Thank you to Brendan, partly for reminding (in case you’ve forgotten) or pointing to (in case you don’t know) this. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
9. Finished with a player on one side being dominant (9)
OVERAWING : OVER(finished) plus(with) A + WING(player in a rugby team covering one or the other side of the field).
Defn: …, by being so impressive.
10. Back a time and a place for important matches (5)
ARENA : Reversal of(Back) [AN ERA](a long period of time) ].
11. Eg captain leading little forwards in pack, say (5)
OCTAD : OC(abbrev. for “Officer Commanding”, an example of which is a captain in the forces) plus(leading) TAD(a little/to a small extent).
Defn: A group of eight, such as/say, the pack of forwards, collectively, in a rugby team.
12. With this, centre makes a short distance in final minutes (5,4)
EXTRA TIME : Reverse clue: An additional(EXTRA) “TIME” contained in(With this …) “centre” = “centimetre”, a short distance viz. a hundredth of a metre.
Defn: … of a, say, football match that is played after regulation time to break a tie.
13. Minimal censorship? That’s one way to get play restarted (4-3)
LINE-OUT : (LINE OUT)(a possible/? description of minimal censorship where only a line and not, say, the whole text is deleted).
Defn: … in a rugby match.
14. Work on courses about small margin of victory in rugby (7)
REPOINT : RE(about/with reference to) POINT(the smallest margin by which the victorious team wins in a rugby match).
Defn: … of brickwork.
17, 19. Intoxicated crowd, getting over line and leading in global competition (5,3)
WORLD CUP : Anagram of(Intoxicated) CROWD containing(getting over) L(abbrev. for “line”) plus(and) UP(leading/winning in a competitive match).
19. See 17
20. Where you’ll find beginning of game inscribed in stone (5)
RUGBY : 1st letter of(beginning of) “game” contained in(inscribed in) RUBY(a precious stone).
Defn: …, ie. Rugby School, a public school in Rugby, England, where the game originated.
21. In any match he or she should play a fairly decisive role (7)
REFEREE : Cryptic defn: The official in any match who should make fair decisions on how the game is being played.
22. Leinster centre, hard worker, quick to get ready (7)
INSTANT : Middle 4letters of(… centre) “Leinster” + ANT(a social insect, one of whose castes is the worker).
Defn: … as in, say, coffee.
24. Problems due to too many coaches etc dog almost half of XV (9)
TAILBACKS : TAIL(to dog/follow) + BACKS(the 7 out of 15/almost half of the positions in a rugby team/XV).
Defn: …, ie. vehicular traffic on the roads.
26. A yen that chap has to forego to become international (5)
AITCH : A + ITCH(a yen/a yearning).
Defn: Letter that has to be deleted/to forego from “chap” to make it/become “cap”/a player representing his or her country in an international match.
28. Touch, possibly? Otherwise it’s five points (5)
SENSE : S,E,N,S,E(5 x abbrev. for compass points, “south”, “east”, and “north”).
Defn: An example of which/possibly, is “touch”, perception by physical contact
29. Mature and train for Rugby, for instance? That’s traditional (3,6)
OLD SCHOOL : OLD(mature/aged) plus(and) SCHOOL(to train/educate in an institution like/for instance, Rugby, a public school).
Down
1. One player’s performance in colossal upset (4)
SOLO : Hidden in(in) reversal of(… upset, in a down clue) “colossal“.
2. He can ring the changes, as ten, in attack (6)
SEXTON : X(Roman numeral for “ten”) contained in(in) SET ON(to attack someone).
Defn: In a church, … ie. the various orders in which a set of bells can be rung.
3. Official when giving a send-off for sevens player (10)
CARDHOLDER : CARD(giving a send-off/of a referee of a mtach, showing a red card to a player) + HOLDER(Will, a rugby sevens player from the USA).
Defn: Possible description of an official, in this case, a referee in a match between teams.
4. Leader of Wallabies that is most off target (6)
WIDEST : 1st letter of(Leader of) “Wallabies” + ID EST(i.e. in full/that is).
Defn: …/outside of a target, eg. a goal.
5. Provocative statements from a nasty person, one in pack (8)
AGITPROP : A + GIT(a nasty person) + PROP(one of the playing positions in a pack, the forwards, collectively, in a rugby team).
Defn: …/political propaganda.
6. Highly aggressive Kiwi activity, first of all? (4)
HAKA : 1st letters, respectively, of(…, first of all) “Highly aggressive Kiwi activity“.
Defn: …, originally performed by Maoris on special occasions, including warriors before battle, now performed, sort of, by rugby players before a match.
7. Moving back, not forward (8)
RETIRING : Double defn: 1st: …/retreating from an enemy or attacking position; and 2nd: Shy/….
8. Like kicker that’s injured in rugby match, say (4)
GAME : Double defn: Describing a person’s leg/kicker that’s permanently injured; and 2nd: An example of which/say, is a rugby match.
