I don't think the coaches actually put much stock in the result of these games one way or another.
Maybe the coaches don't but I don't think the England or Wales players took much notice as they seemed keen to knock lumps out of each other
Seeing some of the injuries from the weekend has definitely gotten me more anxious about Saturday.
I think the coaches have a set group of players they have in the squad already (about 29-30). Then they probably have about 6-8 more that are in competition for those last 3-4 spots. Then the remainder they want up to speed in case of injuries to specific players.
I think they've given significant insight into their preferences already with how they've chosen their match day squads over the past year or even the training squad in the 6N.
Nash, Stewart and Blade weren't in either of the 6N squads named this season so I'd expect they're making up the numbers in the event of injury, somewhat. Treadwell got a cap in the final 6N game but was only brought into the revised 6N squad after Beirne and McCarthy were injured so I'd imagine he's probably on the outside too.
Then we've Stockdale, Coombes and Osborne who were in squads but never received a cap this past season.
So straight away, there's 7 guys who are probably up against it to make the final cut as it stands barring injury.
If we play poorly, I'm sure the excuse will be we were "holding stuff back", just like we were supposedly in 2019.
And if we play well , you'll say it's because England were shít and we're "flattering to deceive" or something.
Honestly - Have you ever posted and just said "That was a decent performance , happy with that" ?
The lengths you will go to to get pre-emptively negative about a team on an 11 match winning streak who have been number 1 in the world for a year are utterly ridiculous.
In our last 22 matches we have a loss by 6 points away to France and a loss away to NZ in Eden Park. That is it.
I hope you are correct. Personally because of the way the groups and fixtures, I don't think any team from group b will get past quarters.
Yeah the idea of milking 4 test games out of the world cup warm ups doesn't look like a great idea at the moment.. especially when ireland look like they had a great warm weather camp last week in Portugal.
We’re off the back of a Grand Slam, an unbeaten Autumn and series win in New Zealand.
Whereas you’re supposing that if we fail to win by 30 points or so vs England in a RWC warm-up game, we should be worried.
It’s way over-stating things.
the betting spread is -14 to ireland
if anyone thinks we can win by 26 points or more, its 9/2... so fill yer boots.
the english squad is selected, so they wont be going out with anything to prove. All they want is a good performance.
our wins over the last 3 games have been by 14, 17 and 13 points respectively, so i would be expecting something similar, and praying we dont sustain any significant injury.
To be honest - Injury free and a good hit out for the players getting a first run is all that's needed.
Have you ever posted and just said "That was a decent performance , happy with that" ?
Yes
That's all well and good, and those were enjoyable at the time, but this team will ultimately be remembered for how it performs at the World Cup. The last 4 years have been building up to this tournament. Those achievements will mean nothing if we bomb in France. I'm tired of us being the laughing stock of rugby every 4 years.
I'm supposing that if we're struggling for form weeks out from the World Cup, then yes we should be worried. I don't see how that's controversial.
Given we are going to be playing a more limited style of rugby surely Ross Byrne will start?
This team won a grand slam this year friend.
Dunno about you but I don't plan to forget that any time soon.
So "ultimately be remembered for how it performs at the world cup"?
Hyberbolic nonsense.
We've been a super consistent side for 2 years, where are you getting the "struggling for form" from?
These are game where we're not using anything close to our first team.
This is nothing like the last world cup where we were coming of the back of a poor 6N, we looked frustrated, off form, and like we'd been figured out in a way they were didn't have an answer to. None of those is the case this time round.
These games aren't being used to find form or build momentum...we've done plenty of that and are in the position to be able to use these games as actual warm ups, look at some combinations, finalize the last few slots in the 33, and potential injury backups that could get called in mid tournament.
I just don't see the big red flag indicators that are prompting such a negative outlook.
I guess its just baffling as to why you'd sit here thinking of hypothetical situations where you'd be disappointed with the team
Your threshold for “struggling for form” is anything under a 30 point win vs England.
It’s overly negative and more than a little bit silly.
Whilst I'd of course be ecstatic beyond belief were we to win the World Cup my main concern is doing ourselves justice.
Yes - We've lost at QF stage over and over.
But it's the manner of the losses that hurts more than anything else - Other than perhaps the '91 QF against Australia where we played well above expectations and lost in the final play of the game to the ultimate winners and arguably the best Australian team of the last 30/40 years, we have lost all the QF's because we've played Shite , not necessarily because the other side were better than us.
If we go to a QF this year and lose in an absolute belter to France or NZ then yes I'll be gutted but if we can come away and say that the team did justice to their reputation and played to the best of their abilities then that's not some national disaster.
Barring some "black swan" type event , the winner of this years World Cup will come from one of Ireland , NZ , France or South Africa and because of the stupid draw two of those teams will be going home after the Quarter finals.
Does that mean they are crap teams and "chokers" ?
Of course it doesn't, as long as they have done themselves justics and played to the max of their abilities in losing.
I’d agree with all of this. Not only have we never performed in a QF, we’ve generally started terribly as well.
That’s one thing that’s giving me some confidence. This team have a good record of coming flying out of the blocks.
The draw does look so ridiculously lop-sided tho. To the point that it’s not unthinkable, come the SF, with a red-card or a bouncing ball, that someone like Wales could put 2 performances together, and get some luck, to win it.
Like that jammy 6 Nations they won under Pivac. Their form (and luck) eventually reverted to the mean.
His last home game? Yes he would
I think Australia are still the best shout for a team from the other side of the draw to make the final. They've got a lot of quality in their team, front row notwithstanding, and they've consistently beaten the other teams on that side. They're also capable of beating anyone else in a knock out setting, as they've shown many times previously.
I somewhat agree, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't find any loss in the QF utterly unbearable.
Oh I agree , I'd be inconsolable but I'd get over it a bit quicker if I could say "At least we played really well" unlike every other World-Cup so far..
Think they'll exit group stage to be honest
We peaked last year in NZ. We were on our way to being found out that Autumn where we were mediocre and made hard work of beating even Australia and were fully figured out and a nervous wreck against a dreadful England side in 6n. We haven't evolved and our game isn't good enough to compensate for the mental fragility we bring to every world cup. Throw in learning no lessons from the past by still relying on a Sexton who's pushing 40 and hasn't played in forever and a QF exit looms, with a pool exit a very real possibility.
shure whats the point of even turning up.....
Indeed
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