Rugby Thread
 

With the Rugby World Cup coming up in just 5 weeks, and as the nations begin their warm up games this weekend, I thought the Siesta room could do with this thread. As we are made up of several different nations we should get some differing views

Can England mount a successful defence of their title? Will the All Blacks choke yet again? Can France make Home advantage count? Or will Portugal run away with the whole thing??!!

Here are the Pools

Pool A
England, South Africa, Samoa, USA, Tonga

Pool B
Australia, Wales, Fiji, Canada, Japan

Pool C
New Zealand, Scotland, Italy, Romania, Portugal

Pool D
France, Ireland, Argentina, Georgia, Namibia

Assuming things go by the form book I'd suggest the Quarter Finals will look like this:

England v Australia

New Zealand v Ireland (Argentina as an outside bet)

South Africa v Wales

France v Scotland/Italy

Semi Finals - who knows??? Maybe.....

Australia v New Zealand

Wales v France (Ok, South Africa v France ;))

So a NZ v France Final.

What do you think? Once again England's campaign rests on one Pool game - v South Africa. They win that and they face the familiar 6 Nations route just like last time giving them relatively easy passage to the Final. That said, Wales would prefer face England for the same reasons.

Could be interesting.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Cant see Scotland getting that far mate, just don't think they have it in them.


I suspect it will be a SA v NZ final, and SA are a dark horse at the moment, but the mental edge rests with the AB's.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

We only watch proper rugby in this house. RUGBY LEAGUE :thumbsup:

Re: Rugby Thread
 

don't bring your gay arsed touch rugby in here woman!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

GAY ARSED??? At least they aint afraid of tackling!!!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Yes they are!! They're padded up to the hilt and as soon as they get "tackled" they get up and run away.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Ok girls I am going to leave you to this thread ;)

But before I do I am just going to say that League is a much tougher game than union. A lot quicker, harder and a hell of a lot more interesting :p:p:p

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Wilko seems happy to tackle here!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Which must explain why it's so popular???? League is for the masses as it is simplified to the degree that even a monkey could understand it. Fortunately for the vastly superior global audience of Union, the fans prefer a little bit more from their sport. It's a bit like Checkers/Draughts and Chess. Any fool can understand Checkers but you need a bit more skill to become accomplished at chess. :thumbup:

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Plus the fact that it was thought up so that no one would get hurt!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Don't write-off Wales so easily.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

your right, they may just win the wooden spoon yet!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

They'll do better than the OP predicts. 'Tis all I'm saying. Of course they won't win it, nor get to the final. They'll do better than what he said though.

Anyway, I can see this getting lifted to the Locker Room which is where it probably belongs.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Heart says we lift the cup, head says no. Our best shot is that England beat SA in the Pool to set a quarter final against us which we could win then on to a semi with France which again we could win (although a much tougher game) then it's the final. If we have to face SA in the quarters we'll be booking our flights home pretty sharpish.

If we did win though, I can't see there being OBE's in it for us nor even a BBC Sport Personality award. Will get a bus trip through Cardiff and a week long piss-up where no-one will be at work. :p

Re: Rugby Thread
 

If it ends up there it will be swamped by the League boys and die a death because Union is hated in there.

what's the matter with you, you "sound" miserable.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

I think it was a realistic view. To go top of their group they'd need to beat NZ - can't see that happening. So they get to face SA which again I can't see them beating. NOw as I said before, if we get to face England then I will revise my prediction.

I don't think this should go in the locker room. This has been put in the Siesta Section of the Spain thread and as such is aimed at the people who normally contribute here. Just like the F1 thread.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Pool A
England, South Africa, Samoa, USA, Tonga



OK, just a thought.......If England crumble again (likely) SA are a definite, but who else would you put to go through?


My money is on Samoa.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Can't see it - would like to see it but it won't happen. SA & England definitely through just a question of order. However, using your original thought and lets say England end up losing a couple of pool games it would have to be Samoa. Tonga and USA are pretty woeful.

Pool B is straight forward too. Where it gets interesting is Pool C & Pool D.

Pool C first:

NZ, Scotland, Itlay, Romania Portugal

Assuming Portugal have an off-tournament ;), Italy could beat Scotland to the runner up spot.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

I think it will be Italy over Scotland, they are boosted by the 6 nations so I think they may do it, and they have a Kiwi playing for them!

Definitely not the US, I watched a guy on TV recently, cant for the life of me where but for some reason I think it was the tennis and the said reporter, an American, said that if the States wanted the WRC title they could take it no problem, the fact was that they win enough world contests so they don't bother.

Yeah, world contests like.Vietnam, Iraq.........

