2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

FrancieBrady · 22-10-2023 12:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270637#Comment_121270637

Ah, gotta love the 'me and me mates' data.

squidgainz · 22-10-2023 12:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270651#Comment_121270651

There's zero data the event hasn't happened. It's an opinion.

OldRio · 22-10-2023 12:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270637#Comment_121270637

I take it you and your friends don't watch to much rugby. Nothing wrong with that. But you say the 6 nations doesn't matter, that shows ignorance of a high magnitude.

aloooof · 22-10-2023 12:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270641#Comment_121270641

You said “are” a bit sick of the 6 nations. Not “will be”, so I can only go on what you said…

I doubt there’ll be any significant drop in either in any case tbh.

FrancieBrady · 22-10-2023 12:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270653#Comment_121270653

You claimed something is current:

I think people are a bit sick of the six nations,

Turns out it is based on what you and a few mates think. Ok. 🙄

aloooof · 22-10-2023 12:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270653#Comment_121270653

If it’s an opinion on an event that hasn’t happened yet, I don’t see how you can possibly be so adamant with the following conclusion…

If you want to live in Dreamland and pretend people are more interested in the six nations morethan ever

Particularly when it would be a complete seed change.

squidgainz · 22-10-2023 01:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270671#Comment_121270671

Well I think the interest for the upcoming one will be at an all time low.

Ardillaun · 22-10-2023 01:02PM

I think people want to see more NZ-style passing and running in rugby and less SA/Ingerland-style kicking and mauling. We’re not expanding the viewing market as much as I thought we would.

aloooof · 22-10-2023 01:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270780#Comment_121270780

We’ll see. I’m willing to bet it won’t be appreciably different to usual.

hold my beer · 22-10-2023 01:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270780#Comment_121270780

What makes you say that? Just coz you and your mates think that?

eagle eye · 22-10-2023 01:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269929#Comment_121269929

The problem he had was that England had given their players a week off near the end of the pool stages and were much fresher because of that. There's no tactics to prevent that from being the case. All he could do was wait for them to tire a bit and pounce when they did.

I'm sure their plan was to keep it tight until late in the game which they succeeded in doing.

squidgainz · 22-10-2023 01:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270799#Comment_121270799

You don't see a reason for it really? Like even a potential one?

Podge_irl · 22-10-2023 01:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270820#Comment_121270820

SA had a week off before the QF.

Seadin · 22-10-2023 01:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270160#Comment_121270160

Ah sure that's great but I would much prefer if they did this in a knockout match in a World Cup. Each to their own. We have ticked nearly all boxes in Irish rugby now. The only three we haven't done are

1 Getting past QF in RWC.

2. Getting past a semi final in RWC.

3 Winning a RWC.

I would much prefer if we tried to tick these 3 boxes going forward and not anything else to make us feel good that we are relevant as a rugby nation.

aloooof · 22-10-2023 01:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270859#Comment_121270859

Not to the extent you’re suggesting.

squidgainz · 22-10-2023 01:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270883#Comment_121270883

That's fair enough! Opinions on here are just that , I just think the six nations will be hollow for the next year or two tbh. Everything was pointing towards us having a fantastic WC and it just didn't turn out the way I thought.

Seadin · 22-10-2023 01:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270110#Comment_121270110

I think you know it's true as well but don't want to admit it.

bilston · 22-10-2023 02:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270549#Comment_121270549

Not sure about this. There is a bit of despondency now, but I'm sure come the 6Ns there will be as much appetite as ever.

Personally I'm looking forward to some URC and Investic Cup (yeah that one) action first.

Dave_The_Sheep · 22-10-2023 02:10PM

Quotes are killing me here.

It's the best competition in the rugby world, bar none. Not much more to be said.

FrancieBrady · 22-10-2023 02:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270885#Comment_121270885

Fans of rugby will be as interested in the progression of players and the team.

It's a cycle that happens in all sports. The FA competition doesn't suffer because a team doesn't win the premiership, the Open doesn't suffer because McIlroy doesn't win the Masters etc.

Buddy Bubs · 22-10-2023 02:12PM

My report cards for each team

Knockout qualifiers

New Zealand - only a win will be seen as success. Talk of demise greatly exaggerated.

South Africa - same as NZ. Will have huge retirements in next few years.

England - will be happy where they got but will know draw was kind and playing style needs to become more varied.

