[Closed] Rugby world cup

Well I'm pretty chuffed with today's Wales game even though we lost. Really gave SA and by default the rest of the world something to think about, which makes me proud 🙂

Ok so if we get through we'll most likely face NZ in the quarters, but if we can build on that performance then that might not be the death sentence we'd have thought before the tournament!

Not only was it the best home nations game in this WC so far, I think it was the best home nations (including Wales) game I've seen in about three years.

I think the Welsh selections were the correct calls for the players available. A lack of subs seemed to hurt them though.

A lack of a out and out in form 15 is hurting Wales hugely too. It would have been nice to see Hook at 12 with Halfpenny at 15 but that would be a huge risk based on the game time Halfpenny has had and the fact he is a winger by trade.

I also feel Jon Davies needs a good game. He really hasn't had the form he had for the Scarlets in the earlier part of last season- his injury sadly interrupted his form.

Wales have a world beating side with the first choice 15 all available and all in form but if they are missing even one of these players or one of them has a quiet game then they are in trouble

I thought Jon Davis was excellent today as was Roberts, sadly though they are just not a pairing. Roberts though would have been very very pleased to see Butch James come on and DeVilliers go off.

Arrived at work this am to be asked "Would it be alright for you to host a couple of clients at the Scotland v England game at Eden Park?'. Oh go on then, i'll take one for the team. I hope they aren't important clients and/or have good hearing as I'll have a few things to say. Does mean i have to miss France v Tonga though...

In other news, just had breakfast with the Yarpies, little bit mixed feelings in there, happy to win but also not happy to have been basically beaten apart from Wayne Barnes' inability to ****n see properly (and his linesmen as well). How they missed that I do not know as I was sitting in line with it and it clearly went , at worst, over the inside of the post.

not happy to have been basically beaten apart from Wayne Barnes' inability to ****n see properly (and his linesmen as well

Yep, I heard from a few Saffer mates that they felt it was a rather hollow victory.

However, Molgrips has it right with this;

Well I'm pretty chuffed with today's Wales game even though we lost. Really gave SA and by default the rest of the world something to think about, which makes me proud

A great performance. Warburton was awesome....Simply awesome. Faletau (spl?) seems to be maturing, and North/Roberts on a crash ball still seems to work very well. Impressed overall.

While it was a good game to watch and I was even yelling at the TV for Wales to do it the bottom line is they still lost.

The back row were great and a lot of players really stepped up to the plate but if you don't get past the winning post it means nothing.

This is the World Cup - not a dress rehearsal. The rest of the world will think that Wales can't take a chance when they have it.

The back row were great and a lot of players really stepped up to the plate but if you don't get past the winning post it means nothing.

The rest of the world will think that Wales can't take a chance when they have it.

deadlydarcy - Member

Ireland weren't that bad FFS. It was a 22-3 game until a wild pass in an effort to go for a bonus point went astray. The only (major) worry for me was how dire Sexton was.

I agree completely - and I'll also refer to my posts above!

deadlydarcy - Member
Oh and a quick vote for discussing the games here on this thread as they happen. Works perfectly well for the 6N when it's on.

Yeah, can we keep it on this thread. It's ridiculous to start a new thread for every game.

Lawes has been cited apparently. Rugby may be rufty tufty and physical, but leading with the knee was just a bit silly if it ends up with your `best' lock potentially missing a few games.

Lawes has always been a bit of a liability, though, hasn't he?

So a few next round predictions anyone?
Scotland v Georgia - Georgia by one, hard fought try!
Australia v Ireland - Australia to win. Easily.
England v Georgia - Another example of poor scheduling. Major teams get a lot of rest, Georgia play two games in a week. England to win, comfortably.
Wales v Samoa - A Wales win, but not easily enough.

Is there YooToob footage of this controversial kick of Hook's?

I had to watch the game while pretending to be interested in someone's baby so the TV was barely audible. I missed what happened.

The only thing I was pleased about with Wales' loss was that it means we probably won't play them in the quarters - playing like that, they'd have destroyed the green machine. 🙂

Nothing controversial about it. It went over. Barnes and the touch judges were wrong.

molgrips - Member

Ok so if we get through we'll most likely face NZ in the quarters,

No, winner Pool C plays Runner up Pool D, so it should be Wales v Oz. We can't be hammered by NZ at all until the semis I think. Although if Ireland pull themselves together and beat Australia it sets up a very interesting QF. Any money on Ireland to beat Wales on current form?

NZCol - Member
happy to have been basically beaten apart from Wayne Barnes' inability to ****n see properly (and his linesmen as well).

