Rugby World Cup

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Ok, please don't tell me I'm the only Rugby Union fan around here. XD Who's watching the Rugby World Cup? And on a similar note, who plays Rugby? I play as a scrum-half... Not that that would mean much to most people...

Ok I'm a kiwi so I live in the land of the 'rugger bugger' lol...
Can't say I am a huge fan of the game but any genuine world cup is a grand event and I have been following but not watching [much].
I am a big guy, very socially phobic and had the misfortune of being forced to play prop as a child, so no I don't play, lol...
I figure as long as our boys haven't had too softer ride and realise that they are now playing real world cup rugby, well the cup should be theirs, time will tell.. where are you and who are you following Beno?
peace j

Well, I'm British, but I've got both British and South African citizenship because I lived there as a kid for a few years... So I'm very split between England and the Springboks.

It looks like the Boks are playing well, there is talk of a possible SA v NZ final, but the Argentines are playing artfully so as always could go any way, now the real games start we will get a better idea.
Scrum half? that's what we call first five eight?
peace j

From what I've just pulled up on Wikipedia for different terminology in other countries, you're thinking of the Fly-half. If it's any help, the scrum-half is number 9. The fly half number 10.

Sweet, like I said not much of a fan, but curious about the different terms of reference.
Beno - you are lucky to have two teams to follow into the finals, lol, peace j

Well so much for southern hemisphere dominance, perhaps it has all just been arrogance, lol.
Congratulations to any British and French fans/supporters, peace j

I never played rugby. My 2 sons are both locks (sometimes flankers). I am a ARU TJ (I wanted to be able to signal foul play in their games, but now think Rugby Union is becoming something of an obsession.

The match organisers and sponsors wanted an England v France semi-final. That's obvious. IMHO it looks like the Australian and NZ games were fixed. Australia just didn't try. Their rucks were pitiful. The referee was extremely harsh on their scrums (or were the Australians continually stuffing up their scrums?). I have not seen them play like that before and probably won't again.

And Mortlock . Don't give a kicker the captaincy. He will take every opportunity he gets for a kick at goal, when they should have pushed on for a try. Well played England, but Australia didn't look as if they were trying.

NZ v France game was even worse . It looked to me that the English referee didn't want the English team to play the All Blacks.

French try #2 was following a forward pass = no try.
French try #1 was after a yellow card that did not warrant it (accidental looking bump) but ref didn't ever penalise French stomping in rucks.
NZ denied advantage would likely have resulted in a try (French given a line out rather than NZ scrum for French infringement, ref ruled "advantage over" ).
That English referee was the worst I have seen.

NZ woz robbed.

Last edited by BazzaMcKenzie on 08 Oct 2007, 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

go Springboks
go Pumas

Well, I don't hold with any of that Bazza - sorry.
Ok maybe the ref made some bad calls? maybe we could have played harder? maybe? maybe? maybe...
At the end of the day it is a game, we were the losers on the day and loosing with grace is the sign of the righteous looser which the All Blacks and their supporters are not.
On Monday morning Womens Refuge [an abused womens shelter] announced a huge spike in domestic violence incidents as a result of the loss to France. This is not isolated, every provincial rugby season the same occurs on a localised pattern according to losses, and to be out on the streets on some match nights is to take your safety and ignore it's importance as drunken a***holes stumble around looking to vent their frustration on any potential scapegoat that passes by.
Doug Howlet trashing a couple of cars because his team failed about sums it up, people take the game and it's importance way too seriously. For his behaviour alone we deserve nothing but to loose.
Well done France , Britain, South Africa/Azania and Argentina - good luck to the Argentines, it must be their turn to hold the cup - eh?
peace j

all the same, NZ woz robbed. France don't deserve their place in the finals. With any other referee, NZ would have won by 3 tries.

I hope England are given a humiliating defeat by the Springboks.

Anyone watch the final, and notice that the way England were playing in the first half, could not win? Good game, but typical me I showed no joy/remorse at all. Spent most of the match analyzing the set pieces and predicting the number of kicks and penalty attempts.

Being a scrum half seems so far and beyond for me at this level! I just started playing three months ago and play as hooker or flanker for my local team. It's the best sport ever created though.