Rugby World Cup general discussion

Nepia

The PIs were shit this RWC, right? I'm including Fiji despite the fact they made the finals, because they had the Wobs in their pool.

Maybe they should go back to not using former NZers/Aussies.

Stargazer

@Nepia I think Tonga's and Samoa's main issue is the coach. The teams look badly coached.

nzzp

@Stargazer said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Nepia I think Tonga's and Samoa's main issue is the coach. The teams look badly coached.

I'm firmly of the view that the adminstration around teams makes a huge difference. PI suffer from this. Crusaders have it as a large part of their success. ABs used to be excellent, but NZR has shat the bed and the competitions quality has followed it down. WR is a shambles, and so are large elements of the international game.

Good adminstrators in the PI would be awesome to help bring them up to competitiveness.

nostrildamus

Don't the PIs have problems with finding, retaining, and sufficiently preparing players? Or is that less of a major concern this time?

His Bobness

Someone might want to pin this Mark Keohane piece up on a wall somewhere.

https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/boks-get-takes-great/

NTA

@nostrildamus said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Don't the PIs have problems with finding, retaining, and sufficiently preparing players? Or is that less of a major concern this time?

Not as big a concern as previous RWC cycles but man something isn't right with how they're approaching it.

Perhaps we need to get a Pacific 6N going to help everyone out. Naturally enough NZ would dominate this competition:

Japan
Samoa
Tonga
Fiji
Australia
NZ

I just don't see any alternative to helping the PIs get more games, and more games against Tier 1 opposition.

Foreign clubs will continue to hamper their chances tho, putting in clauses about injury while on international duties.

NTA

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

NTA

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

ven though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

Ulterior motive: it would show the fish heads at RA that Nucifora was right. Not that I think for a moment they're smart enough to put their egos aside to admit it.

NTA

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

And England too, of course.

It would be fucking insufferable if they won it. But also: I'd be hitting every single Pommy forum and FB post with "So you still blaming Eddie, bruv?"

taniwharugby

So all NH semi finals multi at TAB will pay $7.48, vs all SH semi finals paying $27.50

voodoo

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

fucking ban this muthafucka

NTA

@voodoo said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

fucking ban this muthafucka

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canefan

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?

alt text

NTA

@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?

Never. But they're playing a style of rugby that combines brutality with beauty as well as accuracy. I can actually watch them.

England's 2003 has a lot of parallels actually - they just didn't give a shit about the beauty part, despite the best efforts of Jason Robinson.

Not my fault the ABs spent 24 years choking

Kruse

Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
England

canefan

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.

Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.

Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?

Never. But they're playing a style of rugby that combines brutality with beauty as well as accuracy. I can actually watch them.

England's 2003 has a lot of parallels actually - they just didn't give a shit about the beauty part, despite the best efforts of Jason Robinson.

Not my fault the ABs spent 24 years choking

Faaaark you!!!!

I must admit, when they played and won the series in NZ, the Irish played a far better and more attractive brand than our helter skelter Fozz blacks

canefan

I still want to drink their tears on Sunday morning

MN5

@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
England

New Zealand ( duh, although I still cringe at some of our fans on line )
South Africa ( got to respect the old foe )
France ( they deserve it after three failed finals )
Fiji ( would be hilarious )
Wales ( oh go on then )
Ireland ( I have some heritage there somewhere )
Argentina ( despite their red wine and steak I just don’t like them )
England ( fuck England )

Kruse

Yeah - realistically, Ireland or France - deserve it the most. And if we can't make it - that'd be an awesome final.

Especially as... with all the talk of the "imbalanced pools" - it pretty much means that the top 4 ranked teams are playing each other this weekend... effectively, the Quarter-Finals 1 & 2 - are the Semi-Finals.
But then - the winners of those - get a relatively easy actual semi. (I say relatively... they'll obviously need to make sure they step up, and don't get the "we played our Final last week" yips)
And then - hopefully - a Final between the winners of QFs 1+2 - each having had a relatively easy game the week prior.
A set-up for a fucking cracker Final. Hopefully.

Or - somebody from the other side of the draw suddenly steps up under pressure, and does a crash-and-grab for Wiremu. Which would be pretty funny, as long as it's not England.

Kruse

@MN5 said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
England

New Zealand ( duh, although I still cringe at some of our fans on line )
South Africa ( got to respect the old foe )
France ( they deserve it )
Fiji ( would be hilarious )
Wales ( oh go on then )
Ireland ( I have some heritage there somewhere )
Argentina ( despite their red wine and steak I just don’t like them )
England ( fuck England )

I couldn't be arsed writing my reasons - but for NZ, France, Fiji, Wales, England - you've got them perfectly.

The Silver Fern

Rugby World Cup general discussion