RWC 2023
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@Daffy-Jaffy
Debateable. Ireland is certainly weaker based on most recent form for either team. Though that may not mean a whole lot come 2023. -
@mofitzy_ Yeah Ireland without Sexton and probably Murray won't be the same team as they were a few years ago. We have an ok draw, a much better draw than SA. They have an incredibly tough quarters no matter how they perform in their group. Looks like their RWC luck has finally run out.
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@rotated said in France 2023:
@MajorRage said in France 2023:
Pretty tough alright! France looking seriously awesome at the moment. And at home.
NZ looking seriously shit at the moment. And not at home.
A heavily hyped France going into a game at home against the ABs rarely turns out well for France.
So much water left to run under the bridge, at this stage in the last cycle we had just put 50 points on the Boks in Durban.
Absolutely! Most bookies still have us as favourites.
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@nzzp @Billy-Webb @Snowy RWC’s are magic for bonding with your Dad, brothers and mates. Look forward to sharing them with my boys.
They’re also ace for running into former teammates randomly. Nothing like rushing a few more frothies in before hitting the stadium because you bumped into old mate from 3-legged rocking horse RFC 3rds and he’s hit perfect yarn spinning form.
But an under appreciated joy are the bullshit sessions with random okes you run into who could’ve been your club mates (but weren’t because of accidents of time and geography.)
The English toffs sat behind you who also decided to hit the 07 final after the dust settled on the quarters. That you can’t help torturing by agreeing that Cueto’s toe never touched the line. The passionate kiwis who were satisfyingly quiet in the opening quarter of the 2019 AB Bok game, then annoyingly, justifiably mouthy as the ABs take their chances and then somehow more annoyingly gracious after the whistle.
Asterix and Obelix using all their Gallic charm to provoke the only true rudeness you see from any Japanese bar staff. And who you kept running into, more pissed each time. A random bunch of Aussies that mystifingly includes Adam Frier, as much a Wallaby as any club’s 2nds hooker impatiently waiting for the well-connected 1sts hooker to finally retire, or for the selection panel to take their heads out their arses.
Plenty wrong with our game, but it’s got a fair bit right with it too.
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@cgrant said in France 2023:
Japan to upset England, like they did in 2015 against SA and in 2019 against Ireland.
love it if that happened! But then they get sent our way don't they?
Also, France again? Really? World Rugby love the chance of an upset I reckon. 7 times in 10 tournaments is insane
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@Smuts said in France 2023:
@nzzp @Billy-Webb @Snowy RWC’s are magic for bonding with your Dad, brothers and mates. Look forward to sharing them with my boys.
They’re also ace for running into former teammates randomly. Nothing like rushing a few more frothies in before hitting the stadium because you bumped into old mate from 3-legged rocking horse RFC 3rds and he’s hit perfect yarn spinning form.
But an under appreciated joy are the bullshit sessions with random okes you run into who could’ve been your club mates (but weren’t because of accidents of time and geography.)
The English toffs sat behind you who also decided to hit the 07 final after the dust settled on the quarters. That you can’t help torturing by agreeing that Cueto’s toe never touched the line. The passionate kiwis who were satisfyingly quiet in the opening quarter of the 2019 AB Bok game, then annoyingly, justifiably mouthy as the ABs take their chances and then somehow more annoyingly gracious after the whistle.
Asterix and Obelix using all their Gallic charm to provoke the only true rudeness you see from any Japanese bar staff. And who you kept running into, more pissed each time. A random bunch of Aussies that mystifingly includes Adam Frier, as much a Wallaby as any club’s 2nds hooker impatiently waiting for the well-connected 1sts hooker to finally retire, or for the selection panel to take their heads out their arses.
Plenty wrong with our game, but it’s got a fair bit right with it too.
It did though
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@nzzp said in France 2023:
@cgrant said in France 2023:
Japan to upset England, like they did in 2015 against SA and in 2019 against Ireland.
love it if that happened! But then they get sent our way don't they?
Also, France again? Really? World Rugby love the chance of an upset I reckon. 7 times in 10 tournaments is insane
Only the 2nd time France and ABs have been drawn in the same pool.
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@booboo said in France 2023:
So we know what the opening game is going to be ... Hosts versing the biggest draw cards ...
Or do they go hosts verse a guaranteed win (I've started the count down on the hilarious Foster post).
I think France will choose Italy over NZ. In 2007 they played Argentina in the opening game, not Ireland.
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@Bovidae said in France 2023:
@booboo said in France 2023:
So we know what the opening game is going to be ... Hosts versing the biggest draw cards ...
Or do they go hosts verse a guaranteed win (I've started the count down on the hilarious Foster post).
I think France will choose Italy over NZ. In 2007 they played Argentina in the opening game, not Ireland.
and we all know how that turned out. The Cardiff nightmare.
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@nzzp said in France 2023:
@Bovidae said in France 2023:
@booboo said in France 2023:
So we know what the opening game is going to be ... Hosts versing the biggest draw cards ...
Or do they go hosts verse a guaranteed win (I've started the count down on the hilarious Foster post).
I think France will choose Italy over NZ. In 2007 they played Argentina in the opening game, not Ireland.
and we all know how that turned out. The Cardiff nightmare.
Tell me about it. I watched the France-Argentina game in a French pub in Arles. Little did we know the consequences of that upset loss.
This will be a little bit different as we are in the same pool. Upsets in Pool B could also turn the playoffs on its head.
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@Smuts said in France 2023:
@nzzp @Billy-Webb @Snowy RWC’s are magic for bonding with your Dad, brothers and mates.
@Billy-Webb Is trying to drag me out of RWC retirement but I think that he has an ulterior motive as this means that we won't win it. Most likely losing to France in a knockout match. I'm not sure that I can put myself through that a third time. I have had one success but 1987 was a long time ago.
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@Bovidae said in France 2023:
I watched the France-Argentina game in a French pub in Arles.
I wonder if they are going to do the same thing with tickets. In 2007 we had to join a French rugby club to get an allocation. Thought it was a pretty cool idea. Arles was our club and we stayed in a gite there for about two weeks overall.
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@Bovidae said in France 2023:
Doing a quick scan through previous RWC pools, Australia and Scotland are the only 2 major teams that have never been in the same pool as NZ. Too much sameness in some of these pools.
We played the Scots in 2007 - it was wet and they wore the grey jerseys that are better remembered for the QF.
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@Bovidae said in France 2023:
Doing a quick scan through previous RWC pools, Australia and Scotland are the only 2 major teams that have never been in the same pool as NZ. Too much sameness in some of these pools.
Actually it would be good in some way to ditch the draw altogether . Establish the pools for all future comps in one go. That way you have to prove yourself through the same course each time. If you want to play someone different you have to win.
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@Bovidae said in France 2023:
Doing a quick scan through previous RWC pools, Australia and Scotland are the only 2 major teams that have never been in the same pool as NZ. Too much sameness in some of these pools.
ABs and Scotland were in the same pool in 2007.
Scotland rolled out a B team and got spanked.
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I remember watching that game too. So only Aussie.