[Closed] Rugby world cup

Howley as scrum half surely.

TandemJeremy:

.....let go man. You need to be able to accept criticism.

*chuckles*

*drop kick onto page 69*

Wot no glitch?

Also from gwladrugby, this had me giggling:

[b]‘Entitlement Leprechaun’ demands world cup victory[/b]

The Entitlement Leprechaun has presented the IRB with a seventeen-volume dossier detailing over three-thousand years’ worth of hardships visited upon the Irish race which in his view validates his case that it’s their year. An IRB statement confirmed that the route to winning the world cup would still be decided by the traditional scoreboard method rather than by finding the end of a rainbow.

😆

I think the only Wales players who could be considered in a world cup 15 are those who played in 1987, and maybe Shane for his performance against NZ in erm.... 2003.
So we need Paul Thorburn in to kick the goals, sod Blanco and that running crap! His conversion to win the 3rd place play off from wide out with the last kick of the game was something special.

video is not the world cup I know but this is great....bosh

PS More tabloid titletatle
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10756439

seems harsh to me:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7222926,00.html

still as long as we never see some ****in dirty Saffa only get a yellow for a blatent gouge again I'll be happy.

blimey. Is that ban valid for domestic games too? To me I thought he was just reaching for something to grab, when he realised it was a blokes eye he noticably stops.. But then I think I might be considered one of rugbies bleeding heart liberals (unless you have a pony tail, then I'm vitriolic) ..

Ask the youngest Quinnell if he thinks that ban is lenient. Or ask Cueto if he thinks it is too long.

that isn't my point, there isn't a person on here who thinks eye gouging is tolerable or something you should be lenient about. The fact of the italians sudden withdrawal of his hand makes you think he was not aware of where his hand was and as soon as he realised he pulled back. Seems like a tough call to know exactly what the chap is thinking.

In cuetos case it was a bit more obvious as he could see where his hands were, so his 8 weeks or whatever it was is lenient compared with this italians ban. Weren't there some french guys who were banned for 26 and 52 weeks last year? Very naughty anyway.

Thorburn really could belt it, couldn't he? That was massive! Even more so when back thed with you remember the weight of the balls we played with back then!

the vid is here [url= http://www.itv.com/rugbyworldcup/2011/matches/ireland-v-italy/ ]game highlights look about 1.10 onwards[/url] tbh any contact with the eye is bad, maybe 15 weeks was lenient for benefit of the doubt. I guess you have to send that message. Those highlights are worth watching, the green machine looks devastating.

Seems harsh on the dirty Italian but I suppose, he did admit it, albeit saying it wasn't deliberate - his responsibility not to make contact with another player's eyes though.

his responsibility not to make contact with another player's eyes though.

Yep, like when New Zealanders didn't take that responsibility.

O'Driscoll speared at the Lions tour, anyone? Remind me, what was their punishment for that?

Oh yes, my mistake, they were from New Zealand, so it doesn't count.

*Self modded bad word*

Both the French guys last year had previous. I had some ****er from Orrel put his fingers in my eyes while I was at Scottish, I was in a maul and pinned, the feeling of helplessness as the finger hooked into my eye was only topped a second later as my teeth sank into his thumb and he screamed and removed his fingers. The worry was that even then,20 years ago, that was not unusual.Fingers in eyes is the lowest of the low, I am pleased to say in 5 years of reffing,I have had one complaint of it.

When a tackler lifts a player I am shouting "Tackler,careful!" that is instruction for Premiers up here. It is all the tacklers responsibility, you will get sent off for a spear faster than a punch.

Rees got 12 weeks for his which was deemed accidental too.

course this was "at least a yellow"

Ellis and Phiilips playing together that was bound to end in a fight!

Both the French guys last year had previous. I had some ****er from Orrel put his fingers in my eyes while I was at Scottish, I was in a maul and pinned, the feeling of helplessness as the finger hooked into my eye was only topped a second later as my teeth sank into his thumb and he screamed and removed his fingers.

That's horrid. The concept of someone sticking their fingers in my eyes makes me judder...

