Rugby World Cup

[yello]

Southern hemisphere rugby at its best! Played with skill, speed, passion, aggression... and just a lit bit of niggle!

Aussies rattled but by no means finished. I see no fat lady, and the 2nd half is going to be heated!

Oh, and what about that lad Dagg eh? What did I say?! His running is sublime, but it was the pass from the tackle that made the try. The level of ball skills these guys have (and I include the Aussies here) is something the northern hemisphere teams really need to be working on. Keep the ball alive!

 

[trustysteed]

and none of this trying to constantly crash the first centre through the middle.

an awesome lesson of the southern hemisphere showing how real rugby is played. northern hemisphere hasn't got a clue apart from france who occasionally show how to run the ball

mccaw was sublime, should have been man of the match.

 

[yello]

What a game! Tough stuff, many battered bodies there having put heart, soul and frame into it. AB forwards were incredible, just denied Aussie the chance to play.

Can't see the final being even a patch on that... but we live in hope!

 

[trustysteed]

4 mins to go and the aussies need two converted tries to tie. what do they do? much like thh welsh, waste over two mins in the corner with the ball in a ruck and not shipping it. they bottled it like the welsh.

 

[yello]

If the French win the cup it will be the biggest travesty of justice in any recent sporting competition.

Surprise is the word I'd use!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Wales. I was surprised by the red card but it was deserved. Red card is the default for any sort of dangerous tackle not just spearing someone. The IRB ruled in 2009 that there is no mitigation in the case of spearing but ruled there could be for other types of dangerous tackles. Warburton botched his execution and it was pure luck the frenchman was able to play on. Yes it is a collision sport but yiou still owe a duty of care to your opponents, if you can't execute the tackle safely, by not dropping the player, don't make the tackle. When reffing I have often had to tell tacklers 'put him down SAFELY' and I get the time because the pace the game is played at my level is much slower. If Wales had kicked their pens, or got a drop goal when they chose to faff we would not be talking about the sending off.

Citing; nope, iirc, as citing doesn't happen at my level so I may be worng the citing commission can't deal with anything the ref has dealt with during the match, but only look at stuff the ref misses which is germane. So if he had given only a YC, end of story. as it is Warburton got a three week ban, during the NH rugby season so the disciplinary committee have said a punishment is deserved when they could have ruled 'sending off sufficient'

Yes it spoilt the spectacle but that isn't the referees concern, and trust me you don't want refs making decisions on that basis. What it does highlight is the inconsistency of interpretation that referees have applied during the tournament but you will aways get that, referees are human.

Rant; The Sunday Mail online has a disgraceful healine today questioning the referee's integrity because his dad was French. Why not point out the ref is an ex-Irish international and accuse him of sour grapes too?

As for the all blacks. wow. the scoreline flattered the crims. but if I was a betting man, there is one NH team, who, if they pull it together on the day and make it their day, and play like their forebears played, for a full 80 minutes, and give no quarter, and of whom it is said 'they always play one great game in the tournament' and we haven't seen that game yet, then if the odds are long I's day put you money on les bleus.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

 

[gavroche]

[QUOTE 1547966"]
3 Facebook status updates from one of my best mates, Guillaume. He remains ini London only because his English girlfriend won't move to Paris. All posted on Saturday. Repeated exactly as posted. Hehehe.

"I think France won fare and square and not interested in everyone's comments okay losers" (Posted straight after the game.)

"Now I am going to celebrate viva la France" (Posted a few hours later when he was reprieved by girlfriend of baby-sitting duties and could go to the pub.)

"If your pissed off tuff luck ha ha ha and if France lose next week it's called rugby yes ! As I have muppets sending me texts all day long" (Posted late evening from the pub.)
[/quote]
I agree with him as my fellow country man. He is right. if France lose next week, it is rugby!!

 

[rich p]

I watched my first complete game on Sunday and whilst it was tough, gritty, manly and physical it aint going to convert any waiverers to the oval ball game.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I watched my first complete game on Sunday and whilst it was tough, gritty, manly and physical it aint going to convert any waiverers to the oval ball game.

