Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

[Levin]

Oh fuck

[Antepli Ejderha]

And a penalty try to Fiji. Better than two in the bin I suppose.

[Ray de Galles]

How on earth did they lose to Uruguay?

Complacency and twelve changes.

[Ray de Galles]

Cubby's World Cup over with that yellow card, Biggar's too possibly with that knock.

[Sporting]

Cubby's World Cup over with that yellow card

Is he banned for the whole tournament?

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

I'm in the Gambia wirth no access to the game. Guardian says it's 17-17 with 20 to go. Oh fucking hell.

[Levin]

22-17 to Wales with 16 minutes left. Although I might be a minute or so behind.

[Wouter D]

Bonus point in the pocket, and a bit of a gap in the score now.

[Ray de Galles]

Is he banned for the whole tournament?

No, but he won't be trusted again given today's performance - unless we have absolutely no other option fit.

[Ray de Galles]

I don't know about the players but I'm covered in bruises just from watching that.

[Sporting]

B team vs Uruguay?

[Ray de Galles]

Better score than we managed against them in Cardiff in 2015, not that it felt like it.

AWJ's face at the final whistle showed what he thought of the performance. Navidi was monstrously good but we were poor overall. With better handling and cutting out forward passes Fiji would have won.

[Ray de Galles]

B team vs Uruguay?

Injuries, knocks and the short turnaround will necessitate a whole raft of changes anyway, just a case of exactly how many.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

As a complete aside, someone mentioned that Fiji have at least qualified automatically for the next one, in third place. They hadn't done that for this World Cup, and had to qualify. Looking at how that process worked, it said that Asia didn't get an automatic qualifier because Japan had already qualified (as both hosts and through their third place last time). It implies if Japan hadn't qualified, Asia would have got one automatic qualifier. Likewise, Oceania got two automatic spots; I expect now Fiji have qualified for the next one, that will be reduced to one, next time, with Europe getting two not one (as Georgia have missed out this time).

I understand the IRB wanting to ensure that their mental list of the top dozen or so sides have qualification made as easy as possible, but is it equitable, or aligned to the claimed goal of expanding the game? If Asia were to be given an automatic spot if Japan needed it, why not just because they didn't? Hong Kong could have been at this world cup by rights, instead of being sent to the Repechage. Okay, they'd have been on the end of some mammoth defeats, but wasn't it their right to be here?

[tee rex]

I don't know about the players but I'm covered in bruises just from watching that.

Yep. Some of the (legal) tackles were painful enough. With enough time and will, the officials could have found a few more cards as well.

Fiji blew it, really. 10-0 up, Wales stunned and then a silly yellow for no arms and it's 10-7. Great for a neutral though, even if I did disqualify myself from ever being a co-commentator, constantly muttering "take the three points now", usually followed by a try instead.

So many tries really are decided by millimetres these days. You could probably reverse the results of dozens of famous old games if you put them under the same microscope.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Cubby's World Cup over with that yellow card, Biggar's too possibly with that knock.

You think. Gatland will want to rest as many of his starters as possible and give game time to Adam Beard.

Saw Biggar on the ground, what happened? He wasn't moving and immediately I thought concussion and tournament over. If he's out Priestland rather than Jarrod Evans would be my choice but that won't happen.

I was watching at work and sneaking watches in the last 30 minutes.

[tee rex]

Biggar collided with a team mate, nobody else involved. Looked terrible at first, but he jogged off later.

[Ray de Galles]

You think. Gatland will want to rest as many of his starters as possible and give game time to Adam Beard.

Saw Biggar on the ground, what happened? He wasn't moving and immediately I thought concussion and tournament over. If he's out Priestland rather than Jarrod Evans would be my choice but that won't happen.

I was watching at work and sneaking watches in the last 30 minutes.

I was just thinking Cubby might get the Uruguay game purely to allow Gatland to rest other players but maybe not, he was pretty wretched and let the occasion get to him.

Liam clattered Biggar when they both went for the high ball, the initial contact was less of a problem than his head slamming in to the pitch when he landed.

Evans is not in the squad and can only be called up, I presume, if Biggar is out for the tournament. Priestland is certain to be ahead of Evans if that happens and will surely start against Uruguay - Evans wouldn't be ready to if called up as I don't think we have anyone on standby actually in Japan.

