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Post by grey_matters on Oct 1, 2023 3:44:41 GMT
Nah not seeing it, it's Scotland A today in a barely opposed training game that included a spell of 15 v 12. I don't see anything there to scare Ireland other than Darcy Graham being a bit of a freak, but Manbun Lowe is capable of dealing with him. I'd love it to happen so that Rassie loses his shit again though (come on Ireland, throw the match blatantly but not too blatantly). The cunt. They can't throw it without missing out themselves really. Tonga need to keep RSA to a win without a bonus point (or better) or one of us go out |
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Oct 1, 2023 16:05:04 GMT
Come on, Portugal!
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Post by Danno on Oct 1, 2023 16:19:10 GMT
Expensive yellow
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Post by Whizzo on Oct 1, 2023 16:26:58 GMT
Australia getting a BP win and keeping their chances alive for a little while longer before they're out will be entertaining at least.
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Post by Resident Knievel on Oct 1, 2023 17:25:36 GMT
Refereeing has went from inconsistent to soft in this World Cup, Fiji escaped an obvious red yesterday and Australia have just got away with a deliberate elbow to the head
Also frustrating to see Portugal struggle to score against 13 men, they just fall apart inside the 22
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Post by Whizzo on Oct 1, 2023 17:31:26 GMT
The elbow not being converted was ridiculous.
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Post by Resident Knievel on Oct 1, 2023 17:38:24 GMT
Ah well, game over, the difference between the mediocre Tier 1 sides and the best Tier 2 sides on show this evening.
Good Tier 2 sides can generate a lot of possession but they fall apart inside the 22 and frequently make sloppy mistakes, and the meh Tier 1 sides convert every half chance they get.
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 1, 2023 17:58:04 GMT
Should have been a penalty try just for how cynical and shitty Australia were being. Wouldn't have made a difference in the end but would have been funnier.
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Post by Resident Knievel on Oct 1, 2023 18:18:00 GMT
The 6 nations desperately need promotion and relegation, Portugal and Georgia deserve as much of a chance at playing in it as Italy (and England).
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Post by Danno on Oct 1, 2023 19:10:11 GMT
If Habana is going to go full Monye all match this is getting fucking muted
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Oct 1, 2023 19:55:36 GMT
Not a bad first half from Tonga.
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 1, 2023 21:36:46 GMT
The 6 nations desperately need promotion and relegation, Portugal and Georgia deserve as much of a chance at playing in it as Italy (and England). Relegation is still a terrible idea. Whoever got relegated would rapidly go broke. Rugby Union is mostly predicated on selling out your home stadium for internationals, sponsorship deals which go with that and the TV deals for internationals. Except maybe France the club game doesn't sustain it. You send Italy out for even a year and they get straight into financial issue. Plus who actually wants to buy tickets to see Portugal vs the annual tradition of trying to fuck over England (if they got relegated). Lots of the entertainment goes with the old home nations grudges and the history. It's not some professional sport development pathway. Way better to set something up like the WXV for the Men as well. |
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sport✅
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notice me senpai
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Post by sport✅ on Oct 1, 2023 21:38:16 GMT
If Habana is going to go full Monye all match this is getting fucking muted I'll Monye you, pal! |
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Post by muddyfunster on Oct 2, 2023 13:08:44 GMT
The 6 nations desperately need promotion and relegation, Portugal and Georgia deserve as much of a chance at playing in it as Italy (and England). Relegation is still a terrible idea. Whoever got relegated would rapidly go broke. Rugby Union is mostly predicated on selling out your home stadium for internationals, sponsorship deals which go with that and the TV deals for internationals. Except maybe France the club game doesn't sustain it. You send Italy out for even a year and they get straight into financial issue. Plus who actually wants to buy tickets to see Portugal vs the annual tradition of trying to fuck over England (if they got relegated). Lots of the entertainment goes with the old home nations grudges and the history. It's not some professional sport development pathway. Way better to set something up like the WXV for the Men as well. Terrible at present but either we accept that International rugby in Europe can only sustain 6 teams or we have to build up a second tier to narrow the gap. It would need a mature discussion about revenue sharing and artificially funding that second tier. Also England may be mediocre but I'm not having us in the conversation to be relegated from 6N! If there's one thing we're good at, it's being not last. We've got a 36 year record of avoiding wooden cutlery thank you very much. Metal spoon Champions. Let us at least have that. |
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sport✅
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Post by sport✅ on Oct 2, 2023 13:13:46 GMT
Also England may be mediocre but I'm not having us in the conversation to be relegated from 6N! If there's one thing we're good at, it's being not last. Is that why they let Italy into the 5N? |
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Post by muddyfunster on Oct 2, 2023 13:46:20 GMT
You'd have to ask Scotland.
