Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Ireland just kicked it out while they were 7 points down. Game over - Japan win

[anton pulisov]

QF loss coming up

Like clockwork

[Levin]

For Japan or Ireland Anton?

[Duncan Gardner]

Don't Ireland usually lose in the QF? Like Mexico in football's R16

The Methodist College ex-pupils social media has gone surprisingly quiet

[Tony C]

So pleased for Japan. I can't remember the last time I watched a sporting contest in which I began with no vested interest in the winner but ending up really rooting for one contestant.

[ursus arctos]

The only time that Ireland don't lose in quarterfinals is when they don't make it out of the groups.

They have never won a World Cup knockout match (six played, six lost)

Fabulous result for Japan and the tournament.

[Ray de Galles]

Well, that's up there as probably the best non-Welsh rugby match I've ever attended. Astounding performance from Japan and an absolutely seismic atmosphere generated by the home crowd. Every tackle, kick and carry absolutely roared on and a pounding chant of "NIPPON! NIPPON! NIPPON!" through every key moment of the match in defence and attack.

Absolutely wonderful stuff, really touching scenes at the end too. A result the tournament so far and hosts thoroughly deserve.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Scotland to hammer Japan and go through then. I sincerely hope not.

[Sporting]

Well, that's up there as probably the best non-Welsh rugby match I've ever attended. Astounding performance from Japan and an absolutely seismic atmosphere generated by the home crowd. Every tackle, kick and carry absolutely roared on and a pounding chant of "NIPPON! NIPPON! NIPPON!" through every key moment of the match in defence and attack.

Absolutely wonderful stuff, really touching scenes at the end too. A result the tournament so far and hosts thoroughly deserve.

My envy counter just got pushed up a further notch. So glad you were there to experience this.

[tee rex]

Scotland would like to remind Japan that although a movie sequel can be good box office, the third instalment of the trilogy often disappoints. Best leave it alone.

[Hot Pepsi]

I don’t know if upsets are less common in rugby than football, but it certainly appears that lopsided scores are more common in rugby. In football, a team can be dominant and only win 1-0 or even lose. I don’t see how that can happen in rugby. If one side dominates possession and consistently drives forward, they will win big.

I don’t know if Japan bearing Ireland is really so shocking, given that Japan beat SA last time and were at home. Japan are all professional, at least, aren’t they? It’s a big upset, but perhaps Japan deserves to be considered top tier?

I don’t know how it is for all the teams, but I read that, until this cup, the US team had a number of players who weren’t full time pros. Hard to maintain elite fitness if you’re not doing it full time. Even playing MLR for not much is probably better than playing part time.

Incidentally, I recall that 20-25 years ago, there was an attempt to make American football a thing in Japan. The NFL did preseason games there and Japanese all-star teams played lower division US college teams. I haven’t heard anything like that recently. Perhaps that’s because rugby has won out as the preferred teams-smashing-into-each other game.

[Wouter D]

I only just realized that this may very well end in Japan winning group A, and consequentially meeting the group B runners-up in the quarter finals. That would be a rerun of Japan - South Africa, then.

Tasty. I'll have that.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Georgia 12 Uruguay 7. I wonder how much the short turnaround is affecting Uruguay.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Wayne Barnes is regretful when he follows the law to send off the Uruguay replacement hooker in the last few minutes. Barnes followed the process and made the right decision as it protects the player.

Georgia 33 Uruguay 7 with two minutes left.

[George C.]

Well, that's up there as probably the best non-Welsh rugby match I've ever attended. Astounding performance from Japan and an absolutely seismic atmosphere generated by the home crowd. Every tackle, kick and carry absolutely roared on and a pounding chant of "NIPPON! NIPPON! NIPPON!" through every key moment of the match in defence and attack.

Absolutely wonderful stuff, really touching scenes at the end too. A result the tournament so far and hosts thoroughly deserve.

Usually much better with football, tbf.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Cracking start to the Wales Australia match.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Michael Hooper is very lucky there. By the letter of the law that was red. Wayne Barnes would have sent him off I think. Poite, who I rate, has got that wrong.

[HORN]

That was unbearably tense. Thank goodness Australia got the first half so wrong.

