Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

[tee rex]

One-sided game. England should be ahead by more, playing brilliantly.

Will only lose this if tired late and making mistakes. Not happening yet.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Only thing that would have been better about that half was a few more points on the board for England.

[Patrick Thistle]

Being able to hear the conversations and the explanation really takes the sting out of the decision.

[Patrick Thistle]

Harsh getting that chalked off but that's how to use video I guess.

[Patrick Thistle]

Heretical thought of the day: the Haka is a bit silly.

[Sporting]

Home run!

[longeared]

Boundary!

[Sporting]

I want NZ to win so that if Wales somehow reach the final they won't have to suffer the humiliation of being beaten by the English, Does that make sense?

[George C.]

Gibraltar's new stadium looks nice :

https://twitter.com/Rugbydump/status/1187682234125488128?s=20

Isn't that just their football 'stadium'?

And
Hope NZ by 15+ Expect NZ by 5?

[tee rex]

First semi then ...

In 2003 I really wanted England to win it, for reasons that seem unclear now. Maybe it was that sporting failure seemed ingrained (this was before Ashes 2005, and the various gold-greedy Olympics), and the loser-narrative was getting tiresome. But, that was then.

If Wales can't beat England in the final, or get there (sorry) then the ABs have to win today. England v South Africa is about as romantic as proposing in Stevenage McDonalds.

But mostly I just hope there isn't one of those "Incidents", so everyone goes on about the colour of a card and ignores the brilliant rugby in the background. You can guarantee that something will be caught on camera (what is in their heads, really? "After 4 years I'd now like me or my team to miss the final, so here's a knee for you").

Hope: NZ by 20. Expect: England by 4.

[Ray de Galles]

Gibraltar's new stadium looks nice :

https://twitter.com/Rugbydump/status/1187682234125488128?s=20

[ooh aah]

I do however have a daft question of my own, well not so much a question as a talking point: on the evidence so far, would a Lions side entering this World Cup have won it with ease, or would we still be saying they were neck and neck with the All Blacks and Springboks?

Well one of the biggest probs for a lions side has always been moulding the team together and establishing patterns of play within a short time. But assuming they had that time they would quite easily overcome the springboks. The Lions did draw a series with NZ fairly recently, and I think that's still a fair reflection of where they would now be.

[Satchmo Distel]

Does it also mean that fitness tests have to be done earlier: no such thing as a "late fitness test"?

[Capybara]

Ta. I wondered if it might be somehow rooted in the traditions of the game.

[Ray de Galles]

I don't really follow rugby union so apologies if this is a daft question, but why do they announce the team selection so far in advance?

I've read it's a hangover from the amateur era when players might need to arrange time off work to travel to a fixture. National sides didn't travel with a large extended squad so the 15 definitely involved would need to get the practicalities sorted.

I think it's also a nod to a supposed certain traditional level of gentlemanly behaviour from coaches, that they would tell their opponent exactly who is playing rather than indulging in the chicanery of guessing games. Though I'm certain there have been teams announced in the recent past where a coach knew full well that he'd actually be changing at least one player in the starting XV claiming they were injured.

Apparently, while World Rugby rules are that the side has to be announced 48 hrs before kick off, if both teams agree that can be brought down to 12 hours - though it's never been done.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I do however have a daft question of my own, well not so much a question as a talking point: on the evidence so far, would a Lions side entering this World Cup have won it with ease, or would we still be saying they were neck and neck with the All Blacks and Springboks?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I don't really follow rugby union so apologies if this is a daft question, but why do they announce the team selection so far in advance?

That isn't a daft question at all! I wonder if it's something contractual about the media getting their stories, previews etc right?

[Capybara]

I don't really follow rugby union so apologies if this is a daft question, but why do they announce the team selection so far in advance?

[Bored Of Education]

Bloody hell, I never quite realised how far Alun Wyn Jones was ahead of the rest as far as caps are concerned.

[Ray de Galles]

Foxy fit enough to start (at least for now), Shingler and Watkin on the bench ;

1. Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (20 Caps)
2. Ken Owens (Scarlets) (71 Caps)
3. Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (47 Caps)
4. Jake Ball (Scarlets) (40 Caps)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) (132 Caps) (CAPT)
6. Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (17 Caps)
7. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (70 Caps)
8. Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (39 Caps)
9. Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (49 Caps)
10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints) (77 Caps)
11. Josh Adams (Cardiff Blues) (19 Caps)
12. Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (23 Caps)
13. Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (79 Caps)
14. George North (Ospreys) (90 Caps)
15. Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (84 Caps)

Replacements:

16. Elliot Dee (Dragons) (27 Caps)
17. Rhys Carre (Saracens) (4 Caps)
18. Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (20 Caps)
19. Adam Beard (Ospreys) (18 Caps)
20. Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) (24 Caps)
21. Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (14 Caps)
22. Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) (17 Caps)
23. Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (20 Caps)

[Bored Of Education]

Hard to see what you were getting at there. To be sure, if France had stayed at full-strength, we probably would have lost and I am not sure it would have been that narrow but we are in "If my grandmother had balls, she would've been my grandfather" territory here. I don't give Wales anymore chance of beating the Springboks - especially with the injuries - than England beating the All Blacks but there is a reasonable chance that the former will be a closer loss than the latter. No-one really gives a shit about the 3rd place match but it would be Gatland's last game so would've thought that there may be some impetus for the Welsh squad there but we are into Eddie Jones' shitty cod psychology territory there.

[Satchmo Distel]

Apologies. I was playing the role of Gonzo for the night :-)

[Ray de Galles]

Ha ha ha, what a pile of absurd trolling nonsense.

[Satchmo Distel]

Would have been better for the tournament if a full-strength France had gone through than a partial-strength Wales. Would also have avoided Wales (probably) losing to England in the 3rd placed play-off. Wales might look back and wish they'd taken a narrow defeat to France than heavier defeats to the Springboks and English.

[Alex Anderson]

I didn't watch the game so don't know the answer - presume they were planning the itinerary for their next fixture at Murrayfield in which for some reason they were to travel by coach and they were trying to decide where to stop for chips on the way back from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

If I didn't already know how fond you were of a jaunt over the northern border, Walt, that quality pun would reveal all. I'm hearing it in Satnav voice ...