General pre tournament shite talk

[paddy no 11]

[Aus fucked

Are Georgia going to scrummage there way out of that group?

[paddy no 11]

1 thread will suffice! Mods bin the other

[Puja]

1 thread will suffice! Mods bin the other

For reference, you can just delete it yourself by editing the first post.


I think group C is the most interesting, because it's got some real potential for upsets. Both Georgia and Fiji will be looking at both Wales and Australia and thinking they've got a 1 in 10 shot there.

Puja

[paddy no 11]

Am is a big loss for SA he gave them an edge in 2019. Unless they somehow use they build there game around kolbe and ardense they are not going to win

[francoisfou]

Just read that Jaco Peyper will ref the opening match France v NZ, and with the same touch judges/assistant refs/TMOs as the Champions’ Cup final! This has to be a wind-up, surely? A prestigious game like this reffed by an incompetent clown! World Rugby, or whoever decides which refs get which matches, are a joke.

[paddy no 11]

Is he that much worse than Barnes etc. Who's a good ref these days. Come back Steve walsh!

[Mr Mwenda]

Much worse than Barnes.

[francoisfou]

Romain Ntamack will miss the World Cup after a serious knee injury during Saturday’s match against Scotland. Feckin’ warm up matches!

[tigran]

One of the worst news...

Time for Jalibert to show what he can do

[switchskier]

Romain Ntamack will miss the World Cup after a serious knee injury during Saturday’s match against Scotland. Feckin’ warm up matches!

That's really shite news. One of my favourite players to watch, he's so graceful and his partnership with Dupont is so intuitive. Big loss for the tournament.

[Cameo]

That must be so gutting. Real once in a lifetime opportunity for him gone in pretty innocuous circumstances.

Ridiculous amount of pressure on Jalibert now, but people say he has it in him.

[paddy no 11]

Terrible news for France, the lad himself and great hair everywhere

Jalibert is a great watch aswell so looking forward to seeing him in a run of matches

[paddy no 11]

Scotland have entered a fine backline and a decent set of forwards

[Spiffy]

Terrible news for France, the lad himself and great hair everywhere

Jalibert is a great watch aswell so looking forward to seeing him in a run of matches

Hastoy is a pretty good backup too.

[Lizard]

I’m getting quite excited now. I’ve put all the games in my calendar, I’ve drawn up my spreadsheet, starting to plan which matches I will stay/get up for, reading squad lists for countries I can barely find on a map.

I am a 45 year old man with kids and a real job and everything.

[paddy no 11]

I am a 44 year old man and I am also very excited...........about the world cup

A very competitive group c and 2 out of 3 in group B makes the group stages interesting which hasn't often been the case especially in last 2 world cups

[paddy no 11]

Group c got more intriguing with fijis win

England can't be sure of getting out of their group

Samoa were excellent for ateam who have only played 10 times in 4 years

[Puja]

I am a 44 year old man and I am also very excited...........about the world cup

A very competitive group c and 2 out of 3 in group B makes the group stages interesting which hasn't often been the case especially in last 2 world cups

I'm excited too, on a neutral basis, rather than because i expect England are going to be anything but a sloppy disaster. There's only one pool where we know the two qualifiers before we start (and even then Italy do have a puncher's chance, albeit a small one).

Puja

[Buggaluggs]

I didn't realise Samoa were in England's group too. That is a tough group. England should make it out, but my God, they'll have some scratches and dents to show for it!

[Stom]

I didn't realise Samoa were in England's group too. That is a tough group. England should make it out, but my God, they'll have some scratches and dents to show for it!

Wouldn't put it past this England team coming 3rd in that group. Although the lack of Farrell against Argentina will help massively.

[switchskier]

I didn't realise Samoa were in England's group too. That is a tough group. England should make it out, but my God, they'll have some scratches and dents to show for it!

Compared to group B I'm not sure that it is. The teams in group B have pretty much all beaten the teams in that group:

South Africa beat Argentina twice in the rugby championship;

Ireland are better than England and stuffed them recently;

Samoa did just beat Tonga, so fair enough;

Romania edged past Chile in July but I'm not sure those teams make a difference either way;

Scotland and Japan haven't played since 2021 but given Japan lost to Italy (and Fiji) in the last month, and Scotland are ranked 5th in the world, I'd probably choose to face the latter over the former (and I'm a Scot who thinks that we're perpetually doomed).

Just shows how nonsensical it is to select the pools so far in advance of the actual tournament.

[paddy no 11]

France lose wilemse but choularou is very good with danty missing nz game they probably have the most disrupted run in.

(England losses mostly self inflicted)

Menocello the biggest loss so far as Italy have no replacement

[paddy no 11]

Who's running the fantasy competition?

[Scrumhead]

World Rugby have got a new game: https://fantasy.rugbyworldcup.com

Looks OK. Not as good was what The Rugby Magazine was doing but better than I expected.

I’m going to set up a thread for a Rugby Rebels league.

[Lizard]

Something must have gone wrong with English sports journalism. It's less than 48 hours until England v Argentina in a RWC and I'm yet to see a single Falklands/Malvinas reference.