I was pleasantly surprised by the early Welsh intensity though at the 60 minute mark it seemed Australia were 80% probable winners, so credit to Wales for digging in.

[Antepli Ejderha]

That was unbearably tense. Thank goodness Australia got the first half so wrong.

I was pleasantly surprised by the early Welsh intensity though at the 60 minute mark it seemed Australia were 80% probable winners, so credit to Wales for digging in.

This for me. We were hanging on at the end but squeaked over the line. Fiji is not going to be easy and we'll need to be very tight against them.

[Ray de Galles]

Bloody hell, what a match! Absolutely brutal at times and unbearably tense throughout with much of the second half being complete torture,

We got well rewarded for everything we did right in the first half while the Australians didn't make their dominance of the second count enough. We've lost to them so often in the final minute in recent years that holding out at the end is doubly rewarding.

Ridiculously good performances from Gareth Davies, Patchell, Biggar, Wainwright, Navidi, Tipuric and AWJ (23 tackles, unbelievable) which were the bedrock of it but the whole team were worthy of plaudits.

To see Chieka whinge about the refereeing when Hooper got away with a possible red (and definite yellow) for his grossly late, cynical, shoulder hit on Biggar as well as Kerevi being very charitably treated for his forearm smash is ridiculous. I think he's doing it because he knows the first incident could be a citing and he's creating a diversion.

Another great atmosphere (apart from the Aussie fans booing the kickers for penalties, wankers), stadium and occasion which was the perfect way to finish my trip.

It would be nice if Wales gave me an excuse to come back out to the tournament!

[Cesar Rodriguez]

Well done Wales!

[ooh aah]

To see Chieka whinge about the refereeing when Hooper got away with a possible red (and definite yellow) for his grossly late, cynical, shoulder hit on Biggar as well as Kerevi being very charitably treated for his forearm smash is ridiculous. I think he's doing it because he knows the first incident could be a citing and he's creating a diversion.

I knew he'd whinged about something. Not that I'd read anything, or seen anything, I just knew the moment I saw the final score that he would, because it seems it's just what he does.

Anyway, I tried to time the break in my class to coincide with the final whistle, but I was a bit early and had to go back into class with 5 mins to go. So when I say that last 5 mins felt like an hour, this time it really was. I'd been very confident at half time, I feel like we've now become a really good side when we get in front, but that was, frankly, too close for comfort.

[Cesar Rodriguez]

May have already been covered but the person editing the highlights at NBC clearly has no rugby background. They include all the conversions in the highlights but not the penalties. These are extended highlights too.

By cutting out the penalties they are failing to provide proper context to watchers. To use an actual example theres no footage from Wales 22-26 Australia (62nd min) to when the ball is kicked out at the final whistle. This despite the fact that 2 pens were scored - you have no idea of when where, why penalty was given, how difficult the kick was, who kicked their penalty first, nothing.

[Hot Pepsi]

The official RWC highlights don’t offer much more.

https://youtu.be/wnJ1w1xaSJA

[Antepli Ejderha]

Bloody hell, what a match! Absolutely brutal at times and unbearably tense throughout with much of the second half being complete torture,

We got well rewarded for everything we did right in the first half while the Australians didn't make their dominance of the second count enough. We've lost to them so often in the final minute in recent years that holding out at the end is doubly rewarding.

Ridiculously good performances from Gareth Davies, Patchell, Biggar, Wainwright, Navidi, Tipuric and AWJ (23 tackles, unbelievable) which were the bedrock of it but the whole team were worthy of plaudits.

To see Chieka whinge about the refereeing when Hooper got away with a possible red (and definite yellow) for his grossly late, cynical, shoulder hit on Biggar as well as Kerevi being very charitably treated for his forearm smash is ridiculous. I think he's doing it because he knows the first incident could be a citing and he's creating a diversion.

Another great atmosphere (apart from the Aussie fans booing the kickers for penalties, wankers), stadium and occasion which was the perfect way to finish my trip.

It would be nice if Wales gave me an excuse to come back out to the tournament!

Kerevi put his gum shield into his sock, he was expecting a yellow which I think would have been fair. Hooper was red all day long, late and cheap with the shoulder.