Been looking at the torygraph one.

Richie McCaw has just told Brendan Gallagher he is not quite sure what to make of Boris, Brendan says “join a long queue Richie but always entertaining.”

😀

England and Wales same group! I think 😕

True, with OZ

Australia, England and Wales could well be joined by Fiji, in so doing making it the Pool of Death

….australia. Group of death. 😐

Happy with Ireland’s draw, Italy & France, ouch for Wales!

Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, Playoff winner.

Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2.

Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1.

Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2.

QFinalists…

England, Wales, SA, Samoa, NZ, Argentina, France, Ireland

I’d love it if we (Eng and Wales) sent the Ozzies home early.

I was looking at the odds too, to see who the bookies thought got a “good draw”:
– the odds shortened on NZ, SA and Ireland, Scotland and Samoa.
– Lengthened on England, Oz, Wales, France (?)

For the patiotic gamblers -england went out to 8/1 from 5/1. That now looks good ew value to me for the hosts. Can’t see it staying that big as the tournament approaches and everyone jumps on the band wagon.
NZ are stronger favourites now, came in to evens from 6/4 .

so australia, england and wales… I was close to being right.
Wales will get the short turnarounds so will have to be very careful with players and lucky with injuries. Tough group though, any of those 3 could beat each other. I presume Wales wont get home games but england will?

I thought that Wales would be playing in the millenium?
I’d certainly imagine that the wales/england game would be at twickers though.

Does anyone know how the folowing rounds would square up?
like winnerA v runnerupB ?
I’d have guessed that it would be determined before teams are allocated to each pool, but can’t seem to find it anywhere.

edit: just seen it is as above, with winnerC v runnerupD likewise.
Not the best news for Ireland

found it 🙂

Quarter-finals
QF1: Winner of Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF2: Winner of Pool C v runner-up Pool D
QF3: Winner of Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
QF4: Winner of Pool D v runner-up C
Semi-finals
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4

One way or another that’s going to be one hell of a group!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kww0doBHy_o[/video]

more nasty islanders beating up welshists!

Jeremy Guscott’s team: R Kearney (Ire), T Visser (Sco), B O’Driscoll (Ire), M Tuilagi (Eng), G North (Wal); J Sexton (Ire), D Care (Eng); C Healy (Ire), R Best (Ire), A Jones (Wal), R Gray (Sco), G Parling (Eng), T Croft (Eng), S Armitage (Eng), D Denton (Sco).
Keith Wood’s team: L Halfpenny (Wal), T Bowe (Ire), M Tuilagi (Eng), B O Driscoll (Ire), G North (Wal); J Sexton (Ire), B Youngs (Eng); C Healy (Ire), R Best (Ire), A Jones (Wal), R Gray (Sco), C Lawes (Eng), S Ferris (Ire), S Warburton (Wal), S O’Brien (Ire).
Andy Nicol’s team: A Goode (Eng), T Bowe (Ire), M Tuilagi (Eng), J Roberts (Wal), T Visser (Sco); J Sexton (Ire), B Youngs (Eng); G Jenkins (Wal), D Hartley (Eng), D Cole (Eng), R Gray (Sco), C Lawes (Eng), S Ferris (Ire), S O’Brien (Ire), T Faletau (Wal).
Jonathan Davies’s team: R Kearney (Ire), T Bowe (Ire), J Davies (Wal), M Tuilagi (Eng), G North (Wal); J Sexton (Ire), D Care (Eng); C Healy (Ire), D Hartley (Eng), A Jones (Wal), J Launchbury (Eng), AW Jones (Wal), T Wood (Eng), S Warburton (Wal), B Morgan (Eng). * Updated 14:51 GMT Monday

how anyone who knows anything could pick Gethin given his current form is beyond me. Do these idiots watch any rugby.

A pint of whatever boxfish is drinking please. Scotland will qualify for the Q’s.

Scotland WILL beat Samoa is Bold statement on currrent form. Cant see wales getting thru .

Me neither 😥 we can never have our best 15 all fit and healthy it seems, Roberts has been getting dogs where I work, to slow to predictable, they may have a point.

A lot will change in over two years chaps!! By that time Ireland will be number one in the world doubled our number of grand slams to 4 and beaten all the SH superpowers by 50 points!! 😀

Roberts is fine when used right which is off fast ruck ball direct from Phillips or quick middle of lineout ball. How much of either did wales get this autumn? As usual the welsh pack gets **** over and the backs get the blame for not scoring tries. Problem with wales was from numbers 1-5.

Aren’t we lucky the World Cup is not for 3 years then eh. Time at least to get a decent coach in charge.

Lets just wait and see what happens in the 6 nations. Apart from Italy I doubt many will think that Scotland will be a walk over. And I think Wales will come good too.

Is this use of the video ref part of the experimental changes?
Deacon should have given him a proper smack if he was going to get red.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDG82pyTGdU[/video]

I thought 2 yellows would’ve done it but interesting to see the video ref used that way.

It wasn’t even a proper high tackle.

This is a proper high tackle:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wwfglK-iJ0c[/video]

Well the 12 was out before he hit the ground so it wasnt a bad attempt!

True but he kinda ducked into the tackle a bit and O’Banamanohanrahan is about 7ft tall so it was a tad unfortunate.

Unfortunate my arse, the tackler has a duty of care. Stone cold straight red imo. Deacon was unlucky to get red too.

what he means is there didn’t appear to be any malice in it, Deacon had to go, punch to face straight red regardless.
Let’s not become like football and become lenient in punishing players.

If there was no malice he would have pulled it and just given him a slap on the chops. He kept his arm stiff and knocked the poor **** out. Deserve a big ban. Being a big donkey with poor techique is not an excuse for a pro player.

I saw bananaman in sainsburys in bath last thursday. He is massive!
Probably why i resisted the urge to say “This is 29 Acacia road. And this is Eric……”. If I’d have been 5 pints heavy, it would have turned out differently I expect. 😀

Can anyone point me in the right direction how to download/watch the England game

I watched the 2nd half in pub after returning from TigersvBath game but was a bit mullered and missed bits

Thanks

more nasty islanders beating up welshists!

I fail to see how that one was much more than a BIG tackle! Red card is ridiculous.

Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play.

Ok, so his feet came off the ground, but he wasn’t lifted. Very harsh decision.

A_A “Being a big donkey with poor techique is not an excuse for a pro player.”

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT2LnhR6mhY[/video]

And why do Wales thing that as hosts of the RWC Eng will want to play a “home” game in Wales and give over the advantage?

Bananaman straight red, Deacon as well,doesn’t matter that Deacon punches like a girl, fact is that he throws his little tippy tappy efforts in the first place.. London Irish player, cracking tackle, no red. He got sent off for previous instances of being a pain and hitting the Welshie too hard in the refs opinion.

I presume thats mongo smacking Mcawe. Kind of proves my point!!!
That lodon irish tackle is a certain yellow and a red if following the letter of the law too. Lifts beyondhhorizontal tackler has to be responsible for bringing him down. The reality is he timed it almost too well. Bit like warbs on clerc.

TimP – Member

And why do Wales thing that as hosts of the RWC Eng will want to play a “home” game in Wales and give over the advantage?

With that group Wales will be trying anything they can!

Just watched the Banahan red card – the arm that hit Allen in the chin was at Banahan’s waist height, a split second later Allen ducks down to waist height. Yeah, red card cos of the effect on the player, but agree with the commentator that it wasn’t deliberate.

It wasnt deliberate but its still a **** shocker and he could have pulled it had he wanted to but that would have meant him missing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/mobile/rugby-union/20594941

madness.