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Rugby World Cup 3rd XV


Gardian
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[quote user="UlsterRugby1999"]

Now that was a display of balls and determination. The sad thing is we are going to lose next weekend. By that I mean that one Northern Hemishpere team will beat another. How convenient is that.

[/quote]

No so, after all the talk, arrogance and detriment spouted by SH rugby and their associated bodies (one aussie official/coach even stating they all hated england), the NH are winners in all this fullstop and regardless of any forthcoming results.  Whoever wins next week (i hope it is england) will get my full support against whoever wins teh other place in the final.  England first, Home Nations second, Europe third, and stuff the rest

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[quote user="Chief"][quote user="UlsterRugby1999"]

Sorry raindog but you must be having a laugh.

There was no aspect of that win that can give you the impression that Australia are going to lose to England. Tonga were woeful in the breakdown, in the loose, in the lineout (for which they did not challenge one English lineout) their scrum was ok (ish) they dropped more ball than they caught and they kicked away more hard yards than they won in the whole year.

For England to win in Marseille, they need to up the ante 300% and I dont think they have it.

That said, Nick Easter was immense. Corry (for whom I have no love) is the true bulldog but ................ what else ??????

If England play lackluster like that against the Wallabies - God help you. And remember, they are out for blood for the 2003 final is still

[/quote]

What they are out for and what they got were, well two decidedly different things.........must be awful not having a national side good enough to support, and having to play down a fellow home nations team in order to feel better.......why isn't this independence lark really working!!

[/quote]

[:D][:D][:D]

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Not from me BB! I would have loved to have seen Fiji stuff the Boors[:(].. They played a fantastic game and I think they frightened the life out of the Boors! Made them go back to their bulldozer tactics.. All in my humble opinion of course [blink].

I am now in a pickle because I want to see Scotland beat the Argies, but I would rather see the Argies up against the Boors because I don't think that Scotland could stuff them.

Anyone would think that I don't like the arrogant b*****ds?

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OK, hands up, the puma's beat us, but it wasn't the riot forecast by some. Some terrible mistakes by Scotland gave them the victory more so than good play by Argentina. But then again that's my view and being Scottish entitles me to that much. Patriotic utterance over.

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My only regret today is that I haven't seen any footage of outbound (rugby - playing) passengers on flights to Australia and NZ.  Not sure if I could have dealt with the emotion.

Would have been even better if the Springboks were on their way too, but although close-ish, one somehow always felt that it was never in doubt.

The Pumas just did enough - no more and no less.

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Scotland could've won that game but as usual couldn't finish and turned over too much ball. Nifty try though.

Shame for Fiji - they had SA well rattled at one point. And Fiji are the only team to have played fast open rugby in the quarter finals - everyone else, including the blacks, throttled back and played it safe - too much at stake to risk flinging the ball all over the place. It's time the 3 island nations were included a bit more on the world stage because they have the best players in the word.

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My Rugby scrum?

I am half French, half English and to be honest am a Football fan rather than Rugby but on these occasions I unashamedly jump on the bandwagon. Bit like people do with the Football World Cup, Ryder Cup Golf etc.

All my friends back in England assume I support France as over the years I have said I prefer to watch the French play Rugby than England.

All my friends in France assume I support England because they take me as English first and foremost.

Last Saturday I watched the France v NZ game in a 'pub' here in France with my French friends and enjoyed every minute and celebrated with them. Especially nice that the women kiss everybody when the French win. So maybe I should want France to win.

Next Saturday I am invited back, must wear my England shirt (which I did last Sat anyway!), and they tell me France will give England a good beating.

If England win I will be able to take the mickey.

If France win I will probably have a much better evening in the pub, even if they take the mick (which actually wont bother me) and to cap it all I backed France to win the World Cup anyway, knowing I would be here to watch it.

So CANT WIN, CANT LOSE

Whatever happens it was great to get rid of the Aussies and the Kiwis. Best bit of all was the French supporters doing a mock Haka at the final whistle - quality!

Allez les Bleus (ou Blancs?)

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John- 

 It's  'Boer' not 'Boor' from the Afrikaans word farmer, and the Springbok team is mixed - some Coloured, some African & some  English speaking South Africans (white, many with origins in the UK eg Montgomery).  Afrikaaners or Boers- many can trace their origins back to their ancestors arriving in the Cape in 1652 and have Dutch, French, German & lots of other ancestors.  The language is similar to Dutch. English speaking South Africans eg Janet Suzman, Peter Hain, etc are not Boers.

