Dolfan in NYC Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted September 27, 2023 Author Share Posted September 27, 2023 Good explanation of who needs what entering the final week and a half of the pool stage https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/66914301 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerMark Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Wales just need to put their feet up; although winning the group and locking in a Quarter Final that they could actually win would be nice before getting the brakes beaten off them in the semi-final by, well, whoever. Locking in the seedings for the World Cup three years in advance may well be the dumbest thing World Rugby does, apart from the head-on shot of the TMO during the (many) video reviews in a match. Then again, I would be quite happy to replace all replay officials in all sports with the NRL's Kasey Badger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted September 29, 2023 Author Share Posted September 29, 2023 Everyone who thought Wales and England would be the first two teams qualifying for the Quarter Finals, raise your hands. There better not be a single fucking hand raised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted September 29, 2023 Share Posted September 29, 2023 I will be super stoked if Japan prove the doubters wrong and qualify for the quarters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerMark Posted September 29, 2023 Share Posted September 29, 2023 7 hours ago, SirFozzie said: Everyone who thought Wales and England would be the first two teams qualifying for the Quarter Finals, raise your hands. There better not be a single fucking hand raised I would have had Wales as the first of the Home Nations eliminated from the group stages, who knew the Australians were going to be so bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted September 29, 2023 Author Share Posted September 29, 2023 1 hour ago, DangerMark said: I would have had Wales as the first of the Home Nations eliminated from the group stages, who knew the Australians were going to be so bad? (dramatic zoom cut to a view of Earth of Space) That's who knew Australia were going to be bad. EVERYONE. Maybe not this bad, but the fact that their coach basically spends more time fighting the media than actually, you know, coaching.. had to be a huge red flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted September 29, 2023 Author Share Posted September 29, 2023 Weekend Update (with more me, and less Saturday Night Live. First of all, Holy shit at the New Zealand-Italy result. We were expecting a tushy-whompin, but.. uh.. not THAT much of a tushy-whomping. 14 tries against a tier1.5 nation? You'd think the Italian players had insulted the New Zealand nation. (actually, now that I think about it, Italy played so shit, it was an insult to the national sport of New Zealand) Big banana skin game for Fiji tomorrow. Australia are hoping against hope that Fiji step on the banana peel and slip up to allow them a chance to qualify. The 'Boks will have to put on a bonus point win against Tonga to guarantee themself safety. If they don't and Scotland gets two bonus point wins (vs Romania this weekend, then next week against Ireland), they'd pip the group, and Ireland would advance over South Africa by H2H tiebreaker If Australia lose to Portugal (this weekend), would Australia even wait till the end of the tournament to sack Eddie (No, I don't expect them to, but the way the Aussies have gone lately)? Either way, it's going to take some doing for them to avoid being shunted out before the QF. Over in Pool D, looks like next week's sargentina-japan game is a quarter final eliminator game (assuming Argentina don't eff it up against South American side Uruguay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerMark Posted September 30, 2023 Share Posted September 30, 2023 Argentina are playing their other next-door neighbours, Chile. Chile winning would be hilarious; but the only real upset so far has been Georgia drawing to that mighty Rugby Footballing Super Power, Portugal but even that has happened before recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 4, 2023 Author Share Posted October 4, 2023 Rugby World Cup to expand to 24 teams. A rejected plan would have either kept the same size or reduce the teams, with a second-tier "Rugby World Cup 2" (or Plate_ tournament running at the same time. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/04/world-rugby-to-reject-plate-competition-for-emerging-nations-at-world-cups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 We now return you to your regularly scheduled englanding.. although Wales looked good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 And Scotland. Poor Scotland. So close to the quarterfinals, yet so far away from Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 I wish Ireland would go ahead and win so I can stop having Second Captains podcasts devoted to the World Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 Only at the Rugby World Cup would we see a team lose to Portugal and still make the QF's (Fiji, who play England there.) Then again, it would be maximum lolz if the team that lost to Portugal beat england. (and poor Brave Blossoms. Was rooting for them against Argentina, but.. not to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 11, 2023 Author Share Posted October 11, 2023 I'm wondering what would be funnier, if all four northern hemisphere teams win their QF, or 4 Southern Hemisphere teams. I think if all four Northern Hemisphere teams lost there'd be weeping, gnashing of teeth, but acceptance.. but if all four of the semi-finalist are Northern Hemisphere teams, the outrage from the usual suspects may very well throw the earth off its axis.