SpacedX

Bring on Bongi Mbonambi...

Disagree. It was a different dynamic. I do think that both All Blacks or Ireland would have beaten either England or Fiji, but not by that margin. England essentially won that through forcing the penalties, upsetting and closing down Fiji's insane offloading strength and racking up a points margin/buffer in the first half - taking the kicks and points when presented - lesson to Ireland perhaps? What was different about England today was the way they showed resilience at the end, managed the game and responded to Fiji's late momentum shift. The back row was outstanding tonight. Ben Earl - what a performance!

What another great game. So pleased that Fiji took it to them today and tested England's mettle. What they needed - really dug in. Very physical test. At 24 all, expected them to crumble. Borthwick's best game so far. What an entertaining weekend's rugby though.

Definitely deliberate

The forwards have put real pressure on them today, well disciplined and in control, but several lapses and Fiji are right back in it!

Oh

Fiji have been so wasteful in possession. England defending so well today.

Was that Bill Beaumont next to the Princess of Wales then?

Touch of the 7s there.

Radradra is a scary man.

It doesn't help England having an awful anthem. Fiji look well up for this.

Hamas's complete control came from a bloody coup d'état and following the Battle of Gaza. Fatah forces were defeated amidst claims that the CIA were planning to arm their cadres. Israel in some perverted sense regarded Hamas as a preferable option to the PA because it meant that they didn't have to abide by the Oslo peace process until the details of a sovereign Palestinian state could be negotiated. While Hamas has been enemy No. 1 in Israeli rhetoric for years, offering a cover for Israel to maintain its blockade and periodically kill hundreds of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, it has also offered Israel an alibi to avoid abiding by its supposed commitment to Palestinian statehood. The destabilisation in the region and the resultant polarisation, division and outrage rippling seismically across the world that we are now seeing was carefully planned and calculated. When they carried out the abominable attacks on October 7th (almost exactly fifty years to the date of the Egypt/Syria offensive in 1973) Hamas leaders knew exactly how Israel would respond. Even the average Joe on this forum could have predicted the war crimes that would be unleashed and the fury that would descend on Gaza. Whilst innocent civilians are picking their dead out of rubble or being buried by apartment blocks, the religious leaders responsible for last weekend's attack are tucked under their silk linen and resting their heads at night on their quail feather pillows in their safe haven in Doha, lavished by the Qatar government and meanwhile those that pull the strings in Tehran rub their hands. Hamas are cannon fodder, and Gazans are lambs to the slaughter. There is a much bigger political game at stake. Meanwhile the west watches on/pledges support whilst the lunatic Israeli government continue to turn Gaza to glass.

Sorry, just wrote precisely the same - didn't see your post.

It wasn't Brown's Blue was it? Kinch had blue buses and were a Mountsorrel company I think.

And he's very principled regarding the middle east... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/10/12/rod-stewart-turns-down-saudi-arabia-gig/ ...Oh wait.

This is exhausting to watch

How many phases?

The French singing La Marseilles just then

I'm half Irish and I went to school in Auckland. I turned down the chance to play for either.

Great stuff! You have to love the attacking IQ of both sides. Even New Zealand players, coaches and pundits have warmed to the Emerald Isle after their series win in 2022. They see something of the All Blacks of yesterday in the Ireland of today, a continuation and upholding of the same rugby ideology. Consequently I thought they'd show them too much respect. Thankfully not!

It is. Ireland have been playing glamorous attacking rugby largely derived from the philosophy and innovations of the Leinster pairing of Stuart Lancaster and Leo Cullen. They had the best differential in the Six Nations. Farrell has cemented the defence. Pretty sure that he's destined to replace Borthwick.

Eh? Ireland have been playing attractive offensive rugby for years.

Beautiful that.

All Blacks are fired up for this. They want a final with France.

Yes. I understand about the media treatment of this, and I don't disagree. He briefly mentioned the attacks of the 7th October but not the atrocity of it. He also mentioned more sympathy for the Palestinians which is what I was questioning. The lives of both Israeli and Gazan innocent citizens matter in equal measure - as I'm sure you agree, do you? That was all.