Books will beat Wales even with Alan Whine Jones reffing it as usual. Books two wingers are so quick they will put the frighteners on the Welsh backs moving too quickly. The Blacks v England is another story. It may be decided on a penalty or a red card. Whoever wins this match will win the World Cup although it would be typical for England to win the match but suffer injuries to key players for the final.
Rugby World Cup 2019 aka Squishy McSquish goes into a meltdown thread
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Jonathan Davies and Hadleigh Parkes look like they'll be fit for the game. Huge news if so. Wales missed Jonathan Davies big time against France.
I have a feeling the new tackling protocol is going to have a huge impact on one of these final three games
Something inside the first 10-15mins completely killing the contest
Something inside the first 10-15mins completely killing the contest
I can't see Wales winning unless they get lucky with cards again
They can never seem to time their form/momentum to peak at a world cup, like England have done perfectly this time it seems
They can never seem to time their form/momentum to peak at a world cup, like England have done perfectly this time it seems
Kolbe out of the Boks side. Nkosi comes in. 6 - 2 split on the bench again from Erasmus. Gonna be a war.
Alan Whine Jones? You're talking about one of the modern greats there and you act like no other captain tries to influence the ref? Bizarre.
Just read an article about how 24 years ago the Jonah Lomu became a massive star after absolutely destroying England. I remember being a kid watching this monstrous man bulldoze through players, just in awe. Watching the try back where he tramples over Mike Catt you can help but marvel, what an unbelievable player he was. RIP big Jonah you changed rugby forever.
Yeah Lomu got the world interested in Rugby, what a player. I remember playing a Jona Lomu Rugby computer game on the PS1. Was funny how much bigger he was than every other player in the game, pretty sure he had 99 in every stat.
Remember when you “opened” up that special team as well. One with 15 Lomus and another with a giant and that small ass winger “Mather” who was Flash Gordon fast
what a fecking game.
And Lomu. What a fecking player. Handed feckers off like flies.
Plus the speed of the man
Plus the speed of the man
Aye, absolutely outrageous speed for a huge guy. Can imagine trying to tackle him would be like trying to fend off a hurricane.
That could have put him in ward 4
.... I hope not bill that’s the maternity ward
And something about going through them like a Sherman tank
Classic game. The speed of the L1 passing and the L2 skip a man pass! So simple yet so good. Nothings come close since
.... I hope not bill that’s the maternity ward
And something about going through them like a Sherman tank
Classic game. The speed of the L1 passing and the L2 skip a man pass! So simple yet so good. Nothings come close since
Loved that game too!That could have put him in ward 4
.... I hope not bill that’s the maternity ward
And something about going through them like a Sherman tank
Classic game. The speed of the L1 passing and the L2 skip a man pass! So simple yet so good. Nothings come close since
And when you kicked it perfectly at goal... "Oh. and it's right between the uprights!"
"Digs like a demented mole there"
&
“They’re going in like cattle trucks in a shunting yard”
Line ups. Scott Barrett in at 6 for AB's. This promises to be an epic
England: Daly; Watson, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Ford, Youngs; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Marler, Cole, Kruis, Wilson, Heinz, Slade, Joseph.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, George Bridge; Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, Kieran Read (capt).
Replacements: Dane Coles, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta'avao, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett.
England: Daly; Watson, Tuilagi, Farrell (capt), May; Ford, Youngs; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola.
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Marler, Cole, Kruis, Wilson, Heinz, Slade, Joseph.
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett; Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, George Bridge; Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, Kieran Read (capt).
Replacements: Dane Coles, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta'avao, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett.
Liam Williams out for Wales by the looks of it. Leigh Halfpenny coming in
Got a better replacement than we did for Navidi but it's still a big loss. Likely that he'll be out of next week as well whether that's the final or the play-off, looking worryingly like it will be the latter again.
He is a big loss.
