Rugby World Cup opinions here ...

[Maximus]

Max will start this thread immediately after the loss to France in Pool play.

• Congrats to France, well played esp in the 2nd half.
• We got exactly what we deserved with a totally dumb, daft display. Poor discipline, aimless kicking instead of running them off their feet.

MM

 

[Hesi]

We will use this thread seeing as Maxi has been good enough to set it up.

I see Sir Steve Hansen is now over in France, actually on the training field talking to players.

My little bird in Christchurch told me several days ago that he was on his way, nothing was in the national press at the time, so I thought it was just a rumour.

I note also, Shaun Johnson talking about his renewed form and why it had happened, giving credit to his mindset coach Dan Haesler.  But also giving a lot of credit to Andrew Webster, who had committed to him and believed in him as a player and person.

[brown fox]

I really must think before taking TAB promotions.Took the bet on Cheslin Kolbi as top try scorer with a bonus $10 bet for each try.Worked well with a BB on England in the Football women's W.C.and a $10bb for each win(5xbb's) Now I see the obvious error in my thinking he would run amuck in minor games.With top players rested for these games maybe someone further down the pecking order will win this bet.

Still like most TAB promos though.

 

[JustPlodded]

And at a time the ABs should be building up teamwork and some (any) sort of pattern… we are “giving everyone a turn” !
The others are back to the weight room for another team strategy meeting. Or more importantly improving their deadlift totals.
They can after all introduce themselves to each other before they run on against SA or Ireland in a couple of weeks. 

[Hesi]

What is it with the current regime, that they take their captain off with 15 minutes left to play

[Hesi]

How is it, that the top 4 sides have all ended up on the same side of the draw, meaning that only 2 of these sides can ever get to a semi final, and that their opponents are likely to be teams not expected to pose a serious challenge, namely England and Wales/Aus/Fiji.  Maybe England being the exception

[Our Maizcay]

1 hour ago, Hesi said:

How is it, that the top 4 sides have all ended up on the same side of the draw

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby-world-cup-2023/132834507/how-the-bizarre-rugby-world-cup-draw-has-thrown-one-half-of-the-tournament-wide-open#:~:text=The draw for this year's,rankings%2C can make the semifinals.

 

[Hesi]

The draw closer to each WC certainly appears as it will happen.  Needs to for the sake of the tournament.  You would hope that close to the relatively current top 4 sides meet in the semi finals, and that is not going to happen, which will detract from the tournament overall as a spectacle

[Globederby19]

Ireland in the quarters for us it's looking like. Their match against Sth Africa was a doozy.  And Fiji impressed me, they  look really big and mobile and more structured this time in, and were unlucky not to beat Wales at the death. 

[Hesi]

Aus almost certainly out.  That should be a concern for rugby in this part of the world, especially with the popularity of football, basketball, ARL and NRL in Aus.

There is also a reasonable chance that the AB's will not make it through the QF's against Ireland.  That would have the many northern hemisphere critics dancing on their keyboards

[Hesi]

Stuff poll with over 4,000 votes so far

[Hesi]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby-world-cup-2023/300972903/rugby-world-cup-week-3-poll-who-will-win-the-tournament

[VC!]

30 minutes ago, Hesi said:

Aus almost certainly out.  

They done an audit of sorts at the private schools in Australia unless AFL or NRL are on the CV they won’t be attending, unless forced by their parents 

To be honest the Wallabies aren’t in the media.

Eddie Jones answer to fix Rugby Union was to go sign a bunch of high profile NRL players

Unfortunately for Eddie the majority turned him down including Payne Hass, but they did manage to sign the hype kid on a 3 year deal for 5.3 million Joesph Suallii, no wonder the game is cooked in Australia, 

If you walked down the main streets in Melbourne Brisbane or Sydney and asked 100 people who the Wallabies Captain is you’d be lucky to get 5 people who could tell you the answer

[Maximus]

It's no great surprise that the Aussies are out in pool play - they've been playing rugby with little or no great enthusiasm for a year or three now. The days of John Eales et al playing with the kind of intensity and precision needed up front is long gone, and the absence of one M Hooper at RWC has been telling. (As a complete aside, the Black Caps without Kane Williamson would have the same effect in India.). The big difference between Oz and Fiji is DESIRE. Fijians know theyt have a small nation lapping up their courage and skill, the Ozzies wouldn't give a fig - at least not until they made the Final, in which case they'd claim not only their own players but half their opponents through heritage or downright thievery!) Typically, their media were giving them misery before the fulltime whistle blew -and even SBW couldn't resist having a go. (Prob cos he knew everyone would agree with him about Tokyo Eddie. LOL)

Eddie is a mercenary man who loves to stir the pot through the media at every opportunity; he's very good at it. But this time around he didnt have the firepower to produce a competitive squad. At least the ABs have guys like Whitelock and Retallick, the Barretts and others who are, were, or are verging on) world class.

See ya later, Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie. Oi oi oi.

MM

PS: And if the ABs havent adapted by now to Nthn Hemisphere refereeing and style of game required to win, they deserve to sit alongside the Wallabies in the dropout zone!

