Rugby World cup '23

Hard luck Wales, Argentina are fast becoming a bit of a force, not that they were ever a push over.

I'm nervous for this one, obviously I'm shouting for Ireland but you just cannot ever write off any All-Black side
 
GG NZ! I don't know what happened Ireland tonight but NZ had them well figured out
 
Cagey75 said:
GG NZ! I don't know what happened Ireland tonight but NZ had them well figured out
Click to expand...


It was a hard game, how they kept that up, I don't know. NZ were just that bit too good on the night.

Wales should be proud, less than a year ago, they couldn't score tries, let alone win anything. They've a good base to build from now. They can't carry on with all those errors though.

Ireland, no doubt about it, in the top 3 teams in the world at the moment. :clap:
 
Ireland/NZ would have been a great final! Not sure anyone would have predicted the Wales/Argentina result though. Here's hoping that Fiji have an off day later!!!
 
Squeaky bum time!!!
 
Well, that's a "Phew"!!!
 
Arrrgh, close game in the end.

England in the semis? Who would've thunk that?
 
The same people who were sure Australia WOULD be?
 
The only issue I see, why was Sinckler brought on. It seemed to me that he gave away two penalties, each of which was followed by a converted try for Fiji. Also at around the same time Curry was hit in the face deliberately by a Fijian player but the referee chose to ignore this despite a TV replay. I guess this will be as far as England goes as I cannot see them beating the winner of France/SA.

Dave
 
Spoiler alert, SA v France....

what a first half that was.
 
Crazy stuff, after Ireland lost I predicted France to go on to win it, that's me done with any predicting. NZ have their tails up, they'll not be easy for anyone to beat, NZ RSA final? ... There I go jinxing teams again lol
 
Matt Dawson, who should know, predicted all four Northern Hemisphere clubs would win. So don't feel too bad about getting predictions wrong. It certainly felt like those two games could have both been finals, and should certainly have been semi-finals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
I think that the winners of the South Africa and England semi-final will go on to win the final.
 
Brain tells me RSA won't be beat, heart says NZA rise back to the top. Who doesn't love when the all blacks are top and your team is facing them, win, lose, draw it's always a great occasion
 
Dave Canon said:
. Also at around the same time Curry was hit in the face deliberately by a Fijian player but the referee chose to ignore this despite a TV replay.
Dave
Click to expand...
The referee missed/ignored several incidents, notably a no arms ‘tackle’, standard of officials very poor throughout the tournament, hopefully the URC crowd will have seen this and been reading the rule book to brush up for the season start soon. The ‘Bunker‘ sessions giving refs a cop out of giving reds on their own decisions, will we see a ref brandish a red card again?
 
The NZ v Argentina game was interesting. NZ never let off really but I do feel they were saving themselves for the final too, the score could've been bigger. Argentina certainly wanted to play but it was looking ominous for them by half time.

Looking forward to tonight's game, SA should get through but you never know with knockout rugby.
 
I fear the the score will be similar tonight in SA's favour but still hope England do better than that.

Dave
 
Last edited:
OK well England did nearly win and would have done if they had not substituted the two props. As I said for their last game as soon as Sinckler came on they lost scrums in fact 4 in a row. The third scrum failure caused by Sinckler gave SA a penalty from which they scored a try. Why keep playing Sinckler who is not up to the job. Surely, there is someone else who is up to Dan Cole's standard or could Cole have continued to the end.

Well four years time maybe?

Dave
 
England were unlucky in the end to be fair. They prevented SA playing their game and SA did look a bit shell shocked midway through the second half.

The final should be epic.
 
The other thing that cost England was Steward's kick about 4 mins from the end of the match.
I don't understand why teams do this when they have a slight lead in the final minutes.
It resulted in a knock on = scrum = penalty to SA.
They should just keep possession and run the time down going through the phases.
That way the opposition (SA in this case) are more likely to give away a penalty (England did well in the rucks) as they are chasing the game.
 
A game of flowing rugby nearly broke out there, after a good weeks lay up for both teams we should be in for a cracking final.
Since one of the Edinburgh players is in the Argentinian squad I’m hoping for them to finish ahead in the diddy final game.
 
The less said about the Wallaby's the better . However I am glad to see that three Southern hemisphere team's have made it through . My money is on the All Blacks.
 
