Official Rugby Thread

[centurymaker]

still can;t believe it

[BoyBrumby]

Stiff draw for England in the world cup tho, but.

2015 World Cup pools

Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, play-off winner
Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2
Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1
Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2

Oceania 1 will be Fiji, in all likelihood, so there's 4 very decent sides in Pool A.

[ripper868]

Stiff draw for England indeed. Be a shame to see them going out before the quarters. It'll be like a FIFA World Cup!

Dream draw or Australia, never been troubled by either Wales or England of late or 3 years into the future when we run a Pocock/Hooper tandem.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Stiff draw for England in the world cup tho, but.

2015 World Cup pools

Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, play-off winner
Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2
Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1
Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2

Oceania 1 will be Fiji, in all likelihood, so there's 4 very decent sides in Pool A.

Us and the Saffers have the easiest pools. By easiest I am judging this by the quality of the third ranked team in the pool.

Also Ocean1 is likely to be Fiji who are pretty decent.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by ripper868

Stiff draw for England indeed. Be a shame to see them going out before the quarters. It'll be like a FIFA World Cup!

Dream draw or Australia, never been troubled by either Wales or England of late or 3 years into the future when we run a Pocock/Hooper tandem.

Be an interesting call. The Smith/Waugh double-team effort against McCaw in the 2003 semi is proof the double openside thing can work too.

Think it shows the difference in philosophies between the our respective countries when we don't really play one at all. Haven't used a proper openside regularly since Back.

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Us and the Saffers have the easiest pools. By easiest I am judging this by the quality of the third ranked team in the pool.

Also Ocean1 is likely to be Fiji who are pretty decent.

Think the Yarps' is a gimme, tbh. Asia 1 will be Japan and Americas 2 the US or (less likely) U-r-gay.

[Quaggas]

So, from this

QF1: Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF2: Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
QF3: Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
QF4: Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C

1st vs 2nd in pool D will be massive. The winner in B will have a rather more difficult quarter finals match

Edit; Oh, and then:
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4

!

Think SA should attempt to finish 2nd in B

[ripper868]

Looking at the draw closer, Australia have dodged a massive bullet.

We'd be proper stuffed if we were drawn with Samoa and Scotland!

[BoyBrumby]

From the BBC.

His career ending injury happened when playing for England too.

It's a farce, obviously, and he'll doubtless be allowed to stay, but that it's ever come to this is insulting.

Whatever one thinks of the laxity of union's eligibility rules, if a chap is English enough to play for the country he's surely English enough to live here.

[Marcuss]

Sad news about Stoddart too

[ripper868]

Yeah poor form really. His son is born in England so I'm guessing his kid has automatic "Englisman" stamped upon him (unlucky little blighter). Been a massive outcry all over twitter and the like so would back that he'll end up staying.

the sportman's contract route to citizenship may be possible if a club signed him up at $2 per year in a token contract. Be nice to see but probably wont happen.

[BoyBrumby]

Big win for the Brumbies first up. Pocock predictably a beast at the breakdown.

Didn't maybe create as many chances as the dominance would've suggested, but very solid stuff first up.

Oh, & in your face, ripper! How'd you like them apples? Etc, etc...

[ripper868]

We prefer gum leaves - the brumbies would have certainly enjoyed them apples though.

Outclassed across the field, particularly in the back row - Mowen and Pocock were immense and menacing - our lads are probably 3 years too young before they are at that level (20,20 and 21 I think)

Reds for the title. We've got Genia back Mid-season and Horwill to come - and Quade doing double trainings so we'll be sweet....

[ripper868]

So then...Robbie Deans is out to secure the Lions first Series win since forever.

He's gone and left Cooper out of an initial 30 man 'logistics' camp...Happy to acknowledge the freak skills of O'connor and Lealiafano, but those two don't exactly have the same combination with Genia that QC does. My thoughts would be you pick the best halves pairing,which IMO is Genia and Cooper given their fantastic understanding of each other's games.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by ripper868

So then...Robbie Deans is out to secure the Lions first Series win since forever.

He's gone and left Cooper out of an initial 30 man 'logistics' camp...Happy to acknowledge the freak skills of O'connor and Lealiafano, but those two don't exactly have the same combination with Genia that QC does. My thoughts would be you pick the best halves pairing,which IMO is Genia and Cooper given their fantastic understanding of each other's games.

Good move O'connor was wasted on the wing.

Aussie have many guys who can play ten
Beale (still out?)
Barnes (injured) but my personal fav
O'connor

My backline

Genia
Christian
James
AAC
Ioane
Anybody at 14 - any mongrel with pace.
Mogg (has looked awesome)

[ripper868]

A quality backline that - but if you slot QC into 10, Lealiafano out to 12 and O'Connor back to the sting...so many options from midfield and counter attack.