Rugby World Cup general discussion
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@Stargazer said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@Nepia I think Tonga's and Samoa's main issue is the coach. The teams look badly coached.
I'm firmly of the view that the adminstration around teams makes a huge difference. PI suffer from this. Crusaders have it as a large part of their success. ABs used to be excellent, but NZR has shat the bed and the competitions quality has followed it down. WR is a shambles, and so are large elements of the international game.
Good adminstrators in the PI would be awesome to help bring them up to competitiveness.
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Don't the PIs have problems with finding, retaining, and sufficiently preparing players? Or is that less of a major concern this time?
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Someone might want to pin this Mark Keohane piece up on a wall somewhere.
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@nostrildamus said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Don't the PIs have problems with finding, retaining, and sufficiently preparing players? Or is that less of a major concern this time?
Not as big a concern as previous RWC cycles but man something isn't right with how they're approaching it.
Perhaps we need to get a Pacific 6N going to help everyone out. Naturally enough NZ would dominate this competition:
Japan
Samoa
Tonga
Fiji
Australia
NZI just don't see any alternative to helping the PIs get more games, and more games against Tier 1 opposition.
Foreign clubs will continue to hamper their chances tho, putting in clauses about injury while on international duties.
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@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
ven though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
Ulterior motive: it would show the fish heads at RA that Nucifora was right. Not that I think for a moment they're smart enough to put their egos aside to admit it.
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@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
And England too, of course.
It would be fucking insufferable if they won it. But also: I'd be hitting every single Pommy forum and FB post with "So you still blaming Eddie, bruv?"
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So all NH semi finals multi at TAB will pay $7.48, vs all SH semi finals paying $27.50
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@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
fucking ban this muthafucka
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@voodoo said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
fucking ban this muthafucka
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@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?
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@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?
Never. But they're playing a style of rugby that combines brutality with beauty as well as accuracy. I can actually watch them.
England's 2003 has a lot of parallels actually - they just didn't give a shit about the beauty part, despite the best efforts of Jason Robinson.
Not my fault the ABs spent 24 years choking
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@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@NTA said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Controversial opinion: I want RSA and NZL knocked out this weekend so someone new gets a chance at it.
Ireland v France final guarantees a new holder. Even though I fucking hate Sexton's sookface they'd deserve it as #1.
Since when has being #1 ever meant you deserve to win the RWC?
Never. But they're playing a style of rugby that combines brutality with beauty as well as accuracy. I can actually watch them.
England's 2003 has a lot of parallels actually - they just didn't give a shit about the beauty part, despite the best efforts of Jason Robinson.
Not my fault the ABs spent 24 years choking
Faaaark you!!!!
I must admit, when they played and won the series in NZ, the Irish played a far better and more attractive brand than our helter skelter Fozz blacks
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@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
EnglandNew Zealand ( duh, although I still cringe at some of our fans on line )
South Africa ( got to respect the old foe )
France ( they deserve it after three failed finals )
Fiji ( would be hilarious )
Wales ( oh go on then )
Ireland ( I have some heritage there somewhere )
Argentina ( despite their red wine and steak I just don’t like them )
England ( fuck England ) -
Yeah - realistically, Ireland or France - deserve it the most. And if we can't make it - that'd be an awesome final.
Especially as... with all the talk of the "imbalanced pools" - it pretty much means that the top 4 ranked teams are playing each other this weekend... effectively, the Quarter-Finals 1 & 2 - are the Semi-Finals.
But then - the winners of those - get a relatively easy actual semi. (I say relatively... they'll obviously need to make sure they step up, and don't get the "we played our Final last week" yips)
And then - hopefully - a Final between the winners of QFs 1+2 - each having had a relatively easy game the week prior.
A set-up for a fucking cracker Final. Hopefully.Or - somebody from the other side of the draw suddenly steps up under pressure, and does a crash-and-grab for Wiremu. Which would be pretty funny, as long as it's not England.
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@MN5 said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
EnglandNew Zealand ( duh, although I still cringe at some of our fans on line )
South Africa ( got to respect the old foe )
France ( they deserve it )
Fiji ( would be hilarious )
Wales ( oh go on then )
Ireland ( I have some heritage there somewhere )
Argentina ( despite their red wine and steak I just don’t like them )
England ( fuck England )I couldn't be arsed writing my reasons - but for NZ, France, Fiji, Wales, England - you've got them perfectly.
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@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@MN5 said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@Kruse said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
Preferred winners in order of preference:
New Zealand
Fiji
Argentina
France
Wales
... and reluctantly ...
Ireland
South Africa
EnglandNew Zealand ( duh, although I still cringe at some of our fans on line )
South Africa ( got to respect the old foe )
France ( they deserve it )
Fiji ( would be hilarious )
Wales ( oh go on then )
Ireland ( I have some heritage there somewhere )
Argentina ( despite their red wine and steak I just don’t like them )
England ( fuck England )I couldn't be arsed writing my reasons - but for NZ, France, Fiji, Wales, England - you've got them perfectly.
Weird…..I could have sworn you were part Irish judging from your photo.