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stavros880
May 2, 2005
I like monkeys
I think Wales seriously need to consider bringing back their A team at some point. There are a lot of players on the fringes of the main squad who have benefited massively from playing together over the last few years. Playing a few games a year against the England and Irish A teams, as well as games against lower tier nations, would make the step up to international level from the Pro 12 a lot easier.

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tarbrush
Feb 7, 2011

ALL ABOARD THE SCOTLAND HYPE TRAIN!

CHOO CHOO

Vagabundo posted:

Meanwhile, Paul O'Connell and Jonathan Sexton are getting scans on their injuries. Signs are "encouraging" that Sexton may be OK, but O'Connell may not be so lucky.

Paul O'Connell's hamstring is broke, and he's done for Ireland. Sad, but I guess far from the worst game to go out on.

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
Jonny Gray and Ross Ford have both been cited by an "independent" Australian citing offical for dangerous tackles in the Samoa game.

If found guilty, Scotland will be even more catastrofucked than they already are against Australia.

Unimpressed
Feb 13, 2013

Vaders Jester posted:

Jonny Gray and Ross Ford have both been cited by an "independent" Australian citing offical for dangerous tackles in the Samoa game.

If found guilty, Scotland will be even more catastrofucked than they already are against Australia.

Seriously? They got an Aussie citing commissioner to review Scotland's game before they play Australia? That's hosed up. It's not fair to the commissioner, to Scotland, or even to Australia. Why not just let some other guy do it? Is World Rugby short of people who know the rules and can watch a video?

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
Yeah. To be fair, the guy is almost certainly a professional and will be completely objective but it looks loving terrible and incredibly daft. Even if they're chosen before the match goes ahead, surely the citing officer can be changed. Especially if they know that Scotland have a very good chance of meeting Australia in the QF.

Apollodorus
Feb 13, 2010

TEST YOUR MIGHT
:patriot:
This World Cup has been really great for several reasons (thrilling Scotland/Samoa game, England crashing out in pool play of YET ANOTHER major sporting event, Japan playing the ballsiest rugby I've ever watched) but as an American I can't help but feel extremely frustrated. All across social media I've been getting these messages from USA Rugby about a "gallant campaign" and "hard-fought games" and "thanks for the memories" and I'm just thinking, look, we couldn't even put a single point on the board against the Springboks, meaning USA Eagles were the only team to be held scoreless this World Cup, and meanwhile we completely collapsed in the second half against Scotland and Samoa. It's just not acceptable that we can't find 30 guys out of a country of ~350 million (which I think is roughly equal to the population of all top-10-ranked rugby nations COMBINED) who have the desire, athletic ability, and training to play top-level professional rugby. Apparently the most we can find is like 8 (Manoa, Wyles, Scully, Fry, Lamositele, Dolan, Smith, Peterson) and several of them play for mediocre top-level teams at that.

Meanwhile, thousands of young men play college football where they a) don't get paid despite putting in ludicrously long hours of training, fitness, travel, and playing time, b) are generally too busy to get much use out of the scholarship they are supposedly playing for, c) have a huge risk of brain damage from repeated concussions, and d) stand only a tiny chance of actually getting to play professionally. And of course this is in a sport where the average player doesn't really get to DO anything, up to and including never touching the ball if everything goes according to plan.

At the same time, soccer is hugely popular here now - our national team is better than England's, at least to judge by the last soccer World Cup - but it's a stupid sport run by organized crime (in which several Americans are definitely implicated) where the objective is to fall down and pretend to be hurt in order to score the only point of the match, unless of course the referee has been bribed in which case you can be actually hurt by a cheating opponent and nothing happens if he wasn't looking (because why use video replay, it could only tell us what we already know, namely that soccer players are dirty fucks).

I thought the USA vs NZ test in Chicago last November was a good sign, that even when we KNOW it's going to be a total shellacking our rugby fans are die-hard enough to fill up a stadium bigger than Eden Park, in near-freezing weather, and watch a great team (as well as the Eagles) play, broadcast live on a major television network. But that may have been a red herring.

