Rte 40

[scooke]

8a repeat performance from the french? home nations and best of the rest say same(4)??t??

2d say no if its just junk(6)???u?e

5da ring of pearl, we hear, on and off by the sound of it(5,4)?l?r,b?l?

28a trainee needs trainers before losing all claims to be a pro(10)?p?r?n?l?e

[ducksie]

2d Refuse

just looking at the whole grid now scooke 
 

[ubasses]

28 apprentice?

[ducksie]

ubasses, just looking at it, apprentice cannot be right as Mali is the answer to one of the clues (capital timbuktu) that leaves you with a lettering of ?p???n?l??

[scorpiojo]

5 Alarm bell 

[scorpiojo]

Is 8a 4 or5?

[scorpiojo]

Ditto?

[ducksie]

That's it Jo, Alarm bell, well done 

[JJ109]

Timbuktu is not the capital city of Mali, Bamako is!

Therefore what is the exact clue that you think gives the answer Mali?

[scorpiojo]

Ta, ducksie 😁

[ducksie]

Sorry JJ, I should have put city, not capital of Timbuktu..the clue reads " so fictitious mail to Timbuktu is where that would be?" 4 letters.. answer Mali, anag mail 

[ducksie]

You're welcome Jo 😁

[snaro]

Ducksie would you think that apprentice is correct and setter has again slipped up on 27down clue.

[snaro]

In my previous mean to seek answer for ?o?e repeat performance from the french home nations and best of the rest say the same ?

[ducksie]

Sanro, I did think that - it had to be apprentice but I said to myself, I'm not emailing Jonathan again 😉

[ducksie]

could it be more Snaro? repeat - but usually when it mentions French, there's an el somewhere in it 

[bobbinwales]

//could it be more Snaro? repeat - but usually when it mentions French, there's an el somewhere in it //

Probably is although like you I dont see where the French comes in. By the way EL is Spanish...assume you meant le or la 

[ducksie]

thanks Bobbin - I'm hopeless with languages as you can see 😂 eitherways, I can't work it out today 

[bobbinwales]

For 8a Does the clue definitely say French as the OP has a ? after  The word French. Or is it 2 sentencesas scooke put it ... as French Home Nations doesnt make sense.

 I know the pattern is messed up in the OP... I think its agreed now the pattern is ?0?E

[ducksie]

this is how it is in the clue Bobbin

Repeat performance from the French? Home Nations and best of the rest say same!

[bobbinwales]

something to do with ENCORE?  The Home Nations say More. Dont get ' best' but can see the rest = more

Its RTE and we never know why for sure, they and there fans like the quirky clues that dont always meet normal crossword standard's