@KiwiMurph said in How to rank this RWC?:

Quite a few of the hyped pool games failed to live up to expectations from a neutral point of view.

Scotland-Boks, Scotland-Ireland, England-Argentina, Wales-Australia come to mind. Italy weren't even semi competitive vs ABs or France

Of course this isn't unique to this World Cup and other teams performed above expectations going in (Portgual & Japan) but on paper I thought pool play would be even more competitive than it was.

Failing to live up to expectations in a WC has been a Scots tradition for pretty much as long as I remember. A couple of blow outs but completely shat the bed when it counted.

@nzzp
You mean GRABCOAT?

(Greatest All Black Coach Of All Time)

@Catogrande said in Best of RWC 1991:

@Machpants said in Best of RWC 1991:

@Catogrande said in Best of RWC 1991:

to the NZ selectors who then poached him

from Auckland

Added for full historical facts

Is re-poached a thing?

It's called a restoration or return home 😉

@Stargazer Travis Church was also the coach of the Waikato Juniors (U20s), which included a lot of TA Sports players. Some of them debuted for Waikato in the NPC.

@GibbonRib said in RWC 2027 in Australia:

@voodoo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:

@frugby

I just had a go at this, cos it's RWC Final week, and fuck work, right?

Here is my bracket - it assumes current rankings, on the basis that we beat SA this week (shoot me), and assumes everyone performs in the RWC true to that ranking.

I didn't do the 3rd and 4th in each pool by the law, just kept allocating lower ranked teams to higher ranked teams, if that makes sense - so it might not be 100% right

I can't see any outcome too egregious - sure Wales and Australia might disagree with meeting each other in the R of 16, but it is what it is

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They won't do the knock-out stages like that though - ranking 1 to 16.

It will be predefined, and something along the lines of:
Winner A v Runner up D
Winner B v 3rd place C/E/F

Yep

And Scotland will be lucky to get out of that group 😉

@Nepia said in All Black props:

@NTA said in All Black props:

Lomax: not convinced. And he's an Aussie FFS!

Being born in Aussie doesn't make you an Aussie (according to your govt). John might have done the prudent thing and not applied for citizenship for young Tyrel so as not to taint him.

is it time to revisit these predictions of Lomax et al?

@Chris-B said in Will Jordan's try scoring:

Yeah - especially if he shifts to fullback - which he probably needs to do to prolong his career.

Breaking it purely as a wing seems really difficult. There's always another freak just around the corner

So Jordan and Rieko both have a reasonable chance assuming Jordan moves to fullback. Score the bulk of the tries as a winger, then move to a position with better longevity but a lower strike rate

@Bones said in CWC - Black Caps v India:

@MN5 stop trying to thrust your rooster on me.

Wow, that’s a strange correction

Can't say I've heard too much of Jeff Mctainish commentating so will watch out for him. Rikki Swannell is really good - right mix of description and excitement and never over the top. She gets very good reviews here in the UK, esp her 7's work.

Mils is really coming along. Much as I like Marshall's passion for good rugby, Mils any day.

@nzzp

Well that one completely passed me by. I didn't really get to read the sordid and gory details of sex in public toilets, I guess.

@Chris-B No way am I resting Santner... absolutely absurd.

@Stargazer said in New Zealand Heartland XV squad:

Beaudein Waaka started in Poverty Bay.

Both Gear brothers played for their home province Poverty Bay first, and then many more NPC teams.

@Magpie_in_aus said in NBA 23/24 - The Wembypocalypse:

@ACT-Crusader said in NBA 23/24 - The Wembypocalypse:

@voodoo it’s only preseason, but because you’re a hater I wanted to post this for ya 😉

Ben Simmons Fadeaway | This was pretty from Simmons 😍 #NBAPreseason... Ben Simmons Fadeaway | This was pretty from Simmons 😍 #NBAPreseason...

This was pretty from Simmons 😍 #NBAPreseason 🎥: Brooklyn Nets

Rookie of the year race will be right now Bens back in form

Can't wait til he goes 2-9 in his first game, bricking 2FT's early and never setting foot in the paint again. Then he'll claim a sore back afterwards, caused by a racist casino bouncer

alt text

The problem with free agency is the overrating of draft picks.

Collingwood, reigning premiers, have just picked up a best 22 player from Freo, who kinda suck. And all it cost them was pick 34 and a future 2nd rounder. Astoundingly Freo supporters are happy. The draft is a fucking lottery, building through the draft is incredibly hard to do. So the teams at the top stay there by getting players from shit teams.
Yes, eventually you have to pay the piper. But only if you keep club favourites past the point you should.

@Stargazer said in 2023 New Zealand U20s:

Assistant Coach - Backs & Attack - NZ Under 20 Job in Wellington Central, Wellington - SEEK Assistant Coach - Backs & Attack - NZ Under 20 Job in Wellington Central, Wellington - SEEK

New Zealand Rugby is looking for an experienced Assistant Coach to join the highly successful New Zealand Under 20 Rugby Team.

I love that they advertise these jobs on seek and don't have their own system with all the rugby coaches in New Zealand.

@nzzp yeah figured he wouldn’t leave the field unless there was more to it..bugger

@taniwharugby said in Northland 2023:

A final tally from the MOTM polls

Final game v Auckland had Rob Rush taking 3, Olsen 2 and then 3 got 1 point.

Season Total

Rob Rush 11 Mau'u 8 Murray 8 Moorby 6 Adams 6 Caird 5 Hallam-Eames 5 Milo-Harris 5 Matich 4 Reihana 4 Nock 3 Moulds 3 Goodhue 2 BKP 2 Olsen 2 Ranger 1 Trainor 1

It's in the blood!

Waikato beat Counties-Manukau 36-29 in the final game to win the U18 Girls competition.