Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

Forums › Sports › Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

1 | ... | 567 | 568 | 569 | 570 | 571 | 572 | 573 | 574 | 575 | 576 | 577 | ... | 640

Networkn
32236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3128963 18-Sep-2023 12:33

I am still seething over the refereeing of Wales v Fiji.

Wales vs Uraguay was a great game to watch. Uraguay tried really hard and made Wales really work for that win. It wouldn't have taken much for the result to have been different. Scoreline doesn't really tell the story. Chilie v Samoa was also quite entertaining.

One thing I have really enjoyed is just how much it means for some of these smaller teams to be competing with the bigger fish in the pond.

This is now my fourth consecutive World Cup watching every minute of every match. The minnows are always the best matches to watch IMO. I felt Ireland continuing to score points on Romania, well after the clock had reached 80 minutes, when they already had 70 points on them, was pretty average. I know there is a points differential in play, but Romania were out on their feet and it felt particularly unkind.

Sharesies kids

Free kids accounts - trade shares and funds (NZ, US) with Sharesies (affiliate link).

networkn

Networkn
32236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3128965 18-Sep-2023 12:39

Eddie Jones took his medicine like a man today. Australia were poor, though to be honest, if you expected anything else, bringing essentially an entirely green team to a RWC, then I am not sure what to tell you. Having said that, no chance EJ expected or instructed his team to drop the ball, knock it on, not throw straight, and be penalty magnets.

Despite claims to the contrary, this selection isn't about RWC 2023 but Lions and RWC 2027.

Leaving behind the broad shoulders of Michael Hooper was a mistake in my opinion. They need some seniority to help the young guys navigate the challenging environment of a RWC.

Dingbatt

6741 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3128966 18-Sep-2023 12:41

Fiji have proven in the last month that they can’t just be ignored by the tier 1 nations. Their set piece play and tactics are now very good and they have always had the skill and athleticism.

I can’t help but think of the scene from Happy Gilmore, “Uh Oh, Happy’s learned how to putt”.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

networkn

Networkn
32236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3128973 18-Sep-2023 13:38

Dingbatt:

Fiji have proven in the last month that they can’t just be ignored by the tier 1 nations. Their set piece play and tactics are now very good and they have always had the skill and athleticism.

I can’t help but think of the scene from Happy Gilmore, “Uh Oh, Happy’s learned how to putt”.

Consistency will be the issue along with discipline.

Earbanean

916 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3128989 18-Sep-2023 15:09

networkn:

Consistency will be the issue along with discipline.

Why would you think Fiji have an issue with discipline? They conceded 9 penalties to Wales' 17, then conceded 8 penalties to Aussie's 17. In both games they were much the better disciplined of the two teams (and playing against Tier 1 nations).

I hate this continued unconscious bias about the discipline of Fiji (and the Island nations). Unfortunately, Matthew Carley appeared to have a lot of it in the Wales game and it probably cost Fiji the game.

networkn

Networkn
32236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3129006 18-Sep-2023 15:56

Earbanean:

Why would you think Fiji have an issue with discipline? They conceded 9 penalties to Wales' 17, then conceded 8 penalties to Aussie's 17. In both games they were much the better disciplined of the two teams (and playing against Tier 1 nations).

I hate this continued unconscious bias about the discipline of Fiji (and the Island nations). Unfortunately, Matthew Carley appeared to have a lot of it in the Wales game and it probably cost Fiji the game.

Go back a bit further and see how often ill-discipline cost them games. Referee in the AU game was pretty lenient on the high tackles of which there were 3 recognised, and one missed. IF they were all yellows, then do you think they win that match?

Earbanean

916 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3129016 18-Sep-2023 16:10

NZ has 2 red cards in 3 games (as do England), yet a Kiwi sits here and goes on about the discipline issues of Fiji. Naughty islanders.

AxisOfBeagles

45 posts

Geek

#3129031 18-Sep-2023 16:38

To this old man's eye, Fiji were the beneficiaries of terrible discipline by the Aussies. Australia scored two tries to Fiji's one - but Australia got handed 18 penalties to Fiji's 7. Credit to Fiji for taking advantage of that and ticking the scoreboard over.

