Rugby World Cup 2015

[Finnegan]

Well that's the other half of our squad knackered. Christ.

[Finnegan]

Also love that SBW played half a game but is top of the tournament offload chart and his cousin little Tim got MOTM against the states.

Cmon Chiefs boys. Love Nanai-Williams, gutted he's going to Japan.

[Jimothy]

[Izzy]

Loved it that the All Blacks team all wore black boots today. Old school.

[Sparky]

Well that's the other half of our squad knackered. Christ.

I've only come on here Finners to see if you were moaning about injuries, nothing changes pal

[shen]

For the best bit of rugby cheating, Google The Hand of Back for a great Leicester related example. Unbelievable tekkers.

 

I've never really followed rugby, but I remember actually watching that game live on the Beeb many years ago now!

[bovril]

Personally I think the Rugby World Cup is merely a means by which the media-elite-ruling-class nexus distract the proletariat from the inequity of the hegemonic domination of the means of production by the haves to the exclusion of the have-nots whose manufactured consent reinforces many of the structures of domination employed by the debt-driven capitalist hierarchy to subjugate the disenfranchised within a consumer driven false consciousness system of servitude towards the market which is held as eternal while in fact it is a construct of the land-owning classes designed specifically to entrench their hegemony. As Herman Goebbels said "let them eat cake".

[Finnegan]

Personally I think the Rugby World Cup is merely a means by which the media-elite-ruling-class nexus distract the proletariat from the inequity of the hegemonic domination of the means of production by the haves to the exclusion of the have-nots whose manufactured consent reinforces many of the structures of domination employed by the debt-driven capitalist hierarchy to subjugate the disenfranchised within a consumer driven false consciousness system of servitude towards the market which is held as eternal while in fact it is a construct of the land-owning classes designed specifically to entrench their hegemony. As Herman Goebbels said "let them eat cake".

Also it's right good watching them samosas hit people

[bovril]

Also it's right good watching them samosas hit people

 

Do they curry the ball?

[Guest MattP]

England better not balls this up tonight or the Welsh lads I know will be unbearable.

[Finnegan]

England better not balls this up tonight or the Welsh lads I know will be unbearable.

Oh poor you. A couple of Welsh lads you know!!

Spare a thought!!!

[purpleronnie]

Oh poor you. A couple of Welsh lads you know!!

Spare a thought!!!

I'm sure he meant one of them was you.

[Guest MattP]

Fortunately I was in New Zealand when they beat us for the slam so I avoided it, no such luck this time if we get beat though.

Liking the style of Burgess saying he hasn't even heard of some of the Welsh players

Can someone explain to me why Prince William is supporting Wales?

[Finnegan]

Prince William, the future Prince of Wales, patron of the wru? No idea pal.

And Burgess was misquoted as far as I understand. I just don't think he'd heard the question. He'd really only be making himself look a div if so.

It's like the headline that quoted Gatland saying we were going to smash Sam, implying it was disrespectful. What Gatland actually said was that Burgess has loads of high pressure experience, is a massive guy and you don't single people out. He said we want to smash everyone, Burgess included.

The press annoy me a bit really because this occasion doesn't need stoking.

[Guest MattP]

As far as I'm aware he's London born and bred and has supported England, I don't see why that should change because of a future title or because he's been appointed a patron of something.

The press love stoking these things up, I don't mind it for events like this, it's great when the pubs are packed watching sporting contests.

[Finnegan]

The pubs will be packed regardless. Don't get me wrong, I love the atmosphere, I love the anticipation, I love the event. I just can't stand the "soccer-fication" of the media surrounding the build up that's seeped in over the last decade. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that our own manager is one of the worst - Gatland definitely has a mischievous streak and fancies himself as a bit of a rugby Mourinho but rest assured, this annoys me also.

 

As for Wills, eh, it's just posturing for the public isn't it? I imagine the royal family don't distinguish themselves as English but British and see themselves as representative of all four countries. Look at Anne, she's the designated tartan wearer for all things public show. Personally I don't particularly care.

