Rugby World Cup 2023

[BruceVC]

https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2023

Its happening, its real and its starting today 

Rugby is a hugely popular sport in SA and also one that we really do well in so I cant wait. SA has a good chance of winning

Our first game in on Sunday vs Scotland 

@Zoraptor after getting wiped by SA in the last game I wonder how today is going to go for NZ? France shouldnt be underestimated 

 

[Zoraptor]

I'd expect France to win. Apart from the home town advantage we're pretty rubbish and only looked liked we were doing better than last year because Australia really are complete rubbish and South Africa didn't care. I'd like France to win the whole tournament and not just because at least then I can "no speakay le frenchay" to anyone being smug- they've been the best team not to win it yet. Otherwise, South Africa or maybe Ireland. We will probably make the semis but that's the best I'd expect, and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost in the quarters. One thing's for sure, they have to rejig the tournament draws, doing the seedings 3 years out was moronic. Two pools are ridiculously easy, one is ridiculously hard.

Funny thing about our record loss to South Africa, I didn't think South Africa even played that well, and on another day they could have added another 20 points to that already record score.

[Gorth]

What the heck happened to The All Blacks??? 
 

edit: you turn your back n them for a moment (20 years) and this is what they turned into? 

[BruceVC]

9 minutes ago, Gorth said:

What the heck happened to The All Blacks??? 
 

edit: you turn your back n them for a moment (20 years) and this is what they turned into? 

Rugby is cyclical for very good teams like the All Blacks 

SA has been like that often, we lost 2 games in  a row to them  before beating them on the 25 August. But I consider the All Blacks the most dangerous team for SA so if they get knocked out its good for us. I  am glad France won last night 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rugby_union_matches_between_New_Zealand_and_South_Africa

 

[Keyrock]

I've wanted to get into Rugby but it's just not popular here in Murica. I need to find a league to follow that I can watch regularly via the interwebs. I'm assuming club rugby is a thing, probably even here in the states, albeit on a small scale, and it's not just national teams.

[Zoraptor]

There's definitely a US league, though I know nothing about it nor about streaming or other options in the US. Think the US has a bit more emphasis on the 7s, since that's an Olympic sport and the US were champions and undefeated at the Olympics for 84 years. Otherwise there's a load of regional/ national club championships like Super Rugby for Aus/ NZ/ Pacific islands or Pro14/ URC for Europe.

14 hours ago, Gorth said:

What the heck happened to The All Blacks??? 
 

edit: you turn your back n them for a moment (20 years) and this is what they turned into? 

We did win our last WC in 2015, so it's been a bit less than 20 years. The serious answer is that back then we had a bunch of all time great players and we don't now; and they haven't changed coaching 'style*' in nearly 20 years so have been well and truly worked out. Indeed, we were well and truly worked out in 2019 and got absolutely smashed by England as a result. Realistically, 4th best team at the tournament behind South Africa, France and Ireland and that's that.

*ie they've successively picked the previous coach's assistant as their successor. Last one was a beauty, since Foster had a mediocre coaching record as head coach and we'd lost badly in 2019 in part due to the coaching style being the same as in 2008. But the poor confused old chaps couldn't understand the guy who'd coached three winning domestic sides in a row (now 7; and maybe once had the best team on paper). Then six months ago they decided to appoint him, leaving Foster understandably peeved about being effectively sacked before the World Cup. Coincidentally, we got a report this week saying rugby here is run by a bunch of incompetents, no clue what they based that on. Maybe they didn't like pink gins and ladies, a plate please?

[BruceVC]

SA won it first game yesterday against Scotland, the first-half was uninspirational but we ended up winning 18-3

It was a good first game victory and Scotland is not a team to be taken lightly, our defense was impressive but we missed a few kicks  but a win is a win so Im not complaining

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/66768695

 

[BruceVC]

What a game between NZ and Ireland with NZ winning, 24-28. I was supporting Ireland and both teams played exceptionally well 

@Zoraptor You can never write-off NZ

Fans must be happy 

Now tomorrow is SA vs France 

 

[Zoraptor]

Well, I did say we'd likely make the semis, and we've done that. We ought to make the finals now, I can't see even this team losing to an Argentina that has been as erratic as us but from a lower base point. Would be a laugh if it happened though.

We played pretty close to our practical potential. Ireland didn't play badly at all, but were nowhere near their potential. Never winning a quarter final and coming up against the ABs --> bit of a choke, sadly, especially since they were a man up for 20 minutes plus a penalty try. Real shame for Ireland that the draw was complete crap, they'd have beaten Fiji/ England/ Argentina/ Wales pretty handily most likely and then the quarter final bogey would have been gone when they met better opponents. As it stands, the best four teams at the tournament are playing each other in the quarters which pretty much sums up the competence of international rugby management.

[xzar_monty]

@Zoraptor: I have a memory (on my spending some time in NZ 10+ years ago) that NZ once lost an important game to Australia, upon which there was a newspaper headline along the lines of "It's Official Now: We Suck at the Only Thing We're Good At". It's such a brilliant line that I dearly wish it was true. I can't for the life of me remember where I got this from and whether it actually refers to something that happened. I wonder if this rings any bells for you; I don't expect it to, but it would be great if it did.

