RWC 2015 - build-up thread

molloyjh · 13-08-2015 1:49pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I'm surprised at Hibbard being cut.

I'm sure it had no bearing on Gatland's choices but I did enjoy watching this gif of Phillips running away from McFadden last week instead of tackling him.

Phillips did well there tbh. Didn't commit and create the space for Reddan and Earls. Instead he forced the 3 Irish players into making a decision and the lads ultimately weren't on the same page.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 13-08-2015 1:52pm

molloyjh wrote: »

Phillips did well there tbh. Didn't commit and create the space for Reddan and Earls. Instead he forced the 3 Irish players into making a decision and the lads ultimately weren't on the same page.

I know, but out of context it just looks like he's running away

dub_skav · 13-08-2015 1:58pm

molloyjh wrote: »

Phillips did well there tbh. Didn't commit and create the space for Reddan and Earls. Instead he forced the 3 Irish players into making a decision and the lads ultimately weren't on the same page.

Yeah, looks a bit funny, but he probably did quite well.
Still, reminded me of this fella:

sydthebeat · 13-08-2015 2:37pm

Patchell paying the price for the anscombe experiment.

not surprised hibbard returned, his fitness is seriously lacking, spend most of last saturday puffing and walking

thomond2006 · 13-08-2015 3:42pm

Is there any fixture list PDF floating around for printing?

Synode · 13-08-2015 3:45pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is there any fixture list PDF floating around for printing?

I've the fixtures in an Excel spreadsheet for a game I'm going to do. Do you want it? I can turn it into a pdf if you want it

thomond2006 · 13-08-2015 3:47pm

Synode wrote: »

I've the fixtures in an Excel spreadsheet for a game I'm going to do. Do you want it? I can turn it into a pdf if you want it

Sounds good! Thanks!

b.gud · 13-08-2015 4:23pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is there any fixture list PDF floating around for printing?

I've tried this out and it creates a calendar entry for all the games which could be useful too https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/3gg27p/world_cup_calendar_entries_for_outlook_groupwise/

molloyjh · 13-08-2015 4:54pm

b.gud wrote: »

I've tried this out and it creates a calendar entry for all the games which could be useful too https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/3gg27p/world_cup_calendar_entries_for_outlook_groupwise/

Just realised from this that Romania play France on Wednesday 23rd and then play us on Sunday 27th. That's a rough draw.

France play Italy on Sunday 19th as well so have a short turnaround there, although it won't be as big a deal for them. We got lucky with our fixtures. France, Romania and Canada all have short turnarounds of some degree. Although France do have a few extra days on us for the last game.

b.gud · 13-08-2015 5:01pm

molloyjh wrote: »

Just realised from this that Romania play France on Wednesday 23rd and then play us on Sunday 27th. That's a rough draw.

France play Italy on Sunday 19th as well so have a short turnaround there, although it won't be as big a deal for them. We got lucky with our fixtures. France, Romania and Canada all have short turnarounds of some degree. Although France do have a few extra days on us for the last game.

Lower tier nations get the serious short end of the stick, see this diagram for reference

https://twitter.com/rpetty80/status/628239021773312000?s=09

b.gud · 13-08-2015 5:03pm

b.gud wrote: »

Lower tier nations get the serious short end of the stick, see this diagram for reference

And this one

https://twitter.com/rpetty80/status/628251814077571072?s=09

CatFromHue · 13-08-2015 5:05pm

Looks like Scotland and Oz are now lower tier nations with NZ and SA not far behind. Japan has taken a big boost too!

Podge_irl · 13-08-2015 5:06pm

b.gud wrote: »

Lower tier nations get the serious short end of the stick, see this diagram for reference

They got it worse last time round but yeah, it's still not good enough. It's completely absurd that the teams least able to play multiple games in short windows are the ones required to do so. If necessary, Ireland could play Romania and Italy over a 5 day window. Romania would be in no position to play Ireland and Italy over the same period.

b.gud · 13-08-2015 5:15pm

b.gud wrote: »

In general lower tier nations get the serious short end of the stick, see this diagram for reference

CatFromHue wrote: »

Looks like Scotland and Oz are now lower tier nations with NZ and SA not far behind. Japan has taken a big boost too!

FMP

thomond2006 · 13-08-2015 6:28pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Sounds good! Thanks!

Got it! Merci.

CatFromHue · 13-08-2015 11:03pm

b.gud wrote: »

FMP

Ave No. of days for top 10 teams is 21 days, ave for other 10 teams is 20 days so not a major scandal.

