RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool B)
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@Derm-McCrum said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:From Daily Telegraph
In a development that seems sure to cloud the rest of the tournament and have ramifications way into the future, insiders claim that the match between the All Blacks and Italy could have been postponed until Monday, but that the All Blacks were not willing to consider a turnaround of just five days between their final pool game and their quarter-final, which is due to be played on Saturday 19th October.
My inside information is that it was in fact Italy who didn't want to play on Monday, because their flight home is booked for Monday 5 pm, and the team were worried they wouldn't have enough time in duty free to stock up on cigarettes, alcohol, perfume for the signoras and chocolate for the bambini.
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@Snowy said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Disgusted-of-TW Agree with what you are saying but they probably shouldn't have had the "draw" rule for the pool matches in the first place. This was reasonably predictable in Japan at this time of year.
Some sort of postponement / movement / flexibility would have been better. Disruptive for the teams, but not as much as just being knocked out without playing.Even Hong Kong is only a few hours flight away. So Kon Po is probably empty and a double header AB v Italy and Eng v Fra would probably sell quite a few tickets. A stretch I know, and disruptive for the teams but maybe they would have preferred that than the - nah just cancel it approach. Got to be unaffected stadia in Japan too.
Yes, maybe they could have allowed for flex in the polls too. Then again, all teams knew the rules coming in, and I don't recall anyone crying unfair at that stage, just lots of que sera sera stoicism. I wonder whether some teams might even have thought that it could work in their favour as a leveller, a draw being a better outcome for a relative minnow on balance than the likely stuffing they might otherwise receive at the hands of e.g. NZ.
(And yes, undoubtedly I find it easier to be sanguine about it because England is in QF already - I'd be sweating and bitching if I was a Scot)
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@Rembrandt Would that condition limit the number of countries able to put a compliant bid together?
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@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@jegga said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:"thrashwank "
What a superb word. Have now added to my vocabulary, and intend to use this at every opportunity.
I can’t claim credit, it’s from Roger Mellies profanisaurus . My personal favourite too
Best biography ever https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Mellie
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@Disgusted-of-TW said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:sweating
I see what you did there.
Yeah some of the minnows probably would have liked all draws and a "boundary" rule to decide who went through.
I'm not sure that teams (or fans) actually realised that this had a reasonable probability of happening, but the organisers certainly should have.
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@Disgusted-of-TW It would certainly increase overhead. Kind of look at it like an IT Disaster recovery site. Cost would be mitigated by still maintaining TV coverage.
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@sparky said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:Great passion from Sergio:
Parisse slams decision to call off New Zealand game
Italy are furious at losing chance to reach quarter-finals after Typhoon Hagibis decision
He's going to be a great pundit and rent-a-quote in retirement.
Shame Italy has never been able to develop a Plan B
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@Snowy said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Disgusted-of-TW said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:sweating
I see what you did there.
Yeah some of the minnows probably would have liked all draws and a "boundary" rule to decide who went through.
I'm not sure that teams (or fans) actually realised that this had a reasonable probability of happening, but the organisers certainly should have.
Sweating? Nah, that was unintentional. Or at least you can't prove intent, and there was no serious injury, so I reckon I won't be cited.
Does anyone know whether the pool tickets have a refund guarantee in the event of cancellation? Thinking of trolling a friend of mine who's out there but I need to know exactly which exposed nerves to twist. (Normally I wouldn't, but he sent me pornographically detailed photos of his tickets when they arrived in the post. I'm only human)
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@MiketheSnow said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@sparky said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:Great passion from Sergio:
Italy are furious at losing chance to reach quarter-finals after Typhoon Hagibis decision
He's going to be a great pundit and rent-a-quote in retirement.
Shame Italy has never been able to develop a Plan B
Nice
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@dogmeat said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:Herald is now reporting multiple sources have said AB's turned down chance to play game later.
Journalists are - in the main - scum.
Good, extra motivation for the lads next week
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@Disgusted-of-TW said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Rembrandt Would that condition limit the number of countries able to put a compliant bid together?
Massively. Professional athletes playing Test rugby have certain expectations and a spare paddock and a budget motel doesn't quite cut it.
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@antipodean said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Disgusted-of-TW said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Rembrandt Would that condition limit the number of countries able to put a compliant bid together?
Massively. Professional athletes playing Test rugby have certain expectations and a spare paddock and a budget motel doesn't quite cut it.
Yeah, especially as a 'written into the rule book' nil all draw is hard to argue, but a last minute change of venue etc that resulted in an upset would cause massive backlash. Imagine the complaints about integrity of comp because of that
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@Disgusted-of-TW think the press release said there woukd be refunds
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@KiwiMurph said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:if Boks had beaten ABs and Italy were sitting ahead of ABs in the pool standings - would Italy be wanting to play the game on Monday?
Worth repeating for effect.
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@booboo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@KiwiMurph said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:if Boks had beaten ABs and Italy were sitting ahead of ABs in the pool standings - would Italy be wanting to play the game on Monday?
Worth repeating for effect.
Somewhere, in a parallel universe, this is happening...
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@antipodean said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Disgusted-of-TW said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool
:@Rembrandt Would that condition limit the number of countries able to put a compliant bid together?
Massively. Professional athletes playing Test rugby have certain expectations and a spare paddock and a budget motel doesn't quite cut it.
That's true. I guess you'd just have to make participation in the match optional and if a team can't cobble together 22 delicate rose petals from their ranks then they'd just have to forfeit.
