RWC final: predictions/thread

[Gingerman]

I don't see them as the all-conquering force some seem to. Fiji matched them very evenly for large sections of the QF. That's Fiji, everybody.

dont forget England were'nt too impressive against the Yanks in their first match either

 

[JTG]

dont forget England were'nt too impressive against the Yanks in their first match either

we knew that though. The argument isn't that England have hardly been an irresistible force throughout the tournament, it's that at times South Africa haven't been either.

 

[Termite Man]

I don't actually care . It's rugby and therefore not worth bothering with . I will be checking the scores of Wycombe vs Grimsby instead

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I should be in a house with no television by kick-off, not that it's on telly here anyway.

 

[brianx]

Che Guevara was a scrum-half. "Not a lot of people know that" thank you Jim Rosanthale. Argentina to win. Come on you reds!

 

[gabi]

Wow.... feel sorry for the french! theyve got a ref who can spot a forward pass this time. Cmon the argies.

 

[The Boy]

Wow.... feel sorry for the french! theyve got a ref who can spot a forward pass this time. Cmon the argies.

seriously, can we stop with the fucking kiwi preciousness about *that* pass? Did you miss the borderline forward pass in the build up to the first kiwi try? Are you honestly saying NZ have never benefitted form a forward pass before? Or any other dubious decisions?

Besides, if you had had a player with the balls/ability/gumption to take a drop-goal you would have won. The bottom line is that you didn't and that is what cost you the game. NOT a forward pass, NOT referee bias - you just didn't deserve to win a game where you had 70% of the possesion and a similar amount of territory.

Anyways, congrats to the Argies. Perhaps *now* we can see them admitted to serious, regular international tests? A good way for some of that squad to bow out of international rugby. Not such a good way for some of the French to end their careers.

Oh, and thank fuck Laporte has gone. I believe Philippe Saint-Andre is fav to take over? Dunno how the English posters rate him? I've only just got my hands on digital TV so haven;t really been following the GP. He'd better be good if he's going to get the job ahead of Guy Noves.

Edit: Loved Michalak tonight!!! Spend the whole week mouthing off about how wrong Laporte was wrong for not picking him enough. He sure proved the doubters wrong there, eh?!

Edit2: And while I'm here, why the fuck did Poitrenak have to score the fucking try, eh? Can't stand the guy even if he does prove me wrong every second time he plays. Anyways, I have another bottle of wine to drink

 

[The Boy]

Che Guevara was a scrum-half. "Not a lot of people know that" thank you Jim Rosanthale. Argentina to win. Come on you reds!

"preferred revolution to rugby in the end."

 

[gabi]

Besides, if you had had a player with the balls/ability/gumption to take a drop-goal you would have won.

Well i think its undeniable that NZ would have won that game if the pass hadnt been missed. By THREE officials. I was at that game and missed it, but um yeh, i was sitting in the WORST seat in the house.

 

[Karac]

Lets hope its a real game 72-0 or something
Nah -im a neutral on this one -no-one can support the SA rugby team

 

[Flashman]

Llongyfarchiadau, Karac

Loved that (4th?) try from the RGs.

Some folks need to get their thinking caps on and get them playing against the NH, or the SH, every year. Fuck knows how but that's not my problem.

Just gerrit done.

 

[JTG]

well we've had the Italians in for, what, seven years now. The southern hemisphere should have had the Argentinians and some sort of Pacific Islands XV in their thing for the same sort of time.

 

[The Boy]

well we've had the Italians in for, what, seven years now. The southern hemisphere should have had the Argentinians and some sort of Pacific Islands XV in their thing for the same sort of time.

Not to mention having at leat one RG team & PI team in the Super14. Might solve the problem of all the RG playeres playing in Europe (One of the obstacles to them entering the tri-nations)

 

[London_Calling]

Current Betfair odds (100% market):

SA: 1/2
England: 5/2
Draw: somewhere in the 30s.

