Rugby World Cup 2019


David88

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Congratulations to South Africa. They applied pressure on England with their smart control of the ball, their kicking game and they barely allowed England in their 22.

There are multiple media reports amongst Rugby journalists in Australia lately to cajole Eddie Jones back to the Australian fold. I know Ken would think the same but I think we need someone new.

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you have to love the english.

one minute, they are planning a victory parade, five days before the game was being played (and any nation who does that deserves an absolute humiliation).

the next, the press have turned - was reading a report on the useless gunners failing to win yet another soccer game. Described a couple of their players, who were physically dominated in the game, as being “being bullied like a pair of England rugby players”.

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It was a good WC. Japan take a bow.

Sth Afs reverted to 10man rugby like it was 2007 but did it with such brutality it was beautiful to watch. (almost worked against the ABs but England did that better for one game)

My prediction that the heat and hard and fast grounds of Japan would suit open Sth hemisphere style play held true... until it faltered on the semi-finals altar of necessity.

By which point it was too late for Ireland who were run to shreds by both Japan and ABs.

And then the switch to 10man rugby upset the All Blacks for one game at least, and almost got an ailing Wales back into the swing of things.

The only real disappointment for me was that Fiji didn't get a big win despite having some of the best athletes in the comp (without mentioning those scattered in all the other teams!). All 3 Pacific teams were missing a decent number of players stuck on club contracts with no release.  And there there was... Tuisova! Yato!! Radadra!!! et al

1765075628_FijiIreManga_o.thumb.jpg.083538f07d34566199d5a570080caa29.jpg

 

Same old same old, Until the rich European clubs start releasing the Pacific Islanders for international duty - or better,  paying options are developed to play in and around the Pacific - and World Rugby supports fixtures in the big leagues in between WCs they will continue to be failed by the system.

Also Ledesma will have to look at himself carefully in the mirror as unlike the PIs they have been supported by World Rugby and done everything right in recent years - joining 4 nations intl comp, super rugby team keeping most of their players together, quality players ... and underwhelmed in the ensuing WC! as they have since he became coach.

Anyway a great WC and Japan re-emphasised that there is another way to play tournament rugby. Long may the clash of diverse styles continue.

 

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