No two yellow cards in 3 minutes. Twice for too many fouls around the goal line.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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Cheers. Deserved lead?
Yeah, I think so. Italy have been toothless, though if they focus they should win because the gap in physical strength is obvious.
What the feck is going on with a Saturday 8pm kick off for the United-Burnley game?! Has there ever been 8pm Saturday PL games before? Or has this stupid poxy season sold it's soul to the devil and doing everything possible to ruin my year?
Anyhoo. I never thought I'd say this but I may choose to watch the rugby instead of the football...
There, I've said it!
Anyhoo. I never thought I'd say this but I may choose to watch the rugby instead of the football...
There, I've said it!
I think they may have been late Saturday evening games during the 2020-21 season but it's definitely not a regular occurrence. Good choice to choose the rugby over the football. One is a potential World Cup final preview, the other, with all due respect to United and Burnley, is a match between two clubs in the lower half of the table.
I'm already bricking it for the big game on Saturday night. It will be interesting to see whether Rassie will show his hand fully - I'm pretty sure the Boks will not put it all on the table on Saturday, given this may be the final as well.
France vs Namibia
The referee has indeed received our bribes. 
France’s third try against Namibia is a thing of beauty
France are terrific when they’re on it. Doesn’t matter who they play
Has Dupont really fractured his cheek bone? Presumably rugby players aren’t allowed wear those hard plastic face masks that footballers wear? That could be him out until the very late stages.
No one knows.
Would be a disaster for France. And for the neutral. And for rugby
While a (suspected) fractured cheekbone can happen in any game, was there really a need for Antoine Dupont to play for France against Namibia?
Yes, unless the idea was to not play him for three weeks and it's not as if a potential injury against Italy was better, so let's not play him for an entire month.
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I must say these one sided games are tiresome. I wonder what the smaller rugby nations get from such a competition. Amazing too the quirks of the geographic spread…
Mainly for France though
I’m sure he’ll be fine though. I just remembered that Sexton had a really nasty facial fracture (obvious big dent on his face) and was back playing within a month. So absolute worst case for Dupont would still have him fit before the QF (which France will easily make)
While losing Dupond is bad, it's the opportunity for Couilloud to shine. He has been largely ignored by people due to Dupond but Couilloud is very good, the issue being that they are very different, Ramos will have to play in a role closer to the one he plays for Toulouse. And hopefully Lucu isn't starting.
I forgot about Dupont missing the Uruguay game.
It's not looking good for Dupont and France. Now they're saying maybe there's a fracture of the zygomatic bone? That's not something I would risk in a contact sport.
DuPont facial fracture confirmed now.
Warburton mentioned on comms last night his brother (a pro rugby physio) said that it’s usually about 3 weeks. Would keep him out till the QFs. Could wear a face mask too.
Here's an article from rugbypass that Irish folk might enjoy: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/why-ireland-are-the-smartest-attacking-team-on-the-planet/?c=1
Where’s your ‘neutrals love of the game’ hatMainly for France though
I’m sure he’ll be fine though. I just remembered that Sexton had a really nasty facial fracture (obvious big dent on his face) and was back playing within a month. So absolute worst case for Dupont would still have him fit before the QF (which France will easily make)
I’ve been wearing that hat solidly for about 4 years, in fact I think the bastards been glued down by now
Argentina vs Samoa
Argentina grind out a victory against a poor Samoan side that had a whopping 36 missed tackles and 23 penalties.
Japan must fancy their chances against this poor Argentina side.
Japan must fancy their chances against this poor Argentina side.
Anyone in Lyon this weekend for Wales?
Great read. Thanks.
That Samoan scrum half with the shitty haircut, dyed platinum blonde was really distracting, in a bad way.He was in every camera shot too, as the position demands.
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Yeah he really stood out
The first moment I saw him I literally thought someone was running around on the field wearing some hat or type of head gear ffs.Not sure if it’s just my targeted zuckerberg ads, but it seems like there is a lot of noise from the Irish that the 7-1 bench split is wrong. I don’t get the outcry. Two injuries to the back line and we are absolutely fecked. It’s a high risk strategy that any team can follow.
That’s exactly what all the Irish pundits are saying. The one and only person I’ve heard claim that the 7-1 split might be a player safety issue is Australian (admittedly he works with Irish media but he’s a lone voice here, as he often is). His argument is that a scrum of fully fresh forwards against one with some fatigued players in it is potentially dangerous.
I think after the World Cup there'll be a push to implement a law stipulating that there have to be 3 specialist backs on a team's bench.
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Keith Wood was also critical of them doing it but, as you say, the vast majority of other pundits haven't cared about the moral issue (I don't think there is one at all) but more spoken about the riskiness of the approach.
So incredibly nervous about tonight. South Africa are really the only team I fear in this competition. That's not to say that I assume we'd beat NZ or France or even Scotland but SA have that real aura about them. A win tonight could honestly catapult this Irish team into achieving great things at this tournament. On the flip side I'm almost unreasonably worried about the prospect of losing a close game where we have multiple injuries and have to face a very good Scotland team with half our squad missing and needing a win to stay in the tournament. Sometimes I wish we were on the other side of the draw but then I'm so glad we get the spectacle of tonight. Even though it's only a group stage game this seems like a huge moment for both teams to make a statement. Just hoping for a great game with no red cards or injuries to either side.
The Wallabies might need a favour or two from Georgia so I'd like them to get their confidence up and produce a good showing against Portugal so they're in good form for their games against Wales and Fiji.
Georgia vs Portugal
That was a lovely try by Georgia.
What a try by Portugal.
Hahaha his step back inside took out three Georgia players. Superb.
Shocking 'tackle'
What the hell was that?
Shouldn't that be a red? He didn't even try to tackle him
What the hell was that?
Shouldn't that be a red? He didn't even try to tackle him
Terrible tackle. Not even a tackle.
I think it should be red. Looked like head on head contact to me.
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