Rugby World Cup general discussion

[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

[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?

[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.

[MN5]

@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@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.

Weird…..I could have sworn you were part Irish judging from your photo.