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 (edited) On 10/11/2023 at 4:16 AM, SirFozzie said: I'm wondering what would be funnier, if all four northern hemisphere teams win their QF, or 4 Southern Hemisphere teams. I think if all four Northern Hemisphere teams lost there'd be weeping, gnashing of teeth, but acceptance.. but if all four of the semi-finalist are Northern Hemisphere teams, the outrage from the usual suspects may very well throw the earth off its axis.. My predictions: Ireland beat New Zealand. Fiji defeat England. Argentina beat Wales. France defeat South Africa. Edited October 12, 2023 by The Natural Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 It's entirely possible that all four NH sides will win. South Africa have the best chance of upsetting the apple cart. They're built for tournament rugby and they're playing well. That said, they're facing an incredibly strong France side. The last three tests between the sides have been close -- 18-17, 29-26, 30-26. Don't be surprised if it's a one score game. Might be the match of the round. England ought to beat Fiji. Fiji have struggled since shedding the underdog tag. Some of that is because they don't have the depth to rotate their team against the lower tier nations. They may step it up in the quarters but I'm not optimistic. Wales have been impressive so far considering the shambles they were in prior to the tournament beginning, but their players are dropping like flies. Argentina started the tournament poorly but are on an upswing. If they play like they did against Japan, they will beat Wales. New Zealand will have to play at their absolute best to beat Ireland. They're capable, but it will take the best performance of the Ian Foster era to get it done. My concern is that it appears Ireland are handling the pressure and the weight of expectation on them like a true champion side. I figure Ireland will probably win. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) You knew Steve Borthwick would replace George Ford with Owen Farrell. Ford on the bench. Freddie Stewart left out entirely. Stupid. Will hold my hands up if it turns out right. Edited October 13, 2023 by The Natural Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 Well... Argentina played really well, and kept a strong defense late, holding on before they got a late converted try and a late (r) penalty made it look easier than it was . So no Northern Hemisphere sweep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerMark Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 That is the first time in quite some time that an inadvertant shoulder to the head has not been given as a penalty at the very least, and while I am not against this as a development from the standpoint of common sense, my glasses in this matter are very red, with little dragony wings sticking out of the side. Although, in all honesty, I was pleasantly surprised to see Wales even make out of the group, so I guess there's that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 Well, that lived up to the hype. One of the great World Cup matches. I thought New Zealand surprised Ireland with their work at the breakdown and were much better defensively than Ireland expected. New Zealand outplayed Ireland in the set piece battle and their kicking game was excellent. They made it hard on themselves with mistakes after the restarts, and I could have lived without Aaron Smith kicking the ball back to Ireland so they could have 37 cracks at our line, but at the end of the day it was defense that won New Zealand the test so it was a fitting end to the match. Ireland were gutted at the end. As a New Zealander I know how it feels. I want to make special mention of the sledged and much maligned Sam Cane who had the game of his life. Well done, Sammy. Didn't watch the earlier quarterfinal, but that seemed exciting as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted October 15, 2023 Share Posted October 15, 2023 Feel bad for my friend whose father is terminally ill and hoped he would get to see Ireland win the RWC one more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted October 15, 2023 Share Posted October 15, 2023 Electric first half between France and South Africa followed by a slog in the second forty. France showed how inexperienced they are in the big games, and the overall feeling I have from the weekend, despite the shock that both Ireland and France have been eliminated, is a sense that neither team understands what it takes to win a World Cup whereas New Zealand and South Africa do. The lopsided draw ended up being brutal for the tournament. We knew that heading into the quarters, but it's particularly bad now that the French and Irish supporters have seen their sides tumble out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 On 10/12/2023 at 2:10 PM, The Natural said: My predictions: Ireland beat New Zealand. Fiji defeat England. Argentina beat Wales. France defeat South Africa. 1/4. France/South Africa and Ireland/New Zealand were the hardest calls. Thought home field advantage would carry France over. New Zealand beat Argentina. South Africa beat England. Can't see England beating the defending World Champions at all. Then again England did to New Zealand last time out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirFozzie Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 (edited) Thanks to my membership at ATT, I have the Premiership games to watch (I was going to do FloRugby, but $30/mo is a bit much!). Started with Bath/Newcastle. Really fun game so far. Bath look VERY good, but maybe Newcastle were making them look good so far. Edited October 19, 2023 by SirFozzie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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