At least we have the Olympics to look forward to. Most Americans don't even know what rugby is, besides being something vaguely like football that their cousin who studied abroad in Australia got really into for the time he was there but promptly forgot about (and also is probably talking about rugby league or Aussie rules anyway). But I have hope that the Olympic broadcast will actually show rugby 7s to a real USA TV audience, since the time zone with Rio de Janeiro is roughly the same as the US East Coast, and the event may be on a TV network that people actually receive (not some poo poo like Universal Sports or NBC SportsNet or FOX SoccerPlus or w/e) and then American football players will see it and think "hey, this is a sport that has everything I like about football - running plus catching plus hitting - with the chance to play on the world stage, without the massive risk of concussion!"

Of course then we run the risk of becoming a primarily a 7s-playing country, but let's face it, we already are anyway (winning the last world 7s tournament of the '14-'15 season) and there are worse things than playing rugby as well as Fiji does, especially considering that if we had a World Cup team that was basically two 7s squads put together PLUS huge amounts of sponsorship dollars, we might be able to actually Win A Rugby for once dammit.

:argh:

dex_sda
Oct 11, 2012


tarbrush posted:

Paul O'Connell's hamstring is broke, and he's done for Ireland. Sad, but I guess far from the worst game to go out on.

how's sexton

fallingdownjoe
Mar 16, 2007

Please love me

Vaders Jester posted:

Yeah. To be fair, the guy is almost certainly a professional and will be completely objective but it looks loving terrible and incredibly daft. Even if they're chosen before the match goes ahead, surely the citing officer can be changed. Especially if they know that Scotland have a very good chance of meeting Australia in the QF.

Looking at it, it's this English chap who's making the final call - they were just referred by an Australian. At least that gives some kind of extra level of protection.

Sneaks McDevious
Jul 29, 2010

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

dex_sda posted:

how's sexton

Irish Independent says his scan has come up clear so he could play

The Clit Avoider
Aug 11, 2002

El Profesional
The incident both Scots were cited for would've been referred by anyone else too, so there's always that.

dex_sda
Oct 11, 2012


julian assflange posted:

Irish Independent says his scan has come up clear so he could play

awesome, I like Johnny a lot and wish him well

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:

The Clit Avoider posted:

The incident both Scots were cited for would've been referred by anyone else too, so there's always that.

Almost certainly, I don't recall the incidents that they have been cited for but it's still incredibly dumb to have an Aussie citing officer do the match review.

DickEmery
Dec 5, 2004

Tyma posted:

I think the reason he's in ahead of Robinson or Henson is because the team spent so much time training with The Ospreys since the build-up begiu, that Walker knows the playbook inside out, and he's obviously in far better form than Cuthbert.

Robinson's injured isn't he?
Basically it's Tom Grabham as the only Welsh-qualified professional winger left (and he's just been injured too).

HappyCamperGL
May 18, 2014

Vaders Jester posted:

Almost certainly, I don't recall the incidents that they have been cited for but it's still incredibly dumb to have an Aussie citing officer do the match review.

It was this apparently, so can't really complain.

https://twitter.com/gavinc42/status/653585272748294144

ColtMcAsskick
Nov 7, 2010
Not World Cup related but James O'Connor has been released from his Queensland Reds contract early on personal welfare grounds and is returning to Europe to play. Guess he must be finding better over there. He hasn't got much of a fanbase in Australia

tag youre fat
Aug 16, 2013

C'est l'homme ideal
charme au masculin
O'Brien's citing started at two.Six and a half hours later and there's still no word of a decision. Current theory is the officials have decided on a ban and are engaged in a lengthy game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who has to tell him.

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
O'Brien is getting a one game ban. I imagine Jonny Gray will get a weeks ban for that clear out, Ford might avoid a ban but who knows.

