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but use BBC 5Live for the audio
and have to put up with the bellowing oaf that is Ian Robertson 😯 worst commentator evs
Excited now. Feels like it's really starting.
Fiji:Metuisela Talebula, Waisea Nayacalevu, Niki Goneva, Gabiriele Lovobalavu, Nemani Nadolo, Ben Volavola, Nikola Matawalu; Campese Ma'afu, Sunia Koto, Manasa Saulo, Apisalome Ratuinyarawa, Leone Nakarawa, Dominko Waqaniburotu, Akapusi Qera (captain), Sakiusa Masi Matadigo
Replacements: Peni Ravai, Isei Colati, Tevita Cavubati, Peceli Yato, Nemia Kenatale, Josh Matavesi, Aseli Tikoirotuma
Would have liked to see Levani Botia getting a run, but maybe they're holding back for the bigger games. 🙂
Campese Ma'afu, England just need to keep it in the scrum!!!
Commentator's nightmare that one. I expect they've been practising their arses off all week. 🙂
What time is kick off? I am looking forward to that,not so much the "lets put on a spectacle of an opening ceremony bit." One to watch out for in that side that you may not have seen before is the Glasgow back five Nakarawa,some player!
Yup, he was pretty special against Munster in the pro12 final.
Plays like a basketballer Globetrotter, all trick passes and offloads, great to watch.
The little fella Nandolo on the wing looks one to watch too.
And if Botia gets a go in another game...
anyway,8 pm KO, hula skirts and flowery leis all round
Can see Fiji getting a surprise result against a bigger team this time round. IMO, best of the Pacific at the mo.
They look like they've got a lot of good players in all the right places and haven't been stitched up in the run up this time.
For once, the fixtures may even work in their favour with them having Wales 4 days after Wales other big match
Good interview with Jonathan Thomas here:
[url= http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/Rugby_on_Off_The_Ball/105486/ ]Good interview with Jonathan Thomas here - Newstalk Off The Ball Podcast[/url]
Commentator's nightmare that one.
Always loved hearing Jiffy struggle with Imanol Harinordoquy.
Always loved hearing Jiffy struggle with Imanol Harinordoquy.
That one's easy, "Big French Thug"
😉
That one's easy, "Big French Thug"
That doesn't really narrow it down much...... 😉
Why is Harry Ordinary a thug? Good player.
Maybe he meant his dad....
Close now, getting excited.
I've promised Jnr (6) he can stay up late and watch the opening ceremony and England match with me tomorrow, feels like another little Father / Son landmark.
I may need to tone down the beer and sofa-ref vocabulary though. 😆
I may need to tone down the beer and sofa-ref vocabulary though.
I don't tend to swear at the TV much when watching rugby. (I do for anything else, weirdly.)
My kids have got used to me having conversations with the ref though...
"Can you not see the off-side there, ref?"
"Pardon Daddy?"
"Sorry, just talking to the TV."
A week later..
"What about the high tackle, you moron?"
Junior looks up at me, looks at TV, nods knowingly and mutters "TV again"
Ireland starters and bench named for Canada game. Can't say I have any problems with that. Joe has obviously decided there's no need to risk Healey this early. Looking forward to seeing how Payne does. I like him. Happy with having that 16-20 on the bench. Just wondering how the green machine will engineer the forthcoming massive disappointment with such a strong squad.
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14. Dave Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
13. Jared Payne (Ulster)
12. Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster) (capt)
6. Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)
7. Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
18. Nathan White (Connacht)
19. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
20. Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
21. Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
22. Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
23. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Just wondering how the green machine will engineer the forthcoming massive disappointment with such a strong squad.
They'll be penalized off the pitch for flopping onto rucks from the side and for choke tackling in mauls. 🙂
Whereas Wales will be hammered by the new directive for chop tackles. (It's almost like it was aimed at stopping the Welsh backrow... )
new directive for chop tackles
I haven't seen anything new???? I think the refs were reminded about no arm tackles of all kinds but I haven't seen anything that particularly disadvantages Lydiate and co.
The commentators on Scrum V last week were talking about it being a directive. Any low tackle with no arms is seen as dangerous and will be carded, is the gist. TMOs were involved several times.
Although I've just spent a while looking through the stuff I can find about this season's directives and can find nothing about chop tackles, only no-arm tackles, as you say Dan.
dd ,
Healy should get 20-30 mins as a first run out, this week, then 50-60 against a tougher Romanian scrum to up the fitness next.
McGrath's plenty good enough for the first three games but they'll need both fit and on form against the French and how they use their bench.
Bit concerned that Fitz is covering the injured Henshaw's 12 spot when that was exactly what Cave was picked to do. Maybe it's more than one game and Cave's down for the next match?
Just wondering how the green machine will engineer the forthcoming massive disappointment with such a strong squad.
France.
Their pack , and bench, looked stronger than England's this summer.
Backs are more than useful and bigger than Ireland's too.
And they look like they're gonna be a lot more organised than at any point since their last world cup final.
But... after the massive disappointment of losing the last group game, finishing second in the Pool, and having to face the all blacks in the next round, green machine to beat NZ , then SA , then get a bit of revenge on the French in the final. 
