats (actually, when is it ever?), discuss where a chariot is best stuck, or indulge in the annual stereotype that is this Championship, let's go once more round the islands shall we? Scrum’s the Word will guide you through the final weekend.

Joe Schmidt (L) and Warren Gatland (R) want to go to Six Nations for the final time

NEWS FROM ROUND THE NATIONS

GREATEST SCHMIDTS

In all the tear-stained tributes to Warren Gatland ahead of his last Six Nations match (with Wales, as he keeps jokingly reminding anyone) it might be Joe Schmidt's last game in this tournament too.

A shorter stint, but a Grand Slam (2018) and two other titles (2014; 2015) is pretty damn good in five seasons for World Rugby's coach of the year.

And when you look wider than the Six Nations he's sort of done it all.

Here are his win percentages against every team he's faced with:

100% – USA; Samoa; Romania; Japan; Italy; Fiji; Canada

86% – Scotland

83% – France

80% – Argentina

67% – Australia

60% – South Africa

50% – New Zealand

We've left two teams off there, though.

Schmidt's record against most of the top nations – including New Zealand – is remarkable

So the only two teams he struggled against are those, and if Warren and Wales beat Ireland on Saturday the record between the sides since 2013 will read Played 8; Ireland 3; Wales 4; Draw 1.

And the greatest Schmidt will be quelled and statty Gatty will have done a number on another top coach.

TUILAGI TIME

It's good that Manu Tuilagi has re-signed with Leicester, and therefore will continue his England career.

If he had moved over the Channel to Racing 92 it would have been a real kick in the nuts for his club, who have backed him through thick and thin and nursed him back to health on countless occasions.

Now Tuilagi will complete his first full Six Nations ever, playing his fifth Championship match of the year against Scotland.

At 27 it would have been a great shame – and would leave a sour taste – if soon as he had returned he was off.

Short careers, big checks and all that, but it is nice to see there is some repayment from Tuilagi to those who have helped him get back here.

Manu Tuilagi repaid Leicester's faith in him this week by Welford Road

FEEL THE BEIRNE

Tadhg Beirne could be the man to light a flame under the Welsh Grand Slam bit.

He's the turnover king with the most nicks at the breakdown in the European Champions Cup (13) for Munster, having moved from the Scarlets.

And in Wales last year he won 18 in that tournament, SEVEN more than the second-placed French Steyn.

So watch out for those Mr. Tickle arms causing havoc.

MMM, ZANON!

If Marco Zanon – the 21-year-old Italy center – scores in Rome on Saturday against France, and a commentator does not say the above …

LUCKY 13 FOR BEARD?

Adam's bearded wonder without a beard. The fresh-faced 23-year-old is STILL yet to lose for Wales yet.

Twelve Tests into his unbeaten Test career he's up for making it lucky 13 in the Grand Slam game against Ireland this Saturday.

"I never think of losing," he said this week.

"As soon as you are on a downward slope. Obviously you don't want to get too complacent, too up yourself, but if you keep your feet and ground and work hard and have a winning mentality you'll be alright.

'I have said this so many times, people are bigging up 12 from 12, but I am so lucky to be in a squad or 30-plus players where there is competition in each position.

'The determination and drive that everyone in this squad has got to get better every day and keep this run going is class.

'I have definitely never been in a squad with the feeling we have here. It’s a great feeling. "

Wales second row Adam Beard is 12 Tests into his international career and is yet to lose

Beard – unlike Elliot Dee and Nicky Smith who have also won their last 12 Tests – has never lost for his country. So sealing a Slam in his first Six Nations clean would be pretty special.

And he's already got one up on his opposite number for the weekend; James Ryan.

Wales U20s won a Grand Slam in 2016 and in that season a team with the Irish lock as captain.

"I have got one up on him," said Beard. 'It would be nice to get a second. He's a great athlete and has come on leaps and bounds in the Test arena.

"It's been good to watch a guy of my age and see what could happen if I keep playing well, learning and developing. I'm looking forward to the challenge or facing him. "

Beard is growing into this quite nicely.

SCOTLAND THE… SMALL

Wee is a word they use, and we're going to horridly adopt it (sorry) to refer to Scotland's backline.

OK, it's not quite as mini as last week and it could have been put into starker contrast with England's giants if Joe Cokanasiga (6ft 4in, 18st 1lbs) had bone selected.

But if this was a boxing match the 'reach' category of the fighters would show a sizeable chasm.

Combined , the Scots are more than eight inches shorter than their English opponents – that's almost one of those big rulers – and seven stones lighter across the backs.

So the likes of Nick Grigg, Ali Price and Darcy Graham might be nippy, but they might also end up looking like Flat Stanley come full time as the English bulldozers c ome rolling towards.

