Rugby World Cup 2023

[two sheds]

Bloody remainers *
Bloody brexiters *






*delete as applicable

 

[Petcha]

The kicking did seem to be a tactics masterclass in "well we've finally got the ball, lets just give it back to the other side".

Apparently the rationale was to tire them out by keeping them running all over the field chasing kicks in that heat and then put the pedal to the metal in the final 20. Which to be fair they did (as close to the metal as this lot gets anywyay)

 

[Smangus]

Apparently the rationale was to tire them out by keeping them running all over the field chasing kicks in that heat and then put the pedal to the metal in the final 20. Which to be fair they did (as close to the metal as this lot gets anywyay)

This seems to credit them with a mite too much nous!

 

[Petcha]

This seems to credit them with a mite too much nous!

There's a better explanation here.

It is of course making for very boring rugby

Rugby’s top four teams have employed the smartest tactics for World Cup success | Nick Evans

Some tier-two sides have impressed but Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand have already set their stalls out

www.theguardian.com

 

[two sheds]

That piece on kicking I linked to gave the example of Saracens using the kicking game to great advantage. I'd still like to see stats of yards gained versus yards lost in the subsequent possession. I suppose it'll depend on what kind of kick and the skill of the kicker though.

 

[Petcha]

These guys get a hell of a lot of downtime... Two 'rest days' for everyone? They already get at least a week between games. Bonkers.

 

[Elpenor]

Yawn

 

[1927]

These guys get a hell of a lot of downtime... Two 'rest days' for everyone? They already get at least a week between games. Bonkers.

How many rest days were the norm during your international rugby career?

 

[flypanam]

Gabi goes on ignore, he’s the Sunak of this thread,

 

[Petcha]

Holy shit! Just looked at the guardian sports site and there's a game on...

 

[fucthest8]

Bugger. Really fancied Uruguay for this one, can't watch it as I'm in the middle of nowhere with fuck all signal but that scoreline doesn't look good with 15 left

 

[mx wcfc]

Holy shit! Just looked at the guardian sports site and there's a game on...

It's been a game of two halves. Italy were down to 13 men at the end of the first half and Uruguay were ahead.

second half, all Italy atm.

 

[fucthest8]

It's been a game of two halves. Italy were down to 13 men at the end of the first half and Uruguay were ahead.

second half, all Italy atm.

Well fair play to Italy if they've come back from that then.

 

[planetgeli]

The kicking did seem to be a tactics masterclass in "well we've finally got the ball, lets just give it back to the other side".

English football clubs have been doing this against better foreign football clubs since time immemorial.

 

[two sheds]

If you've not got the ball you can't make any mistakes I suppose.

 

[flypanam]

Park in, Sheehan on the bench which is a 5/3 split.

Looks like we’re going for a very high ball in play time and will look to go through the rush Defense with plenty of out the back short passing.

Truth is the saffas can lose this game and still be mentally strong enough to win the WC not so sure we can mentally afford to lose.

 

[Ax^]

hmm how Tonga messed with us in the breakdown of an ominous sign for this weekend

they smother us like they did against the all blacks If the side not be training against it

 

[Elpenor]

SA have a lot of players who can dominate at the breakdown. 7-1 split becomes a massive issue if there’s injuries in the Ireland pack or the Bok back line I think

Agree it’s not a game that’s necessarily essential to win except perhaps for the psychological factor which really is everything.

The other question is what cost does winning the game bring for Ireland if they lose several players.

There’s talk of the Leinster core of this team losing in arm wrestles to big French teams, but everyone forgets Munster won the URC final in South Africa.

With all that said I fancy a few Irish players with already stellar careers to have the game of their life and Ireland to sneak a win.

 

[flypanam]

hmm how Tonga messed with us in the breakdown of an ominous sign for this weekend

they smother us like they did against the all blacks If the side not be training against it

I’m not sure that that Tonga game means anything at all, there was a sense no one wanted to go too hard in order to avoid injuries. It has been strange in that Doris and VdF have both been quiet by their standards.

Hopefully they trust their skills, do the simple things well, and trust the in the process that has led to 27 wins in 29.

My feeling is that SA back three are short, so we’ll drop balls on them all night which only works if our kick chase is on top form. But it’s the centre partnership between DDA and Kriel which is the SA weakness.

 

[flypanam]

SA have a lot of players who can dominate at the breakdown. 7-1 split becomes a massive issue if there’s injuries in the Ireland pack or the Bok back line I think

Agree it’s not a game that’s necessarily essential to win except perhaps for the psychological factor which really is everything.

The other question is what cost does winning the game bring for Ireland if they lose several players.

There’s talk of the Leinster core of this team losing in arm wrestles to big French teams, but everyone forgets Munster won the URC final in South Africa.

With all that said I fancy a few Irish players with already stellar careers to have the game of their life and Ireland to sneak a win.

We’ve a very good replacement five, I certainly don’t think the bombsquad is a patch on the 2019 class. No one in the Ireland pack feats the SA pack as we’ve become so familiar with them through the URC and this may come back to bite me one of their bomb squad couldn’t get on the Irish squad.

ETA if Marx was playing I think SA would have a big advantage.

 

[flypanam]

If the saffas can kick points I think Ireland by 3 if not Ireland by ten.

Farrell has tested this team like no coach has before, and I truly believe he’s been thinking of this game for the last two years.

 

[Elpenor]

Yes now I think about it no Marx means no poacher and their goal kicking is wobbly

I think their backline lacking Le Roux doesn’t quite have the cutting edge to score tries but this game is more likely to be won by a kick

 

[two sheds]

France Namibia starting now

going to be a close one : phew:

 

[two sheds]

Still only a couple of tries in it just as I predicted.

 

[Petcha]

Two weeks between games with their trotters up on the beach. And then they have this gruelling encounter. I dunno how these guys do it.

 

[two sheds]

At least they're not cramming the whole tournament into a few weeks - I get bored when there are four games a day for two weeks it's just too much.


Eta: there's been a couple of stunning tries in this lot , Namibia been unlucky though

 

[Ax^]

that's a ridiculous try

 

[Elpenor]

Yes potentially a century here (for the third time a charm)

 

[Ax^]

Two weeks between games with their trotters up on the beach. And then they have this gruelling encounter. I dunno how these guys do it.

you can always go back to watch the other sort of football with men falling over when breathe at lightly

 

[Elpenor]

you can always go back to watch the other sort of football with men falling over when breathe at lightly

I don’t know why the teams don’t just play all their games on one day like a 7s tournament, would save loads of time and it would all be over by now