You could almost be describing yourself there, rich, apart from the tough, gritty, manly and physical bit.

 

[subaqua]

Wales. I was surprised by the red card but it was deserved. Red card is the default for any sort of dangerous tackle not just spearing someone. The IRB ruled in 2009 that there is no mitigation in the case of spearing but ruled there could be for other types of dangerous tackles. Warburton botched his execution and it was pure luck the frenchman was able to play on. Yes it is a collision sport but yiou still owe a duty of care to your opponents, if you can't execute the tackle safely, by not dropping the player, don't make the tackle. When reffing I have often had to tell tacklers 'put him down SAFELY' and I get the time because the pace the game is played at my level is much slower. If Wales had kicked their pens, or got a drop goal when they chose to faff we would not be talking about the sending off.

Citing; nope, iirc, as citing doesn't happen at my level so I may be worng the citing commission can't deal with anything the ref has dealt with during the match, but only look at stuff the ref misses which is germane. So if he had given only a YC, end of story. as it is Warburton got a three week ban, during the NH rugby season so the disciplinary committee have said a punishment is deserved when they could have ruled 'sending off sufficient'

Yes it spoilt the spectacle but that isn't the referees concern, and trust me you don't want refs making decisions on that basis. What it does highlight is the inconsistency of interpretation that referees have applied during the tournament but you will aways get that, referees are human.

Rant; The Sunday Mail online has a disgraceful healine today questioning the referee's integrity because his dad was French. Why not point out the ref is an ex-Irish international and accuse him of sour grapes too?

As for the all blacks. wow. the scoreline flattered the crims. but if I was a betting man, there is one NH team, who, if they pull it together on the day and make it their day, and play like their forebears played, for a full 80 minutes, and give no quarter, and of whom it is said 'they always play one great game in the tournament' and we haven't seen that game yet, then if the odds are long I's day put you money on les bleus.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

agree 99%. the ref should not have officiated as the french link leaves him open to question on impartiality. thats not good for the game. a SH officiating team would have been the best option.

Sam should have held onto him and twisted or landed him safely but as you said instinct to drop him for fear of being carded for a spear-tackle overtook logic.

looking forward to the 2 remaining games

 

[User482]

Wales. I was surprised by the red card but it was deserved.

My father-in-law is a rugby referee too and says it was a yellow. So it seems that opinion is divided even amongst those in the know!

What I do think is that the ref was far too quick to reach for his pocket. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a small amount of time out to gather your thoughts, consult with the touch judge, etc. Shaun Edwards advocates the report system in rugby league, which given that the video ref is there anyway, would seem to be worthwhile.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

My father-in-law is a rugby referee too and says it was a yellow.

My wife's Welsh and she said it was a yellow too, so that must be right.

 

[yello]

My wife's Welsh and she said it was a yellow too, so that must be right.

FTFY

My readings of the IRB change in emphasis in the rules since the 2005 incident suggest to me that red was pretty much the required option. It's therefore no surprise to me that the IRB subsequently backed the ref and banned Warburton for he period it did.

I can understand divided opinion but I personally think the actual ruling is pretty clear.

 

[User482]

FTFY

My readings of the IRB change in emphasis in the rules since the 2005 incident suggest to me that red was pretty much the required option. It's therefore no surprise to me that the IRB subsequently backed the ref and banned Warburton for he period it did.

I can understand divided opinion but I personally think the actual ruling is pretty clear.

That's true as far as it goes, but Rugby referees don't apply the letter of the law, otherwise they'd stop the game every ten seconds.

 

[yello]

That's true as far as it goes, but Rugby referees don't apply the letter of the law, otherwise they'd stop the game every ten seconds.

Oh, I agree. I realise that referees are equally amongst the group that interpret the rules! I've touched on this before and I like that, in rugby, the ref gives this running advice to players on his interpretation and is wiling to discuss it on field (to a degree).