2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333874#Comment_121333874

I'm aware of the background.

Travelling with only one fly-half and four scrum halves was an equally bizarre move.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333885#Comment_121333885

Are you still confused as to why I mentioned Pollard?

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333783#Comment_121333783

Rush defense is not neither here nor there. NZ went in at half time and Schmidt (I assume) told them how to adjust to SAs tactics. SA had come out and played a game tailored to counter NZ, and it worked. They couldn't adjust on the fly, went behind and NEVER recovered. In the second half they adjusted their kicking game appropriate but then SA were in control and cruising, they relied on their defence and it worked. The theatre Rassie brings is part of his tactics, and winning 2 world cups in a row tells me he is doing something that other coaches and teams can't stay with. I haven't been a fan of his but the mentality of posters who just can't accept that he figured out how to beat everyone when it counted is unintelligible to me. the games were high stakes drama, we even had a score fest against France with lots of nice tries, and again excellent and appropriate tactics to beat them, like those 50/50 box kicks to trap France's defence.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333793#Comment_121333793

Far less scores against top team do not matter if you win and prevent them from scoring. A system that is not innovative, what are you talking about, they just won back to back WCs! It's alright to prefer open running Rugby that classic French or NZ teams play and its thrilling when they win with it, but when that style loses to a territorial, possession, defensive system I can appreciate that rugby is dynamic and complex and there are more ways to play it than what is prettiest on they eye. That is why I like it. I do not get this kind of attitude that Barcelona rugby is somehow more valid than munster rugby. The important one is the one that wins on the day. If you don't approve there are other sports.

Dubinusa

If Arendse had of held onto the ball, that try would have been spectacular.

I reckon S.A play similar to England, when England were good, 4 years ago.

Rassie is amazing. Not a fan of him but the results speak volumes.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333963#Comment_121333963

Barcelona rugby would be like Ireland in 2018. Very effective but utterly unwatchable for a neutral.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333907#Comment_121333907

I assume you mean they had to bring in Pollard for Marx and thus were forced to rely on Fourie.

But it was all crap planning.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333963#Comment_121333963

When rugby is played without risk it can be very boring. Joe Schmidt made Ireland incredibly boring to watch. Johan Van Graan made Munster almost impossible to watch. Whether they won or not didn’t change the spectacle for a good portion of spectators. When rugby is played with some invention it is the best sport to watch imho. If Munster or Ireland went back to playing those predictable boring approaches and won every match by a few points I’d still probably give up watching them. As much as I’d admire the dedication and hard work from the players I’d rather not watch it. Fair play if it’s winning rugby, unless it’s a good spectacle for a large proportion of spectators it would kill off the interest in the sport long term.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121334958#Comment_121334958

Not many will disagree with you, except that that sort of rugby wold kill off interest in the game because its always been part of rugby and here we are. Preferences are one thing, but 5 of 7 of SAs games in this tournament were fascinating, dramatic and exciting encounters and I can't imagine that many neutrals were turned away by it. They are capable of playing in different ways and did that throughout the tournament which is another reason to be impressed by them. Literally a different game plan for almost every opponent, or at least significant tactical adjustments. But the major point here is that a lot of posters seem to enjoy a particular brand of rugby and don't enjoy other kinds of rugby. It's people who sometimes like rugby, not really fans. 😁

You raise Joe and that reminds me of something. With Joe we had a successful game plan but ran out of road once teams copped on how to counter it in the 2019 6N. With AF the mantra has been, 'everyone knows what Ireland are going to do, the problem is how to counter it'. I think we are in the same position again now as in 2019. Team now have a blueprint of how to play us provided by France, SA and NZ with NZ getting over the line this year and SA coming close but certainly showing the way.

Podge_irl

Despite what Foster thinks, I can't imagine any neutral spectator, or indeed any curious interlopers, would find the NZ-Italy game more entertaining than a single one of SA's matches.

One of the key points of sport is the drama, and that is what close matches bring in spades.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121335098#Comment_121335098

Ah here, we are nowhere near 2019. WWe got beaten out the gate multiple times but different teams in 2019. We lost one match to NZ by 4 points this year...

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121335880#Comment_121335880

That comment was taken completely out of context. Sure, he was saying that people like to see tries scored, but his main point was all the messing around in that game with waterboys on the pitch, players down for injuries, general time wasting.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121335098#Comment_121335098

One thing about rugby, with the way the laws change from year to year there always seems to be innovations in game play.

The 50:22 and the goal line drop out for example.

If we had a situation where all teams came to the same conclusion that the most rewarding style was low risk predictable stuff, I think it would be a problem for the future of the sport.