He was giving poor decisions to both sides. How many clear knock-ons did he wave on? His reffing at the breakdown was interesting. How he didn't penailse the SA player who charged into a ruck and basically headbutted Warburton, I'll never know. No attempt at joing the ruck correctly, just a wild charge.

Hook was very poor. He made a powderpuff tackle on Steyn - if he had tackled him properly surely Steyn would have been in touch. It had shades of O'Gara's non tackle for the Lions, eh a_a? He was out of position several times, missed high balls, admittedly in a swirling wind, and missed essential kicks. And I think that is worrying for him. Priestland is looking very competent, the midfield is solid. Once we have a competent fullback again, where does Hook fit in?

'Spose it depends on where it took that inward curve.

It's a right bastard when officials lose you a game like that though innit?

Any money on Ireland to beat Wales on current form?

I'll have a euro with you...you need to give me odds of about 20-1 though

You can't tell from that camera angle

Any money on Ireland to beat Wales on current form?

I'll have a euro with you...you need to give me odds of about 20-1 though

I'd happily put a few quid on Wales hammering Ireland on current form! 🙂

[i>

Nothing controversial about it. It went over. Barnes and the touch judges were wrong.[/i]

I'd like to see another angle - that video shows the same angle as I saw on TV, where it looks like the ball goes past the post then curls in.
The doubt on Hook's face though - the kickers usually know when they've missed!

Oh, and just to have another rant. Injury time, Wales in possession, ball gets taken into a ruck in the SA half I believe. Brussouw enters ruck from side in front of ref, scoops ball out to his own side, kicked away, game over. It should have been a kickable penalty to Wales.

What the hell was Barnes watching?

It's hard to believe that he is an unbiased ref when he allows things like that to happen, but goes to the TMO for Faletau's very obvious try. "TMO, can you just give me an excuse not to give this try please?" "Err, no Wayne, he scored a try."

The last time Barnes was at Kingsholm he got some serious stick from the crowd for going to the TMO for an obvious try in front of us with him 30cm away from the action. Seems he may have switched off y'day.

I was there and right by it, as it crossed the try line it was inside the post, worst case on the absolute inside edge. The touch judge was standing in totally the wrong place and looking out to it so impossible to tell. Why Barnes didn't check with the TMO stuns me. And yeah we saw two clear knock ons he missed. He's sh1t and can't tell forward passes either 😉

Pretty sure there's nothing in the rules to allow checking of a kick with the TMO.
That's shit if it did go over, Wales really deserved a win.

Pretty sure there's nothing in the rules to allow checking of a kick with the TMO.

Permit me to quote the following - IRB RULE 6.A.6a

[b]The [television match] official may be consulted in relation to the success or otherwise of kicks at goal
[/b]

Barnes is an idiot. So were the touch judges.

They should've bloody checked it then - Hook was gesturing for it (allbeit halfheartedly).

Col's probably heard this. Pretty funny song:
http://www.zmonline.com/player/ondemand/where-the-webb-ellis

😀

Watched the Wales game and felt a bit sorry for them that their first game was against the world champions who have just completed the tri nations but a truely world class team would have taken their opportunity to put SA to the sword. They squandered too many scoring opportunities and Hook had a mare . A genuine fullback would have stopped Steyn in his tracks .Terrible tackle.
The rest of the home nations had a shakey start ,hopefully just shaking off some ring rust before putting in some decent performances.

Ireland's performance was poor because the USA appear to have the weakest scrum in the RWC and seem to have the most amateurish set up. Look at the hammerings they took in the Churchill cup.

I know Wales played well but where does that performance get them? A likely quarter final against the Aussies and an early plane home.

Yes, Wayne Barnes was poor. He made many mistakes and should've gone to the TMO on the penalty but he was lenient on Wales at the breakdown too in terms of players (not) staying on their feet. If Wales had committed a few more bodies to that ruck in the final minutes then they wouldn't have lost the ball.

Anyway, the home nations have all been pretty disappointing. Why can't we all play like Japan?

Oh look, it's the thread EMO.

😆

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/14783195.stm

Gethin's back! He would have made quite a difference on Sunday, IMO.

I don't think Wales are in a position to moan, they profited nicely from some poor reffing in the six nations against Ireland. Anyway I though Wales looked like they were England, loads of killing the ball, slowing things down not really running it....

[i]Wales looked like they were England[/i]

Blimey, that's a bit bloody harsh!

Dezb + 1
As an Englishman [s]I had to suffer[/s] the family had to suffer my ranting at the tv for 70 minutes.

