RWC 2015 - build-up thread

moleyv

Buer wrote:

You can't simply avoid game time for a player. He needed to play and had only one appearance for Wales in the warm ups prior to the weekend. He got hurt. It happens. Bizarre logic by those blaming Gatland.

I didn't see the game but reading afterwards, his leg was heavily strapped and he seemed a bit tender in his leg before kick off. If that's true it may not have been the best idea to play him.

Then again ACL damage is not exactly something you can strap your leg up for, so it was likely unrelated.

irishbucsfan

moleyv wrote: »

I didn't see the game but reading afterwards, his leg was heavily strapped and he seemed a bit tender in his leg before kick off. If that's true it may not have been the best idea to play him.

Then again ACL damage is not exactly something you can strap your leg up for, so it was likely unrelated.

According to Gatland that wasn't true:

“There was more than one player out there with strapping,” Gatland said. “Half a dozen players or probably more than that get strapped up before every game.

“Leigh had that strapping on before the game in Dublin. It’s something he’d had there for the last three weeks and used it when he was kicking. He said he didn’t really need the strapping, but because he’d been using it for the last two or three weeks, he put it on.

“He had just been a little bit tight in the back of his knee about three weeks ago. It was nothing to do with the injury that he picked up on the weekend. And it wasn’t heavy strapping, it was very light strapping. I checked that out with the physios.

“I know there has been some criticism about protecting players and you always question yourself about that. It’s just trying to get the balance right between players having enough rugby and keeping players fresh.

“I looked at that before the game in terms of some of those players that had played the week before in Dublin.

“If they weren’t involved in the first group game against Uruguay and then played against England, well that’s four weeks between the two matches and for some of those players that’s a little bit long and they want to play a bit more.

“Look, people are entitled to their opinions and I understand the disappointment of everybody out there saying that certain players should have been protected, but you can’t predict everyone and you have a game to go out and win.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/wales/11851813/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-Wales-head-coach-Warren-Gatland-defends-decision-to-play-Leigh-Halfpenny.html

Watched the highlights of some of the warm up games that I hadn't seen and does anyone else think they are blowing up much faster for not rolling away since the start of this season?

Was very apparent in the Scotland France game last weekend but on second viewing it seems across the board in advance of the WC.

Rattlehead_ie

Deleted User wrote: »

Watched the highlights of some of the warm up games that I hadn't seen and does anyone else think they are blowing up much faster for not rolling away since the start of this season?

Was very apparent in the Scotland France game last weekend but on second viewing it seems across the board in advance of the WC.

I think its relative. Go back and look at the France V England game. How Dan Cole didn’t get yellow carded for rolling away (or lack of) is beyond me. However, saying that I think that part of the game was something the Ref have been warned to keep an eye out for this season and in RWC

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Morisi is out for Italy after damaging knee ligaments against Wales. Not sure how big a blow that is but it makes you realise how lucky we've been with our warmups, Tommy O'Donnell aside.

Tigerandahalf

Sorry if this has been asked before. I thought TV3 HD would be available now but it doesn't seem to be on freesat. Is it only on sky platform?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before. I thought TV3 HD would be available now but it doesn't seem to be on freesat. Is it only on sky platform?

I have it on UPC. It's channel 150. I couldn't find it for a while because for some reason it's not bunched with the other HD channels.

andymx11

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I have it on UPC. It's channel 150. I couldn't find it for a while because for some reason it's not bunched with the other HD channels.

Mine is just channel 103 the regular tv3 has now become HD!

Tigerandahalf

It seems it might be on upc alright but on freesat all I have is the tv3 logo with so many days to go to the world cup. I recently did a rescan so it is not that issue.

b.gud

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

It seems it might be on upc alright but on freesat all I have is the tv3 logo with so many days to go to the world cup. I recently did a rescan so it is not that issue.

TV3 will be HD only via UPC and sky. You won't be able to get HD via Saorview or freesat, you should be able to get itv HD though

Kiwi_knock

Australia going with the two team strategy, two teams training separately until after the Uruguay match. Very risky decision, could alienate players.

THE Wallabies have revealed the tactic driving their World Cup master plan all winter — they’ll field entirely different starting XVs in their opening two pool games.

In an unprecedented selection tactic for Australia at World Cups, assistant coach Stephen Larkham said the Wallabies squad would be split down the middle to deal with he challenge of playing three Tests inside 11 days.

One starting Wallabies side — ostensibly the strongest — will be chosen to play Fiji on September 23, while a second and entirely different XV will run on against Uruguay on September 27.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-wallabies-to-field-different-starting-xvs-for-opening-two-pool-games/story-fni2fxyf-1227519937487?sv=51fdbd6370c5161360dbd96c67748316

rrpc

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

Australia going with the two team strategy, two teams training separately until after the Uruguay match. Very risky decision, could alienate players.

