The fact that you believed me reflects poorly on the IRB.Dearie me, that is beyond ridiculous
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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You have this amazing ability to suck any joy that exists out of anything thats going on
Luck and getting a few timely reffing decisions played it’s part, but you cannot fault the absolute clutch-ness of South Africa winning the 3 final knockout games by a point.
That’s the kind of mentality that other nations would be crying out for
Fair play but it did look accurate tbf judging by the way the IRB conduct these things. I wouldn’t have been shocked if that was the case, just more baffled at the whole thing.The fact that you believed me reflects poorly on the IRB.
Enough time for you to have reverted to a fallow period and that world ranking to have dropped 6 or 7 places
Very strong 2018 Real Madrid vibes with this South Africa team.
Yeah the mentality is certainly not in question. I think them, France, Ireland and New Zealand are well above anyone else, but didn't see that much between any of them, except that New Zealand it seemed no one could really live with them for the spells in games where they were really on it.
I do think it's as much luck as mentality as well though. NZ missed a conversion and penalty by inches, France got a bad hand from the ref. England wasted opportunities to put them to bed. Winning 3 games in a row by a point is really quite unbelievable, but made for good entertainment if nothing else!
Fair point.
Sorry I'll refrain from saying I enjoyed the game and enjoyed the whole tournament in future, in case this sucks the joy out of everything for you
There were poor decisions in the French match that impacted both teams. Penaud could have been sin-binned at the start of the game for a poor tackle on Eztebeth.
De Toit should have also been binned for his tackle. Another bizarre one was Woki clearly offside when de Klerk went to throw back to Pollard in the pocket, so that's a clear pen not for SA.
Smith got lucky with his jackal penalty that ultimately won the game, but I can't see anything wrong with the Kolbe charge down? Ramos starts his run up by slowly lifting his upper body - that's the start of his kick, not when he first steps so don't know what you're saying there.
Ramos also missed a penalty he would usually score, so I guess you could say he lacked a bit of bottle there. Same for Sexton vs NZ, which would have changed the game as Ireland would have only needed a drop goal or penalty and NZ couldn't have tackled us through the phases.
Pollard scored his penalty against France, kicked the winner vs England, two absolute clutch penalties, doing what Ramos and Sexton couldn't.
These things happen in every sport. You sound like an absolute wet wipe with your moaning still. The game was two weeks ago.
How about just stop being such a misery guts in every single thread you ever post in. That would be lovely
Note I also included Ireland, and was also referencing Ireland's inability to get beyond the quarters. But France have been a brilliant rugby team for a long time now, but don't have a RWC to show for it.
I don't think there's anything controversial at all to say Ireland, France and the NH teams in general seem to miss those nerves of steel when it comes to the knockouts in the RWC. I mean, England are the only NH team to have won it, the proof is in decades of RWC history.
Sheesh, feel bad to comment in here in with all the takes coming out on SA and the tournament in general. Suddenly, I actually know how it feels being a minority supporter on a forum. Bit awkward 
I don't know how they do it.
So I won't say what I really want to say, other than congrats to all the teams that made the rugby world cup a nail biting/thrilling/historic/predictable/boring tournament.
I don't know how they do it. So I won't say what I really want to say, other than congrats to all the teams that made the rugby world cup a nail biting/thrilling/historic/predictable/boring tournament.
I'm posting about the rugby world cup in the rugby world cup thread.
How about you do the same or feck off? Do you have no better use of your time than trying to put people down on an Internet forum?
Dude, he said he enjoyed the game and gave props to NZ. You’re being incredibly harsh.
You can say whatever you want as long as you are not named O'Keeffe.Sheesh, feel bad to comment in here in with all the takes coming out on SA. Suddenly, I actually know how it feels being a minority supporter on a forum. Bit awkward
Say it! We won. We had to play the top 6 to win it. People can complain that we crawled over the line, but I don’t think any team has had to play the other top 6 to win the WC. The cumulative fatigue is a real thing in rugby, it’s why the tournament is so longSheesh, feel bad to comment in here in with all the takes coming out on SA. Suddenly, I actually know how it feels being a minority supporter on a forum. Bit awkward
Mate, you won. Enjoy yourself.Sheesh, feel bad to comment in here in with all the takes coming out on SA and the tournament in general. Suddenly, I actually know how it feels being a minority supporter on a forum. Bit awkward
So I won't say what I really want to say, other than congrats to all the teams that made the rugby world cup a nail biting/thrilling/historic/predictable/boring tournament.
Congratulations.
I'm sat here in utter disbelief really on just how we did it, it's a phenomenal feat, so hearing it was unconvincing or down to luck or bad reffing, really just makes me think to go where I can actually celebrate what this means to us, it's so much more than just a sport.
