Rugby 2023-24 World Cup Year!

Against the top 4 Scotland struggles from 1 to 15.  Against the top 4 any team struggles from 1 to 15 at the moment.

9-15 are good for Scotland and as individuals stand comparison with for example Ireland, as a group they function better than Ireland certainly in attack. If Scotland had Ireland’s pack they would win far more games. It is maybe simplistic but at a basic level so is rugby.

Whoever you support, that was a cracking weekend of rugby.

I expected Ireland to win, new Zealand found something special, and for me are now the team to beat. Fiji were always going to struggle but played their socks off, England did well to hang on. France were just so fast and kept the ball moving at a pace that SA struggled to contain, again SA did well to hang on.

I’d really like to see something happen with the tier 2 and 3 sides so they can play some more rugby and improve. This will also help them to retain a few players who are eligible to move country too.

Can we not descend into the usual anyone but England shite

Don’t forget that the majority of England supporters aren’t the wax-jacketed, coloured trousered, braying public school ****’s we’re portrayed as. We have to put up with them as well

Can we not descend into the usual anyone but England shite

Didn’t think we had, I was just trying to explain why they often do well in big tournaments for example.

Whoever you support, that was a cracking weekend of rugby.

Respectively I will disagree 😄.

Had Wales not been in the 1/4’s I would have agreed!

Didn’t think we had, I was just trying to explain why they often do well in big tournaments for example.

That wasn’t aimed at you AA – you were just banging some nonsense about forwards around

That wasn’t aimed at you AA – you were just banging some nonsense about forwards around

Oh right so tell me again how the Scottish pack got on V Ireland and SA

Can I ABF(arrell) as opposed to ABE?

I quite like Farrell whenever I hear him talk, it’s just when he plays…..

I feel that NZ did to Ire what Eng did to NZ last World Cup – find a weakness and exploit it. Maybe Ireland have been too good to ignore, so actually the NZ focus has been on peaking for exactly that game. They repeatedly kicked behind Irelands frontal defence and got rewards.

The reason England are still dangerous is because nobody has a clue what they could do, including England!

The reason England are still dangerous is because nobody has a clue what they could do, including England!

That is so true!

I hope I am wrong but I have a feeling that a card is never far away for England at the moment, anything from Farrells well documented tacking issues, Itoje has been very close to the line multiple times for ruck infringements, Tom Curry for his no arm tackle and many, many more.

Curry feels more of a liability than a benefit at the moment. 

Curry feels more of a liability than a benefit at the moment.

+1 and Itoje’s constant buggering about at lineouts was surprisingly leaniently allowed.

Curry feels more of a liability than a benefit at the moment.

I just checked the stats and he made 20 tackles against Fiji which is a mighty effort, however he didn’t make a single carry in offence, and conceded two penalties

nobody has a clue what they could do, including England!

Borthwicks Secret Strategy, you saw it here first…

Still feel slightly sick about the Ireland V NZ game but this Irish team have given me a fair amount of joy over the last world cup cycle. For someone who has been watching Ireland games for over 40 years the idea we would even be slight favourites against NZ when we had never even won a game against them in over 100 years. People can say we choked and I suspect we did in the first 15 mins allowing them a lead which we never overhauled. Going forward we will be fine, 2 consecutive Grand Slams at U20 mean we have some good players coming through. Eventually we will get a kinder draw and win a quarter final.

As for semi, I hope England win, I’d be surprised if they do but maybe SA will struggle to get back to this level again for an opponent they expect to beat!

Still feel slightly sick about the Ireland V NZ game but

Understandable, I have never seen Wales beat NZ and likely never will. So whilst it must be a real gut punch there’s masses to be proud of from that team

I’m an unashamed Tom Curry fanboi, ever since his first season as a teenager at Sale. Him and his brother have both been amazing every time that I’ve seen them at Sale. Currently, he looks a bit out of form, and like another sending off waiting to happen.

Not so sure that I share the optimism over England’s pack! 2019 final v SA our pack was distinctly second best, and I’d argue that it was better (certainly in better form) than the current one.

Plus one to not enjoying the public school lot. Although aren’t Ireland just as public school centred (well you know, the ones that actually grew up in Ireland 😜)

Although aren’t Ireland just as public school centred

I believe so yes, and Scotland tbh. Welsh are salt of the earth chav scumbags though 😀

Borthwicks Secret Strategy, you saw it here first…

You saw it first in his first season at Tigers, and the last (half) season actually, they were bloody awful!!….