 

[JTG]

Not to mention having at leat one RG team & PI team in the Super14. Might solve the problem of all the RG playeres playing in Europe (One of the obstacles to them entering the tri-nations)

in addition to all that, I see NZ want the next world cup reduced to 16 teams

the whole antipodean attitude towards developing nations is hardly progressive is it?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I don't actually care . It's rugby and therefore not worth bothering with . I will be checking the scores of Wycombe vs Grimsby instead

Looks like you're beating the stinking Cods.

 

[The Boy]

in addition to all that, I see NZ want the next world cup reduced to 16 teams

the whole antipodean attitude towards developing nations is hardly progressive is it?

Bernard Lapasset has been confirmed as new IRB Chairman (taking over from Syd Millar) and he's opposed to the idea.

Also, from what I've been reading, NZRU need a minumum number of games which 16 teams will not give them (fuck knows why they need this since the NZ govt has agreed to underwrite the massive losses the 2011 WC will incur) so they have come up with a 'unique' format which will give them the required number of games.

They won't say what the format is, but I'm guessing it will involve two group stages or somesuch.

 

[JTG]

what's the voting structure on this? The IRB has about 150-160 members I believe but I assume that the big Unions have more clout than the smaller ones.

How likely is it to go to 16 nations? 'cos I'm assuming that the northern unions will be supportive of the participation of the smaller nations given that they seem to be better at supporting them generally.

Sorry, know little about RU politics.

 

[1927]

They won't say what the format is, but I'm guessing it will involve two group stages or somesuch.

Probably some sort of plate competition for teams knocked out in group stages, not a bad idea really.

 

[Harold Hill]

Wow.... feel sorry for the french! theyve got a ref who can spot a forward pass this time. Cmon the argies.

And you're still trying to pass yourself off as a non AB fan?

 

[brianx]

Terry Christian just described this as the Bores v the Boers. The Northern Monkey knows his stuff.

 

[The Boy]

what's the voting structure on this? The IRB has about 150-160 members I believe but I assume that the big Unions have more clout than the smaller ones.

How likely is it to go to 16 nations? 'cos I'm assuming that the northern unions will be supportive of the participation of the smaller nations given that they seem to be better at supporting them generally.

Sorry, know little about RU politics.

truth be told, I'm no expert on IRB politics either. A quick google reveals:-

The Executive Council meets twice a year. It consists of eight Unions with two seats each: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Four unions have one seat each: Argentina, Canada, Italy and Japan as does FIRA–AER. The full membership meets at a General Meeting which is convened every two years. Regional meetings are held at regular intervals.[3] The current chairman of the IRB is Dr. Syd Millar.

Though, Syd Millar (pro 16 team comp) will shortly be replaced by Bernard Lapasset (pro 20 team comp).

 

[The Boy]

Probably some sort of plate competition for teams knocked out in group stages, not a bad idea really.

If it was a plate comp then, yes that would be great. It's just what the smaller nations need - a couple of games against the big boys to get a feel for where they are realtive to the 'big 8', then the chance of some silver ware aswell.

However, given that one of the concerns about the NZ tourney is that the locals won't be interested in games involving the minnows, I doubt it will be.

 

[Prince Rhyus]

And....they're off!!!

 

[brianx]

If Johnnie keeps kicking like that England have a chance. It's not England nil anyway.

 

[Phenotypic Dai]

If Johnnie keeps kicking like that England have a chance. It's not England nil anyway.

That seems ever so slightly homo-erotic.

 

[Prince Rhyus]

Now was that or wasn't that a try? I thought the video ref got it wrong.

 

[brianx]

That seems ever so slightly homo-erotic.

And what's wrong with that? Cueto scored a try by the way. Not given.

 

[revol68]

what a retarded fucking game, someone actually scores a decent try rather than a boring fucking kick but for some reason it gets ruled out? I don't understand it at all, the ball wasn't out, why does it fucking matter if someones leg touches the white line or not?

 

[brianx]

what a retarded fucking game, someone actually scores a decent try rather than a boring fucking kick but for some reason it gets ruled out? I don't understand it at all, the ball wasn't out, why does it fucking matter if someones leg touches the white line or not?

Because it's the rules.