Official Rugby World Cup 2015 Thread

[sand_man]

Wales just lost Leigh Halfpenny.

Torn ACL.

Poor bastards!! England and Australia it is then...

 

[APoc184]

[video=youtube;RxrvtKXt6lg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrvtKXt6lg[/video]

 

[Drifter]

They were talking about RWC on 94.7 this morning, and I came to the realization that we actually stand no chance this year.

 

[Drifter]

http://www.superbru.com/rwcpredictor/pool.php?p=11457496

Pool name: MyBroadband RWC 2015

Pool code: maltrump

if you want to put it in some OP somewhere

Your application has been received and your status is currently pending

 

[FoXtroT]

Wales just lost Leigh Halfpenny.

Torn ACL.

Feel bad for the guy, really deserved to go far in this WC.

 

[sand_man]

Feel sorry for Wales. First the pool of death and now injuries to key players. They also lost Rhys Webb on Saturday. Same injury as JDv. Got his knee crushed at the breakdown.

Breakdowns/cleanouts have become the new injury hot spots! Players trying their best to stay on their feet, until 3 more players jump on top of them.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Speaking of injuries, no bad news for us thus far: https://soundcloud.com/ballzradio/ballz-blog-dr-craig-roberts-08-09-15

Although de Villiers will probably break a collarbone or toe or something the next time he takes the field.

 

[faniebraai]

Speaking of injuries, no bad news for us thus far: https://soundcloud.com/ballzradio/ballz-blog-dr-craig-roberts-08-09-15

Although de Villiers will probably break a collarbone or toe or something the next time he takes the field.

He'll trip over the try line running onto the field probably.

 

[sand_man]

Yeah, our boys have been off since early August. Just the break required. I remember in 2009 prior to the Lions tour, the Boks were off for 3 or 4 weeks and everyone thought we would be undercooked come match day. We were anything but!

Our pool is a decent enough precursor to the knock out stages.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Yeah, our boys have been off since early August. Just the break required. I remember in 2009 prior to the Lions tour, the Boks were off for 3 or 4 weeks and everyone thought we would be undercooked come match day. We were anything but!

Our pool is a decent enough precursor to the knock out stages.

Yeah, looking at NZ's pool, at least we definitely won't be any more undercooked than them.

 

[sand_man]

Yeah, looking at NZ's pool, at least we definitely won't be any more undercooked than them.

Quarters is where it's going to get interesting. Australia or England. Both those teams will have gone tooth and nail in their respective pool stages and how's England's build up to the World cup??? Not sure I agree with it. They've played France twice, and Ireland last Saturday. Pretty intensive build up with Fiji, Wales, Australia and Uruguay to come in the RWC pool stages. They'll be spent by the time they reach the quarters.

Who would we prefer to play in the quarters? England at Twickenham or Australia? Our world cup record against England is better than it is against Australia. Either way it's going to be tough and it won't get any easier after that cause it's most likely NZ in the semis....

Exciting times ahead though!! Really looking forward to this!!!!!!

 

[sand_man]

http://www.rugbyworldcup2015.co.za/opinion/mixed-results-warm-games/

Wales endured their worst nightmare on Saturday when star fullback Leigh Halfpenny and scrumhalf Rhys Webb sustained season-ending injuries against Italy. There has been a massive reaction throughout rugby circles since the news was confirmed, with many believing Wales’ World Cup campaign could be derailed before it has even begun.

Former winger Shane Williams, who suggested ‘Wales was in mourning’, particularly questioned why a player as influential as Halfpenny was risked in such a game.

Yet this is the gamble coach Warren Gatland opted to take, and it’s only in hindsight that we realise that going ‘all in’ was a massive mistake.

France also opted to field their strongest available side against Scotland, but whereas they didn’t suffer any serious injuries, their overall performance probably did more harm than good.

Les Bleus were coming off a morale-boosting win over England, but a lot of that good work was undone as they produced a lacklustre performance to only just edge past the unheralded Scots.

By contrast, England were undoubtedly the biggest winners on Saturday as their impressive victory over Ireland answered a number of lingering questions, and prompted coach Stuart Lancaster to suggest that they were finally ‘ready for the World Cup’.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Quarters is where it's going to get interesting. Australia or England. Both those teams will have gone tooth and nail in their respective pool stages and how's England's build up to the World cup??? Not sure I agree with it. They've played France twice, and Ireland last Saturday. Pretty intensive build up with Fiji, Wales, Australia and Uruguay to come in the RWC pool stages. They'll be spent by the time they reach the quarters.

Who would we prefer to play in the quarters? England at Twickenham or Australia? Our world cup record against England is better than it is against Australia. Either way it's going to be tough and it won't get any easier after that cause it's most likely NZ in the semis....