The likes of Scotland's Darcy Graham will come up against a huge England team on Saturday

BEFORE THE LORD MAYOR'S SHOW…

… Comes Italy v France.

Italy have got to win. And if they do, god help Jacques Brunel. He'll be sacked yesterday, surely?!

BRING ON THE BEERS

When we wrote a piece this week detailing the carnage that is set to unfold in Cardiff this Saturday for the Wales v Ireland game the information went mildly viral-like nits.

The best response to the article ( which you can read here ) came from Walkabout's social media account.

The Australian bar that we said would serve at least 11,500 pints on the day addressed to – full disclosure – a friend of Scrum's the Word (yes, it's not all stats, honest) who 'enjoyed the walkabout stat'.

Walkabout – who had to mop the ceiling of their bar on St Mary Street after Welsh fans threw their pints in the air after the England win (just drink 'em lads) – did too.

STATCAVE

4 away Six Nations wins on the spin for Ireland – a fifth in Wales would equal their best ever sequence in the Championship between 1928-30

9 defeats in 10 Tests away from home in the Six Nations for France, their only victory in that run coming from Italy in 2017.

0 – Wales have never lost a Grand Slam game in the Six Nations era. In fact, when they have won three matches they have always completed a sweep.

50th occasion Sergio Paris will captain Italy in the Six Nations. No other player has achieved that feat.

13 consecutive Test victories for Wales. If they win one more, beating Ireland on Saturday, they will run equal England's with Sir Clive Woodward between 2002-03. In the northern hemisphere only Eddie Jones ’2016-17 England side put together a longer unbeaten run – or 18 matches.

1983 – The last time Scotland won at Twickenham. Their 2018 win at Murrayfield ended a run of nine games without victory over England.

10 more tackles to be made by Tom Curry to make him the top tackling Englishman in a Six Nations season . Joe Launchbury made 85 in 2015 – Curry has made 76 in the first four rounds.

LOWEST-SCORING SLAM EVER?

If Wales score fewer than 20 points and just one try against Ireland they will complete a clean sweep with the fewest points scored and tries amassed in Six Nations history.

POINTS PER GRAND SLAM YEAR Slam year Team Points scored Tries 2002 France 156 15 2003 England 173 18 2004 France 144 14 2005 Wales 151 17 2008 Wales 148 13 2009 Ireland 121 12 2010 France 135 13 2012 Wales 109 10 2016 England 132 13 2018 Ireland 160 20 2019 Wales? 89 9

SIX NATIONS MATCH GUIDES

ITALY v FRANCE

Saturday 12.30pm Stadio Olimpico LIVE ITV from 12pm

ITALY : Hayward; Padovani, Zanon, Morisi, Esposito; Allan, Tebaldi; Lovotti, Ghiraldini, Pasquali, Sisi, Ruzza, Steyn, Polledri, Parisse.

Bench: Bigi, Traore, Ferrari, Zanni, Negri, Palazanni, McKinley, Sperandio.

FRANCE : Medard; Penaud, Bastareaud, Fofana, Huget; Ntamack, Dupont; Falgoux, Guirado, Bamba, Lambey, Willemse, Alldritt, Camara, Picamoles.

Bench: Chat, Priso, Aldegheri, Gabrillagues, Iturria, Serin, Lopez, Ramos.

Prediction: France.

[1945901] WALES v IRELAND

Saturday 2.45pm Murrayfield LIVE BBC One from 2pm

WALES : L Williams; North, J Davies, Parkes, Adams; Anscombe, G Davies; R Evans, Owens, Francis, AW Jones, Beard, Navidi, Tipuric, Moriarty. Bench: Dee, Smith, Lewis, Ball, Wainwright, A Davies, Biggar, Watkin.

IRELAND : Kearney; Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Stockdale; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Furlong, Beirne, J Ryan, O'Mahony, O'Brien, Stander. Bench: Scannell, Kilcoyne, Porter, Roux, Conan, Marmion, Carty, Larmour.

Prediction: Wales.

ENGLAND v SCOTLAND

Saturday 5pm Twickenham LIVE ITV from 4.15pm

ENGLAND : Daly; Nowell, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell, Youngs; Moon, George, Sinckler, Launchbury, Cross, Wilson, Curry, B. Vunipola.

Bench: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Cole, Shields, Hughes, Spencer, Ford, Te'o.

SCOTLAND : Maitland; Graham, Grigg, Johnson, McGuigan; Russell, Price; Dell, McInally, Nel, Toolis, Gilchrist, Skinner, Watson, Bradbury.

Bench: Brown, Reid, Berghan, J. Gray, Strauss, Laidlaw, Hastings, Harris.

Prediction: England

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