Rugby Word Cup 2019 thread.

[William Treseder]

Will what's happened with Howley have an effect?

Still think New Zealand would win it comfortably if every side played to their full potential, but they're more fallible than they have been - even if Wales don't let the Howley situation get to them, it seems to me that the evidence of their games over the last year says that they will not have the attacking ability to open up the best defences often enough.

I’d say the Howley incident will have a slight effect, but it’s difficult to gauge how much.
I agree with you about the All Blacks. I think they’ll win it, but as good as they are, or can be, they have got form for “bottling it”.
It does appear to be the most open World Cup so far, and with the Japanese public right up for it, it promises to be a great tournament.

[MacAdder]

I am sure there are people who will be rolling their eyes at the prospect of this 'minority sport' being all over the news and on social media for the next six weeks.

It is refreshing to see that the Japanese people are embracing the prospect of watching the world's best rugby teams, turning out in their numbers to watch just the training sessions and even take time to learn the Welsh National anthem!

There seems a feeling that football has lived in the shadow of rugby for far too long in Wales and that rugby is perceived as the national sport here.
It's true that the western mail and more recently WOL rarely have a balanced view but one of the many reasons I've heard offered up for being anti-egg is that more people play and watch the beautiful game in Wales as oppose to the 'man's game' and the perception is unfounded.

With all the current hype and hullabaloo taking place in the land of the rising sun, I wonder if the die hard sumo wrestling fans feel the same way.

Come on Wales