2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

They got 6 of their points tonight from 2 ridiculous refereeing decisions. They had a SA who had an unbelievably draining QF against France. They had weather that suited their game and didn’t suit SA.

They had loads go their way tonight and still lost.

“By not scoring try’s (sic) and sappy draws”. Is that all you’ve got? You can only play what’s in front of you. Shocking that it was only them who knew when the draw would be made/seeded, eh?

Glad you’re over it 😉 Be waiting another 4 years to go again, but sure we might beat NZ in a test match in the meantime

But in this World Cup who did they actually beat that’s a top side? We would have won that group at a canter, they would have struggled to get out of ours. We would have beat Fiji , they barely got over the line against them. In this World Cup they did nothing that requires praise or something to emulate. Regardless neither of us got to the final

You have to wait too mate.

I dare say yours will be one full of bile and bitterness.

Maybe try ballet, less soul destroying.

SA didn’t handle their vulnerability well.

Always likely England might use that. I said it earlier in thread.

SA did enough to win and didn’t panic.

Ultimately England played their currently classic game with some passion but it came up short.

SA will offer NZ a different challenge in my opinion, the lacuna will be gone and we may see the team that played France again.

Glad it’s them in the final tbh but understand English disappointment

You’ve lost me now. Ballet? What the **** are you on about?

I was hoping England would win tonight. I will pretty much (sans someone like Jones being in charge maybe) always support England against one of the big three SH teams and against this particular South African side, I don't have to think twice once. It's just a rugby thing that was ingrained. I'm not going to judge anyone for not agreeing.

There's been a few references to West Brits in the last few pages. Does me wanting England to win make me a West Brit?

(I even live in the Pale and I'm a Leinster STH if that tips the scales)

Because if you think it does, that's a bit of a joke.

You have to wait 4 years too.

I’m going to do it by being positive and not full of bile and bitterness.

You are going to whinge about fait accompli’s and what we shoulda done couldn’t do.

Maybe rugby is not for you.

I suggested an alternative- ballet? Sit back, no winners or losers and nice legs whether you are into men or women. Much less taxing on you.

You seem super salty. “Bile and bitterness” 😂 get up the yard will you ffs. I’ll do what I do every other year and support Ireland, but I won’t get into the hype of us being the best in the world until it’s done when it matters, in a WC.

I don’t do hype. One game at a time. And one team at a time.

I don’t attribute the failings of past teams to the present ones.

Every game/tournament/ game and challenge is different and circumstances are.

The bitter stink raised by those who thought we had some sort of right to win, that the players made a balls off is nauseating.

They are flat out trying to suggest there was a bottle by players who won 17 games on the trot, some of them scintillating.

Take your bitterness elsewhere. It’s useless.

Sick reading you and others. Won’t deny that.

Are you not able to accept a loss, without the need ti demean? Why would you follow a team if you can’t?

What a ridiculous notion. We lost the bid because it was rubbish. France have put on a wonderful event, can you imagine us coming anywhere near them. Get real and grow up.

Come to really dislike Matt Williams's opinions of the game. South Africa's comeback through their set piece was fascinating yet all he talked about was how it's ruining the game.

I think he's just fundamentally wrong about it too. The scrum is an area where fewer penalties are awarded these days, so seeing a team get such dominance just adds an extra layer of drama to the game.