On the Scotland public school dependence, I still reckon we lost some of our traditional forward ‘grit’ when the Borders teams fell into decline – we don’t seem to get many farm boy flankers in the John Jeffrey style any more.

Yeah plenty of the Irish team come from schools that charge fees, very different fee levels to the English Private School system – St Michaels in Dublin who usually have 3 or 4 in the squad charge around 6,200 euros per year. I think most of the Ulster players come from the Grammar school system, Munster players come from a couple of Cork schools that charge around 4K per year or club system around Limerick.

I believe so yes, and Scotland tbh.

My understanding, at least as far as Ireland go, is that it’s a conveyer belt where the private schools in Dublin are an integrated part of the Leinster machine and they are essentially rugby academies designed to feed the regions (but mostly Leinster).  I could be wrong about that though.

In Scotland, on the other hand, certain private schools poach promising players from Glasgow and Dundee clubs so that they can keep the old boys network happy and impress prospective parents.  It also helps them with their charitable status by giving out ‘scholarships’ without having to fill the classrooms with unprofitable working class kids who happen to be a bit clever.

Strathallan School is probably the best example of this type of ‘recruitment’.

So it’s the same idea but implemented in a very different way and with very different outcomes.

I believe so yes, and Scotland tbh. Welsh are salt of the earth chav scumbags though

Will Rowlands is a right chav.

Private schools in Ireland are cheaper because the state subsidies them.

Private schools in Ireland are cheaper because the state subsidies them.

I think they’re still able to get exemptions on some tax in Scotland.
I can only say “Down! With this sort of thing

No, a real subsidy, the state pays the teachers’ salaries.

That’s the fun thing about Wales rugby. You probably know someone who went to school with a top player, or if not you know someone who does. Jamie Roberts went to the same primary school as my kids.

Try living in Hawick. Can’t move for capped players.

No, a real subsidy, the state pays the teachers’ salaries.

Don’t get me started on this, I find it hilarious that people in UK moan (rightly) about school fees being VAT exempt and Irish people accept this massive subsidy to the private sector every year. Add in the tax exemption for your earnings from sport and most Irish rugby players have had a fair old subsidy over their education and careers.

Particularly irks me that state schools cant claim charitable status and therefore cant get tax exemptions

I went to school with Richard Hill. Alas he was slightly better at Rugby than I was!

“”I’d really like to see something happen with the tier 2 and 3 sides so they can play some more rugby””

They should have shields and plates finals like they have at youth/touch rugby tournaments.

With real consequences for ranking/funding ??

There’s a lot of chat about the incredible Irish “conveyer belt” of talent. Why then is fully half their starting back line, well, not Irish?

This is purely mischievous by the way. I am mostly Scottish and therefore have little leg to stand on on this one. The other part of me holds an Irish passport! I thought Ireland were incredible at the WC and was disappointed at their loss to NZ. Is it acceptable to support 14 of the Irish team and still be happy to see Jonny Sexton get pumped?

… Would Scotland and Australia )this tournament) really want to play 3 more games to play for a lower value trophy

Would Scotland and Australia )this tournament) really want to play 3 more games to play for a lower value trophy

Possibly. Look at football. Champions League, Europa and now third tier Conference. People might scoff at the Conference, but tell that to West Ham who won their first trophy in however long.

Not all in the same tournament though.  Another three weeks away from home with the injury attrition of tournament rugby.  Not saying it’s a bad idea it’s all just not all up side

Is it acceptable to support 14 of the Irish team and still be happy to see Jonny Sexton get pumped?

Yes. He’s an exceptionally talented player, but also a stroppy tool

I believe so yes, and Scotland tbh. Welsh are salt of the earth chav scumbags though

More of a nuance to it than that, over the years I have lost numerous good players to fee paying schools who offer them scholarships aged 16. The most recent to the school Brucewee mentions, I refereed their Scottish cup Semi about 10-12 years ago and they were mostly NZ’ers bigger than me with a Saffer director of rugby.

Possibly. Look at football. Champions League, Europa and now third tier Conference. People might scoff at the Conference, but tell that to West Ham who won their first trophy in however long.

Players might be interested vaguely in a third tier bauble, part of being a top level sportsman is you’ll race your mates for anything. But for the clubs putting their assets through the wringer – where’s the payback? It’s probably tolerable for a world cup based on the prestige that tournament still has, but to lose players playing for the 3rd place in the plate, not so much.

I have lost numerous good players to fee paying schools who offer them scholarships aged 16. 

Yep, that’s how Wales lost the clearly Welsh Vunipola brothers