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Well done Wales.
Aus were like EJs England of late, over managed and unable to adapt. They have good playera but no plan.
Please please Japan take note, he's not an open flowing rugby coach
Too many words - he’s not a coach would suffice.
dictator yes, coach no.
Its a bit early but its not too out there to suggest we might see an all Northern Hemisphere semi-finals.
And a very winnable quarter final at that
Not if they play England according to Rugby Union Weekly
England will have Fiji.... 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😀😀😀
Good luck!!
The easy half of the draw still looks wide open.
I think Fiji are the side I'll be routing for, they play lovely rugby, but I can see England shutting them down and grinding out a result too.
After last night performance, Wales look stuck on for a semi final. Its a toss up who comes second in Pool D, but I think Wales would have the beating of either Argentina or Japan.
So a Wales / Eng or Wales / Fiji semi with Wales making the final?
So a Wales / Eng or Wales / Fiji semi with Wales making the final?
No, Wales (if we progress) get a Semi with Ireland/NZ (most likely outcome) winner. So 3rd place play off after that.
Winner of Eng/Fiji gets to play either SA or France.
Swaps back at semi stage. Teams from same group can't meet again until final
Swaps back at semi stage. Teams from same group can’t meet again until final
Thanks, hadn't realised. Makes the Semis a bit more balanced then
I think you cant blame EJ entirely. Oz have been terrible (by their standards) for years. He's just not fixed the problems.
Ireland needed a last min penalty to beat Australia in the November Internationals. The lost a lot of close games and at least looked competitive.
I think you cant blame EJ entirely. Oz have been terrible (by their standards) for years.
They've been uncoachable for years. Robbie Deans(who was a powerhouse in Super Rugby) was forced out after players just disrespected him to his face in the locker room. He was replaced by Ewen McKenzie who left after the players had a shouting match on a commercial flight with the female business manager. He was replaced by Michael Chieka, who was erratic and didn't get results. He was replaced by Dave Rennie (another top Super Rugby coach), but he was replaced after dismal results. Eddie Jones has coached the team to their worst results in living memory. It's not just the coaches, they've had a series of coaches who've mostly been very successful, there just seems to be a rot at the heart of Australian rugby. It's sad thinking back to where they were 20 or 25 years ago.
I'm almost beginning to be sorry for the Aussies - almost
They’ll come back.
C'mon Italy!!!
Has anyone watched GrandSlammers? Basically it’s some ‘03 team back together to teach a series of prisoners to become a rugby team. Entertaining, funny, cliched but also some quite profound and previously unknown moments amongst the old fellas.
Oh my, Italy are in trouble!! <-- huge understatement.
Not heard of GrandSlammers before. Netflix?
That Will Jordan try was pretty amazing, pity Italy are collapsing so quickly though.
I didn't expect Italy to get spanked this hard.
Not heard of GrandSlammers before. Netflix?
No, was ITV. ITV-X for replays. Thought it was bloody excellent in so many ways. Second one had me blubbing.
100+ points for NZ
Well not quite bùt only because they took their foot off the gas for 10-15 minutes in the second half
"A few years ago the All Blacks were pretty dominant. They were probably a little bit ahead of other countries in the way they approached the game, but now you see everyone has caught up."
Cracking team talk.
Another seal clubbing game in France this eve.
Glad I went to cinema to watch the Greg Lemond film (film V recommended unlike the utterly one sided game of rugby).
The All Blacks seemed to bring Dr Who on as their goal kicker in the second half.
Are we sure that wasn’t Matt Smith?
No, was ITV. ITV-X for replays. Thought it was bloody excellent in so many ways. Second one had me blubbing.
Indeed. I never had any exposure to Ben Cohens life before this, bloody hell. And who new he was deaf!
…amongst many other moments.
Just when you think commentaries can't get worse the eejit on the Samoa Japan game chuntering on about not knowing why it's called swimming up the ruck.
Well you're the commentator maybe you should be telling us. Go away and learn something about the game.
