Rugby World Cup Thread

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:39 pm

pk500 wrote:The final will be broadcast on U.S. cable from 5-7 p.m. (ET) Sunday on Versus. A day late, and interrupted by commercials.

No thanks. I'll stick to the torrent from Channel Ten in Australia.

Take care,
PK

Exactly after watching soccer torrents. These games sometimes don't have the live feed with UK/AU announcers. That's key for my enjoyment. .

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:06 pm

I guess I should be lucky that I have Setanta. I get the actual Setanta guys from Ireland on Sunday. It might be Sky SPorts though.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:20 pm

Prediction time:

South Africa 20, England 16

It will be a VERY physical, tight game. England will score a try and get three Wilko droppers/penalties. Habana will take at least one try to the house, with Montgomery getting two penalties/droppers.

CAN'T WAIT!

Take care,
PK

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:48 pm

Its televised?

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:56 am

Should be a good one:

SA 25 - England 13.

And for those that thought that losing to Argentina was a huge upset when they played in the opener, Pumas showed great form again and wins the bronze against Les Blues. You guys should watch the tries by Aramburu and Corleto for Argentina, just some great stuff.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:07 am

fsquid wrote:I guess I should be lucky that I have Setanta. I get the actual Setanta guys from Ireland on Sunday. It might be Sky SPorts though.

Not on Sky at all over here - it's on ITV.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:24 am

fsquid wrote:I guess I should be lucky that I have Setanta. I get the actual Setanta guys from Ireland on Sunday. It might be Sky SPorts though.

And their huge English hatred, they will be rooting for SA for sure, wankers.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:39 am

Jimmydeicide wrote:Its televised?

Sunday on Versus in America. Live Saturday on Setanta, too, if you get that.

I'm grabbing an Australian torrent tomorrow night. I've lived off those torrents for the entire tournament -- watched a lot of matches.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:18 am

It's only on Setanta PPV today. I have just the regular Setanta channel on DISH and I don't get it until tomorrow. That's fine, I can avoid the spoilers.

SA 40 - England 3.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:56 am

That was a fecking boring game, but it had to be for England to stand a chance.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:34 am

Not the best final to say the least but a just winner.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:06 pm

The head of the IRB is keen to change the laws of the game to prevent the 2011 final being another tryless bore:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4246638a1823.html

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:35 pm

Union must be feeling the pressure from League, huh? Otherwise, how do you explain these proposed rules changes?

This World Cup featured some excellent, flowing play with plenty of tries in the pool stages, even in the non-blowout matches. Then teams retreated into defensive shells for the knockout stages.

The same thing happened in football World Cup in 2006 and in Euro 2004, but FIFA didn't insist on rules changes.

Defense always wins championships. How is that anything new? So the IRB must perceive League as a threat.

Appreciate any feedback from more knowledgeable rugby fans than me.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:59 pm

By the way, the Air New Zealand Final on Saturday was pretty good for those that want to download it. I won't spoil it.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:20 pm

pk500 wrote:Defense always wins championships. How is that anything new? So the IRB must perceive League as a threat.

Appreciate any feedback from more knowledgeable rugby fans than me.

Take care,
PK

It's not about the threat of league, it's simply that rugby has become a sport where it's too easy to defend, just like the NHL did. Also, the ruck and maul area is a farce with penalties whistled almost at random.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:48 pm

Feanor wrote:It's not about the threat of league, it's simply that rugby has become a sport where it's too easy to defend, just like the NHL did. Also, the ruck and maul area is a farce with penalties whistled almost at random.

Thanks for the insight, Feanor.

As a new fan to rugby, the penalties in rucks and mauls still perplex me. It's not like hockey where I can see an infraction right away and call it while watching on TV.

Take care,
PK

Boltman · Post by **Boltman** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:11 pm

fsquid wrote:I guess I should be lucky that I have Setanta. I get the actual Setanta guys from Ireland on Sunday. It might be Sky SPorts though.

Ditto.

Boltman · Post by **Boltman** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 9:14 pm

Feanor wrote:
pk500 wrote:Defense always wins championships. How is that anything new? So the IRB must perceive League as a threat.

Appreciate any feedback from more knowledgeable rugby fans than me.

Take care,
PK
It's not about the threat of league, it's simply that rugby has become a sport where it's too easy to defend, just like the NHL did. Also, the ruck and maul area is a farce with penalties whistled almost at random.

Pretty Spot on, if I must say.

F League!!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:20 pm

I watched some extended League clips on YouTube last week. I didn't like it nearly as much as Union. Not as much tactics, very repetitive. Plus I like the lineouts and scrums!

And no rucking? I can't get into that. The ball should be up for grabs after every tackle, just like in Union.

Take care,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:54 am

PK

Just think of League as like the NFL, except with 6 downs instead of 4 and no forward passing (unless the refs are particularly poor).

As for no rucking, Union is pretty much like that now, compared to what it was 15-20 years ago. I played for 7 years at school, and believe me the term 'dark arts' was never so well applied as to what went on in the ruck and mauls then - as my 4 lost teeth, broken nose (x3 !), broken cheekbone and 2 sendings off will attest.

Union has nicked an awful lot from league in the modern era, from speeding up the game to the use of specialist kicking and defensive coaches (many of whom are ex-league), as well as players like Jason Robinson. Movement the other way is rarer unless the players are very young, or as good as Johnathan Davies. I well remember watching former all-Black golden boy John Gallagher converting to League and going up to call for a mark, then realising with horror that marks don't exist in League and getting snapped in half.

If you want to see some proper RL, just search youtube for 'State of Origin' and watch the Aussies at it.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:02 am

Dave:

I'll check it out. Thanks.

Your NFL analogy probably is one of the reasons I don't like League. I have the NFL to satisfy that jones, and Union is different enough from football to keep me more than engaged.

I didn't know Robinson came from League. I really enjoyed watching him in the World Cup. Great moves for a dude his age. Fearless on returning kicks from the back, too, a skill undoubtedly developed by the lack of marks in League.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:10 am

I watched the NRL grand final a few weeks ago and I just can't get into league. Watching someone get killed and then just get up and roll the ball back with their foot.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:38 am

PK, here's a good article about what the Experimental Law Variations are and what they are trying to do. Apparently they'll be used in next year's Super 14 as a trial to see how top class teams adapt to them.

IMO, the most important and necessary change is having the touch judges keep the defending team onside and making teams stand 5m back from a scrum.

http://www.sportingo.com/rugby/now_new_ ... /1001,3506

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:44 am

Thanks for the link, Feanor!

Take care,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:47 am

So basically they are going to make Union more like League.

Nice to see the Aussies showing their usual class and asking for rule changes after their loss in the semi final - wonder if they would have bothered if they had won.

I did see a sneak preview of their suggested rules changes..

- teams to be docked 10 points during the game if less than 10 of their players are called 'Bruce'.

- kicking for goal not allowed unless the kicking player can name the entire cast of 'Neighbours' - and the cast of 'Home and Away' if his name is Wilkinson.

- for qualification purposes, any landmass within 2500km of the Australian continent counts as Australia, and their players can be fast-tracked through nationality rules

- any game between England and Australia is treated as a win by Australia for tournament purposes, or else they reserve the right to ask for further changes.