[Closed] Rugby world cup

A team is not just the sum of its constituent parts...
sometimes it's less!
.
Come on England!

The last time Flood and Wilko started together we beat wales with three tries, it seemed like it worked very nicely.

When was that? no need to answer have looked it up. Why have they not been playing together in the warm up games or the pool games, why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12?

mind you look at the Wales lineup 😥

Byrne; T James, Hook, Roberts, S Williams; S Jones, Cooper; P James, G Williams, Rhys Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones, Charteris, Powell, M Williams, R Jones (captain).

When was that?

Why have they not been playing together in the warm up games or the pool games, why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12?

I guess to give you ammo to lay into us? Otherwise I have no idea because me and millions of others have been screaming for it. (Fingers crossed it works, then I shall apply to the RFU for Johnsons job as I obviously know better than him..)

why has it taken so long to work out that Hopless and HRH Tins are both crap at 12

Talking of Hape, didn't MJ once say he laughed inwardly at the reaction that people would give when they eventually realised how good he (Hape) was?

Well, we're still waiting.....

If he's so great than why has Johnno passed him over in favour of, firstly, an over-the-hill outside centre and next, a wimpy fly-half?

(I'm also still waiting to find out what a great centre Andy Farrell was gonna be but I'm starting to lose faith on that one 😕 )

What about Lesley Vainakolo wasnt he the next Lomu, or Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

I think Johnson should have his best options in mind by now, it seems odd you can go from Hape to a completely different player in Flood.

What about Lesley Vainakolo wasnt he the next Lomu, or Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

AAAAAAAAARRRGHHH!

Don't - PLease!

I've tried to block those memories for years but they're all flooding back!
😮

There will never be another Lomu as almost everyone else is just as ruddy enormous,powerful and quick, he was just the vanguard of modern players.

Henry Paul whatever happend to him?

Assistant coach of Russia at the RWC.

The best one was Steve Hanley (the white Lomu), especially when he tried to tackle Craig Quinnel at Wembley.

Still at least Banahan is on the bench for Englandshire

The best one was Steve Hanley (the white Lomu), especially when he tried to tackle Craig Quinnel at Wembley.

STOP IT! I'm going to have to go and lie down, the flashbacks are starting!

TJ will be along to mention Murrayfield 1990 and then I'll be a gonner.

Just remind him thats the last time scotland were really good, didn't they beat france wales and ireland too?

I thought it was Ben Cohen, the "next big thing" who ran into Craig Quinnel and realised he wasn't as big as he thought he was.

That'll be the game when Max Boyce was in the choir and came out to sing Hymns & Aria's at Wembley 🙂

bump

bump again

I think you will find Cohen was a big thing, he scored loads of tries for england.

edit see [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_leading_Rugby_union_Test_try_scorers ]here[/url]

Right, what's the predictions for the weekend then?
NZ to beat the Argies, easy one.
England to beat France, surely.
Ireland or Wales??? I just don't know, want both to win, but lets go for Wales.
SA or Australia??? Hope the Bokke plays well and win, pity Frans Steyn is out injured though.

So, over to you guys...

I don't doubt that - just came up 2nd best in that encounter

Am certainly looking forwards to both Saturdays matches will get the first but have to take my son to football for 09.15 - then need to make sure I do not hear the result so can rush home to watch the England Match

Have they finally sold all the tickets for the England match, yet? 😀

Reminder - I must stop reading this thread.
It keeps making me sweat and have sleepless nights
(as you never know which French team will turn up)

Under my previously stated rules I will be supporting England, Wales and the Argies. Previously I'd forgotten the exception to the rules which SA = never support SA.
So I'll be supporting the Ozzies for that one.

We have our own skeleton...Brendan Laney...the Otago chainsaw... £250,000 A YEAR in 2001 to mooch around Edinburgh smoking and drinking. They were paying him so much that they had to play him in the Scotland team.He was loaned out to Watsonians and was so fat I thought he was a prop.

[i]I don't doubt that - just came up 2nd best in that encounter[/i]

Winger against forward? Oh well, that must've been a massive surprise to him 🙄

[i]Reminder - I must stop reading this thread[/i]
+1

Sorry, just been off saving the world for a while. What have I missed?

Still think the results will be

Ireland (but really very close so not 100% on that one - cannot wait).

England (A real shame that one of these 2 will make the semi's - both poor sides)

NZ at a canter. 30+ points margin

SA - will bully Oz off the pitch

2 out of 4 ain't bad Taz 🙂
My money's on

Wales
England
NZ
Oz

(A real shame that one of these 2 will make the semis - both poor sides)

Agreed. And equally a shame that either Wales or Ireland have to go home as both are playing some lovely, lovely rugby. A great advert for the game, IMO.

A real shame that one of these 2 will make the semi's - both poor sides

blah blah blah blah blah
deal with it

Wales
England
New Zealand
South Africa

I think:

WALES
FRANCE (sadly)
NZ
SA

[i]A great advert for the game, IMO.[/i]

You must want NZ or Australia to win the tournament then? They are playing the best, most entertaining rugby.

Rather than who will win, who would you like to win? For me:
Wales as I think England have a better chance againstb them than Ireland
England
Argentina as I like proper bish bash bosh rugby and they do that so well
Neither, but if I had to pick Australia as I would rather England play them than SA. I have a horrible feeling that South Africa will win it though.

Rather than who will win, who would you like to win?

90% of those posting who they think will win actually mean who they want to win.

I think Wales will win. 😳

A real shame that one of these 2 will make the semi's - both poor sides

Brakes - deal with it? Deal with what exactly?

I think it is a real shame for rugby & the RWC that we will lose either Ireland or Wales and keep either France or England. Outside of England and France most people would likely agree with me. Beyond posting my opinion I barley give it a second thought though.

Wrecker, you make a fair distinction I think. Must be absolutley infuriating & somewhat perplexing for both French & English rugby fans.

I think France have slightly more potential to play well, but for some reason, seem to be in disarray at the moment - they were hilariously bad against Tonga.

England have more potential than most give them credit for. Weakness in some key positions is stifling the rest of the team.

I think France have slightly more potential to play well

I think Wales will win.

What makes you say that? Pessimism?

I think Wales have maybe a 60% chance of winning, but I've got no real technical basis for that and I don't think I can separate my wishes from my opinion 🙂

I would say though, Wales's defence has been great and Ireland have looked less than clinical; mistakes could allow the Welsh backs to play dangerously.

Pessimism?

Yep.

I do truly believe it's a fifty/fifty game though.

Hey - us Welsh fans are the pessimism experts. Well, pessimism coupled with outrageous fantasising. Bit of a weird mix really.

Molgrips - love it. Seems to summarise most Welsh fans I interact with :D.

As a neutral I am truly excited about this game. Two very entertaining and passionate teams going head to head. With many fascinating clashes in most aspects of the game.

I will also savour the Oz vs SA game. The other two games I will watch with more of a morbid curiosity :-). That said I hope England & NZ go through.

the Oz vs SA game

The most entertaining aspect being that neither of them expected this game. 🙂

So can we have a poll, now the teams are out?

Wales:

DD
Me

Ireland:

?

I think Ireland will beat Wales, NZ beat Argentina and the Boks to beat Aus.

Craig Quinnell, "the mad hippo"

Wales:

DD
Me

Ireland:

A_A

which reminds me, whatever happend to Barrie John Mather?

AA - Hanley was utter crap there. He did not even attempt to tackle, just stood there, even I would have knocked him over. What was he thinking. He got a broken arm out of that too.