Sport Rugby World Cup Thread

Japan played some absolutely excellent rugby first half! Great, quick passing and decisive moves as they went forward. The were looking more like an All Blacks side the way they were offloading when tackled.

Scotland were lucky when half time came because they were getting absolutely run ragged. Can’t say I’m overly surprised Scotland didn’t qualify for the next round. Japan were definitely a surprise but the Scots really aren’t as good as some of their fans/pundits think they are.

Could be an interesting game when Japan play South Africa particularly if they can get some early points and the ‘boks start to lose their heads.
 
Japan played some absolutely excellent rugby first half! Great, quick passing and decisive moves as they went forward. The were looking more like an All Blacks side the way they were offloading when tackled.

Scotland were lucky when half time came because they were getting absolutely run ragged. Can’t say I’m overly surprised Scotland didn’t qualify for the next round. Japan were definitely a surprise but the Scots really aren’t as good as some of their fans/pundits think they are.

Could be an interesting game when Japan play South Africa particularly if they can get some early points and the ‘boks start to lose their heads.

Yeah a lot of Scotland pundits are living in the past. They’re comfortably the worst 6 nations side in my view and you certainly wouldn’t bet on them beating England, Ireland or Wales
 
I thought we’d probably end up here (Eng vs NZ). I guess you have to beat the best teams to win the World Cup!!

Looking at the other side of the draw I think the winners this year will come from our semi final. As it stands head is saying New Zealand. Farrell kicked well today but he’s one that has an off game from time to time. NZ all round the park are just consistent.

If we were to beat them (regardless of the performance) I’d fancy us to go all the way. The other side of the draw doesn’t have anyone in it that should concern England particularly. We have our flaws but so do the teams vying for a place in the final on the other side!!

Getting very interesting now.
 
Wales were very lucky today against a typically indifferent France. Like Ireland, the game is easy in meaningless games, when the pressure is on, they struggle.

England have a big game next week - they look a well coached team where the players know their roles and execute on it. New Zealand are a quality team, but beatable if you don't stand and just admire the aura, rather than what they are on the pitch. Human.

England will have to defend like they have in the WC so far and take the chances that are there against an open team - Underhill and Curry have been superb so far and for players so young, really on it. If Itoje and Lawes can play as they have, this team has a big opportunity to get into the final.
 
Wales were very lucky today against a typically indifferent France. Like Ireland, the game is easy in meaningless games, when the pressure is on, they struggle.

England have a big game next week - they look a well coached team where the players know their roles and execute on it. New Zealand are a quality team, but beatable if you don't stand and just admire the aura, rather than what they are on the pitch. Human.

England will have to defend like they have in the WC so far and take the chances that are there against an open team - Underhill and Curry have been superb so far and for players so young, really on it. If Itoje and Lawes can play as they have, this team has a big opportunity to get into the final.

I actually think we may well beat New Zealand. Ultimately their style of play has not really changed and Jones will know how to defend it. The current All Blacks team don’t look particularly quick out wide either.

It’s starting to look like Wales may well end up in the final. The South Africa team don’t have much about them and Wales are playing well enough to beat them. If we make it to the final.... I’ll be avoiding any work west of the Severn for a while. They live for that result against England, let alone it coming to a World Cup win
 
I think that we'll best NZ too. South Africa started strongly against them in the opening games but were a bit one dimensional. I think we have a better kicking game and strength in the pack, as well as the pace of Watson, Daly and May to trouble them far more. We also have Eddie Jones who has worked to this moment and appears to be taking everything in his stride.

In the other semi, I think South Africa will beat Wales. They've not yet really ticked, but have had a very strong 12 months. Wales have been on the decline a little, and although they won the 6 nations, they have not looked particularly convincing for some time.

So we will hopefully have a repeat of the 2007 final, and this time I think England will come out on top.
 
Random thought...….this thread has been going for the entire Rugby World Cup, and I believe I'm making the 26th post.

By contrast, the Cricket World Cup got that many posts for threads about random games like Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan; most of the England games got over 100, and the final got 279.

Is that because Cricket is just a massively more popular sport in Britain than rugby?
Or is it because we're all self-selecting football fans that have more important things to worry about in the winter than egg-chasing.....but there's time for a bit of cricket in the summer?

Just idle wondering......

…..personally, I've occasionally enjoyed watching the odd game of rugby, but it's never gripped me as a sport, and I think I'd struggle to name three members of the current England team (which is a bit of an indictment given that I'm a sports obsessive, and could probably name more than three members of every League One, NFL, NHL or MLB team without much effort!)
 