13. Have score to settle between sides, so scowl (5)
LOWER : OWE(have a score/debt to settle) contained in(between) L,R(abbrev. for “left” and “right” sides, respectively).
15. Today’s big event in local publication (5,5)
PARIS MATCH : Double defn: 1st: Refering to the opening game in the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be played today, 8 Sept. in Paris; 2nd: A weekly news magazine in the same location/country where the World Cup is being played.
16. Score on way in passionate encounter (5)
TRYST : TRY(the grounding of the ball behind the opponent’s goal line, adding 5 points to the team’s score) placed above(on, in a down clue) ST(abbrev. for “street”, a way).
18. Thugs upset if surrounded by rugby supporters (8)
RUFFIANS : Reversal of(upset, in a down clue) IF contained in(surrounded by) [ RU(abbrev. for “rugby union”, the game) FANS(supporters/enthusiasts) ].
19. Start of rugby in old English clubs I found in study — it’s compelling (8)
COERCION : { 1st letter of(Start of) “rugby” contained in(in) [ O(abbrev. for “old”) + E(abbrev. for “English”) + C(abbrev. for “clubs”, the playing cards suit) + I ] } contained in(found in) CON(to study/learn).
22. Restrained by locks selected for team (6)
INSIDE : [ IN SIDE ](selected to play in/for the side/team).
Defn: …, in prison, that is.
23. Instruction to players to start fighting (6)
ACTION : Double defn: 1st: The last word in “Lights, Camera, Action!”, telling players/actors on a film set to start acting; and 2nd: …/a military engagement.
24. International held in appropriate stadium (4)
TEST : Hidden in(held in) “appropriate stadium“.
Defn: … cricket or rugby match between 2 teams representing their countries.
25. South African starts for Boks, obviously enjoying rugby (4)
BOER : 1st letters, respectively, of(starts for) “Boks, obviously enjoying rugby“.
Defn: … whose ancestors were Dutch colonists.
27. One of two in fifteen for part of rugby match (4)
HALF : Double defn: 1st: Either of the scrum-half or fly-half in a rugby team of fifteen players); and 2nd: Either of the two equal time periods into which a rugby match is divided.
Another remarkable feat from Brendan and hopefully just as enjoyable for non-nudging fans. I just marvelled at how he could fit in so many double-meaning, thematic clues, without forcing it. HAKA was my favourite. Just hoping Ireland perform as well as Brendan did here.
Ta Brendan & scchua for the colourful blog.
Thanks Brendan and scchua
I saw a theme! Very clever puzzle. Favourites tailbacks and PARIS MATCH. I didn’t parse 11, 12, or 13.
SEXTON, as well as a bell ringer, is the captain of the Irish side.
Oh God, it’s a rugby theme! I’m outa here. 🙁
Thank you scchua for your very clear blog, and for the parsing of OCTAD and EXTRA TIME, both of which I failed on wordplay, rather than Rugby knowledge. OC Officer Commanding, and the insertion of time in cenTIMEtre.
In 3d, I don’t think that Will Holder is involved. The sevens player in the latter part of the clue is a player of Sevens, the playing card game not the rugby game. The referee sending a player off is holding up a yellow or red card. I think therefore it is simpler than your parsing proposes, scchua.
While I have no problem with a rugby theme I draw the line at needing knowledge of an American sevens player – and I watch rugby!
Thanks, Brendan and scchua!
RUGBY
Looks like an &lit.
Found this online:
At least two centuries of Rugby’s history are written in the stones and other monuments to tradition that stand around the School Close, where in 1823, local lad William Webb Ellis, with a fine disregard for the rules of football, took the ball in his arms and ran with it, originating the game of rugby football.
EXTRA TIME
I was wondering if ‘EXTRA TIME in centre’ means: ‘one t (time) is there in ‘centre’ and the ‘TIME’ being added is EXTRA.’ Not sure what the setter intended.
Typically ingenious thematic from Brendan, which I found quite tricky in parts.
Favourites were EXTRA TIME – clever construction- and ACTION – one of those clues with a deceptively simple surface disguising the caesura: Instruction to players to start // fighting.
SEXTON always reminds me of Thomas Hood:
His death, which happened in his berth
At forty-odd befell.
They went and told the sexton
And the sexton tolled the bell.
Thanks to S&B
Rugby being my game, this was right up my street and timed to perfection with the World Cup about to kick off. I loved the surfaces and Brendan has been so creative in the way he has used his references in cunning and deceiving ways. Brilliantly done. And not an enormous amount of knowledge of the game needed – though I could imagine some challenge for folk totally unfamiliar with the game. When I finished the puzzle, the first two comments on the G’s own page said 1) Very clever and enjoyable, even though I am not a sportsman 2) Boring theme that’s too pervasive. I do suspect this is a puzzle that will split the house.
