The Rugby Thread

[sycophantia]

Possibly the best half of Rugby I've seen.

 

[sycophantia]

Can't help feel that despite Frances excellent play, they just havent turned their possession and territory into points often enough.

 

[Sniffer]

Fabulous game of rugby.

Not that it counts for much but there’s only one northern hemisphere team and one unbeaten side left in the tournament.

 

[Wolftone]

Fabulous game of rugby.

Not that it counts for much but there’s only one northern hemisphere team and one unbeaten side left in the tournament.

Im sure all of the other Northern hemisphere nations rugby fans will get behind us now?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

If I can’t be arsed to get out of bed at stupid o clock here to watch wales I sure as shit won’t be to watch England.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I’m sorry but I hope England lose every game of rugby they ever play but bugger getting up to cheer them on in doing so.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Im sure all of the other Northern hemisphere nations rugby fans will get behind us now?

Of course we will
Also only team who topped their group & are still in it.
As someone pointed out tonight in bar I was drinking in, England rugby are equivalent of Germany/ Italy in football, When it comes to a tournament they do well.

 

[Wolftone]

I’m sorry but I hope England lose every game of rugby they ever play but bugger getting up to cheer them on in doing so.

I do the same for Wales .

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The only reason are still alive (and also the same applies to Argentina) is the draw being done a billion years early. IRB does this so that known pool spots are seen as carrots for the qualifying competition.

This is of course stupid. As if Namibia give a shit whether they get battered 90 by New Zealand or South Africa. Just being there to receive the battering at all is the achievement and therefore the motivation in qualifying.

Do the draw the week after qualifying finishes (at the earliest), or preferably a maximum of six months before, with 5 pots. Seeds 1-4 in pot 1 based on world ranking on the date of the draw. This isn’t difficult stuff.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I do the same for Wales .

That says rather more about you than Wales tbh. And me and England.

To be honest I have barely seen any of this tournament. I doubt I will get up in the middle of the night for the six nations either. I’ve fallen out of love with the game and I don’t know why. I think everyone raves about TMO compare to VAR but I find the refereeing can still be shit and the rules have become ever more nebulous to the point I often have absolutely no idea what an infringement is given for and every game seems to have a sequence where the ref swaps the free kicks and pens between sides as the front row collapses and he has no clue why.

 

[jd1981]

Of course we will
Also only team who topped their group & are still in it.
As someone pointed out tonight in bar I was drinking in, England rugby are equivalent of Germany/ Italy in football, When it comes to a tournament they do well.

Probably only 3 WC England have fell short of expectations 99, 2011 & 2015. The rest they’ve met or exceeded expectations.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Losing to us in the 87 QF when we were on a downward path was an under achieving World Cup for England too. And you only thought you had to turn up to be crowned winners in 1991 so I would say losing to Australia in the final was under as well.

 

[jd1981]

Really England got the wooden spoon in 1987 5 nations that year and lost to wales, they’d been piss poor in most 5 nations in years leading up to it. In 91 pre tournament expectations were probably reaching a semi or final especially we had to beat France away and Scotland away in the QF, SF.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

That was because you lost against the All Blacks in the opening game (which the English media expected you to win) and so didn’t top your group.

 

[jd1981]

Nah I certainly don’t remember outrage and people asking for heads to role after losing the 91 final. There was disappointment as any team would have if they lose a final.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Another day waking up supporting the best team in the NH - it is a tough life.

 

[Dinowolf]

Am I the only one who thought the ref. (Raynaud?) in the England/Fiji game was below par.
He let far too much go unchallenged esp in the second half.
Fiji's last try, was from a forward pass and shouldn't have stood plus lots of fists used by the Fijians. They were a different side once their momentum led them to believe they had a chance.
The ref seemed as though he couldn't manage the match on his own and he couldn't have recourse to the TMO for everything.

 

[sycophantia]

Am I the only one who thought the ref. (Raynaud?) in the England/Fiji game was below par.
He let far too much go unchallenged esp in the second half.
Fiji's last try, was from a forward pass and shouldn't have stood plus lots of fists used by the Fijians. They were a different side once their momentum led them to believe they had a chance.
The ref seemed as though he couldn't manage the match on his own and he couldn't have recourse to the TMO for everything.

I was shouting for that forward pass, although the camera angle I saw wasn't the best.

 

[Dinowolf]

Looks like Smith won't be available for selection due to the battering he got from the Fijians.
Thanks for your protection Reynaul?

SA side is unchanged from match v France

 

[sycophantia]

Pity Smith won't be available, although I suspect Steward would have come in for him to combat SAs aerial threat.