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just got back this morning, saw the opening and the all blacks v tonga and the wallabies v italy. had a great time and well done to the kiwi's.
ps the women in auckland are #ucking beautiful
Lovely. Off to Auckland on Friday.
Rugby World Cup
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Lovely. Off to Auckland on Friday.
Aucklander
The Ultimate Warrior
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- #52
Enjoy the trip mate.
Kurtley Beale
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Samoa are really piling on the point's 
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anyone noticed the ref's are really delaying their scrum calls in this tourny??
almost like their just egging their forwards to go early so they can give a penalty
they are clearly leaving about a full second or more between each of the four calls - crouch touch pause engage... there is just too much force and weight to leave the forwards hanging for so long at the scrum. there only needs to be about half a second max between each call.
in the opening match there was a perfectly formed scrum but the ref pulled it up because they engaged about half a second before he called. the ref's pulls it up "wait for my command" and we had four scrum breakdowns a couple of minutes wasted before we finally got the scrum going again... it was clear the original scrum engaged early because they were expecting the ref's call earlier than it came...
and would you not use some common sense, let that scrum go because it was formed perfectly and just have a quiet word at the next scrum - "look lads, the last scrum turned out ok but just be careful because both sets of forwards were a fraction early on my call so just be mindful of that".... but no, ref has to make his presence felt and we get subjected to a handful of collapses scrums and lost time....
i ****ing hate rugby ref's more than aussie rules umpires. i know rugby is a technical game, but jesus christ don't make it harder than it already is.
almost like their just egging their forwards to go early so they can give a penalty
they are clearly leaving about a full second or more between each of the four calls - crouch touch pause engage... there is just too much force and weight to leave the forwards hanging for so long at the scrum. there only needs to be about half a second max between each call.
in the opening match there was a perfectly formed scrum but the ref pulled it up because they engaged about half a second before he called. the ref's pulls it up "wait for my command
" and we had four scrum breakdowns a couple of minutes wasted before we finally got the scrum going again... it was clear the original scrum engaged early because they were expecting the ref's call earlier than it came...and would you not use some common sense, let that scrum go because it was formed perfectly and just have a quiet word at the next scrum - "look lads, the last scrum turned out ok but just be careful because both sets of forwards were a fraction early on my call so just be mindful of that".... but no, ref has to make his presence felt and we get subjected to a handful of collapses scrums and lost time....
i ****ing hate rugby ref's more than aussie rules umpires. i know rugby is a technical game, but jesus christ don't make it harder than it already is.
Mint Condition
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At least the speed of the call is uniform and consistent. Has resulted in a lot less resets and collapses than I was expecting. Takes the guess work out of it and the teams have learned to wait for it.
From what I've heard the French ref Poite has been doing this for a while with success and so they asked all the other refs to copy.
I've been pretty happy with the standard of refereeing so far. They've been strict on the offside line and on the tackle (particularly the tackler letting go and rolling away), which has given teams confidence to play with the ball in hand. That said there's been plenty of well executed turn overs through both fetching and counter rucking so I think the balance is really good right now. Much, much better than 2007 when it was too easy to make turnovers and probably better than 99-03 when it was too hard.
From what I've heard the French ref Poite has been doing this for a while with success and so they asked all the other refs to copy.
I've been pretty happy with the standard of refereeing so far. They've been strict on the offside line and on the tackle (particularly the tackler letting go and rolling away), which has given teams confidence to play with the ball in hand. That said there's been plenty of well executed turn overs through both fetching and counter rucking so I think the balance is really good right now. Much, much better than 2007 when it was too easy to make turnovers and probably better than 99-03 when it was too hard.
Mint Condition
Club Legend
Canada vs Tonga has been really entertaining so far and good quality. 10-7 to Canada at half time with Tonga scoring just before half time. They now have the wind behind them in the 2nd half so gotta think they're the favourites.
Mint Condition
Club Legend
Well I was wrong, Canada win 25-20! Great, great game of rugby!
First underdog to get up too. Well deserved win for Canada. Hard to pick who'll come 3rd in this pool. Canada, Tonga and Japan have all looked good. It's too bad they're in a pool with New Zealand and France as I think they'd all be a quarter final chance if they were in the pool with Argentina, England and Scotland.
First underdog to get up too. Well deserved win for Canada. Hard to pick who'll come 3rd in this pool. Canada, Tonga and Japan have all looked good. It's too bad they're in a pool with New Zealand and France as I think they'd all be a quarter final chance if they were in the pool with Argentina, England and Scotland.
Kurtley Beale
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Pool A is a really tough pool feel's like Pool C's the easiest pool
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God, Scotland arsed it in over Georgia. Ended up winning 15-6. Both scores completely made up of penalties.