Beaten by a point, that hurts a bit but it was a great game and we only have ourselves to blame. Hate the tag of plucky losers though. Barnes is a poor ref but he was reffing both sides.

Away from the World Cup did anyone see Christian Wade scoring tries for Wasps against Leicester 😯 chuffing Nora that lad has got some pace.

namastebuzz - Member

Yes, Wayne Barnes was poor. He made many mistakes

The game is professional now, it's a pity that we have refs who appear to think it's ok to act in an amateur fashion and wave on anything that doesn't fit their interpretation of the game.

Wales at the breakdown too in terms of players (not) staying on their feet.

There was little difference between Wales going off their feet and SA going their feet. Or for that matter, England, Ireland, NZ, USA, etc going off their feet. Everyone does it.

If Wales had committed a few more bodies to that ruck in the final minutes then they wouldn't have lost the ball.

No, Brussouw entered a ruck from the side and handled the ball in a ruck. Both penalty offences. How many Welsh players are in the ruck is pretty much irrelevant if the ref allows players to do that.

Everyone does it.

😯

🙂

Haha. I knew you'd reply, dd!

How he didn't penailse the SA player who charged into a ruck and basically headbutted Warburton, I'll never know. No attempt at joing the ruck correctly, just a wild charge.

the whistle had gone too.

Hook is a shit fullback, but to be fair Steyn is a big ****er. As the only gay in the village said he should have been coming forward to meet the player rather than holding a line, inexperience at fullback told. If Byrne can gain some form he could well be picked, his tackling is very secure its just the rest of his game thats gone to shit.

Breaking News!

Ian Robertson reports on 5live (just now) that use of Hawkeye shows the penalty as bouncing off the inside of the post and coming back OUT.

🙂

Breaking News!

Ian Robertson reports on 5live (just now) that use of Hawkeye shows the penalty as bouncing off the inside of the post and coming back OUT.

Interesting if true as one of my mates said the same thing to me on sunday..

Here's Shaun Edwards [url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/12/wales-penalty-shaun-edwards ]bleating about it in the Guardian.[/url] As I said earlier, these things even themselves out.

I'm only going by Ian Robertson on 5live around a half an hour ago (I was listening at the time) - I'm assuming he was talking about a TV station in NZ that ran hawkeye on the penalty - but didn't quite catch that bit. Had a luke on yootoob but couldn't find anything.

one of my mates (ex pro player in wales and england

Mark Taylor, perhaps?

just watched the welsh game - best of the home nations but turnovers is what killed 'em - that an missing chances

that an missing chances

Good point, Don. New ball, perhaps?

Heard some rumblings about the ball used, is it a new design?

I believe so. I was thinking exactly the same but they did go on to say that this ball has been in use for more or less a year. Not the same as the footie WC.

Used by whom though?

[url= http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mediazone/news/newsid=2034234.html ]http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mediazone/news/newsid=2034234.html[/url] indicates the existence of the new ball for a couple of years, however Jonny W implies that they're had very little practice time.
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/06/rugby-world-cup-2011-wilkinson ]"The balls have changed a little bit so we're working every day just to get used to it,"[/url]
Commentry team getting it wrong shocker!

Lawes is [url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14870264.stm ]banned for 2 matches[/url]

I think he worked quite hard to earn that. 😥

Wasn't there a new flipping ball at the last RWC as well?

Apart from making people buy new balls, what's the justification?

I blame the wind for the dodgy kicking. Wellington is very windy, the stadium is on the flat bit of reclaimed (or did an EQ throw it up - can't remember now) land by the waterfront and is round, so the wind so they say swirls about the place and gives the Hurricanes a significant home advantage. Job done.

not that windy for wilkinson though what with being indoors and everything

Lawes was lucky methinks. I don't think it was deliberate, nor deserving of a citation, but once the wheels are in motion you have to hope the powers that be are lenient.

Apart from making people buy new balls, what's the justification?

Exactly - it's all about the money. Same as everyone churning out desirable new strips, such as England's lovely black one.

I read somewhere that the balls for the Eng/Arg match had not been "kicked in" prior to use. I don't know if this is common practice with new balls prior to international matches? Certainly from kicking american footballs we always found the training balls preferable to brand new ones.

It seems daft to bring the world's best players together for the showpiece tournament and then give them balls they haven't used before. But then the football world cup does it every time and we see most of the shots getting blasted over the bar during the group stages.

In that article, Wilkinson suggested being indoors was a variable in itself and didn't neccesarily make it easier
.

Lawes did seem intent on hurting someone in the game - but there was also an incident where an Argentinian kicked another Argentinian in the head - is he getting a ban? [i]Might[/i] have been deliberate!

