The Rugby Thread

[pharvey]

I'm expecting the Daffodils to be super-pumped up for this game - indeed there's been a lot of talk about 'smashing'. My guess is that is why Burgess and Farrell are in - good men to have around you in a scrap, just as long as they don't do anything daft and get sent off!

That is a huge potential problem for both sides... they're both going to be wound up to hell and gone and that's when the yellow (or even red) cards come out. With teams this close (at least on paper), it's a game changer.

As for Farrell ahead of Ford, it certainly seems to point to the way Satan's Squad wants to play (direct and tight) - may have been a different selection had Jonathan Joseph been available?

Another factor considering possibly a tight game, could be goal kicking. I don't know how they compare at international level, but Ford can certainly be inconsistent at Bath.

Might just have to have a little tot for medicinal purposes before long!!

[pharvey]

Oh hairy spherical things... I've just noticed that Monsieur Garces is reffing tonight's match. This may not bode well for Wales - Garces has reffed England Wales previously and heavily penalised the Welsh front-row.... also yellow carding Cuthbert (although quite correctly).
The front-row is one of my big concerns and the rulings here will have a significant impact on the result...

[Terry]

Making excuses already then boyo.....................??

[pharvey]

Making excuses already then boyo.....................??

What? Moi? ...... Nah, just setting the platform to blame the "Bl**dy French Ref" if it all goes pear-shaped!!

Best of luck to all - huge game!

[Terry]

Yep - huge one - should be good.

[Terry]

Well deserved win to Wales
But not much of a squad left...................

Too many penalties given away by England

[PeteC]

We may not hear from Pharvey for 48 hours or until the celebration wears off! Good one, but Wales has too many injured players now. Do they now have the depth to succeed going forward? Pete

EDIT: England now have Australia coming up in order to survive. That is going to be one hell of a match for sure. I haven't looked at the schedule for Wales...who is it?

[PeteC]

NRL Update: As predicted the Cowboys are in the finals by beating the Storm last night 32-12. Another good match but Melbourne was simply out played from the start.

An all Queensland final now on October 4 between the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ stadium, Sydney starting at 1615 Thai time, I assume on True channel 669.

Hard to admit it but I think the Broncos will win this one...but you never know. The Cowboys have been the best second half comeback team all season. We shall see! Pete

[JimmyGreaves]

Ps - Australia/Wales still to qualify I hope

Fancy a little wager on that, JG?

Why not - A pint of Guinness?

Still Fancy it?

[pharvey]

CYMRU AM BYTH !!!!!!

...... And you can keep your chariots where they belong!!

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But Christ, what a game - I've lost my voice, pissed off my English neighbours, scared the dog..... and I have a bad head . I was so wrapped up in things I can hardly remember the details (I'll have to watch it again!). BUT, it had it all - moments of brilliance, individual skill, hard hits, masses of emotion, some stupidity...... and quite frankly some mystifying decisions.

On the "decisions", match deciding?: -
Why oh why did Lancaster take Ben Youngs off? They say injury, but he looked bl**dy fine to me, and was the real play-maker.
Why didn't England take the draw, rather than go for the corner and the win?
After going for the corner, they then throw to the front of the line - easier to defend for Wales, and England are put in touch. Game over - well almost.

I think ultimately Wales deserved the win, but we were second best in the lineout and certainly in the scrum - my fears over the front-row were realised, and how! Before the game, it was all about Burgess and Roberts - didn't really turn out that way, although that in itself was good competition. Dan Biggar was man mountain and ultimately Wales' saviour - 100% at goal, superb kicking out of hand and game management. What a day to pull off one his biggest and best performances in a Welsh shirt!!

England must be kicking themselves this morning - the Aus match is going to be a big one! A great and hugely important win for Wales, but at what cost? Forget the Aussies, Fiji must be licking their lips at the state of the Welsh squad..... absolutely decimated!

Quote from the BBC: -

"Quite what happens to Wales next is another matter. With Scott Williams, Liam Williams and Hallam Amos added to an injury-list that already included two props, a winger, a first-choice scrum-half and a Lions full-back and centre, and a bench so bare that they finished this match with a wing at centre, a scrum-half on wing and a patched-up fly-half at full-back, this victory has come at a cruel price."

Side note - Mike Brown, great player but what a complete and utter

As much as it pains me to say it - I wish England well and hope we can together put one of the southern hemisphere giants out early!!



OH... and BB - start practicing the dance and I'll see yourself and Terry up at the lodge to collect my winnings!!

[redzonerocker]

EDIT: England now have Australia coming up in order to survive. That is going to be one hell of a match for sure. I haven't looked at the schedule for Wales...who is it?

It will be for sure.
Wales have Fiji on Thursday then the Aussies in their last match (if any of their squad is left standing ), we have Uruguay in the last pool game.
Not quite over yet.

As for the game yesterday, to many pens given away as per usual and always in the danger areas.
Fair play to Wales, they battled on through the game but to be honest they were gifted a fair amount of points that alaways kept them within touching distance.

The decision at the end not to kick was baffling, the resulting plays were shambolic.

[pharvey]

And what the hell is happening here with Falateau - looks like he's out for the count? Can't remember this at all or what stage in the game. No English players around and judging by the celebrations, the ball is certainly not in-play. A couple of concerned onlookers makes me worry a tad though....

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[arcadianagain]

You may well sing Pharvey, half your team couldn`t though, words too hard for non-Welsh players! Bitter, moi?

[pharvey]

You may well sing Pharvey, half your team couldn`t though, words too hard for non-Welsh players! Bitter, moi?

Oh, how could I ever suggest "bitter".... twisted maybe!

I'll guarantee you, a fair percentage of the Welsh supporters don't know the "correct" words/lyrics!!

And just for you: -

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr* tra mad,
Tros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.
Cytgan:
Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur
I'r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.
Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd,
Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i'm golwg sydd hardd;
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si
Ei nentydd, afonydd, i mi.
Cytgan:

Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad dan ei droed,
Mae hen iaith y Gymry mor fyw ag erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,
Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.
Cytgan:

Christ, that stuffed the spell-checker!

[PeteC]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/34373540

Jean de Villiers: South Africa captain retires after breaking jaw

South Africa captain Jean de Villiers has retired from international rugby after being ruled out of the rest of the World Cup with a fractured jaw.

Centre De Villiers, who was injured during Saturday's 46-6 win over Samoa, played 109 times for his country.

That makes the 34-year-old Stormers man the fourth most-capped player in the history of South African Test rugby.

"Rugby will be poorer without Jean," said coach Heyneke Meyer. "He is a true ambassador for South Africa."

De Villiers said he knew as soon as he left the field he had played his last Test.

He added: "Injuries are part of rugby and I've had my fair share, so by now I know how to cope with them. It's very sad, but life goes on."