Great RWC so far really. All the minnows are putting in great showings against more fancied opponents. Really great to see that the bottom sides are slowly starting to close the gap. The wet weather probably helps some of them a bit, but nevertheless, the gap is shrinking between the minnows and those at the bottom and fringes of the top 10.
Great RWC so far really. All the minnows are putting in great showings against more fancied opponents. Really great to see that the bottom sides are slowly starting to close the gap. The wet weather probably helps some of them a bit, but nevertheless, the gap is shrinking between the minnows and those at the bottom and fringes of the top 10.
Mint Condition
Club Legend
Well Scotland beat Georgia 15-6. Poor game. Georgia defended very well but just couldn't do anything with the ball. Think they had some chances early in the first half but they did stupid things and lost the ball. Their highly rated forward pack couldn't gain any dominance. I was disappointed, thought they'd be better. Scotland were pretty awful. Had complete territorial advantage and a massive penalty count in their favour but could never put them away. Pool B is just full of teams that can't score tries. Every match has been an arm wrestle.
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Wish mother Russia had've won
Kurtley Beale
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Dam it Samoa ! could have scored in the second half at least
Mint Condition
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All Blacks by 25.
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All Blacks by 17-25. French are not playing well at all and trialling Parra (admittedly a very good player IMO) at 10 against NZ is not a good idea in my mind. Trinh-Duc is their best option at 10 to me.
Kurtley Beale
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If Russia beat Canada they go to tenth in the rankings, wow. But the big pool game coming up on Saturday Argentina v Scotland i reckon Argentina 21 -9
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True analysis Bras:
"Everything went wrong for Australian sport this weekend. Everything. The NZ Warriors knocked Wests Tigers out of the NRL finals, Ireland beat the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup, Sri Lanka dominated the cricket, and the Davis Cup turned ugly on court and off.
Sheesh, even the early Melbourne Cup favourite is now a Kiwi horse. But let’s talk about the two that really hurt – the Wallabies and Davis Cup.
Losing to Ireland in the early rounds was pretty much the end of the world for Australia. As in, the end of the World Cup. Australia will likely now face South Africa in the quarter finals, then New Zealand in the semis.
Now, it just so happens that Australia has only ever met New Zealand twice in World Cups. Both times it was in the semis and both times we won.
In 1991, David Campese threw his famous no-look pass. In 2003, there was that brilliant Stirling Mortlock intercept, with salt rubbed into the wound by George Gregan’s cheeky “four more years”sledge.
All the same, who really believes we can beat them this time? Not anyone with any sense. Sure, New Zealand are renowned World Cup chokers. But remember, they won their one and only World Cup on their own soil, way back in 1987. So they are not, repeat NOT, chokers at home. Not yet, anyway.
And we still have to beat reigning champs South Africa to get a chance at ‘em.
But let’s talk Wallabies. Or what’s left of them, anyway. Gee they were awful. Time and again, Ireland tackled so hard that they hoisted our players aloft, then promptly buried us into the turf. It was reminiscent of Irishmen in pubs raising pints of Guinness, then guzzling them down, then doing it all again.
On one occasion, Will Genia was flung back about 15 metres. The Irish also toyed with centre Pat McCabe.
Tellingly, McCabe said “he learned a few lessons in the first half”. Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if he could have completed his rugby education before the world’s biggest tournament.
The rugby scribes won’t admit it because no one would keep reading their columns, but the World Cup is over for Australia, and Robbie Deans’ Wallabies are a shambles.
Deans earned his coaching stripes at the Canterbury Crusaders, winning five Super Rugby titles in nine years. A steady stream of monstrous sheep farmer’s sons from the world’s finest rugby nursery didn’t exactly hurt his cause.
Here in Australia, there is no such production line. Playing ranks are thin, in what is essentially a minority sport, played largely in private schools. Bottom line: great players, great coaching record. Average players, average coaching record.
Analyse it to death if you must, but if you’ve got a better theory, Deans himself would no doubt like to hear it. For all the brilliance of Quade Cooper, Will Genia and the Queensland Reds this year, the Wallabies still don’t seem tough enough up front."
"Everything went wrong for Australian sport this weekend. Everything. The NZ Warriors knocked Wests Tigers out of the NRL finals, Ireland beat the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup, Sri Lanka dominated the cricket, and the Davis Cup turned ugly on court and off.
Sheesh, even the early Melbourne Cup favourite is now a Kiwi horse. But let’s talk about the two that really hurt – the Wallabies and Davis Cup.
Losing to Ireland in the early rounds was pretty much the end of the world for Australia. As in, the end of the World Cup. Australia will likely now face South Africa in the quarter finals, then New Zealand in the semis.