 

One of the few things to ever come out of David Cameron's mouth that I actually liked was a question before the last world cup when he was asked in PMQs if he'd be cheering on the home nations to which he replied, something like, "One of them, anyway." I've got no issue with that, it's just sport, it's entertainment, I don't want the PM to pretend to support Wales.

 

But I can understand why the royals feel duty bound to represent all of their realm. Surely as a proud Brit, you wouldn't actually want to see the royal family decline to recognize their sovereignty over the whole island?

[Guest MattP]

To be honest I care less and less about it the older I get anyway, certainly feel more English than British now bit that's for another thread.

Prediction anyway? I'm going England by about 7 points, think the home factor and the injuries Wales have tips it in our balance, although I'm not seriously going to pretend I know my rugby.

[Finnegan]

I do know my rugby, far more than football, and I'd make the same prediction I made before the last two England Wales games.if we turn up and play eighty minutes of rugby we'll win. If we get complacent, we'll l

We were comfortable for the first half in Cardiff and inexplicably stopped playing against a buzzing England side that did it's own thing and wasn't afraid of us.

This time, Lancs has bafflingly bottled his team and tactical approach and decided he just wants to stop Warrenball. He's dropped your best creative flyhalf in favour of a bigger lad to protect the nine ten channel and he's stuffed your midfield with fat blokes to stop Roberts and Williams rampaging in the middle and North's cutting in.

He then intends to calmly control the game and out kick Wales using Farrell and the lack of Halfpenny because he perceives Wales to lack a try scoring threat if the big guys can't gain on the carry. That part is fairly accurate.

It's an okay plan and it can definitely work but I have three issues with it.

1. It's disgustingly negative. You're at home in your own world cup, forget us,play to win well.

2. Your pack has had a shocking few weeks and lacks the experience of the Welsh boys. Relying on flair and youth could have seen a repeat of Cardiff but if you struggle to win ball at the set and loose then you'll lose your entire gamelan. Look out for the prop battle as it could win the game.

3. This is a different Wales side and Lancaster has completely ignored that. Out goes conservative Halfpenny and massive Cuthbert and in comes the mercurial skills of Scotty Wills, Liam Williams and Hallam Amos plus the try scoring exploits of Gareth Davies. Lancs has prepared for the Wales side he thought he was facing and hasn't adapted for the one he is.

All of this said, England will be rightful favourites and if our front five doesn't out perform yours I'll struggle to see where the win is coming from. I'll go for Wales by four to six points but I well anticipate being gutted later.

Suffice to say, if Farrell and burgess don't keep Dr Roberts out then Lancaster is out of a job.

[cambridgefox]

Not the best of starts for us( apart from Finners)

[Finnegan]

I can't actually handle this I feel awful

#sportpussy

[purpleronnie]

Is wales a real place?  Sounds made up.

[Finnegan]

Top banter Ronnie. Got a sheep joke or a county joke to roll out next pal?

Ugh, I hate scrums. I said the prop battle could well decide this, I really hope it actually doesn't. If we lose we lose but if we do I hope it's because England are excellent and not because World Rugby can't sort the ****ing scrum out.

[Vacamion]

Top banter Ronnie. Got a sheep joke or a county joke to roll out next pal?

Ugh, I hate scrums. I said the prop battle could well decide this, I really hope it actually doesn't. If we lose we lose but if we do I hope it's because England are excellent and not because World Rugby can't sort the ****ing scrum out.

Something tells me you would not be bemoaning World Rugby's governance of the set scrum if the boot were on the other foot and Wales were dicking England up front.

[cambridgefox]

Nerves are shot.

[Finnegan]

I understand why you'd be cynical but no, not true at all.

I'm getting really tired with what's probably my least favourite sight in rugby at the moment: scrum halves with the ball in touching distance at the back of a scrum, able to play it but waiting in hope that the ref us going to give a penalty. Just play the ****ing ball.