Rugby World Cup 2011 Thread..

The Northern Monkey

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/

So it all kicks off on Friday and I can't frigging wait

Off back up North tomorrow, just in time to watch the opening game - New Zealand v Tonga at 8:30am our time and I've got the next 2 weeks booked off work.

Argentina v England is a tough opening game, but I'd rather Argentina than South Africa. Wales have a bloody hard group, and will probably meet Australia in the quarter finals!

My predictions:

A winner - New Zealand
A runner up - France

B winner - England
B runner up - Argentina

C winner - Australia
C runner up - Ireland

D winner - South Africa
D runner up - Wales

QF1 (Australia v Wales) - Australia
QF2 (England v France) - England
QF3 (South Africa v Ireland) - South Africa
QF4 (New Zealand v Argentina) - New Zealand

SF1 (Australia v England) - Australia
SF2 (South Africa v New Zealand) - New Zealand

Final (Australia v New Zealand) - New Zealand.

Looks like there will be no England v Wales quarter final though, only a possibility of the Semi's if Wales can beat the aussies.

But as much as I want England to win, my money is on the home nation.

Cferg

You expect Argentina to come in front of Scotland ? I'm hoping Scotland top pool B, which they are capable of doing aslong as they play to their potential. Won't be an easy quarter final for whoever ends up going through in pool B, France and NZ are both imensely tough games.

The Northern Monkey

Cferg wrote:

You expect Argentina to come in front of Scotland ?

Without a doubt. the Argies will be far too big/strong for Scotland to contain.... only thing hat may sway it in Scotland's favour is discipline.

Historically, Scotland have only beaten Argentina 4 times in 12 games.

Cferg

Last two times we played them, on tour, in Argentina - Scotland won both games with relative ease. I'm sure it won't be an easy game but in my opinion Scotland's chances are better now than they've been in the past few WC's looking at the current squad. Inconsistent they may be I'm hopeful.

welshkev

i think wales will suprise you ben.....they're not at full strength with a gethin jenkins and matthew rees out but i can't wait to see how george north gets on against south africa..he scored 2 tries against them last time

IcarusGreen

b]The Northern Monkey[/b] I think thats a fair prediction for the world cup but I think England will beat Australia for a New Zealand Vs England final. Although I really want England to win and they do have a very good chance, I have to agree with you that that New Zealand will probably win.

welshkev

IcarusGreen wrote:

b]The Northern Monkey[/b] I think thats a fair prediction for the world cup but I think England will beat Australia for a New Zealand Vs England final. Although I really want England to win and they do have a very good chance, I have to agree with you that that New Zealand will probably win.

are you drunk?

england have been performing exceptionally below par lately...nowhere near as good as they have been in previous world cups. australia have beaten south africa and new zealand recently...i couldn't see england doing that at the moment :?

ddraver

We got to the final playing appallingly the whole time last time kev! Hopefully we re gonna turn it up a bit for the world cup! I think every N hemisphere team has this problem at the moment, you can't make any predictions until you see which Wales, England, France, Ireland etc have turned up! Even then you have to wait and see which team comes back out for the second half...

welshkev

ddraver wrote:

We got to the final playing appallingly the whole time last time kev! Hopefully we re gonna turn it up a bit for the world cup! I think every N hemisphere team has this problem at the moment, you can't make any predictions until you see which Wales, England, France, Ireland etc have turned up! Even then you have to wait and see which team comes back out for the second half...

well if you say you've got to the final playing appallingly before, what hope do you have by playing absolutely shite like you are at the moment

*that was a joke people......don't get stressed

but yeah i agree, france, england and wales all have the talent to match the top teams. but i can't see anyone beating new zealand

ddraver

Have you blocked out 80% of the six nations?

welshkev

ddraver wrote:

Have you blocked out 80% of the six nations?

yeah but that was 6 months ago....they looked like a different team then

Stevo_666

My knowledge of rugby is a bit limited but from what I've seen I reckon NZ will have the edge, esp with the home advantage. If they don't win then I reckon Aus may do it, much as it pains me to say (spent years working with convict types who gloated every time they beat England at anything...).

Will be a good watch and hopefully some of the games won't be on at stupid o'clock gven the 11 hour time difference.

ddraver

welshkev wrote:

ddraver wrote:

Have you blocked out 80% of the six nations?

yeah but that was 6 months ago....they looked like a different team then

hence my point in the post above - Fact is England CAN play well, Question is, WILL England play well...