Loads to like but, to try and narrow it down to a shortlist, LINE OUT, REPOINT, INSTANT, TAILBACKS, WIDEST, HAKA, GAME, INSIDE, BOER and HALF.
I agree with sc@5 (and sympathise with Crispy @6): no need for knowledge of US sevens players)
Thanks Brendan and scchua
Having been involved with Rugby Union for over 50 years, tackling today’s puzzle from was a delight for me and solutions were converted from clues easily. Many thanks Brendan!
Two friends and I are in a WhatsAop group. Amongst other things we discuss the Guardian cryptic which every day we attempt to solve competitively. When all else fails we use Fifteensquared to understand solutions. In our WhatsApps we reduce Fifteensquared to ‘15*2’ which today is rather apt.
I agree with S’s c @5 about the parsing of CARDHOLDER.
Apologies for grammatical errors and typos in the above.
CARDHOLDER
I parsed it as scchua did.
I know less about rugby than I do about cricket, and that’s saying something! However, this was a quick solve for me, though with a record number of unparsed ‘correct guesses’, making it all rather unsatisfactory.
Thanks to Brendan anyway for a well-integrated theme, clearly making allowances for those lacking sporting GK, and to scchua for the much-needed blog.
Too many good clues to mention. Made me laugh. The key to the theme WORLD CUP RUGBY across the middle only struck me later.
I wondered if OLD SCHOOL had 2 parts of the wordplay cluing SCHOOL, ie train and Rugby is also a school.
Yes, muffin@2. I struggled with SEXTON, and only after googling did I realise why that clue was there.
A brilliant piece of setting. Thank you Brendan. However, while I have no objection to being expected to know rugby terms like prop, wing and line-out, can we really be expected to know a specific sevens player from any country, let alone the USA. On googling him he doesn’t even seem to be a major layer there.
paddymelon@15
OLD SCHOOL
You have company.
And thank you scchua for your well-chosen clip of the HAKA (my FOI) with an Aussie broadcaster.
MikeB @ 16. See Spooner’s catflap @5.
I’m sure this was fun for rugby fans, but when I remember the moans when even a single clue requiring minor cricketing knowledge pops up, I can’t help feeling a bit miffed by a whole crossword devoted to what is probably my least favourite game. I should really just have abandoned it like GeoffDU @3.
Also agree with SC @5: Brendan would never resort to such an obscurity. SEXTON also plays for Leinster, mentioned in 22ac.
[Roz, thanks for the FT clue yesterday, loved it].
Brilliant topicality – many thanks to Brendan and to scchua for the blog, I needed help in parsing SEXTON and EXTRA TIME. Agree with Spooner’s catflap@5 et al re parsing of CARDHOLDER.
paddymelon@15: yes, and indeed, Rugby is an OLD SCHOOL; that makes two definitions.
I really loved this! – and agree with paddymelon that there were far too many good clues to mention – I had seventeen ticks!
I totally agree with MikeB’s comment on on 3dn (which I failed to parse) and therefore I prefer Spooner’s catflap’s version @5.
Many thanks to Brendan for another brilliant puzzle and scchua for the blog.
Blissfully unaware of world cup till now, no thanks for the notification, but pretty neat puzzle. SENSE was my favourite, remarkably apt.
I didn’t get AITCH, which reminded me of Brendan’s clue for ELEVEN recently which I also didn’t get, because inability to spot the indirect definition.
As Gervase has provided a nice quote, I’ll mention that while sextons might toll, there’s no reason why they’d ring changes unless they happened to be a change ringer as well as a sexton.
There’s a poem called Ringing the Bells, by Anne Sexton
Unfortunately Rugby Union played at international level is not now one of my favourite spectator sports. Too many breaks in play, and yet another ruck. However I did enjoy watching in the Sixties when the Five Nations Rugby was one of the few live sporting events shown on TV. A more open game then, too…
However, there were quite a few here that I inserted but couldn’t parse fully – EXTRA TIME, SENSE, RETIRING, GAME, HALF. And I was left with three crossers in place for 11ac, and still didn’t get OCTAD at the very end.
Didn’t quite see – probably the pick of today’s clues, SEXTON – and how it worked, imagining that perhaps there was an anagram involving X for ten and ONSET for attack. Rather than the more straightforward reading of it. Good to see he’s fit again in time for tonight’s crunch encounter.
…except that it’s France v The All Blacks tonight, and Ireland don’t enter the fray till tomorrow afternoon…!
A brilliant puzzle. Bravo, Brendan! Thanks to scchua for the blog.
Amongst all the ingenuity, there’s just one clue that seems iffy to me: AITCH. The way I read it, there are two lots of wordplay – ‘a yen’ and ‘that chap has to forego to become international’ – and no definition. Or am I being dim?