Now, it just so happens that Australia has only ever met New Zealand twice in World Cups. Both times it was in the semis and both times we won.
In 1991, David Campese threw his famous no-look pass. In 2003, there was that brilliant Stirling Mortlock intercept, with salt rubbed into the wound by George Gregan’s cheeky “four more years”sledge.
All the same, who really believes we can beat them this time? Not anyone with any sense. Sure, New Zealand are renowned World Cup chokers. But remember, they won their one and only World Cup on their own soil, way back in 1987. So they are not, repeat NOT, chokers at home. Not yet, anyway.
And we still have to beat reigning champs South Africa to get a chance at ‘em.
But let’s talk Wallabies. Or what’s left of them, anyway. Gee they were awful. Time and again, Ireland tackled so hard that they hoisted our players aloft, then promptly buried us into the turf. It was reminiscent of Irishmen in pubs raising pints of Guinness, then guzzling them down, then doing it all again.
On one occasion, Will Genia was flung back about 15 metres. The Irish also toyed with centre Pat McCabe.
Tellingly, McCabe said “he learned a few lessons in the first half”. Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if he could have completed his rugby education before the world’s biggest tournament.
The rugby scribes won’t admit it because no one would keep reading their columns, but the World Cup is over for Australia, and Robbie Deans’ Wallabies are a shambles.
Deans earned his coaching stripes at the Canterbury Crusaders, winning five Super Rugby titles in nine years. A steady stream of monstrous sheep farmer’s sons from the world’s finest rugby nursery didn’t exactly hurt his cause.
Here in Australia, there is no such production line. Playing ranks are thin, in what is essentially a minority sport, played largely in private schools. Bottom line: great players, great coaching record. Average players, average coaching record.
Analyse it to death if you must, but if you’ve got a better theory, Deans himself would no doubt like to hear it. For all the brilliance of Quade Cooper, Will Genia and the Queensland Reds this year, the Wallabies still don’t seem tough enough up front."
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- #72
Japan and Tonga playing a cracker of a game right now. 18-13 Tonga's way atm. Both sides playing running, expansive footy and at a very good level.
Been a great world cup with a lot of cracking games.
So far teams that have impressed me: South Africa (team to beat other then the mighty Kiwis)
Canada (good team well coached)
Most of the minnow teams I have been hugely impressed with which is great for rugby. Would love to see the IRB after including argentaina in the fournations push to get the USA and Canda into a competion needs to happen imo.
Teams I have been unimpressed with: France (My team)
Para should be the starting scrum half is an absoulte jet. The backline just does not look dangerous at all during matches to predictable. Rougerie needs to lift as he is a key part in us getting over the advantage line. Traille is not a full back but an inside or outside center not having a proper full back is going to cost us dearly. In this form will lose to england in the quarter finals. Really are an old team with some quality youth coming through with Tran Duic and Para will lead us in the future.
So far teams that have impressed me: South Africa (team to beat other then the mighty Kiwis)
Canada (good team well coached)
Most of the minnow teams I have been hugely impressed with which is great for rugby. Would love to see the IRB after including argentaina in the fournations push to get the USA and Canda into a competion needs to happen imo.
Teams I have been unimpressed with: France (My team
) Para should be the starting scrum half is an absoulte jet. The backline just does not look dangerous at all during matches to predictable. Rougerie needs to lift as he is a key part in us getting over the advantage line. Traille is not a full back but an inside or outside center not having a proper full back is going to cost us dearly. In this form will lose to england in the quarter finals
. Really are an old team with some quality youth coming through with Tran Duic and Para will lead us in the future.
The european teams need to hope that either SA and NZ bash the living daylights out of each other in the semi, or that Oz make it to the final.
Then whoever comes out as last man standing of Wales/Ireland/England/France might have a shot at it.
People are talking up SA a bit now but Wales should have beaten them.
It really does look like being NZ's to lose but they've thrown in the one bad game at each of the last 3 WCs with teams that have appeared every bit as good as this one.
Then whoever comes out as last man standing of Wales/Ireland/England/France might have a shot at it.
People are talking up SA a bit now but Wales should have beaten them.
It really does look like being NZ's to lose but they've thrown in the one bad game at each of the last 3 WCs with teams that have appeared every bit as good as this one.
This is the perfect game to take a chance on this kind of selection. They're not expecting to beat New Zealand and finishing second in the group won't bother them with a mini-6 Nations in the knock outs. If this works, brilliant. If it doesn't, they'll still think that they can beat England and Ireland (knock on wood
) and play Trinh-Duc against New Zealand in the final without the mental scars of their best team having already lost to them.
