Rugby World Cup

[Noodley]

Has the tournament ended early? I have not heard much about it since last Saturday....wonder why?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

In decline since when? Isn't it the case that England are usually rubbish, with occasional periods of success?

Last 10 years the numbers of people playing the game in England has been declining, small clubs folding, medium sized ones that used to run 5 teams now run three, that sort of thing, according to the RFU, who are fiddling while their Rome burns.

Certainly your description of England has been broadly true since the split of the Northern League from the Rugby Union.

 

[BrumJim]

England are getting in on the act: Manu Tuilagi was born in Samoa. I'm sure that his burgeoning international career had nothing to do with the Home Office's decision to stop deportation proceedings...

A bit harsh on Manu there. The fact that all of his brothers (except one) are playing rugby in Europe and that he had been in Leicester and at a local school since he was 11, and the fact that it was his commitment to play rugby for England meant that he couldn't get a work visa were probably more important factors.

 

[lukesdad]

Good luck to the boys today.

 

[MichaelM]

I'm really excited about this, as well as being really nervous. May the best Welsh team win.

 

[mcshroom]

Has the tournament ended early? I have not heard much about it since last Saturday....wonder why?

Funny the Welsh rugby team, Welsh celebreties and anything welsh just about seems to have been just about wall to wall down here for the last week.

Perhaps up north they're still sulking about Scotland being eliminated in the group stages for the first time ever

 

[Noodley]

Perhaps up north they're still sulking about Scotland being eliminated in the group stages for the first time ever

Given that we have to endure the English media, it would have been hard to tell that Scotland were actually there!

Yesterday seemed to be a bit better, I heard the semi-final mentioned as the last sports news items on BBC Radio.

Anyway, a postive start by the Welsh...

 

[Noodley]

Anyway, a postive start by the Welsh...

Or they were until the ref decided to send the captain off! Awful decision!

 

[Silver Fox]

Or they were until the ref decided to send the captain off! Awful decision!

+1

Never a red card.

 

[machew]

It was a fashion thing, the ref thought that a yellow card would clash with the ruby top.

 

[mr Mag00]

well well well

 

[Deleted member 1258]

+1

Never a red card.

+1 on that, never a red card, should have been a yellow, a yellow card and if anyone thought more was needed it could have gone to the citing commission.

 

[machew]

Just heard this, "Rugby is not a contact sport, dancing is a contact sport. Rugby is a collision"

 

[Noodley]

I was thinking a yellow woulda been harsh! So for a red to be shown is, imo, a disgrace.

Wales were still by far the better team. I do not think the final will be much of a game. In fact they could just give the trophy to the winners of the other semi-final.

It'll be interesting to see how the Welsh perform in the 3/4 play-off game...

 

[MichaelM]

Oh dear... that didn't quite go to plan.