Never mind the players. Everyone will know who will make up the second team once the first one is announced.

.ak

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Watched the highlights of some of the warm up games that I hadn't seen and does anyone else think they are blowing up much faster for not rolling away since the start of this season?

Was very apparent in the Scotland France game last weekend but on second viewing it seems across the board in advance of the WC.

I don't know about that. I thought poc was very guilty of it in twickers and never got pinged. It's ine part of his game that really annoys me, it's either a fitness thing or he's trying to be cute, but in surprised Owens didn't pick up on it.

.ak

.ak wrote: »

I don't know about that. I thought poc was very guilty of it in twickers and never got pinged. It's ine part of his game that really annoys me, it's either a fitness thing or he's trying to be cute, but in surprised Owens didn't pick up on it.

No idea why, but your post reminds me of my favourite Nathan Hinds clip

Holding 3 players on the ground

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

I don't know about that. I thought poc was very guilty of it in twickers and never got pinged. It's ine part of his game that really annoys me, it's either a fitness thing or he's trying to be cute, but in surprised Owens didn't pick up on it.

If there's ever a ref to not call it though it's Nige. As long as the ball is coming back he lets a lot slide.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

New Zealand have released an "official supporters song" in partnership with a Kid's charity. It's pretty brilliant. You have to watch the whole clip to understand the lyrics but it's pretty amazing. Also, they include us in the list of teams they're trying to sabotage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vryA80b5sw

Just the song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1voi7Z4CsLs

There's an even longer version here explaining the curse and why Brooke Fraser is rapping. https://www.facebook.com/AllBlacks/videos/10153173339406915

Yeah_Right

^^^
Love it. Made me feel homesick.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Yeah_Right wrote: »

^^^
Love it. Made me feel homesick.

It's so bloody catchy. I've listened to it about 10 times since I posted it.

MJohnston

The benefits of having Flight of the Concordes as fellow countrymen...maybe we can get the Rubberbandits to write Ireland's song?

That was just brilliant. Start to finish pure excellent.

England would do well to take note. I've never seen a marketing campaign take itself so seriously, plenty of gas characters in the English set up but they persist in this "Carry them home" bollox. Can't wait to put them out in the Semi's.

kuang1

I fukking loved that.
I will always, always, always have time for anyone who's able to take a little bit of the p1ss out of themselves once in a while.
It's getting more real by the day...nearly tasting the WC at this stage. And videos like that make it an even greater thing to look forward to.
Oct 17th is something I'm really looking forward to now. Gonna be in Cardiff from 1.00.pm on. All blacks playing at 8.00pm, (and I got one of those poxy...in a good way...CAT C tickets that's 7 rows back from the pitch on the 10 metre line) Jaysus that's gonna be some good day. Really looking forward to mingling with a few kiwis and having a side-splitting laugh with them.

ONLY 8 DAYS TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOO......

awec

Deleted User wrote: »

That was just brilliant. Start to finish pure excellent.

England would do well to take note. I've never seen a marketing campaign take itself so seriously, plenty of gas characters in the English set up but they persist in this "Carry them home" bollox. Can't wait to put them out in the Semi's.

I'd laugh my wee cotton socks off if England didn't get out of their pool.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I think the whole idea of an official song and all that kind of thing is rubbish. New Zealand seem to know that so they've had some fun and are doing some good for charity with theirs. That is the kind of attitude you want. I've heard the official England song and while it's a nice version of Swing Low it's hardly going to inspire anyone and the fans were going to be singing it anyway so it's all rather pointless.

I haven't dared to look for footage/photos from England's big "send off" with Take That last night.

postitnote

That's a great video. It almost kind of wants to make you root for those plucky New Zealander rugby underdogs down there.

vienne86

That is brillianat! Love it!

Sangre

Got offered tickets to Ireland/Italy game through work, sweet. That means I'm going to all the Irish pool games (bar Canada as I'm away) as well as the Sunday QF (which Ireland should hopefully be in if they top the group). Can't bloody wait now!

rrpc

Deleted User wrote: »

That was just brilliant. Start to finish pure excellent.

England would do well to take note. I've never seen a marketing campaign take itself so seriously, plenty of gas characters in the English set up but they persist in this "Carry them home" bollox. Can't wait to put them out in the Semi's.

This one is little more light-hearted but still taking themselves too seriously:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v7TNlumotU

andymx11

The Sin Bin on TV3 at 10- not sure what to expect but I'll give it a go!

curious incident

andymx11 wrote: »

The Sin Bin on TV3 at 10- not sure what to expect but I'll give it a go!

I can't stand Andrew Maxwell, so this isn't off to the best start :pac:

andymx11

curious incident wrote: »

I can't stand Andrew Maxwell, so this isn't off to the best start :pac:

I love Mark Watson though!