The Final Finish
We are nearly there. One more pulsating day of rugby and the 6 Nations 2019 will be decided, and more importantly the F6NF 2019 Champion will be crowned. As a wet and windy Cheltenham helps distract your jitters if your name lies below, the winner will be known by next Saturday night. Well, maybe Monday as I’m away in Cardiff.

After Week 4:

1 Lorenzo Carpanini 148
2 Ed Roche 147
3 Gerry Kelly 143
4 Paul Carmody 133
5 Richie Joyce 132
6 Frances Caffrey 123
7 Kieran Kelly 122
8 Paul McMahon 122
9 Conor Coyle 121
10 Emer O’Byrne 119
11 Pat O’Riordan 119
12 Eoai Keogh 118
13 Brian Conlon 117
14 David McGoldrick 115
15 Henry McNab 114
16 Lauren Sharpe 114
17 Jim Glennon 113
18 Brian McDermott 112
19 Declan Comerford 111
20 Emma Williams 111
21 Keith Hazley 110
22 Sinead Vaughan 110
23 Ruairi Ryan 109
24 Brian Murray 108
25 Shane Carolan 108

Carpanini is riding high after a steady 42 point last weekend. “The French got me out of trouble there alright, and I never normally rely on the French for anything” said a tense Carpanini. “Mind you what were your Irish lads doing, letting them in with 2 tries in the last 5 minutes? I thought I was out of it with 70 minutes on the clock”.
Ed Roche has leapfrogged the table with 47 points, 1 point behind Carpanini, and Gerry Kelly is firmly in the chasing pack, 5 points off the lead. The bookies would fancy those 3, but a big upset at the weekend would bring a big swing – all of the above are contenders.

Points Make Prizes
The Linesight Fiendishly Clever Award goes to Big Sam, for the best result of the weekend with 55 points. He wins a cheque for €100 and a night school course “How to be a QS in 100 hours”.
“I’m absolutely delighted” said Big Sam from his Joe Dolan Tribute Trailer in Mullingar. “It’s the honour more than anything, although the money helps. What’s a QS?”
The RKD International Woman’s Day Award (not just Architects, but woke Architects) goes to Sharon Shore as the top performing lady of the weekend, with an enviable 50 points. “That is amazing” said Shore “I don’t want the QS course though”
The final award for this weekend, The Chophouse Level Headed Award, goes the person who maintained equanimity this weekend and scored nil point. Contentious as always, this means the award is tied between 6 people:
D Flood
Kevin Arundel
Margaret Tansey
Peter Nolan
Ronan Kennedy
Roy Goodlad

However, after disqualifying Kevin Arundel as the presenter of the Award, rather than have the remaining 5 share a plate of oysters and a cote de bouef, it will be decided next week as the one finishing closest to the plimsol line of Zero.

Hold Your Nerve
So one week away from the decider, try and stay calm.
Italy v France for the Wooden Spoon – who would have called that 5 weeks ago? Wales going for the Grand Slam in Cardiff as Warren Gatland’s farewell match – have Ireland got enough mojo back to be party poopers? And a Calcutta Cup in Twickenham, surely Scotland will be sent back to think again, again?
That’s the fun of it. Until next week.