Rugby World Cup 2011

1678911

Comments

  • yep - the IRB rankings are weird. maybe we go back to 4th when we beat the convicts...

    I did like this on the BBC

    "A New Zealand rugby fan born just hours after the All Blacks won the 1987 World Cup is set to be at Eden Park on Sunday as they bid for only their second global title. Born on 20 June, 1987, Anneke Ryff is probably the oldest of the 1.5m New Zealanders who were not born when the All Blacks won the tournament for the only time. For supporters seeking an omen, Ryff is now the girlfriend of Ryan Fox, son of Grant Fox, the fly-half in New Zealand's 1987 triumph."
  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭
    Yes, I saw that one too, fb, and my first thought was "how small is that country"?!  She's all over the local press down there.  I wonder whether her mother was watching the last win...
  • Aw, bless! What a lovely story image

    Maybe everyone over there knows or is related to one of the '87 team!

  • With regard to ranking Wales played four games of any note and won 2, lost 2.

    Ok they performed well and should have won the 2 games they lost but rankings will just look at the bare result and not the bad luck story.

  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭

    Do I rise to that, or do I just put it plainly again?

    Aw, heck, this ain't football.  image  I do know how the IRB rankings work, in the same way as I know the citing commission board's instructions to referees in 2009, regardless of the wording of the laws in 10.4.

    I can't explain, or rather justify, either.

    I am happy that we've played more games of note than all but three other teams in the world!  And I'm now really looking forward to the two remaining.  And then to the December friendly...  And then to the 6N...

  • Simple answer is going on prizes and not the ranking. The football rankings put England in the top 10 contently despite the fact that we have won nothing since 1966 and half the nation team are more interested in selling things than playing. If you want to be the best win the world cup it’s that simple. Oh and *waves* to max not seen you in ages hope your sound matey. image
  • Good luck Wales! image

    Got a free coffee from the French cafe this morning. Good omen, going for France by 3 points on Sunday*

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    * yes, I know I'm deluded image

  • looking forward to a great game - nice way to start a friday
  • am watching the game sat at my desk

    Convicts have started better
  • what a score by williams - haha - i love that little man image
  • definately a foward pass though

    i was just writing a rant that wales needed to sort out thier place-kicking, i think that  when they come to review the tournament in a few weeks the missed kicked will haunt them

     england will be thinking the same

  • we've had a few missed kicks that will haunt us Mr Z - not least in the semi
  • yeah, opps - that was a typo - was meant to be kicks in the plural
  • Definitely in the plural

    you don't expect a Wales team to go down due to missed kicks

  • sheer pride for that last try

    tough luck boys but you were beaten by a better side today.

    you've brought rugby pride back to Wales after too many years in the wilderness.
  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭
    Grr.
    Beaten by better tactics.
    Beaten by greater determination.
    Beaten.
    Again.

    Roll on December.
  • Ratzer - reread my post and wasn't meaning to try and wind you up. Though born in England my family routes are in Wales so was very much supporting them.

    Cake - lurk and read more than I post so still been around. A long while since you kindly ran Blackpool marathon for me! I did Consiton Trail Martahon in July, on a hot day and ended up with a bad back. Been an idiot I carried on training for a few months until I decided to get it sorted and am now just running twice a week and swimming three times...............going to get the bike back out at the weekend......................o no traithlon is pulling me back in!

  • Ratzer - reread my post and wasn't meaning to try and wind you up. Though born in England my family routes are in Wales so was very much supporting them.

    Cake - lurk and read more than I post so still been around. A long while since you kindly ran Blackpool marathon for me! I did Consiton Trail Martahon in July, on a hot day and ended up with a bad back. Been an idiot I carried on training for a few months until I decided to get it sorted and am now just running twice a week and swimming three times...............going to get the bike back out at the weekend......................o no traithlon is pulling me back in!

  • Good finish to a tough game. Missed opportunities in the kicking dept, but that's been a problem for all of our home sides.

    Thoroughly enjoyed the match, and the rematch later in the year may have a bit of spice to it.

    Well played Wales.
  • Great match. Australia started really well - didn't really see enough of that up to now.  Good finish by Wales. Thought they used Roberts straight up the middle too much, Aus seemed to have the answer for that.

    Wales look in good shape for next 6N. Just need to kick 3pts at appropriate times

  • Little Nemo - No more marathons! wrote (see)

    ... going for France by 3 points on Sunday

    Been trying to envisage how this might come about. So here is my take on how it might play out.