Ronald @25. Whilst I don’t think the vast majority of the contributors here want this to move into a sporting debate I’d just mention in 1963 there was an international game between Wales and Scotland that had 111 – yes one hundred and eleven! – lineouts. That’s more than one a minute … sixties and seventies rugby wasn’t always the Barbarians v New Zealand.
No more from me though.
Median@27
AITCH
The underlined part of the clue in the blog works as a good cryptic definition.
So much to like here. Despite playing rugby at school which I didn’t like, I do enjoy the game. Particular favourites were EXTRA TIME for the clever centre, AITCH and WIDEST just for seeing id est rather than ie being used.
AITCH
The cryptic definition part could be read as ‘that ‘chap’ has to forego to become ‘cap’.
Thanks Brendan and scchua. Still have the faintest scar on the ear where a charging winger’s knee split it. All part of the fun of rugger 😉 . And a fun puzzle, tho couldn’t parse octad, and had no idea about Holder from the US.
Thanks Spooner@5. Our comments crossed like two centres, unseen by the ref! Your answer, of course, made more sense than an obscure player from a small nation in the rugby world.
Thanks Brendan and Scchua.
I suspect that opinions will be divided on the theme too.
Thanks, KVa @31. I agree that works.
Hmm.
Reminded me how much I loathe the “game” of Rugby Union, the result of being made to “play” it as a deeply un-sporty youngster. Geoff @3, I’m with you all the way.
While I’m all for obscure general knowledge, I’d managed to forget that the opening match of the current bore-fest was due to take place in Paris (15d). Even though I’d remembered that there are eight great lumps in a scrum and that they were called a “pack”, by the time I’d nearly finished I just couldn’t be bothered to struggle to find OCTAD. I did, however, remember that nearly half of a rugby team could be classed as “backs” (24ac) (as opposed to “a***s” which is the appropriate term for someone who repeatedly tackles illegally and whines when he gets red-carded for it).
The clue for SEXTON is ingenious, but simply flat wrong. A sexton does not ring the changes, indeed no single ringer by himself can do so. The Sexton tolls the passing bell (Dorothy L Sayers’ The Nine Tailors, passim).
All of which being said, I admire Brendan’s dedication in attempting a very difficult task, and doing it very neatly – I’d missed the message in 17ac, 19ac, 20ac. And there are some extremely neat clues in here – I think AITCH, SENSE, OLD SCHOOL, and the deeply ironic RUFFIANS were my favourites.
And scchua’s dedication in finding apposite clips with which to illustrate an excellent blog, and making the links work properly, is, as usual, beyond praise. Thanks, both.
But I shan’t be watching the game.
GAME
Could someone explain to me the first def for GAME? Is a permanently injured leg called GAME?
Also a sentence using game in this sense please.
KVa@31 I saw everything before international as wordplay. Perhaps you and scchua and I are all saying the same thing but the underlining doesn’t reflect that?
Re 2. Johnny Sexton is captain but also the number 10.
KVa, @36. Possibly from the English dialectal (North Midlands) adjective game (“lame”), Welsh cam (“crooked”), or from Irish cam (“bent”), by way of Shelta. Compare also Old Occitan gambi (“lame, limping”), related to Old Occitan gamba (“leg”) (see also French jambe (“leg”), English gam (“leg”)).
paddymelon@37
AITCH
I agree with the blog fully on this. I think you differ on what needs to be underlined as the def. Right?
CARDHOLDER
SC@5
Took some time to get out of the overthinking mode. Now I see it as a single cryptic def.
paddymelon@39
Thanks. Understood.
I have seen ‘gam=leg’ in several puzzles.
Couldn’t link game & injured gam.
I just wanted to agree with AlanC (not only because I’m an AlanC myself) in the first comment here. The double meanings are fantastically well done.
Thanks to Gervase #8 for the reminder of the ‘bell’ poem. Great stuff. NeilH #35 is of course right but I wouldn’t cavil at such a neat and appropriate play on words.
To answer KVa GAME does appear with that meaning in dictionaries. I’ve never known why people often pronounce it ‘gammy’ though. For an example (rhyming with lame) see Tolkien’s poem about the troll in The Fellowship of the Ring ch12 p 241-2 in my edition.
What a fantastic crossword! Being a rugby fan may have added to my enjoyment but also made me a sucker for the numerous mis-directions.
The @lit SEXTON was my pick.
Sccua, your “(sort of)” comment on HAKA performances is certainly valid for days gone by, but since Buck Shelford took over as captain after the first World Cup in 1987, the All Blacks perform the haka in accordance with tikanga (correct practice). The haka in your clip is Kapa O Pango (literally “Team of Black), composed specifically for the All Blacks. The plural form of M?ori is M?ori.
Looking forward to kickoff. Thanks Brendan and sccua.
