Pool A - Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa

[Howe_zat]

Apparently they can move the game if they have to.

Part of the contingency plan could be to shift the fixture from Saturday to Sunday, and keeping it at Hakatanomori stadium, hours before Japan face Scotland in Yokohama at 7.45pm.

“We are monitoring the development of a typhoon off the south coast of Japan in partnership with our weather information experts,” stated World Rugby. “It is still too early to determine what, if any impact there will be on match, but we will provide an update later today.

“We have a robust contingency programme for such an event.”

 

[marc71178]

I thought they said before the Tournament that there was no rescheduling of group games, they'd be classed as 0-0 draws?

 

[Howe_zat]

No idea.

I'd have thought the most sensible thing to do in the event of unplayable conditions would be to move it to the Oita dome, which is about two hours drive up the road.

 

[BoyBrumby]

In Pool A news of a less meteorological bent, it looks like the Sweaties are gambling on the stiffs v Russia:

Scotland: Kinghorn; Seymour, Taylor, P Horne, Graham; Hastings, G Horne; Reid, Turner, Fagerson; Cummings, Toolis; Barclay, Brown, Wilson.

Replacements: McInally, Berghan, Nel, Gilchrist, Bradbury, Ritchie, Pyrgos, Harris.

They probably should still have enough about them to score 4 tries against the tenth best team in Europe, but no Russell, Hogg, Maitland or (most gallingly for those of us with him in their speed draft XVs) Laidlaw even on the bench as security does rather prepare a guest room for General Feckup to coming visiting.

 

[hendrix]

You'd think that, given they need a bonus point win, they'd be putting a bit more in there, at least on the bench

 

[Bahnz]

Until you get the quarter finals, where the teams who played the quarter final qualifiers had to face a 4 day turnaround from the qualifier to a quarter final. All 3 teams soundly beaten of course.

Which is why you don't bother with 20 teams in the first place :P - or go with the Champions Cup format that Howezat mentioned in the other thread.

 

[Bahnz]

You'd think that, given they need a bonus point win, they'd be putting a bit more in there, at least on the bench

I don't think it will matter. Russia are not good. Japan suffered a serious case of stage fright in only beating them by 20 points.

 

[Howe_zat]

Yeah it’ll be fine. Some of those selections, like Horne over Laidlaw, are probably better for chasing tries even though Laidlaw is the better allround player.

Still, Scottish second teams are not known for their results against second tier sides...

 

[ripper868]

Which is why you don't bother with 20 teams in the first place :P - or go with the Champions Cup format that Howezat mentioned in the other thread.

Agree, make it 24 teams with 4 pools x 6 teams. Each pool plays on same day every 5 days.. top 2 to quarters. Let's get some 140+ point flogging back in

 

[Flem274*]

russia not helping the tier 2 cause at all here. a couple of really bad knock ons and a complete miss trying to dive on the ball.

 

[Spark]

Hasn't been the most compelling set of games in the last week or so. A few too many hammerings, which isn't the most interesting rugby to watch.

 

[Howe_zat]

It's what you get when two sides that weren't good enough to qualify suddenly find themselves here tbh.

Also the fixture list for the pool stages was pretty front loaded. NZ-SA, Ireland-Scotland and France-Argentina on the same day spoiled us.

 

[Spark]

It's what you get when two sides that weren't good enough to qualify suddenly find themselves here tbh.

Also the fixture list for the pool stages was pretty front loaded. NZ-SA, Ireland-Scotland and France-Argentina on the same day spoiled us.

Yeah I think the second reason is the main one

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just watching highlights of the Russia/Sweaties game.

Hastings's second and Horne's first were comedy gold.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Barclay's not unamusing from a defensive perspective either.

The Russian 14 literally waved him through.

 

[Bahnz]

The Telegraph is now reporting that the imminent Typhoon is going to result in both the Ireland - Samoa and Japan - Scotland games being cancelled. This would mean Japan and Ireland advance to play SA and the AB's respectively. If so - that decision from Ireland to boot the ball out to secure a bonus point v Japan will look like a stroke of genius.

 

[ripper868]

This typhoon thing is crazy...imagine if Ireland Samoa gets cancelled, then Scotland beat Japan...ireland would then go out.

Ps the bonus point dont matter, as Ireland beat Scotland they'd still have gone through.

 

[Bahnz]

Word now coming through that while England v France and NZ v Italy will be cancelled (both results that will have no affect on the likely QF lineup) Japan v Scotland is likely to be delayed 24 hours, which seems a sensible approach.

 

[ripper868]

I'd suggest they cant cancel 2 matches and delay another, that's be a touch unfairsys in my book.

 

[nick-o]

Japan pulling out the old "kami-kaze" trick from their playbook, it seems. Worked against the Mongol hordes in the 13th century, so why not try it again now, eh?