RWC '15: Pool A General Chat [AUS/ENG/WAL/FIJ/URU]

aimee1

Hooper cited. Reckon POM might be too

Moflojo

Michael Hooper has been [rightly] cited for his challenge on Mike Brown:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/michael-hooper-cited-for-an-alleged-act-of-foul-play-1.2379317

Sanctions for charging range from a two-week ban at the lower end of the scale, through to five weeks if it is classed as mid-range, or 10 weeks and above if viewed as a top-end offence.

Can't believe he got away without even a yellow during the game. Oh wait, Romain Poite...

Moflojo

aimee1 wrote: »

Hooper cited. Reckon POM might be too

POM's foul play was reviewed and dealt with during the game so he'd be unlucky to be cited IMO. Jerome Garces said O'Mahony made contact with the head/neck area but to me it looked more like shoulder-to-shoulder contact (it was still an illegal no-arms charge and deserved yellow).

Neil3030

Just realising here how significant Wales V Aus actually is.

The winner will likely get a route to the final of Scotland -> Ire/Fra/Arg

The loser will likely get a route to the final of South Africa -> New Zealand

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Neil3030 wrote: »

Just realising here how significant Wales V Aus actually is.

The winner will likely get a route to the final of Scotland -> Ire/Fra/Arg

The loser will likely get a route to the final of South Africa -> New Zealand

True but of you look at the route they had to take to get to the QF compared to all the other pools it pretty much balances out. Making it out of the pool was the difficult part.

Neil3030

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

True but of you look at the route they had to take to get to the QF compared to all the other pools it pretty much balances out. Making it out of the pool was the difficult part.

Balances out??

Suppose Wales make it to the final having finished runner up - they will have (likely faced) England (hosts), Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to get there!!

..... to then hopefully lose to Ireland :pac::pac::pac:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Neil3030 wrote: »

Balances out??

Suppose Wales make it to the final having finished runner up - they will have (likely faced) England (hosts), Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to get there!!

..... to then hopefully lose to Ireland :pac::pac::pac:

Balances out for the winner of the pool, not so much the runner up.

Also, not to jinx it, but is boards finally fixed?

Mr Tickle

Seems to be working for me now anyway.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Two England coaches apparently being investigated for approaching match officials at half time on Saturday night. World Rugby have confirmed they're investigating it but haven't said anything else.

dub_skav

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Two England coaches apparently being investigated for approaching match officials at half time on Saturday night. World Rugby have confirmed they're investigating it but haven't said anything else.

Looking for a job reference?

part time punk

Neil3030 wrote: »

Just realising here how significant Wales V Aus actually is.

The winner will likely get a route to the final of Scotland -> Ire/Fra/Arg

The loser will likely get a route to the final of South Africa -> New Zealand

Wow hadn't realised that, some reward for the runner up. :eek: Australia could loose to Wales and still make a final though I think. Wales on the other hand .... Massive game for them but if Tipuric and Warburton both play, Hooper is cited, no more injuries and everything goes right for them might have a sliver of a chance. Rather like Ireland and NZ, at some stage Wales have to overcome this loosing streak to Oz

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I don't know that Hooper is a massive loss to Australia, or at least not as big a loss as Pocock would be. They work well together but personally I'd be a bigger fan of Pocock.

Koobcam

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I don't know that Hooper is a massive loss to Australia, or at least not as big a loss as Pocock would be. They work well together but personally I'd be a bigger fan of Pocock.

does kind of tip the balance at the breakdown back towards Wales though. Australia probably wilk still win, but might be more of a contest

penybont exile

I'd say Hooper would be a very big loss to Australia.

A bit of rain in the air for the weekend and this game might be a lot closer than people think.

Looking forward to it.

Watched the Fiji game over the weekend ..... A fine match & a good result. Fiji really impressed me over the three games they played.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

penybont exile wrote: »

Watched the Fiji game over the weekend ..... A fine match & a good result. Fiji really impressed me over the three games they played.

Yeah, everyone talked about how hard it was for England, Wales and Australia being in that pool put poor old Fiji are going to finish 4th and have to qualify for the next WC when it's not beyond possibility that they could have qualified for the QFs from one of the other pools.

penybont exile

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Yeah, everyone talked about how hard it was for England, Wales and Australia being in that pool put poor old Fiji are going to finish 4th and have to qualify for the next WC when it's not beyond possibility that they could have qualified for the QFs from one of the other pools.

Yep the Scots pool comes to mind .....

English Lurker

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Yeah, everyone talked about how hard it was for England, Wales and Australia being in that pool put poor old Fiji are going to finish 4th and have to qualify for the next WC when it's not beyond possibility that they could have qualified for the QFs from one of the other pools.