And I doubt if many are,  to quote you,  'bastards' -  of the generation playing  few would  have had parents who were not married,  (unlike the way things are in the UK), and  also I don't accept your other insult to the Springbo team that they are 'arrogant'.   Big & tough maybe, but that's rugby, it's a rough tough game, not for wimps,  they are determined & have worked hard to get into the Springbok team.

For goodness sake, it's only a game!!

 

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Thank God for tegwini, both decent and honourable. You are, of course, quite right. It is only a game and unfortunately there are some here who take it to the uttmost false patriotic rubbish about all us together and lets all support each other. I follow who I want not because of where I'm from.

I follow rugby. Of course, I follow my national team and after that I follow the teams which are playing the style of rugby I like to watch. I dont give a fig if its the Puma's, Les Bleus or the All Blacks. Right now it is not Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales. Right now France have bucked themselves up and the Pumas are a delight to watch. Passion, pride and total self belief. Contepomi, who plays his rugby in Ireland, has shown the rugby world just what a team as I have described, without the funding of the Tri Nations or England or whoever, can do and as Syd Miller has said, its made for a marvellous festival of rugby.

Then you come onto message boards such as this, for which I usually have much respect, and you get mindless morons such as chief who describes himself (or perhaps herself) as a patriot. You have given nothing to this rugby discussion, you clearly know zip about the game and your contributions indicate an inability to hold a serious and sensible discussion.

To start into the North of Ireland and Irish politics on a forum such as this is both insane, crass and what you expect from mindless people. We do have a national team (albeit in disgrace right now) and we are proud of the fact that through all the rubbish that has happened over the past 35 - 40 years, our passion for our rugby (irrespective of each individuals political beliefs) has held true and firm.

Chief if you cannot come on here, contributing not one item of sense, to a decent rugby discussion then I suggest you revert back to the hole in the ground from whence you came.

Raindog based upon your postings, I had the impression that you were of a rugby mind and not that of the mindless gnat who made the remarks to which you seemed to take pleasure.

[:@]

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Now then, now then, one of the greatest things about rugby is that it transcends national boundaries.   Those of you that have been around the game long enough will have been to many places nationally and internatioanally to see teams play and the deleight for me playing or not has always been the comeradery (appologise for all the spelling errors too early for me).   To stand and have a pint and a pie, wine and a baguette, vino and pasta or whatever - you will get my drift, with a whole different crowd without a sniff of trouble and chew the fat of the game before, after or during has been just as good as the game.   Even taking people for the first time to a game for them to sample this wonderful atmosphere makes me smile at their reactions.   Yes I support England (good or bad), but more importanatly after a game, win or lose, I love the banter and friendship (er maybe a beer or two) of the fans both sides and all sides.

So I say to those that want to listen, the forum is great, the game is greater and friendship gained through the game best of all.

Amen 

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"The Pumas have risen to fourth in rugby's world rankings

and have beaten three Six Nations sides - France, Ireland and Scotland

- to reach their first World Cup semi-final, where they will take on

the Springboks on Sunday.

   

The South Americans are keen to join either the

Tri-Nations event with South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, or the

northern hemisphere's Six Nations in order to get regular top-class

competition." (from BBC)

This has been discussed before and it makes sense for them to be part of the tri nations, but the question of distance and jet leg have always been brought up to squash the idea.

For the northern hemi, what do you thinkof a 2 tier 5 nations? The five best nations in a sort of 1st division, and a 2nd division made up of 5 more countries with the lowest of the 1st swapping with the highest of the second each year, a bit like the league system. That would bring Portugal, Romania, Spain and Georgia into regular competition with the chance of moving up.

Any thoughts?

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Agree with most things said and it is to the IRB's shame that they have not yet come up with a strategy and the money that accomodates all teams in 2 or 3 competions for all to play in and therefore develope.   I am sure the aussies and blacks would now have wished to have been pitched against the pumas in their Tri nations to give them some variety of opposition.

My only comment re northern hemisphereis a problem with club and country and the amount of games, if all that could be sorted yes it would be excellent especially for up and comiing nations.