    Brad Thorn, fired up by the ocassion, is over-enthusiastic in his performance of the haka and stamps on McCaw's ankle. McCaw collapses in a heap. Cory Jane is so shocked that he swallows his chewing gum and starts to choke. Ma'a Nonu sees Jane's predictament and rushes over to give him the Heimlich manoeuver. On his way to save Jane he stands on McCaw's other ankle. As he performs the heimlich manouver Ma'a Nonu gets disoriented and instinctively spear tackles Jane into the ground. Jane's chewing gum is dislodged, as is his shoulder. Alain Rolland (remember him) points out to the illegal tackle to the referee Craig Joubert, who red cards Ma'a Nonu. Mealamu remonstrates with Joubert. Angrily calling him a complete and utter banker. Joubert red cards Mealamu.

    For 79 minutes the scores are tied at 0-0. On two occasions a nervous All Black side have knocked on with the try line at their mercy. Then in the eightieth minute Yashvili sees Lievrement on the sidelines and tries to dropkicks the ball at him to demonstrate his disgust at the inelegance of Lievrement's moustache. In keeping with France's RWC 2011 performance he slices the kick horribly.

    It goes over the bar. Joubert raises his arm. France win by 3 points.

  • Excellent, bos

    I look forward to it

  • whoever wins on Sunday - and I won't be supporting France - I just hope it's a game to grace a final and not a turgid defensive affair. both teams have good defences but they are both good attacking sides, so let's see some attacking!

  • No complaints about that result - Australia were the better team.

    In a way, the scoreline flattered us. Williams's try was set up by a forward pass (not the only mistake Hook made today) although the way he took it was typical Shane Williams genius for making something out of nothing. He deserves a really great send-off next month and I'm sure he'll get it.

    Thought Australia defended very well and were the first team to bottle up Jamie Roberts in the whole tournament.

    In many ways, the shortcomings were the same as against France - at no.10, Priestland is the future, Adam Jones should be wrapped in cotton wool between internationals as without him our scrum simply doesn't function and we have to kick our goals and take drop goal opportunities when they present themselves.

    Overall though, Wales have provided great entertainment and real hope for the future. The win against Ireland was the best Wales performance in years.
  • Well I had planned to get up early, go for a run, have a bath and then settle down to the match tomorrow.

    But now I'm ill so instead I'll probably be watching it from under a duvet drinking a Lemsip.

    Just time to wish both teams good luck and one last croaky

    ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!

    imageimageimageimageimageimage

  • So close image

    Well done New Zealand, best team of the tournament and deserved winners image

    But at least France played well and restored some pride. If you had asked me yesterday if I'd take a one point loss I'd have bitten your hand off but now I can't help wondering what if Trinh-Duc had kicked that penalty...

  • BB ✭✭✭
    Close tense game, both teams really played their hearts out. Really pleased for The All Blacks image
  • RatzerRatzer ✭✭✭

    I thoroughly enjoyed that final.  No real investment in it and yet I was on the edge of my seat at times.  I was waiting for the All Blacks to choke, but they didn't.  In the end a result which seemed to be fair to everyone involved, if a little hard for the French to grasp.  The ABs did deserve to win that tournament, right from the off, and needed to in their own back yard.  The French didn't deserve to win before the match, yet on the day they brought a great game and made the whole thing exciting.  That probably was the Bleu's one great game of the tournament, but the ABs were ready for it.

    I've enjoyed the whole tournament, and think that apart from the odd little bits of schedule niggles the whole thing went really well.  Samoa perhaps deserve a place in the tri/quad-nations, and perhaps more than Argentina, though I expect the Argies to become a force in World rugby over the next eight to ten years, as their inclusion will repair their base of players.  Perhaps someone could suggest having two tiers to the Southern Hemisphere tournament, with one team going up and one down each year.  Okay, so the top three would always be the same, but the experience of playing them would get shared around.

    Four years time, in England, and I'm expecting a Northern nation to lift the cup.  No idea who, but I think even England might soon grasp the idea of building a squad over four years to attack the tournament.  The English and the Irish need to start over.  The French will be very interesting during the 6N.  I wonder if we will see a settled team?  As much as Marc Lievremont made outside observers scratch their heads, his coaching team and many of the players believed he was superb, and the way he understood their psyche to galvanise them was impressive.

    All in all a great tournament.  Roll on February!  (And December, though that's a more local affair...)

Sign In or Register to comment.