Rugby Union

[malcolmw]

Now I know many on the forum may find discussing rugby a bit, well...offsides.
But those that have a mild to moderate curiosity about the egg ball game, I thought I'd start a thread..
Full declaration, born a Springbok and can't help myself supporting the giant lads in green.

So game 1 tomorrow - a cracker of an opener France V All Black's. Both could be eventuall cup winners.
I think the Kiwis aren't quite as strong as in prior years, but never count them out.

England .... well, let's get serious.

[CUSSIE01]

Now I know many on the forum may find discussing rugby a bit, well...offsides.
But those that have a mild to moderate curiosity about the egg ball game, I thought I'd start a thread..
Full declaration, born a Springbok and can't help myself supporting the giant lads in green.

So game 1 tomorrow - a cracker of an opener France V All Black's. Both could be eventuall cup winners.
I think the Kiwis aren't quite as strong as in prior years, but never count them out.

England .... well, let's get serious.

Great job Malcolm, had planned to start a thread this morning as I love rugby as well. South Africa look awesome atm having just hammered the All Blacks but pre World Cup friendlies can throw up some funny results. It’s going to be a massive opening game with France & New Zealand slight favourites to win it outright. Obviously Ireland are in the mix as well as the in form side but have an awkward group to negotiate with the Springboks & a rejuvenated Scotland team & don’t rule out a shock result or two as we seen with Japan reaching the quarter finals at the last World Cup. England have been shocking recently but I’d never rule them out of any game but watching their matches is like having teeth pulled but they have probably the easiest Pool of them all. Wales have a tricky Pool with Australia & Fiji so need to be at their best to progress. Went to France for the 2016 European Championships and they hosted a fantastic tournament so fingers crossed. Come on Ireland !!!

[Kennyb41]

Yeah well done, can't fookin wait myself, especially that top half of death if ever there was a group of death that's a great grouping of death.

Just a pity England have gone utter garbage with their demise since Eddie left, i was on Jones side for a long time but towards the end he lost me and i was asking for a change coz i thought he'd taken us as far as he could, but fck me wtf is Borthwick doing ffs ??? !!!

The only things i'm clinging onto is 1. Our draw (but that could still easily fck up with how we're currently playing) and 2. That we do have some cracking players that he might've been just fcking about with to find the right balance (although is clearly just a long shot from me ) and that they MIGHT just get it all together at the right time, the Argentina game is 50/50 according to the bookies, so that's gonna be a massive pointer for me, win it handsomely and he might just make me sit up and look, get hammered and we might as well return home now.

Meeting Jones in a potential Q/F or Semi will hurt like fck if we get slaughtered anorl.

But jeez yeah the current top 5 in the world in - Ireland, France, SA, NZ and Scotland in that top half is gonna produce some helluva games, bar Scotland they're basically all on 3/1 to win the WC and it's hard to separate them.

If you had to put your life on it i'd go for SA to win the WC, but fck me it could so so easily be France.

his is gonna be the greatest Rugby WC ever and whoever wins it from that top half will have won what i feel will be the greatest ever win.

If a bottom half team wins it, they've scabbed it coz of their easy run and the others are fcked !

Hey ! That might give England another shout.

The main thing i don't want to see - Is those Aussie lucky twats scabbing their way to another final then winning it coz some key players are out for the other finalists, the q/f and semi from that top half are gonna be like finals.

I can't wait.

[lufc1304]

Come on Ireland!!!! Possibly slight favourites as the in-form side, but historically we've not done as well as expected in the WC. I don't think we'll ever have a better chance than this time around, so we have to make it count. That opening match today is a juicy one to get things started, I'll call an AB win, but not by much.

[Jaydog]

Saffers 100%

[herefordbornleedsboy]

Come on Ireland!!!! Possibly slight favourites as the in-form side, but historically we've not done as well as expected in the WC. I don't think we'll ever have a better chance than this time around, so we have to make it count. That opening match today is a juicy one to get things started, I'll call an AB win, but not by much.

I would argue Ireland aren't as in form as they would like to be at this stage. They looked particularly ragged in their last game with Samoa and did not look like world beaters against England either (who have been flippin awful).

Think it will be one of France, ABs and SA to win. I can see Ireland exiting at the Quarter Finals (again) but if they do make it through that they have a great chance of making the final.

