Riding the Rebellion Way with my son, at a campsite. Can't watch the game 😀😀. Anyway blah blah blah I'm not listening Wales are great!
😭😭😭😭😭 stop the game now!!!!
Oh dear.....half century on the way
Century at this rate 😱
Oof. Only saw the second half but SA look very powerful (again!).
Wales creamed ..... As England probably would have been also.
Rusty Ireland pumping ponderous England
Well, at least Billy V has done something in this game now
Does this new system mean the onfield ref never has to make a red card decision again?
That seemed an obvious red to me
England keeping their lawyer busy.
I think they've generally played a lot more fluidly today.
Two good tries from Ireland (so far).
That seemed an obvious red to me
Clear red to me too. I know they want to keep things moving with the reviews, but I get the impression the refs also like not having to get grief from the player receiving the red card - so go yellow & review.
England could hardly be worse than last week - more coherent this week but still ponderous and not really threatening anything
I think they’ve generally played a lot more fluidly today.
I'd hate to see them when they're shit 🙄
... on the he red card. Yes definitely
I don't have a problem with giving yellow under review even in pretty obvious cases - keeps the game moving.
Also, is there a way to downgrade a red under a review - if not then I can't see refs giving many straight reds
Ireland - efficient but not inspiring
refs also like not having to get grief from the player
When has that ever happened?
It’s more about wanting the decision to be correct and not wasting going over replays while the game could be going on.
I know someone getting a red shouldn't be "exciting" as such, but to me it takes away some of the drama.....you have the crowd "baying for blood", and you get an insipid "oh we'll think about it and let you know in ten minutes"
When has that ever happened?
It’s more about wanting the decision to be correct and not wasting going over replays while the game could be going on.
Yes, you're right - but, if not from the players, I can feel the pressure of the crowd and the millions of TV viewers, as the countless replays are made whilst a decision is made. Maybe the refs are less wussy than me 😃
Youngs. For the love of God can someone explain to me why he is still playing for England?
Youngs and Care - why have no other scrum halves had a look-in for the last 15yrs? Care, despite his experience, doesn't seeem to know where the touchline is.
It's under your foot, Danny...
Billy should be fine, Porter clearly changed direction while running earlier in the game.
England players over-celebrating irelands wonky line out throw again during todays game. What’s that all about? It’s like Ben Earls managed to put a hex on the Ireland hooker and he’s celebrating his own success in doing that.
Byrne non too impressive with those bananas he was wearing. Friend who knows more than me said Ireland were content to just go through some plays. I'd imagine South Africa won't be too nervous.
I’d imagine South Africa won’t be too nervous.
Oh,I don’t know; Ireland play at a pace that teams struggle to match and keep their shape against. If Ireland can get parity in the scrum the Saffers are in trouble.
There doesn't half look to be a gulf between the top 4 sides and the rest. Scotland the best of the rest.
Yep. This should be NZ, France, SA and Ireland contesting the final.
Hints from Borthwick in the press that Wigglesworth isn’t doing his job properly, so already the politics and cracks are starting to show for England, and the tournament hasn’t started yet. This has all the hallmarks of the Andy Farrell-gate era with fractured coaches and player performance leading to a post RWC meltdown. In some ways I hope it does, I think the whole England setup needs disbanding and re-forming right now for RWC2027.
Weird they've named a squad of 32
Wales squad picked by Gatland looks like progress since he returned. We have youth, pace and power...if he can just teach them to play rugby in the next few weeks we may escape the group!!
Israel Folou not named by Tonga as he is injured. Such a shame!
Aw, that's too bad. Still, it must be God's will.
Four match ban for Farrell....
Probably should be 6 given his record but certainly better than getting off scot free which was the original verdict!
See it is backdated to include Ireland game also!
Still don't understand the ban should be the standard six weeks no mitigation and no admission of foul play.
That means Billy must be two weeks for a pretty bad hit.
Finally reached a viable conclusion. Bet World Rugby are praying nobody gets carded this weeekend coming.