Your man has left Uruguay out of his list which I would rank as bigger crime, they've the same number of days as Wales.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 13-08-2015 11:07pm

I've just noticed Kane Douglas is on the bench for the Wallabies this weekend. I wonder how Australian based players not in the squad feel about someone like him waltzing back into the team after going abroad and, insult to injury, hasn't even played any rugby for months?

sydthebeat · 14-08-2015 12:21am

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I've just noticed Kane Douglas is on the bench for the Wallabies this weekend. I wonder how Australian based players not in the squad feel about someone like him waltzing back into the team after going abroad and, insult to injury, hasn't even played any rugby for months?

Id say they're much happier about Douglas being there than either of the Toulon boys.
At least Douglas will technically be a reds player during the rwc.

14-08-2015 12:32am

We have a gif we can use for when NZ get knocked out

http://gfycat.com/AgedCompleteFlee

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2015 12:35am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Id say they're much happier about Douglas being there than either of the Toulon boys.
At least Douglas will technically be a reds player during the rwc.

That's true.

Must suck to be someone who plays the same position though and know they basically went and bought out his contract to get him back into the world cup squad with no idea of his fitness rather than give you a chance.

Granted it's possible they've got all the decent players available to them on camp.

sydthebeat · 14-08-2015 6:59am

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

That's true.

Must suck to be someone who plays the same position though and know they basically went and bought out his contract to get him back into the world cup squad with no idea of his fitness rather than give you a chance.

Granted it's possible they've got all the decent players available to them on camp.

I think Luke Jones suck at home has the biggest gripe.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2015 4:43pm

France finally remembered to name a team for tomorrow's match with England.

15. Scott Spedding, 14. Sofiane Guitone, 13. Rémi Lamerat, 12. Alexandre Dumoulin, 11. Brice Dulin, 10. François Trinh-Duc, 9. Morgan Parra; 1. Vincent Debaty, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski (c), 3. Nicolas Mas, 4. Yoann Maestri, 5. Alexandre Flanquart, 6. Yannick Nyanga, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: 16. Guilhem Guirado, 17. Xavier Chiocci, 18. Uini Atonio, 19. Seb Vahaamahina, 20 Loann Goujon, 21. Rory Kockott, 22. Rémi Tales, 23. Gael Fickou

sydthebeat · 14-08-2015 4:46pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

France finally remembered to name a team for tomorrow's match with England.

15. Scott Spedding, 14. Sofiane Guitone, 13. Rémi Lamerat, 12. Alexandre Dumoulin, 11. Brice Dulin, 10. François Trinh-Duc, 9. Morgan Parra; 1. Vincent Debaty, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski (c), 3. Nicolas Mas, 4. Yoann Maestri, 5. Alexandre Flanquart, 6. Yannick Nyanga, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: 16. Guilhem Guirado, 17. Xavier Chiocci, 18. Uini Atonio, 19. Seb Vahaamahina, 20 Loann Goujon, 21. Rory Kockott, 22. Rémi Tales, 23. Gael Fickou

Trin-Duc !!!!!!!!!!

Parra !!!!!!!!!!

irishbucsfan · 14-08-2015 4:53pm

One thing the rest of the rugby world could do without would be France finding form just before the beginning of the world cup. I'm starting to worry about them.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2015 5:04pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

One thing the rest of the rugby world could do without would be France finding form just before the beginning of the world cup. I'm starting to worry about them.

There were jokes doing the rounds earlier that they weren't actually going to name a team and just put out the first 15 players that got off the bus.

France are one of those teams, just as likely to win the World Cup as they are to fall over their own feet and lose to Romania.

aimee1 · 14-08-2015 5:23pm

b.gud wrote: »

Lower tier nations get the serious short end of the stick, see this diagram for reference

https://twitter.com/rpetty80/status/628239021773312000?s=09

i dont understand why they dont allow the bottom ranked teams in each group to play a week before the 'real' opening game so to speak. Surely in this day and age something can be done to help the lower ranked teams to develop.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2015 6:05pm

Romania are currently playing their first warmup match at the moment against Yorkshire Carnagie. So. .. yeah.

.ak · 14-08-2015 6:16pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

Trin-Duc !!!!!!!!!!

Parra !!!!!!!!!!

I swear to feck if they get picked against us...

14-08-2015 6:32pm

.ak wrote: »

I swear to feck if they get picked against us...

We'll still beat them. We're a better team, better coached and more driven with better or equal talent.

We've the easiest group in the tournament and when we hammer France we'll prove it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2015 6:54pm

Deleted User wrote: »

We'll still beat them. We're a better team, better coached and more driven with better or equal talent.

We've the easiest group in the tournament and when we hammer France we'll prove it.

I would say South Africa have the easiest pool.

14-08-2015 7:04pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I would say South Africa have the easiest pool.

That depends on whether your Scottish, Samoan or South African.