Truest words I've seen all day. Think they were 9th in the rankings heading into this tournament? It's absurd having 4 of the 10 best teams in the world in one group. Can't be too much fun for Uruguay either - they'd at least have a dream of a win in other groups.

subfreq

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I don't know that Hooper is a massive loss to Australia, or at least not as big a loss as Pocock would be. They work well together but personally I'd be a bigger fan of Pocock.

I would be concerned if McMahon wasn't in the form he is in. He wont let the standard slip if he comes in at 7.

If Cheika choses McCalman at 8 though and shifts Pocock to 7 it tips the balance a bit alright.

philstar

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Here's a question, and maybe it's more of a general build up topic but, if Wales hadn't messed up their rankings and got stuck in this Pool which pool would they have been in and would it have been seen as less of a Pool of Death?

Deleted User wrote: »

I think it was Samoa that moved ahead of them so yeah it would have been SA, Scotland, Wales but honestly you would expect Wales and SA to put the Scots away.

you know that draw took place in dec 2012, surely the draw should be made a lot closer to the tournament itself ....cause somoa have gone way down since then and wales are miles better than a tier 3 ranking, it was ridiculous that 3 such strong teams ended up in the same pool

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

philstar wrote: »

you know that draw took place in dec 2012, surely the draw should be made a lot closer to the tournament itself ....cause somoa have gone way down since then and wales are miles better than a tier 3 ranking, it was ridiculous that 3 such strong teams ended up in the same pool

It was ridiculous making the draw way back then but at the same time they all knew when it was being made and Wales still played that extra match which put them way down the rankings. Although ultimately the draw should be nearer the event. I know there's logistical planning that takes a lot of time but 3 years is ridiculous.

Stheno

Liam Williams has been passed fit for Wales for this week

Uno my Uno.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Yeah, everyone talked about how hard it was for England, Wales and Australia being in that pool put poor old Fiji are going to finish 4th and have to qualify for the next WC when it's not beyond possibility that they could have qualified for the QFs from one of the other pools.

I have to disagree, I thought Fiji were really disappointing this tournament, they may be ranked 9th but they never really challenged any of the three teams ranked above them. they can feel unlucky but just liek any other team in the competition they shouldn't feel entitled to a Quarterfinal Place just by dint of their world ranking.

aimee1

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

It was ridiculous making the draw way back then but at the same time they all knew when it was being made and Wales still played that extra match which put them way down the rankings. Although ultimately the draw should be nearer the event. I know there's logistical planning that takes a lot of time but 3 years is ridiculous.

apparently wales dropped out of the top 8 for one month only too.

captbarnacles

Uno my Uno. wrote: »

I have to disagree, I thought Fiji were really disappointing this tournament, they may be ranked 9th but they never really challenged any of the three teams ranked above them. they can feel unlucky but just liek any other team in the competition they shouldn't feel entitled to a Quarterfinal Place just by dint of their world ranking.

Game vs Wales closer than scoreboard makes it. Fiji just lacked composure near the Welsh line and should have got a few more decisions their way. Definitely challenged Wales.

Uno my Uno.

captbarnacles wrote: »

Game vs Wales closer than scoreboard makes it. Fiji just lacked composure near the Welsh line and should have got a few more decisions their way. Definitely challenged Wales.

I really didn't think so, thought they were disorganized and played in fits and starts. I felt it was a shame because they certainly have the players to make a real impact, ultimately I don't think they played well enough to make it out of any of the Pools.

duckysauce

Uno my Uno. wrote: »

I have to disagree, I thought Fiji were really disappointing this tournament, they may be ranked 9th but they never really challenged any of the three teams ranked above them. they can feel unlucky but just liek any other team in the competition they shouldn't feel entitled to a Quarterfinal Place just by dint of their world ranking.

jesus they challenged all the teams very well , wales were lucky Nads and Matty were out , Only team that did well against them was OZ

Flipper22

philstar wrote: »

you know that draw took place in dec 2012, surely the draw should be made a lot closer to the tournament itself ....cause somoa have gone way down since then and wales are miles better than a tier 3 ranking, it was ridiculous that 3 such strong teams ended up in the same pool

Meh, Wales are the only outlier in that group really in terms of being way ahead of the other third seeds.

irishbucsfan

philstar wrote: »

you know that draw took place in dec 2012, surely the draw should be made a lot closer to the tournament itself ....cause somoa have gone way down since then and wales are miles better than a tier 3 ranking, it was ridiculous that 3 such strong teams ended up in the same pool

So maybe they would have had the draw in 2013 instead. Ireland were ranked 9th in the World in 2013, so we would have been in a group with 2 top seeds. It wouldn't change anything.

