Rugby World Cup ChitChat

[mazolaman]

I'm eagerly awaiting Kens match review

He'll be hoping England get beaten,to lay into them instead.

6am and off to the pub.....it's not a good idea is it?

[riazp]

another under whelming performance by England...might look good on the scoreline, but England is sloppy, and get into penaly trouble, again, had a player sent to the sin bin...Next match vs Romania, i'm expecting a blowout of epic proportions where we will see an organized squad...THank god We are in a weak group.

[tmac77]

another under whelming performance by England...might look good on the scoreline, but England is sloppy, and get into penaly trouble, again, had a player sent to the sin bin...Next match vs Romania, i'm expecting a blowout of epic proportions where we will see an organized squad...THank god We are in a weak group.

Very sloppy indeed too many penalties, indecisiveness and turnovers. will not get far if they keep up the same style of play.

[First Lady]

All I have to say is Ken was at the game which is why Australia had such a bad game... enough said

[mazolaman]

Very sloppy indeed too many penalties, indecisiveness and turnovers. will not get far if they keep up the same style of play.

Yeah,pretty scratchy game,Georgians pack are a big lot.

Englands game is nowhere good enough yet,not together enough.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the Romania game,if he picks his proper team.

They obviously need to get more dwarf throwing practice in......

[El Presidente]

Ken not happy. In Orcland for the game. Managed to punch out an Iriish lass at the airport from what I could ascertain.

Hat's off to the Irish. Brilliant gane. Was texting Rob Fox throughout and he said there wasn't a dry eye in Ireland!

Passion. commitment goes a long way in Rugby and Ireland had it is Spades.

I don't care who wins this tournament....ANYONE BUT THE ALLBLACKS!

[frenchkiwi]

i was in a small irish pub on way back from the caketin (wellington stadium) and a pretty depressing SthAf v Fiji to watch Oz v Ireland.

packed with irishmen some of whom i knew from playing for the GAA here

it was the greatest tvwatchinginapub experience in my life. throat still raw from shouting... got drunk on guinness, deaf from the noise (unreal!), lips chafed from kissing other stubbly men. haha

mainly because of the famous irish fighting spirit.

they were outright underdogs. the team seemed to have peaked in 2005 and the last year made for some depressing viewing. By contrast Wallabies had just ambushed the ABs in Brisbane in much the same way - outpassion outmuscle outthink.

unfortunately i think this was ireland's one great game in the WC - almost impossible to get that geed up again. (Which is not to say that they won't now make the semifinal at least with a trinations free run.)And Aus will learn from it and thank their lucky stars that it was just a pool game...

but this will live forever in my memory. Cian Healy, what a legend...

[rsanz]

i was in a small irish pub on way back from the caketin (wellington stadium) and a pretty depressing SthAf v Fiji to watch Oz v Ireland.

packed with irishmen some of whom i knew from playing for the GAA here

it was the greatest tvwatchinginapub experience in my life. throat still raw from shouting... got drunk on guinness, deaf from the noise (unreal!), lips chafed from kissing other stubbly men. haha

mainly because of the famous irish fighting spirit.

they were outright underdogs. the team seemed to have peaked in 2005 and the last year made for some depressing viewing. By contrast Wallabies had just ambushed the ABs in Brisbane in much the same way - outpassion outmuscle outthink.

unfortunately i think this was ireland's one great game in the WC - almost impossible to get that geed up again. (Which is not to say that they won't now make the semifinal at least with a trinations free run.)And Aus will learn from it and thank their lucky stars that it was just a pool game...

but this will live forever in my memory. Cian Healy, what a legend...

This pretty much mirrors my experience on Saturday night, except perhaps the chafed lips from kissing stubbly men.

Best game of the tournament for me so far.

[mazolaman]

Yep,the Irish front row were immense.

I agree,I don't think they will replicate that level of performance.

While not flowing rugby,a great game to watch.

[mazolaman]

It looks like the natural order of things is returning.

