Rugby World Cup 2011

[Tank Engine]

Strange game. Wales turned into England in the closing stages and failed to put any pace into their attacks, Mike Philips being the main culprit. Shame, because up to then they looked really good and probable winners.

Yeah, we lost good ball close to the end as Phillips seemed to lose the plot. I find Phillips infuriating. He's good at being an extra back row forward and beating over smaller no. 9s and 10s, but our young back row is more effective at moving the ball forward than the likes of Thomas and Ryan Jones have been over the past couple of years, so maybe it's time for a change of style.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Yeah, we lost good ball close to the end as Phillips seemed to lose the plot. I find Phillips infuriating. He's good at being an extra back row forward and beating over smaller no. 9s and 10s, but our young back row is more effective at moving the ball forward than the likes of Thomas and Ryan Jones have been over the past couple of years, so maybe it's time for a change of style.

Got me thinking...

Every position on the pitch is now populated by bigger, faster, stronger, more technically gifted players than were around in the first World Cup. Except perhaps Scrum Half. Most, such as Philips, can't even pass without taking a couple of steps.

 

[Tank Engine]

Got me thinking...

Every position on the pitch is now populated by bigger, faster, stronger, more technically gifted players than were around in the first World Cup. Except perhaps Scrum Half. Most, such as Philips, can't even pass without taking a couple of steps.

A lot has changed since the introduction of professionalism. When I was a lad, they all had "proper jobs" e.g. England fullbacks Dusty Hare (farmer) and Johnathan Webb (doctor). Webb operated on Nicole Cooke's knee before she became world and Olympic champion, so he gained a few points of forgiveness for that ). A lot of the Welsh team were sales reps. I guess full time training (and other things) has lead to clearly bigger, stronger, faster players over a period of time.

 

[elapid]

Whoa ... Canada, my adopted second nation, over Tonga 25-20.

On the Wallabies front, a blow with the loss of Ioane Digby. The sensational winger broke his thumb in the game against Italy and will be out until at least the quarter finals.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Whoa ... Canada, my adopted second nation, over Tonga 25-20.

On the Wallabies front, a blow with the loss of Ioane Digby. The sensational winger broke his thumb in the game against Italy and will be out until at least the quarter finals.

The Aussies look a bit short of wings, with only Mitchell Drew, Ashley Cooper-Adam and O. Connor James available.

 

[Tank Engine]

One good thing about the South Africa game was that none of the Welsh players got injured. Next up, Samoa. Nice how we have got all the soft teams in the group first . We've come up short against them in the World Cup before and they had a good victory recently against Australia (although the Wallabies had a somewhat experimental team), so it's not going to be an easy game. It's good that Gethin is fit. Hopefully, he'll get some time on the pitch and then play a full game against Namibia, as he is a real class player. The Welsh players need to keep their discipline and shape. Field position and tactical kicking will be key. They have looked pretty fit over the last few games, which will be crucial as I think the game will be decided in the last 20 minutes.

 

[Tank Engine]

I just watched the second half of the Ireland vs Australia game. Not pretty in the rain, but Ireland were effective. Sean O'Brien did a huge amount of work and O'Connell was is usual dominant self in the lineout. The Australian scrum still looks shaky. Ireland should win the group now, which would certainly give them an easier draw.

 

[lancaster]

huge result. australia not as good as people believed.
quade cooper still a liability as well as an asset.

ireland didn't choke. huge result

 

[Captain_Cavman]

The best news is that the Northern Hemisphere teams are competing with the Southern. Wales should have won and now Ireland have despite neither team looking very good before the tournament.

We may still get the big three Southern Hemisphere teams in the semis but at least the matches between then and now will be closely fought.

 

[Mambo95]

We may still get the big three Southern Hemisphere teams in the semis but at least the matches between then and now will be closely fought.

If the All Blacks beat France, as expected, then the three Southern hemisphere teams will all be in the same half of the draw.

At the moment, it looks like:

Ireland v Wales and England v France in one half and SA v Australia and NZ v Argentina/Scotland in the other.

But there's still possible upsets to come of course.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I just watched the second half of the Ireland vs Australia game. Not pretty in the rain, but Ireland were effective. Sean O'Brien did a huge amount of work and O'Connell was is usual dominant self in the lineout. The Australian scrum still looks shaky. Ireland should win the group now, which would certainly give them an easier draw.

Ireland seemed to thrive in the wet as well in that 2nd half.

Australia haven't won at Eden Park for a while if my memory is correct.

I am a novice Rugby Union watcher.

 

[sublimit]

Australia won the Tri-Nations but lost to the oldest squad lol in Ireland.
I like the Welsh team to be fair, lot of good players and no Graeme Henry ****ing the team up.

England have no pattern and are walking disaster zone, have a terrible kicker but If they loosened up and tried something maybe - but no chance of that.

