Rugby World Cup

[petrolpete]

Suppose it's not going to be an easy semi playing either ze french or the Seth efrikans.

[MrLongbeard]

Game of two halves init, and we very nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

[Count Steer]

Suppose it's not going to be an easy semi playing either ze french or the Seth efrikans.

It's not supposed to be easy proving you're the best.

But we're there, unlike the Scotch, Welsh or the Irish...we've won the 'Home Nations' trophy.

[v8-powered]

My nerves were in tatters - I thought Fiji would get a last converted try!

Fiji played a blinder, England are going to have their work cut out next week though.

[Cousin Jack]

England rode their luck again, Fiji were unlucky.

It makes me sad to see grinding set-piece play triumph over open flowig rugby.

[Count Steer]

England rode their luck again, Fiji were unlucky.

It makes me sad to see grinding set-piece play triumph over open flowig rugby.

Is that how you saw it? I thought England were quite fluid at times. I've seen France play 'open flowing' rugby and win....and lose.

It's now a knockout tournament. You don't progress by being 'pretty'. You just need to win.

[Cousin Jack]

True, but I enjoy watching the Fiji/Samoa style a lot more.

[KungFooBob]

Well this is making the England/Fiji match look very very pedestrian.

[Bowman]

Well this is making the England/Fiji match look very very pedestrian.

It's on another level.

[Count Steer]

True, but I enjoy watching the Fiji/Samoa style a lot more.

Yeah well, England play swashbuckling cricket but still lose to Afghanistan by a wide margin. Entertaining and losing is all very well, but it's still losing.

[MrLongbeard]

Now that's how you play rugby.
We ain't going through to the finals no matter who wins tonight

[KungFooBob]

Now that's how you play rugby.
We ain't going through to the finals no matter who wins tonight

LOLZ.

I agree. We're fucked no matter who wins this one.

[Cousin Jack]

Well this is making the England/Fiji match look very very pedestrian.

It's on another level.

Samoa has a population of about 200k, Fiji has a bit over 900k, England has a population of about 56 million.

If we taught kids to play rugby the way those countries do WE would be world champions.

[KungFooBob]

They both seemed to run out of puff in the 2nd half, but we (England) are still fucked.

[Noggin]

I is not a happy bunny

Both my teams out in one weekend

It was an even more tense last 15 minutes tonight than last night - made worse by a handful of drunks that seriously didn't give a fuck about rugby and were too drunk to notice that some of the French there REALLY DID!!

I had to move away and for the last 7 mins three others moved to stand where I was (less disruption of the view of the TV!) - at that point the drunks did seem to realise there was something more important than them in the bar, not totally!! I do so hate arsehole drunks!!


Now, who to cheer for out of the rest?


FFS

[Cousin Jack]

With the massive squads and the slew of replacements allowed, small nations are at a massive disadvantage. England should have walked over both, they didn't. And Borthwick does't seem to have any idea except to play the same people again and again. When they retire he, and England, are fcuked.

[Noggin]

I did have to text a mate to ask just how many subs they were allowed as at one point I thought SA was going to replace the whole team!!!

[Nordboy]

Shame really that these were the QF games.

The four best teams played each other. Would have loved to see the Ire v NZ and France v SA games as the semis, those 4 teams are seemingly a very long way ahead of the rest, both fantastic games.

Poor Eng and Arg are going to get their arses handed to them next week. Bit of a dead rubber IMO. I know sport can produce some odd results but I can't see anything but 15-20 points difference.

Still, a NZ v SA final should be a beast, either that or it'll be a borefest of nervous tight rugby?

[v8-powered]

Actually feel sorry for France not winning that game - they were a great team to watch.

If anything feel happier with England facing the 'boks than I would if it were France, think with have a slim chance.

[Druid]

I haven't watched the England match, but I'm sorry to see Fiji just fall short (and not just because they were playing England) They're such an entertaining team to watch.

The other two matches show just how far ahead the top 4 teams are, and the results could easily have gone the other way in both matches. I'm not sorry to see Ireland keep their 36 year record of failing to win a game in the knockout stages, Sexton's petulant post match behaviour confirming that although he is/was a great rugby player he's a shitty human being.

Really disappointed that France lost, I thought this was their year. SA have such strength in depth though, there's no drop off in quality when their replacements come on and that proved the difference in the end. There has been a suggestion that they were using the HIA protocols to give key players a 10 minute rest before sending them back on but...