.ak · 14-08-2015 8:06pm

Ah NZ clearly have the easiest.

14-08-2015 9:13pm

.ak wrote: »

Ah NZ clearly have the easiest.

Only from their perspective. Really we only have France to deal with, I'd rather that than have Australia, NZ or SA in our group so out of the NH teams were doing by far the best.

I'm totally bought into the Joe Show, and I have complete faith in the sheer quality of our team. We're going to well beat France and squeaky bum time is going to be on hold until late into the semi final when we out class either England or Australia.

Our RWC final against NZ is going to be made into a film about how it began the reunification between the north and the republic with Morgan Freeman playing Enda Kenny.

Believe.

kuang1 · 14-08-2015 9:42pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Only from their perspective. Really we only have France to deal with, I'd rather that than have Australia, NZ or SA in our group so out of the NH teams were doing by far the best.

I'm totally bought into the Joe Show, and I have complete faith in the sheer quality of our team. We're going to well beat France and squeaky bum time is going to be on hold until late into the semi final when we out class either England or Australia.

Our RWC final against NZ is going to be made into a film about how it began the reunification between the north and the republic with Morgan Freeman playing Enda Kenny.

Believe.

You had me up til Morgan Freeman...

Adam Sandler surely a better bet!

14-08-2015 11:24pm

kuang1 wrote: »

You had me up til Morgan Freeman...

Adam Sandler surely a better bet!

With Adam Sandler also playing his wife Fionnuala O'Kelly

stephen_n · 15-08-2015 1:26am

kuang1 wrote: »

You had me up til Morgan Freeman...

Adam Sandler surely a better bet!

Far better bet!

Coburger · 15-08-2015 6:58am

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Romania are currently playing their first warmup match at the moment against Yorkshire Carnagie. So. .. yeah.

That really states the real popularity of rugby by looking at how certain countries are warming up for the world cup. A shame that rugby isn't more popular in other countries like Spain and Germany.

stephen_n · 15-08-2015 8:21am

Coburger wrote: »

That really states the real popularity of rugby by looking at how certain countries are warming up for the world cup. A shame that rugby isn't more popular in other countries like Spain and Germany.

I would imagine it's more a financial reason rather than not having other options. Playing against Spain, Holland or some of the lower tier European teams would be an option, but maybe it's logistics and finances that dictate their warm up games.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-08-2015 9:21am

stephen_n wrote: »

I would imagine it's more a financial reason rather than not having other options. Playing against Spain, Holland or some of the lower tier European teams would be an option, but maybe it's logistics and finances that dictate their warm up games.

Seems a shame though that they can't even get a match against one of the Premiership or Pro 12 teams. Canada, I think, have a match against Glasgow in their warm up period. Granted it's a Glasgow side without their international players, but it's still a step up from Yorkshire Carnegie.

It ended 10-10, by the way.

stephen_n · 15-08-2015 12:45pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Seems a shame though that they can't even get a match against one of the Premiership or Pro 12 teams. Canada, I think, have a match against Glasgow in their warm up period. Granted it's a Glasgow side without their international players, but it's still a step up from Yorkshire Carnegie.

It ended 10-10, by the way.

Rugby in Romania seems to have stagnated a little, where as Georgia appear to be making progress, they're going no where fast. I'm surprised though they couldn't have arranged a match in England with one of the other lower tier teams as part of their warm up.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-08-2015 2:07pm

stephen_n wrote: »

Rugby in Romania seems to have stagnated a little, where as Georgia appear to be making progress, they're going no where fast. I'm surprised though they couldn't have arranged a match in England with one of the other lower tier teams as part of their warm up.

I've just looked it up there and it seems Romania are playing Edinburgh next weekend, so that's at least a small step up. Last warm up match is against Tonga.

razorblunt · 15-08-2015 8:08pm

Pica moles looks like a man who's been having dodgy belly issues for a fortnight. He's a shell of his former self

The Lost Sheep · 15-08-2015 8:43pm

stephen_n wrote: »

Rugby in Romania seems to have stagnated a little, where as Georgia appear to be making progress, they're going no where fast. I'm surprised though they couldn't have arranged a match in England with one of the other lower tier teams as part of their warm up.

Georgia have dominated European rugby below 6 nations for past few years Romanian rugby hasn't stagnated just not s strong as Georgians. They have game against Tonga as Tickle_me_elmo says but its a great shame likes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales etc haven't don't more than simply had a mini 6 nations tournament this month and played sides who may be slightly similar to world cup pool opposition as its not like(on basis of attendance in Aviva today) that crowds would not have came in if we were playing "tier 2" sides

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-08-2015 8:49pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Georgia have dominated European rugby below 6 nations for past few years Romanian rugby hasn't stagnated just not s strong as Georgians. They have game against Tonga as Tickle_me_elmo says but its a great shame likes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales etc haven't don't more than simply had a mini 6 nations tournament this month and played sides who may be slightly similar to world cup pool opposition as its not like(on basis of attendance in Aviva today) that crowds would not have came in if we were playing "tier 2" sides

If Ireland had been playing Georgia or the likes in warm ups they would have had to charge a reasonable fee for tickets and probably would have got a better turnout.

