2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

DGRulz

It could also be argued, that having the same 2 teams constantly winning the tournament isn't in the best interest of the game. For all the talk of helping tier 2 nations, the other end of the spectrum has it's own problems. In 36 years of there being a world cup, only 4 nations have won it and only 5(?) nations have been to the final. Hypothetically, if the RWC had existed as long as the football WC, it's probably fair to say that list probably stands a better chance of growing vertically rather than horizontally.

Jacovs

What im reading is yous want an Eng vs Arg final?

Butson

I'd give England a chance of running the Boks close. Can SA get up to that pitch again just 6 days after the French game. Ireland couldn't do it so close after the Scotland game.

At this level you have to play cup rugby and in Farrell they have the man to do just that. It may be boring but it's effective. SA to win as they have a great team and bench to come on, but I think England can give them a run for their money.

Bookies have SA at +13.

techdiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261486#Comment_121261486

Having the best interest in the game at heart actually makes me want something different or a sign that there is some growth apart from the big two. Once again this is not the case. Rugby is not in a great place that after 10 tournaments 7 titles are shared amongst 2 teams (odds on to happen) and only another 2 teams have ever won it. It's a rinse and repeat every 4 years apart from an anomaly when England won it.

It's also completely natural that interest in any event is reduced if your team is eliminated. How would it not be? This time has hit harder to be honest. In 2015 I was at the quarter final against Argentina and still went to the final. As others have said above it's not just Ireland losing, it's the fact that for all the huff and puff form the Northern hemisphere we have 3 southern hemisphere teams in the semi once again and the one northern team in there had an armchair ride to the semis. This level of groundhog day is not good for the sport. Do I begrudge the like of NZ and SA? You're damn right I do. That is a natural reaction.

A poster above said the concept of NZ v SA once again is boring regardless of whether the actual game is good. It's a sign of the overall weakness of the sport world wide and why so many non rugby people scoff at a rugby world cup.

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262003#Comment_121262003

Keep in mind England also has to go up a level 6 days after playing a close game against Fiji.

Definitely think it will be a close game. Doubt it will be a 32-12 score again, but one can hope.

Heres hoping Argentina turn up, even just for a close game.

ScissorPaperRock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261985#Comment_121261985

I'd take that 😂

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262035#Comment_121262035

If this site had a thumbs down button...

ScissorPaperRock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262050#Comment_121262050

Soz bru

My heart's been broken, and now I just want to watch the world burn 😂

OldRio

People wanting England to win? What? They are insufferable enough. Having defeated the equivalent of the Vienna Boys Choir second 15 there getting notions.

Hopefully SA put 50 points on them.

Digifriendly

Thanks for many excellent replies to simply a question I posed. I take points made on board and accept that the tournament is probably poorer since France and Ireland exited from it, not simply from the point of view of the standard of rugby itself being played over this weekend but the interest surrounding the tournament. IMHO the real problem has arisen mostly due to the lopsided draw and but for that we might have had a better semi final lineup.

Here's hoping Argentina and England can reach a level that at least gives them a fighting chance of upsetting the odds.

A2LUE42

I was expecting Red cards to play more of a part in deciding games and providing a couple of upsets, but it hasn't really happened.

hahashake

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262250#Comment_121262250

Which is objectively a great thing for the tournament.

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262243#Comment_121262243

Although, then we might have had 4 poor quarter finals and 2 good semi finals. With the 2 teams in the final possibly being the same as what we will get now.

Now we had 4 good quarter finals and maybe 2 poor semi finals.

Lack of interest was bound to happen on an Irish forum once Ireland go out, and in France itself once France went out.

A2LUE42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262326#Comment_121262326

A small number that could have been Red, but were not given/upgraded. But overall the threat of the red seems to be changing most players behaviour, which is good to see at the elite level and hopefully filters down to the lower levels as training techniques focus on avoiding head and high contact, while still realising that sometimes accidents happen despite everyone's best efforts.

Much better to be talking about the intensity of the games, the conversion blockdown, the fantastic chip and chase tries and seeing a scrum called for a mark than foul play and player injuries. Just a pity Ireland are not there a bit longer :-( .

A2LUE42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262243#Comment_121262243

That they didn't go out with a whimper is a key point for me, Both games ended with the teams attacking and defending with an intensity that I'm not sure any other teams in the competition could offer and hopefully we get a similar game for the final. Not expecting much from the semifinals, but I was the same tuning in to watch Fiji v Portugal and that was a terrific watch.

Augme

Comments like "there's nothing to get excited about with a NZ vs SA final." are absolutely baffling tbh. There's nothing to get excited about the two best teams in the tournament facing off in a world cup final? Wow talk about hating rugby with that attitude.

Having watched the QF matches the quality on display in each quarter final I really don't know how anyone could say that Argentina vs England would be a better and more enjoyable final than NZ and SA.

