Pre-RWC test matches
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@MiketheSnow said in Pre-RWC test matches:
@Billy-Tell said in Pre-RWC test matches:
@MiketheSnow said in Pre-RWC test matches:
@sparky said in Pre-RWC test matches:
BBC Scotland's Tom English not happy at all about Scotland's performance against France:
Spot on
What do you think of Wales draw? There is only one genuine gimme in the pool and that’s Uruguay. Australia and to a lesser extent Fiji are capable of winning and Georgia should be robust enough. I reckon Georgia would be more than happy with claiming third spot ahead of Fiji and if they add a good performance against Wales...crying shame Georgia isn’t in pool A TBH.
Our second string have beaten both Fiji and Georgia in recent years, so it should be a shoot-out for top spot with Australia.
But injuries and brain-farts could see us knocked out a la 2007
Pffft, you're the worlds number 1 team with no team ranked above 5 in your pool - you'll walk it easy.
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So the Bokke have Japan as a warm up, be a good boost for them to pick up their first ever victory over them.
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Did anybody watch the Boks vs Argies?
Yet another technically perfect decision at the end, which made no sense in reality. Look at from 2:58 in the video.
Basically, Argentina scored a match winning try, which the ref then went back to the TMO for something in the prior phase which didn't really have an effect (outside of the sliding doors theory) on the try being scored.
Surely, common sense states that for an obstruction, which happened right in front of the AR and Ref, if they can't call it at the time, then its' not clear enough.
FWIW I reckon the SA player milked it for all it's worth.
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@MajorRage said in Pre-RWC test matches:
Yet another technically perfect decision at the end, which made no sense in reality.
Agree 100%.
Argies very unlucky with that call. But these things happen.
And in my view I prefer that the officials err on the side of being technically correct rather than let all manner of things slide. The latter is more a route to fan frustration than the former I think. -
France second-row Paul Gabrillagues appeared today before an independent World Rugby disciplinary committee having been cited for alleged foul play in the test match between France and Scotland, in Nice on Saturday, 17 August, 2019.
The Disciplinary Committee chaired by Simon Thomas (Wales) alongside Donal Courtney (Ireland) and Valeriu Toma (Romania, via Skype), viewed footage with various angles of the incident in which Gabrillagues, in the 16th minute of the match, allegedly made contact with the head of an opponent contrary to Law 9.20 – “a player must not charge into a ruck or maul”.
The Disciplinary Committee also considered the written evidence and listened to submissions by and on behalf of the player, in which Gabrillagues accepted that the alleged act did amount to foul play worthy of a red card.
The Disciplinary Committee, having considered the evidence and the submissions, deemed that the foul play was intentional, the offence took place at considerable pace and with considerable force to the opposition’s head such that the player sustained an injury. The Committee determined that the act merited a top-end entry point which according to World Rugby’s Sanctions Table carries a minimum 10-week suspension.
Having noted Gabrillagues’ early acknowledgement of guilt, his apology and expression of remorse to his opponent and his good conduct at the hearing, the Disciplinary Committee reduced the 10-week entry point by 40 per cent, resulting in a sanction of six weeks. Taking into account Gabrillagues’ playing schedule, the suspension will end at midnight on Sunday, 6 October, 2019 after which he is free to resume playing.
The player has the right to appeal the decision within 48 hours of receiving the written decision.
So, if Gabrillagues makes the French RWC squad, he'll miss the first three games.
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@Stargazer When you look at the Barrett one and this one, I find it hard to think that there's not going to be at least one team that's going to be knocked out of the RWC because they get a red card - especially when you look at the following twitter thread and people are calling for another red in the England-Wales game.
As a point of order - that seems like a tackle rather than a ruck to me - there's not a French player on his feet until Gabrillagues arrives.
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@MajorRage said in Pre-RWC test matches:
Given the pace he's running at compared to Barrett, the extra weeks seem right to me.
That and, if I'm reading the comments right, Nigel Owens didn't even issue a penalty for it during the game.
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Former Hurricanes and current Scarlets No 8 Blade Thomson will make his Test debut for Scotland on Saturday against France at Murrayfield, in one of 14 changes from last week’s defeat to Les Bleus in Nice.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Pete Horne, 11 Sean Maitland; 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw; 1 Gordon Reid, 2 George Turner, 3 Willem Nel; 4 Scott Cummings, 5 Sam Skinner; 6 Ryan Wilson, 7 Hamish Watson, 8 Blade ThomsonReplacements: 16 Grant Stewart, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Grant Gilchrist, 20 John Barclay, 21 George Horne, 22 Rory Hutchinson, 23 Blair Kinghorn
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Immediate law change in response to North's try against England
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@MiketheSnow said in Pre-RWC test matches:
Immediate law change in response to North's try against England
Sensible change. Glad this was highlighted and amended before the RWC.