Coincidentally, it seems I've at least seen you playing when I was a kid, as I went with my parents to Orrell pretty much every week whilst the game was still amateur. The pro game (and Dave Whelan of Wigan's greed) killed that club. I couldn't bring myself to switch to Sale as the north-west's only premier club as in the first season they were promoted to Orrell's division and someone put Dewi Morris in hospital with a spear tackle and a stamping. (As if the tackle wasn't enough) Dirty dirty Sale.... At Edge Hall Road there was no tunnel as such, it took a strong police presence to get the Sale players off the pitch after that!

Playing for London Scottish, and I have to admit it was mostly 2xv rugby,was interesting in the early 90's due to the slam. Everybody was out for a wee bit of payback,INCLUDING refs. Northern teams were less of a problem,they hated their immediate neighbours much more than the Scots 😀

Wow flash you have some major grudge against NZ don't you ?
Tournament shouldn't be here, spear tackles, chokers you've covered a lot of ground well done. I'm not entirely sure what your point is ruhr enough. Oh yeah NZ cheat and get away with it. All the time. Because that happens. 🙄

best named in unchanged Ireland Team. Roberts and North warming up to charge down O'Gara's channel already! Some big calls for Gatland at 15, 6 and 1

Oh yeah NZ cheat and get away with it. All the time.

I shouldn't worry NZCol - the green machine do it too 🙂

best named in unchanged Ireland Team.

They're waiting till the 48hr deadline to submit. I had thought he was more or less out - but apparently not.

Scamper looks like you will be looking for a new centre.

Pigface, you talking about tindall? Nothing could make me happier Although my dislike of tindall was tempered somewhat with his performance against scotland - not brilliant but better, he managed some reasonably late offloads, about as good as you would expect from a top flight prop..

Not everything is about england players Toys 😉 no it is about Fuimaono-Sapolu.

Ah yes. I think he has retired 8)

Pigface - yes, Sapolu was twitter mad last season, but very pashionate about his club rugby. Still, got Tindall coming back plus Molenaar from injury to reinforce the current options being used.

Wilkinson to start on the weekend, just dont understand that at all. Flood has to be the better bet to start.

Johnson still thinks its 2003.

I didn't think the england team was announced yet, my spies say flood at 12 [url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/04/rugby-world-cup-2011-wilkinson-flood ]replacing Tindall[/url]

Johnson still thinks its 2003.

not as bad as Robinson who thinks he's still coaching England circa 2004-6.

😆 😆

Johnno's going with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" method. Unfortunately though, it is broke but the cracks have been papered over by unconvincing wins.

Word is Wilko will start with Flood likely to replace Tindall at 12 if the latter isn't fit. When you look at JWs performances against the French over the years, it's probably a good call.

Not considering Hape makes you wonder why he was picked in the first place. They should drop Youngs, Stevens and Lawes but they won't. Haskell should be moved away from No.8 as he can't control the ball like Easter can.

Hopefully the excitement of the Wal/Ire game won't have worn off by the time the turgid drudgery of another England match attempts to suck the joy from my soul.

the turgid drudgery of another England match attempts to suck the joy from my soul.

Wales better win now. Have a bet with an Irish colleague that they will. The stakes? A night on the beer in Sydney.

😕

Anyone know any really cheap [s]tittybars[/s] restaurants in Sydney? 😕

Ireland have got that win in the bag oflashhearty, best start saving.

Got to say in Wilkinson's (or Johnson's) defence, he pretty much single handedly took the steam out of many of the Scottish attacks in the first half on Saturday. He is a great steadying hand. He calmed the 'chaos'

If England want to sit at the rugby top table in the future (and they really should be there) they need to move away from a JW style number 10. For Saturday, he may well be the right choice.

oflashhearty

I knew if I kept repeating it 😉

(though to be fair, I do just keep it for this thread)

Taz, I think thats just adding to why TJ hates him so much.. Cool.

Got to say in Wilkinson's (or Johnson's) defence, he pretty much single handedly took the steam out of many of the Scottish attacks in the first half on Saturday. He is a great steadying hand. He calmed the 'chaos'

You have to wonder if there had been more constructive play from England there may have been less chaos though

Should be Flood at 10 and JW at 1st centre if anything.

