The Road to Bilbao and Beyond: Rugby 2018

[Antepli Ejderha]

34-7 with Scotland getting their try in the final minutes. Wales are notoriously slow starters so to get a bonus point win is something else.

[anton pulisov]

I'm standing behind the goal that Wes Hoolahan scored in against Sweden. Except, for some reason, somebody took the net away and stuck a huge stick on top of each post.

[Antepli Ejderha]

France 3 Ireland 9 and it's almost half time. Not a great match.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

France 3 Ireland 9 and it's almost half time. Not a great match.

I really want France to do a job here but they are playing against a canny side who know what they are doing.

[Antepli Ejderha]

France have the players and the style to win. Unfortunately many aren't in the team and they don't have the coach. Very old school.

[Ray de Galles]

I thought the half time analysis of both teams consistently ignoring space out wide and men screaming for the ball to blunder in to traffic in the middle of the pitch was instructive.

I can’t quite process what happened in Cardiff earlier, hoping to watch the game back on the train home to work out quite what occurred.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Teddy Thomas. Wow. Old school France back.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Teddy Thomas. Wow. Old school France back.

Yes - wow

[Ray de Galles]

Fuck me, a rugby game broke out there.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Sexton with an enormous drop goal to win it in atrocious conditions.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

ffs

[Antepli Ejderha]

ffs

I know. France missed a very kickable penalty just before which surely would have won it.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Credit where it's due - Sexton has balls the size of I don't know what with that drop goal. That was an awesome finish.

[anton pulisov]

It was clearly over the bar, yet we still won.

[jefe]

USA 17
Argentina XV 10

[Ray de Galles]

I see Canada failed to qualify directly for the World Cup after losing narrowly to Uruguay and now have to rely on a repechage. Who are they in line to play in that, do we know?

[Levin]

Hahaha.

[ursus arctos]

I considered doing that . . .

Based on the rankings, the most likely opponents are Namibia, Hong Kong and Samoa, but there's a lot of uncertainty

[Levin]

The repechage will be a round robin consisting of

1. The loser of Samoa v Europe 2 playoff (Portugal v runner up in Rugby Europe Championship not including Georgia who have already qualified (currently Spain))
2. The loser of Tahiti v Asia 1 (Hong Kong, Malaysia or South Korea, competition hasn't started)
3. Africa 2 (2nd place from a group of Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe)
4. Canada

[pebblethefish]

Please God never let FIFA see that diagram...

[Levin]

Based on current world rankings giving an accurate basis for performance the repêchage will be.

Canada
Tahiti
Spain
Kenya

[Antepli Ejderha]

Six Nations: France HIAs against Ireland under investigation - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/42936200

Jalibert definitely had a knock to his head and I'm pretty sure Owens called this. The second was dodgy at best and iirc Teddy Thomas went to scrum half to put the ball in. Brunel denies anything was to do with them.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Italy 10 England 17 at the start of the second half.

Italy giving away too many silly and needless penalties and I expect England to run away with this in the second half.

George North and Liam Williams are expected to be fit for Wales for three next round of matches.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Hmmmm. Italy score a decent try in the 50th minute but the TMO intervenes to rule it out correctly.

Italy look a lot better than in previous years, there's a structure and game plan for sure.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Hmmmm. Italy score a decent try in the 50th minute but the TMO intervenes to rule it out correctly.

Italy look a lot better than in previous years, there's a structure and game plan for sure.

England get the bonus point try and now lead by 17.