Edited October 16, 2023 by xzar_monty

[Zoraptor]

If it was Australia it would have been more like 20 years ago I suspect. We have a bilateral trophy (Bledisloe Cup) with Aus that we haven't lost in ~20 years now but which they regularly won in the ten years prior to that, usually very narrowly and in the last minute or so. They also knocked us out of the 2003 World Cup- not narrowly- triggering one of the greatest sporting sledges of all time (of all time!) from George Gregan: "Four more years". Some people still carry the psychological scars from that.

Anyway, South Africa won yesterday so it's RSA- England and NZ- Arg in the semis. The meme final would be England vs Argentina in a Las Malvinas On a Pole match- and Argentina to win, obviously- but that's least likely to happen. Doubt either of the semis will be anywhere near as good as NZ- Ireland or RSA- France were either.

[xzar_monty]

43 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

If it was Australia it would have been more like 20 years ago I suspect.

Ok. It must have been Australia because the whole thing hinged on New Zealand being the spirited little brother of Australia -- but perhaps the whole story isn't true in the first place. Anyway, thanks!

Edited October 16, 2023 by xzar_monty

[Zoraptor]

It's exactly the sort of overwrought title you'd have got from the press at the time- for our press the All Blacks are either incredibly awesome and just intrinsically better; or they're disastrously mediocre and their form a sign of the coming Apocalypse, never anything in between- so I'd definitely believe it happened. Just longer ago than remembered.

[Gorth]

That sounds a bit like the annual competition between the Australian states of QLD and NSW ('The State of Origin')

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Origin_series

The rivalry is real.

"Players are selected to represent the Australian state in which they played their first senior rugby league game (either high school or local senior club)" may be part of why it's called origin?

[xzar_monty]

6 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

It's exactly the sort of overwrought title you'd have got from the press at the time- for our press the All Blacks are either incredibly awesome and just intrinsically better; or they're disastrously mediocre and their form a sign of the coming Apocalypse, never anything in between- so I'd definitely believe it happened. Just longer ago than remembered.

I found the story. It refers to a 20-18 defeat in 2007, but what I remembered wrong was that there wasn't any headline. "We suck at the only thing we're good at!" was just what distraught Kiwis were reported to be saying to one another after the game. Obviously they weren't, at least in large numbers, but someone may well have said it, and as it was such a good line, it was remembered.

[BruceVC]

SA won last  night against England, 16-15 

But we played really badly and we were very lucky to win. The English technical advisors clearly did there homework on us and they effectively prevented us from playing our normal game but we lacked inspiration and energy and made many mistakes 

SA was 6-15 until the last 15 minutes and I had accepted we were going to lose but then we scored the only try of the game and then within the last 3 minutes we scored a penalty 

We always take the win but we need to seriously reflect on our performance because NZ is looking very formidable. Also I didnt want SA to play NZ in the final, I would have preferred an Irish encounter because I do think Ireland is overall an easier team to beat than NZ 

 

[BruceVC]

SA beat NZ  last night in the RWC final,  11-12. Another 1 point difference 

I thought the game was absolutely exciting and nail-biting and both teams demonstrated brilliance, both teams had opportunities to play the Rugby they love unlike the England vs SA game which was ugly

I think overall SA played a better game but around kicking and tackling, we suffered in the lineouts and NZ dominated with the skill of there backline. The way they can pass the ball without " looking " always impresses me

NZ was unlucky with the red card and but we got 2 yellow cards and dangerous tackles are dangerous tackles. I think the English referees overall did an excellent job at explaining things and most decisions considering the pressure of this final, no one is going to happy with every decision

But NZ really lost because they missed a conversion and a penalty and we only scored points because of penalties so that tells me how effective the defense was for both teams. But end of the day amazing final and the game could have literally gone either way

Players on the SA side who made the biggest difference for me were Pieter Steph du Toit with his incredible and important tackles and Pollard of course with his kicking

France did an excellent job at hosting the RWC, it was very well organized and the stadiums were very well maintained. The firework display was beautiful at the end. Kudos to France for a well managed RWC 

I am hungover again this morning and if I knew I was going to be so thirsty this morning I would have drank more last night 

But end of the day it was a brilliant and exciting RWC and it exceeded my expectations with all the twists and turns on how the various countries advanced. Well done to SA for winning the final, they can be proud of their performance

@Zoraptor  whats the general NZ media consensus of the game, I thought NZ played  a brilliant overall RWC  and proved there critics wrong who had  written them  off  in the beginning 

[Zoraptor]

Media are grumpy at the refereeing. Personally I agreed with just about every decision which is way more than usual and think the media are whining. Wasn't surprised Cane got a red, wasn't surprised Kolisi got a yellow. It was a close match, but I'd struggle to call it a good one partly due to the rain.

ABs did a lot better than I expected at the start of the tournament and could easily have won with a bit of luck, but thems the breaks.