Glitchy ****y bumpy.

Again?

Anyone know any really cheap [s]tittybars[/s] restaurants in Sydney?

Not even compared to London prices - I'd pack your AmEx if I were you....

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); George North (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Dragons) Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons). Replacements: Lloyd Burns (Dragons), Paul James (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Scott Williams (Scarlets).

Pleased with that, strong bench! God I'm getting nervous.

England team: B Foden (Northampton Saints); C Ashton (Northampton Saints), M Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), T Flood (Leicester Tigers), M Cueto (Sale Sharks); J Wilkinson (Toulon), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers); M Stevens (Saracens), S Thompson (London Wasps), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), L Deacon (Leicester Tigers), T Palmer (Stade Francais), T Croft (Leicester Tigers), L Moody (Bath Rugby, capt), N Easter (Harlequins). Replacements: D Hartley (Northampton Saints), A Corbisiero (London Irish), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), S Shaw (Unattached), J Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams), R Wigglesworth (Saracens), M Banahan (Bath Rugby).

Lawes and Haskel dropped, that scrum could struggle again.

Both have picked best sides they could,Wales going out to try and even up the Irish tight five A-A?.
Dunno what England could have done apart from bring in Flood, Haype the other centre, couldn't even make the bench. If France get their backs moving,and based on last weekend they should against that England pack,then there is a hole with Flood on the back. Mind you I have been catching up on the games I missed, France are dire, cannot see England losing to them.I had high hopes for Stevens before the WC,after the way he has done his time and come back, but he has struggled.

Or Lawes and Haskell (and Shaw) kept back as impact players for when we inevitably get in the shit..

edit: duckman - he only has hape left out of his backs wot with tindall in hiding and armitage banned.

I had high hopes for Stevens before the WC,after the way he has done his time and come back, but he has struggled

Thats because Stevens is a fine tight head prop who can cover loosehead but at loosehead he struggles against quality players like Murray, he's also caught the penalty disease england have at the breakdown.

Wales have gambled on all three of the tough choices they had at 1, 6 and 15. Is Gethin match fit enough, has Lydiate recovered and will 1/2p cope with the irish airial attack? Heart says Wales but head is still favouring Ireland. That backline will do some damage though if they get enough ball.

The england team smacks of desperation, when was the last time they played Flood outside Wilkinson? I thought that experiment had been put to bed years ago, why bring it back now, when Hape has been picked so often for so long. The Hask has been one of Englands best performers recently despite being shunted around the back row. Moody has just been his usual headless chicken self and doesnt deserve a starting spot and Youngs doesnt seem to work with Wilkinson as Wilko doesnt intrest the opposition backrow enough to give youngs space to run.

Ok I cant post anything sensible about the weekend my heart is racing and getting far to excited/nervous. So I wont put anything up on here untill after the event. My old man wasnt allowed to watch Wales because of his heart condition, I seem to of inherited this trait pathetic but true.

Good luck to all your teams I hope Wales and France get through.

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion enwogion o fri
Ei gwrol ryfelwr, gwlad garwyr tra mad
Tros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.

Gwlad Gwlad,
Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau

😀

The england team smacks of desperation, when was the last time they played Flood outside Wilkinson? I thought that experiment had been put to bed years ago, why bring it back now, when Hape has been picked so often for so long

What are you on about? The last time Flood and Wilko started together we beat wales with three tries, it seemed like it worked very nicely.

i feel sick!

alarm clock set!

irish mates wound up already so expecting abuse eitherway!

CMYRU AM BYTH!

Tiocfaidh ár lá

Good news: [url= http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/teams/team=38/news/newsid=2057071.html ]Ioane is back in business[/url]

Tiocfaidh ár lá

Cymru am byth indeed! That should be one hell of a match, unlike the one my own team will perhaps, maybe, even bother to turn up....

