Rugby World Cup 2015

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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Really not sure who to support here....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Really not sure who to support here....

    Me neither, but thoroughly enjoyed first half. :D
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    What an end to that game! Super congrats to the All Blacks and a massive "Good on ya" to the aussies for getting back in the game
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,593
    Excellent game and a worthy final.
    The scoreline at any point of the match never really reflected how close the game was.
    It did however, reflect the best team.
    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.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    well, sugar what am I going to do with my weekends now...?

    This is like post tour
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,593
    well, sugar what am I going to do with my weekends now...?

    This is like post tour
    Bonfires, shopping, Christmas, New Year.
    Tour Down Under.
    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.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    true...

    no bonfires here, the Spanish did nt try and blow anything up here....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,593
    true...

    no bonfires here, the Spanish did nt try and blow anything up here....
    Yet.
    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.
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    A fantastic final, fitting of a fantastic tournament . . . speaking of things fantastic, check this out

    https://youtu.be/o1efwKglwZU
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,231
    So was the final supposed to be a good match?

    If so, it's blates not for me.
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    So was the final supposed to be a good match?

    If so, it's blates not for me.

    If had to ask that, I guess it isn't for you - blates . . .
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • A few images that show what RWC2015 was all about

    1. Sonny Boy Williams gave away his winners medal to a young fan:
    80844322_epa050052_3488807b.jpg

    2. David Pocock, awesome rugby player, environmental and gay rights activist and patron of the rhino trust. He didn't mention the two black eyes and a broken nose, let alone stay off the pitch because of them.
    wallabies_480x270.jpg

    3. minnows Japan defeat twice champions South Africa.
    South-Africa-v-Japan.jpg

    4. Adam Ashley Cooper brought dying childhood friend along to see Wales v Australia. A few later the friend died of cancer
    2D77D5CD00000578-3274527-image-a-1_1444983760187.jpg
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/sam-burgess-leaves-bath-and-returns-to-rugby-league-following-rugby-world-cup-a6722801.html

    Burgess goes back to Sydney thereby completing the total fail that that was :(

    This comments from a 13blackbirds sums my feelings up completely
    What does Burgess' England career amount to?

    He made his debut alongside Henry Slade in the victory v France as they performed well together. Sam's first piece of action was a pile-driving tackle against the usually immovable French captain, Dimitri Szarzewski ( I had to check the spelling). The press weren't overly happy though - Burgess was damned with faint praise while Slade was exalted...

    Then England, with George Ford utterly dreadful alongside the genius that Burrell is now taken to be - lost to France in the return.

    Burgess re-appears v Ireland - another victory. He does nothing wrong.

    First World Cup game - Burgess comes on late v Fiji and does his bit to help secure the bonus point.

    Then the big one v Wales. Directly up against first choice inside centre for the LIons, Jamie Roberts, Burgess leaves the field with his team 7 points ahead. At the end England lose by 3 points. All hell breaks loose and Burgess is promptly singled out in what seems to some of us the most concerted and malign way by some journalists and one or two ex-players.

    He's dropped v Australia. His performance is utterly incidental as Australia prove superior in every department. He is called upon to make 2 tackles - one high, that was not then penalised - and 2 passes.

    And that's it. That's what it amounts to. All the contumely, the insults, the put-downs - which are still continuing on here - were for that. By comparison, of course, the vast majority of those colleagues of Burgess who have played the game for far longer have emerged relatively unscathed. One or two have even squealed to the press in the most craven manner under the cover of anonymity. Thank goodness, Sam hasn't chosen to do that.

    I don't think Lancaster had done a lot wrong before the tournament but this, and the other selection issues suggest that he bottled it big time, for that I'm not sure he can stay at head coach any more...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Lancaster steps down.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    :shock: :shock: :shock:
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    :(:(:(
  • Flâneur
    Flâneur Posts: 3,081
    Question is where should they look to replace him, home or perhaps the S hem?
    Stevo 666 wrote: Come on you Scousers! 20/12/2014
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    I'm hoping that this means they have already got a supercoach lined up and signed on...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Can't say I'm shocked that he has gone. Who next for the job though? do the RFU look abroad or appoint form the premiership?
  • Question is where should they look to replace him, home or perhaps the S hem?

    A southern hemisphere coach. We've got to learn from how Wales and Ireland have stepped on with limited resources and yet have constantly proved a thorn in our side over the four year period of Lancaster's tenure. Scotland are starting to look better as well. The French and ourselves are destined to be left relying on simple volume of decent players and grinding out results if the mentality doesn't change soon.
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  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    I'm hoping that this means they have already got a supercoach lined up and signed on...


    . . . and, right there, is the problem. No succession planning at all.

    Steve Hansen was assistant manager with the All Blacks for years (5 or 6 I think) before ascending to the role. Wayne Smith (who will be the next ABs coach) has already worked under Hansen for 5 years.

