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Rugby World Cup Thread.

Obviously would be a huge loss for the All Blacks. And yet they can bring in Colin Slade whose better than most of the other 10s in the tournament put together.

You'd think so but a Kiwi friend of mine has turned into a nervous wreck today thinking about the prospect of Slade starting.

I think he's willing to pay for Nick Evans' plane ticket and to drive him to the airport rather than see Slade in the 10 shirt.

Anyway, round up from today:

Scotland are on their way to being a handy side. They just need some guile in midfield, some self-belief, a lorry full of composure and a collective brain.

England are even worse than they were at the last World Cup which probably means another final for them. Particularly seeing as they are virtually guaranteed a semi-final place because of...

France, who are looking more disorganised and disinterested than their Football countrymen last year. I think I'd fancy my chances of beating France on my own at the moment and I've got a bad back.

Tonga spurned a load of chances to go through today but I think they will be cursing the bonus points system as much as themselves.

Bonus points in a short format like the World Cup are useless because they put too much importance on thumping minnows. A team like New Zealand get 5 points for beating up Japan but Tonga only get 4 for pulling off the biggest result in their history against France. It penalises the second tier nations more than any other because any wins they pull out over the big nations are likely to be close and low scoring.

It works well for long format tournaments where the teams are more evenly matched and they can actually enhance certain games - such as a bottom-half match between Newport and Connacht on a dreary February night at Dave Parade - but it must stick in the craw for a team like Tonga to see New Zealand awarded 5 points for beating them but yet they only effectively get 3 points for beating France.

Ditch bonus points for any tournament under six months long.
 
South Africa have lost Steyn for the tournament and got a bunch of other players roughed up by Samoa. England have lost their best prop and are imploding internally since they can't keep their hands off the local woman. Australia are so fucked up from injuries that they had to start a 35 year old lock on the wing. And France? Lol.

If there was ever a World Cup to lose one of McCaw or Carter and still be able to be in the box seat this would be it.
 
South Africa have lost Steyn for the tournament and got a bunch of other players roughed up by Samoa. England have lost their best prop and are imploding internally since they can't keep their hands off the local woman. Australia are so fucked up from injuries that they had to start a 35 year old lock on the wing. And France? Lol.

If there was ever a World Cup to lose one of McCaw or Carter and still be able to be in the box seat this would be it.

But New Zealand shouldn't be looking to the misfortunes of other teams to boost their chances. They're the best team in the world by a fair distance, they're at home and the final is in Auckland - one of the most impenetrable fortresses in world sport. Their reserves should be able to walk this tournament.

If they don't win this one - with or without McCaw and Carter - then you have to wonder if they will ever win one.

The four teams in the top half of the draw however are all feeling like it's opening up for them. While I'm still confident that New Zealand will win the final if they get there all four Northern Hemisphere sides would relish the prospect of playing and beating South Africa or Australia - and either one of them is capable of stopping NZ.

You can bet that the whole top half of the world will be hoping that the All Blacks come a cropper before the final.

My prediction:

New Zealand to give Wales a proper tuning in the final, England 3rd, South Africa 4th.
 
Wales just walked through for an easy try. No Irish player touched him inside the 22.

Ireland has been looking a bit sloppy, even though they were only down 5
 
Wales just walked through for an easy try. No Irish player touched him inside the 22.

Ireland has been looking a bit sloppy, even though they were only down 5

Great wasn't it? Or, as I was shouting at the TV during the move...

"C'mon Jon pass it out...pass it! Pass it! Pass it! NO! Don't run it, what are you doing you fucking idiot, there was a free man outsi...GO ON! GO ON! YEESSSS!! Excellent play Jonathan, brilliant...you made exactly the right decision there. Great try!"

I'm in a very good mood this morning.
 
And England went out. Seeing as that game was on at 1:30 here, that was far too late for me. I'm hopeful I can catch a bitch of the Springboks v Wallabies as that's on at 11:00. With a long weekend here, I figure I can watch it
 
Piri Weepu is going to eat Quade Cooper and his dipshit Granny who keeps whoring herself out to the TV cameras.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Si_W26kRI0"]All Blacks Haka vs France 24.09.11 HD - YouTube[/ame]

A storm is coming boys...

Kahui and Dagg will be back, McCaw will be a week healthier and the All Blacks will be just as battle tested as Australia are without taking such a physical beating.
 
Beale in doubt for the semi final, apparently Deans has said Cooper will start at Fullback and Berrick Barnes will start at Fly Half if he is out...

Fucking brilliant. Australia have already lost their best defensive midfielder in McCabe for the tournament and Barnes is just as big a turnstile on defense as Cooper. When they have Cooper at Fly Half they can just hide him out on the wing and put Ashley-Cooper in his spot when they are defending, but they can't hide both Barnes and Cooper.

Slade and Mils are both out on our side of things, but Mils looked off the pace and Dagg will be back in the starting fullback slot anyway this week. And with Weepu in charge of the kicking, Cruden's probably better suited too us right now than Slade as he's a much better player with the ball in hand.
 
Most bookies have got Wales as favourites to beat France on Saturday. I'm not sure I like that.

The only time I can remember Wales being clear favourites against Les Bleus was for the game in Paris in 2009 and they gave us a fair pasting that night.

England in the Semis would have had me sleeping a little easier this week.
 
^ That's fucking crazy...

Feel for the poor bastards who have to face it... except for the Boks, they are the only ones who know who to face it properly.

All other attempts to psych it out, downplay it have resulted in swift beatings being handed out (Like when Australia got waxed 43-6 in the middle of tropical cyclone conditions)
 
Feel for the poor bastards who have to face it... except for the Boks, they are the only ones who know who to face it properly.

All other attempts to psych it out, downplay it have resulted in swift beatings being handed out (Like when Australia got waxed 43-6 in the middle of tropical cyclone conditions)

Wasn't always thus, though.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emJyEa4z2Ec"]Haka 1973 - YouTube[/ame]
 
I wish these weren't so late now. I was able to watch a lot of games early on in the tournament since they started at around midnight. Every game left now doesn't start until at least two in the morning. Going to do my best to stay up, though. Really enjoying it so far, it's the first bit of rugby I've actually watched.
 
I wish these weren't so late now. I was able to watch a lot of games early on in the tournament since they started at around midnight. Every game left now doesn't start until at least two in the morning. Going to do my best to stay up, though. Really enjoying it so far, it's the first bit of rugby I've actually watched.

I'd consider going to bed for 4 or 5 hours then trying to get up if it was me.
 
Been flipping between excited/terrified/optimistic/despondent/bullish/fatalistic all week.

But now but now it's time for...

walesworldcup.jpg
 
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