 

[Globederby19]

There is a rumour circulating here that Eddie was in talks with Japan for coaching ,before this WC. Yep you heard it. The guy probably realised he had nothing to work with and then dropped his most experienced players to boot. If that is true he might be in deep trouble with those in charge, Frankly Australians dont give rugby the time of day, AFL is their God, ie 10 (double)pages devoted to AFL in the major  rag here in Melbourne. 

4 hours ago, Hesi said:

  That should be a concern for rugby in this part of the world

No  Hesi, NZ is well served at grass roots level still, with a good feeder system. . Australia is not, and funnel whatever money they gather into the top level. My son was the club Captain at a rugby club in Perth and was appalled at the fees charged and lack of interest from the Governing body. Australian Rugby is dieing a natural death.

Goodby Aussie. Im also glad Michael Hooper didn't have to suffer the ignominy of playing with this bunch of inexperienced players. Not their fault of course, but he has been a leading player and tough bugger, on the losing side  far too many times. One can only imagine his comments on Eddie Jones. 

[Hesi]

Yes, all over the media here

You can't judge the attitude to rugby based on the Victorian situation, which is AFL mad.

Semi finals are shaping up like

1.  Wales vs Ireland or ABs

2.  England vs France or SA

 

[Turny]

ARL, NRL, AFL then the others, rugby has little appeal to Aussies … very challenging times for ARU …. the average Aussie doesn’t support also rans

Edited September 25, 2023 by Turny

[VC!]

On 9/25/2023 at 9:51 AM, Hesi said:

Aus almost certainly out.  

Out in more ways than one, this pretty much sums it up

 

[Lightning Blue]

5 hours ago, Turny said:

ARL, NRL, AFL then the others, rugby has little appeal to Aussies … very challenging times for ARU …. the average Aussie doesn’t support also rans

The order for popular sports in Australia as supported/attended/watched by us average Aussies .

Rugby Union on the slide in Australia for 20 years,  ever since this moment in time >>>>>

It went down to the final minute of extra time - but shattered Wallabies coach Eddie Jones conceded his team had been beaten fairly after Jonny Wilkinson kicked England to their first World Cup victory on Saturday night.

Wilkinson ruthlessly potted the winning drop goal in the last minute of extra time to win the final 20-17 at Sydney's Olympic Stadium and become the first northern hemisphere team to claim the Webb Ellis Cup.

1. AFL  and other Aussie Rules football comps     ( by a country mile ).

2. Horse Racing     (a clear second) 

3. NRL and other Rugby League comps 

4. Motor Sports 

5. Soccer

6. Cricket 

7. Rugby Union  comps  (only a little ahead of the fabulous Harness racing !!! ♥️)

8. Harness racing       (should be number 1 😉🏆)

9. Tennis  (the Aus open the main contributor )

10. Greyhound racing

11. Basketball 

12. Netball                           (surprisingly Golf and Cycling don't even register support as both are notoriously 'hard to ' or 'boring to'  watch )

[Maximus]

Ah yes, forgot that Tokyo Eddie was coach back then.

MM

[Globederby19]

2 hours ago, Lightning Blue said:

8. Harness racing       (should be number 1 😉🏆)

With a plethora  of tracks in the country in all States and the support from punters and the Industry ,it is doing bloody well. Hard to gauge no,s though, but Melton's  Group night with 12 races was pretty damn well patronised, so dont know how accurate those figures are LB. IMHO I would think Harness should be a bit higher up the pecking order  . 

[Lightning Blue]

14 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

With a plethora  of tracks in the country in all States and the support from punters and the Industry ,it is doing bloody well. Hard to gauge no,s though, but Melton's  Group night with 12 races was pretty damn well patronised, so dont know how accurate those figures are LB. IMHO I would think Harness should be a bit higher up the pecking order  . 

TV coverage is the killer. Only 3 nights of harness PER year are broadcast on Free to Air tele (East Coast anyway) . just a disgrace.

There are literally thousands of gallops race broadcast per year. They have 24 hour per day station doing all the Vic and SA racing. 2 nights of Hong Kong every week . 2 Station channels broadcast races Every Saturday afternoon Free to air (even country Victoria races) .  Multiple replays are broadcast as well , all through the night and evening and following morning. 

So the exposure to the general public is so small for harness racing . it's rediculous. Not even the Richest Race ever run in Australasia very recently (the $2,000,000 Eureka) was worthy of broadcast.  the best horses in the country racing and promptly given the FU . very annoying. 

The soccer, Netball, Big bash cricket all get a lot of TV time. Not sure about basketball ? .   very big USA , they used to broadcast it. They even have some gridiron broadcast in Australia Free to air ESPN station.  But mate . No Trotters. we're a thing of the past 😔

[Globederby19]

4 minutes ago, Lightning Blue said:

But mate . No Trotters. we're a thing of the past 😔

But somehow still thriving despite the lack of coverage.

[Midnight Caller]

Southern Hemisphere treble is on!

[pete]

What a match.

What defence from the ABs.

I'd fallen out of love with the team but that was one of the best efforts I've seen from a team that everyone, including me, wrote off.