The TV commentary is pretty awful especially with not understanding the head contact protocol leading to them saying decisions are odd - when they are not if you understand the protocols.. this then feeds into fans complaining about inconsistencies because thats what the commentators say. Its really annoying me. also when they continue to talk when the ref is speaking to players
I wish we could get commentary free feeds. I watched a couple of games on commentary less feeds a while back. so much better
Wales games are on S4c, bliss, have no idea what they are saying and really don't care. I just imagine it's Jiffy shouting "numbers" everyone in a while
That Chile try, wa it a carbon copy of a NZ one from the other night?
EDIT - that not a Chile try
Fiji channeling their inner Wales
Fiji channeling their inner Wales
Thankfully Wales always have a number of top class penalty kickers.
Gorgeous offload for that Fiji try!
Great last minute! I thought Georgia were going to score that try 😃
Enjoyable match that. Good win for Fiji
What will be considered a good result for Scotland tonight?
50 plus points and no cards or injuries. 100 pt win makes it easier to get thru as we would have an excellent points differnce but unlikely
Bonus point win is essential
Flower of Scotland is dreadful!!
50 plus points and no cards or injuries
I'm expecting 70+
Correct. I didn't listen to this one. Worse than usual?.
Darcy Graham 😳
Brilliant player.
Hey look it's Jevan Sebastian 😄😄😄😄
I love rugby. Romania player clearly infringes at the maul. Yellow card. Shakes hand of ref and raises apologetic hand to opposition. Whatever the outcome manners are nice to see.
Not going to be many Romanian players left at this rate, another clear yellow!
The wee man gets a hat trick
Silly Q: where are USA and Canada?
Sebastian deserves his chance. He has worked really hard for it. He was only half fit when playing for the Scarlets. Nice interview recently with him.
Another player to resurrect his career in Scotland.
Silly Q: where are USA and Canada?
Neither qualified. Chile and Uruguay did instead
Another player to resurrect his career in Scotland.
Yep, future world cup winner for sure!
You say resurrect, others say poach...T
he Irish poach is not looking that great tbh
Not a poach when Wales did not want him for either club or country. His career looked over before he moved North
Well thats the 50 pts
His career looked over before he moved North
No it didn't he was a regular starter for Scarlets
Was he not out of contract or not offered another? Its not our fault folk like to play for decent teams
Don't think so, although no Welsh based players were getting contracts for a long time (hence the potential six nations strike) and after he was being picked in the Scotland squad he would have become less valuable.
Thats it. He was not offered a contract in Wales so had to get one outside of wales
I seem to remember you slating him anyway
Jonny Mathewsgets one. I do feel sorry for these minnows getting stuffed lkke this
I had to switch off, the commentators acting like the team putting 70 on some minnows are great is really annoying. Luckily Wales never do this so that's all good 😀😀
More fabulous play from the wee man. Told you he would be good this WC
Well you missed acracker from Darcy
Yeah the commentators really getting on my nerves - banging on about points difference constantly
Ireland Scotland going to be a fun one.
Scotland can beat any team on their day ... howveer I still think that Ireland will beat them handsomely over 80+ minutes
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
We're not getting out of the pool stages, are we?
I seem to remember you slating him anyway
He developed into a decent club player. He may have won a few caps for Wales too but that doesn't say a lot.
anagallis_arvensis
Full Member
Don’t think so, although no Welsh based players were getting contracts for a long time (hence the potential six nations strike) and after he was being picked in the Scotland squad he would have become less valuable.
He was working in a meat processing plant and playing for a Welsh Premier team, there was an interview with him last couple of days. 3 stone lighter now apparently.
We’re not getting out of the pool stages, are we?
Unlikely. We need an 8pt or more win against Ireland with a try bonus point I believe
He developed into a decent club player. He may have won a few caps for Wales too but that doesn’t say a lot.
Wheras playing in Scotland he has got fitter, lighter and turned into a good pro and worth a international place. There is no doubt he has become a better player since coming to Scotland. One thing we are good at is nuturing and developing talent.
