RWC 2015
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mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
This. I like all of this. Don't know if they could fit it into their schedules, but if/when/once a global schedule is instituted, it could work.
I don't imagine the Waratahs have a million dollars in their end of season tour budget.
T
TOCC
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I don't like the idea, Australian rugby at all levels has invested a lot of money and time into the NRC, having Super Rugby teams touring over the same time would seriously degrade the competition competitiveness and subsequently the attractiveness.
neilc
Bob Loudon (25)
I was thinking more of a preseason activity, rather than conflicting with the NRC, which I agree needs to be protected (although it is noticeable that quite a few frontline Super Rugby players are being 'rested' from the NRC outside of Qld).
Maybe rather than Super Rugby teams the tour idea is a chance to revive the Australia A concept, much as NZ are using the NZ Maori team - an opportunity to develop future Wallabies so while that removes some players it would be a lot less than if Super Rugby teams were touring. I recalled that when McKenzie was in charge of the Tahs he took them to South America but it also appears that Cheika took a NSW Barbarians team to Argentina in 2013.
Funding is an issue in all of this, which is why I thought that World Rugby could help fund it as part of their helping the minnows to improve through high level competition.
Dewald Nel
Cyril Towers (30)
Former Springbok centre Wayne Julies. Apparently his aim is to make the French midfield.
BDA
Peter Johnson (47)
There's been a lot of criticism of the pool of death. Personally I must say it has made the pool stage of this world cup much more entertaining than the last few world cups. In past years the group stages has almost felt like a formality. It's not ideal to lose the host nation out before the QF, but from an entertainment perspective its made for an interesting month.
Although I'll reserve my judgment on the pool of death until the dust has settled at the end of the tournament. Will the likes of Australia and Wales pay the price of having had much more taxing pool games before the final or will that be a benefit? hard to tell. I think its been great for Australia, although I really think it was probably an unfortunate pool for Wales, given their injury crisis and the fact that they have lost a handful more players in their games against England/Australia/Fiji due to the intensity of those games.
Although I'll reserve my judgment on the pool of death until the dust has settled at the end of the tournament. Will the likes of Australia and Wales pay the price of having had much more taxing pool games before the final or will that be a benefit? hard to tell. I think its been great for Australia, although I really think it was probably an unfortunate pool for Wales, given their injury crisis and the fact that they have lost a handful more players in their games against England/Australia/Fiji due to the intensity of those games.
aeneas
Tom Lawton (22)
I note that with all the talk about minnows doing well that the comparison between the 1987 tournament and 2015 QF's is illuminating.
1987:
NZ
Fiji
France
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
Australia
England
2015:
NZ
Argentina
France
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
South Africa
Australia
Only two different teams and one of them (SA) wasn't eligible for the tournament in 87.
1987:
NZ
Fiji
France
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
Australia
England
2015:
NZ
Argentina
France
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
South Africa
Australia
Only two different teams and one of them (SA) wasn't eligible for the tournament in 87.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Aus 90%, SA 75%, NZ 30%, Arg 85%.
aeneas
Tom Lawton (22)
Some Team Rosters looking like this ATM, and there are still 3 knockout rounds of footy left until we #BringBackBill.
Depth, and luck with injuries, is going to win the Cup.
Depth, and luck with injuries, is going to win the Cup.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
On the subject of how well the remaining teams are traveling:
The Boks are probably the only team playing their A game so far. Perhaps every team needs a painful Japanese foot massage to begin with, as in foot up the a**e.
New Zealand are sailing dangerously close to the wind, and now face their bête noire, the French, in a QF. Ouch. One can’t help but think that the game for them to change up a gear was the last one.
Fortunately for New Zealand, France can’t seem to get out of first gear.
Australia certainly haven’t hit their straps, but have shown some of the qualities needed to win world cups, in particular a great defence. And we deleted England. One senses that a big performance isn’t far away.
Ireland must be a contender, but suffered cruelly at the hands of the medical gods on the weekend, losing Paul O'Connell, Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony in quick succession, and also maybe Sean O’Brien to suspension.
That's like us losing Hooper, Pocock and Folau.
Wales can’t be written off, although they have their own injury woes. Nine times out of ten they’d have won a game like Saturday’s. Unfortunately, ten times out of ten they lose to Australia.
But seriously, Wales may go deep into this event.
Argentina can beat anyone, particularly in the pressure cooker environment of a Rugby World Cup quarter final. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make the semis, or even the final. That'd mean beating us along the way.