Just noticed the England lineup - is there any particular reason we've got TWO locks (or three if you count Bananamanohanahan)on the bench? Apart from to give away penalties when they come on or I suppose Lawes could play centre better than Tindall or Hape, in a pinch. 😕

Easter is a better No8 than Le Hasque but he should have replaced Moody at 7 from the start rather than subbing him when he gets concussed after running into (a) A Frenchie (b) a team mate (c) the posts (d) the referee or (e) the girlie singing the anthems.

when he gets concussed after running into (a) A Frenchie (b) a team mate (c) the posts (d) the referee or (e) the girlie singing the anthems.

I'm pretty sure he doesn't know the rules of rugby.

I think this applies to most of the England team

Can't argue with the penalty count I suppose.

Tiocfaidh ár lá

Not sure how the Ulster players would feel about that. Not that it has **** all to do with rugby anyway.

Yeah but the original meaning is lost in time, I know loads of paddys who say it casual like..

Not sure how the Ulster players would feel about that. Not that it has **** all to do with rugby anyway.

Now that would really depend whether they understood it or not wouldn't it?

Not that it has **** all to do with rugby anyway

Agreed. Rugby is, as far as I know, not a divided sport in Ireland. Please correct me if I'm wrong, though!

Indeed, have you heard Irelands Call? The unified national anthem I think it was composed initially for rugby..

Indeed it was. Specifically a rugby anthem. I think it was fair not to expect players from the Unionist side to sing an anthem from the republic. There aren't many people in Ulster that don't know what "Tiocfaidh ár lá" means, whether they speak Gaeilge or not. I don't expect you'd hear the phrase at a rugby game either. Unless it was the Military Councilesians versus RUC Old Boys. 🙂

Irelands Call is a cheesfest, but it did address an issue, hence the line containing "the four proud provinces of Ireland".

Anyway, we digress...

Indeed we do! Back to the problem of a cheap restaurant in Sydney. I have the fear.....

You wanna be afraid..

O'Flashearty, I know you love these little nuggets about your number two country. 😆

Number two

*S****s*

A team is not just the sum of its constituent parts...
sometimes it's less!
.
Come on England!

The last time Flood and Wilko started together we beat wales with three tries, it seemed like it worked very nicely.

When was that? no need to answer have looked it up. Why have they not been playing together in the warm up games or the pool games, why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12?

mind you look at the Wales lineup 😥

Byrne; T James, Hook, Roberts, S Williams; S Jones, Cooper; P James, G Williams, Rhys Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones, Charteris, Powell, M Williams, R Jones (captain).

When was that?

Why have they not been playing together in the warm up games or the pool games, why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12?

I guess to give you ammo to lay into us? Otherwise I have no idea because me and millions of others have been screaming for it. (Fingers crossed it works, then I shall apply to the RFU for Johnsons job as I obviously know better than him..)

why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12

Talking of Hape, didn't MJ once say he laughed inwardly at the reaction that people would give when they eventually realised how good he (Hape) was?

Well, we're still waiting.....

If he's so great than why has Johnno passed him over in favour of, firstly, an over-the-hill outside centre and next, a wimpy fly-half?

(I'm also still waiting to find out what a great centre Andy Farrell was gonna be but I'm starting to lose faith on that one 😕 )

What about Lesley Vainakolo wasnt he the next Lomu, or Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

I think Johnson should have his best options in mind by now, it seems odd you can go from Hape to a completely different player in Flood.

What about Lesley Vainakolo wasnt he the next Lomu, or Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

AAAAAAAAARRRGHHH!

Don't - PLease!

I've tried to block those memories for years but they're all flooding back!
😮

There will never be another Lomu as almost everyone else is just as ruddy enormous,powerful and quick, he was just the vanguard of modern players.

Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

Assistant coach of Russia at the RWC.

The best one was Steve Hanley (the white Lomu), especially when he tried to tackle Craig Quinnel at Wembley.

Still at least Banahan is on the bench for Englandshire

The best one was Steve Hanley (the white Lomu), especially when he tried to tackle Craig Quinnel at Wembley.

STOP IT! I'm going to have to go and lie down, the flashbacks are starting!

TJ will be along to mention Murrayfield 1990 and then I'll be a gonner.