Shows how good a player Lawes is; no previous, but at the heart of everything for Northampton.Pity he will be back on the 1st Oct...

Lawes, who [b]pleaded not guilty[/b], will be available for England's final group game against Scotland on 1 October.

Judicial officer Terry Willis said he applied some [b]leniency because of[/b] Lawes' disciplinary record and [b]"remorse"[/b].

How can pleading "not guilty" and showing remorse be compatible???

 

"I'm really sorry I did that by accident?"

How can pleading "not guilty" and showing remorse be compatible???

Probably because he said, I did not do it on purpose but I am sorry my knee made contact with his head and I hope he gets well soon?

EDIT - For some reason I did not even see dezb's post which says the same thing..

Thats exactly how it works, best way to get through a citing is to say the above. They will then use the statements from match officials, in his case 20 tv angles,in my case 20 home supporters,subs etc,to decide if it WAS intentional.I know this from both sides of the fence 🙄

Lawes can be clumsy but I don't think there was much in it. A case of not separating 'cause' and 'effect' perhaps during the citing process? If the prop jumped up with a smile would it still be a citing?

How many times do you see someone do the same or similar when a try is scored? If you are unlucky enough to have a lump of a second row nearby when you score you can bet they will drop an elbow or knee on you.

Thats exactly how it works, best way to get through a citing is to say the above.

unless your Gavin Henson in which case you show no remorse for smackin an argie prop in the nose because he was trying to take him out off the ball and then you get 20 weeks!

IMO that was a clear knee drop from Lawes He needs to keep his aggression on the right side of the laws which can sometimes de tricky but that was well out of order and should have been at least a yellow on the night - . 2 weeks probably about right but its awaful convenience he is back for the Scotland game.

Still - we will get the gray / lawes match up that I look forward to - they might well be the next lions locks.

they might well be the next lions locks.

Ahead of Bradley Davies and Alun-Wyn Jones? And Simon Shaw*?

*He may be 348 years old, but he's a superb player and a great guy with it!

FWIW, I would look to develop Lawes as an open side flanker.

Lawes and Grey would be too lightweight I would say, need a big grunty ****er like Davies in there.

Lawes and Grey would be too lightweight I would say,

CFH - yup - far better players IMO - I think they could be the best in the world. They need to prove it now of course. Faster, more skilful and Gray at least is bigger

yes but as we all know Girafferis is 8 foot 9 and 20 stone but he still lacks power going into contact. Its impossible for him to get low going into the tackle or ruck. You need a balance in the lock pairing Lawes and Grey wouldnt compete with the likes of Bakkies Botha or Brad Thorn, all the best pairings have a rangy tall player and a shorter powerful player.

Grey and Lawes have achieved nowt compared to Shaw or even AW Jones.

Bigger is not better. Gray is just a big lump, that's about it. As to skilful, Lawes is a donkey at the moment, and has a LOT to learn.

Could Lawes and Gray be as good as Botha and Matfield, my pick of the finest second rows playing today? Not in a year of Sundays! I would still pick Shaw ahead of either of them.

Now then, on to the horror of playing Samoa. Eeeek! Squeaky bum time!

Gray played Shaw off the park in the last Calcutta cup and he is a very skilful player - could they be as good as Botha and Matfield? Could be better but they have yet to show it.
Just a big lump?

they could be better than either Botha or Matfield but as a pairing I dont think so.

Sheridan out, not that he can scrumage 🙂

Lawes was lucky IMO the knee into Ledesma was cynical and done with malice.

Russia America could get spicy.

Wooooo! Go Canada!

The coke head prop is better than Sheridan anyway

Anyone know of a low bandwidth online radio station doing commentary? My talkSPORT feed cuts out then I have to restart with that annoying Landrover advert every 5 mins

Cheers

Dan Parkes is a liability 😆

ITV is doing the same thing here. It makes me want to punch anyone who complains about the license fee. I'd pay triple to make sure the bbc gets all the decent sport and make sure I never have to listen to another effing advert again. As for sky, I mean you pay for the TV and still get advertised to.. Madness.

Scotland's props not doing too badly...

Samoa looked very impressive this morning. I think they might give Wales and SA a very tough time. But then I suppose a team with Tuilagi, Mapasua, Tagicakibau, et al, is likely to be fairly good..

Pigface - Member
Dan Parkes is a liability

That's definitely not news! 😀

Squeaky bum time for the Scotchish, I think. 12-6 with about ten minutes to play......

Hardly a gleaming performance!