Rugby World Cup 2015

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  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703
    Monday morning; 9 a.m....Stuart Lancaster's next appointment (before 'gearing up for Uruguay')... Penrith job centre...

    http://www.192.com/atoz/business/penrith-ca11/employment-service/jobcentre/634e37c7dc30d70c31c2cbc2226a5a672f36a6b1/ldc/

    England rugby fans need not attend this forum, henceforth... set your alarms for 2019! :lol:
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703
    Oh, alright then, one more....12140816_10154232505724606_3663111116945822584_n.jpg?oh=809a2690f9377c9e96dda1a775f4a991&oe=56A224A1
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    Currently sitting in the upper east stand at Twickenham, to be brutally honest I'm not feeling optimistic about England's chances this evening but sod it!!! I'm here and the atmosphere is building nicely.

    Come on England!!


    I didn't get my hopes up too high for this match but even then It was far far worse than I could have imagined!!

    Absolutely no complaints about the result, Australia were sensational.

    Maybe In the long run this will be good for England as they may finally realise that picking players who might win you a match rather than picking players who are just huge lumps trying to the opposition scoring more than you!!
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    So, if Scotland beat Samoa they're through second in their group? I think that's right.

    SA have USA so even if Scotland win with a bonus point and SA win without then they'd be tied and lose on the head to head.

    Japan should beat USA (4 day turnaround for USA) but they can't go through unless Scotland don't win - if Scotland draw then Japan need a bonus point win to pass them.

    Will be strange if the 3 smaller hone nations all get through...
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • stu-bim
    stu-bim Posts: 384

    Will be strange if the 3 smaller hone nations all get through...

    Strange to who?
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  • Will be strange if the 3 smaller hone nations all get through...

    Strange to who?

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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    It shows the folly of picking the Pools so far in advance of the World Cup. Especially as now its likely that the same thing will happen again for 2019
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • prb007
    prb007 Posts: 703

    Will be strange if the 3 smaller hone nations all get through...


    mmm...by strange; do you mean well-earned, deserving, took their chances when presented, didn't choke, savvy team selection, strange, HOW exactly??
    If Wales was flattened out, it'd be bigger than England!
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  • It shows the folly of picking the Pools so far in advance of the World Cup. Especially as now its likely that the same thing will happen again for 2019

    It's not folly, per se. Wales should have been in a different group. But they conspired to be at their absolute worst at the time of the draw. It happens. There's no big 8 remember. Arguably there is a big 10. SH Cup and NH Cup. 10 into 4 groups doesn't go. So someone is going to end up in a group of death.

    What does need looking at, in the 5 team group format is turnaround. One team is not going to be playing on any given set of fixtures and that creates the nasty turnaround. Wales got tested big time but now have a rest. England were no worse than playing an AI. New Zealand might as well have had a bye. Ireland are slipping under the radar. They realistically kick off today. And qualify today.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    it does happen but it's much less likely that a team going through a bad patch 6 months or even a year before the tournament will turn it around whereas in 2 years anything could happen.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • The pools aren't that different though. Last time Scotland were in with England (and a big SH team). It's just that it's Wales. No one would have batted an eyelid to see Argentina, Italy, Scotland in the group of death.

    Perhaps Gatland planned it.........
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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    If any team gets beaten by 2 teams in their group then clearly they were not good enough to win anyway.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • If any team gets beaten by 2 teams in their group then clearly they were not good enough to win anyway.

    Ditto failing to beat 1 and wanting to progress. Wales need to field a full strength team next week and beat Australia.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    If any team gets beaten by 2 teams in their group then clearly they were not good enough to win anyway.

    Ditto failing to beat 1 and wanting to progress. Wales need to field a full strength team next week and beat Australia.

    Well true, but then you have to dispense with the whole "getting out of the Pool is how we ll be judged" spiel

    Wales are also clearly on a different level to Scotland or Italy. Given that England will tumble down the rankings and then (I hope) have a rather experimental 6N 2016, the situation is likely to repeat itself
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,166
    Disappointing but with hindsight maybe not a surprise. I'm supporting Wales now as the likely only surviving home nation. They might also stop some of the Aussies in our office being quite so cocky if they manage to beat the Wallabies.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • If any team gets beaten by 2 teams in their group then clearly they were not good enough to win anyway.