I should imagine class will have something of an effect.
 
Random thought...….this thread has been going for the entire Rugby World Cup, and I believe I'm making the 26th post.

By contrast, the Cricket World Cup got that many posts for threads about random games like Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan; most of the England games got over 100, and the final got 279.

Is that because Cricket is just a massively more popular sport in Britain than rugby?
Or is it because we're all self-selecting football fans that have more important things to worry about in the winter than egg-chasing.....but there's time for a bit of cricket in the summer?

Just idle wondering......

…..personally, I've occasionally enjoyed watching the odd game of rugby, but it's never gripped me as a sport, and I think I'd struggle to name three members of the current England team (which is a bit of an indictment given that I'm a sports obsessive, and could probably name more than three members of every League One, NFL, NHL or MLB team without much effort!)
Was thinking that myself earlier in the week. I think there has always been quite a large Football-Cricket fan overlap, you can see that in the flags around grounds when England tour. And the fact most Rugby fans have such a chip on their shoulders when it comes to football doesn't help either.
 
I should imagine class will have something of an effect.

To an extent......but as much as people might like to think it, the OUFC supporter base is hardly made up of 100% working class heroes.
I mean look around the SSU, and for the most part, that's a pretty squarely middle class audience!

And I would've thought that the posters on here are a pretty fair sample of OUFC supporters as a whole......

So why do we, on the whole, seem to all love cricket and be entirely indifferent to rugby?
 
To an extent......but as much as people might like to think it, the OUFC supporter base is hardly made up of 100% working class heroes.
I mean look around the SSU, and for the most part, that's a pretty squarely middle class audience!

And I would've thought that the posters on here are a pretty fair sample of OUFC supporters as a whole......

So why do we, on the whole, seem to all love cricket and be entirely indifferent to rugby?

Totally subjective I know, but simply put, Football & Cricket are better games to play and watch than rugby.
 
Totally subjective I know, but simply put, Football & Cricket are better games to play and watch than rugby.
If England are playing either form of egg chasing I like to hear that theyve done well.... but, personally Ive never 'got' egg chasing, neither union or league. As the time honoured old adage goes- Rugby is a game played by men with peculiar shaped balls.... it wasnt (thankfully) played at the school I went to .... ALL the schools I attended were in Headington, Headington is spiritual home of HUFC/OUFC, who were formed from a cricket club

Oxford United and England football & England cricket ( especially test matches), get my attention and support
 
I've been to a fair few Rugby Union games (mainly at Twickenham). Not so sure it's a class thing, or the chippyness that seems to annoy some football fans. What really pisses me off at rugby is the CONSTANT flow(!) of people getting up and going for a P**s/another pint(s). You've paid stupid amounts of money to watch the game so WATCH THE GAME!

I'm bordering on alcoholism, but I will not leave a seat I've paid for, for the lure of an over-priced beer or an over-filled bladder.

Having said that, the 2003 RWC win (Fitzharris Arms in Abingdon for me) was a magical moment and I hope it is repeated.
 
The CWC was in the UK, so that had a lot more eyes on it as consequence. The RWC is in Japan, so the games aren't on at peak times and perhaps people aren't so engaged in it as a consequence. The lack of excitement, outside of Japan's wonderful game will not have helped.

Cricket overlaps with football so well as most of the big games don't overlap with each other and it keeps some football fans interested while they have nothing to do on a Saturday.
 
Having played at what would be regarded as a reasonably high level in the UK I’ve always kept an eye on international rugby since having to ‘retire’ due to injury. I end up being invited to watch various club competitions in the UK and it doesn’t excite me like football does.

It’s always been an odd one for me. I loved playing but never really watched too much of it whereas football and that chance of one scrambled goal making or breaking dreams has always had me hooked.

Rugby has changed a lot over the last 15-20 years! Certainly as I finished playing in 2007 the Harry Enfield style rugby player and some of the antics had been replaced with protein shakes and physical testing regimes. Unfortunately (and a reason I tend to steer clear) a lot of the spectators are still of that ilk as has been mentioned above.

I dont particularly enjoy watching cricket and I do find it funny that cricket is sometimes considered to be more working class/exciting than rugby. The players that I’ve played with have been pretty far from anything other than working class.

This rugby World Cup has been an excellent spectacle with some really good, attacking rugby and a few shocks thrown in there too.
 
You are either Rugby or Football, its black and white. Unless one of them is in a world cup final :p
 
Well done you eggchasing 'posh boys' :)
 
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