SomeDrunkenMick
Apr 21, 2008

A terrible injustice, free SOB.

stavros880
May 2, 2005
I like monkeys

Vaders Jester posted:

O'Brien is getting a one game ban. I imagine Jonny Gray will get a weeks ban for that clear out, Ford might avoid a ban but who knows.

I imagine the Scottish pair will get a hell of a ban for that. It looked like they dumped him on his head. However, with the random way the citing commissions work these days, it could be anywhere from no ban to life.

goatface
Dec 5, 2007

I had a video of that when I was about 6.

I remember it being shit.


Grimey Drawer
If it's less than three they're having a laugh.

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
No idea, it should be a ban but we've seen Pocock avoid one for kneeing a player in the ribs, Woods get a warning for kicking a player in the head and Tuilagi a 5 week ban for catching a player in the face with a knee while running. gently caress knows what's going to happen.

Even worse is that Peyper was right in front of it when it happened and didn't do anything about it.

MyChemicalImbalance
Sep 15, 2007

Keep on smilin'



:unsmith:
O'Brien with a weeks ban, not the worst outcome. Hoping for a Henderson-Henry-Heaslip back row with Toner and Ryan in second row against the Argies, I reckon it'll be tight upfront but ireland's back line defense has been good enough so far that I'm not too worried about Hernandez et all in the Argentina back line.

Tyma
Dec 22, 2004

Chwyldro Dawnsio Dawns

DickEmery posted:

Robinson's injured isn't he?
Basically it's Tom Grabham as the only Welsh-qualified professional winger left (and he's just been injured too).

Hanno Dirksen is Welsh-qualified.

Burgo
Jun 1, 2008

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/112205

quote:

Seán O’Brien (Ireland) has been suspended for one week for striking contrary to Law 10.4(a).

2 weeks reduced to 1 it would appear.

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
Both Grey and Ford have been given a three week ban. Four weeks plus an extra week to "discourage this kind of foul play" and then a two week reduction for remorse and good records.

Not a surprise and probably the right call but the disparity in lengths of ban is a loving joke.

Vaders Jester fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Oct 13, 2015

DickEmery
Dec 5, 2004
Match officials for the quarters

South Africa v Wales at Twickenham (kick-off 16:00)
Ref : Barnes
AR : George Clancy (Ireland) and JP Doyle (England)
TMO : Graham Hughes

New Zealand v France at the Millennium Stadium (kick-off 20:00)
Ref: Owens
AR : Jaco Peyper of South Africa and John Lacey of Ireland
TMO: Shaun Veldsman.

Ireland v Argentina in Cardiff (kick-off 13:00) on Sunday
Ref: Garcès
AR: Romain Poite (France), and New Zealand’s Chris Pollock
TMO: George Ayoub

Australia v Scotland at Twickenham on Sunday (kick-off 16:00)
Ref: Joubert
AR: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Pascal Gauzere (France)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand).

Argentina will be rejoicing it's not O'Wens and the Wales game won't get finished before the semis with Hughes as TMO

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:

DickEmery posted:

Match officials for the quarters

South Africa v Wales at Twickenham (kick-off 16:00)
Ref : Barnes
AR : George Clancy (Ireland) and JP Doyle (England)
TMO : Graham Hughes

New Zealand v France at the Millennium Stadium (kick-off 20:00)
Ref: Owens
AR : Jaco Peyper of South Africa and John Lacey of Ireland
TMO: Shaun Veldsman.

Ireland v Argentina in Cardiff (kick-off 13:00) on Sunday
Ref: Garcès
AR: Romain Poite (France), and New Zealand’s Chris Pollock
TMO: George Ayoub

Australia v Scotland at Twickenham on Sunday (kick-off 16:00)
Ref: Joubert
AR: Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Pascal Gauzere (France)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand).

Argentina will be rejoicing it's not O'Wens and the Wales game won't get finished before the semis with Hughes as TMO

No one is going to be happy with Garcès as the ref.

Unimpressed
Feb 13, 2013

Vaders Jester posted:

No one is going to be happy with Garcès as the ref.