He was working in a meat processing plant and playing for a Welsh Premier team, there was an interview with him last couple of days. 3 stone lighter now apparently.
That was in about 2016 before he joined Scarlets (well he was in the academy initially) after being dumped by Glasgow I think it was.
There is no doubt he has become a better player since coming to Scotland.
Yep no doubt getting into such a winning system has done him no end of good. Future British Lion and Grand Slam star in the making, well, after he's won the world cup obviously!
One thing
we areToonie is good at is nuturing and developing talent.
😉
NOt just Toonie.
Because the Scots teams have not got the financial resources to buy stars or keep the ones we develop we have had to get used to looking for bargain players and developing them
Duhan. Sabestian, Nakamura, Mata, are 4 examples whos career was made by coming to Scotland
Doh!
Unlikely. We need an 8pt or more win against Ireland with a try bonus point I believe
It’s either or rather than both as if a team is level on points it comes down to head to head not points difference. Scotland are 4 points behind Ireland. Huge ask of course but not impossible.
Has Jevan even played for Edinburgh yet? His remarkable transformation from average club tighthead to Scottish Collosus has been in what 5 Scotland caps.
Meanwhile shit box Scarlets in the same time as Jevan played were only able to take discarded irish lock Tadgh Bierne and turn him into a bang average lock who couldn't in his wildest dreams consider a handful of caps for Scotland.
It’s either or rather than both as if a team is level on points it comes down to head to head not points difference. Scotland are 4 points behind Ireland. Huge ask of course but not impossible.
And if Scotland do win, which I hope they do, it will be awful for Ireland, who have looked to be the best team, certainly for me, so far. I’m hoping Tonga pull something out of their hat today, and beat South Africa, or at least keep the score below 3 tries, that’d mean a good chance of Ireland and Scotland going through. If SA win today, then it’s going to be either Ireland or Scotland going through isnt it?
On another point, it was said to me this morning, why are so many awful teams playing in the WC?
If it was football, Romania would have lost 10-0. That just doesnt happen in the football WC. Rugby is looking rubbish for the last few years, I used to love the game (still play), but watching it is turgid, so many stoppages, reviews for so many things that do slow the game down. Teams that just cannot compete with the top 5 or 6 teams. Italy have been in the 6 nations for 20+ years, they have improved, slightly, but being honest, if they win, they have been very lucky, or their opponents have been dire. 2 premier clubs have gone bust, now the best Championship side has gone bust, the Welsh regions are struggling to keep going, grassroots Clubs struggle for players. It needs a big reform from top to bottom, or, in 20 years time, there will be so few players, it’ll only be the top 5 international teams and a few feeder clubs who are still here.
@alanl I agree with a lot of what you say. I think WorldRugby had the idea that they would copy football. They meant to expand rugby by copying the World Cup, unfortunately they have ended up copying the Champions League. In that a tiny number of teams are genuine competitors for the trophy. Football built up following or markets in countries all over the world before TV grew to the size it is ,but rugby didnt. Rugby does not have the worldwide marketing appeal of football an d it is doing it's growing up in the full media and social media spotlight.
I also think the way our governments spend money on sport needs to change. We spend money on elites in a number of different sports, supposedly their examples will inspire others. It is "trickle down" economics again. It does not work. We should fund sports and exercise to be available for all conveniently, cheaply or free if possible. If this means shutting down our elite sports programmes so be it the benefits to physical and mental health will be worth it many times over. Free or cheap participation in sport builds up a stronger grassroots game, That I think is where rugby is weak particularly in Scotland bur I suspect in many other countries which have teams competing in the RWC,
Two solutions IMO. Ensure the tier two countries get more meaningful games. There should be a south american tour and a pacific island tour from one of the tier one nations every year. Money and exposure to a high standard of rugby for the tier two teams - same in Europe for Georgia etc
The WC in its early incarnation split into cup / bowl / shield competitions after the first rounds. that again would give the smaller teams more meaningful games