Official Rugby World Cup Thread

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Donut: quote: Originally posted by Downunda: Well said Mario and very accurate I thought [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img] Well, looks like Englands injury list is growing... Lock Danny Grewcock will be out of the next two matches with a broken toe no less... "Grewcock began as a replacement for the team's opening pool C win over Georgia but was not given a run-out after hurting his toe while warming up." and Donut sir, fill me in please because if rugby fans you did not want, which fans would be expected to browse a thread with a title such as yours? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

I never said I didn't want rugby fans to view the thread.

As for the loss of Grewcock - Simon Shaw, who could get into any national team in the world, is a world class lock who is sitting at home in England waiting for the phone to ring. [/QUOTE]I can't believe Shaw didn't get picked...I'd have him in my team over Grewcock any day.

I'd say that the halves are more of a concern - but I'm guessing Clivey's just foxing.

Personally, I think England will have too much in reserve for the Boks on Saturday - they'll maintain their composure much better and I can't see SA having the backline to trouble the Poms. If SA can maintain some sort of parity in the forwards they'll have a small chance but I think it will be England, and England quite comfortably in the end.

[Downunda]

just messin widja Donut old boy, but I'm sure you knew that

[Donut]

Originally posted by Downunda: just messin widja Donut old boy, but I'm sure you knew that

Of course I knew that Downunda!


(Dammit I didn't know that!!)

[Donut]

USA so close to beating Fiji. Missed a conversion in the last minute which would have given them victory, lost 19-18.

[Donut]

Originally posted by Memnoch: I'd say that the halves are more of a concern - but I'm guessing Clivey's just foxing.

Matt Dawson has been announced fit for saturday's game.

[Davros]

Originally posted by Donut: quote: Originally posted by Memnoch: I'd say that the halves are more of a concern - but I'm guessing Clivey's just foxing.

Matt Dawson has been announced fit for saturday's game. [/QUOTE]The Springboks will test him out and decide how fit he truly is

[Donut]

These countries have their own matches to play but all they want to talk about is England. Why is that do you think!

Jones joins England critics

Australia coach Eddie Jones has supported former captain John Eales' accusation of illegal tactics by England's forwards.

Eales believes the England pack are guilty of illegal shepherding in their rolling mauls and has called on referees to take action.

"From what I've seen, there is validity in what Eales is saying," said Jones.

"If you've got a situation where there's no contention for possession, we need to look at it very carefully."

Eales, who won the World Cup with Australia in 1991 and then led the triumphant campaign in 1999, said the England forwards sometimes shielded flanker Neil Back while he was directing rolling mauls from the rear without being attached.


"Effectively what he is doing is being shepherded," said Eales.

It's certainly the equivalent of obstruction and it's the equivalent of a decoy play (in the backline). It's exactly the same except that it's in close.

I read what John Eales said - he's astute, he knows his rugby and at times it is obstruction
South Africa coach
Rudi Straeuli

"There certainly have been times when Back is neither bound to anyone nor is anyone bound to him.
"If he is floating around at the back of a maul, the referee should be saying 'ball's out' and (defenders) should be able to come at him from any angle.

"Or more specifically, the referee should give a penalty because it is clearly obstruction."

Eales' comments came after England coach Clive Woodward accused Australia's Matt Burke of obstruction in the build-up to a Joe Roff try against Argentina.

England face South Africa in their second group game on Saturday, and Springboks coach Rudi Straeuli was also keen to bring up the rolling maul issue ahead of the much-anticipated encounter.

"I read what John Eales said. He's astute, he knows his rugby and at times it is obstruction," said Straeuli.

"I will be clearing a lot of issues with the referee on Friday.

"It is quite a strong weapon England use. I think Neil Back has been scoring a lot of tries not only for England but for Leicester with that, so it is one of their weapons."

Meanwhile, France assistant coach Jacques Brunel has taken exception to England's tactics at the line-out.

"They only pretend to contest the ball, they put their arms around the opponent's jumper while he is coming down to stop him from releasing the ball," said Brunel.

"At the same time another of their players goes through and round the line-out with his arms in the air to say 'sorry ref, mistake' but he is actually slowing down their opponents' support players.

"They often manage to spoil line-out possession with these tactics."

But Back said the criticism of England was "borne out of fear" while England forwards coach Andy Robinson insisted that his pack was "very legal".


Bit sad really!

[Davros]

Well you would agreee would you not that you would hope your team followed the rules of rugby and didn't just pay them scant respect .

John Eales (btw your quote was either partial or the bit you saw on the website is cut from a much larger article because I read the full thing in the paper yesterday) claims were backed up by several pieces of footage that he had selected that showed instances where England's rolling maul became illegal becaus the ball carrier was sitting at the gack and not bound in the maul. He didn't call for it's scrapping and declared the move to be a showpiece of the game. But he did call on England to make sure that the move retained its legality by keeping people bound and not entering from the front. He rightly pointed out in the "binding" case that the move becaomes a simple obstruction of the tacklers.

Eddie was asked what he thought of the Eales analysis, amd after the way your guy (coach) carried on like a pork chop at Australia for obstruction you just know he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of a dig back .

[Bungleau]

Originally posted by Donut: USA so close to beating Fiji. Missed a conversion in the last minute which would have given them victory, lost 19-18.

I read an article on this earlier... and two thoughts came to mind:

• The US has (had) a team in the Rugby World Cup?
• We lost to Fiji? Isn't Fiji a poodle or something?

No offense intended to any Fijians or others who might be part of the IW community... [img]graemlins/littleangel.gif[/img]

[Davros]

The US has participated in the Rugby world cup since the 1980's. I remember going and seeing the Eagles beat Japan at Ballymore way back then. In fact the US Rugby team have the distinction of winning the last 2 gold medals awarded at the Olympics (mind you though that it has been many years since it was played at Olympic level ).