Yeah, I guess the RFU pulled some strings to poo poo on Poite for refereeing the scrum properly.

SomeDrunkenMick
Apr 21, 2008

I sometimes think garces can't communicate well enough with English speaking players.

Plucky Brit
Nov 7, 2009

Swing low, sweet chariot

Unimpressed posted:

Yeah, I guess the RFU pulled some strings to poo poo on Poite for refereeing the scrum properly.

No international referee can officiate scrums correctly.

Not that England got a raw deal, any international scrum has half a dozen penalties which could be awarded to either side. Australia just made sure Marler boring in was at the forefront of Poite's mind, then angled in to help him along.

Painkiller
Jan 30, 2005

You think the truth will set you free...

Vaders Jester posted:

Both Grey and Ford have been given a three week ban. Four weeks plus an extra week to "discourage this kind of foul play" and then a two week reduction for remorse and good records.

Not a surprise and probably the right call but the disparity in lengths of ban is a loving joke.

The whole citing/ban system is bullshit. Players can be cited under different laws for similar actions, and then different panels give out different ban lengths for the same citations.

Heid the Ball
Nov 2, 2005
Gordon's ALIVE?!?!?
You clumsily put someone who is already doubled over in a tackle down on their head = 5 weeks reduced to 3. World Cup over.

You straight up sucker punch a guy in the guts with no provocation (not that it matters) = 2 weeks reduced to 1. Back for the semi if they get through.

You almost take Duncan Weir's head off with a late high tackle, then lift, tip and dump another player on his head. No action taken during or after the game. (JP Pieterson)

Who loving knows what's going on with this poo poo anymore. It's arbitrary and utterly inconsistent. They should just do a text-in vote on the World Rugby website as to who the public want to see banned this week, at least that would be transparent and accountable.

Tyma
Dec 22, 2004

Chwyldro Dawnsio Dawns
I'm so surprised that ITV resisted the urge to shoe-horn 'Which team will the TMO side with on this decision?' into either a telephone / text vote, or at least into their app somehow.

Mister Chief
Jun 6, 2011


I've never seen a Canadian so passionate about American rugby.

goatface
Dec 5, 2007

I had a video of that when I was about 6.

I remember it being shit.


Grimey Drawer
The TMO went no try there, but our Nando's Banter instant opinion app shows that 84% of viewers believe they grounded the ball...

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:

goatface posted:

The TMO went no try there, but our Nando's Banter instant opinion app shows that 84% of viewers believe they grounded the ball...

"Tonight is the final of the Rugby World Cup 2015 between the All Blacks and Australia and we're going to ask the audience at home to vote on which England player should be selected as Man of the Match this evening."

Unimpressed
Feb 13, 2013

Painkiller posted:

The whole citing/ban system is bullshit. Players can be cited under different laws for similar actions, and then different panels give out different ban lengths for the same citations.

Agreed. Also, the way they break it into two phases, first the citation and then the hearing, just adds another layer of arbitrariness to the whole thing. Sam Burgess didn't even get to a hearing for his high tackle, neither did Pocock, etc. But once you're in a hearing there is a huge range of penalty and that too is arbitrary. I'm sure that any non-biased analysis after the WC will show the small teams were treated far more harshly.

edogawa rando
Mar 20, 2007

I think my mass effect is broken

ColtMcAsskick posted:

Not World Cup related but James O'Connor has been released from his Queensland Reds contract early on personal welfare grounds and is returning to Europe to play. Guess he must be finding better over there. He hasn't got much of a fanbase in Australia

Real shame. Considering his list of priors, I wonder if might be a case of too many burned bridges.

Vaders Jester
Sep 9, 2009

:scotland:
That is a real shame, though at least he seemed to be very popular and much happier as a person when he was over playing for London Irish so hopefully he'll have a better time if he comes back.

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TRISHY
Apr 12, 2005

Bit bored at work, read this article. Had a bit of a laugh.
Headline was 'he's an immature little twat'

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