2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

I was hoping England would win tonight. I will pretty much (sans someone like Jones being in charge maybe) always support England against one of the big three SH teams and against this particular South African side, I don't have to think twice once. It's just a rugby thing that was ingrained. I'm not going to judge anyone for not agreeing.

There's been a few references to West Brits in the last few pages. Does me wanting England to win make me a West Brit?

(I even live in the Pale and I'm a Leinster STH if that tips the scales)

Because if you think it does, that's a bit of a joke.

You have to wait 4 years too.

I’m going to do it by being positive and not full of bile and bitterness.

You are going to whinge about fait accompli’s and what we shoulda done couldn’t do.

Maybe rugby is not for you.

I suggested an alternative- ballet? Sit back, no winners or losers and nice legs whether you are into men or women. Much less taxing on you.

As much as I dislike the English style of play I was hoping they would win for the same reason that I wanted Wales and Scotland to lose. The World Cup vote remember England actually voted for Ireland to host it.

You seem super salty. “Bile and bitterness” 😂 get up the yard will you ffs. I’ll do what I do every other year and support Ireland, but I won’t get into the hype of us being the best in the world until it’s done when it matters, in a WC.

I don’t do hype. One game at a time. And one team at a time.

I don’t attribute the failings of past teams to the present ones.

Every game/tournament/ game and challenge is different and circumstances are.

The bitter stink raised by those who thought we had some sort of right to win, that the players made a balls off is nauseating.

They are flat out trying to suggest there was a bottle by players who won 17 games on the trot, some of them scintillating.

Take your bitterness elsewhere. It’s useless.

Sick reading you and others. Won’t deny that.

Are you not able to accept a loss, without the need ti demean? Why would you follow a team if you can’t?

What a ridiculous notion. We lost the bid because it was rubbish. France have put on a wonderful event, can you imagine us coming anywhere near them. Get real and grow up.

Come to really dislike Matt Williams's opinions of the game. South Africa's comeback through their set piece was fascinating yet all he talked about was how it's ruining the game.

I think he's just fundamentally wrong about it too. The scrum is an area where fewer penalties are awarded these days, so seeing a team get such dominance just adds an extra layer of drama to the game.

I did post a message that Ireland wouldn't hack it when push comes to shove. There's no shame in that, the southern hemisphere teams are just a different beast when it matters, will generally just about do what they need to do.

New Zealand are the weakest of the Tri Nations in that sense though, the Boks and Wallabies loved playing them when it really mattered, and would generally beat them in World Cups. The form was 2 World Cups for the Boks and Wallabies against 1 for the All Blacks, who hadn't won since 85, in a Mickey Mouse version of the tournament.

The All Blacks only really caught up in World Cups the last decade, as the Wallabies fell off a cliff which is only getting worse, and South Africa weren't at the races.

Also of note, the Boks had a winning hth against the All Blacks up to apartheid, but internal josling in society in general since sent them back, only in the last 6 or 7 years they're finding general consistency.

People think New Zealand are rugby's traditional superpower, it's not, it's the Boks. When it matters most, they'll always do a job on the All Blacks, put your life savings on them turning the All Blacks over.

New Zealand can win all the Tri Nations and Rugby Championships they want, since 95, the Boks and Wallabies couldn't care less about it, it was always about peaking for the World Cup. The Wallabies are gone, but up until the country lost general interest were the best of the 3, but grinding these games out is what the Boks do. They're going to run over and batter the All Black's.

The All Blacks have always feared Australia and South Africa in a way neither both feared the All Blacks. It's why they've always placed so much emphasis on beating both when both never really cared, insecurity complex.

But when it matters most in World Cups, the Wallabies in the past, and the Boks now, are a different animal, and All Blacks have a terrible record against both. The Boks are going to steam roll them!

I said all week that being much fresher, as England were, is a big leveller. I still fancied South Africa to win it by about six or seven but it was very close.

Pollard to me looked a much better fit than Libbok.

I'm not criticising Libbok, just the way the game was played made Pollard the better option.

I wouldnt be so sure.

SA have been rattled by that win over England. Libbok is a huge call he shouldnt start because he was terrible against england in every aspect and cant be trusted off the bench. The rest of the side look very tired.

Rassie will have to rotate for next week.

If SA perform like that again NZ will score trys, and they will go back to the template they used in july to best SA.

In that regard, Rassie hooking his 10 after 30 minutes and going to the bench very early in the 2nd half was fantastic coaching. SA were off, and he didn’t wait too long to bring on fresher replacements and change things. He’s such an incredible coach.

He probably knew how they were going to play, but not how well they were going to play. England and the conditions made it a kicking game so made the call early to switch. Ruthless but the correct call.

Typical Irish response. Remember in 1972 Ireland were on for a Grand Slam and they didn't get it because Wales and Scotland refused to come to Dublin because of the troubles. Wales have been a horrible team to us look at it when we were going for the 2009 Slam they did everything in their power to make sure Ireland couldn't make History. A horrible team that I always enjoy seeing getting beat. Scotland are no better and showee their colours in this WC. They deserve a few more wooden spoons so that we can all beat them with.

The one thing England ever did wrong was in 2003 when they were going for the Slam and Johnston decided to line out in the wrong side but this was actually brilliant as it gave England the mental edge over Ireland and Ireland reacted. If Ireland were mentally strong back then they should have just lined up on the other side and play them at their own game. Ireland too focused on this and got hammered then in the actual game. England had failed on few attempts to win the GS but this was a genius strategy to get over the line. Ireland never had this close to the edge mentality when it really mattered in games. That's the truth and the truth hurts.