Rugby World Cup general discussion

[Stargazer]

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rugby-world-cup-2023/2023/10/rugby-world-cup-kiwi-referee-ben-o-keeffe-responds-to-criticism-from-french-captain-antoine-dupont-after-quarter-final-criticism.html

[Smuts]

@MiketheSnow said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Up early on my way to the ski show in Birmingham

Still can’t believe yesterday’s action

Huge from NZ to beat Ireland, especially with 14 men for 60 mins

Ireland have had a tremendous Plan A for 17 matches straight but when it wasn’t good enough they had no Plan B

And our mob

I’m really disappointed

Argentina never gave up fair play, but we gift wrapped them that victory complete with a pretty bow at the end

Brutal Mike. Feel for you boyos.

[Smuts]

@Dodge said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@MajorRage said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

I'm genuinely surprised that it seems a few people think England have a hope against SA.

They 100% genuinely, really, don't. Not a sliver.

This. I can’t understand people rating our forwards with a hope in hell against the Boks. We’re not good enough outside of the pack to live on parity, let alone on the amount of shit back foot, going backwards ball we’ll have to live on. God forbid anyone knocks a ball on, our scrum is going to be marmalised

It’s a RWC semi final. Pressure is a great equalizer. And there is plenty of quality in your squad. Let’s hope your staff keep failing to select it.

[Smuts]

@Kiwiwomble said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@GibbonRib said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@booboo said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@taniwharugby said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Bones I also think that the ARs need to do a better job of assisting, whle the TMO needs to have thier remit amended.

Assistant refs have been shithouse for as long as I can recall, I still have memories of Stuart Dickerson dragging play miles back for some minor or imagined foul play that allowed him the limelight for a few minutes more. I can't remember how it was back in the days they were called touch judges. But I seem to recall that at least offsides and forward passes were picked up

Touchies used to just work out where the lineouts were and who's throw it was, and judge kicks at goal. Until sometime in the 80s when their roles expanded.

I remember in school my mate explaining that if the ref was on the other side of the scrum you could just punch the opposing prop because the touchy wouldn't do anything about it.

Not sure if that was true, I played for the second team, which was a lot more casual.

100% true....the real smart one would get the locks to do and then even harder to see who threw it....simpler times

The far side of the scrum is like the dark side of the moon to refs - even at international level, it seems.

It’s baffling really. I mean I get some retired prop or schoolmaster missing/ignoring the odd punch to help a battling tighthead. I simply can’t understand how pisstake artists like Porter or the French Props on the weekend get away with it match after match. It’s plain as day from the touchline nevermind if you’re standing right fucking there.

Only silver lining is that it’s a pretty good comedic timing to finally start penalizing the Irish scrums in an RWC QF so they have to wait four more years to sort it out. While the worst part of their fans moan about how unfairly their Herculean props were treated at the scrum.

[MiketheSnow]

@sparky said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Welcome to the latest edition of Sonja Investigates.

Are World Rugby rigging the World Cup for the Southern Hemisphere by having a referee from Australia and a referee from New Zealand officiate the Semi Finals? Good thing we have Sonja McLaughlan and her super sleuthing skills on the case.

https://twitter.com/sonjamclaughlan/status/1714227098481471831

Not buying the conspiracy nonsense but do feel both the Georgian and Pearce should have had knockout gigs

Both way better than Gardner

[Bones]

@MiketheSnow I bet she's best mates with Katie Hopkins

[Catogrande]

@Bones I'll let you know.

[Catogrande]

@MiketheSnow said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@sparky said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Welcome to the latest edition of Sonja Investigates.

Are World Rugby rigging the World Cup for the Southern Hemisphere by having a referee from Australia and a referee from New Zealand officiate the Semi Finals? Good thing we have Sonja McLaughlan and her super sleuthing skills on the case.

https://twitter.com/sonjamclaughlan/status/1714227098481471831

Not buying the conspiracy nonsense but do feel both the Georgian and Pearce should have had knockout gigs

*Both way better than Gardner

Agree but I'm thinking that the logic is we need to have an alternative to NZ, Eng, SA or Argentina and perhaps the Georgian is a little too green for RWC final. In which case you bring in an alternative as a "just in case". Unfortunately for NZ and Argentina the option is Gardner.