Maybe it's imperfect but Wales absolutely cannot complain. They knew when the draw was going to be done, they still organised an extra test outside the normal international window and lost it, and that's why they dropped so low. The reason they're in this group is that they like money more than they like ranking points. If they maintain their rankings in between tournaments this time then next time they'll be a lot less likely to be draw against two top sides.

I don't see with the fuss is all about. There is always going to be a group of death with roughly ten teams realistically eyeing up the quarters.

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

So maybe they would have had the draw in 2013 instead. Ireland were ranked 9th in the World in 2013, so we would have been in a group with 2 top seeds. It wouldn't change anything.

Maybe it's imperfect but Wales absolutely cannot complain. They knew when the draw was going to be done, they still organised an extra test outside the normal international window and lost it, and that's why they dropped so low. The reason they're in this group is that they like money more than they like ranking points. If they maintain their rankings in between tournaments this time then next time they'll be a lot less likely to be draw against two top sides.

I think you'll find England have the biggest complaints :pac:

End of the day, if you want to win the World Cup, you have to beat the best teams. Sure, you might be lucky and avoid one of the big guns, but the group you're drawn in can't be a reason for not winning it.

dub_skav

Uno my Uno. wrote: »

I really didn't think so, thought they were disorganized and played in fits and starts. I felt it was a shame because they certainly have the players to make a real impact, ultimately I don't think they played well enough to make it out of any of the Pools.

In my opinion Fiji suffered from the long-standing problem of refs favouring the bigger nations.
Against Australia Fiji put on huge pressure in the first 10 minutes and I believe Fardy should have seen yellow for indiscretions at the maul, with a probable 7 points for Fiji following. That would have completely changed the game and given Fiji belief.

aimee1

irishbucsfan wrote: »

So maybe they would have had the draw in 2013 instead. Ireland were ranked 9th in the World in 2013, so we would have been in a group with 2 top seeds. It wouldn't change anything.

Maybe it's imperfect but Wales absolutely cannot complain. They knew when the draw was going to be done, they still organised an extra test outside the normal international window and lost it, and that's why they dropped so low. The reason they're in this group is that they like money more than they like ranking points. If they maintain their rankings in between tournaments this time then next time they'll be a lot less likely to be draw against two top sides.

Losing to SA, Samoa and NZ prior to the 4th test didnt help much either

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

England team for Uruguay. Not surprising to see Nowell, Slade, Goode and Care make an appearance.

Webbs

Hooper has one match ban so will miss the Wales game and Folau is a doubt with an ankle injury

WarZ

Am I the only one to think that Danny Care played a massive role in England's defeat? He was brutal, slow, indecisive.

duckysauce

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

England team for Uruguay. Not surprising to see Nowell, Slade, Goode and Care make an appearance.

who will take place kicks Owen or George ?

duckysauce

WarZ wrote: »

Am I the only one to think that Danny Care played a massive role in England's defeat? He was brutal, slow, indecisive.

what match did he play in

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

WarZ wrote: »

Am I the only one to think that Danny Care played a massive role in England's defeat? He was brutal, slow, indecisive.

Almost like he wasn't on the pitch at all.

duckysauce

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Almost like he wasn't on the pitch at all.

he went missing alot alright

WarZ

Sorry I meant Youngs

duckysauce

WarZ wrote: »

Sorry I meant Youngs

yep he wasn't great , then again when their pack is going backwards its hard

awec

Farrell at 12. :pac:

What is the point? Why not play Slade and Joseph? It's Uruguay and Farrell is hopeless.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

awec wrote: »

Farrell at 12. :pac:

What is the point? Why not play Slade and Joseph? It's Uruguay and Farrell is hopeless.

Because he Daddy picked the team? :eek:

aimee1

awec wrote: »

Farrell at 12. :pac:

What is the point? Why not play Slade and Joseph? It's Uruguay and Farrell is hopeless.

Daddy picking the team

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

WarZ wrote: »

Sorry I meant Youngs

To be fair to Youngs I think he wasn't fully fit for the Australia game.

.ak

Is Barrit injured? Himself and Slade would work better I'd have thought

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

Is Barrit injured? Himself and Slade would work better I'd have thought

Barrit!? Absolutely not. They should be going for Ford-Slade-Joseph I'd have thought.

awec

Barritt is brutal. Awful player.

thomond2006

awec wrote: »

Barritt is brutal. Awful player.

Brilliant tackler and not much else.

thomond2006

duckysauce wrote: »

yep he wasn't great , then again when their pack is going backwards its hard

Nick Phipps was England's best 9 on Saturday!