Official Rugby World Cup Thread

heavymental

Who's looking forward to it? Is the AB's winning a foregone conclusion? How will the home nations get on? Will Sebastian Chabal actually eat someone mid match?! Will there be any surprises? Will England manage a decent defence of the cup? Will Wilko survive the ordeal? Will France rise to the occasion? Will Andy Farrell prove himself worth all the column inches? Which matches will be classics? Who'll line up in the final?

The speculation, opinions and match reports starts here.

mangaman

Looks like Wilko didn't even survive today's training session

The ABs never seem to live up to the hype - my hard earned money is on France

(I'd like to see them win anyway as I've always liked the way they play)

redddraggon

Wales will win their group, should beat Australia in Cardiff to set up a Wales - England Quarter final, which I'm hopeful that Wales will win. I'd imagine the teams in the semis to be Wales/England, SA, All Blacks and France.

I'd imagine that SA, the ABs or France to win, you can never discount Australia though. The All Blacks should walk it, they are easily the best team in the world, but they can easily lose a Semi or the Final to any of SA, France or Australia, they seem to come unstuck towards the final stages.

James Hook for player of the Tournament.

JustRidecp

I still reckon the safe money's on the AB's. Either that or it'll be the biggest choke in history!! France maybe. Home advantage. Providing they're consistent. French are great at astounding us with 80 mins of gallic flair only to bottle their next match. Also like the look of SA after the Scotland match.

Bryan Habana for player of the tournament - greased lightning.

p.s. I really cant wait!! And the missus is a big rugby fan too so unlike the football world cup I wont get grief for watching the matches!!

Zendog1

I'm really looking forward to it - unlike Mrs Zendog

Unfortunately I cannot see any of the home nations getting to final but you never know.

SteveR_100Milers

Reddragon, I wish I could share your optimism....I turned down some tickets for Aussie game (£164 each!) as I suspect a bit of a bashing. I don't think Gareth Jenkins has enough nous to coach at this level, and the wheels will come off the wagon over the first ruts. I hope to hell I'm wrong, but been here so many times before.

So France for me. I think the AB's will capitulate again in the dazzling headlights of greatness and the french will play a blinder and run around them.

ddraver

I think only the aussies and possibly the s'affers will take out the All Blacks - i'm not sure the french will, but they could take on the others

redddraggon

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Reddragon, I wish I could share your optimism....I turned down some tickets for Aussie game (£164 each!) as I suspect a bit of a bashing. I don't think Gareth Jenkins has enough nous to coach at this level, and the wheels will come off the wagon over the first ruts. I hope to hell I'm wrong, but been here so many times before.

I've been to some of the "nearly matches", 25-26 v NZ, 25-25 v Australia recently so I sure they can beat the Aussies, we did two years ago.

As soon as Gareth Jenkins coaches Wales the Scarlets suddenly get better in the Heinkien Cup, and Wales seem to get a bit poorer. We beat England this year in Cardiff, why not Australia?

I reckon we've got the best Half Backs in Peel and Hook, as a pair at least, Daniel Carter is the best no. 10 by far.

To get to the Semis we need to win our group, otherwise we get South Africa and get hammered in the Quarters.

richa

Anyone up for a little friendly "RWC Pundit" Competition :?:

http://scrum.fantasyleague.com/Index.aspx

It is completely free, takes just 5-15mins to register & select your team and we can even set up a Bike Radar Private League.

Any takers...

If we get a few I'll organise the league.

mangaman

I'd be up for the league RichA

Anyone else??

fidbod

Yep lets set a league up

richa

RichA wrote:

Anyone up for a little friendly "RWC Pundit" Competition :?:

http://scrum.fantasyleague.com/Index.aspx

It is completely free, takes just 5-15mins to register & select your team and we can even set up a Bike Radar Private League.

Any takers...

If we get a few I'll organise the league.

I've picked my team.

Pick your team and enter the "BikeRadar" privarte mini-league:

This is the link: http://scrum.fantasyleague.com/Index.aspx
This is PIN No you need to join the BikeRadar Private League: 3726

Good luck. Altho' you boys are competing for second place... :twisted:

fidbod

Nice team - I guess that Carter is going to be the consensus fly half and kicker for most teams entered

Mark Alexander

mangaman wrote:

Looks like Wilko didn't even survive today's training session

The ABs never seem to live up to the hype - my hard earned money is on France

(I'd like to see them win anyway as I've always liked the way they play)

Traitor!!!!!

As a Welshman, I'm dreading it. :shock:

mangaman

Just joined

Carter for me too
I'm relying a bit on the Argentinian front row

Clever Pun

I'd hope we win, but our backs have to find whatever they've lost... against SA will be a proper test

AB's are always the favourites but they peak just that little too soon and the french or aussies seen to be able to turn them over occasionally... it's tough to call

still it's a great excuse to get drunk and rant at the screen

rich_pcp

I've joined the league but I was a bit conservative and no Englishmen! Realistic or unpatriotic?

fidbod

Realistic me thinks - for all my patriotism, england aren't going to win anything by playing flowing open rugby.

Not that I mind us playing 10 man rugby all the way to retaining the Web Ellis trophy

sing_for_absolution

Glad to see there are other rugby fans here.

Can't see anyone defeating New Zealand. Maybe France will pull off an upset like 1999. I do however rate England's chances of retaining the cup as 0.

heavymental

Who's your money on for tonight then? Argentina have won 4 out of the last 5 matches with France. But surely France won't go down in their first match as hosts...will they!?

nicklouse

one thing i miss about being in Sweden is the Rugger.

Fing hate Football.

but back to the WC i have zero idea.

redddraggon

France, I'm sure will win. This group and the group with Scotland, NZ and Italy are the most interesting ones to watch, all of the other groups have 2 near definites to get to the quarters.

France, Ireland, Argentina

Scotland, NZ, Italy

It's hard to say which two from each group will go through, (NZ will though).

sing_for_absolution

Well, that was a fine performance by Argentina and a shockingly lame one by France.

SteveR_100Milers

France will never play that badly again for at least 30 years. I still reckon they'll mentally unravel the AB's cometh the hour.
Reddragon, our front 5 just simply arent strong or fast enough to give Hooky the platform he will need to shine. Agree we might have some of the best backs in the tournament, but they are no use going backwards, or when starved of posession.

richa

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I still reckon they'll mentally unravel the AB's cometh the hour.

I think they will wilt under the pressure. They are going to struggle to qualify.

Mark Alexander

c'm on the Argis, it's always good to get one over on the French. that will heolp Ireland assuming they can capitolise on it

richa

AB's look awesome...

babyjebus

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

France will never play that badly again for at least 30 years. I still reckon they'll mentally unravel the AB's cometh the hour.

Five defeats out of six against Argentina- they play that badly quite often. Even England beat them last season. Jauzion is a big useless lump isn't he. I wouldn't bet on them remaining in the tournament long enough to meet the ABs. Ireland could quite conceivably knock them out and they must be due a win against Les Bleus.

nickcuk

Can I just say that I think France will lose against Argentina and England will not win so well against he USA. Now I'm going to check the actual results.

richa

Aggggh. England were appaling. At least they won. Unlike the French.

campagchris

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cant see the all blacks losing this one