[tee rex]

Scotland v Japan might be called off, thanks to Typhoon Conspiracy.

[Ray de Galles]

I'm hearing there are reserve venues in place for games threatened by the typhoon.

[Flynnie]

As a complete aside, someone mentioned that Fiji have at least qualified automatically for the next one, in third place. They hadn't done that for this World Cup, and had to qualify. Looking at how that process worked, it said that Asia didn't get an automatic qualifier because Japan had already qualified (as both hosts and through their third place last time). It implies if Japan hadn't qualified, Asia would have got one automatic qualifier. Likewise, Oceania got two automatic spots; I expect now Fiji have qualified for the next one, that will be reduced to one, next time, with Europe getting two not one (as Georgia have missed out this time).

I understand the IRB wanting to ensure that their mental list of the top dozen or so sides have qualification made as easy as possible, but is it equitable, or aligned to the claimed goal of expanding the game? If Asia were to be given an automatic spot if Japan needed it, why not just because they didn't? Hong Kong could have been at this world cup by rights, instead of being sent to the Repechage. Okay, they'd have been on the end of some mammoth defeats, but wasn't it their right to be here?

Hong Kong being there would have been an embarrassment for the tournament on multiple levels. They got put away comfortably by Canada, who are possibly the worst side there, so they would have had cricket scores put on them. They've capped about three ethnically Chinese players ever, so they'd be represented by a bunch of Englishmen not good enough for their own side who qualify via the grandparent rule or because they launder money in HK for a living. The World Cup comes under scrutiny every time around for the plethora of Rent-An-Islander/Afrikaner in sides, and this would add to that. Finally, oh man, can you imagine the political shitstorm if they'd all turned out with black armbands due to the protests?

World Rugby has a paradoxical situation, which is the game isn't democratic enough but there's plenty of countries where the national union is Expats RFC. Nobody takes the World Baseball Classic seriously in part because there are teams like Israel and Italy who are just Americans who watched Seinfeld or the Sopranos on them.

[ursus arctos]

Japanese sources reporting that it is indeed much more likely that the match will be moved.

[Ray de Galles]

Hong Kong being there would have been an embarrassment for the tournament on multiple levels. They got put away comfortably by Canada, who are possibly the worst side there, so they would have had cricket scores put on them. They've capped about three ethnically Chinese players ever, so they'd be represented by a bunch of Englishmen not good enough for their own side who qualify via the grandparent rule or because they launder money in HK for a living. The World Cup comes under scrutiny every time around for the plethora of Rent-An-Islander/Afrikaner in sides, and this would add to that. Finally, oh man, can you imagine the political shitstorm if they'd all turned out with black armbands due to the protests?

World Rugby has a paradoxical situation, which is the game isn't democratic enough but there's plenty of countries where the national union is Expats RFC. Nobody takes the World Baseball Classic seriously in part because there are teams like Israel and Italy who are just Americans who watched Seinfeld or the Sopranos on them.

I met someone who worked for the HKRU when I was in Japan and while he conceded that there were very few ethnic Chinese players in the squad he told me that the majority of the players qualified through birth or long term residency (i.e. from living there since an early age rather than moving professionally) so weren't "ringers".

I have to admit I was doubtful about his claims.

[Alex Anderson]

I actually think Japan play simpler and more attractive & admirable rugby than us. I don't think generally we're a team that would thrill neutrals.

Most rugby neutrals are loving Japan because it's exciting to watch an erstwhile minnow rise to the level of some Tier 1 nations - perhaps rugby-educated neutrals are enjoying them even plough a furrow towards joining the Championship? I dunno. And most neutrals of any hue love hosts doing well - it "lights up" any finals apparently.

I don't think there's enough between them in style for any casual fan like myself to be swayed by the aesthetics of either nation's play. But my second statement running on from a comment on Biggar's kicking would make you think that's what I meant:

No, after Scotland, I want Wales to do well because of the passion for the game in that country - the level, nature and demography of it - and because the history of the game in Wales makes them the biggest omission from the list of nations to have at least reached the final of the World Cup.

And, yes, I do patronisingly consider it the best national anthem ever and, yes, I would probably start hating Wales round about their second straight lifting of the Webb Ellis.

[ursus arctos]

There are certainly British families with a multi-generation tradition of laundering money in HK for a living, so the two concepts are not completely incompatible.