Re: Rugby Thread
 

What, like the World Series???? The Superbowl??? Fine global tournaments. Actually, apart from success in the Olympics, what World contests do the yanks win????

Re: Rugby Thread
 

World war 1 and the sequel, World War 2.

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Yeah, but they don't count as they had too many ringers from other coutries in their team :rofl:

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Thats a point, bit like Italy, Wales, Argentina and almost every premiership rugby team with the Kiwis I suppose.

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If I remember, this is a bit of a sore subject with you ABs, isn't it?? I mean, suggestions that maybe the ABs have their fair share of foreigners in their side are usually met with a torrent of abuse!!!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Yeah, but if you look at the team that is winning like deamons there are not nearly as many islanders as there have been.


I know its a problem, but if you consider that at the last WC the budget for Tonga was what England pay their Physio staff, you can understand why the young players want to move to NZ.

There are also some who say that by and large Maori and Islanders are so similar ethnically that its all a bit of a fuss about nothing.

I prefer the team when it is more of a NZ team, and there are almost more non Maori in the team than has been for a long time.

Would love to see Mehrtens and Spencer back.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Being of Welsh birth...

Irish father...

and English mother...

Got the Rugby shirt comes to mind..

Sing like the Welsh!
Drink like the Irish!
Puke like the English..


Only been to Cardiff when JPR Williams (yep that old) used to play and Twickenham a couple of times...

But loving it loving it loving it! Can't wait

:thumbsup:

Re: Rugby Thread
 

First big game of the 2007/08 season starts today. England v Wales this afternoon.

Will both sides take it easy so as not to injure players??? Or is there any such thing as an England-Wales friendly?

Few names missing on both sides and in the Wales side particularly it seems Sweeney and Cooper are in the last chance saloon having to shine ahead of next week's squad cull. For England, how will Farrell fare?

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Dont think either side can afford to lose even a sponge boy so yeah, its gonna be a bit of a quiet game with neither team pushing it I think.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Probably a comfortable England win. Expect wholesale changes in the second half for both sides.

Pity there's only one game today. When to the ABs arrive in Europe?? Wouldn't be surprised if some of the Southern Hemisphere teams base themselves in Spain for a bit before RWC for conditioning etc...

Re: Rugby Thread
 

29th of August they fly out.


Think they are based in southern France, cant remember now.

Will Wales want an easy loss? Not sure they will to be honest.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Gonna go bake a cake - all this thread has sailed straight over my head - enjoy your rugby guys and gals.
Take care
Sam

Re: Rugby Thread
 

What? Today??? We don't want any loss, but if you're going to lose I'd rather it be now than in a month's time.

There's arguably slightly more pressure on England today than on Wales. They are playing at home against a side that absolutely did not distinguish itself in the spring - despite winning the only game that matters ;):p - a win is expected and anything less would not acceptable and there's a distintly experimental feel to the Wales side. Therefore Wales will have plenty of opportunities for the Spin Doctors regardless of the result after the game - we win, a great morale boosting victory, we lose....well, it was experimental, away from home blah, blah blah......

For England, they win...well it was expected over a team lower than them in the rankings, they lose...if they can't beat Wales then how do they expect to beat greater teams

Re: Rugby Thread
 

My money is on Wales, although I will only admit that to you here, not to anyone in public, I mean who wants to admit that kind of shameful thing eh?

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Ahhh...a closet fan. Come on out of the closet - let it out, be true to yourself. No need to hide anymore :p

Would set the cat among the pigeons a bit if they did win. Will you be watching? As usual, I'll be the only Welshman among around 20 English. Cue 80 mins of sheep jokes (which are still as fresh to me now as they were when I first heard them over 1000 tellings ago) followed by much gloating and 20 guys crying into to their beer before making a hasty exit from bar!!!!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

You dont ever want to see me when the AB's lose!


A few years back when the AB's played England just before the WRC for the Autumn matches and they lost, I lost it too, and had to be dragged out of the pub with 3 Kiwi's!


I was a little upset.


I am not, nor have I never been a closet Wales fan...........although I do have an under 21,s commemorative Wales top in a frame that was given to me.

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Holy crap Fortaleza!


Not good mate, not good at all!!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

I'd like to refer you to the answer I gave before.

Experimental side, away from home etc...........

Re: Rugby Thread
 

that's fine..........but how would you like to explain the biggest score deficit in 150 years?

Re: Rugby Thread
 

I'd say that was a bare faced lie, Goddamit!!!! Libellous even. We've had much bigger whoopings in recent years and by much better teams, let me tell you Mr Matt!!!! We're specialists!!!!!!

Re: Rugby Thread
 

Right, seeing as we made all your players look fantastic, who from Saturday is likely to make it into the test squad?