The Rugby Thread

[darlowolf64]

Excellent game, I really enjoyed that

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Australia have named a very powerful XV for the England game

Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu; Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock.

Powerful, but not impossible for England to get at. England have delayed their announcement until midday. Presumably, a final check on the fitness of Josephs?

 

[Donegal Wolf]

England should have the better in the line out and get at the aussies there, but they will be under severe pressure at the breakdown with Pocock and Hooper.

The scrum is the big question, Wallabies improved a lot in this area in the championship dominating the All Blacks and Springbok at times, England should have the better of them but its hard to know.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Depends how much England are allowed to get away with. Perennial mindgames-wanker Bob Dwyer has been very prominent in the last 24 hours making the point that he believes Marler was scrummaging illegally against Wales by boring in, and that he hopes the referee on Saturday is wise to that.

Garces did miss Marler's actions (whether you believe them illegal or not) early doors when Wales got pinged in the scrum. Noticeable that the penalty count changed when he swapped sides to watch the scrum. You can bet your mortgage that Poite is going to be looking at it very closely now.

 

[jd1981]

Essential Wales get a bonus point today, if England beat Australia by a narrow margin on Saturday (cant see it myself) the table will look like this if Wales dont get the bonus point.

1. Wales 13pts
2. Australia 10 pts
3. England 10 pts

England will more than likely notch another 5 points to that in there final game against Uraguay, a narrow defeat to Australia by Wales will leave them both on 14 points.
Not sure if teams level are decided by head to head or points difference. The bonus point today for Wales and a narrow defeat to Aus would still mean them qualifying.

 

[Sniffer]

Essential Wales get a bonus point today, if England beat Australia by a narrow margin on Saturday (cant see it myself) the table will look like this if Wales dont get the bonus point.

1. Wales 13pts
2. Australia 10 pts
3. England 10 pts

England will more than likely notch another 5 points to that in there final game against Uraguay, a narrow defeat to Australia by Wales will leave them both on 14 points.
Not sure if teams level are decided by head to head or points difference. The bonus point today for Wales and a narrow defeat to Aus would still mean them qualifying.

All the scenarios.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...from-Pool-A-and-reach-the-quarter-finals.html

Essentially if England beat Australia they will qualify. The Aussies didn't get a bonus point against Fiji.

 

[jd1981]

All the scenarios.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...from-Pool-A-and-reach-the-quarter-finals.html

Essentially if England beat Australia they will qualify. The Aussies didn't get a bonus point against Fiji.

This is why a bonus point is essential for Wales today if England win saturday, perfect scenario for Wales is England losing Saturday and there game against Aus is no more than a group decider.

 

[Sniffer]

Stuart Lancaster has made three changes to the team which lost to Wales on Saturday, bringing in Jonathan Joseph, Ben Morgan and Joe Launchbury.

Joseph's inclusion means Sam Burgess - who started in the centre against Wales - is named as a replacement, while Launchbury replaces the injured Courtney Lawes (knee) and Morgan comes in for Billy Vunipola who suffered a tournament-ending knee ligament injury against Wales.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Barritt at 12 and Joseph at 13. Sanity prevailing there.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Essential Wales get a bonus point today, if England beat Australia by a narrow margin on Saturday (cant see it myself) the table will look like this if Wales dont get the bonus point.

1. Wales 13pts
2. Australia 10 pts
3. England 10 pts

England will more than likely notch another 5 points to that in there final game against Uraguay, a narrow defeat to Australia by Wales will leave them both on 14 points.
Not sure if teams level are decided by head to head or points difference. The bonus point today for Wales and a narrow defeat to Aus would still mean them qualifying.

Head to head

 

[jd1981]

Head to head

if Wales lose to Australia and England Beat Australia and are all level on points then im right in thinking it comes down to points difference?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

All the scenarios.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...from-Pool-A-and-reach-the-quarter-finals.html

Essentially if England beat Australia they will qualify. The Aussies didn't get a bonus point against Fiji.

That doesn't take into account something like Australia 35 Wales 31 with four tries each, or indeed the other way round.

To explain

Wales beat Fiji with a bonus point
England beat Australia no bonus point, but Australia get a losing bonus point

Going into the last games

Wales 14
Aus 11
Eng 10

Final games Australia 35 Wales 31 (4 tries each)
England 100 Uruguay 0

Australia 16
Wales 16
England 15

Or indeed if Wales didn't get the bonus point against Fiji it would be

Australia 16
Wales 15
England 15

and England are out on head to head

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

if Wales lose to Australia and England Beat Australia and are all level on points then im right in thinking it comes down to points difference?

Yes.

 

[Sniffer]

if Wales lose to Australia and England Beat Australia and are all level on points then im right in thinking it comes down to points difference?

Yes, England will know what they have to do against the might of Uruguay.

That doesn't take into account something like Australia 35 Wales 31 with four tries each, or indeed the other way round.

 

[Sniffer]

That doesn't take into account something like Australia 35 Wales 31 with four tries each, or indeed the other way round.

To explain

Wales beat Fiji with a bonus point
England beat Australia no bonus point, but Australia get a losing bonus point

Going into the last games

Wales 14
Aus 11
Eng 10

Final games Australia 35 Wales 31 (4 tries each)
England 100 Uruguay 0

Australia 16
Wales 16
England 15

Or indeed if Wales didn't get the bonus point against Fiji it would be

Australia 16
Wales 15
England 15

and England are out on head to head

Aren't you giving the convicts two bonus points against England? Scoring four tries and losing to England not scoring four tries?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

So I am, so I am. That could only happen then if England won say 36 31 against the convicts but had kicked virtually all their point whereas the convicts ran in 4 tries. A rather more unlikely scenario!

To me, it looks best if both England and Wales do everything they can to get bonus points in this round.

 

[jd1981]

Anyway my feeling is it'll all be irrelevant come Saturday night.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We have to do our job today. If we do it piles the pressure on England and also means that Australia going into Saturday's game knowing they can eliminate the second favourite from the tournament and go into the Wales game knowing a win keeps them away from the All Blacks and the Boks. There is a huge incentive for them to do so.

 

[Sniffer]

The pressure is on England anyway. As an England fan I've already added your points for the win and a bonus point for four tries to the table. I'm not seriously considering the prospect of getting out of a five team group with two losses to our name.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We need the bonus point. Really need it.

However, I hope we don't go gung-ho from the start to try and force tries. Get the points on the board and then expand the game in the last half an hour will do me.