England will make it through their groups and will likely make a Semi Final if they manage that (which would be thoroughly undeserved on their current form) but as soon as they hit meaningful resistance they will get annihilated (I say this as an Englishman).

Very excited for this tournament its set to be a cracker.

[ShaunL]

Can’t wait for it even though Aussies and England not going too good at the moment.
I have done a sweep at work and I drew Chile.
At least there is a lot more competition in the union WC unlike the league.
I think at home France will win it.

[lufc1304]

I would argue Ireland aren't as in form as they would like to be at this stage. They looked particularly ragged in their last game with Samoa and did not look like world beaters against England either (who have been flippin awful).

Think it will be one of France, ABs and SA to win. I can see Ireland exiting at the Quarter Finals (again) but if they do make it through that they have a great chance of making the final.

England will make it through their groups and will likely make a Semi Final if they manage that (which would be thoroughly undeserved on their current form) but as soon as they hit meaningful resistance they will get annihilated (I say this as an Englishman).

Very excited for this tournament its set to be a cracker.

Fair point, not been wholly convincing in the last couple of games, though I'd rather have that than sweeping all before them and a degree of complacency set in. Farrell will know there is improvement to be had, and I'm confident it will happen. Will that be enough? Only time will tell; as you say, it has the makings of a cracking tournament and it's maybe too tight to call a winner with any confidence.

[CUSSIE01]

Fair point, not been wholly convincing in the last couple of games, though I'd rather have that than sweeping all before them and a degree of complacency set in. Farrell will know there is improvement to be had, and I'm confident it will happen. Will that be enough? Only time will tell; as you say, it has the makings of a cracking tournament and it's maybe too tight to call a winner with any confidence.

The last couple of friendlies will have no bearing on what happens in France
at all. South Africa tanked NZ but I’d bet if they meet again you’ll see a different NZ team. I thought Farrell might have left Jonny Sexton out to save the old legs a bit but you can’t take anything for granted in these games & he prob needs to get his match fitness back after his ban. He’s going to be targeted as usual & I have a slight worry about Ireland’s strength in depth compared to the other top teams although this is probably the strongest overall squad I’ve seen in a long time. If Ireland can keep the majority of players fit they’ll do well. There are such fine margins in these games that on their day any 1 team can beat anyone else. Happy to see Gibson-Park starting as he tends to move the ball quicker. Can’t wait

[lufc1304]

The last couple of friendlies will have no bearing on what happens in France
at all. South Africa tanked NZ but I’d bet if they meet again you’ll see a different NZ team. I thought Farrell might have left Jonny Sexton out to save the old legs a bit but you can’t take anything for granted in these games & he prob needs to get his match fitness back after his ban. He’s going to be targeted as usual & I have a slight worry about Ireland’s strength in depth compared to the other top teams although this is probably the strongest overall squad I’ve seen in a long time. If Ireland can keep the majority of players fit they’ll do well. There are such fine margins in these games that on their day any 1 team can beat anyone else. Happy to see Gibson-Park starting as he tends to move the ball quicker. Can’t wait

[White Riot]

Great match to start the tournament.

Will be watching France v NZ tonight

Can't see England doing much, but you never know.

I fancy Ireland to do well.

[weasel]

Just a pity England have gone utter garbage with their demise since Eddie left, i was on Jones side for a long time but towards the end he lost me and i was asking for a change coz i thought he'd taken us as far as he could, but fck me wtf is Borthwick doing ffs ??? !!!

I thought at the time that the sacking was stupid, almost as stupid as when the Leeds hierarchy made a managerial change a year and a half ago.

Jones is/was a top class coach. He was trying to find a way to make England the best that they could be. He treated the 6 nations as if they were friendlies, always experimenting so as to peak at the right time for the World Cup - unlike the Welsh Windbags who win the 6 nations countless time yet never do anything when it really matters. The 6 nations is just astupid contest with 4 nations that hate England and Italy in to make up the numbers. Ireland, Wales or whoever could have had a sh*t competition but if they played England in the last match they'd give it everything, yet if they played any of the other teams they'd simply roll over and have their bellies tickled especially if losing meant England missed out on winning the trophy.

I was horrified when I heard Borthwick was in the running for the job and what has followed hasn't surprised me at all.

[malcolmw]

Great match to start the tournament.

Will be watching France v NZ tonight

Can't see England doing much, but you never know.

I fancy Ireland to do well.