The Kiwis,Australia and South Africa putting up Cricket scores against the smaller teams,and as I write,it looks like England will do the same against Romania.

Good to see England finally get some shape.

It's the next match that is moth watering though.

NZ v France.Even though France are fielding a weaker side....

[Ken Gargett]

sorry guys, posted this elsewhere so thought i should add it here.

the Wallabies.

One more person tells me that we have the world's best coach and I will spit.

If the Irish debacle was not bad enough, last night we come against the USA. WHO RESTED 14 OF THEIR BEST TEAM. We played their seconds. Any other Aussie feel a bit insulted or shamed. The Americans rest players against us. How utterly demoralising.

But we needed a good win. And got it on the scoreboard, but, even without the heap of injuries, a shocker performance. Dismal. We could not beat the proverbial egg.

Notwithstanding the score, America had considerably better of the possession and the territory in percentage terms. Seriously? We could not dominate the Seppos' B team? No disrespect to our American friends but that makes me feel unclean.

Two of the major rants I had when I first saw the team were that we picked was that we only picked one openside flanker. For non-rugby fans, that is like an NFL team having only one single quarterback in their entire squad or, if you are an Aussie Rules fan, imagine that each side had to pick a squad for the entire season and you were allowed 36 players, as in two full teams – and that your coach picked just one single ruckman. That is how brain-dead Robbie Deans is.

And in the last two games, how many turnovers did we win at the breakdown? ZERO. Not one. Not a single one. We could not even get a single turnover at the breakdown against the Seppos' seconds. That is possibly the lowest ever moment in Aussie rugby.

The other rant – of our 30 selected players, around a third were underdone or still injured. What dimwitted, mentally challenged moron would come up with that? And hasn't it gone well. Of course, you'll get more injuries with blokes trying to come back too soon or still not fully fit. Deans could not coach a clock to tell time.

Surely, half way through the pool section, you would be fine-tuning the combinations. At most, you might have one position to decide on, but unlikely. And that is pretty much the state of play for every other team on the planet. Not us. We have had four years under Deans to get this right. Or get close. And clearly, we have not got a clue. Last night, was the 16^th centre combo he has tried.

There is not a single combo, and indeed most positions, that are not still up for grabs. We should sue Deans for impersonating a coach.

I know some injuries but last night, at various times, we had a 35 year old back rower on the wing; a hooker at number 8 and then 7; a number 8 at 7, from the start, expect when it finally dawned on the simpletons in the coaching box that perhaps it would be a better idea to put the hooker at 7 so McCalman could go back to 8 – the only time he looked remotely comfortable. We had number 4 at 6.

But surely the most mindbogglingly stupidity of all was re Barnes. Granted I think the bloke has the integrity of, well any other footy player, but he is what we've needed at in-centre. Brings calm. Goal kicking, solid defender. Pat McCabe, who Deans has been trying to force into in-centre (talk about the square peg), had, according to Phil Kearns, passed the football on one single occasion in his six tests. That must send defenders into a tizz? What is he going to do? Will this be the week he makes his second pass? But Barnes makes his return. Now, is there really any possibility of Deans breaking up the Cooper-Genia combo? It is the one thing we have that might just help us win a game. Got the Reds across the line for the Super 15 trophy, though to be fair, Qld did have a bloke who had a basic idea of coaching, unlike the one kiwi that actually makes you nostalgic for that toxic hobbit, Jones. So Deans does not start Barnes – why give him as much game time as possible? And then brings him on late first half and moves him into fly half. NOT in-centre. What on earth?

Does anyone really believe that Deans will play Barnes there instead of Cooper (mind you, perhaps he is even dumber than it seems, though that hardly seems possible)? So instead of trying to build combination between Cooper and Barnes, he moves Cooper off to who knows where. And Barnes plays in a position where he will not play in any serious game.

And we sign Deans for a few more years BEFORE the Cup? For which O'Neill should be fed to fire ants, slowly and painfully. The reason? We don't want any other team getting him? Who'd want him and why? Namibia? Peru? The Faeroe Islands? To be honest, they would probably have better options already.