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If the smaller nations like Georgia and Portugal are to progress in Union then it makes sense for them to have a competition like the Six Nations - second division or similar. The problem with the World Cup, as NZ found to their cost, is that there are some games which are absolutely meaningless with absurd scorelines. I know that the "minnows" enjoy their time in the limelight but it can't do their rugby progress much good if they meet a strong nation once every four years and get thrashed. 
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Exactly, so sooner or later they have to play international test matches on a more regular basis, and sooner would be best. I read before the WC started that Portugal would be so bad that it might even be physicaly dangerous for them, but in the end they played better than anyone predicted, apart from their drubbing by NZ, but that was to be expected.

Anyway, all world cups are like this. The minnows in the footy knockout stages often get a pounding too.

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Agreed with everything that extends the rugby union arena wider. The how and the mechanics are, of course, the key factors but these will be worked out by the IRB. I'm a fan of Syd Miller and I have no doubt that he, and his troops, will already have been looking at things and formulating plans. It wont happen over night but it will and the world of rugby will be the richer for it.

Now as for the weekend - my head says France - Boks in the final but my heart would love to see a re-match of the opening game. Am I against England (as has been insinuated here) not at all. I am looking at the form and the want and the drive and the passion and the as a team factor and all that and I dont think England will pull it off. It'll be close but it'll be a bridge too far. While the English pack was in much better form against the Aussies, I dont think the depth of panel and desire is there. If I'm wrong I'll buy all decent posters a cyber pint of Guinness. It travels better than the real thing [:)]

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[quote user="UlsterRugby1999"]

While the English pack was in much better form against the Aussies, I dont think the depth of panel and desire is there. If I'm wrong I'll buy all decent posters a cyber pint of Guinness. It travels better than the real thing [:)]

[/quote]

You're on!

We'd probably all agree that there won't be much in it: anyone French I've spoken to agrees. This Laporte worries me though: haven't been sure about him for all the years he's been in charge. I only realised what he'd done after he'd done it and 'taken the spoils' on Sat night - that's the mark of a smart operator. 

Re the RWC, let's just hope that the IRB ditch this proposal to limit the competition to 16 teams.  It might have seemed a reasonable enough idea before the last few weeks .......... but now?  Never.

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In 2003, Laporte came to Lansdowne Road to take on the Irish. Ireland were coming into form and we had been blessed (not) with Comical O'Sullivan as coach a couple of years earlier and starting to find long term players for long term positions.

Laporte came with his men and attacked Humphries, our then world class out half. Humphries shut them out with 4 penalties and virtual control of the match. Thats the last time we beat France. Why? 2 reasons. Firstly Comical favoured ROBOT O'Gara because he played flatter ball which suited the running of O'Driscoll and even though his kicking stats in every aspect were not up to it he switched ROBOT to the starting position and left Humphries to keep the bench warm. Secondly, Laporte had watched ROBOT with his lack of tackle, slowish flat ball and complete lack of control or play making and knew that the No10 channel was the route to go through. He even announced it in the Irish Times and L'Equipe prior to the game in Paris in 2004.

The result - 35 -17 to France. 4 tries (3 through the centre) and France went on to take a Grand Slam. We had come out of the World Cup believing we were invincible. Laporte knew better. Now of course the world knows it too.

So 2005, France come to Dublin. Laporte holds his pre-match press conference and announces that he is targetting ROBOT O'Gara through the No10 channel.We had just beaten England and were even more invincible. Result against France - 19-26 to France. 3 tries to France and Yachvilli kicked us off the park.

All of this from a man that the French love to hate. I'd knight him, make him a saint and lock him away from anyone who could harm him. His tactical brain is amongst the best in the world of rugby. If Comical Eddie gets sacked by the 3 wise old owls at No6 Lansdowne Road I hope to God they have the sense to have a wee chat with Monsieur Laporte. Probably not though. These are the eegits who gave Comical a 1.5m€ contract 1 week before the start of this World Cup. [8-)][8-)]

P.S. - Cyber Guinness in fridge as we speak

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Impossible to make predictions for saturday. After last week end anything could happen. France have to start as favourites tho just on the strength of the fact that it's their WC and the match is in Paris. Make a massive difference that will. But don't forget England were the only team to beat Fr in the last 6N, and we didn't just beat them, we ran rings round them (why can't we play like that all the time[:(]) Mind you, Ireland would've more than likely beat them too, but they were missing Stringer and O Driscoll.

Bernard Laporte might be clever, but I don't think he's a very nice bloke. By the way, he's quitting his post after the WC to work with the minister for sport.

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