About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

[Moodybluebird]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

As was highlighted by the rugby commentators last night, England are now the only unbeaten team left in the tournament but I would love them to get smashed by the Boks. Here's hoping.

I can't even see the All Blacks getting anywhere near the Boks if South Africa produce another performance like last night.

[Dorcus]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

As was highlighted by the rugby commentators last night, England are now the only unbeaten team left in the tournament but I would love them to get smashed by the Boks. Here's hoping.

I can't even see the All Blacks getting anywhere near the Boks if South Africa produce another performance like last night.

I'm not sure about your last paragraph. I'd love to see South Africa win but I think it could go either way. Both had brutal quarter final matches and I wonder how much those might have taken out of both teams.

[MacAdder]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

I felt quite guilty. Rugby on the tv, football on the phone with sound off

As you bloody well should have

[Moodybluebird]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

Matt Dawson has stated that the gap between England and the top teams at the World Cup has definitely narrowed since the tournament has progressed. Wow, now that's what I call rose-tinted spectacles !

If anything, it's only emphasised the yawning gap between the top 4 sides and the rest, England included. On any given day they are each capable of beating one another but as for an also-ran spoiling their party, forget it. It ain't going to happen any time soon.

[ToTaL ITK]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

embarrassing that we went out to that side

[chrisp_1927]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

embarrassing that we went out to that side

I reckon we'd have struggled to do any better to be honest. I hope they look at how they arrange the seedings for the next tournament. The way it's fallen this time makes a bit of a mockery of the tournament. 2 epic quarter finals and 2 walkover semis

[Dorcus]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

I reckon we'd have struggled to do any better to be honest. I hope they look at how they arrange the seedings for the next tournament. The way it's fallen this time makes a bit of a mockery of the tournament. 2 epic quarter finals and 2 walkover semis

Absolutely agree. The problem Rugby Union has now is there's 4 sides then the rest. There's no guarantee things will even up any time soon. Without seeding the competition loses some credibility.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

Just hold the draw sometime in the year before the tournament is played, not some three years before, then you’d like to think this sort of farce would be avoided. To be fair, Wales beat two teams above them in the rankings to win their group, but what happened in the Quarter Finals suggested that it was the weakest one of the four by some distance.

[Grangenders]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

Hoping that tonight’s game is more of a contest than last nights one. There is a growing confidence around this England team and they are a nation that steps up on these big occasions. I still fancy SA to win by seven though.

[Majorblue]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

Hoping that tonight’s game is more of a contest than last nights one. There is a growing confidence around this England team and they are a nation that steps up on these big occasions. I still fancy SA to win by seven though.

I wish.

Outside of 'one of those days' this is another one sided match up with a SA win by 20 plus points the most likely outcome.

Lots of positive statements from the England camp but it sounds more like they are trying to convince themselves rather than actually believe it.

Whilst England have remained unbeaten it is more by lucky of the draw than talent. On current form there is not one England player who would make that SA side and that, for me, is a measure of where the respective teams are.

Straight forward Bok win and I take them to beat NZ in the final.

[JamesWales]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

Just hold the draw sometime in the year before the tournament is played, not some three years before, then you’d like to think this sort of farce would be avoided. To be fair, Wales beat two teams above them in the rankings to win their group, but what happened in the Quarter Finals suggested that it was the weakest one of the four by some distance.

There are several things that Rugby Union does which infuriates me. Chief amongst them is the closed shops at domestic and international level which is entirely unjustified.

But of them all, the most pointless is the idiocy of the early draw, conducted three years early with zero fanfare and to what purpose?

It's so utterly stupid

[Wash DC Blue]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

These ITV commentators make it very very difficult to want to see an upset.

[ToTaL ITK]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

worst half of rugby so far ..cheers england and sarf afrika

[William Treseder]

Re: About time we had a rugby World Cup thread?

All credit has to go to England in that first half. Most of us thought SA would steamroller them. They may well do in the 2nd half, but England have definitely rattled them.