Oh yes, the wonder coach from the Crusaders. Seriously? A rabid barnacle could have coached the Crusaders. A provincial competition with a team which has the greatest fly half to ever play, arguably the greatest flanker, and then an entire team of Test players. These are not blokes who played one test for Romania against Scotland. These are the All Blacks. Who could not have coached them to success in a provincial comp? It is more surprising that they ever lost anything.

Coaching them would be like coaching the Chicago Bulls in Jordan's day. “Give the ball to Michael”. Brilliant. You are a genius. All you have to do. The Crusaders? “Get them to the ground”. All you have to do.

Needless to say, I am not a fan of Deans. And I, tragically and would be so happy to be wrong, think we have beyond bugger all chance of winning anything with this imbecile anywhere near the Wallabies.

The over-hyped, arrogant, dumb kids in gold jerseys who bizarrely seem to think they were born to win are another story.

KBG

[mazolaman]

Ireland and Samoa march on,but Scotland have a much tougher task in Argentina,harder match to call....

[rckymtn22]

Canada and Japan is about to start. Hope the canucks can pull one off tonight!

[mazolaman]

Blimey,a good scoring draw,I thought Canada might edge that one..but Japan are also improving.

Hard luck to Scotland,who deserved more than they got,they'll be keen when they meet us,as usual!

A tough match V Italy for the USA,which would be a notable win for them if they could do it..bit it's a tough test.

[frenchkiwi]

sorry guys, posted this elsewhere so thought i should add it here.

i agree for the most part. e.g. signing Deans up before the Cup has started. Like Cooper - a kiwi trojan horse.

but any team in the world can be ambushed by a totally committed group of players with a good game plan. luckily for Oz its just the pool phase. i look forward to qf v South Africa, who look solid. All it will take though is getting 7pts ahead of them on the scoreboard and they will be scrambling... (they remind me of Mccabe - solid tacklers, solid hitter-uppers but that's it) Wallabies have got the goods to do that. Especially if Barnes comes back as inside centre to add some direction.

[frenchkiwi]

got sent the email below yesterday: interesting although birthplace means little.

Players who are barely residents in the countries they're playing for, especially Tier 1 nations, is a bit of a joke though. Particularly disappointed the aptly named Manusamoa Tuilagi didn't play with all his brothers (guess why he didn't get kicked out of UK last year despite no visa), and with kiwi mercenaries like Thomas Waldrom/Shontayne Hape/Isaac Boss

Also the many Pacific Islanders being held back by their european clubs on the threat of losing their contracts - e.g. Isa Nacewa, H Tuilagi et al. And the short turnaround for them 3-4days between matches vs. 6-10days for the rich countries. Top nations - especially Wales and South Africa this time round - should be thanking the IRB profusely.

Players born in other countries

Argentina: All born in Argentina

Australia: Dan Vickerman (Cape Town, South Africa), Radike Samo (Nadi, Fiji), Will Genia (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea), Stephen Moore (Khamis, Saudi Arabia), David Pocock (Messina, South Africa), Quade Cooper (Auckland, New Zealand), Digby Ioane (Wellington, New Zealand)

Canada: Nanyak Dala (Jos, Nigeria), DTH (Daniel Tailliferre Hauman) van der Merwe (Worcester, South Africa), Jeremy Kyne (Wellington, New Zealand), Jamie Mackenzie (Troon, Scotland), James Pritchard (Parkes, Australia)

England: Joe Simpson (Sydney, Australia), Delon Armitage (San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago), Alex Corbisiero (New York, USA), Matt Stevens (Durban, South Africa), Dylan Hartley (Rotorua, New Zealand), Simon Shaw (Nairobi, Kenya), Shontayne Hape (Auckland, New Zealand), Manu Tuilagi (Moto'otua, Samoa)

Fiji: Nicky Little (Tokoroa, New Zealand), Campese Ma'afu (Sydney, Australia), Deacon Manu (New Plymouth, New Zealand), Vitori Tomu Buatava (Melbourne, Australia), Michael Tagicakibau (Auckland, New Zealand)

France: Thierry Dusautoir (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)

Georgia: All Georgian-born.