Whereas Wales will be hammered by the new directive for chop tackles. (It's almost like it was aimed at stopping the Welsh backrow... )
Or Joubert reviews the last game he reffed Wales in and how much they got away with not letting go of players at the breakdown, then pings them off the park for it in the OZ game when it really matters. Ironically. 😉
Chop tackles and the neck roll are both being targeted,and this will be rolled out next year as well.
r Joubert reviews the last game he reffed Wales in and how much they got away with not letting go of players at the breakdow
I love how the irish do irony so well.
Healy should get 20-30 mins as a first run out, this week, then 50-60 against a tougher Romanian scrum to up the fitness next.
McGrath's plenty good enough for the first three games but they'll need both fit and on form against the French and how they use their bench.
Yeah, I agree...I'd assumed Healey would get game time in each of them.
France
Yep. 🙂
anagallis_arvensis - Member
r Joubert reviews the last game he reffed Wales in and how much they got away with not letting go of players at the breakdow
I love how the irish do irony so well.
I didn't read that as irony, or anyhing like that. I read it as highlighting refereeing inconsistencies. The only teams who don't hang on in the breakdown, if they can get away with it, are ITM cup teams,because they want to play at pace and the USA, because they are so naive. 😀
I saw the 😉 at the end.
Chop tackles and the neck roll are both being targeted,and this will be rolled out next year as well.
A "chop tackle" in this sense isn't a Lydiate style tackle though is it? It is more the rolling in to a ball and turning the shoulder and back in to the opponents knees isn't it? More a prop at close quarters tackling tactic that they are trying to clamp down on????
Dan...Speaking to a high up ref about it last night, it is an obvious no arms/afterthought of arms head on at knee height. They are working on the idea that tackling is important,but it is like the no arms,high smash,that was only outlawed in the late 90's. Strictly speaking a tackler should be binding to the person they are hitting.Oh,and despite it coming out in the media this week; this was all made clear in April,even the Dublin stranglers will surely have gone back to the drawing board in camp. It
Thanks Duckman, that's how I understood it (even if I might not have explained it so well 😀 )
[img] http://img0.thejournal.ie/inline/1520826/original/?width=970&version=1520826 [/img]
[img] http://img0.thejournal.ie/inline/1520833/original/?width=1026&version=1520833 [/img]
even the Dublin stranglers
😆 😆
The second one in those I have sympathy for,esp if it is two yards out. It is natural for players to adopt a three point stance bang on the offside line close to their own line. The first one would be a rest all day long,he hits back first!
So a few things I hadn't realized ahead on tonight's match...
- England to play in red
- Fiji somehow manage to have fewer caps than England!
Fiji somehow manage to have fewer caps than England!
I think that's partly because Fiji don't get to play that many games and, when they do, a lot of their players aren't made available.
I noticed the team named by the ABs against Argentina has 1,013 Test caps and a further 316 on the bench.
That's a lot......
Excited for the first match tonight. Will be a tough contest.
even the Dublin stranglers
Is that a tribute act? Golden Black stuff?
So who is going to win. I'm going with the Aussies. And USA cause I got them in the work sweep.
Melon; NZ to win all day long, French to be the suprise package. Looking forward to tonight...well from 8pm on!
Ian Robertson is a moron a complete and utter moron, today he said Australia will have a very good chance as they beat New Zealand comprehensively at home earlier this year, omitting to mention that the All Blacks battered them a week later. He said england must be favourites with home advantage and the All Blacks are an ageing team ready for the taking.
I am no rugby expert an enthusiastic amateur per say but that cretinous jizz gargler is really getting on my wick.
cretinous jizz gargler
Another 😆
NZ massive favourites. They are not unbeatable but if England are to win it they'll have to beat all of Australia, NZ and South Africa which would be unprecedented, 2 or 3 yes but all 3. Ireland won't make it past the semi at best and I have a feeling France will beat them in the group. I'm brushing up my "Marseilles" for that match, need to nail the middle verse.
Melon; NZ to win all day long, French to be the surprise package.
Melon; NZ to win all day long, Argentina to be the surprise package for me
Looking forward to tonight obviously, but also to the Irish pack winding up Cudmore tomorrow and Wales on Sunday. Maybe Morgan could end up being a revelation against a tired opposition on 50/60 mins 😉 Maybe not 😆
I am also really looking forward to watching the "smaller" teams we don't generally see a lot of like the Japan and some big ol' Samoan tackles. Is Paul Williams still playing? His carded last man [url= http://www.rugbydump.com/2011/09/2104/paul-williams-yellow-carded-for-huge-hit-on-theuns-kotze ]tackle at the last RWC[/url] was one of the best bits if timing I can remember (shame the referee didn't agree!)
Think I already mentioned it but I reckon Tonga v Georgia tomorrow in Kingsholm (where I'm going) will be a proper smash-fest. Really looking forward to it.
Saw the Georgians last week and they had some monsters in the pack 😆
The Japanese didn't want to get involved in any biff but I can see the Tongans happy to indulge them.
DD get there a bit early due to the body searches, unless you like queueing.
For all the posters on here going to Glaws.. I hereby confer Scottish citizenship on you for the duration of the group matches.However,if you use the sudden massive increase in your looks and ability to charm the other sex,then it may be recinded.
My money would be on a NZ/Aus final - hopefully with the All Blacks winning in style.
@namaste I think for that to happen Aus would have to finish second in the group
I hate 'World in Union' and that squealing woman has made me detest it even more! Play it to the Fijians, they won't be able to concentrate on rugby.