I mean, we have had no loadshedding for a month, and that's purely down to the rugby. Now we gotta go back to the shite of SA once the team comes home. They gave us something to look forward to each weekend.
If I recall, the president said he would make Monday a public holiday if we won it, I hope he keeps his word
I may have to buy an inverter to celebrate! It is massive for us as a country, I don’t think others here realise how much more it is than just a sport.I'm sat here in utter disbelief really on just how we did it, it's a phenomenal feat, so hearing it was unconvincing or down to luck or bad reffing, really just makes me think to go where I can actually celebrate what this means to us, it's so much more than just a sport.
I mean, we have had no loadshedding for a month, and that's purely down to the rugby. Now we gotta go back to the shite of SA once the team comes home. They gave us something to look forward to each weekend.
If I recall, the president said he would make Monday a public holiday if we won it, I hope he keeps his word
Anyway, I’m just upset I didn’t get a tv from takealot!
Note - I didn't mention Ireland, because no one can defend that record
(though I'm not overly counting this year, more the losses to Wales and Argentina etc)But I don't generally agree with you saying France are bottlers on the pure basis of not winning, or even claiming a lack of mentality... SH have generally, for the most of the RWC's existence been far superior teams, outside of 2003 and 2023, they've had the 2 favourites going in and only a couple others, heavily down to being a host nations, are they not the top 3 teams.
I think France and England have generally consistently proven they can hang when it comes to the World Cup. But it is a hump Ireland, Wales and Scotland need to figure out, and they've come agonisingly close at times, but yeah.
What were they thinking not taking points,kicking for the corner is such a risky strategy when the game is so close.
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Well done to SA. Winning yet again by a single point, crazy.
SA defence and organisation of the team is on another level.
SA defence and organisation of the team is on another level.
Any chance Felix Jones joining us after World Cup can let us into the SA secrets after being with them for last two tournaments
Looks like he's joining the English ticket after the world cup
Hopefully can help us have a good six nations
New Zealand thought they could force the issue and get the ball over line with a temporary man advantage. It was an almighty gamble, but I actually think if they had scored directly from the resulting line-out I could see them running away with it and win comfortably. I don't think South Africa were much of a threat at all on the attack all night.
Yeah that lack of threat in second half is why I feel absolutely gutted SA won AGAIN. After watching some YouTube videos reacting to defeat I will be supporting them in any other game now apart from when they play England. I so wanted to face them in the final.
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What an engrossing game that was. Pieter Steph du Toit, Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard were outstanding. De Klerk had a crucial chargedown and ankle tap late in the match. The Boks tackling was ferocious at times and that played a part in the All Blacks being unable to get their game going in the first half. What will disappoint the Boks is that they couldn't get much set piece dominance. Mbonambi's injury perhaps played a part in that.
The All Blacks were brave, gallant and played their hearts out but fell painfully short. Gotta feel for Sam Cane despite the fact the bunker official got it right. For 3 years at super rugby level and in the Rugby Championship, New Zealand's players have played under the 20 minute red card law, which preserves 'spectacle' but means the team punishment for a red card isn't as severe as it is in other parts of the world.
The All Blacks were brave, gallant and played their hearts out but fell painfully short. Gotta feel for Sam Cane despite the fact the bunker official got it right. For 3 years at super rugby level and in the Rugby Championship, New Zealand's players have played under the 20 minute red card law, which preserves 'spectacle' but means the team punishment for a red card isn't as severe as it is in other parts of the world.
Cheers!
South Africa in the grand scheme of things still deserving winners on the day, though. They defended valiantly with Du Toit, Vermeulen and De Klerk playing the game of their lives respectively despite obvious fatigue setting in and in the process forced New Zealand to make mistakes. As funny as this might sound the only game they didn't quite deserve to win was last week against England.
Plus the game they lost, obviously
OK, cold light of morning review of this world cup.
First game between NZ and France was tense but ultimately low quality, lots of long kicking down the middle back and forth. Other notable group stage games were Ireland v SA (again tense, low scoring bit gripping more than entertaining), and what else? Wales hammering Australia? The group stages will ultimately be remembered for the lack of trepidation, huge blow-outs in the majority of games involving tier 1 countries, and more alarmingly - a real regression in the likes of Japan, Argentina, Italy. Include Scotland in that too, especially when you see how bad they've been at u20 level.
i think its fair to say that it hadnt been a good world cup for spotting improvement or growth in the game. Obviously you could argue Portugal looked like entering maybe tier 2? Fiji should be happy enough but difficult to see how they grow further.
Quarter finals - SA France was game of the tournament, great to watch. Ireland NZ also a good game, first half especially, but Ireland failing to win after playing against 14 for 20 mins and getting a penalty try kind of sums Iteland up at QF stage. The two other QFs were also good games in and of themselves, but very much in a way that everyone knew the winners weren't coming from those games.