Ireland: Ronan O'Gara (San Diego, USA), Isaac Boss (Tokoroa, New Zealand), Jamie Heaslip (Tiberias, Israel), Tom Court (Brisbane, Australia)

Italy: Carlo Del Fava (Umtata, South Africa), Corniel van Zyl (Nelspruit, South Africa), Quintin Geldenhuys (Klerksdorp, South Africa), Martin Castrogiovanni (Paraná, Argentina), Pablo Canavosio (Córdoba, Argentina), Luciano Orquera (Córdoba, Argentina), Gonzalo Garcia (Mendoza, Argentina), Robert Barbieri (Toronto, Canada), Sergio Parisse (Mar del Plata, Argentina), Gonzalo Canale (Córdoba, Argentina), Luke McLean (Townsville, Australia)

Japan: Luke Thompson (Christchurch, New Zealand), Michael Leitch (Burwood, New Zealand), Ryukoliniasi Holani (Nuku'alofa, Tonga), Shaun Webb (Blenheim, New Zealand), Justin Ives (Mosgiel, New Zealand), Sione Talikavili Vatuvei (Nuku'alofa, Tonga), James Arlidge (Hamilton, New Zealand), Murray Williams (Lower Hutt, New Zealand), Ryan Nicholas (Broken Hill, Australia), Alisi Tupuailai (Manunu, Samoa)

Namibia: Jacques Nieuwenhuis (Brakpan, South Africa), Piet van Zyl (Worcester, South Africa), Danie Dames (Pretoria, South Africa), Chrysander Botha (Walvis Bay, South Africa), Conrad Marais (Walvis Bay, South Africa)

NB At the time of their birth Walvis Bay was South African territory.

New Zealand: Mils Muliaina (Salelesi, Samoa), Ben Franks (Frankston, Australia), Jerome Kaino (Tutuila, Samoa), Isaia Toeava (Moto'otua, Samoa)

Romania: All Romania born.

Russia: Adam Byrnes (Sydney, Australia), Vyacheslav Grachev (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)

Samoa: Census Johnston (Auckland, New Zealand), Anthony Perenise (Wellington, New Zealand), Olé Avei (Wellington, New Zealand), Daniel Leo (Palmerston North, New Zealand), Kane Thompson (Paraparaumu, New Zealand), Kahn Fotuali'i (Auckland, New Zealand), Jeremy Sua (Wellington, New Zealand), Tusi Pisi (Auckland, New Zealand), Sailosi Tagicakibau (Auckland, New Zealand), James So'oialo (Wellington, New Zealand), Ti'i Paulo (Christchurch, New Zealand), Filipo Lavea Levi (Hamilton, New Zealand), Junior Poluleuligaga (Auckland, New Zealand), Tasesa Lavea (Taihape, New Zealand), Paul Williams (Auckland, New Zealand)

Scotland: John Barclay (Hong Kong), Nathan Hines (Wagga Wagga, Australia), Dan Parks (Hornsby, Australia), Jim Hamilton (Swindon, England), Ruaridh Jackson (Northampton, England), Max Evans (Torquay, England), Graeme Morrison( Hong Kong)

South Africa: Tendai Mtawarira (Harare, Zimbabwe)

Tonga: Tukulua Lokotui (Auckland, New Zealand), Kurt Morath (Takapuna, New Zealand), Alipate Fatafehi (Sigatoka, Fiji), Ephraim Taukafa (Auckland, New Zealand), Joseph Tuineau (Suva, Fiji), Thomas Palu (Wellington, New Zealand), Andrew Ma'ilei (Auckland, New Zealand), William Helu (Otahuhu, New Zealand), Siale Piutau (Auckland, New Zealand)

