Rugby World Cup Thread

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Alright, I promised myself I wouldn't get toooo into it this year, because if I do I could easily lose the entire month to the TV, but it's still a pretty big deal.

There isn't quite the buzz I remember in 1999, but we're all still pretty excited.

So far I watched England vs Fiji (decent start for us but took the very last minute to secure the bonus point), SA vs Japan (which was so fantastic I felt the addiction begin) and New Zealand vs Argentina (which for a while looked like it may go the same way due to NZ handling errors but ended up fairly standard).

I considered chasing tickets but in the end didnt bother, so I won't be going to any of the matches.

Anyone else watching? Some of you aussies, surely? Xifio?

 

[fender]

Haven't had the chance to watch a full match on TV yet but have been keeping up with the scores, i seriously thought i had seen the score wrongly for the Springboks v Japan match.

Saw the highlights what a great win, its what sports is all about.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Ka mate, ka mate, ka ora, ka ora!

N.Z. will never will a RWC away from home; Japan could make the QF for the first time ever; There will be a ENG v RSA QF; France and/or Ireland could go all the way.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Don't read too much into Ireland drubbing of Canada.

But do you think it will be a Northern Hemisphere win? SA and NZ not looking lethal thusfar, but expect them both to improve dramatically as the tournament progresses.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Australia's carked it too. They haven't had the look of world champs. Since 1999.

N.Z.'s played average against what would be considered it's toughest opponent in Pool C. Is getting into top gear against Namibia, Georgia & Tonga really top gear?

RSA's f8cked it against JPN, N.Z. never win away from home, and AUS have the group of death. ARG has only ever come 3rd. Compared to ENG, WAL, IRL & even FRA from the 6 Nations NH teams; SH doesn't look strong.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I meant that NZ could get into top gear once the knockout stages begin.

 

[Alex]

It's Australia's best chance in a long time. We got smashed by the All Blacks in the second Bledisloe, but that was with a bit of an experimental side. We won't the Rugby Championship for the first time in years.

That said our group is RIDICULOUSLY hard.

Just to quickly crunch some numbers on the group. The way groups essentially work is there are 5 pots and a team from each pot goes into each group. The pots are essentially (but not exactly in lower pots, Robbie don't correct me) done by rank at time of the draw. So top 4 in one pot, next 4 in the next etc.

Australia managed to get the top team from the next 3 pots - England were 5, Wales 9, Fiji 13.

Then to make things worse, ALL of these sides have moved up the rankings ever further since the draw. England are now top 4, Wales are now 5th and Fiji are now 9th....So if the draw was now, and Australia or England drew Fiji and Wales - that would still be the toughest pool on the tournament, even before you account for having two sides in the top 4....

Anyway, a boring northern hemisphere side will likely win with boring northern hemisphere Rugby. The IRB really need to look at the game and ask themselves why it's losing popularity. The rules are over policed and inflexible, and attacking, running Rugby is essentially discouraged.

Really hope Australia play Hooper and Pocock together. We need them both in the side winning is turn overs and guaranteeing our backs good ball. We don't need a biff n barge number 8 nearly as much as we need to feed our backs the ball. Our scrum is also the best it's been in international competition for a long time.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

We've got that exact same tough group too you know. Poor aussie victims :/

Anyway, a boring northern hemisphere side will likely win with boring northern hemisphere Rugby. The IRB really need to look at the game and ask themselves why it's losing popularity. The rules are over policed and inflexible, and attacking, running Rugby is essentially discouraged.

Sometimes I can't believe how much you suck, Alex. Yeah, we should change the rules so that Southern Hemisphere teams have a better chance so popularity will go up in the southern hemisphere.

 

[Bobby]

We faced the eventual finalists in the first match so it was hard but I think we can still win this thing.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

We faced the eventual finalists in the first match so it was hard but I think we can still win this thing.

Samoa have only ever made the Quarters. Totally forgot that AUS won the shortened version of the Rugby Championship this year, BTW.

 

[Alex]

We've got that exact same tough group too you know. Poor aussie victims :/

I know you do, did I not reference England throughout the post?. Not playing the victim, just pointing out our group sucks. It's rare you get a "group of death" that is so clearly worse than the other group's. Just unlucky really.

