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Tokyo Calling - Rugby 2019

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    Bored, I take that at face value, but at the same time note that every other poster who has responded has also seen your post as implicitly critical of the other federations.

    Given that disconnect,.it is probably best that we move on.

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      I turned over to the England game just after half time, with the score showing ENG 21-3 TNG. Having spent the last five months watching cricket, I went straight into panic mode - England 21 for 3??? WTF??? (ETC ETC ETC)

      Ho hum

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        I'm sorta surprised that Ireland are so much better at this than Scotland.

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          It is a relatively new development.

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            The number of Scottish rugby players isn't very high and to a large extent its popularity in the country is confined to the Borders region.

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              Rugby's popularity in Ireland isn't really confined geographically (the 4 province teams all have a decent support), but those provinces having been effectively nationalised by the IRFU has had other effects. On the club game, for example. In NI the rugby-playing Grammar schools are a much bigger source of players in the professional era.

              Rugby's popularity is talked up in the mainstream media of course. BBC NI's sports department for example. They won't be able to follow McIlroy to Vegas or Florida for much longer, so regular winter weekends in Paris and Edinburgh will have to do

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                Red versus maroon, eh?

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                  What the fuck is Biggar up to?

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                    Half time and it's Wales 29-0 up aginst Georgia. Four tries and a missed conversion under the posts. It's hard against a team like Georgia (who haven't been on top form), but it's all a bit loose.

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                      But I've just read the Guardian's half time report and they think Wales are brilliant.

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                        Full time 43-14. Mostly a meh half.

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                          You will gather i'm not overly optimistic

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                            The nature of the group stage doesn't get the blood racing

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                              Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                              The nature of the group stage doesn't get the blood racing
                              To be fair to World Rugby, I'm not sure what they could really do. The 1999 situation of five groups of four, where every second placed team and the best third placed team (Argentina) going into a playoff, was kind of a mess. The playoffs themselves, with the notable exception of Argentina-Ireland, were pretty boring.

                              The fundamental problem is there's only really 9 possible quarterfinalists, and hell that's an improvement on 8. Although it looks like Argentina will get chucked out of the party this year.

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                                That is of course true, but I am finding that the clustering of matches on the weekend, while fully understandable, doesn't help matters.

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                                  We had an all staff email from the CEO today asking people to be sensible with breaks if they wanted to watch the rugby.

                                  Not sure about that in a hospital really...

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                                    Originally posted by Flynnie View Post

                                    To be fair to World Rugby, I'm not sure what they could really do. The 1999 situation of five groups of four, where every second placed team and the best third placed team (Argentina) going into a playoff, was kind of a mess. The playoffs themselves, with the notable exception of Argentina-Ireland, were pretty boring.

                                    The fundamental problem is there's only really 9 possible quarterfinalists, and hell that's an improvement on 8. Although it looks like Argentina will get chucked out of the party this year.
                                    It's the problem of having a world cup for a game that isn't played in most of the world. At the weekend I was told that more people worldwide play futsal than rugby union.

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                                      I thought that was an alright display tonight. If anything, we suffered from getting what we came for (a bonus point win) in the first half and understandably losing focus once that was achieved . The second period reminded me a little of the Australians at The Oval last week, the job was done and we lost a tiny amount of intensity.

                                      The attacking play play first half was tremendous, we didn't seem to miss Howley for sure. I think we deliberately went down the middle against the Georgia pack too much after the break, almost as if we were practicing for meeting an opponent like South Africa should we get out of the group. I also think we should have rested the key men a little earlier too, or at all in AWJ's case (though it appears Ball was off with a knock). I can't knock the overall display though, even if it doesn't tell us much about the challenges ahead.

                                      The stadium, city and locals were all fantastic, they really seem to have embraced the tournament so far and showed a real passion for all elements of the game. In fact I think they enjoyed the big hits and driving mails as much as the incisive running rugby, something I put down to the "Team Sumo" elements of rugby being the more popular facets.

                                      Off to Tokyo tomorrow where I'm based for the rest of the trip. I just hope it lives up to the opening 24 hours.
                                      Last edited by Ray de Galles; 23-09-2019, 18:26.

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                                        Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post
                                        We had an all staff email from the CEO today asking people to be sensible with breaks if they wanted to watch the rugby.

                                        Not sure about that in a hospital really...
                                        You have to figure the patients don't want to miss matches either.

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                                          Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post

                                          It's the problem of having a world cup for a game that isn't played in most of the world. At the weekend I was told that more people worldwide play futsal than rugby union.
                                          Apart from football, what World Cup is for a sport that is played in most of the world?

                                          If if we went by the old "more people play" canard then Angling would probably be the biggest other "sport" in the world - but nobody really cares about it do they?

                                          We seem to do this every RWC, find reasons to do down a competition that just keeps massively growing and growing. I never really know why.

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                                            Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                            That is of course true, but I am finding that the clustering of matches on the weekend, while fully understandable, doesn't help matters.
                                            Yes, it kicks off with a weekend feast and then after getting everyone salivating it's bread and drip-drip-dripping for the next few days. I doubt that does much for the casual, "not that bothered but will watch every 4 years" target audience. The All Blacks have ten days off. Pity the journos having to file stories on who tried the wasabi and other insights.

                                            Having 20 teams is a problem, but even if it was a 16/24 team comp, you can't simply make everyone play twice a week, with equal breaks between games. That only widens the gap between stronger and weaker teams: NZ or England could play the reserves midweek and still win comfortably: Uruguay or Namibia can't.

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                                              Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                              Off to Tokyo tomorrow where I'm based for the rest of the trip. I just hope it lives up to the opening 24 hours.
                                              Lucky sod.

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                                                From what I understand, the non-Tokyo venues have really embraced the the tournament as an alternative to to Tokyo-centrism of the Olympics and much of Japanese life in general.

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                                                  Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                                  Apart from football, what World Cup is for a sport that is played in most of the world?

                                                  If if we went by the old "more people play" canard then Angling would probably be the biggest other "sport" in the world - but nobody really cares about it do they?
                                                  Cricket. Possibly basketball. According to this (Field) Hockey, but even as an advocate of that sport my response is you've added a nought (or two) by accident there. Hockey does have a wider geographical spread of competent national teams than very many sports, mind.

                                                  Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                                  We seem to do this every RWC, find reasons to do down a competition that just keeps massively growing and growing. I never really know why.
                                                  Class war through sport. Union in England can never been disentangled from that.

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                                                    Class war in Ireland as well if this place is any evidence.

                                                    And then there are the North Walians.

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