Stevethepirate@28…thanks very much for the amazing stats on that particular match! Not sure if I was watching that day…
Geoff Down Under @3. Me too. Despise the game. Too many reminders of the Ruffians (aka bullies) in the 1st XV at school.
Komornik @42: I agree the play on words is neat and (barring the bell-ringing clanger)(sorry, but I couldn’t resist it) brilliant.
But “He rings changes – ten in attack” would perhaps work as well, with “changes” signifying that TEN becomes X rather than being an (inaccurate) part of the definition.
In addition to Johnny Sexton wearing the 10 shirt, Dave Sexton was an inside forward for a few clubs. As such he may have worn a number 10 shirt.
[NeilH @35: You’re quite right about the sexton’s traditional role, of course. But in Sayers’s ‘The Nine Tailors’ the sexton, Harry Gotobed, is also one of the change ringers, as it happens]
Brendan is one of my favourite setters, but I was right on the heels of GeoffDownUnder@3.
Probably a bit off topic, but have just rediscovered a volume of Tom Brown’s Schooldays presented in 1895 as a school prize to my grandfather (aged 7!, for getting 100% in some kind of mathematics exam or test). Rugby School of course the setting for this classic…
Kva@36 my understanding is that strictly game should have an acute accent on and hence pronounced “gammy” – as in “I have a gammy leg”. But I’m happy to be proved wrong.
Rugby rates here as maybe a distant eighth most popular team sport, and very few people here grow up with it–most who play or watch it are either transplants from abroad or people who picked it up in college. So suffice it to say it’s not exactly in my blood. But I do know just enough about it to have pulled this off. Still, wasn’t all that fun for me. But I’m not complaining, since the puzzle wasn’t aimed at me in the first place.
It occurred to me later that DROP OUT is actually a better answet to 13a, as a drop is more minimal than a line. It wasn’t an option though, as I already had LOWER.
mrpenney @52
USA are current Olympic XVs rugby champions. Of course it hasn’t been played since 1924!
Found it very tough to get started on this puzzle, solving only 5 clues on my first pass. It did not help that I was scared by the theme about which I know nothing! Did a quick search on google and discovered that the rugby world cup starts today in France. Then did a quick search on rugby positions. I have never seen a rugby match and do not intend to start watching it now 😉
Failed to solve 12ac, 4d, 7d, 8d. Of the ones I solved, I did not parse 11ac apart from TAD = a little. Also 12ac.
14ac why does REPOINT = work on courses?
Thanks, both.
michelle
Courses of brickwork.
[Me @52: for the curious, in this order, I know the top five team spectator sports are American football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and ice hockey (soccer having passed hockey fairly recently). A big gap before lacrosse, and then another big gap before everything else. Rugby might be seventh instead of eighth, but we’re down in Serious Niche territory by that point on the list, so it’s hard to say.]
As many have said, I thought SEXTON was simply outstanding.
CARDHOLDER, on the other hand, was iffy…
Komorník@42
Thanks.
I did look up ‘game’ earlier and couldn’t find the meaning I was looking for.
After paddymelon’s and your comment, looked up lame in the Chambers Thesaurus
and ‘game’ is given as a synonym.
Deezzaa@51
I did find ‘gammy’ in the sense that we are discussing.
Wonderful puzzle, thank you Brendan and scchua. I’m normally terrible at spotting themes but this was a real celebration of WORLD CUP RUGBY.
Muffin@2, SEXTON is not only captain of Ireland but wears number 10, making the clue even better I think – definitely my clue of the day. Also enjoyed PARIS MATCH and AITCH, one of the few times I parsed a ‘reverse definition’ clue.
I see lots of people have already noted Johnny Sextons shirt number, rhatll teach me to read before commenting!
Graham@60, of course the number 10 in rugby is also the playmaker who can ring the changes in attack.
Excellent puzzle.
SEXTON is a particularly ingenious surface because Jonny Sexton is also “a ten” which is the rugby position that orchestrates a team’s “attack”.
I parsed CARDHOLDER as other commenters.
I still don’t quite get the parsing of AITCH.
Paul, Tutukaka@43
SEXTON
The clue works as a def as many of you have pointed out.
The wordplay doesn’t involve the whole clue though.
Not an &lit, I feel.
RUGBY
Does the underlined part of the clue in the blog work all right?
I think the whole clue needs to be underlined as a def. I think
my post @7 lacked clarity. Considering that two centuries of
Rugby’s history is written in stone there, including the ‘inscribed
in stone’ part in the def makes sense.
May not be an &lit, I agree.
With apologies to the seventeen previous commenters who’ve already pointed that out…
This took me about a third of the average time for Brendan. But I am Welsh, so no surprise I suppose that the theme was no problem. Within that specific context, some of these clues were superb. Sexton is simply fantastic, recognising, of course, that some knowledge of rugby is needed for the brilliance to be apparent.
