2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193499#Comment_121193499

Being bereaved and playing when you can still make the funeral is a lot easier to do.

I don't think personally I'd be able to play if it happened to me but that's a totally different thing.

I'm not making him out to be a bad guy. You are taking it up wrong.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193501#Comment_121193501

You might not have meant to make him a bad guy but that is definitely what your posts did. And saying all fathers would agree with you is crap as the few posts after your post are fathers and they disagree with you.

You have a right to air any opinion you want. I also have the right to think those posts make you look like you are taking pot shots at a guy who just lost a child. And I don't think a decent person would take pot shots at someone who just lost a child.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193530#Comment_121193530

I didn't take pot shots. Show me one sentence where I said he was bad or uncaring.

I've said I think he's been badly advised, I said those around him should be telling him to go home.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193517#Comment_121193517

Yes you are.

You are saying he is doing something you couldn't do and that he should do what you do.

Stop, it has nothing to do with you

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193556#Comment_121193556

No, I'm giving my opinion on what I'd do.

You need better comprehension, take a breath.

Would you think maybe that those around him involved with the team advising him to stay, to do it for his son?

It'd be very wrong if they are.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193552#Comment_121193552

missing the funeral is unforgivable.

I believe that family comes first. I think almost every father would agree with me

You are clearly implying he isn't putting his family first which is uncaring. You said what he's doing is unforgivable.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193580#Comment_121193580

Well that's fair I did say that but I was thinking he's been badly advised. I was thinking he'll never be able to forgive himself.

Podge_irl

MOD: I can't believe I have to say this, but we are categorically not having a discussion about how someone should approach their own child's death.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121192543#Comment_121192543

No, no, no! Don't make me like a Scottish person before Saturday! You horrible, handsome fecker!

pickarooney

delete

FrancieBrady

ANyone else think Italy backed off NZ and have put all their eggs in an upset against the French basket?

We could do with a shock pool result.😎

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193790#Comment_121193790

It's the only thing that makes "sense" of the manner Italy played; I've never seen such a shocking lack of interest from professionals. I'd go so far as to say we won't see such a scoreline against Uruguay. They'll lose for sure, but they'll go down swinging at might "only" be a 50 point margin.

As to the France-Italy game? I do think Italy have a chance against France, but who the F knows whether their act is sufficiently together to give France another proper seeing to. We know they came close, but if the threw the NZ game then clearly the don't have the mental toughness to be consistent.

pickarooney

I still think they gambled on a TBP against Italy in an open game

Brief_Lives

Maybe he pronimsed his son to try and win the world cup.

who knows.. but the bulls!it here is stupid.

Wailin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193460#Comment_121193460

Deleted: replied to post from previous page then saw mod note.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193790#Comment_121193790

No! They have effectively dropped thier entire front row for French game and moved their TH to LH. Italy will get minced.

The shock pool result I hope we see is Georgia v Wales! Fiji v Portugal should be a great watch.

As I see it playing out now:

Wal v Jap - Wales

Ire v NZ - Ireland* (IF all of these start: Sexton, Porter, Ringrose, Keenan, Aki, Lowe, Hansen, Doris...I could go on!)

Eng v Fiji - England

Fra v SA - France

Ireland v France final

Buddy Bubs

How do you back off in a match against new Zealand when you're Italy? The average winning margin in every match between the sides since time began is over 50 points, this one just went a bit worse than average.

Just a huge gulf, no backing off, no anything, no throwing eggs in 1 basket when you have 2 to aim for

TheRona

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193899#Comment_121193899

Very little credit has been given to how NZ played. Their variety in attack and accuracy of execution was very good.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194311#Comment_121194311

Yeah, not much has changed with NZ. With a good platform they don't make many mistakes so if their scrum, lineout and breakdown goes their way they are extremely hard to slow down or interrupt. And playing off that they get to express themselves. Nothing greatly different here. They've become a confidence team. Ioane is a good example, brilliant on the ball and capable of anything but also capable of disappearing and/or being swindled by better 13s. When their platform is disrupted their game suffers significantly, and if it goes badly for them for more than a quarter, errors and mistakes start to creep in and their on field leadership is not up to par. I've mentioned it before but Cane being given time to speak to his team on their own line against SA and then himself getting a yellow a couple of minutes later is indicative of the problem. That hasn't changed much in the last year.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194252#Comment_121194252

Just thought they looked particularly not all that interested.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194252#Comment_121194252

Based on recent results this went way over expectations.

Italy lost by five points to France in the six nations, by 14 to Ireland and 12 to Scotland. They backed up those results with a 16 point loss to Ireland and another 12 point loss to Scotland in August.

They hadn't played New Zealand since the autumn internationals in '21 where they lost by 38 points but they were a much poorer team back then. That year they lost three six nations games by ,40+ points and by 38 points to Ireland and 23 to England.

What happened at the weekend was not expected by anybody. They were expected to lose by somewhere in the 25-30 point range and many were predicting it'd be under 20.

Italy's long term history against New Zealand would be similar, as in big average points defeats, against every other six nations and Rugby championship team. Their recent games paints a totally different picture.

Hoop66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121195402#Comment_121195402

It was weird to watch. For one of the NZ tries, there were 3 Italian forwards standing watching, no attempt to tackle, as it was run in. Literally watching, not even moving toward the ball carrier.

swiwi_

I’ve seen better defence in a local club game than what Italy showed. Dreadful. I think they’d already decided in their heads they couldn’t win. I think they’ll be better vs France but still lose convincingly.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194311#Comment_121194311

I mean, it's New Zealand; I never thought they wouldn't play at a level as you described, their crisis a little overstated, I just was quite appalled at how disinterested Italy were that they clearly wouldn't try to make a game of it. No one thought NZ would lose I'd speculate; but few would have predicted a 100 point blow out.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196080#Comment_121196080

Exactly, I never thought NZ would lose and I also don't think France will lose, I just wonder do Italy think the French game represents their best chance and have invested everything in that rather than expending themselves on NZ on the basis they only have the wherewithal to beat one of the two big teams in the group.

I could be completely wrong and Italian rugby is taking a big step down and has massive problems, somewhat suddenly, I would add.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196127#Comment_121196127

I always think back to 2016 when Italy beat SA, the week before they lost 69-10 to NZL. Obviously SA were a complete mess at that point but it wouldnt surprise me if Italy put all their chips into beating one of the two sides rather than approaching both games equally. France being a more familiar foe and a side they've beaten before maybe by default chosen this game as their best chance of winning.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196265#Comment_121196265

That's the running Theory but if they don't beat France, or lose by a bonus point, they're gonna look like total mugs and idiots.

Looking forward to tonight's game, and weirdly, I expect it to be "closer" than the farce we've been talking about. And more competitive til the Uruguayan legs tire.

pickarooney

Uruguay are far too loose to put up any resistance I feel. Could be an absolute slaughter.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196342#Comment_121196342

Absolutely but they'll compete you feel, even if they don't have the margins to make it count. Just if they put it up to NZ it'll bring me more cheer than those charlatans in the Italian squad.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196347#Comment_121196347

If we are to meet NZ in the QF it would be good to see NZ given something of the physical test we got against SA...partially at least, even up the wear and tear and miles in the legs, so to speak.