Off Topic The Rugby Thread

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The Ides of March

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2011
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Mallorca
  1. The Rugby Union World Cup 2023


The 10th edition of this fantastic tournament starts tonight featuring a match involving teams, one of which could win the whole competition. Whether that is France or New Zealand, we shall just have to watch and witness as the tournament progresses.

When the draw was made it pitched the top five teams into Pools A and B, meaning that at least one of Ireland, South Africa and Scotland won’t make it out of the group stage.

It would appear that Australia and England are in the “weaker” half of the draw as they won’t have to play one of the favourites until a semi-final. Imagine England getting to the final of the basis of the turgid rugby that they have delivered since 2019 doesn’t bear thinking about. Perhaps one of the Pacific Islands can get out of the group and make the semi-final instead, which I think would be good for the game of rugby as a whole.

Anyhow, enough of the speculation. Let’s all enjoy a great tournament with runnng rugby to the fore, as in 2015.
 
France are good, New Zealand very ordinary compared with their great team of 8 years ago. Unless there is a massive improvements, they are unlikely to get past the qf. If that happens, NZ rugby is in for an interesting but turbulent time!
 
How where France allowed to get away with the constant time-wasting. What's the point of having a timer to keep the game flowing, when the French get away with slowing the game down.
 
The Ides of March said:
France are good, New Zealand very ordinary compared with their great team of 8 years ago. Unless there is a massive improvements, they are unlikely to get past the qf. If that happens, NZ rugby is in for an interesting but turbulent time!
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Worse. the share market will crash, exports will stop, no kids will go to school, busses will stop running. The whole country will go into mourning.
 
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SaintinNZ said:
Worse. the share market will crash, exports will stop, no kids will go to school, busses will stop running. The whole country will go into mourning.
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Even worse than that. It will disappear into the Pacific Ocean! I take it the media there are upping the crisis of the All.Blacks being eliminated and Foster being seen as the worst possible person ever.
 
The Ides of March said:
Even worse than that. It will disappear into the Pacific Ocean! I take it the media there are upping the crisis of the All.Blacks being eliminated and Foster being seen as the worst possible person ever.
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Only a fool would discount them just yet though. Bit like Germany in football tournaments, and France could equally easily ‘do a Brazil’.
 
Le Tissier's Laces said:
Only a fool would discount them just yet though. Bit like Germany in football tournaments, and France could equally easily ‘do a Brazil’.
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I ask myself, are they any better than in 2019? IMO they are weaker, but feel.free to quote me if they reach the final. I feel there will be a surprise package that will reach the final, though. Oz??
 
As a probable result of last night's match, New Zealand will finish no better than second in Group A. The next round of fixtures will pitch the winners of Group B against Group A runners up. It will be interesting to see if any of South Africa, Ireland or Scotland (or Tonga or Romania) try their hardest to not quite win the group, thus avoiding NZ. Having said that, a match against France will not necessarily be a better option.
 
The Ides of March said:
I ask myself, are they any better than in 2019? IMO they are weaker, but feel.free to quote me if they reach the final. I feel there will be a surprise package that will reach the final, though. Oz??
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I’m claiming my months in Fiji as some kind of heritage, and throwing my support in that direction!
 
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