RWC 2015 - build-up thread

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-08-2015 5:29pm

England team for France match.

sydthebeat · 10-08-2015 5:32pm

:mad::mad: calum clark :mad::mad:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-08-2015 5:47pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

:mad::mad: calum clark :mad::mad:

And here I was worried there's be nobody left to hate with Hartley and Ashton gone.

10-08-2015 7:36pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

And here I was worried there's be nobody left to hate with Hartley and Ashton gone.

Doubt he makes the plane tbh so wouldn't worry too much!

freyners · 10-08-2015 7:42pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote:

And here I was worried there's be nobody left to hate with Hartley and Ashton gone.

Meh if worst comes to worst you can focus on farrell.

Ashton may just act like a dick. Clark is nothing but a thug

Stheno · 10-08-2015 7:56pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

:mad::mad: calum clark :mad::mad:

Jaysis lads ye are indoctrinating me well

I saw the name and went "isn't that the arm breaker"

stephen_n · 10-08-2015 8:42pm

The Burgess experiment continues.

10-08-2015 9:02pm

stephen_n wrote: »

The Burgess experiment continues.

Didn't he convert to blindside flanker for Bath?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-08-2015 9:06pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Didn't he convert to blindside flanker for Bath?

He was tried at 12, I think, for a bit but didn't work out, has been playing flanker most of the season, quite well too by all accounts. Apparently Lancaster only wants him at centre though, not interested in him otherwise.

Sangre · 10-08-2015 9:16pm

Decent pack. Not so sure about the backs though.

English Lurker · 11-08-2015 4:07am

Deleted User wrote: »

Has to be said, Australia's performance yesterday has added a bit of extra bite to that group. Whilst Wales were dire on Saturday, they are a first choice 15 team with poor depth but their first choice 15 is much more solid and could well turn Ireland over in the Aviva in two weeks time and if they do it cements that group as perhaps the toughest group in World Cup History.

You say extra bite; I say it's as welcome as opening the door to see your mother-in-law on the doorstep with her suitcase in one hand and a gimp on a leash in the other.

I was blithely confident in the belief we could beat up Australia and Wales up front and neither has the backs to have a really good crack at it once that's happened. If we can't do that to Australia, then we're probably going to lose the breakdown, and we can't kick because of Folau and our shoddy kickchase, and all of a sudden the result looks very much in doubt.

As for Wales, I'm not really paying attention to them yet, we'll see when the big boys come out - as you say, they could turn over Ireland in the Aviva, although probably odds against. Their front row is not a blessing at the moment. Be interesting to see how they defend the blind side next time... no, wait, sorry, *whether* they defend the blind side next time.

Tough group? Bah. DO NOT WANT.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

He was tried at 12, I think, for a bit but didn't work out, has been playing flanker most of the season, quite well too by all accounts. Apparently Lancaster only wants him at centre though, not interested in him otherwise.

Burgess was started at 13 - didn't do great; was switched to 12, then to blindside.

His last game at 12 was pretty good by most accounts. He's definitely looked better at blindside - but then his understanding has progressed too. It's possible he'd have looked as good at 12 if he'd continued there - Ford definitely seemed set on blindside for him. So far he's looked vindicated, but we'll see.

Lancaster is definitely only interested in him at centre. He says its because he can't jump in the lineout; plausible, but Lancaster always allegedly wanted him for inside-centre, and you can see why as the situation is quite, quite dire. Any port in a storm, even if Burgess looks more like he might be a stony shore with cannibals dancing on the clifftops. 50-50 on whether it will work.

11-08-2015 8:02am

English Lurker wrote: »

Tough group? Bah. DO NOT WANT.

If it's any consolation - I'm going to really enjoy watching all the matches in the group.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 11-08-2015 10:40am

Australia still haven't sorted their 9/10 pairing as far as I'm concerned. Phipps getting binned and not coming back on was what won Australia the match at the weekend. A smarter person than I could probably figure out a way to exploit that. Given their poor kicking too bonus point's could play a big part in deciding the group.

molloyjh · 11-08-2015 11:54am

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Australia still haven't sorted their 9/10 pairing as far as I'm concerned. Phipps getting binned and not coming back on was what won Australia the match at the weekend. A smarter person than I could probably figure out a way to exploit that. Given their poor kicking too bonus point's could play a big part in deciding the group.

