Rugby Gilly

Looks like we won't face a southern hemisphere side before the final, as long as we beat Scotland.

So we wont get the chance to break Aussie hearts again? F*ck it....

We'll play them in the final, after they turn over the Yarps and the All Blacks implode again...

Ireeeeeeeeeeeland Ireeeland together standing tall

The little bit of my family that is Irish are proud, the rest of us are worried about the England team

The thing is, nobody's looking that good, so it's wide open - there's 6 or 7 teams with a decent shot at making the final. The fact that the three SH giants look like being in the same half of the draw makes it even more so.

You've still gotta say that NZ are raging favourites though, don't you. I mean let's be honest- Sooner or later they are gonna break through and win the World Cup again. They just have too much talent. It's more than likely gonna happen on their home soil.

Well, if Aus play SA in the last eight the odds are probably even more in their favour. Can't help feeling their likely semi-final with the winners of that could see the pressure overcome them again though.

In terms of the other half, if it's England, France, Ireland and Wales, I'd say it's 3 to 1 the field for who makes the final!

Yup, 6 nations clashes in the southern hemisphere will be very difficult to call.

Wouldn't put it past England to get to the final, not a hope in hell of winning it though especially if they faced the all blecks.

We'd have a shot against the ageing SA side or the unpredictable Aussies though. As would any of the other NH sides if they got that far.

Going into the WC we didn't have a cat in hell's chance. And we (England) have played sh!t so far. But strangely, our chances of winning the tourament have increased from approx 0.1% to about 5%.

Bear in mind that our bunch of no-hopers would be incapable of beating NZ, who are far too good for us, and 9/10 would lose to the Saffers who would grind us down. But... the 5% is:

England beat Scotland (more than likely) to set up a game with France. France are a better team than us and should win, but they choked in 2003 and they choked in 2007. They choke again and England win 25-18.

Suddenly we're in the motherfcuking semi-finals. We didn't expect to get this far. But then neither did Wales/Ireland. Wales/Ireland are aggrevied by a couple of big hits and O'Driscoll/Hook has to go off early with an injury. England get a sin-binning in the second half, but survive, and Wilkinson comes off the bench to convert two late penalties. 17-15.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the draw:

Aus vs SA. Cheese vs Chalk. Cheese wins, 32-21.

Aus vs NZ in the Semis, its like NZ's final. Their shot at greatness. And they choke. Aus run in 2 late tries to give themselves a flattering 31-17 scoreline.

And suddenly, we're here again. Aus vs England in the final and its anyone's game. And if England can keep the ball up their jumper for 80 minutes like Ireland did they'll win the lot. Simples.

I can't see it Gazza. Australia were so awful against Ireland, i can't see them coming back from that.

Australia are the Pakistan of rugby

So they'll be willing to fix a game in England's favour?

I guess they did suffer a shock loss against the Irish, just like Pakistan did in 2007. Robbie Deans should be double checking the lock on his hotel room door.....

He'd be better off checking his lock, 5/8, halfback....etc,etc.

Big Dog wrote:

equally thick headed to point to the backs alone

Rubbish.....the forwards gave them enough possession, they just did'nt do anything with it. Time & time again they just kicked it back to the Irish.....and then there was the chip kicks while hard in defence...FFS!!

BD. Ask your rugby mates what they thought of the forwards performance. I suspect it will be along the lines of "They were gutless & lazy".

The backs were just dumb. LIkewise the coach for not injecting some vigour with 30 minutes to run.

How many sh!t games in excess of 18 in 20 does Elsom have to play before he gets punted?

And if England can keep the ball up their jumper for 80 minutes like Ireland did they'll win the lot. Simples..

phurt, there's no room. Some are still holding the tackled player while others just want to have a little sit down for 3 minutes while a man runs out with some ice to hold against their fat heads.

Mick Sawyer wrote:
phurt, there's no room. Some are still holding the tackled player while others just want to have a little sit down for 3 minutes while a man runs out with some ice to hold against their fat heads.

**Brass Monkey likes this**

Tonga leading Japan 15 - 10. Japans Kiwi ring-in has just been (wrongly) sin binned so it could get real interesting.

Japan giving it 100% but they just can't match the size of the Tongans.
Tonga leading 28 - 13

Barnes is not playing at inside centre. That surprises me. I had built up the impression that Genia/Cooper/a fit Barnes was the favoured inside back combination.

watched the moightyyy Irish knock off the Trashabbies last Sat...was on a date of sorts that did not very well...deteriorated when I started blaming the chips in the team and soft private school boys...really got bad when I got vilked and started cheering the boys in green

This whole Wallaby fiasco is the culmination of a 4 year plot to plant a Kiwi as our national coach and then have the double crossing sheep shagger deliberately put out a rubbish team and tactics to get them out of the cup.

It's genius by the sheep shaggers really.

trashabbies seemed like they were going to score a lot of the night...(like RD in Ippy)...but failed with skill errors and lack of grunt

Wobblies are resting a few players tonight, as are the Yanks. Seems they give themselves a better chance of downing Italy. I would'nt have sold themselves so short.

I heard that the Frogs are resting players against the ABs as well.

What a farce of a tournament.