How much interest in SA or NZ is there in football? Seems much more is played here- Argentina, UK- than there so rugby not competing for early interest.
 
mj4456 said:
How much interest in SA or NZ is there in football? Seems much more is played here- Argentina, UK- than there so rugby not competing for early interest.
Click to expand...
Yes I am sure the upbringing is significant. In my local area in Gloucestershire it has always been focussed on Rugby Union. At High School, football was never played or discussed. One of the most popular teachers was a Welsh Maths teacher who was an excellent winger. However, as I was then physically small, I rarely opted to play rugby but normally chose the only alternative, cross country running. A number of Welsh and Cornish miners emigrated to Argentina which accounts for their Welsh area. These miners introduce Rugby and pasties.

Dave
 
I didn't catch any of the semi finals as I was travelling and my usual apps wouldn't work on the go without having to buy some form of VPN, but I was checking in on the scores. I was a bit shocked whenever I checked the England v RSA game, did not expect it to be so close! Hard luck to England on that, seems like just one mistake cost them?

I will watch the final, I'll always watch the bigger games and NZ v RSA is about as big as it gets. I'll watch a decent rugby match before a dull lower end premiership game, but I would say in general I'd veer more towards the footy

I have no ties to either in this case but I'd like to see the All Blacks get it done, I feel Int Rugby is that bit more exciting when they're hoverring around the top spot.
 
I suppose it's all about one's passion. I much prefer a Premiership game than an international. If God ever gave me the choice I'd always choose a Gloucester win over an England win. I've only watched two RWC games this time, and during that period have watched Gloucester three or four times. I agree that the matches are way better at international level (the top teams, anyway) but having little investment in them I simply don't bother. But an afternoon or evening at Kingsholm...!! That said, there's a really keen rugby fan who lives a few doors down, and he prefers the game one level further down still. Doesn't give two hoots for the professionals but loves the Combination clubs.
 
Last edited:
I grew up in the 70/80s, when Wales had a fine team, I remember watching it then. My mother also loved the international side of RU.

In school, particularly Comprehensive, rugby was everywhere. We played other sports, cricket, tennis, football, athletics etc but rugby was the main thing. I wouldn't say it was enforced on us but it was very prominent. I remember playing rugby on a semi frozen pitch as a 14 year old. The good old days.

My head teacher was Alan Pask, a lovely, massive, gentle giant of a guy but an animal on the pitch and a Welsh great. A Geoff Davies, I think he played for Pontypool was a history teacher. Mark Jones, a Welsh cap, was a year ahead of me in school. I'm still friends with him to this day.

I think upbringing and exposure is relevant, most of the school boys at the time wanted to play for Wales, including me.
 
Last edited:
I have an All Blacks jacket and several people have asked me if I am an All Black supporter. If I had just said yes, I am sure I would have been accused of being disloyal but I just say that I am happy to support NZ except when England are playing. When the tournament started, I had assumed England would not go far and was happy to support Ireland given the style and quality of the rugby they played in recent years. I know a Welsh guy (in his 80's) who really does not like modern rugby which is so physical but prefers the rugby of the 1970's (I believe this is the period the Welsh dominated rugby). I have some sympathy with his view but the game has moved on but, if the referees have enforce even more protection for health reasons, we may be down to touch rugby. I do not think the players wearing armour as in US would help either.

Dave
 
Pound Coin said:
Surely you want Australia to win?
Click to expand...
Of course I would have wanted the Wallabies to win but as you must know they failed to get out of their pool. RA is in a bad way at the moment, the Jones experiment did not work ,too many young inexperienced new players , next best thing is the All Blacks , great pool of talent in the country ,every young boy wants to be an AB.
 
Isn't the Jones experiment continuing? I thought I had read that they were sticking with him.

It is interesting seeing 'top' teams not making it out of the pool section - a combination of manager setup not right and improving second tier teams. The latter must be good.

I think the ABs will have a good match and win. The 'boks looked shellshocked and needed coach intervention to remind them they should be beating England.
 
Saturday, first is an Edinburgh win over Emirates Lions, then rush home for the final, and honestly I think the All Blacks will win, but, if we get a captivating game of rugby I won’t care, I‘ll raise a beer or two to whomever triumphs, rugby has to be the winner after all.
 
I fancied the Bokke from the off, a one point win in the final will be fine by me, but here’s hoping for a great final on Saturday who ever wins. Best sides so far for me :
1. Ireland
2.France
3.S. Africa
4. New Zealand
5 any of the rest in the semi’s and quarters

Fiji were probably the biggest surprise, even though they won at Twickenham in the warm ups, they played some good, physical rugby.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top