RWC '15: Pool B General Chat [RSA/SCO/SAM/JAP/USA]

Zzippy · 17-09-2015 12:51pm #1

This is the thread for discussion of Pool B - buildup to games, squad talk, injuries, etc can go in here but there will be dedicated match threads for the bigger games. If a match thread for a smaller game has not been set up, match talk can go in here too.

POOL B

South Africa||Samoa||Japan||Scotland||USA

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Fixtures:

Team 1 | |vs || Team 2 || Venue|| Date ||K.O. |

South Africa|| vs || Japan|| Brighton||19.09.15 || 16:45 |

Samoa|| vs || USA| |Brighton||20.09.15 || 12:00 |

Scotland|| vs || Japan|| Gloucester|| 23.09.15|| 14.30 |

South Africa| |vs | |Samoa||Birmingham|| 26.09.15 || 16:45 |

Scotland|| vs || USA||Leeds|| 27.09.15 || 14:30 |

Samoa| |vs || Japan||Stadium MK|| 3.10.15 || 14:30 |

South Africa|| vs || Scotland|| Newcastle|| 3.10.15 || 16:45 |

South Africa|| vs || USA||Olympic Stadium || 7.10.15 || 16:45 |

Samoa|| vs || Scotland|| Newcastle||10.10.15 || 14:30 |

USA|| vs || Japan|| Gloucester|| 11.10.15 || 20:00 |

A handy group for South Africa to ease them into the tournament. Coming off the back of a miserable Rugby Championship, where they lost for the first time - at home too - to Argentina - SA will be keen to make amends here. Plenty of experience although no little mileage too in the legs, they will rotate heavily to ensure key players are fresh going into the knockout stages, and have the luxury of probably the easiest group in which to do so. The bookies rate them at 6/1 to win the WC, which is probably a measure of their ability to peak for the big occasion rather than current form.

Scotland are improving but don't have enough firepower to threaten SA, while Samoa will fancy their chances of an upset, and the meeting of the two teams on October 10 will likely determine who qualifies alongside SA. Japan may fancy their chances of an upset against Scotland or Samoa, while USA are hot favourites to finish bottom, eyeing their match with Japan as their best chance of a win here.

SA and Scotland to progress.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-09-2015 1:11pm

I fancy Scotland to do well here. They won't beat South Africa but I think they'll push them hard and finish comfortably in 2nd. The fact that they play SA in Newcastle should basically give them home ground advantage, which coincidentally is the SA team logo # thing for this WC, but I digress.

Nicest team "suits" award goes to Scotland too, I think.

dub_skav · 17-09-2015 1:13pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I fancy Scotland to do well here. They won't beat South Africa but I think they'll push them hard and finish comfortably in 2nd. The fact that they play SA in Newcastle should basically give them home ground advantage, which coincidentally is the SA team logo # thing for this WC, but I digress.

Nicest team "suits" award goes to Scotland too, I think.

Nah:

Ceadog · 17-09-2015 1:17pm

South Africa already have about half a dozen lads carrying injuries coming into the competition, I bet Meyer will be watching the Samoa game through his fingers.

PTH2009 · 17-09-2015 1:41pm

a shock is going to happen in this group. either South Africa will lose to Scotland or Samoa will beat Scotland.

thomond2006 · 17-09-2015 1:43pm

It's far more likely that Samoa would beat Scotland.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-09-2015 3:20pm

Japan's line up. Pretty much what we were expecting from them.

Ceadog · 17-09-2015 3:26pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Japan's line up. Pretty much what we were expecting from them.

It's all Greek to me.

Akrasia · 17-09-2015 3:33pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

a shock is going to happen in this group. either South Africa will lose to Scotland or Samoa will beat Scotland.

South Africa's form this year was pretty poor. They lost all their matches in the rugby championship and were beaten by Argentina twice this year. But then Scotland's form has been woeful too.

I would not be terribly surprised if Japan or even the U.S.A. beat Scotland

Ceadog · 17-09-2015 3:40pm

Eh, Scotland seem to be slowly improving. Their second string nearly beat us at home in the warm ups, and they really should have beaten France. They should definitely be targeting SA, who are frequently the most complacent of the SH sides.

endabob1 · 17-09-2015 3:45pm

Akrasia wrote: »

South Africa's form this year was pretty poor. They lost all their matches in the rugby championship and were beaten by Argentina twice this year. But then Scotland's form has been woeful too.

I would not be terribly surprised if Japan or even the U.S.A. beat Scotland

Bok's for has been poor but they only lost once to the Pumas and beat them in the rematch. They also only lost by 4 & 7 points to Oz & the AB's, not exactly hammerings.
I think their squad isn't as good as it was and I would be surprised if they won it, but they will cruise through the group.

Flipper22 · 17-09-2015 3:50pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Japan's line up. Pretty much what we were expecting from them.

I'd have concerns about that back row, looks a bit soft. Their names are all smiley faces.

Edit- And their 12 too. At least that tighthead looks like he could generate a bit of go forward based on his last symbol

rrpc · 17-09-2015 5:43pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Japan's line up. Pretty much what we were expecting from them.

Those symbols are very telling.

For example you can see the loose head (first symbol shows his position) has a problem with his set. His arm is bound in alright, but his legs are very badly splayed out. Not sure how he was able to dominate the Canadians with that technique.

The hooker (reading from the right (you can see his position with the ball between his feet) has a tendency to push to the left; possibly to bolster the loose head.

The No.4 clearly does all the line out calls whilst the No.5 is their go to guy in the lineout. The backrows all seem to have good rucking technique and the no.8 is good off the base and does a lot of carrying.

The problems are in the backs though. The right wing clearly has a tendency to drift left in defence and can't seem to attack unless part of a three pronged approach.

Finally the scrum half does a lot of box kicking and doesn't seem to pass the ball at all causing the outhalf to swear a lot.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-09-2015 5:44pm

Pretty sure my friend got their SH tattooed on her back one summer in Majorca.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-09-2015 9:52pm

Just laughing at Meyer's logic for bringing Kirchner in the squad. He's said the two years Zane has spent playing for Leinster means he's used to playing in the rain.

Ceadog · 17-09-2015 10:31pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Just laughing at Meyer's logic for bringing Kirchner in the squad. He's said the two years Zane has spent playing for Leinster means he's used to playing in the rain.

Missed a trick in not calling up Poolman then.