[junior]

@Smuts said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Dodge said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@MajorRage said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

I'm genuinely surprised that it seems a few people think England have a hope against SA.

They 100% genuinely, really, don't. Not a sliver.

This. I can’t understand people rating our forwards with a hope in hell against the Boks. We’re not good enough outside of the pack to live on parity, let alone on the amount of shit back foot, going backwards ball we’ll have to live on. God forbid anyone knocks a ball on, our scrum is going to be marmalised

It’s a RWC semi final. Pressure is a great equalizer. And there is plenty of quality in your squad. Let’s hope your staff keep failing to select it.

Don't sleep on England. Despite the way it appeared, they did do it relatively comfortably against Fiji - certainly moreso than any other semi finalist and particularly the Boks. It's unlikely that they win, but certainly not impossible. A fast start for England and it will become a very interesting match.

Still predicting the Boks to win by a score and a half.

[Bones]

@junior said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

A fast start for England

Oxymoron

[Smuts]

@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Duluth said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

I think the best ever quarter finals might be followed by the worst semi finals

i'm not ready to declare that, but the draw that made the quarters so good does sort of look like that

Fuck i hope we are the two score game, i can't go through Sunday morning 3 weekends in a row (yes i am getting ahead of myself)

You’d prefer to live the stress free lives of the Aussies, Celts & Gauls?

I’ll gladly bear the stress, thanks.

[Smuts]

@junior said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Smuts said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Dodge said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@MajorRage said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

I'm genuinely surprised that it seems a few people think England have a hope against SA.

They 100% genuinely, really, don't. Not a sliver.

This. I can’t understand people rating our forwards with a hope in hell against the Boks. We’re not good enough outside of the pack to live on parity, let alone on the amount of shit back foot, going backwards ball we’ll have to live on. God forbid anyone knocks a ball on, our scrum is going to be marmalised

It’s a RWC semi final. Pressure is a great equalizer. And there is plenty of quality in your squad. Let’s hope your staff keep failing to select it.

Don't sleep on England. Despite the way it appeared, they did do it relatively comfortably against Fiji - certainly moreso than any other semi finalist and particularly the Boks. It's unlikely that they win, but certainly not impossible. A fast start for England and it will become a very interesting match.

Still predicting the Boks to win by a score and a half.

I think we’re violently agreeing?

[MiketheSnow]

[nostrildamus]

@frugby said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Generally the guy who has done the final has refereed right through the knockouts... the way I read it, is they had Barnes or O'Keeffe down to do the final, with Jaco Peyper as the contingency plan, but as he got injured, they now needed a new contingency for a NZ v SA final, and were not happy with Raynal last week, thus have brought Gardiner back in.

while this all sounds sensible I wonder which week they were happy with Raynal..

[taniwharugby]

@MiketheSnow interesting stats, but gee, 80 odd minutes and we get less than 40 mins on average in play...

[Duluth]

@taniwharugby said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@MiketheSnow interesting stats, but gee, 80 odd minutes and we get less than 40 mins on average in play...

34mins average in last RWC, 26mins in 1995. This is as good as it's ever been

The length of the stoppages is more of an issue

[taniwharugby]

@Duluth well yeah its great it is trending up, but still, alot of wasted time.

Also interesting seeing Fiji and Wales feature in there more than any other team, but I guess the opposition dictates how quick you can play the game.

Obviously even high scoring games are not immune from mass stoppages or wasted minutes, given we like to play at pace yet our mammoth scoring efforts in pool play are well down.

[NTA]

@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

(yes i am getting ahead of myself)

Booked your ticker tape parade yet?

[mariner4life]

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

(yes i am getting ahead of myself)

Booked your ticker tape parade yet?

sssshhh, the Tier 1 countries are talking. You minnows have had your time in the sun

[Steven Harris]

@taniwharugby would have nice to see whom the official was for each game