Sometimes I can't believe how much you suck, Alex. Yeah, we should change the rules so that Southern Hemisphere teams have a better chance so popularity will go up in the southern hemisphere.

Is it still really big in the northern hemisphere? Why does making the game more attacking only help southern hemisphere teams?

Do you really enjoy the boring game that has become northern hemisphere Rugby? Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck penalty. Kick for 3. Repeat.

Don't get me wrong, I still watch the it. I was at the Bledisloe Cup this year actually. But the game was better 30 years ago. Since then they've well over policed the aspects that most fans find boring - ruck penalties etc, and have done little to encourage skilled backs.

You can't tell me that you would rather see two penalties than a try? If not, then perhaps you need to stop worrying about whether the rules favour you or not, and worry about the good of the game.

Typical Englishman, more concerned with their own interests than what makes the better game.

 

[Alex]

Samoa have only ever made the Quarters. Totally forgot that AUS won the shortened version of the Rugby Championship this year, BTW.

It helped that we got the All Blacks at home

 

[Mus]

Don't think I've watched a rugby wc game since I was a child, might tune in to Aus game/s

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Basically if Wales had have been drawn 2nd in Pool B, Pool A would have been a simple ENG & AUS 1/4 Finalists prediction, rather than having a Pool of Death with 3 Tier 1 teams. It would be a simple prediction, but without the miracle possibility of a Japan getting over the line.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

 

[Alex]

Basically if Wales had have been drawn 2nd in Pool B, Pool A would have been a simple ENG & AUS 1/4 Finalists prediction, rather than having a Pool of Death with 3 Tier 1 teams. It would be a simple prediction, but without the miracle possibility of a Japan getting over the line.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

Not really. We would have had Scotland instead in that case. They're not super strong, but having them and Fiji still makes it a much more dangerous group than others. Especially considering Fiji are now higher ranked than any other pools third seed. And we would still be the only group that ended up having two top 4 ranked sides.

If Japan can beat South Africa, Scotland and Fiji could certainly beat Australia or England.

 

[Alex]

Ha - just noticed World Rugby rankings have been updated again...

Australia, England and Wales are now 2, 3, 4.

So 3 of the world's top 4 ranked sides in the one group. Fiji, our groups 4th seed, are now 9th - so still higher ranked than any of the other groups "third" ranked side (Italy, Tonga, Scotland)

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I know you do, did I not reference England throughout the post?. Not playing the victim, just pointing out our group sucks. It's rare you get a "group of death" that is so clearly worse than the other group's. Just unlucky really.

Is it still really big in the northern hemisphere? Why does making the game more attacking only help southern hemisphere teams?

Do you really enjoy the boring game that has become northern hemisphere Rugby? Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck penalty. Kick for 3. Repeat.

Don't get me wrong, I still watch the it. I was at the Bledisloe Cup this year actually. But the game was better 30 years ago. Since then they've well over policed the aspects that most fans find boring - ruck penalties etc, and have done little to encourage skilled backs.

You can't tell me that you would rather see two penalties than a try? If not, then perhaps you need to stop worrying about whether the rules favour you or not, and worry about the good of the game.

Typical Englishman, more concerned with their own interests than what makes the better game.

Firstly, I've been hearing these claims that "Northern Hemisphere Rugby" has become a (boring) kicking game for almost 20 years now, since the 1999 world cup, during that period in the late 90s early 00s were rugby was at the height of popularity. Though, in truth, when people say 'Northern Hemisphere', they usually just mean England, because France, Ireland and Wales have all had long periods of 'sexy rugby' in the interim, but unlike them, we actually won a world cup.

But maybe your southern hemisphere teams need to examine yourselves. Take the NZ vs Argentina game as an example. The NZ performance was so typical of what southern hemisphere rugby has come, co-incidentally in the precise period when these claims about 'northern hemisphere' rugby has been going on. I lost count of the handling errors, the fumbles, the lack of cohesion. And when things aren't going their way (and make no mistake, Aus, SA and NZ all believe it is their divine right to win every game other than against each other), they lose their heads, lash out and get players binned. This is so typical of SA, Aus and NZ over this period. The truth is a) you don't drill the technical aspect of the game they way you must to keep up with the modern world and b) you're simply just not as good any more. It's YOU making so many mistakes, YOU who can't keep up with the pace like you used to and YOUR hot headed players who let the frustration get to them and commit fouls. And then you wonder why we kick so many penalties. YOU give them to us. On a plate.