One awful SF which was never in danger of being a contest, one close nail biter of very low quality. A final that was close and tense and gripping but ultimately had one try (despite rarely having 30 players on the pitch) and a result heavily influenced by red and yellow cards.
I think that's a fair summary.
First game between NZ and France was tense but ultimately low quality, lots of long kicking down the middle back and forth. Other notable group stage games were Ireland v SA (again tense, low scoring bit gripping more than entertaining), and what else? Wales hammering Australia? The group stages will ultimately be remembered for the lack of trepidation, huge blow-outs in the majority of games involving tier 1 countries, and more alarmingly - a real regression in the likes of Japan, Argentina, Italy. Include Scotland in that too, especially when you see how bad they've been at u20 level.
i think its fair to say that it hadnt been a good world cup for spotting improvement or growth in the game. Obviously you could argue Portugal looked like entering maybe tier 2? Fiji should be happy enough but difficult to see how they grow further.
Quarter finals - SA France was game of the tournament, great to watch. Ireland NZ also a good game, first half especially, but Ireland failing to win after playing against 14 for 20 mins and getting a penalty try kind of sums Iteland up at QF stage. The two other QFs were also good games in and of themselves, but very much in a way that everyone knew the winners weren't coming from those games.
One awful SF which was never in danger of being a contest, one close nail biter of very low quality. A final that was close and tense and gripping but ultimately had one try (despite rarely having 30 players on the pitch) and a result heavily influenced by red and yellow cards.
I think that's a fair summary.
Now it’s all done and dusted it is interesting to think about how low scoring South Africa were. Other than against minnows (and, weirdly, France) they struggled to score tries throughout the tournament. 18 points against Scotland is a pretty crappy return, with hindsight.
Eddie Jones has reportedly quit as Wallabies coach 9 months after signing a 5 year deal.
I’ll quite happily give you the development of the game aspect. The second and third tiers of the game aren’t growing like you would hope despite some exciting moments from Portugal and Chile. The fact the USA didn’t make it at all is damning.
Group stages inevitably have one-sides fixtures. The fact that the best match of the groups was South Africa vs Ireland….and all we’ve had on here is a thousand Irish posts moaning about the draw shows you can’t have it all ways. Stacked groups - better group games - uneven draw.
I think from the knockout onwards it’s been an excellent WC. The fact that all the quarters were right down to the wire and contained some of the finest rugby ever seen….I don’t know how you (and others) could be disappointed with that.
One semi was a beating but the other one and the final were tense and exciting. You don’t always get the best spectacle when it comes to the biggest games…..seems to always be the case when I get hyped up for a big football match anyway.
Overall I rated it highly. The one downside as is someone inevitable is a) consistency of reffing, and b) people’s attitude to reffing. I think in 10/20 years we’ll look back on Rassie Erasmus as a really negative on the game for enabling a football-esk vitriol towards refs. It’s an area of the game that needs to improve but it can’t be done by shitting on them left right and centre
I enjoyed it (particularly the knock out stages) but what are you using as a benchmark? Previous RWCs? Or the football version? Ultimately rugby union is what it is:
- limited number of countries playing at s competitive level with an even smaller pool of potential winners
- physically intensive sport making upsets more difficult and requiring longer breaks between games (a feeling exacerbated this time by beginning in the heat of early September and ending in cold dark rainy nights)
- an over-complicated rulebook around scrums and rucks, leaving much to the discretion of the referee of the day
The expansion to 24 teams for 2027 doesn’t sound like a step in the right direction. The most we can hope for is further development of Pacific Island teams, a less terrible Australia and a stronger England and Wales. As for the rules issue, I have no idea how to fix it. I don’t want union to turn into league but the current balance isn’t right.
You're basically agreeing with everything I said but are happy with it, while I wasn't. Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe yours were too low. Either way, there you go.
I don't really see what happens next in rugby. The changes being brought in for 2027 make literally no objective sense, it just seems the stronger nations who have more voting power are just happy with the status quo.
Meanwhile on the club front, Australia's demise is pretty devastating and the state of play in England is pretty brutal too. I don't really see what's being done to address any of it.
Eben Etzebeth's thunderous tackle on Richie Mo'unga in the opening minutes set the tone for the way South Africa wanted to make their presence felt physically. It was a little reminiscent of the tackle below by Joggie Jansen on All Black flyhalf Wayne Cotterill at Loftus Versfeld in 1970, a match South Africa unexpectedly won 17-6.
I don't disagree with any of that. Maybe it is just that my expectations were too high. But what you are painting is a pretty hopeless picture of it getting any better.
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