USA: Takudzwa Ngwenya (Harare, Zimbabwe), Iñaki Basauri (Monterre, Mexico), JJ Gagiano (Cape Town, South Africa), Matekitonga Moeakiola (Vaini, Tonga), Valenise Malifa (Pago Pago, American Samoa), Hayden Smith (Penrith, Australia), Tai Enosa (Faga'alu, American Samoa), Andrew Suniula (Pago Pago, American Samoa), James Paterson (Christchurch, New Zealand), Tim Usasz (Brisbane, Australia), Junior Sifa (Faga'alu, American Samoa), Roland Suniula (Pago Pago, American Samoa)

Wales: Luke Charteris (Camborne, England), Danny Lydiate (Salford, England), Toby Faletau (Tofoa, Tonga), Jonathan Davies (Solihull, England), George North (King's Lynn, England)

Importers and Exporters

Importers

15: Samoa (all from New Zealand)

12: USA

11: Italy

10: Japan

9: Tonga

8: England

7: Australia, Scotland

5: Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Wales

4: Ireland, New Zealand

2: France, Russia

1: South Africa

0: Argentina, Georgia, Romania

Exporters

38: New Zealand

13: Australia, South Africa

6: Argentina, England

5: American Samoa, Samoa

4: Tonga

3: Fiji

2: Hong Kong, USA, Zimbabwe

1: Burkina Faso, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Scotland, Uzbekistan

0: France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Namibia, Romania, Russia, Wales

[kiwirwe]

Good info :-)

[mazolaman]

Yes,there is some surprising and interesting info there.

As previously mentioned,I'd rather loose with 15 Englishmen,than win with imported players.

No racism meant,I just think the trend cheapens international sport.

But this has gone on for years,the Pacific Islands have been harvested for talent for years.The Samoan team could have been great,if their players hadn't been tempted abroad.

Looks like Argentina,Georgia and Russia are the only blameless nations.Edit,not Russia,Romania.....

But this has gone on for years,the pacific Islands have been harvested for talent for years.

Also,as I mentioned Previously,I also am disappointed with the quick turn around of matches for the second tier nations,some of whom are playing week on week,with a sat match and a wed match.

[mazolaman]

Wow,there's the first big upset of the tournament.

France defeated 19 - 14 by Tonga.

Don't think it'll make much difference to the final line up but....

Makes it seem unlikely that France will put out New Zealand...

Anyway,it's the Auld Enemies next.

This'll sound funny from an Englishman,but is it ever not raining in NZ?!

[celsis]

54 minutes.

England 3 Scotland 12.

Could the dream be coming true or will Scotland, as usual, shoot themselves in the foot?

[mazolaman]

54 minutes.

England 3 Scotland 12.

Could the dream be coming true or will Scotland, as usual, shoot themselves in the foot?

You deserved to win that match.

[FireDigger]

Wow,there's the first big upset of the tournament.

France defeated 19 - 14 by Tonga.

Don't think it'll make much difference to the final line up but....

Makes it seem unlikely that France will put out New Zealand...

Anyway,it's the Auld Enemies next.

This'll sound funny from an Englishman,but is it ever not raining in NZ?!

Hi guys, I am completely clueless when it comes to rugby. Can someone explain briefly why France advances over Tonga when both squads won two and lost two? Thanks.

[mazolaman]

Hi guys, I am completely clueless when it comes to rugby. Can someone explain briefly why France advances over Tonga when both squads won two and lost two? Thanks.

Teams get bonus points when in various circumstances,ie winning by high margins,which France must have done,as they have 3 more bonus points than Tonga.They essentially go through due to more points scored.....

[rckymtn22]

So much for the NZ and AUS final, looks like they are going to meet in the semis.

[coblos]

So much for the NZ and AUS final, looks like they are going to meet in the semis.

Yep, unless you have a Northern Hemisphere team vs a Southern Hemisphere team for the final you are already out of the tipping comp.

Quarter Finals

08/10 - Ireland v Wales

08/10 - England v France

09/10 - South Africa v Australia

09/10 - New Zealand v Argentina

Wouldn't mind seeing Ireland and Australia meeting again in the final.