Argentina - same as England

Ireland - ultimately disappointed to go out when they did but played great rugby and firmly at the top table

France - same as Ireland, but expect them to get a bit of 6 nations dominance in next 2 years anyway

Fiji - massive potential and talent but need to cut out mistakes and inconsistencies to be competitive. Hope they get more exposure in next 4 years

Wales - lucky to top group and great win v Australia but could have easily lost v Fiji and did lose only other serious match v arg. Disappointing.

Non qualifiers

Scotland - not quite there like they thought they might be. Played to their potential last few years but peaked and still not a threat at business end

Italy - no meaningful wins since 2015 world cup up until very recently but proved a false dawn. Extremely feeble efforts v NZ and France, never going to win but could have competed at least

Samoa - time to take advantage of new rules and get some big names playing, guys currently close to NZ level but not being picked. Not ABs from 8 years ago. Need better discipline too

Tonga - similar to Samoa, the big names they got in are well past it but might be a start at least.

Japan - fell away from the heights of 4 years ago, maybe no surprise there. Have the resources to stay competitive at least.

Namibia and Romania - both very poor

Uruguay,Chile and Portugal - be very proud. Small nations, small resources, big hearts. Portugal in particular play outstanding rugby but can't compete physically at 15s

Australia - please sort yourselves out. Grew up watching some great teams and players and now are a poor shadow. Get rid of Jones too if he's not already gone. Biggest disappointment of the entire tournament

Georgia - again disappointing, one of the teams touted as genuine tier 1 inductees but hasn't happened yet. Plenty of power but that's all.

robbiezero · 22-10-2023 02:12PM

Six Nations should be grand next year.

Its a good competition, at a slack time in the sporting world and signifies the end of winter for me.

The top 4 can usually beat each other on any given year and even the waster Scots can spring the odd surprise. Unlike the RWC pool stages you usually have at least 1 top game per round too.

The danger for it I guess is if the likes of England and Wales fall away and are no longer competitive.

Id rather see a competitive six nations than Ireland or France dominating it even if it meant we didnt win it for a while.

Shehal · 22-10-2023 02:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270948#Comment_121270948

France arent getting 6N dominance when Ireland are present. What we learn over this cycle is don't believe what the media tell you.

Yeah_Right · 22-10-2023 02:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269811#Comment_121269811

What a pile of absolute rubbish.

pixelburp · 22-10-2023 02:39PM

So Ireland's tournament took them against the two finalists on the end, while England didn't meet a competent opponent til the semis - and they either had an off day or were flummoxed by England's neanderthal rugby. Doesn't seem fair, whatever way its spun. It did show how thin the margins are at the summit cos both our games could have gone the other way & the result would have still felt fair. This is a poor reflection of the health of world rugby though that there are 4 teams then a huge gap, last night notwithstanding.

Even if this wasn't quite the low of 2007, it does feel like the worst, most tedious joke in world rugby has become codified; Ireland can't win a knockout game to save their life. Not sure what needs to happen to change that. Imagine Ireland and England swapped, how those Pools might have gone. Oh well. More than others this felt like the one that got away.

I cannot abide that two otherwise mediocre sides made it to the semis, even if England's performance last night does deserve earnest credit. I'm not sure there's some X Factor they have that we don't, I think they were massively lucky their Pool rivals were met when they were on their own terrible run of form.

As to the tournament itself? I think this showed that SF stage notwithstanding , the gulf between the top 4 sides and the rest is huge - and growing. COVID did a number on a bunch of the Tier 1.5 sides but still; there's something that needs changing, cos with England Wales and Australia's local federations in serious bother - a rethink is needed. Portugal added some gloss on what was an otherwise disappointing iteration for the lower ranked sides too; Italy should be ashamed of themselves and I wonder if Uruguay might feel frustrated they couldn't capitalise on that shoddy Italian squad.

MadYaker · 22-10-2023 02:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271036#Comment_121271036

If we'd gotten England's draw we'd have made the final pretty easily I think. SA looked way better against us in the group stages than they did against England yesterday and we still beat them. We'd have put 40 points on both Samoa and Fiji. A bit of luck is the only thing were missing.

Musicrules · 22-10-2023 02:50PM

I think both these facts about the World Cup are commonly accepted:

We had our best ever team
These were the worst New Zealand, England and Australian teams to enter a World Cup

The South African team also wasn't considered great by their standards, Wales and Scotland average and France a bit unknown.

I think the tournament has backed up fact number 2 above. It has been quite poor on quality, only a handful of good matches. Unfortunately, we didn't live up to our billing as the best team inn the World. Will there ever be an opportunity again where all these countries have such poor teams by their standards? It was there for the taking, even a dreadful England nearly made the final. We're going to look back on this World Cup with huge regret.