As a rugby fan a SA vs NZ final is absolutely mouth watering. Can't understand how anyone could think differently.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262424#Comment_121262424

Totally agree. Mouth-watering is the word.

techdiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262424#Comment_121262424

It's like watching an amazing action movie. After the third, fourth, fifth viewing it loses its appeal. What's boring to me is despite what everyone thinks every world cup boils down to the same 2 or 3 teams (the 6 nations is less predictable than the world cup). That becomes stale. Not to mention the fact that SA and NZ have already met twice this year in the last few months. Variety is not the spice of life in rugby unfortunately. I'm sure it's great if you are form New Zealand or South Africa but it does nothing for the sport as a whole.

BTW, I'm someone who watches rugby all the time. I get up early to watch the rugby championship all the time, so I don't hate rugby, I'm beginning to hate the World Cup as all it has brought for me is disappointment (apart form the ecstasy of an odd group stage game like the SA game this time around which I was at) and inevitable predictability. I hate that it hasn't moved on as a competitive sport at World Cups. Maybe it's the fact that here in Ireland we celebrate a 6 nations title in the same way they would celebrate a world cup (I include myself in that, I'm giddy every 6 nations and go to as many games as I can get tickets for and scream my head off). The southern teams can take or leave a rugby championship. Their single focus is the world cup and they will build a plan around that. It's definitely a money thing as the 6 nations is the bread and butter for northern teams.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262090#Comment_121262090

I'd like to see England win & thats purely down to Erasmus.

Dubinusa

I've always supported S.A when Ireland are out. This team has heart and a mentality that most teams would give a nut for. But in saying that, England will be pumped up and I think it will be a close game. Whilst not a vintage team and having had an armchair ride this far, you'd think that England could play a game of their lives. I expect England to make a bollocks of every ruck and play on the edge. I hope the boks crush them

The Pumas are also a poor enough team and I expect the kiwis to win this easily. Could be done by halftime.

awec

I hope New Zealand win it, it's the most bland, inoffensive outcome at this stage.

England / Argentina - it would be depressing to see either of these two average teams win it. With England in particular the coverage would be relentless, a constant reminder of our failure. If England got to the final I think it would make Saturday's result even more depressing, imagine if someone had told you on Saturday afternoon that if Ireland beat NZ they just have to beat Argentina and England to win a WC, completely avoiding France or SA. This would have been like the dream scenario for us.

SA - too many smug fans, won it last time.

captbarnacles

I know I'm in a tiny minority but I don't want the next 4 years to be solely focused on winning 1 knockout match 4 years from now. If we have the misfortune of NZ again in the quarters we'll be probably at best 50/50 to win that game. That attitude is crazy to me.

4 years of dross for 1 WC semi-final appearance? no thanks.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262571#Comment_121262571

The southern teams can take or leave a rugby championship

I don't think this is true. Aus and SA are just not really capable of winning them it seems.

techdiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262803#Comment_121262803

And that's the point. SA haven't won it since 2019 yet won the last world cup and are likely heading to another final. That proves my point of it just being a squad building exercise. The average South African will prefer their world cup history over winning a few more rugby championships whereas the average Irish supporter would not sacrifice 6 nations success for the chance of winning a knockout game at a world cup. Different priorities.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262571#Comment_121262571

I think that's very much a case of seeing things through green tinted glasses though. I really don't understand how an Englad vs Argentina world cup final matches rugby better or more entertaining or more exciting. Not too mention the fact that England have been to the last world cup final as well, so it's not exactly introducing a huge amount of variety.

You hate the WC because Ireland are always terrible in it. Understandable, but that doesn't devalue the WC either. Ireland are the only team who rank the 6 nations as being more or equally as important as the WC and that's because we are terrible at WCs. But that doesn't make the 6 nations better or harder to win. The other 6 nations very much have a take or it leave it attitude to the 6 nations as well.

techdiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262909#Comment_121262909

I wouldn't agree with your last part about other 6 nations teams taking or leaving it. The 6 nations funds those unions. Even winning the World Cup will not replace that revenue.

As regards the devaluing of the world cup it has in recent years turned into the who wins between South Africa and New Zealand. Not exactly edge of the seat stuff.

hahashake

The 6N has massive non-sporting advantages over the RC which changes the equation in its favour as a tournament, namely historical context (grudges) and ease of travel/distance.

The rugby reasons for the RCs relative weakness as a competition is that NZ has dominated apart from a few blips (though SA winning in 2019 then going on to win the RWC is no coincidence, likewise Australia winning 2 in a row following their last RWC win). Whereas the 6N has a lot more parity bar Italy and in recent times, Scotland.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262867#Comment_121262867

Not really. SA lost to NZ in the last world cup and only had to get past Japan and Wales (the latter of which they struggled at mightily) to get to the final against an England team who clearly hadn't recovered from the NZ semi final. If they lose in the final this time to NZ then the it's all much of a muchness.

SA don't fail to win the RC because they treat it as a squad building exercise, they fail to win because they are not capable of winning it.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121262909#Comment_121262909

The outcome of sport is more important than the process.

techdiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263078#Comment_121263078

Look at this years RC. They split their squad in half! If that's not using a tournament to squad build what is?