[Closed] Rugby world cup

aracer - Member

this is perfectly possible and wouldn't half make me laugh.

I'll allow you that, given how much amusement all of us from your native land will get when we send your adopted country home.

Ssshhhhh. The fat lady hasn't started singing yet.

*Can resist no longer....*

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what's the score with Ireland's group...is it a straight loser gets the bus home in the Ireland/Italy match

Nope Ireland are looking good, but it rests on the remaining performances of Italy and Australia. Italy still have to play USA and Ireland. Australia still have Russia to go.

Mathematical possibilities below at end of pool stages. Draw your own conclusions. Whilst the odds are in Ireland's favour I would not bet the farm just yet if Italy do well against USA I imagine they will go into the Ireland game with high hopes. If they lose against USA then Ireland can lose to them and still go through.

Ire 13 poss 13 to 18
Aus 10 poss 10 to 15
Italy 5 poss 5 to 15
USa 4 poss 4 to 9
Russia 1 poss 1 to 6

Australia play Russia before Italy/Ireland? If Australia fail to get the BP (admittedly unlikely), wouldn't a narrow win for Italy, with both scoring 4 tries be hilarious?!

Can losing side get 2 bp's then? I had wondered if this was possible. So both sides score 4 tries and there is less than 7 points in it. Ire on 14 Italy on a poss 15, aus on 14. Home the wallabies would go....

Now that would be funny.

I would chuckle heartily. 🙂

Ahh look a unifying concept on the RWC thread, makes me all warm and fuzzy..

While that would be funny, Ireland won't slip up against Italy they will win well in order to stay in the easier side of the draw

Ireland [i]shouldn't[/i] slip up against Italy. Not a foregone conclusion though. Italy will have everything to play for.

Funniest thing about Ireland v Wales? The pre-match fight to be underdogs. 🙂

toys19 - Member
Ahh look a unifying concept on the RWC thread, makes me all warm and fuzzy..

Hate to disappoint, yet again!!

Funniest thing about Ireland v Wales? The pre-match fight to be underdogs

Beacoup de LULZ!

Toys, looks like you forgot our Canary Yellow friend Dez?

Since England played OK in the last game are you going to revert to being English or stay plastic Aussie till the end of the tournament? If so I haven't seen anywhere near enough moaning about the ref in the Ireland game, or how the nasty Americans hurt you after the game was won and you were advancing fair etc

DezB sorry.. Northern hemisphere brotherhood. TBH I would rather get beaten by you guys than any northern hemisphere team. Despite the crowing when you win my experience of Aussies as good losers made me think they were OK.

Ireland shouldn't slip up against Italy. Not a foregone conclusion though. Italy will have everything to play for.

Come on keep the faith man!

my experience of Aussies as good losers made me think they were OK.

The pre-match fight to be underdogs

The English supporting rules are:
1) England
2) Northern Hemisphere team if vs Southern Hemisphere
3) The underdog (which does make Ireland v Wales tricky)

its true DaRC_L I posted about this a few days ago, the sledging aussies at met at the 2007 quarter finals, we all got peed off with them going on about how we had wasted out money coming to Marseille blah blah galah..
But when we beat them they were mucho complimentary, bought many drinks and didn't complain (much). I realised the pre match BS was jsut a game, and they want you to not take it too seriously, and give back as good as you get. There were thousands of people rammed into marseille that weekend, Aussies, Saffers, Welsh, English, 6 fijians, French and Kiwis. Didn't see a single incident, not a single punch thrown, it was all good.

toys19 - Member
But when we beat them they were mucho complimentary, bought many drinks and didn't complain (much). I realised the pre match BS was jsut a game, and they want you to not take it too seriously,

That's pretty much normal in any rugby game I've ever been to. Banter with the 'enemy' fans, go to the pub and talk about the game with them later.

That's why I've been very puzzled about the English supporters on here and their strange attitudes (wrt Anybody But England). I've suspected that a lot of the people complaining about ABE have never been to a game in their life, never mind endured places like Sardis Road or Stradey. Or worse, had to put up with Ulster fans. Urrgh.

Didn't see a single incident, not a single punch thrown, it was all good.

Again, that's so normal in rugby that it's barely worth commenting on. I've been going to live games since I had a schoolboy ticket in the 70s and I can only remember one fight.

3) The underdog (which does make Ireland v Wales tricky)

TOOFAHSAND!!!!!!!!!

(Is emotional)

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2001!!! 😯

That's why I've been very puzzled about the English supporters on here and their strange attitudes (wrt Anybody But England). I've suspected that a lot of the people complaining about ABE have never been to a game in their life, never mind endured places like Sardis Road or Stradey. Or worse, had to put up with Ulster fans. Urrgh.

Well you appear to have forgotten that the biggest complainer on here about this is me (as in by my own evidence above I have been to at least one game). I expect you have never been an English man in Wales or Scotland after winning against Wales or Scotland. It can be a 'lovely' experience.

aracer - Member

3) The underdog (which does make Ireland v Wales tricky)

With Irish ancestry, and a Welsh neighbour, that one's not tricky at all!

So Ireland then? 😐

Or do you base your support on who lives around you?

My neighbour is Nigerian, but, nice guy as he is, I couldn't see myself supporting a Nigerian team in any sport.

I expect you have never been an English man in Wales ... after winning against Wales

I have bin.

It was ok.

I couldn't see myself supporting a Nigerian team in any sport.

I always have a happy smile when I see that London Nigerians RFC have won a game. 🙂

I have bin.

It was ok.

I have been and it has sometimes been ok.. But I lived in Wales for four years and had plenty of opportunity to come across Rugby fans who do not meet my high expectation.

toys19 - Member
I expect you have never been an English man in Wales or Scotland after winning against Wales or Scotland. It can be a 'lovely' experience.