    Ditto failing to beat 1 and wanting to progress. Wales need to field a full strength team next week and beat Australia.

    Well true, but then you have to dispense with the whole "getting out of the Pool is how we ll be judged" spiel

    Wales are also clearly on a different level to Scotland or Italy. Given that England will tumble down the rankings and then (I hope) have a rather experimental 6N 2016, the situation is likely to repeat itself

    It depends whose spiel it is. It's certainly not mine. I don't even think we're that depleted. We've lost players from the same position rather than several from each. Our OC role is depleted. Our wings are ok. We keep selecting one who's rubbish. That's selection. Our SH is ok. In the pack the selections are fairly deliberate.

    It would be nice to have Halfpenny and Jonathan Davies but if we can't win a RCW without them we don't deserve to
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  • tonyf34
    tonyf34 Posts: 194
    When you don't select your best team (Armitage not even considered) Cipriani left in the stands, Barritt has being god awful and most of your front row forwards are unfit and can't even scrummage to a decent level you're fooked. That the game plan, basic core skills, execution, pretty much everything was pants meant all Australia had to do was the basics to a good standard.
    One poster said they were sensational, sorry but that's nonsense, they did the basics really well, they didn't do anything sensational, they never had to.
    As for Wales, they've too many injuries in crucial positions to be in with a realistic chance but could make the semis. Scotland will revert to form and dissapear. Ireland have a tight unit, no superstars but have the best chance of getting furthest IMO.
    depending on finishes top of France & ireland will determine the semis I think. NZ v France or ireland and SA v Australia I think are the probables.
  • fat_cat
    fat_cat Posts: 566
    Think Australia are in with a shout to win the whole thing. Next weeks game against Wales will tell us a bit more, but would make Australia favourites to win against the Welsh based on historic results as much as anything else.

    Can't really see beyond the Southern Hemisphere big 3 now. Would like to see France win, but don't think they're good enough.

    As far as England go there are a few things I don't understand. Why pick Ford as your starting 10 for 12 months before the World Cup and then puck Farrell when it matters? Also think the lack of a specialist 7 was really exposed last night, and would go for the biggest ugliest tight 5 I could find (Corbisiero, George, Brooks, Attwood and Launchbury).

    Next World Cup will be interesting draw wise as, as well as the " big 10 nations" I'm not sure I'd fancy being in a group with Japan on home soil based on this World Cup and 4 years improvement.
  • tonyf34
    tonyf34 Posts: 194
    Japan were a bit unlucky, getting a fresh Scotland less than 4 days after that massive match against SA. They were a bit niave as well, trying to play in that style all the time will empty the tank and the fact they had so many replacements for the AScotland game from their first XV was telling. Against Scotland they made too many mistakes, allowed Scotland too much easy posession and then Scotland got their tails up.

    As shown with their soccer teams the japanese are very fit, still (relatively) lacking in the top level experience of the 'big' teams and lacking a bit of pack weight but they don't stop giving it a go, in 4 years time could do more than just upset one big team.
  • https://twitter.com/InfernoProTV

    Really worth a read. Billy V was a bit tipsy last night and spilled the beans on the England coaching regime.

    No need for Lancaster to go, IMO. Turns out he's not the coach.
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  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,612
    Not to riff on the pain :)

    Were the England 'fans' who were whistling the Aus kicker Foley (to no effect, 7 from 7, respect) the same 'fans' seen sneaking out before the end? Xxxx me, England were one converted try down with 15 to go. Ok, so they looked second best all night, but where is your support?

    Pathetic.

    And do you really only sing when you're winning? Or look like you might be making a comeback.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Is always better for a tournament when the hosts do fairly well....
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    https://twitter.com/InfernoProTV

    Really worth a read. Billy V was a bit tipsy last night and spilled the beans on the England coaching regime.

    No need for Lancaster to go, IMO. Turns out he's not the coach.

    Yeah I saw that, it's interesting and would explain the sudden switch from stubborn unwillingness to replace players that arent performing (see the curious case of Chris Ashton) to the merry-go-round approach of this summers games...

