2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

ionadnapokot

Its going to be an entertaining next 4 years with Eddie Jones. I might even watch the Lions this time around. I do hate that I'm drawn in to listen to him though!

He must be insufferable to work with. Brad Davis told EJ before they were leaving that he's off! He's joining the Queensland Reds as their defence coach. Turns out Les Kiss is now the Queensland Reds head coach. Who knew?

https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/world-cup-news-2023-wallabies-assistant-coach-brad-davis-quits-hours-before-flight-to-france/11e0755a-fdea-459c-adc8-d8a7b422c08c

Iamabeliever

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989517#Comment_120989517

Less was named 2/3 weeks ago as QLR

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989347#Comment_120989347

I've watched a fair bit of Super Rugby over the last couple of years, and at the very least there's a very consistent culture in commentary of "I know it's the laws, but to me that's harsh" or "If that's a card, the games going soft" type comments on a regular basis when it comes to head contact. That's a big contributor I think, because it gives the impression that's the overall culture.

The other thing is, and I can't point to specific examples, but I remember regularly thinking that there's been things that were mitigated down to just a penalty that I'd have thought were yellow cards. It feels a bit like the starting point in terms of judging degree of danger is lower in SH than NH.

Pudsy33

World Rugby appealing the Farrell ban officially.

Watched the infamous Eddie Jones press conference in full.

Am torn between the possibility that he's genuinely losing it, or that he's looked at the draw and picked a box ticking squad that on the percentages has a high chance of a quarter final and decent chance of a semi.

A quarter or semi exit will affirm his position as head coach and keep the pay cheques coming for a while.

As always, he may be a genius and Australia will be a major player in the world cup. I suspect he's about to be found out however.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120990161#Comment_120990161

Australia have a very decent chance of making a semi final because of the draw - They will get out of their group and would face one of England, Argentina or as an outside possibility, Japan (but highly unlikely) in the QF.

Australia can definitely beat any of those 3 - At worst they'd be close to evens to win any of those.

ionadnapokot

France have gone with Hastoy at OH v Fiji

Melvyn Jaminet; Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Jonathan Danty, Arthur Vincent, Yoram Moefana; Antoine Hastoy, Maxime Lucu; Gregory Alldritt (capt), Dylan Cretin, Francois Cros; Paul Willemse, Florian Verhaeghe; Uini Atonio, Peato Mauvaka, Reda Wardi

Replacements: Pierre Bourgarit, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Thomas Laclayat, Bastien Chalureau, Thibaud Flament, Sekou Macalou, Baptiste Serin, Matthieu Jalibert

TheRona

Farrell left out of the England squad. That's a shame. Was looking forward to seeing what the reception would be like.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991355#Comment_120991355

Don't think there'd have been any booing or anything if that's what you're suggesting.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991355#Comment_120991355

I assume he was left out so that if he gets banned they'll attempt to count this game as part of the suspension.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991364#Comment_120991364

Surely it's be the other way around? Name him so they can say "well, look, he was due to play, so that one counts". Leaving him out voluntarily, they can hardly include this game if he's banned surely?

Probably moot, though...I expect it'll be Monday before there's another hearing though, if it was tomorrow, we'd probably have heard details by now.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991380#Comment_120991380

I'd assume they say that they would have played him, but they voluntarily stood him down in case he got banned. They wanted to respect the disciplary process.

And hence that game should count as part of his ban.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991380#Comment_120991380

No - Any suspension will start from the date of the offence.

As a general rule , you keep players stood down until the decision is finalised.

swiwi_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991362#Comment_120991362

I’d be prepared to wager a bet on that!

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991476#Comment_120991476

Can't see it, tbh. If he'd shouldered one of our players, sure, but I really don't think an Irish crowd would have been booing him.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991529#Comment_120991529

Yeah, I don't think there would have been a massively negative reaction, if nothing else out of respect to our coach.

Incidentally I see Andy has made some comments today. I don't know if he made them voluntarily or was asked by a journalist. If a journalist did ask I'd be interested to know what sort of answer they thought they were going to get!

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991563#Comment_120991563

I'd say whoever asked is going to be persona non grata around the squad for a while.

I don't agree with Farrell's answer, but what they hell was the journalist expecting? Its a completely unfair question to ask.

(I'm just assuming it wasn't an unprompted comment as that would be completely out of character).

standardg60

Spill the beans lads, what did he say?

Podge_irl

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1692191889397522446?s=20

I think he's wrong, but what did anyone expect him to say?

ionadnapokot

Love this from Farrell

“What I probably would say is that, at this moment in time, the circus that has gone around all of this is absolutely disgusting, in my opinion, disgusting and I suppose those people who have loved their time in the sun get a few more days to keep going at that.”

Warren Gatland better keep a low profile when he turns up at Lansdowne road for the 6N

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991649#Comment_120991649

Well, tbf, while I think Owen Farrell has brought any ban he gets on himself, the outrage about the decision has seen plenty of unpleasant comments about him, and I can see how being close to it, the reaction could feel very personal. Can't be nice to deal with at a human level.

And tbh, it has been a circus, but that's on the panel and WR not having well enough defined guidelines for them. Not Farrell.

But he's the face of it... While I don't have much sympathy if he misses out on games, I do empathize with how difficult this kind of backlash must be to handle as a person.

Stupid thing for a journalist to ask his Dad about though...have some tact.