Scotland? Well, first Scotland have to beat Australia. Then they have to beat one of Ireland or Argentina. Then they have to beat whichever of the heavyweights come through from the other side of the draw. Stranger things have happened. And the Scots won’t die wondering.
Australia obviously has the best of the draw: the reward for winning Pool A.
Happy days.
The Boks are probably the only team playing their A game so far. Perhaps every team needs a painful Japanese foot massage to begin with, as in foot up the a**e.
New Zealand are sailing dangerously close to the wind, and now face their bête noire, the French, in a QF. Ouch. One can’t help but think that the game for them to change up a gear was the last one.
Fortunately for New Zealand, France can’t seem to get out of first gear.
Australia certainly haven’t hit their straps, but have shown some of the qualities needed to win world cups, in particular a great defence. And we deleted England. One senses that a big performance isn’t far away.
Ireland must be a contender, but suffered cruelly at the hands of the medical gods on the weekend, losing Paul O'Connell, Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony in quick succession, and also maybe Sean O’Brien to suspension.
That's like us losing Hooper, Pocock and Folau.
Wales can’t be written off, although they have their own injury woes. Nine times out of ten they’d have won a game like Saturday’s. Unfortunately, ten times out of ten they lose to Australia.
But seriously, Wales may go deep into this event.
Argentina can beat anyone, particularly in the pressure cooker environment of a Rugby World Cup quarter final. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make the semis, or even the final. That'd mean beating us along the way.
Scotland? Well, first Scotland have to beat Australia. Then they have to beat one of Ireland or Argentina. Then they have to beat whichever of the heavyweights come through from the other side of the draw. Stranger things have happened. And the Scots won’t die wondering.
Australia obviously has the best of the draw: the reward for winning Pool A.
Happy days.
Dewald Nel
Cyril Towers (30)
On the subject of how well the remaining teams are traveling:
The Boks are probably the only team playing their A game so far. Perhaps every team needs a painful Japanese foot massage to begin with, as in foot up the a**e.
New Zealand are sailing dangerously close to the wind, and now face their bête noire, the French, in a QF. Ouch. One can’t help but think that the game for them to change up a gear was the last one.
Fortunately for New Zealand, France can’t seem to get out of first gear.
Australia certainly haven’t hit their straps, but have shown some of the qualities needed to win world cups, in particular a great defence. And we deleted England. One senses that a big performance isn’t far away.
Ireland must be a contender, but suffered cruelly at the hands of the medical gods on the weekend, losing Paul O'Connell, Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony in quick succession, and also maybe Sean O’Brien to suspension.
That's like us losing Hooper, Pocock and Folau.
Wales can’t be written off, although they have their own injury woes. Nine times out of ten they’d have won a game like Saturday’s. Unfortunately, ten times out of ten they lose to Australia.
But seriously, Wales may go deep into this event.
Argentina can beat anyone, particularly in the pressure cooker environment of a Rugby World Cup quarter final. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make the semis, or even the final. That'd mean beating us along the way.
Scotland? Well, first Scotland have to beat Australia. Then they have to beat one of Ireland or Argentina. Then they have to beat whichever of the heavyweights come through from the other side of the draw. Stranger things have happened. And the Scots won’t die wondering.
Australia obviously has the best of the draw: the reward for winning Pool A.
Happy days.
Good points.
Also interesting to note that we also only conceded 3 tries in 4 pool matches, and 2 of those were in the lacklustre performance against Japan. The other was from an intercept by Seymour.
Hope that continue. Don't expect too many tries in the Wales game.
Bairdy
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Cmon Qwerty....... you can do better
Dewald Nel
Cyril Towers (30)
On a positive note...
hammertimethere
Trevor Allan (34)
Coming into the semi's I reckon the Wallabies will be praying they end up with Wayne Barnes as a ref going forward. Given how heavily he allows teams to compete at the breakdown without sanction I'd back us to win a final refereed by hin
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I don't know that he really allowed much more at the breakdown than most others would.
I think it came down to how each team played. Neither team really showed much enterprise which meant that a huge number of tackles were made without getting over the gain line giving the defence a good opportunity to compete and making it harder for the attacking team to control their own ball.
I thought he handled things pretty well overall. I've certainly seen plenty of games like that turn into absolute shitfights where the ruck ball is either impossibly slow or both teams are whistled off the park.
Whenever either team had any flow to their game, they were allowed to get pretty quick ball. He made sure that tacklers were rolling away.
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