I don't put any merit in warm up matches, they re an oppourtunity to tinker with teams, try something different but mostly everyone is trying desperately not to get injured. Same in all sports really...

welshkev

ddraver wrote:

welshkev wrote:

ddraver wrote:

Have you blocked out 80% of the six nations?

yeah but that was 6 months ago....they looked like a different team then

hence my point in th epost above - Facti is England CAN play well, Question is, WILL England play well...

I don't put any merit in warm up matches, they re an oppourtunity to tinker with teams, try something different but mostly everyone is trying desperately not to get injured. Same in all sports really...

yeah same here, the warm up games can't be a marker...but if i were you i'd be worried about your centres......but yeah..i think all the 'top' teams have the potential to play well.

ddraver

ah you quoted me before I edited all the mistakes!!!

cat_with_no_tail

The Kiwis seem to have some sort of psychological block when it comes to winning world cups.

I would put money on it that they will get to the finals then choke.

England have been playing like a bag of steaming turd lately. And even if they do put on a good show, they'll start off very well, then get tired and fall out in the semis

The Aussies have been playing consistantly well from what I've seen.

S.A had a fairly poor result in the tri-nations, but in their defence, they were essentially playing a B-side for most of it.

NZ in the finals, with either SA or AU. England out in the semis. SA or AU to win.

Thewaylander

I just wanted to say Rugby blows goats...

You may all now carry on

welshkev

Thewaylander wrote:

I just wanted to say I blow goats...

You may all now carry on

FTFY

Thewaylander

welshkev wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

I just wanted to say Kev blows goats...

You may all now carry on

FTFY

fair enough hehe

Just had to say it once, Will be bombarded with horrible Rugby stuff over the next few weeks

welshkev

Thewaylander wrote:

welshkev wrote:

Thewaylander wrote:

I just wanted to say Kev blows goats...

You may all now carry on

FTFY

fair enough hehe

ha ha, i replied without even noticing you put my name in there.....

Thewaylander

I though it was evil genius

welshkev

i want to sign this guy up to play for wales

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t7OKwhA ... r_embedded

bicyclepirate

Wooooooo hoooooo it's the rugby world cup!!!!
Come on England! (just don't lose to south Africa)
Can't wait to stumble out of walkabout hammered just a the day is beginning

The Northern Monkey

So... NZ v Tonga...

Tonga played well IMO. NZ won as expected, but their work around the ruck/scrum was a bit crap and they seemed to fall apart under rush defence.

Still, it was a very clean game.... not the stop-start-stop-start games that I'm used to in the 6 Nations!

mak3m

Aint seen it yet but listened a little on radio on way to work.

first 1/4 sounded like Tonga were giving them way too much respect and not enough highspeed hospital bound shoulder charges *cough* sorry tackles :P

Suprised Tonga got wheeled so much in the scrum, did that contiue the rest of the game

Raymondavalon

Well, a convincing win for the All Blacks, I'd like to have seen them opening the tournament with a game against Aussies or South Africans.
My money is on a Southern Hemisphere team (Aus/NZ/SA) winning the cup. It's spring out there now and the climate just suits them down to earth, plus they just play better, harder rugby than most

welshkev

Raymondavalon wrote:

Well, a convincing win for the All Blacks, I'd like to have seen them opening the tournament with a game against Aussies or South Africans.
My money is on a Southern Hemisphere team (Aus/NZ/SA) winning the cup. It's spring out there now and the climate just suits them down to earth, plus they just play better, harder rugby than most

but it's the end of their season and they might be tired..maybe a slip up? but i doubt it

IcarusGreen

I set up a world cup sweep stake at work today with half the money going to charity, I pulled out Namibia so no chance of me winning it

Up early and to work to watch the England game in the the work Bar with my minions. 8)

Raymondavalon

Namibians are just South Africans with a German accent
Sadly their rugby mimics their government's idea of democracy.. as in dismal

97th choice

Looking forward tio sunday morning, two decent games back to back.

Just hoping Wales don't do another.

a, plucky loss against a decent side where they play like legends for the last ten minutes
b, implode against the chuckabout rugby world champions.

IcarusGreen

It would be nice to see a British team play well in their first game, unfortunately after watching the first 5 minutes it appears that the sheep stalkers are going to struggle against the Springboks.