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Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

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    Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

    Wales announce their 6N squad, sadly denuded of Faletau as it was confirmed yesterday that's he's rebroken his arm.

    The headline seems to be Thomas Young's call up given his fantastic form in the English Premiership :



    FORWARDS:

    Rob Evans (Scarlets) (31 Caps)
    Wyn Jones (Scarlets) (10 Caps)
    Nicky Smith (Ospreys) (24 Caps)
    Elliot Dee (Dragons) (13 Caps)
    Ryan Elias (Scarlets) (6 Caps)
    Ken Owens (Scarlets) (60 Caps)
    Leon Brown (Dragons) (5 Caps)
    Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs) (36 Caps)
    Samson Lee (Scarlets) (38 Caps)
    Dillon Lewis (Cardiff Blues) (8 Caps)
    Jake Ball (Scarlets) (29 Caps)
    Adam Beard (Ospreys) (8 Caps)
    Seb Davies (Cardiff Blues) (7 Caps)
    Cory Hill (Dragons) (22 Caps)
    Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys) (120 Caps) (CAPT)
    Ross Moriarty (Dragons) (26 Caps)
    Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) (11 Caps)
    Justin Tipuric (Ospreys) (60 Caps)
    Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues) (10 Caps)
    Aaron Wainwright (Dragons) (3 Caps)
    Thomas Young (Wasps) (2 Caps)

    BACKS:

    Aled Davies (Ospreys) (12 Caps)
    Gareth Davies (Scarlets) (36 Caps)
    Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues) (6 Caps)
    Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues) (21 Caps)
    Dan Biggar (Northampton) (65 Caps)
    Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) (1 Cap)
    Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) (11 Caps)
    Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) (67 Caps)
    Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) (10 Caps)
    Owen Watkin (Ospreys) (8 Caps)
    Scott Williams (Ospreys) (57 Caps)
    Josh Adams (Worcester) (6 Caps)
    Hallam Amos (Dragons) (18 Caps)
    Steffan Evans (Scarlets) (12 Caps)
    Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets) (80 Caps)
    Jonah Holmes (Leicester) (1 Cap)
    George North (Ospreys) (79 Caps)
    Liam Williams (Saracens) (51 Caps)?

    #2
    The bookies seem to have Ireland, England, Wales as their top three. But Wales have home matches against both of the other two, so 9/2 Wales outright and 12/1 Wales Grand Slam are decent value, aren't they? They're even slightly odds-against (6/4) for a top-two finish.

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      #3
      The World Cup is going to be played almost entirely under floodlights in Japan, so that European and South African audiences can at least stay in bed til 8am or 9am to watch their teams, not have to get up at 4 in the morning. Does that offend any purists, and will it particularly favour any sides?

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        #4
        All international rugby in NZ is played in the evenings now, the All Blacks see less daylight than vampires. So there's a conspiracy theory to work on.

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          #5
          I can't even remember the last All Black Test under the sun. It has to be at least 15 years ago, if not longer.

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            #6
            Injury keeps co-captain cunt out of the England squad.

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              #7
              Which one?

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                #8
                Heh. Hartley. Hasn't he got a longer/broader track record of cuntery than Farrell?

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                  #9
                  Yes. Give Farrell time though, Hartley has five years on him.

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                    #10
                    Flynnie, the match they lost to Ireland in Chicago was played in daylight

                    [insert thinking emoji]

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                      Flynnie, the match they lost to Ireland in Chicago was played in daylight

                      [insert thinking emoji]
                      Oh, I meant in New Zealand.

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                        #12
                        The last World Cup games the All Blacks played in daylight were the pool games against Romania, Italy and Portugal in 2007 where their second XV ran in about 280 points.

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                          #13
                          The game against Argentina at Wembley in RWC 2015 was a 4:45pm kick-off so was all or mostly in daylight too.

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                            #14
                            Edinburgh's 19-10 victory over Montpellier ironically ensures Glasgow's qualification for the quarter-finals, along with their own. Unless Exeter secure an improbable bonus point victory at Thomond Park, then Munster will perform a similar role, and secure Ulster's progression.