I always think world cups - any sport - are marathons not sprints and it's all about peaking at the right time.
How many times have we seen an in-form team play their final in the semi-final and look flat in the final.
This one is going to be tight, and it's going to go to the country that can build throughout and peak in the final.

[malcolmw]

Can’t wait for it even though Aussies and England not going too good at the moment.
I have done a sweep at work and I drew Chile.
At least there is a lot more competition in the union WC unlike the league.
I think at home France will win it.

Chile! Wow Shaun, your luck is in
France got to be up there - on paper maybe the most complete team there.
But like my Boks, they can sometimes snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
I'd say France or Ireland. But never ever write off the mighty AB-s.

[Jaydog]

Chile. In rugby. Mind you the Argies are half decent.

[malcolmw]

The SA - NZ friendly did show some weaknesses in this All Black's team. The Boks just killed them in the rucks and mauls - very unlike NZ.
But they will learn and adapt. I've always said the NZ All Blacks are perhaps the finest national sports team out there.
For such a small country to continually produce world beating teams that always take the game to a new level is astonishing.

I remember as a young kid waiting for Colin Meads and his team to arrive in the bus at Bloemfontein stadium to play the Boks. They looked formidable even in blazers and ties!

[malcolmw]

Chile. In rugby. Mind you the Argies are half decent.

Agree. Argentina could be a spoiler team. They hammered the Wallabies last month.

[White Riot]

I always think world cups - any sport - are marathons not sprints and it's all about peaking at the right time.
How many times have we seen an in-form team play their final in the semi-final and look flat in the final.
This one is going to be tight, and it's going to go to the country that can build throughout and peak in the final.

Yeah, last time we did great in the semi against the All Blacks, but we're a damp squib in the final.

Full credit to South Africa, they made it a physical contest and bullied England with Faf de Klerk running the show.

[Lufc76Cor]

I thought at the time that the sacking was stupid, almost as stupid as when the Leeds hierarchy made a managerial change a year and a half ago.

Jones is/was a top class coach. He was trying to find a way to make England the best that they could be. He treated the 6 nations as if they were friendlies, always experimenting so as to peak at the right time for the World Cup - unlike the Welsh Windbags who win the 6 nations countless time yet never do anything when it really matters. The 6 nations is just astupid contest with 4 nations that hate England and Italy in to make up the numbers. Ireland, Wales or whoever could have had a sh*t competition but if they played England in the last match they'd give it everything, yet if they played any of the other teams they'd simply roll over and have their bellies tickled especially if losing meant England missed out on winning the trophy.

I was horrified when I heard Borthwick was in the running for the job and what has followed hasn't surprised me at all.

So the other 3 years in between World Cups he was still playing friendlies .........he absolutely did not treat the 6 Nations like friendlies .

And so what if other nations gave everything to beat England, they are the big scalp are they not? And no, no side rolls over for another in the 6 Nations to stop England winning outright, that's just a ridiculous comment, you're beginning to sound like a Leeds fan

[Kennyb41]

I thought at the time that the sacking was stupid, almost as stupid as when the Leeds hierarchy made a managerial change a year and a half ago.

Jones is/was a top class coach. He was trying to find a way to make England the best that they could be. He treated the 6 nations as if they were friendlies, always experimenting so as to peak at the right time for the World Cup - unlike the Welsh Windbags who win the 6 nations countless time yet never do anything when it really matters. The 6 nations is just astupid contest with 4 nations that hate England and Italy in to make up the numbers. Ireland, Wales or whoever could have had a sh*t competition but if they played England in the last match they'd give it everything, yet if they played any of the other teams they'd simply roll over and have their bellies tickled especially if losing meant England missed out on winning the trophy.

I was horrified when I heard Borthwick was in the running for the job and what has followed hasn't surprised me at all.

Yeah i feel that way now, i think what swayed me was the talk of the NZ man coming in for the job in contest with Borthwick, i knew naff about Borthwick really but did feel a NZ man could move us on a bit more than Eddie, i really liked Eddie and regret now he's gone, it'll be just like him knowing all our players to totally destroy us if we meet, and that'll hurt, the installment of Borthwick stinks of the hierarchy just blindly plumping for an Englishman coz they were fumbling about not knowing what to do, i can only hope the players take it upon themselves to give it their best shot, which won't happen, Aregentina could easily do us and are v slight favs, i'm not reet confident about the others in our group bar the minnow.