Personally feel the ban should have been longer given the multitude of factors. Struggle with the remorse aspect given he/england squad went in to argue case to have it downgraded at the original hearing ie not a full admission of guilt. Good charcater given his previous ban for this same issue earlier his year also smells a bit.
Still leaves taste in the mouth suggesting Farrell gets treated differently which is why he hasn’t been carded and banned for this issue before now. I’m sure that led to a lot of the social media backlash
However given the clear sign from World Rugby with the bans to Sexton ( oh look just in time to play in WC) and even Fagerson maybe that’s more of a Tier 1 thing.
Anyway. Done now and time to draw a line under it and move forward to what should be a great World Cup.
should be a great World Cup.
Or "could" be a great RWC.
The likelihood is that we'll probably spend more time watching the officials watching TV, discussing tackle height & mitigating circumstances or crossing our fingers hoping that the decent, competitive game we're watching doesn't get suddenly reduced to a farce by red card lottery.
The draw has totally spoiled it. with 3 of the top five teams in the world knocking lumps out of each other to get out of the pool while in the lower half of the draw the highest ranked team is 7th in the world with a far easier path to the semis
there should be some good matches for sure but this has wrecked it
Not just a winge as a Scots fan - its also spoiled it for NZ France and Ireland and SA
Should be an interesting WC. I expect to see a couple of surprise 1/4 finalists and maybe even a surprise 1/2 finalist.
Hell, Wales could make the final. Or lose 3 of their group games. I don't think there will be a middle ground.
I was watching some YouTube analysis of the England team yesterday. The basic conclusion is that they are either deliberately hiding and confusing their playing style, or the team structure is of the monumental **** up of the Brian Ashton/player mutiny days.
Most bets are on the latter. https://theflanker.co.uk/all/brian-ashton-2007-world-cup
On another note, Steward very lucky not to be cited for the tackle on Ringrose - high and around the neck. Watch it again.
There was definitely an element of either not playing your full team against the big boys or some strange tactics when Borthwick was HC at Tigers, but I'm not convinced this is the only factor here as the first half of last season before he took the England job we (Tigers) were just shite!
I'm hoping that they are holding something back but I don't have any real confidence that Eng will get past the 1/4ers....
As for the bans for Farrell and Vunipola, it seems that most people (Inc Eng fans) think they have both got off lightly, Farrell espescially, considering he took the tackle course not that long ago!
The draw has totally spoiled it. with 3 of the top five teams in the world knocking lumps out of each other to get out of the pool
On the flip side - it means some decent games to watch in the pool stages and the guarantee of two cracking lineups for the ¼ finals.
Thats true I guess 🙂
I have a bit of sympathy for Scotland. They've finally put a good side together and have played some decent rugby the last few years but now they have to get through Ireland & SA only to be rewarded with a ¼ final against France or NZ!
Scotland team v Georgia. I would have used a lot more cotton wool.
15. Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 5 caps
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) 35 caps
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 38 caps
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 18 caps
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 30 caps
10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby) – Vice-Captain – 71 caps
9. Ben White (Toulon) 15 caps
1. Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
2. Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 9 caps
3. WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 55 caps
4. Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 27 caps
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) - Vice-captain - 64 caps
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) - Captain - 42 caps
7. Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps
8. Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
Replacements
16. Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps
17. Rory Sutherland (unattached) 25 caps
18. Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh Rugby) 5 caps
19. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 28 caps
20. Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps
21. George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 22 caps
22. Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby) 2 caps
23. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 43 caps
The draw has totally spoiled it. with 3 of the top five teams in the world knocking lumps out of each other to get out of the pool while in the lower half of the draw the highest ranked team is 7th in the world with a far easier path to the semis
Totally spoiled it? Surely not.
The draw was done fairly early, too early some might say. But, even if it was left as late as January, England were 5th whilst Scotland were 7th. The current top 5 teams play each other in the earlier rounds I believe, but that is in large part down to the luck of the draw - pools B & C could have swapped for example, giving a very different outlook. To focus too much on the unfairness of the draw will put teams in the wrong frame of mind imho, forget about it and focus on each game as it comes.
I would have used a lot more cotton wool.
Indeed, pray no-one gets an injury, nor a red card.
