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… )

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.

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?

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.

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. 😉

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. 😀

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????

Thanks Duckman, that’s how I understood it (even if I might not have explained it so well 😀 )

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!

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……

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

@namaste I think for that to happen Aus would have to finish second in the group

Yeah I know but it could happen….

So far so cringeworthy!

Opening ceremonies are ALWAYS shit.

Just get on with it…!

Jonno!!!

Harry’s just come from the pub down the road by the look of things…