Exciting times ahead though!! Really looking forward to this!!!!!!

Yeah I don't see England as a factor in the bigger scheme of things anyway. I was thinking more of Australia if they make it. Their build-up will have been perfect - victories against us and the All Blacks, a nice comfortable gap and then the pool of death at the world cup.

They start that off with 2 nice warm-up type matches - Fiji and Uruguay - before ending it off against England and Wales. If they win 1 of those, they're probably waiting for us in the quarters, after we've played the mighty Scotland, Samoa, USA and Japan.

If they nail their team selection, they might just be in the perfect position come the playoffs. We probably won't be after playing those. But that's no excuse, and I hope the coaching staff can keep them motivated for that.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Quarters is where it's going to get interesting. Australia or England. Both those teams will have gone tooth and nail in their respective pool stages and how's England's build up to the World cup??? Not sure I agree with it. They've played France twice, and Ireland last Saturday. Pretty intensive build up with Fiji, Wales, Australia and Uruguay to come in the RWC pool stages. They'll be spent by the time they reach the quarters.

Who would we prefer to play in the quarters? England at Twickenham or Australia? Our world cup record against England is better than it is against Australia. Either way it's going to be tough and it won't get any easier after that cause it's most likely NZ in the semis....

Exciting times ahead though!! Really looking forward to this!!!!!!

Good question. Overall, our performances against England (leaving RWC's aside for a sec) have generally been better than against the Aussies. That said, the English have got probably their best squad since the heady days of RWC'03. Throw in a vociferously partisan crowd at Twickers and it will be a tough assignment. Really a 'rock and a hard place' situation. All we can hope is that England and Australia have knocked 7 shades of s**t out of each other in getting through the pool stages.

 

[sand_man]

Yeah I don't see England as a factor in the bigger scheme of things anyway. I was thinking more of Australia if they make it. Their build-up will have been perfect - victories against us and the All Blacks, a nice comfortable gap and then the pool of death at the world cup.

They start that off with 2 nice warm-up type matches - Fiji and Uruguay - before ending it off against England and Wales. If they win 1 of those, they're probably waiting for us in the quarters, after we've played the mighty Scotland, Samoa, USA and Japan.

If they nail their team selection, they might just be in the perfect position come the playoffs. We probably won't be after playing those. But that's no excuse, and I hope the coaching staff can keep them motivated for that.

If Australia win their pool and us ours we won't meet them in the quarters. It's Pool A runners up vs Pool B winner, so England vs SA?

 

[Ho3n3r]

If Australia win their pool and us ours we won't meet them in the quarters. It's Pool A runners up vs Pool B winner, so England vs SA?

If they finish second in their pool, we meet them in the quarters.

 

[Fulcrum29]

They start that off with 2 nice warm-up type matches - Fiji and Uruguay - before ending it off against England and Wales. If they win 1 of those, they're probably waiting for us in the quarters, after we've played the mighty Scotland, Samoa, USA and Japan.

I don't believe that the islanders will be a warm-up game or even a walkover as the English believe. Wales don't have a good history against the islanders, they have already showed their concern in the media, and the islanders put up a good show against Canada. Canada may be tier 3, but the islanders played good clean rugby to win the game 48-17.

I also believe that Samoa is more than capable to win Scotland in our pool.

 

[Ho3n3r]

I don't believe that the islanders will be a warm-up game or even a walkover as the English believe. Wales don't have a good history against the islanders, they have already showed their concern in the media, and the islanders put up a good show against Canada. Canada may be tier 3, but the islanders played good clean rugby to win the game 48-17.

I also believe that Samoa is more than capable to win Scotland in our pool.

I hope you're right. Imagine Wales and Fiji going through.

Also, I don't think England are as good as people seem to think - they're only hyped up because of their media. The match against France a few weeks back, before they got 2 late consolation tries they were atrocious. That's not a team that will win the world cup.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I hope you're right. Imagine Wales and Fiji going through.

Also, I don't think England are as good as people seem to think - they're only hyped up because of their media. The match against France a few weeks back, before they got 2 late consolation tries they were atrocious. That's not a team that will win the world cup.

England is very consistent in World Cup rugby, historically, as is Australia. The most experienced team in the World Cup is New Zealand and they also have the oldest squad in this tournament. I only trust that the Springboks will be capable to pull through, the 31-man squad have to be utilised accordingly.

I’m proud that the island teams are starting to make progressive headway. This is also Fiji’s first World Cup year with an official training camp.

 

[Pitbull]

I'll put more hope in Ireland winning this RWC than SA.