Even if you don’t know about the theme, who can resist a Brendan crossword on any subject at all
My particular favourite was 15a
Thanks to Brendan and scchua
KVa@64 “He can ring the changes, as ten, in attack” could be a line from a sports page describing Johnny Sexton.
This was a bit hard for me. Guessed a lot. The rugby theme wasn’t any help for me. Too many queries to list…OC was new instead of usual CO? And “Train for rugby” meaning SCHOOL seemed strange when either train or rugby would suffice.
Thanks both
[Paul @62. Unless you’re the England no. 10, in which case you simply kick the ball aimlessly. Can you tell I’m not hopeful of success?]
A very clever puzzle, which I enjoyed despite not knowing my prop from my fly-half. Although having never come across OC or OCTAD, nor having the faintest idea what comprises a pack, I never had a hope with 11A.
Thanks both.
I know next to nothing about rugby, never watch it, but was able to complete the puzzle, so I’m happy.
I’ll join the gang who saw OLD SCHOOL as a three-way.
Pete @38: great spot, your comment seems to have gone unheralded but echoed much.
Enjoyed this, even though I failed the last few, and didn’t parse a couple.
Masterly way to incorporate the theme without too much knowledge of rugby required.
I liked OCTAD and TAILBACKS for the definitions, AITCH for wordplay, and RUFFIANS for the wordplay and surface. [The final is not until the 28th October, so a lot of rugby in the news for nearly two months. Although I played rugby at school, I rather wince at watching the hard collisions and hope there are not too many injuries sustained.]
Thanks Brendan and scchua.
For the uninitiated, Rugby Union is like Rugby League but without the action.
OCTAD stumped me as I went down the Captain Oates route so ended up with OATED which I was not happy with.
Started to feel like it wasn’t my cup of tea when I realised it was a rugby theme, as I know very little about rugby union. But I persevered and having solved it (eventually), I agree that it was very clever puzzle indeed. Several of my favourites have already named – and I appreciate that a few I couldn’t parse in full are now explained.
Lovely kind of coincidence that the stone that symbolises my 40th wedding anniversary (being celebrated tomorrow) led to the theme clue RUGBY at 20a.
Many thanks to Brendan and scchua. Also to other contributors for an interesting blog.
@scchua Surely 22A is middle four letters of LeINSTer?
Otherwise, a lovely way to finish the week, and thank you for the tricky parsings.
Note that the clue for ‘octad’ is also an octad … .
22ac – slight typo: middle 4 letters of Leinster… INST
Very glad my school didn’t play rugby at all.
Hate rugby.Bye.
Thanks scchua, as I realised I had lazily not gone back to fathom the wordplay of EXTRA TIME – very clever. (Minor: in 22a it is the central 4 letters of “Leinster” that are needed.) Was going to save this for a train ride tonight but couldn’t resist and loved it, some wonderfully apposite surfaces mentioned above more than making up for the slight advantage gained by theme familiarity (so I am not surprised by BirdFossil’s timing, though I was not quite so quick). Thanks Brendan, hope your man (I think) SEXTON and his compatriots stay the course (or failing that would enjoy a home win – want a new name on the Cup and sadly can’t see Wales managing it this time).
Apologies as I stopped to make a cuppa so duplicated Jacob@78 and TripleJumper@80, but can at least congratulate Julie@77 – it’ll never last etc.
Gervase @48 – Touché. Personally I doubt that Brendan had thought it through that far, but I’ll stop whingeing and enjoy the ingenuity of the clue.
Thank you Stefano @76. May I also lob in a snippet from before Rugby Union went honestly professional. Time was that if you had ever played Rugby League, even as an amateur, you were forever disqualified from playing the hallowed 15-a-side version. And the story went the rounds of someone serving a long prison sentence – in some versions of the tale, it was even a life sentence for murder – who, being a talented rugby player, was allowed out on day release to coach lads at a local school. And the suits at Twickenham were very proud of him. Until they found that in his youth he had played Rugby League as an amateur. Upon which, he was issued with a lifetime ban.
Oh, and Julie @77 – congratulations and best wishes for tomorrow.
Thanks Jacob and TripleJumper, and Gazzh Typo corrected.
My joy at seeing Brendan as the setter was quickly dampened when I saw the theme. I guessed more answers than I actually solved and I missed much of the cleverness described in the blog. Thanks to both.
I know even less about rugby than I do about soccer, so I had a lot of guess-and-bung.
11A OCTAD So a CO can be an OC? News to me.
scchua, thanks for parsing EXTRA TIME — I’d never have gotten that.
I liked the clever surface of RUGBY.
Didn’t know TAILBACKS in either of its senses, though I’ve certainly met the traffic ones..
Thanks, Brendan and scchua.
I am sometimes accused of self-indulgence, this time I unreservedly plead guilty. I never played, but my father did. I will be extremely happy if the Irish team plays to its potential, regardless of how far they get.
