Rugby World Cup Thread

[Alex]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...becoming-very-boring-but-it-can-be-saved.html

British article, in a British paper about the game - in particular the northern hemisphere game.

Surprise, surprise, plenty of mentions of scrum penalties and the game being dominated by ridiculous pedantics instead of good Rugby.

But you're right, it's just because Australians are poor losers.

 

[Bobby]

Can we use Carlin Isles and Zack Test?

 

[Alex]

Test is in your squad. Isles isn't.

Sevens is quite a different game, so the best Sevens players aren't necessarily the best standard rugby players. You could have selected Isles as far as I'm aware, but didn't. I'm not sure he plays much 15-a-side

 

[Alex]

England lost to Wales. Big result.

I won't be surprised to see Australia lose to England, beat Wales, but then go out on bonus points

 

[kp41]

England out

 

[Alex]

Well that was a bigger win than I thought it would be.

Sir_Didier_Drogba, I guess you have to go back to not caring about rugby now

 

[RobbieD_PL]

 

[Arnau]

 

[Alex]

Would love to see Scotland lose to Samoa and Japan make it through. Not to help our quarter finals, we don't need it if we beat Wales, but just because Japan deserves a quarter final after beating South Africa

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I've switched my support to Scotland, so wait for them to crash out today.

Good start Samoa

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Hahahaha great game, but terrible defending. Reminds me of those 4-4 football matches you get from time to time.

Alex if things go your way today you can look forward to ripping this Scotland team apart in the Quarters.

 

[Alex]

From all reports the defence in the Australia vs Wales match was the opposite and absolutely brilliant.

A little worried about the Pocock injury though.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I watched the game (a superb game, undoubtedly the best try-less game I have ever seen) and yeah, the Aussie defence was absolutely inspired. You survived a period of 8 minutes with two men in the bin which left me speechless with admiration. Between this and the control of possession, not to mention ability to force turnovers, you showed against England, you really look like the complete package and have to be favourite for the tournament. Scotland should be a free pass, if their defence are even a quarter as bad as they were today, you will absolutely murder them.

I would say your only concern should be the fact that you picked up two yellow cards in the first place. Your discipline is so good in defence, in the scums, in the line outs but off-the-ball you do have a few guys capable of a rush of blood to the head. Get in a meditation coach or something

 

[Alex]

I watched the game (a superb game, undoubtedly the best try-less game I have ever seen) and yeah, the Aussie defence was absolutely inspired. You survived a period of 8 minutes with two men in the bin which left me speechless with admiration. Between this and the control of possession, not to mention ability to force turnovers, you showed against England, you really look like the complete package and have to be favourite for the tournament. Scotland should be a free pass, if their defence are even a quarter as bad as they were today, you will absolutely murder them.

I would say your only concern should be the fact that you picked up two yellow cards in the first place. Your discipline is so good in defence, in the scums, in the line outs but off-the-ball you do have a few guys capable of a rush of blood to the head. Get in a meditation coach or something

All Blacks are still favourites - and rightly so. But based on the tournament so far I think we're now clearly second favourite. I missed the Wales game because I was flying back from Thailand, but have read plenty on it and will watch a replay once it's aired.

Two yellow cards is a concern. Can't afford to have one player off the field in the knock out stages, much less two. I'm still really worried about Pocock's injury too. Hopefully we get away with resting him against Scotland and then he's fit and ready for the semi. I legitimately think he's the best forward in the world.

Apparently Folau may have also picked up a niggle, which again is a concern. We're a side full of decent players with a couple of stand outs (Pocock and Folau) where as a side like NZ is much more balanced throughout. So we really need those stars fit and firing.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Scotland vs Australia
Ireland vs Argentina

Wales vs South Africa
France vs New Zealand

 

[Alex]

Scotland vs Australia
Ireland vs Argentina

Wales vs South Africa
France vs New Zealand

I know which side of the draw I'd prefer to be on...

Really hope Argentina beat Ireland

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Yeah, although of all the northern hemisphere teams I think Ireland have the best chance of beating you - I watched the Game against France and they are strong in many of the same areas as you - though they've had injuries to key players which could prove decisive.

 

[Alex]

Yeah, although of all the northern hemisphere teams I think Ireland have the best chance of beating you - I watched the Game against France and they are strong in many of the same areas as you - though they've had injuries to key players which could prove decisive.

Which is more the reason why I want the Argies to beat them.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Yeah but that's almost as over optimistic as me hoping Scotland will beat you

 

[Alex]

Yeah but that's almost as over optimistic as me hoping Scotland will beat you

Not really. Argentina beat us in a game last year in the Rugby Championship.

Ireland are 3rd in the rankings (they were 5th until recently) and Argentina are 6th (and were only as low as 7th before the latest update).

Australia are 2nd, Scotland 9th.

That suggests to me there is loads more chance of an Argentina upset than a Scotland one! Especially when you consider the huge gap between the top two sides and the next 6th, before a step down again to Scotland