That the Kiwi back row weren't able to do more against such mis-firing halves didn't help them at all either in fairness. Phipps and Foley were poor but they were never really made pay for it. I would imagine though that their performances alone on the day would be enough to convince Cheiks that they shouldn't be anywhere near the starting line-up for the RWC.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 11-08-2015 11:58am

molloyjh wrote: »

That the Kiwi back row weren't able to do more against such mis-firing halves didn't help them at all either in fairness. Phipps and Foley were poor but they were never really made pay for it. I would imagine though that their performances alone on the day would be enough to convince Cheiks that they shouldn't be anywhere near the starting line-up for the RWC.

The problem is though they've tried quite a few different pairings there and none of them are working well. Nic White looked more impressive in his 16 minutes than any of the rest of them have looked over 3 matches. I'd love to see White/Toomua get a start in Auckland this weekend. I doubt it'll happen though.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 11-08-2015 12:01pm

Samoa have named their final WC squad. First team to do so, I believe. (pretty annoying that they didn't click "ignore all" on spellcheck before releasing this)

total former · 11-08-2015 1:28pm

No Census Johnson anyway, or his brother indeed. Still, the bones of a good team are there.

thomond2006 · 11-08-2015 2:17pm

If I'm a Scot I'd be very afraid of that squad.

sydthebeat · 11-08-2015 3:07pm

surprised peter saili not making the squad... must have been cack in training

sydthebeat · 11-08-2015 3:09pm

total former wrote: »

No Census Johnson anyway, or his brother indeed. Still, the bones of a good team are there.

census is retired (*ahem stood down by his club ahem*)

molloyjh · 11-08-2015 4:50pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

If I'm a Scot I'd be very afraid of that squad.

Is there some confusion on that front?

lbj666 · 11-08-2015 11:20pm

Just learnt TV3 won't be going HD on saorview, pathetic.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 12-08-2015 12:02am

Just reading this article about the Hawk-Eye technology they're going to be trialing at Twickenham during the England v France match this weekend.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11797604/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Twickenham-breaks-new-ground-with-use-of-Hawk-Eye-during-England-v-France-clash.html

I always think of Hawk-Eye in terms of how it's used in tennis so I wasn't sure how that could be used for assessing concussions and off the ball incidents but obviously there's more to it than seeing where a ball landed. I like the idea of a split screen of a foot going into touch and the ball being grounded.

lbj666 · 12-08-2015 10:30am

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Just reading this article about the Hawk-Eye technology they're going to be trialing at Twickenham during the England v France match this weekend.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11797604/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Twickenham-breaks-new-ground-with-use-of-Hawk-Eye-during-England-v-France-clash.html

I always think of Hawk-Eye in terms of how it's used in tennis so I wasn't sure how that could be used for assessing concussions and off the ball incidents but obviously there's more to it than seeing where a ball landed. I like the idea of a split screen of a foot going into touch and the ball being grounded.

Its seem like a different system to whats been used in tennis and in croke park.

Its sound like a more sophisticated replay system, with more angles and the facility to watch different angles at the same time. For example if a player grounds the ball but the foot might be in touch , they can know pause it at the point where they are sure from one angle the ball is grounded and check the foot from an other angle at that very split second.

They couldn't rely on this before because the cameras probably weren't sync'd to the same clock accurately.

pickarooney · 12-08-2015 11:32am

I think it's a bit farcical to be honest if not only is the ref/TJs view not accurate enough but the slo-mo cameras are too imprecise. Just give the try if it's really that hard to call.

kuang1 · 12-08-2015 12:34pm

Loads of tickets up again guys...All of Ireland's matches have availability as I type.

Synode · 12-08-2015 12:39pm

kuang1 wrote: »

Loads of tickets up again guys...All of Ireland's matches have availability as I type.

No category D for France or Italy game

Wang King · 12-08-2015 3:25pm

Mad if its true.
http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/9946610/waisake-naholo-says-traditional-medicine-cured-broken-leg

aimee1 · 12-08-2015 3:29pm

Wang King wrote: »

Mad if its true.
http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/9946610/waisake-naholo-says-traditional-medicine-cured-broken-leg

Get healy on the next flight out.......

.ak · 12-08-2015 3:35pm

Wang King wrote: »

Mad if its true.
http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/9946610/waisake-naholo-says-traditional-medicine-cured-broken-leg

Am I the only can imagine his leg breaking in two after the first tackle?

RWC 2015 - build-up thread

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