I don't think it will happen however, Ireland and New Zealand and formerly Japan have showed there is a way to play winning rugby with expansive passing movements and variety of attack. I honestly think Ireland are THE BEST team to watch since they've adopted Catt's attacking game plan in recent years. I'd dread the thought of going back to a game plan like trying to get an early score and then hold out with defence and simple pick and goes and garryowens for the rest of the match.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121336102#Comment_121336102

That was part of his point, but I saw the interview - I'm not taking it out of context. The NZ-Italy game was a crap spectacle and talking about ball in play time being higher in it as if that's what people want more was silly.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121336304#Comment_121336304

Personally, I enjoyed the NZ-Italy game. I can appreciate some of the amazing skills that were on show. Everyone jumped on this whole thing about him saying one thing, when it was really part of a bigger point he was making.

Yes, low scoring games can be exciting, but all the ridiculous time wasting needs to be stopped. Rugby should be a game where scoring tries is the main objective, and fitness should be a factor. A lot of South Africans genuinely believe they were the most exciting team at the World Cup. Just because they were involved in 4 close games that are by nature exciting, doesn't make them an exciting team.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121336349#Comment_121336349

Oh I think SA are an awful team to watch for the most part and the time-wasting drives me mad.

I still think Foster is just a pretty bitter person and his inability to deal with how the game is played as opposed to how he wants it to be played is part of the reason for his lack of success.

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121336398#Comment_121336398

Agreed. I think Foster was out of his depth as an international head coach and it was only when other coaches were added last year that we saw improvements and changes in the ABs style. I don't think Foster knew how to have his team impose their style on good teams. I also don't think the ABs had a strong enough captain to get in the ref's ear about the slowing down of the game.

The SA time wasting and water carriers annoy me as well. In couple of games you could hear the ref saying "water off" several times because they were running on for every break in play. Would love to see a ref just start penalizing that.

swiwi_

Just for you Yeah_Right

T-Maxx

Well trying to headbutt Etzebeth's forearm is never going to end well.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121344289#Comment_121344289

Making fun of blind people. Nice.

Jacovs

I only see someone making fun of the referee, making it out that he is blind/cant see whats right infront of him. I dont see anyone making fun of blind people. Blind people cant see, they know that.

In other news, Duane Vermeulen retired from test rugby, which was expected.

And certain SA politicians taking a very positive thing and trying to make it very negative. This is why we cant have anything nice.

swiwi_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121344829#Comment_121344829

Careful now dismounting from your high horse.

ruggedguy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333517#Comment_121333517

Yeah I thought it be a yellow card only because it looked similar to porters tackle in the nz series but oh well. And as for kolisi tackle on savea? To me that’s a good hit and didn’t warrant a yellow card but yeah I know the laws of the game says otherwise.

ruggedguy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121325590#Comment_121325590

I feel you brother, I was ready to move on from foster since 2019 because I wanted a new coaching staff with a different perspective/ideas from previous regime, whether it worked or not it was better than watching foster try the same thing over and over again.

Before the World Cup my expectations were low for this foster lead all blacks team and expected them to be one and done in the quarters. But props to foster, he ALMOST pulled it off in the end. The only thing I’m bitter about the finals is we lost with 14 players on the field (our own fault) for almost the entire match…..it would’ve been a lot easier for me to accept and move on if SA beat us with our 15 on the field.

For me 2007 World Cup campaign will always be the heart breaker, I had so much high hopes for that squad. Kind of reminds me of this years Ireland team. Hence why I know how our fellow Irish lads feels after their quarter final exists…..I too felt that way in 2007

p.s if it wasn’t the ABs, I had my hopes in france finally winning the World Cup

typhoony

I see NZ are still trying to find reasons to have a chip on their shoulder, unofficially world rugby have admitted that the Aaron Smyth try in the final should have stood as the Savea knockon was 4 phases on from the try.

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366590#Comment_121366590

I dunno if it's a chip on their shoulder. It's not like it's up for debate that the TMO made a ruling outside the scope of what they're allowed to do, and NZ questioned it.

It won't change the result, but clarity should be made around things so that they don't happen again. I think it would have been interesting if it was pointed out to Barnes at the time that the TMO isn't allowed to make that ruling, whether he would have just gone ahead and awarded the try.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366590#Comment_121366590

well...

perhaps you should preface that with "new zealand newspaper suggests......"

tritriagain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366590#Comment_121366590

Could you imagine if Ireland had a try like that disallowed in WC final. We would still be talking about in 800 years.

Podge_irl

While I doubt I would be equally magnanimous if it was affecting Ireland, "wrong process, right decision" outcomes are hard too get too outraged by.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366874#Comment_121366874

I dunno about that: different sport but I get the impression the soccer world has moved on from Thierry Henry's blatant handball; a controversy that included talk about Ireland getting a by into an inflated, 33 team tournament of 2010. I think the Irish rugby community would have been salty as F, but given we would have also made the final in the first place, I think that would have balanced out the pain.

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366590#Comment_121366590

It reminds me of Irish fans going on about how Owens admitted he made a mistake penalising McGrath against the ABs with time nearly up in 2013. No proof of that seen any where but a lot of fans claiming it. Anyway, it changes nothing. Still lost. Same as the VAR screw up in Tottenham v Liverpool. Admitting the mistake after match (officially or unofficially) doesn't change the result.