It's a shame the Tier 2 sides don't have a better quality 6 Nations style championship themselves. After Georgia and Romania it's a pretty steep drop in quality to the next European sides.

The Lost Sheep · 15-08-2015 9:05pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

If Ireland had been playing Georgia or the likes in warm ups they would have had to charge a reasonable fee for tickets and probably would have got a better turnout.

It's a shame the Tier 2 sides don't have a better quality 6 Nations style championship themselves. After Georgia and Romania it's a pretty steep drop in quality to the next European sides.

They wouldn't have to charge a reasonable fee? Why would they have to charge more for a Georgian game
Tier 2 sides have European nations cup. Standards always going up. Georgia are good margin ahead of rest and the next 2/3 sides Romania are about same level. The tier 2 sides have European nations cup. Played same time as 6Ns.

rebel girl 15 · 15-08-2015 9:06pm

The SA v Argentina game is hard watching - SA in white, and Argentina in their traditional blue and white stripes

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-08-2015 9:10pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

They wouldn't have to charge a reasonable fee? Why would they have to charge more for a Georgian game
Tier 2 sides have European nations cup. Standards always going up. Georgia are good margin ahead of rest and the next 2/3 sides Romania are about same level. The tier 2 sides have European nations cup. Played same time as 6Ns.

Did you read my post?

I said they would have to charge a reasonable fee.

I know there's a European Nations Cup but, as I said, the drop in quality from Georgia/Romania to the other teams is pretty big. It's better than not playing at all but it doesn't seem to be doing much for the other nations development.

The Lost Sheep · 15-08-2015 9:26pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Did you read my post?

I said they would have to charge a reasonable fee.

I know there's a European Nations Cup but, as I said, the drop in quality from Georgia/Romania to the other teams is pretty big. It's better than not playing at all but it doesn't seem to be doing much for the other nations development.

Which prices for these games are unreasonable? 15-60 and schoolboy/girl tickets a tenner. What would be reasonable to change from those prices
How would you propose improving quality without European nations cup? How else are Germany, Russia etc going to improve without playing Georgia. It is doing ok for the other nations but Georgia are simply beating all.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-08-2015 9:34pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Which prices for these games are unreasonable? 15-60 and schoolboy/girl tickets a tenner. What would be reasonable to change from those prices
How would you propose improving quality without European nations cup? How else are Germany, Russia etc going to improve without playing Georgia. It is doing ok for the other nations but Georgia are simply beating all.

Again, I wonder if you've actually read my post?

Firstly, tickets for today's match were between €40-70. Fairly steep for a warm up match between a second/third string Ireland team and a second string Scotland team.

Was it two November's ago tickets for the match against Georgia were €20? That seems reasonable.

I said it's a shame the Tier 2 Nations Cup wasn't of better quality. Not that they should do away with it. Georgia and Romania can't be getting much good from it if there's no real challenge from anyone. It's a shame the quality of the other teams is not better, is what I said. Obviously it's good for the other nations that are still developing but Georgia and Romania, to a degree, would benefit more from having better quality teams to play against other than just at a World Cup and the occasional Autumn International.

The Lost Sheep · 15-08-2015 9:54pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Again, I wonder if you've actually read my post?

Firstly, tickets for today's match were between €40-70. Fairly steep for a warm up match between a second/third string Ireland team and a second string Scotland team.

Was it two November's ago tickets for the match against Georgia were €20? That seems reasonable.

I said it's a shame the Tier 2 Nations Cup wasn't of better quality. Not that they should do away with it. Georgia and Romania can't be getting much good from it if there's no real challenge from anyone. It's a shame the quality of the other teams is not better, is what I said. Obviously it's good for the other nations that are still developing but Georgia and Romania, to a degree, would benefit more from having better quality teams to play against other than just at a World Cup and the occasional Autumn International.

A game against Georgia compared to Scotland will always be priced differently and as these games will be very different to games in November against T2 sides..
How do you propose more games for those sides to play higher quality of games. Theyre getting Autumn internationals and summer games against T1 sides. No other time for games. Georgia wont ever play 6 nations as there isn't the space in season for them to play expanded 6Ns. It would benefit Georgia etc to play more but they are playing more t1 sides with new IRB schedule

RWC 2015 - build-up thread

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