Only Connect - Round One - Qualification Match

Oenophiles v. Bakers

The Oenophiles, Didier Bruyere, Scott Dawson and Jamie Dodding, scored the most impressive victory of the first tranche of matches when they comprehensively defeated the Science Editors. In terms of pure quizzing they certainly look to be the most accomplished team we’ve seen this series. But then it’s not always about pure quizzing. With an automatic place in the semis at stake their opponenets were first match winners The Bakers, Tim Spain, Matt Rowbotham and Peter Steggle, who narrowly defeated the Press Gang in a fine match earlier in the series. The form book said wine to defeat bread by a bit of daylight. Time would tell.

Round One – What’s the Connection?

The Bakers took the first set. Volleyball match has finished – Successful DRS Challenge – I do not want to receive communion were the first three clues, and it was enough to give the Bakers the answer that they are all signaled by crossed arms. 2 points. Lion gave the Philes the music set. Now, after the second Jamie accidentally pressed the button, and was therefore asked for an answer even though he really wanted another piece of music. They picked up on the only lead they had, went for Biblical characters, and it was correct. Two reeds brought pictures to the Bakers. We saw a boxer’s second – an Apple Newton – a mole – and here they had SI units. Henry VIII would have completed the set. A lovely set came behind Horned Viper for the Philes. Japan = Round – Poland = Zloty – and here I might well have gone for it – Mexico= Weight – and here I would have definitely gone for it. We finished with Denmark = crown and this is where the Philes gave the correct answer of the meanings of those countries’ words for their currencies. Lord knows where I heard that Zloty means golden. Eye of Horus gave the Bakers – Scandal in Jackson’s Cabinet – Triangular Pieces of shortbread – Political Control by Women – and here the word petticoat leapt irresistibly to mind – only to be confirmed by the final clue – Middlesex Street Market. The Bakers showed vulnerability for the first time in the contest by going for – gate – as in scandals. No cigar, I’m afraid, and a relative tap in for a bonus for the Philes. For their last set in round one . Male leads in Third Rock from the Sun –which I wasn’t sure about, then Tunnels in The Great Escape – which I absolutely was. Tom, Dick and Harry I said, just as the Philes were offering exactly the same thing. So the Bakers ha a very creditable 4, but the signs were already ominous as the Philes led with 8.

Round Two – What Comes Fourth?

Lion gave the Bakers Timor – were we talking seas ? – Arafura – sorry, meant nowt to me – Coral – seas again? Going around Australia, the only other one which occurred to me was Tasman. Didier thought the same, and earned himself a bonus by doing it. The Philes’ own first set was behind the eye of Horus, and it was 8: Latvia 7:- Slovenia 6: - Cyprus, Estonia and Luxembourg. Neither team had any more real clue than I did. It was the number of MEPs, and the only one with 5 is Malta. So even if you knew the precise connection you still had a lot of work to do to figure out the right answer. Tricky, tricky, tricky set. Horned Viper gave the Bakers – Task – Individual – Load. Apparently this is all to do with the TILE acronym. I’m not familiar with it, neither was either team. The answer was Environment. Fair enough. And some people have complained that some of the sets on this series have been too easy!! The Philes took water and had 4 of 7:cross – 5 of 7: Joyful – 6 of 7: Somnolent – Brilliantly they worked out that this was the seven dwarves, and what’s more, that the last would be Sneezy. Respect for that one. The Bakers took twisted flax and given receptor and sensory neuron they plumped incorrectly for brain. Relay neuron didn’t help the Philes who offered synapse. Not right either. The correct answer was motor neuron. Once again, fair enough. The Philes finished the round with two reeds. We saw a Harlequins Team photo – then some quadriceps. So anything twins would be the answer I reckoned. The Philes thought the muscles were triceps which held them up. We saw sets of three notes together next and they answered two, and when given another go, twins. Ironically the picture showed the Thompson Twins – ironic because there were three of them. It was enough to ensure that after a very tough round the Philes went forward with 13, while the Bakers remained on 4.

Round Three – The Connecting Walls

The Philes kicked off and quickly found things that can be used in baking bread– ironic, that – with shortening – yeast – arrowroot and gluten. Altogether – Momma’s little baby loves shortening, shortening, momma’s little baby loves shortening bread. Ah, those Tom and Jerry cartoons of years gone by. Carter – Reeves – Bale and Maguire they knew have all played superheroes. They certainly knew that a set of official titles was lurking there, but they had the wrong ones on their first stab. Two left. They kept mayor in there for the second stab, and only had one go left. Didier at first suggested getting rid of mayor, but they kept him in again and were frozen out. The officials were Nazim – Provost – Reeve and Grandee. This leaves dough – mayor – damn and yew, which all have homophones which mean female animals. They just hadn’t seen it, even when it was resolved. That’s the way sometimes – 5 points gained.

The Lion Wall yielded its secrets slowly to the Bakers. They isolated Maverick – Templar – Sinclair and Ivanhoe, but didn’t know why. They were all played by Roger Moore. I could see what looked like anagrams of countries – I didn’t know what Elchi was otherwise. I could also see songs by the Lightning Seeds, and these – Sense – Perfect – The Life of Riley and Three Lions were the Bakers’ second set. Pretty soon after the two last lines untangled with the countries – Elchi – Pains – Laity and Pure, and a set comprising of Food – Bond – Mail and Shop. – Junk ! I shouted, having only just seen it. The Bakers missed on the countries, scoring a total of 6. So 18 played 10 going into the final round. Bigger leads have been overturned, but not that often.

Round Four – Missing Vowels

The Philes won the first set – impressionists ( think John Culshaw, not Claude Monet ) 3 – 1. I thought that the Philes would go well on landlocked countries, and I was right – another 3 – 1. The bakers turned the tide somewhat with outer garments – with 2 -1 and one unclaimed.There was just time for three folk groups , and these went 2 -1 to the Philes. So no upset this week, as this brought a well deserved win for the Philes by 27 – 15. Well played gents, and as for the Bakers, nothing to be ashamed of, and still a chance to make the semis. Good show.