Big World of Rugby

[justinr73]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... 9vk48wnp1o

Jegou is the one not long back after a cocaine related ban.

[justinr73]

The Lionels have come on a bit since the WC.

[solidarity]

The Lionels have come on a bit since the WC.

As I said in another thread, I was on the verge of saying complimentary things about the Lionels when the wonderful Irish match brought me back to reality. All the same, they're not looking too shabby.

The Welsh looked good for a half, then back to normal.

And Scotland hammered the mighty USA. Hmmm

[Neill_M]

The Lionels have come on a bit since the WC.

As I said in another thread, I was on the verge of saying complimentary things about the Lionels when the wonderful Irish match brought me back to reality. All the same, they're not looking too shabby.

The Welsh looked good for a half, then back to normal.

And Scotland hammered the mighty USA. Hmmm

The Scotland performance was very poor given the strength of the selection. They only scored 42 points, the 2nd XV scored 73 v Canada last week and Canada are arguably better than the USA right now given they beat Romania last night and USA lost to them last week.

Italy lost 33-25 to Samoa last week and beat Tonga 36-14 yesterday.

[solidarity]

So what do you think:
https://www.cityam.com/ahead-of-the-gam ... deal-snub/ ?
Doesn't get my vote. We've enough rugby all round.

[solidarity]

Any thoughts on the new laws?
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/everythi ... TER,V40G,1

[solidarity]

And the Argies beat the All Blacks in NZ.
Argies making great strides or All Blacks slipping?
maybe All Blacks putting out significntly a weakened side, for some reason.
Or just blip, one of those odd things that happens in sport?

[big mervyn]

And the Argies beat the All Blacks in NZ.
Argies making great strides or All Blacks slipping?
maybe All Blacks putting out significntly a weakened side, for some reason.
Or just blip, one of those odd things that happens in sport?

International rugby has definitely levelled out since the advent of professionalism albeit the same suspects usually still come out on top. Used to be the ABS were defacto pros, the Saffers were exited and the N hemisphere was clinging to the tenets of amateurism.

[solidarity]

And the Argies beat the All Blacks in NZ.
Argies making great strides or All Blacks slipping?
maybe All Blacks putting out significntly a weakened side, for some reason.
Or just blip, one of those odd things that happens in sport?

International rugby has definitely levelled out since the advent of professionalism albeit the same suspects usually still come out on top. Used to be the ABS were defacto pros, the Saffers were exited and the N hemisphere was clinging to the tenets of amateurism.

Always good to see a bigger pool of competitive teams. Italy, Japan and Argentina looking good and maybe the South Sea Islanders (if other nations don't keep harvesting their best talent). Mixed feelings about whether I want the Yanks in. No word of a Georgia come back, I suppose.

[solidarity]

Just looked at the world rankings table.
Top 5 as expected.
6 Argentina
7 Scotland
8 Italy
9 Australia
10 Fiji
11 Wales
12 Georgia
13 Samoa
14 Japan
15 Portugal
Thought the Japanese would be higher. Wales out of the top 10.Interesting.

[justinr73]

The Japs are only heading down with unsteady Eddie in charge.

[Neill_M]

6 Pools of 4, a Round of 16 also. So after the Pool stage you lose 8 sides.

[solidarity]

I don't get a round of 16. Sixteen teams still will have some unnecessary one-sided games and any team that doen't make the top two in each group doesn't deserve to be in the next round (so long as they don't make a mess of the pools like they did this time round.

[Neill_M]

I don't get a round of 16. Sixteen teams still will have some unnecessary one-sided games and any team that doen't make the top two in each group doesn't deserve to be in the next round (so long as they don't make a mess of the pools like they did this time round.

If you have 6 pools and straight to QF then it would be similar to the old Heiny Cup when you had to win your pool to guarantee making the QF. That would basically rule out a lot of sides of getting through, having a R16 means the smaller sides can get through and get to play the big boys who will probably play a rotated side.

One less pool game in 2027 v 2023.