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@MiketheSnow It was obvious that attacking when the other side had a yellow card and a concussion replacement was not in the spirit of the game. The ref should have used his only intelligence and whistled up.
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@sparky said in Pre-RWC test matches:
@MiketheSnow It was obvious that attacking when the other side had a yellow card and a concussion replacement was not in the spirit of the game. The ref should have used his only intelligence and whistled up.
The ref hadn't stopped play for the concussion replacement - his mistake - so the Welsh transgression was to to start play before Watson had left the field.
Which has been rectified by this new ruling.
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Eddie bringing the big guns out for the Ireland game. Interesting midfield combination which might just work and he's gone from picking two specialist back rows in the squad to five including two opensides (0 last time) and picking Billy Vunipola yet again when most commentators would have him wrapped in cotton wool.
England: Daly; Cokanasiga, Tuilagi, Farrell, May; Ford, Youngs; Marler, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Kruis, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, M Vunipola, Cole, Lawes, Wilson, Heinz, Francis, Joseph.
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@Catogrande said in Pre-RWC test matches:
Eddie bringing the big guns out for the Ireland game. Interesting midfield combination which might just work and he's gone from picking two specialist back rows in the squad to five including two opensides (0 last time) and picking Billy Vunipola yet again when most commentators would have him wrapped in cotton wool.
England: Daly; Cokanasiga, Tuilagi, Farrell, May; Ford, Youngs; Marler, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Kruis, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, M Vunipola, Cole, Lawes, Wilson, Heinz, Francis, Joseph.
With the exception of Watson that's pretty the match-day 23 right there, right?
Lose this one and palms will begin to sweat.
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Manu Samoa have named a pre-RWC squad for the upcoming games against Heartland XV and Australia. This squad includes Crusaders prop Michael Alaalatoa for the first time, and Tim Nanai-Williams.
Alalatoa headlines Manu Samoa pre-World Cup squad
The Manu Samoa have unveiled a pre-World Cup campaign squad that includes six new players. The team will play two warm-up matches before heading to the Rugby World Cup. The headline recruits are prop, Michael Alaalatoa, and halfback Scott Malolua, who have linked up with the squad in Auckland, New Zealand ahead of potential international debuts. Alaalatoa, 27, is the son of former Manu prop Vili, and grew up in Sydney. He has played Super Rugby for the Crusaders since 2016. (He could face off against his brother, Allan, when Manu Samoa play the Wallabies on September 7th.) Samoan-born Malolua, 26,. made his Super Rugby debut for the Queensland Reds in May and ended the season as their starting halfback. Also with the team now are lock and loose forward Josh Tyrell, first five Tusi Pisi, wing Ed Fidow and utility back Tim Nanai-Williams, who all missed the Pacific Nations Cup campaign. With halfback Melani Matavao’s return to the side from injury, management have dropped six players from the Pacific Nations Cup squad. They are outside backs Jamie-Jerry Taulagi and Johnny Vaili, halfbacks Auvasa Faleali’i and Pelefofoga Cowley, hooker Elia Elia and prop Alofaaga Sao. The Manu Samoa will play the New Zealand Heartland XV in Auckland on August 31st then the Wallabies in Sydney, Australia on September 7th before leaving for the World Cup in Japan on the 10th.Manu Samoa squad of 34 in camp in Auckland:
Hookers: Seilala Lam, Motu Matu’u, Ray Niuia
Props: Michael Alaalatoa, Paul Alo-Emile, James Lay, Jordan Lay, Logovi’i Mulipola
Locks: Kane Le’aupepe, Teofilo Paulo, Senio Toleafoa, Josh Tyrell
Loose forwards: Afa Aiono, Afaesetiti Amosa, Piula Fa’asalele, TJ Ioane, Jack Lam, Tofatuimoana Solia, Henry Stowers, Chris Vui
Halfbacks: Scott Malolua, Melani Matavao, Dwayne Polataivao
First fives: AJ Alatimu, Tusi Pisi, Ulupano Seuteni
Midfielders: Kieron Fonotia, Rey Lee-Lo, Alapati Leiua, Henry Taefu
Outside backs: Ed Fidow, Tim Nanai-Williams, Ahsee Tuala, Belgium Tuatagaloa -
@MiketheSnow Can't be far away, a little tinkering perhaps. Sweaty palms are all part and parcel of being an England fan.
In any sport.