I lived in England during the late 80s and 90s. You know, the period when Wales, Ireland and Scotland were all rubbish, and England wanted to move away from playing us and form a two tier championship.

If I wore a Welsh jersey it was usually greeted with patronising comments and sheep jokes that I'd only heard a few thousand times before.

Anyway, are you suggesting that you had bad time in Cardiff or Edinburgh? Fighting? Or just the odd glare?

Not meaning to offend all the Scots (or TJ) on here but I've seen a marked deterioration in the attitude of (some) Scottish fans over recent years.

I've been going to Murrayfield for over 35yrs - since I was a schoolboy - and always supported Scotland, unless they were playing England. There was always good natured banter and handshakes after the match. However, since the late 90s or early 2000s it hasn't been as friendly. The Scottish crowd is a lot more discontented and less friendly. They also display a diminished understanding of the game, much like an African football crowd, cheering madly just because the ball has moved near to the opposition goal-line even though there's no prospect of an advantage. I've also been sworn at by Scottish fans just for cheering England on. Booing the kicker, although prevalent everywhere, seems worst at Murrayfield.

I think it ties in with professionalism and the mess the SRU has made of the domestic game, leading to a hopelessly inept national side and disgruntled fans.

It used to be fun going to Murrayfield. Now it's not.

As I said, it's only a minority and there's still plenty of good banter in the pubs and online but that's my experience over the years.

toys19 - Member
But I lived in Wales for four years and had plenty of opportunity to come across Rugby fans who do not meet my high expectation.

Would you find similar types of fans in Gloucester, Bath, Leicester? Places with less of a middle class support base?

(I found Leicester to be quite a friendly ground as a fan, actually.)

The atmosphere at Glaws is lovely. It's like one big happy family.

Mainly because.......

😈

So, tomorrow. Two very interesting games, IMO.

Canada v Japan - Weather dependent, I think. Rain = Canada grind it out. Dry = Japanese flair edges it.
Italy v USA - Should be a fairly comfy Italian win. Shouldn't it?

Booing the kicker, although prevalent everywhere, seems worst at Murrayfield.

I would have to disagree and say that it's worst at the millennymum. I was there for the Wales Ireland game this year and lamented the attitude of the fans at the time. We were surrounded by a bunch of pissed up blokes who were quite abusive towards us, and became quite threatening when I asked them to tone down the swearing (liberal usage of phrases involving the two words "...Irish c***s...") in front of my mate's two young boys. As for the bunch of pre-loaded women of a certain age behind us, I'm not sure if they were sober enough to realise which team was which tbh.

I'm putting it down to just being in the wrong place at the wrong time...but it wasn't pleasant.

It could very well be Gatland's fault of course. 🙂

Hmm I have had a bad time in Swansea and Cardiff and some small towns in Wales. Lots of fighting (well I say fighting, more beating) and threats , nothing like sheep jokes.

When I went to Wales in 92 I was unaware of the ABE attitude, I supported Wales in every game except against England (home) or Ireland (parents). Now I like a bit of banter and as an English minority in Swansea this is all I ever though it was, much piss taking from the Welsh and generally good times. But this went sour when the first "incident" occurred after about a month of living there, followed by plenty of others.

I dunno anything about other towns rugby fans other than Exeter and the small Devon market town where I grew up and played Rugby, there was never any nastiness.

Would you find similar types of fans in Gloucester, Bath, Leicester? Places with less of a middle class support base?

how keenly observed, only oiks can be xenophobic or boorish

🙄

Or do you base your support on who lives around you?

Or worse, had to put up with Ulster fans. Urrgh.

Have you had a bad time at an Ulster game? Genuine question as most travelling fans seem to really enjoy our hospitality at Ravers

Its not the fans who you need to watch out for its the Irish players called Trevor 😉

I think you will find it was Trevor attacking the ulster fan, better than Cantona!

anyway the rugbt, just watched the match. What a legend Gethin Jenkins is good result. Felt sorry for Byrne who was making some excellent runs only to not get passed the ball. The thing that worries me though is that Lloyd Burns is second choice hooker, it takes something to stand out as being shite in a team that wins by 70 odd points, but everything he did turned to rubbish.

The thing that worries me though is that Lloyd Burns is second choice hooker, it takes something to stand out as being shite in a team that wins by 70 odd points, but everything he did turned to rubbish.

Without wishing to seem rude, I 'm asking a question not making a statement. Do you think games like this tell you much about the team? It's like the hype about england beating Romania, if they hadn't have put 10 tries on them then they might as well pack and go home. So do you think the Namibia game was even a test of Wales ability? Everyone stomped them and they must be knackered by now (as were the Romainians). I'm not trying to do down England or Wales but I'm struggling to find any significant evidence of a world beating side (like vs NZ, SA, Aus) from either game..

EDIT -I might be answering my own question here:
Scotland vs Romainia 34 -24
Arg vs Romainia 43-8
Eng vs Romainia 67-3

This is an interesting guage of who beat who as in we beat arg, and arg beat Scotland the vs romainia scores reflect the relative rank of the teams. It does not bode well for Scotland vs England.
If you do the same for Namibia in the Wales pool then the scores tell exactly the same story...

Do you think games like this tell you much about the team?

DS yeah when I looked a the relative scores it does show something.

It told me Lloyd Burns is a special kind of shite and here was me thinking Benett was a liability.

😀 AA do you have a scriptwriter?

Thing is, Romania effectively put out a 2nd XV on Saturday in order to preserve their 1st team for the clash with Georgia. Romania knew they weren't really in with a shout against England but if they beat Georgia they are assured of an entry into the next World Cup - can't fault their logic can you?

The one thing that is telling from this weekends Group B games is that the English defence is better than Scotlands it seems.