Pete_Cavan

I'd say AF was intentionally focusing on something else ("the circus") to avoid saying too much about the tackle itself. Hardly a surprising response from him. Haven't seen his full comments, maybe he did discuss the tackle in more detail.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991688#Comment_120991688

Ah fair. I don't read anything where I would see personal comments directed at Owen (never read the comments!) but the furore over the original decision was entirely justified.

If it somehow brings WR around to taking head injuries more seriously (big if) then it's a positive.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120990413#Comment_120990413

Best way to choose your 12s for the final 33 is to play all 3 at once I guess

Larbre34

Andy Farrell's response should have been 'I have nothing to say publicly about this matter, next question please'.

That Owen is is son, is utterly irrelevant to Irish Rugby and the Ireland team.

If they pushed him, he should have done what many Manager's at press conferences have done before, just sipped his water in silence until the PRO moved the journos on to Ireland related topics.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991764#Comment_120991764

I loved his response. Its what any father would say. Protecting his son. And didn't get drawn into the ins and outs of the tackle/ban fiasco.

Fair play to him.

Shame on the hack.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991798#Comment_120991798

Agreed, it sounds like a from the heart statement in relation to his son and something he wanted to get off his chest.

Re the possible booing, if it was anyone else I would have expected it, but I think Irish fans would have too much respect for Andy to boo his son in front of him, and from the statement I think it would have hurt.

I also think Owen went into the disciplinary hearing fully expecting a ban, and the change of direction argument was hoping to mitigate a possible 6 game ban to 3. I doubt he even expected it to be rescinded.

pickarooney

He pleaded not guilty to a red card offence.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991798#Comment_120991798

Shame on the hack for sure, but now its become the story. It shouldn't be anything to do with the story.

By the way, the reason Andy Farrell is disgusted with the circus around is different to the reason most of the rest of us are disgusted with the circus around it. And thats why he should have said absolutely nothing.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991884#Comment_120991884

Wouldn't have made much sense to plead guilty and then make the direction argument. He had no other mitigation, no good record, player injured etc. so was really the only avenue.

If 99% of people were surprised at the outcome i doubt he wasn't one of them. There's a good video of his own reaction (and that of the Welsh players) online when the replay was shown in the stadium, i'll dig it out.

standardg60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceRy4SMG1j4

Overall i think he was frustrated at his own performance, he'd dropped the ball when a passing attempt hit his own hip and then kicked a woeful cross field kick just prior to the incident.

Reminded me of Keane when he said if he was having a poor game the red mist would descend and he'd smash someone. I think he's a decent enough bloke, i think a lot saw a different side of him in the press conference prior to the 6N game. If he'd been banned then there would be no circus, biggest fault i can see with the disciplinary panel is they were all from the same country, that should not happen.

Dave_The_Sheep

He may be a decent bloke off the pitch, I don't doubt that he is. Off the pitch isn't really relevant to the fact that he keeps tackling dangerously and endangering the health of his fellow players on the pitch. And for some reason doesn't get sanctioned properly the vast majority of the time.

Sidenote, TAS can go and shite regardless of their take on this matter.

OldRio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991907#Comment_120991907

Just no. You are utterly wrong. A father protecting his son is what any father does. He basically said that in his statement.

Anyway it's a non story.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120993938#Comment_120993938

completely correct

time to move away from this particular corner of the whole grubby issue.

Hopefully the new Judicial panel come back with a much more sensible conclusion

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120991907#Comment_120991907

I think it was RTE that asked the Qs.

Saying absolutely nothing is not the type of man Farrell is.

..I mean speaking of RTE. Tubirdy and his statements and utterances...there is an example of what not to do or say!

Farrell comes across as very genuine person. I salute him for giving his opinion and for what he said.

Mixed opinions online but I'm very jealous of that away jersey from Argentina.

Don't like the Ireland jersey at all to be honest. I'm likely to get it as a memento for winning the World Cup but I wouldn't have bothered otherwise.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120998606#Comment_120998606

Those are sensational alright. It's incredible how poor the design stylings of most jerseys are. Whole industry of fashion designers, and we basically a colour slider being moved left or right.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120998606#Comment_120998606

Argentina always seem to have amazing jerseys..

And jerseys with a proper collar are just better.

MaddChris

Finally some rugby to talk about :D

Kolisi making an immediate impact, lovely offload for that try.

fitz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121000115#Comment_121000115

Shocking defence from Wales to open a huge gap in the line for SA to waltz through for that try. Much too easy.

MaddChris

Libbok clearly the weak link in this SA team, lovely cross field kick to the Welsh winger.

Meanwhile, Kolbe doing Kolbe things.......

MaddChris

Nice team try with one bit a luck.

Wales and 6's and 7's defending that

fitz

Wales an absolute shambles defensively. They look tired.

MaddChris

Right call on the penalty and card, not sure its a penalty try. He over-ran the ball.

Clegg

Referees were put in a bad position for the South Africa penalty try. I think it's more than likely that Moodie knocked it on, before Dyer slapped it out to touch. But there was no definitive angle to prove it.

mr_edge_to_you

South Africa looking sharp too.

Shehal

I mean I agree about Dyer getting a yellow and Wales being penalised but I totally disagree about the penalty try, Moodie misses the ball and no-one is there to potentially catch the ball afterwards.

Clegg

No Welsh moaning for the third try just now though.

Completely disorganised for their kick chase, lost the ball, gave away a 6 on 2 overlap, still managed to rather the ball, bug offloaded straight to a South African player over their own try line. Shambles.

Iamabeliever

Brace was having a good game until that rediculus penalty try

MaddChris

Ohhh..... thats a shocker form Grady