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alastair
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Post by alastair on Oct 2, 2023 17:00:21 GMT
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 2, 2023 17:38:47 GMT
Terrible at present but either we accept that International rugby in Europe can only sustain 6 teams or we have to build up a second tier to narrow the gap. It would need a mature discussion about revenue sharing and artificially funding that second tier. Also England may be mediocre but I'm not having us in the conversation to be relegated from 6N! If there's one thing we're good at, it's being not last. We've got a 36 year record of avoiding wooden cutlery thank you very much. Metal spoon Champions. Let us at least have that. I was being a bit cheeky with England but it more neatly reflects the point, if you remember the old withdrawn BBC advert about beating the English. A lot of 6N finances are based on selling out your stadium to have a real good grudge match with the English. Filling out Landsdowne, Murrayfield or The Principality depends on having the English as heels. So either England or the other team being relegated would fuck the finances up badly. Who's going to fill out a stadium to watch a game with Germany, or go all the way to Tblisi for a big game against Georgia. Even the RFU's finances are extremely wobbly if they don't fill out Twickenham and get big sponsorship deals. |
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 2, 2023 17:41:32 GMT
You'd have to ask Scotland. Reigning 5N champions. Also saw the Hawick own goal on twitter, I love the kid from the other team posing for the camera afterwards. |
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KD
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Post by KD on Oct 2, 2023 18:05:23 GMT
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Post by Danno on Oct 2, 2023 20:50:40 GMT
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Post by muddyfunster on Oct 2, 2023 21:24:09 GMT
Haha. Yeah that was great, and very true. Fwiw as an England fan, the correct answer is Wales. |
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 2, 2023 22:02:15 GMT
It's the Irish these days isn't it? Might just be because their twitter fans and pundits are so fucking chippy.
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Post by Danno on Oct 2, 2023 22:45:23 GMT
To be fair, they are pretty fucking good.
And if they get the cup over SA or NZ then fucking A
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Post by muddyfunster on Oct 2, 2023 23:13:13 GMT
It might be regional (although of course union itself is also regional) but living in the South East you'll meet about 4 Welshmen for every Irishman. I also feel like the Irish are good winners (and losers) and I like a lot of their players and admire their setup.
I mostly find good Welsh players annoying and begrudge them any success, which I'm sure is entirely mutual.
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Post by grey_matters on Oct 2, 2023 23:58:51 GMT
It's the Irish these days isn't it? Might just be because their twitter fans and pundits are so fucking chippy. I've definitely noticed an uptick in the banter-fan element here with the recent prolonged success. So yeah, some percentage of twitter/X fans are probably awful cunts. Likewise, the success has led to multiple new media commentaries trying to capitalise on the success. And sometimes (for me it's the moron Kearney, Matt Williams, and a few others, but ymmv) they lose the run of themselves largely because it's their job to do just that. Long term fans don't tend to agree but still like to hear all this new optimism. Weirdly, going back the great ad linked above, I don't have any wish for England to do poorly. Quite the opposite sometimes. Success is weird. |
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zephro
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Post by zephro on Oct 3, 2023 6:43:41 GMT
It was Kearney and Matt Williams I was thinking of.
It's probably just because we've not beaten Ireland in ages and they're so good so you want to beat em. I've also had an eye on this world cup pool for the last couple years. I guess they've just got a target in their backs. The players seem like good lads.
England have just been funny lately. It's reverted to a nebulous suspicion of wankers in gilets in west London.
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Post by elstoof on Oct 3, 2023 7:17:31 GMT
Gilets? Stonewashed 501s? Deck shoes with no socks? Looks like your twickenham starter pack arrived Nigel!
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Post by simple on Oct 3, 2023 17:44:23 GMT
An own goal?!
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Post by elstoof on Oct 4, 2023 6:04:32 GMT
Eyeing up that media career while he’s still got the hair and all his teeth. Maybe Flintoff won’t be back on Top Gear and he wants it |
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