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                              #15
                              Unless something major changes the last 8 of the Champions Cup is going to be three from Ireland, 2 each from Scotland and France and one from England, Saracens will be the top seeds.

                              Wales regions have been a disaster in Europe this season, the Scarlets did restore some pride in the last two rounds and the Blues were competitive in their matches but the two Challenge Cup sides were embarrassing at times. Budgets and injuries were part of the reason but Edinburgh and Glasgow play with similar issues and both qualified.

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                                #16
                                Challenge Cup quarter-finals
                                Saracens v Glasgow
                                Edinburgh v Munster

                                Racing 92 v Toulouse
                                Leinster v Ulster


                                Challenge Cup quarter-finals
                                Clermont Auvergne v Northampton
                                Worcester v Harlequins


                                Sale v Connacht
                                La Rochelle v Bristol

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                                  #17
                                  Good to see at least one Irish team will go out at the quarter-finals and that Munster only managed an away quarter-final though they could easily win in Edinburgh. On the down side, Saracens are virtually guaranteed to make the semis.

                                  Are those draws deliberately in brackets? I can never recall how it works in European competition.
                                  Last edited by Ray de Galles; 20-01-2019, 21:56.

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                                    #18
                                    Brackets? I've just copy pasted and there are none in my view.

                                    Edit: The spacing is for the semis I think, they'll take place in the home country but at a neutral venue except for Leinster if they are at home and they'll get to play in their home stadium.

                                    Edit 2: beaten to the explanation by UA
                                    Last edited by Antepli Ejderha; 21-01-2019, 06:10.

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                                      #19
                                      Those groupings hold through the semi finals.

                                      so the winner of Saracens-Glasgow playa the winner of Edinburgh-Munster, etc.

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                                        #20
                                        Thanks, that’s what I thought. Saracens for the final then.

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                                          #21
                                          Yeah as they say in The Sting, the fix is in and the dicks are taking their end without a beef.

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                                            #22
                                            Gatland says Thomas Young will play in the 6 Nations, he's been excellent for Wasps for ages and deserves his chance. With Moriarty seemingly out he might get the first two matches.

                                            Halfpenny is another out with concussion. Scott Williams and Gareth Davies are also out.

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                                              #23
                                              If Liam Williams doesn't recover from his broken finger prior to the France game I wonder if Gatland might put Biggar at full back in order to allow Anscombe to remain at 10? More likely to have them the other way around I presume but I'd like to see the more creative option at outside half.

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                                                #24
                                                Ireland's calling: a journey to the heart of a rugby powerhouse

                                                https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...y_to_clipboard

                                                A good read about rugby in Ireland.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Wales team for Friday night. Tomos Williams makes his 6N debut and there are a lot of recently-injured players in the side :

                                                  Wales: Liam Williams (Saracens); George North (Ospreys), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Josh Adams (Worcester); Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Tomos Williams (Cardiff Blues); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter), Adam Beard (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, captain), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Dragons).

                                                  Replacements: Elliot Dee (Dragons), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Cory Hill (Dragons), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Northampton), Owen Watkin (Ospreys).

                                                  France include Ntamack Jnr and Penaud Jnr in their side as well as Willemse who qualifies on residency grounds _ I thought they had a policy stating they wouldn't do that anymore?

                                                  France: Maxime Medard; Damian Penaud, Wesley Fofana, Romain Ntamack, Yoann Huget; Camille Lopez, Morgan Parra; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Uini Atonio, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Willemse, Wenceslas Lauret, Arthur Iturria, Louis Picamoles.

                                                  Replacements: Julien Marchand, Dany Priso, Demba Bamba, Felix Lambey, Gregory Alldritt, Baptiste Serin, Gael Fickou, Geoffrey Doumayrou.
                                                  Last edited by Ray de Galles; 30-01-2019, 21:36.

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