Only Connect Series 13: Round 1: Match 10: Dandies vs Gaffers

OK, big thanks to Phyl Styles for clearing up exactly what's going on here. Basically, we have 24 teams, with the twelve winners progressing to the second round, and the winners going onto the group stage. The second round runners-up will then go into a play-off round alongside the two highest scoring first round runners-up, which will eventually produce two teams who will join the second round winners in the group stage. Sure it will become clearer once it gets to screen; will go back and adjust my earlier blog titles later.

Anyway, playing on Friday night we had the Dandies, Oscar Powell, Lewis Barn and captain Jack Bennett, and the Gaffers, Graeme Kerr, Owen Davies and captain Alan Oliver. Fellow Quizzy Monday viewers will remember Messrs Bennett and Powell from last year's UC, where they reached the semi-finals and won it respectively; blog reader Jack Bennett has also appeared on Mastermind and Fifteen-to-One 2.0 since.

Round 1. The Dandies kicked the match off with Lion: they saw 'Baskin Robbins: 31', and immediately offered 'the number of varieties". Good punt, but not correct. Their opponents saw 'Le Tour de France: Cyclist', 'Toblerone: Bear' and 'Fedex: Arrow', but couldn't pick up a bonus: they are hidden items in the logos of those companies. The Gaffers opened their account with Twisted Flax: 'Blind enthusiastic acceptance of an idea', then 'Someone vaporized and erased from existance', then 'Loyal willingness to believe contradictory statements', and finally 'Thinking against the Party'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are definitions of Newspeak words from Orwell's 1984. For their own question, the Dandies chose Water: 'Royalist Commander, 1st Battle of Newbury', then 'Long-time editor of 'Oz' magazine', then 'Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker', and finally 'Singer in boyband 5ive'; they identified them as men called Richard Neville, and collected a point. The Gaffers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw a map with Alderney highlighted, then one of New Zealand with Wellington, then the UK with the island of Tobermory highlighted, and finally the Orinoco river highlighted. My parents saw this, but neither of the teams did: they are the names of Wombles! The Dandies chose Eye of Horus next, and got the music set: we heard 'Joey' by Bob Dylan, then Charlotte Church with 'Crazy Chick', then Little Jimmy Osmond singing 'Puppy Love', and finally 'The Ugly Ducking'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they have baby animals in their titles. Left with Two Reeds for their own question, the Gaffers saw 'Centenary: Scotland', then 'Giuseppe Garibaldi: France', then 'Millennium: Ireland', and finally 'Calcutta: England'; they saw them to be the then current holders of the Six Nations trophies, and collected a point. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied at 2-each.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Dandies kicked the round off with Twisted Flax: 'Display of an aircraft's airspeed', then 'Responsible for the Kitemark', and then 'Gil Grissom's team'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are ASI, BSI and CSI respectively, so something for DSI, such as 'Detective Superintendent', would do. For their own question, the Gaffers chose Lion: 'Factory', then 'Italian', and then 'Automobiles'; they saw it to be what FIAT stands for translated into English, but didn't know what the T stood for. Their opponents did, offering 'Turin' for the bonus. For their own question, the Dandies chose 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'James Callaghan (1976)', then 'John Major (1990)'; they had it the same time as I did, though not for the right reason, 'Theresa May (2016)' completes the set, the correct sequence being PMs who took office without winning an election ('Gordon Brown (2007)' would be third) The Gaffers chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set: we saw cricketer Brian Lara, then Annabel Croft the tennis player, and then the tomb of the unknown soldier. They didn't quite see it, the opponents did: 'Lara', 'Croft', 'Tomb', so something for 'Raider', such as a player for the Oakland Raiders, would be fourth. For their own final choice, the Dandies chose Water: 'Queen Anne dies', then 'Napoleon exiled to Elba'; they saw them to be events of 1714 and 1814, so something to 1914, like 'Outbreak of First World War', would be third, and, for the points, something that happened in 2014, such as 'Scottish independence referendum', would complete the set. Left with Eye of Horus, the Gaffers saw 'Blood (1)', then 'Banana (2)', and then 'Grass (3)'. They didn't quite get it, nor did their opponents: they are things usually coloured in the colours of snooker balls, so 'Live wire (4)' would be correct. (Both teams suggestions of 'Rock' and 'Sand' could've been satisfactory, had they been able to give the connection too) At the end of the second round, the Dandies led 10-3.

On to the Walls. The Gaffers took their turn to go first, and chose the Lion wall. They spotted some links, but struggled to find sets; eventually, they isolated 'Seal', 'Area', 'Matter' and 'Goo', which can all follow 'Grey'. They could come up with nothing else though, so had to settle for bonus points: 'Lot', 'Paris', 'Cher' and 'Calvados' are French departments, which they didn't get, 'Usher', 'Sia', 'Brandy' and 'Drake' are singers known by one name, which they did get, while 'Cob', 'Tiercel', 'Tom' and 'Gander' are male birds, which they also got. Four points there then.

The Dandies thus could put the match pretty much out of reach if they could get a decent result from the Water wall. After studying the clues, they quickly isolated two sets: 'Riddle', 'Enigma', 'Conundrum' and 'Mystery' are things that can be solved, while 'Breed', 'Stock', 'Pedigree' and 'Strain' are examples of lineage. After looking over what was left, they faulted once, then solved it on their second go: 'Jacket', 'Nut', 'Puzzle' and 'Business' can all follow 'Monkey', while 'Twist', 'Wrench', 'Tear' and 'Sprain' are types of injury. So a full ten there, which gave them a lead of 20-7 going into the final round.

So, Missing Vowels to finish off with, with the Dandies realistically needing to just stand their ground to win. 'Names of phrases that include golf clubs', such as 'POTATO WEDGES', was split 1-each. 'Things a teacher might say' went to the Dandies 2-1. 'Newspapers that specialise in business' went to the Dandies 2-0, and that was time. The Dandies won 25-9.

Another excellent display of quizzing. Unlucky Gaffers, who were simply outplayed, but no shame in that on a show of this calibre, and thanks very much for taking part. Well done Dandies though, and best of luck in the next round!

Next week's match: Arrowheads vs Wombles