I don't think Wales are going to beat South Africa anyway, even if they did have Williams and Navidi. They've been quite middling all tournament, really. They've never really been in control of any of the games they've played and they look to be on their last legs. Good achievement getting to the semis, but i can see a very comfortable South Africa win.
Difficult to tell with Wales because we are always capable of stepping it up when fit. Take the 6 nations this year, 16-0 down against France at HT and needed France to implode to come back and in particular Vahaamahina to do something really stupid (gonna miss that guy), toiled against Italy and on the ropes against England before coming back to win and take home the grand slam. Didn't get a single bonus point win but always did enough. South Africa would be a step up from Australia/France but with a full team, I'd still fancy our chances. Without those two and with our two centres being held together with tape and crossed fingers, I think you might be right about a comfortable South African win.
This might be a big loss but not terminal. I doubt he'd have got much room to jink through the SA defence. Has to be a solid gameplan with few mistakes now.
Wales bench looks weak. Agree, Boks are strong favourites for this.
Hopefully the answer to this article from rugby analyst Nick Bishop is yes: https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/10/...the-all-blacks-in-their-world-cup-semi-final/
Anyone see the Squidge Rugby video on Ireland New Zealand? I think they were all taken down today, but it showed them switching forward pod formations seemingly from phase to phase. Extremely impressive when broken down like that and shows how they absolutely steamrolled us.
England vs Wales is the World Cup final I want so if England could hold up their end of that particular bargain, I'll be pretty happy. I do expect New Zealand to win by around 10 points.
Let's just hope Nigel Owens isn't the talking point post game. Little conspiracy theory: If Nigel Owens wants to referee the final, England vs South Africa is his best hope as I'm not sure it's healthy for a ref to referee the same team (in this case New Zealand) should they make the final 3 weeks in a row; they'll be familiar with him, he'll be very familiar with them.
Let's just hope Nigel Owens isn't the talking point post game. Little conspiracy theory: If Nigel Owens wants to referee the final, England vs South Africa is his best hope as I'm not sure it's healthy for a ref to referee the same team (in this case New Zealand) should they make the final 3 weeks in a row; they'll be familiar with him, he'll be very familiar with them.
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Going to the pub to watch this game seemed such a good idea last night. But in the cold light of morning it seems stupid to start drinking at 9am when I know I'm out tonight. Think I'll watch the first half here at home and if England are still in it at HT I might wander down there at 10 to nurse a (slightly more respectably timed) beer through the second half.
Cup of tea and a couple of rounds of buttery toast on a warm sofa with a clear view of the TV and not surrounded by any of those pricks that have to make a technical point every 3 or 4 minutes to show that they definitely Rugby sounds like the best option by far.
But who's going to be impressed by my technical points every 3 or 4 minutes if I stay at home?
Aha!
This. Besides, you can always pour yourself a pint at home and throw it across your living room every time England score a try.
Actually, as soon as I read that I pictured the two blokes that come in with replica England shirts (BT Cellnet) that seem to think they need to explain every rule and decision to the rest of the pub. Crumpets toasting and tea brewing as I write!Fadge
Yeah I think we can all think of a few like that. It’s weird, Rugby brings out a very particular type of fan like that. It’s popular enough to fill a pub yet somehow still niche enough that some people feel their world has been invaded when a bunch of “fair weather fans” turn up every international tournament to support their nation. They deal with it by wondering round the pub looking for any banister, stool or fruit machine they haven’t yet cocked their leg against and deposited a few squirts of wisdom onto.
The only thing I can think of that’s comparable is when someone really gets into a new band and then a few years later their second or third album hits the number one spot and any time someone mentions them they just absolutely have to let everyone know that a few tracks from their first album that never got released as singles are their best songs and the drummers name is Bob and they saw them live at a gig which only had 30 people there.
You learn something every day!
fadge
A Fanny
Vagina
Pussy
Dick door
fanjita
feck hole number 1
the gateway to hell (in some cases)
Peter -"Aparently according to lisle, sadie has mouldy cheese sandwich fadge flaps."
Petey -"NICE!"