But, unfortunately, with typical childishness you absolutely refuse to shine a light on yourselves and instead push off your failings by a) very unsportingly demeaning the validity/quality of your rivals wins and b) blaming the 'system', attacking the rules and the evolution of the game with almost the nuttiness one hears from conspiracy theorists.

Fans like you don't deserve to see your teams play good rugby.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Wow. This is more bitter than the Ashes between you two Alex & Sir_Didier_Drogba!

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

 

[Xifio]

de Villiers captaincy not quite working out for the Boks like it did for the Proteas ...


---

 

[Alex]

Firstly, I've been hearing these claims that "Northern Hemisphere Rugby" has become a (boring) kicking game for almost 20 years now, since the 1999 world cup, during that period in the late 90s early 00s were rugby was at the height of popularity. Though, in truth, when people say 'Northern Hemisphere', they usually just mean England, because France, Ireland and Wales have all had long periods of 'sexy rugby' in the interim, but unlike them, we actually won a world cup.

But maybe your southern hemisphere teams need to examine yourselves. Take the NZ vs Argentina game as an example. The NZ performance was so typical of what southern hemisphere rugby has come, co-incidentally in the precise period when these claims about 'northern hemisphere' rugby has been going on. I lost count of the handling errors, the fumbles, the lack of cohesion. And when things aren't going their way (and make no mistake, Aus, SA and NZ all believe it is their divine right to win every game other than against each other), they lose their heads, lash out and get players binned. This is so typical of SA, Aus and NZ over this period. The truth is a) you don't drill the technical aspect of the game they way you must to keep up with the modern world and b) you're simply just not as good any more. It's YOU making so many mistakes, YOU who can't keep up with the pace like you used to and YOUR hot headed players who let the frustration get to them and commit fouls. And then you wonder why we kick so many penalties. YOU give them to us. On a plate.

But, unfortunately, with typical childishness you absolutely refuse to shine a light on yourselves and instead push off your failings by a) very unsportingly demeaning the validity/quality of your rivals wins and b) blaming the 'system', attacking the rules and the evolution of the game with almost the nuttiness one hears from conspiracy theorists.

Fans like you don't deserve to see your teams play good rugby.

Nope, northern in general. I've watch loads of international Rugby and the other Six Nations sides are also much more likely to chase 3 points than 5.

NZ against Argentina I agree with you. But I find the devine right in Rugby generally applies to the All Blacks. Not Australia or South Africa. The northern hemisphere sides we generally beat at home and away we generally lose to whomever is the top couple of 6 nations sides at that time (so usually England and either France, Wales or Ireland) and beat the others. We aim to win, but certainly don't expect it on our northern tours. Richie McCaw has stretched the rules for ages and ALWAYS gotten away with it. I'm so glad he was sin binned. It's almost a running joke in the Rugby Championship what he gets away with.

We can keep up with the pace. That's a ridiculous comment. It's nearly always stupid ruck and scrum penalties that give you the shots at goal. We spend our time training our kids to score tries and attack with ball in hand. Not simply on how to make it look like the other team collapsed or screwed the scrum, or how to make it look like the opposition didn't release, came in from the side, or didn't stay on his feet. That's not what fans pay to see, and if you're claiming it is, you're having yourself on. But saying we don't still the technical aspects to stay competitive? So NZ are the most dominant team in Rugby history based on rankings, and Australia are second. What exactly aren't we competitive in?

I don't question the validity of your wins by any means. I never said that. Your wins have been fair and square, even if the 03 World Cup was heart breaking (that Rogers kick to give you guys possession back haunts me to this day). However due to the success of playing in a defensive mechanical way, sides are focusing more and more in it, and it's making the game boring.

As for your last comment, that's just a throwaway preachy "we deserve it more than you". Good rugby? You're the one suggesting that time should be spent in over training technically aspects instead of how to score tries. We're still ranked 2 in the world (and higher than England), so our team is clearly handling the current game just fine - this isn't coming from someone bitter the we can't win - as our world ranking suggests we can. I want to see good Rugby. Not ruck penalties, scrum penalties, and kicks for goal - regardless of the result. Rugby's popularity globally has been dropping since the 90s. Even in England. The only thing that picked it right back up was the 03 World Cup win.