    To fix English Rugby, I would be looking at changes above and below the national team and it's coach - the problem with this "resignation" is that it will take the onus away from the review that is supposed to be taking place by using the sticking plaster of a new head coach as a remedy rather than addressing much more pressing matters within the English game.
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • I'm hoping that this means they have already got a supercoach lined up and signed on...


    . . . and, right there, is the problem. No succession planning at all.

    Steve Hansen was assistant manager with the All Blacks for years (5 or 6 I think) before ascending to the role. Wayne Smith (who will be the next ABs coach) has already worked under Hansen for 5 years.

    To fix English Rugby, I would be looking at changes above and below the national team and it's coach - the problem with this "resignation" is that it will take the onus away from the review that is supposed to be taking place by using the sticking plaster of a new head coach as a remedy rather than addressing much more pressing matters within the English game.

    Quite.
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  • England were a moment of genius (Gareth Davies) and madness (the lineout) away from a 1/4 final. The fallout is incredible. They could easily have made the semis such is the nature of cup rugby. I get the feeling Lancaster is a good coach and a good guy but there were some utter pratts that he needed to work with........
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  • England were a moment of genius (Gareth Davies) and madness (the lineout) away from a 1/4 final. The fallout is incredible. They could easily have made the semis such is the nature of cup rugby. I get the feeling Lancaster is a good coach and a good guy but there were some utter pratts that he needed to work with........


    A few things:

    England have not won the Six Nations under Lancaster. That's not good enough. Forget Grand Slams and all that nonsense, just not winning the pool against that opposition at least one of those seasons shows that we're didn't improve.

    The RFU continue to peddle this nonsense about "overseas players" and have, indeed, confirmed it again in the press conference just on! Putting aside the fact that it would be difficult to see how Armitage and Abendanon would feel walking into a dressing room with some of the gobshites that are currently in there and have earned their 30 pieces of silver from the media to trot out the "company line" it's absolutely ridiculous that a team goes into any competition without it's best players. Lancaster bought into this theory, remember this is the policy abandoned by NZ and Australia - the finalists!, and indeed put it on a pedestal as a motivating tool. That didn't work*.

    Yes, the RFU has proven to be incredibly useless, bordering on FIFA'esque. But Lancaster bought into all that instead of doing what Cheika has done in Australia and said "if you really want success you need this and that and if you don't do it then I'm off" and given them a proper case for why things need to happen. The next appointment will probably be a cop-out as it will be another "yes man" for the same reason, but Lancaster was a little blind to the obvious and failed to deal with it.

    Lastly, Lancaster's big selling point was that he'd clean up England "off the pitch". Well he didn't. Their behaviour was no better or worse than usual - in fact the number of media leaks and stories that have subsequently come out (dodgy investment advice being provided to a consortium of players by one of his own back room staff) suggest that it was every bit as bad or worse. That, combined with no significant wins (6 nations or WC) in his tenure, suggests that the whole disciplinarian approach made no difference other than reducing the pool of talent available to him.

    *Leaving aside the arguments about knowing that modern rugby is all about the breakdown and leaving the best English player at the breakdown, in all of Europe, voted such by his peers watching RL games with his brother!
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Lastly, Lancaster's big selling point was that he'd clean up England "off the pitch". Well he didn't. Their behaviour was no better or worse than usual - in fact the number of media leaks and stories that have subsequently come out (dodgy investment advice being provided to a consortium of players by one of his own back room staff) suggest that it was every bit as bad or worse. That, combined with no significant wins (6 nations or WC) in his tenure, suggests that the whole disciplinarian approach made no difference other than reducing the pool of talent available to him.

    *Leaving aside the arguments about knowing that modern rugby is all about the breakdown and leaving the best English player at the breakdown, in all of Europe, voted such by his peers watching RL games with his brother!

    I'm not sure that's true. At the end of the last world cup there was a clamor to put a bit of honour and humility back into the team. Undoubtably he has done that. As bender points out, he was only one more game away from apparent success (reaching the QFs - where I suspect we'd have gone out to SA regardless). No doubt we will reach the 6N in a few months and hear all the crap about arogant english fans who only care about England and volauvents after those same fans have just put on the best attended world cup ever...part of that has been Lancaster's turning the team into something a country can be - if not proud - at least not ashamed of.

    What did for him was the selection/replacements issue and the Burgess Farce

    Ideally I would have like to see him stay on in some capacity but bring in a "supercoach" to really nail the rugby now. I suspect that even he wouldn't have wanted that though.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,371
    If no English coach is suitable, Wayne Smith would be my pick
    Wilier Izoard XP
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    ruled himself out :(
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • I'd go for Jim Mallinder, Mike Ford , or Rob Baxter as they all play a nice brand of rugby and are proven winners although I don't think the RFU will look in their direction. What Rob Baxter has achieved at Exeter is nothing short of exceptional
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    That well known Anglophile, Eddie Jones?