Rugby World Cup general discussion

Billy Webb

@Machpants said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

We've had 9 10 world cups, but only 8 captains, has someone died? Nope, it's just the 2 x 🐐 double Captain power!

Freshened up your post for you.
Nice thing is that photo will last until 2027 too.

nostrildamus

@Billy-Webb said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Machpants said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

We've had 9 10 world cups, but only 8 captains, has someone died? Nope, it's just the 2 x 🐐 double Captain power!

Freshened up your post for you.
Nice thing is that photo will last until 2027 too.

How thoughtful and generous of you! Try not to dwell on the new potential horror that Tom Foley the TMO can call back a play no matter how many phases (days ago) it was!

Bones

Smuts

@nostrildamus said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Billy-Webb said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Machpants said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

We've had 9 10 world cups, but only 8 captains, has someone died? Nope, it's just the 2 x 🐐 double Captain power!

Freshened up your post for you.
Nice thing is that photo will last until 2027 too.

How thoughtful and generous of you! Try not to dwell on the new potential horror that Tom Foley the TMO can call back a play no matter how many phases (days ago) it was!

TMO’s are a blight on the game.

Imagine having that power and not going back to penalize the 97 Lions’ scrum right off Newlands in the first test and award both Russell Bennett’s tries that were wrongly called back for forward passes.

Sort Bill Youngs out while you’re at it. Cowards.

Catogrande

@Bones

It would be good to see stats for the number of shit kicks per game. Pretty sure England would top that list too 😟

Smuts

@Catogrande said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Bones

It would be good to see stats for the number of shit kicks per game. Pretty sure England would top that list too 😟

On an absolute basis, maybe.

But plenty of supposedly attacking teams put up a huge number of ale-house balls. back & midBarrett, Mounga and Jordan all hoofed and hoped with overlaps in the final.

And Kriel’s worst play of the RWC was his shocking effort after Kwagga’s turnover.

I was many beers in but I also vaguely recall one of the Irish players putting up a nothing kick right at the death when he had space to exploit. You could almost see his gears stripping as he tried and failed to come up with anything better to do. Pressure’s a bastard.

It’s a long while ago now but Scotland probably were the worst wasters of good attacking ball with low percentage kicks.

Catogrande

@Smuts Some stand outs there for sure but when we're talking sheer weight of numbers...

NTA

@Bones said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

I think a better stat would be "kicks per minute of possession".

After all, if your opposition isn't going to kick it back to you, or there are a lot of stoppages, you're unlikely to have the same opportunity to kick.

I saw this stat before the Semifinal and it was quite low for the Boks BUT also need to keep in mind that, in their pools:

Running over Romania meant less kicking and much more dead time due to tries and conversions.
Smashing Tonga (17 kicks per game mind) meant less kicking
Ireland and Scotland played high-possession rugby, so the Boks have less time or inclination to kick.

Context.

Catogrande

@NTA

All good points but you’re not denying us our moment of glory. We are top of the table. It’s a matter of record.

MiketheSnow

Interestingly if you asked the casual observer who were the most exciting teams to watch in the RWC then many would say NZ, France, Portugal

And all 3 are in the top 6 of kicking

Context is everything

booboo

@MiketheSnow said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Interestingly if you asked the casual observer who were the most exciting teams to watch in the RWC then many would say NZ, France, Portugal

And all 3 are in the top 6 of kicking

Context is everything

Have to assume it's what they do between the kicks.

taniwharugby

@booboo you mean score tries

MiketheSnow

@taniwharugby said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@booboo you mean score tries

Except for Portugal

taniwharugby

@MiketheSnow I expect they were at least trying to though

Catogrande

Hearing now that Tuilagi broke a bone in his hand v Samoa and had a plate inserted. Then they played him three times in the next three weeks. Re-broke it v Argentina. Club coach Sanderson is not best amused.

TeWaio

@MiketheSnow said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

@Dodge said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:

Well this is a perfect fucking summary of what happened in this tournament. Flats is a top journalist / pundit. I hated thinking he was right the first time I saw this, I wanted France or Ireland to go all the way (I never thought we had a chance), but fuck me the simplicity of this message is perfect

Hopefully by the next RWC cycle Pougach will be fucking put out to pasture and Flats will be running the show

He's brilliant

And funny as fuck too

If you have a chance to see him live, do it

I discovered Flatman during this world cup by listening to his podcast with Tom Shanklin. You're right, he's absolutely brilliant, most talented pundit I've come across in rugby for ages. What a breath of fresh air for a game that is becoming increasingly tedious and frustrating to follow.