Rugby World Cup 2023

[AndyRM]

So head contact is a red card, except when it isn't maybe, perhaps. Or it is

Not sure how that wasn't upgraded. It's not like he slipped up off the neck or shoulder, smashed straight in the face. It was a straight red for me, I don't see any mitigation.

 

[AndyRM]

Another clear head contact late in the game. But they can't upgrade that without looking daft after the first decision.

Whatever, we did what we needed to do, with a lovely flourish at the end.

ETA: it's been upgraded. What a farce.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

We need to win our next two games with a BP in each.


Can we play England twice?

 

[Beebo]

Taxi for Eddie Jones.

 

[Chromatic]

Taxi for Eddie Jones.

Yes indeed. What has happened to Australian rugby? I've never seen such a poor Australian side.

 

[Alex321]

Not sure anybody saw that coming. A win maybe, but Wales were just totally dominant, and that was their biggest ever win over Australia.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Another question. With this tournament being so geographically close to Britain and Ireland, do the five teams stay in France, or do they go home to their nations after each game to recuperate, train and prepare for the next game? I ask as if/when England make the quarter finals they'll have a fortnight to wait for that game. That's a long time to wait, maybe leading to home sickness and boredom. Or are they staying and moving around France from next fixture city to next fixture city, avoiding distractions at home and having a good 'jolly' ? 🤔

They'll be staying in France. Although the organisation of the tournament is a bit bonkers with the amount of travel involved given how huge France is. The next tournament is in Australia, and then they're off to the US in 2031, which I really don't understand.

I've just heard on the ITV commentary that any Welsh player can go home for a few days before their quarter final in two weeks time, but must be back in France by next Friday. So they can go home, but not officially as in all the team, coaches etc it seems. 🤔

 

[Alex321]

I've just heard on the ITV commentary that any Welsh player can go home for a few days before their quarter final in two weeks time, but must be back in France by next Friday. So they can go home, but not officially as in all the team, coaches etc it seems. 🤔

Not their quarter final, the last group match - against Georgia. But yes, they have been given 4 days off to go home if they want.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Or it could have been a joke.

Hmmm.....

SA to win, Ireland to have 10 red cards and injuries.

Hilarious. Injuries are side-splitting.

 

[AndyRM]

Hmmm.....



Hilarious. Injuries are side-splitting.

Bit gallows sure, but a depleted Ireland would have helped us out a great deal. No matter in the end as it was a cracking game and assuming everything goes the way it looks as though it will, Scotland v Ireland could be an epic battle.

 

[UphillSlowly]

Bit gallows sure, but a depleted Ireland would have helped us out a great deal. No matter in the end as it was a cracking game and assuming everything goes the way it looks as though it will, Scotland v Ireland could be an epic battle.

A shame for Scotland the groups are so lopsided

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes indeed. What has happened to Australian rugby? I've never seen such a poor Australian side.

That was a weird match. Aussie put together some fantastic passages of play (matched by Welsh defence). But their little minds seemed to keep wandering off. Turning down that early kick at goal was symptomatic of a general lack of brain. So they were indeed poor. But poor in what seems like a fixable way.

 

[AndyRM]

That was a weird match. Aussie put together some fantastic passages of play (matched by Welsh defence). But their little minds seemed to keep wandering off. Turning down that early kick at goal was symptomatic of a general lack of brain. So they were indeed poor. But poor in what seems like a fixable way.

There's a simple solution: get rid of Jones. He's been past it for years. To be fair he was brought in far too late for this WC cycle, but nothing he's doing suggests he's even remotely got a chance of fixing the damage he's done, I can't see how the players will trust him after this.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

FRA 3
ITA 12
NZ 4
URUGUAY 17
NAMIBIA 21

IRE 1
SA 2
SCO 5
TONGA 15
ROMANIA 19

WAL 7
FIJI 8
AUS 9
GEORGIA 13
PORTUGAL 16

ENG 6
SAMOA 11
JAPAN 14
ARG 10
CHILE 22


That's the current groups with their rankings. Below is how the groups could have looked if put in rank order

IRE
SCO
AUS
GEORGIA
URUGUAY

SA
ENG
ARG
JAPAN
ROMANIA

FRA
WAL
SAMOA
TONGA
NAMIBIA

NZ
FIJI
ITA
PORTUGAL
CHILE

You'd expect the top seeds in each of those groups to go through but the matches between 2 & 3 in each group would have been very interesting and not a foregone conclusion.

 

[UphillSlowly]

FRA 3
ITA 12
NZ 4
URUGUAY 17
NAMIBIA 21

IRE 1
SA 2
SCO 5
TONGA 15
ROMANIA 19

WAL 7
FIJI 8
AUS 9
GEORGIA 13
PORTUGAL 16

ENG 6
SAMOA 11
JAPAN 14
ARG 10
CHILE 22


That's the current groups with their rankings. Below is how the groups could have looked if put in rank order

IRE
SCO
AUS
GEORGIA
URUGUAY

SA
ENG
ARG
JAPAN
ROMANIA

FRA
WAL
SAMOA
TONGA
NAMIBIA

NZ
FIJI
ITA
PORTUGAL
CHILE

You'd expect the top seeds in each of those groups to go through but the matches between 2 & 3 in each group would have been very interesting and not a foregone conclusion.

We're England ranked above Argentina at the start of the tournament?