Off Topic RWC 2015

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Today's game with Canada taking on Romania ended up 15-17 after a late comeback from Romania. Cracking game saw Romania pick up their first points of the tournament.
Currently Fiji lead Uruguay 19-10.
 
Ugly game that was. Old school 1980s/90s style rugby union when it was rarely on tv.

Been some good games so far in the tournament - exciting and some good battles, but the quality - especially handling, has been abysmal. I only watch union nowadays, but the anti-union league fans are correct on this WC so far regarding handling being decades behind league. Perhaps it will improve in the later stages once the better teams are matched and it becomes a necessity to win.


ESSEX GULL
 
Last nights game ended Fij 47 Uruguay 15, be interesting to see if England can manage a score like that on Saturday.

Tonights games are:

1645: South Africa v USA. Olympic Stadium.
2000: Namibia v Georgia. Sandy Park, Exeter.
 
Head Coach Lancaster in media meltdown.

1) Players must wear the right headphones
2) 360 deg re-view as to what went wrong
3) We did all we could to get out of the group
4) We cannot pick players that play abroad
5) England is still a major power in rugby union
etc etc etc.

Stuart Lancaster should be hung, drawn and quartered after this. Worse than the football team if at all possible in this RWC 2015.

Some of James Haskell's tweets are so funny. Lol.
 
I think the media, and public, are being overly harsh on Lancaster and the team. The bare fact is that the current crop of England players just aren't world cup winners. On occasion, such as against NZ in 2012, or was it 2013, they can be organised enough and all upped their game to win, but not in a tournament.. the lack of 6 nations medals the past years emphasises this.

Would any of the current squad get into the 2003 team.. maybe only one or two. Even the 'creative' players that Lancaster left out - Care, Cipriani and Tuilagi.. they are not world beaters - their varying form over the last 5 years as evidence and shows why Lancaster has been messing around with positions right up to the tournament.. nothing has really worked, because the playing ability isn't as good as it should be.

The rub of the matter is the amount that the RFU have pumped in and got little reward.. this has pushed expectations way beyond the actual talent of the current playing squad.



ESSEX GULL
 
The RFU should allow everyone who paid good wonga for England match tickets to get one item FREE(subject to availability). It is the least they can do. What a shambles.
 
essexgull said:
I think the media, and public, are being overly harsh on Lancaster and the team. The bare fact is that the current crop of England players just aren't world cup winners. On occasion, such as against NZ in 2012, or was it 2013, they can be organised enough and all upped their game to win, but not in a tournament.. the lack of 6 nations medals the past years emphasises this.

Would any of the current squad get into the 2003 team.. maybe only one or two. Even the 'creative' players that Lancaster left out - Care, Cipriani and Tuilagi.. they are not world beaters - their varying form over the last 5 years as evidence and shows why Lancaster has been messing around with positions right up to the tournament.. nothing has really worked, because the playing ability isn't as good as it should be.

The rub of the matter is the amount that the RFU have pumped in and got little reward.. this has pushed expectations way beyond the actual talent of the current playing squad.



ESSEX GULL
Click to expand...


Fair point I'd say, they're not world beaters, but then again I don't think any of 6 Nations are.
This was a fairly young squad, Easter aside, the potential in the squad is there, after all they did have an ok 6 nations. Between now and the Japan World Cup in 2019, a couple of grand slam 6 nations and maybe they can emulate that 2003 squad. However; there is a lot of hard graft ahead.
Something that the 2003 squad had was leaders, Johnson, Wilkinson, Back and Dallagio were all very experienced Internationals and natural leaders.
 
essexgull said:
The bare fact is that the current crop of England players just aren't world cup winners.

ESSEX GULL
Click to expand...

Agreed on this point. However England should have been able to get out of the group in 2nd place and maybe even beat South Africa in the qtr final for a place in the semi final. That should have been the aim. After that, well............
 
matelot-tiger said:
Fair point I'd say, they're not world beaters, but then again I don't think any of 6 Nations are.
This was a fairly young squad, Easter aside, the potential in the squad is there, after all they did have an ok 6 nations. Between now and the Japan World Cup in 2019, a couple of grand slam 6 nations and maybe they can emulate that 2003 squad. However; there is a lot of hard graft ahead.
Something that the 2003 squad had was leaders, Johnson, Wilkinson, Back and Dallagio were all very experienced Internationals and natural leaders.
Click to expand...

Back, Moody, Hill, Robinson, Dawson and the experience of Catt and Leonard also. Luger was my favorite player of that era to watch and I think he only played part of one game.

I don't think this current squad have anywhere near the same quality at all. I think the much-maligned Burgess is perhaps the only player who would get in that 2003 squad. It's a disappointment to have lost to a second-string Wales at home, but it was no surprise on recent form. England have choked in the 6 nations consistently for a few years now.

I think too much hype was built up and maybe even too much money spent on the first team squad that clearly wasn't going to win the WC - someone should have seen and noted this a couple of years ago and split the funding more with grass roots level for the 2019 WC preparations. Longer term thinking.


ESSEX GULL
 
Last nights game looked pretty good from what I saw of it. Two very well matched teams, it ended Namibia 16 Georgia 17. At least Namibia get a point for their efforts, their first of the tournament.
No games today.
 
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