    I woke up thinking Lancaster should be given more time but as the days wore on (and the hangover wore off) I've changed my mind a bit. Some of the selections have been unfathomable and some of the replacement strategies were crazy and at the end of the day that is his responsibility (even if it didnt turn out to be his call). The trouble is that I'm not sure who should replace him.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Aeq2lJlu64

    Hooper cited. Ban for me. But, that means it should have been red.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    The telling thing there is all the Aussies looking at each other sheepishly going "holy Sheet mate I hope no one saw that...

    Edit - and I dislike linking to the Torygraph but they have the best (free) rugby correspondents and I rather like what Will Greenwood says here - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11911121/Stuart-Lancaster-should-remain-England-coach-and-this-is-why.html

    Hopefully the Trolls have gone now and we can talk sensibly again.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,372
    I had serious reservations about England beating Australia whatever stage they played them in (I think they will win the thing) and really didn't think we were in with a serious chance of winning the tournament unless they "played themselves into it" which ain't gonna happen now.

    I think that Lancaster's choices of players have certainly been hampered by injury but also by an RFU persuading him not to pick certain players. The obvious weaknesses at the set piece would have been seriously improved by the presence of Hartley. Our centres would have a lot more go forward with Tuilagi and, as far as only picking players who ply their trade over seas "in exceptional circumstances" goes I struggle to think of anything more "exceptional" than twice European player of the year and a Home World Cup. All of which smacks of cutting off ones nose to spite ones face.

    If Vunipola is to be believed, all would not seem to be well in the camp anyway and that doesn't surprise me.

    Not having been of the opinion that we could win the tournament, I'm not that disappointed that England are out from a supporters point of view but I think that the game in this country has missed a huge opportunity for it's overall betterment with such an early exit.

    For the record, if Wales get knocked out, I won't be flooding social media with schadenfreude, sarcasm or reinforcement of inaccurate national stereotypes - partly because I'd like to see the NH do as well as possible but mainly because I'm an adult.
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Again, well said Laurentian. It's worth adding that Billy Vunipola has denied making any such claims for the moment

    If you look at the press before the tournament most of it pointed out the relative inexperience ("600 Caps") of the side and that is what showed in the last 20 mins against Wales. I think it is fair to say that a more experienced side would have closed out that game. It is also clear that that Aussie team was sublime. Foley was simply exceptional (a record personal score at Twickenham, displacing one Dan Carter) and Pocock and Hooper gave an exhibition on back row forward play. If you have a young son/daughter that plays back row, sit them down and force them to watch that on repeat. Therefore England were "unlucky" to be the victims of the group of death - that is the case FOR Lancaster and Robshaw

    I fear the case against them is rather stronger however. Selection has been at best muddled and at some times seemingly suicidal. Brad Barritt is good guy but he has been out of form and has no place at 13 anyway. Burgess was always going to live or die on how the team performed as a whole so it's no surprise to hear him getting it in the neck. It will be interesting to see what becomes of him. Putting Farrell on or moving him to 12 has not and will not ever work - especially when Slade is available...and frankly it goes on...and even more frankly, that's just in 2 positions!!

    We can talk about overseas players but the reality is that that will involve the RFU swallowing it's pride and that ain't ever going to happen.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Chogger
    Chogger Posts: 62
    Unfortunately one team had to go out and that happened to be England we simply weren't good enough against Australia and when it came down to it Wales simply wanted the win more last week. there is no shame in going out of the tournament to two teams that could win the thing (personally I think Australia will win it they look sharp especially now they have learnt to scrummage)
    I have never been a fan of Stuart Lancaster he seems to panic and revert to type on the big stage like dropping Ford last week when he has been your starting 10 for 12 months and reverting back to 10 man rugby when running rugby has been winning you games. I certainly don't want a knee jerk reaction like sacking him instantly similar to the football way I think there needs to be review if the rumours are to be believed about back room problems maybe a clear out there and start again I don't know the answer the only one I do know is whilst I admire the principles and sticking to the rules set out I don't think the rules on overseas players were correct when you have arguably one of the best 7s in the world sat at home because of selection policy something is not right. Australia saw this and changed the policy and I think England need to do likewise. Good luck to the other home nations for the rest of the tournament hopefully a Northern Hemisphere team can win it.