Personally, I think Fiji have long since proven themselves a worthy opponent to any nation. The bigger story from this match is Australia. Losing, and winning, can become habits. Australia seem to find ways to lose these days. Odds are good they don't make it out of pool play.

Ireland, France and South Africa are the teams in charge right now. On any given day NZ can beat anyone. But can they sustain that for a tournament? Can they beat any of those top three when it counts? On current form, it would appear not, sad as it is to say.

invisibleman18

1356 posts

Uber Geek

#3129119 18-Sep-2023 19:00

As an England fan pretty happy with the 2 from 2 and even a 4 try bonus point this morning which is unlikely for us. May not have been the prettiest or most exciting but the main thing in these tournaments is to win the games and I suspect there are a couple of "big" teams who wouldn't mind this position after 2 games. Given the performances this year and particularly in the warm up games it felt more likely we'd be basically out at this stage so over the moon to have won both of the supposed "harder" games.

networkn

Networkn
32236 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3129202 18-Sep-2023 23:01

Earbanean:

NZ has 2 red cards in 3 games (as do England), yet a Kiwi sits here and goes on about the discipline issues of Fiji. Naughty islanders.

You seem to have a bee in your bonnet.

How many matches have NZ lost in the last 5 years due to poor discipline? How many have Fiji/Drua?

I am hardly lauding NZ's discipline, I am probably the most critical commenter here on that front.

I also commented on Fiji's consistency. Both are factors.

GV27

5882 posts

Uber Geek

#3129213 19-Sep-2023 06:49

invisibleman18: As an England fan pretty happy with the 2 from 2 and even a 4 try bonus point this morning which is unlikely for us. May not have been the prettiest or most exciting but the main thing in these tournaments is to win the games and I suspect there are a couple of "big" teams who wouldn't mind this position after 2 games. Given the performances this year and particularly in the warm up games it felt more likely we'd be basically out at this stage so over the moon to have won both of the supposed "harder" games.

I think England can count themselves pretty lucky. The Marler-assist should have been called back and the Japanese gave away few penalties. It was really only their handling errors that let England get a look in.

Dingbatt

6741 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3129214 19-Sep-2023 07:01

GV27:The Marler-assist should have been called back and the Japanese gave away few penalties. It was really only their handling errors that let England get a look in.

Im not sure why you think the Marler assist should have been called back. Do you mean the “falcon” that propelled the ball forward? Or that players from both teams assumed a knock-on and stopped playing? If it’s the former, then the TMO looked at it and found no fault. If it’s the latter, then “play the whistle” comes to mind.

Note: I’m not an England fan, in fact was cheering the underdogs (Japan) on.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

GV27

5882 posts

Uber Geek

#3129215 19-Sep-2023 07:12

Dingbatt:

Im not sure why you think the Marler assist should have been called back. Do you mean the “falcon” that propelled the ball forward? Or that players from both teams assumed a knock-on and stopped playing? If it’s the former, then the TMO looked at it and found no fault. If it’s the latter, then “play the whistle” comes to mind.

There were several issues with it. English defenders ran into the Japanese line. Marler himself grabbed at one of them after he'd falconed the ball.

The refs got so wrapped up in the legality of the falcon that they ignored the English players ahead of the ball interfering with the Japanese defenders ahead of the ball. It should have been called back.

Dingbatt

6741 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3129216 19-Sep-2023 07:38

Okay, so neither of the above.

I’ll have to look at the replay to check the other players.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

GV27

5882 posts

Uber Geek

#3129271 19-Sep-2023 09:29

Dingbatt:

Okay, so neither of the above.

I’ll have to look at the replay to check the other players.

Looking back it's a lot more marginal than I thought. But it still seems like you could argue they were within the vicinity of the ball, and it did go beyond just being ahead of the pass.

I was surprised Japan dropped off as well as they did. I wonder to what extent the extended water breaks (temperature-related) are covering for the pace of the game for some of the NH teams. Japan should be used to some fairly warm weather rugby though.

1 | ... | 567 | 568 | 569 | 570 | 571 | 572 | 573 | 574 | 575 | 576 | 577 | ... | 640