 

[ramjambunath]

Ireland's scrummaging was pretty brilliant yesterday (considering how rubbish it has been over the past few months) and in general their forwards pretty effectively stopped Aussie counters, which won them the match against Italy.

On a side note, it would have been amusing to see O'Driscoll get the rebound of the post of Saxton's kick.

 

[craig1985]

Just seen the Basque flag at the France - Canada game.

Entertaining start so far, with Canada leading!

 

[Tank Engine]

The Wales vs Samoa game was a real tense one. As expected the Samoans were very physical. Their effectiveness in the rucks was very impressive, although in this field we weren't helped by Lydiate twisting his ankle after 5 mins and having to bring Andy "Schleck with added brawn" Powell into the line up. In the first half our lineout was dreadful, handling woeful, at least our defence was not too bad. Fortunately, at half time they seem to have checked my script for the game . In the second half, they starting getting the basics right, played more for field position and outlasted Samoa winning it in the last 20 minutes. Hook's injury is worrying as he is our most versatile and arguably most talented player. However, his replacement 1/2penny was outstanding. He dealt with the Samoan kicks well, always evading the first one or two tackles to give the Welsh line time to reform and from such a situation made a try out of nothing. Overall, nothing impressive, but a win and today that was the bottom line. Hopefully, in the next two games we'll play more like a team trying to advance to the 1/4-finals, rather than playing to avoid the plane home.

 

[leftover pie]

i love watching the rugby world cup for the sheer determination, courage and optimism shown by all the minnows. . i just really admire they way they go at it.

in soccer, you could be a minnow playing spain, and get beaten 7-0, your pride takes a beating but you're not going to get absolutely pounded at the same time.

but if you're playing for a minnow against the allblacks, you could very well get beaten 50-0 but at the same time you're going to get absolutely smashed. there's nowhere to hide.

love it

 

[elapid]

Arrghh ... just returned from a weekend away to find out that the Wallabies lost. Damn. They have not won at Eden Park for a number of years and Ireland have stretched the Australians in previous RWC tournaments. From what I've read, a well-deserved win for the Irish and some soul searching for the Aussies, particularly an exposed and potentially injured forward pack.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

What I don't understand is how the Aussies get away with a front row that can't scrum until the World Cup when they get turned into mush. It's happened 3 times in a row now.

 

[ramjambunath]

Was this the same Springbok team that played the tri nations, they barely beat New Zealand without Carter and McCaw in their final match, prior to which they lost all. Considering Wales pushed them all the way, i would not be too surprised if a better team beat them in the knock outs. Francois Steyn's kicking was monumental in that match against Wales.

England better improve their discipline 8 or 9 pens conceded (many off side pens as well) in first half against Georgia, if Georgia had better kickers they would have been well in front. If they improve their scrummaging which usually is their strength and discipline, they could beat quite a few sides especially with Ashton in the wing.

So far though, I've enjoyed watching every moment of Sonny Bill Williams. He's been brilliant (runs with ball in one hand ).

 

[lancaster]

The All Blacks were really very good this morning.

NZ v France final i reckon.

 

[Tank Engine]

We picked up a few injuries against Samoa, but fortunately the next game is against Namibia. Cav's uncle, Bilbo, has a thigh strain, so unfortunately will not be improving his try scoring records this week. Hook's and Lydiate's injuries are a bit more serious. Major changes in the backs, but it's good that we can ring the changes and bring in a few experienced players, rather than the team looking experimental. Good to see the Joneses back. I'm interested in how Tavis plays and seeing Gethin play a full game. It has to be a bonus point victory.

 

[craig1985]

I saw the respective war dance's of Samoa and Fiji before the start of their game, and I have saw, it was pretty awesome.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

The Scots slipped up against the Argentinians today, which is a great result as it means the England Scotland match next weekend won't be a dead rubber.

Rubbish refereeing unfortunately. Having been of the firm opinion that while NZ produces the world's best players, it produces all of the world's most incompetent senior referees, it was sad to see an Englishman do even worse.

 

[elapid]

The Scots slipped up against the Argentinians today, which is a great result as it means the England Scotland match next weekend won't be a dead rubber.

Rubbish refereeing unfortunately. Having been of the firm opinion that while NZ produces the world's best players, it produces all of the world's most incompetent senior referees, it was sad to see an Englishman do even worse.

Even in the Aust v Italy game, the referee did his best to pull up every single infraction and hold up play. It would be nice if they could allow play to flow a little more and allow longer advantages.

 

[Tank Engine]

Wales vs Namibia : Good points - we scored enough tries to be very close to a quarter final place. Bad points - the scrum was pretty woeful until the last 20 mins.

It was the Namibian's final game and especially in the second half they looked like they'd had enough. I can't remember the last time I saw so many missed tackles. I'm a great fan of Gethin Jenkins, but a 40 yard run by a prop from normal play to score a try . Big George "Hincapie" North was just running straight through them.

Next up Fiji. If Samoa don't earn any points against South Africa, then we basically just have to turn up.