I should also have included thanks for scchua’s analysis. We owe special thanks to the team that diligently and speedily do this work.
I lost some sleep over sexton as a change-ringer, but it maybe squeaks by since he (or she) COULD ring changes as part of the team.
Ow! This was a slog for an American non sports fan, involving a lot of consulting of a list of rugby terms. Still a lot to enjoy for the rugby ignorant; favorites for me were SENSE and WIDEST.
Thanks Brendan and scchua.
Gervase@8 Thanks for pointing out that it was Thomas Hood. I may have known that, as it was used in Lickes (is that he correct name – does an one else remember?) our text book for O level English as an example of a pun.
On the pronunciation of GAME, being from N England, I always though it was gammy, but I think the Scottish rhymes with lame (limping, not the gold stuff). The only time I heard it pronounced in Canada was by a Scotsman, in this way, so I don’t know if that is the Canadian pronunciation too.
Thanks scchua and Brendan
Brendan @89/90: It’s strange that RU should be a sport for all in the Celtic nations, but too much associated in England with Hooray Henrys to be my cup of tea. But I know enough of the terminology to be able to solve the puzzle unaided, and I enjoyed it a lot nevertheless. Thanks for dropping by, and much more please!
Gervase @93
I was involved one way or another in English rugby for over 40 years and I never met a “Hooray Henry”. I imagine that Joe Marler for one would be rather amused to be described as one – unless Hooray Henry overlaps with “piss artist”!
Simply brilliant! A tour de force!!! Some of the best fun to be had in a 15×15 grid for some time.
SEXTON is the absolute stand-out, superb surface. EXTRA TIME, AGITPROP, PARIS MATCH and AITCH all brilliant too.
Thanks immensely Brendan and scchua
I failed on only five clues which considering I know nothing about rugby, and have no interest in it, was pretty good going. My kind of crossword, where there is lots to be learned through the wordplay (and the helpful blog). Thank you.
My old dad, not a rugby player, did have the lead in Waiting For Lefty a Clifford Odets agitprop play.
I agree @36, game was limp. A bit like England’s chances
Some superb clues here, even if I’d never heard of the word OCTAD and had to look it up – don’t suppose it’s ever been used in a rugby context? And I didn’t know of the ‘sevens’ link in CARDHOLDER – perhaps a definition on the lines of ‘member’ might have been clearer.
But – once I twigged the parsing (which took a while!) EXTRA TIME is brilliant – very clever example of a ‘reverse clue’. Has to get the top tick. Also TAILBACKS (are the scrum-half, fly-half, and three-quarters properly referred to as ‘backs’?), REPOINT, and SENSE, for clever deception.
Getting so many themers into a grid is also quite an achievement. I wish I had the knack. I struggle to get eight in…
Thanks to Brendan and Scchua.
Laccaria @99
Yes, a rugby XV comprises 8 forwards and 7 backs.
Thanks also for the videos! What with Fiji’s recent performance against England, perhaps we’ll see more of the Cibi too. Very different from the Haka but just as scary!
Thanks for the blog, I do not like themes in the clues and this one was beyond tiresome. At least it was so short I could do the FT before my train stopped. EXTRA TIME and AITCH were clever.
[ AlanC @1 yet again , it is now 32-5 but you are dicing with disaster. Any negative scores are carried over to next season. I trust that the mighty Slovenia do not have a rugby team ? ]
Brian @ 89: disappointed there were no Ulstermen in there. Just like the old days 🙂
[Roz @103: I dread next season already!
Having been forced to play rugby once as a youngster I developed a hatred for the game, for obvious reasons. Setters should be sensitive to those of us who are triggered by memories of a game that (at least passively) encourages bullying and sexual assault.
Of course, I do not mean the second sentence in this comment. Rugby is a perfectly good subject for a themed crossword, and this one was well done by my favourite setter. I am not complaining. Unfortunately, for the reason noted above, I did not enjoy it.
Was I the only one to initially put ENGAGE for 23d? Instruction to players while setting the scrum, and the start of a battle. Seemed to work perfectly well till the crossers messed it up.
Re Brendan #90 and Neil H earlier, it is perhaps comforting to know that the sexton in the novel mentioned (Harry Gotobed) does actually ring changes as part of the team.
In case anyone wonders why I’m not watching at this minute, I am part of the New Generation which watches sporting events On Demand, thus avoiding uncomfortable acquisitions of wealth, bicycles, trips to Paris etc through competition entry. I am about to watch Bake Off Round 1 with Mrs K and shall take in the rugby later. Come on the mighty Slovak XV (which seems to be going under the radar so far).
FJ @107
It has been “set” rather than “engage” for some years now, but I sympathise with your solution.
Not my game, but a beautifully crafted crossword.
Watching France v New Zealand, I would have lasted about 2 minutes before ending up like a vase dropped from the 10th floor.
Thanks both.
Muffin @107
Thanks! I did raise an eyebrow as it seemed slightly obscure, but it did seem to work. Not sure why I knew it anyway, I am not a great fan and the game always strikes as a bit like football but not as good.
FJ
Rugby Union is my number one, followed by cricket, golf, cycling and F1 – all of which I have particpated in (except F1, of course!)
Fiery Jack @ 107. A setter generally cannot envisage every alternative answer, however reasonable, so prays that the crossers can cope.
AlanC @104. There is an indirect reference to the great Willie John McBride in 23 and his “99” call during the British Lions tour of South Africa in 1974.
Would that also be 23d, Brian? Rather a black period in rugby. “Get your retaliation in first”!
Roz @ 102. Do you mean to be offensive or does it just come naturally?
Have you considered the use of verbal hedges, such as “For Me” before “beyond tiresome”?
Have you considered that you are also, by implication, demeaning the other respondents who did not find the puzzle tiresome?
(Bear in mind that this interchange may feature in my forthcoming volume “Right of reply”)
Brian @113: funnily enough I was going to ask you how you would have clued Big Willie (without thinking about Paul) I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him after dinner speak a couple of times and he’s gleaming.
What a brilliant crossword! Thanks, Brendan. EXTRA TIME, HALF and CARDHOLDER were the three I entered without fully understanding the parsing, so thanks for the explanations, scchua and others.
AlanC @ 116: Clueing the gentle (off-the-field) giant would take a while. But here are some other memories:
My father played for a while for Strabane Rugby Club (centenary this year)
1948: Listening to the radio as Ireland won their first Grand Slam. At 3, I didn’t understand much but I do remember the name “Kyle” being mentioned a lot.
1963: My last year at Methody our head boy was Roger Young who was playing for the Lions a few years later
1964: Mike Gibson’s debut for Ireland — 18-5 at Twickenham and I was behind the posts under which that great try was scored
And the star of our family, Richard “Happy” Patterson who played (at centre) for Ulster.
(With apologies to everyone outside this little circle).
BG passim
Loved it! Please keep both crosswords and comments coming.
Mike Gibson was mellifluous. I was taught (erm) physics at Grosvenor HS by the lovely referee, Stephen Hilditch, and also PE by Willie Anderson. Lots of rugby stories, but need to stop blahing now. Cheers.
As someone with no interest in the thug’s game played by gentlemen, I was never going to parse CARDHOLDER, but I’d lost interest in doing so by then. Some of this was pretty impressive, but for fans only, I think.
The AFL finals are on now, if any setter wants to do a themed puzzle that will make the UK solvers feel as estranged.
For those who are fans, here‘s an image you’re unlikely to see at the this World Cup.
Happy Ruby Day, Julie in Oz @77. Doubly lucky, you both.
Brian@ 115 , I never like themes in the clues , adding a boring sport makes it even worse. I do not put things like “for me” or “in my opinion” , whose opinion would I write here ?
I accept that most people love this type of puzzle, fair enough but I do not think the blogs should just contain praise or criticism . I am also tired on a Friday and at my most ratty, I would imagine that most people on here would have known my views anyway so perhaps I should not have commented.
muffin@56 thanks for explaining. I never heard of courses of brickwork before.
Thanks Brendan for a brilliant crossword!
I failed on OCTAD, not seeing OC and also not thinking of the eight in the scrum, being a fan of proper rugby where there are only six.
There were many forms of football before rules started to be written down in the mid-19th century, many of which involved picking up the ball and running with it. I wonder how the myth of the origins of Rugby football got going?
Many years ago now I had an email exchange with Brian (Brendan). I recall the wonderful Mike Gibson came up in that exchange. So, as soon as I saw it was a ‘Brendan’ yesterday, almost before I read a clue I knew what the theme would be. My wife groaned when I told her, but we managed to solve most of it except the NE corner where we ground to a halt. Visiting grandchildren meant we did not give it a further thought. So it was this morning when the penny dropped on the wonderful He can ring the changes, as ten, in attack (6). My interest in watching rugby ended about the same time as the career of the aforementioned Mike. I lost interest in rugby in years ago and will not be watching this World Cup. My worry is for the health of Johnny Sexton and all those who have played rugby when the crowds have stopped cheering and the effects of attritional nature of the modern game take their toll.
Great crossword as always with this setter. Of course it helps when one has some knowledge of the theme, but the ingenuity of the clues surely must be admired even if one is not an expert.
I’m another rugby hater but I enjoyed this. All you need if you don’t know anything about the game is something like Wikipedia. Managed to finish without being able to parse several clues. One complaint though: AITCH. Firstly, where’s the definition? Secondly, to forego means to precede. The word meaning to give up is forgo – without the E.
Sorry this is so late scchua but I wanted to thank Mark@130 for pointing out the for(e)go farrago (at least it had been, in my head, until now).