Well this was out of leftfield.
Seems very unlikely they'd use ½p at 10. But he'd be a great guy to have around as a squad player, mentor for younger guys etc.
And I believe he has coaching ambitions, so presumably there'll be some arrangement in place for him to get involved in that side of things.
Plus, after his 3 year stand-down period, he should be eligible for the ABs for the next world cup.
@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:
Deluded.
Shifty as fuck, utterly shameless. Bit of a tool, isn't he
@Machpants said in Aussie Rugby:
@GibbonRib said in Aussie Rugby:
@nostrildamus said in Aussie Rugby:
"Cheika meanwhile sensationally took Argentina to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time and has never hidden his desire to coach the Wallabies again."
Sensationally?
I guess the previous time they made the semis wasn't sensational enough, given that the author has obviously forgotten all about it
Where they also came 3rd not 4th
Indeed. That game was notable as the first time a RWC featured the same fixture twice (Argentina also played France in the pool stages).
The second time it happened was 24 hours later.
@nostrildamus said in Aussie Rugby:
"Cheika meanwhile sensationally took Argentina to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time and has never hidden his desire to coach the Wallabies again."
Sensationally?
I guess the previous time they made the semis wasn't sensational enough, given that the author has obviously forgotten all about it
Commiserations Kiwis. That was a great final, and a great effort from your team. Very unlucky in the end.
r.e. the cards - my view (from watching in real time in a very busy pub, so I might change my mind when I've watched it back) is that they were all correct, except possibly Frizell's which seemed harsh, didn't seem to me that he did much wrong.
Cane's red and Kolisi's yellow - I reckon they were correct decisions, but it does suck.
Two things:
We're all sick of talking about it, but the inconsistency is killing us. When the TMO intervenes, which offences are which colour, etc. There's no excuse for it.
And while I think Cane's was a RC offence and Kolisi's was a YC due to mitigation, it really highlights that while difference between a red and yellow offence can be very marginal, the differnce between the punishments is massive - especially for an early red. I wasn't a fan of the 20 minute rule when it was first suggested, but I've come around to thinking it would help.
@nostrildamus said in Enz of an Era:
@MN5 said in Enz of an Era:
@mariner4life said in Enz of an Era:
A bunch of pretty handy footballers are bringing the curtain down on their careers. Who is done now?
Obviously for us its huge names in Aaron Smith and Sam Whitelock. Beauden Barrett as well (despite delusions of coming back), Richie Mo'unga as well. Dane Coles ends a great AB career.
Eddie Jones retired all the Wallabies before the Cup
Johny Sexton is now gone, and will leave a huge hole in the Irish side
Courtney Lawes hangs them up for England, arguably the best 6 in world rugby for a long time now.
I'm sure there is heaps more.
I hope he fucks off too. Rugby is better off without him and his bullshit
Eddie was ballsy but waltzing just before the RWC AND getting rid of the experienced hands does seem a lurch towards insanity in hindsight. I wonder what the young guns in the squad think of him now.
Also in foresight
@MiketheSnow said in Enz of an Era:
Biggar and Halfpenny for Wales
Halfpenny far more influential IMHO
Gareth Anscombe too, I believe. Off to play in Japan. He was phenomenal at his best, but had some shocking luck with injuries.
@frugby said in Six Nations, SANZAAR New tournaments in 2026:
I think the better way to give the T2 sides more games, is adding midweek games to the schedule. All Blacks already take 35+ players on a Northern tour... could easily add 2-3 extras and add in games vs Portugal and Romania for example. You don't want to be reducing the quantity of tests between the T1 teams for pointless games (which is what they are as a contest) that won't engage the fan, particularly the casual fan.
We all joked about the Qatar Airways Cup, but Twickenham was sold out (?)... if that was NZ v Portugal, it wouldn't even be half full.
All Blacks v Portugal/Romania is pointless, contest-wise. But Italy v Georgia, or Samoa v Wales, or Portugal v Japan, isn't - those are the fixtures that rugby needs more of
There are some positive element to this. But there are some real shitty parts too.
Fiji (and Japan) will get a place at the top table, but the test of the tier 2 nations like Georgia, Samoa & Tonga will be totally shafted. You know how they only get to play about one match a year against tier 1 nations at the moment, and everyone agrees they deserve more? Well, fuck that, they'll be getting pretty much zero now.
They will have regular matches among themselves, which is a positive, but apart from world cups that's it, no more Tier 1 v 2 games. Pull up the drawbridge.
@voodoo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@GibbonRib said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@voodoo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
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
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/FWell of course, I've just assumed that those predefined fixtures will be primarily designed to ensure that #1 doesn't meet #2 until as late as possible, and so on.
Hence my bracket says 1 v 16, but it's actually just Winner Pool A v 3rd in Pool C, Winner B v 3rd in Pool D etc
Ah, gotcha.
I doubt they will go as far as planning for #1 and #2 being on opposite sides - I assume it'll be the usual random allocation of top 6 across the pools, then the next 6 etc. So most likely, being ranked #1 will be the same as #6
I predict that the only variation to that is that they might throw the hosts a bone - put Aus in the top pot of seeds even if they're not top 6 ranked; and maybe give them a 3rd place team in the round of 16 instead of a 2nd place
@voodoo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
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
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
@MiketheSnow said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@GibbonRib said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@booboo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@Machpants said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
So the format changes to six pools of 4, and a round of 16 before the quarters. That reduces the length of tournament by a week (good thing). WR to take more financial risk with bookings and stuff, so the draw will be closer to kick off, although not confirmed when.
Rugby World Cup 2027 expansion and kick-off dates confirmed
World Rugby have announced that the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia will be expanded to 24 teams and have confirmed the kick-off dates for the tournament.
Rugby World Cup 2027 expanded to 24 teams | World Rugby
The men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia will feature 24 teams after the World Rugby Council approved historic reimagination of the competition format, window and timing.
How do they rank the top 16 from 6 pools?
Top 2 from each pool, plus 4 best 3rd place finishers.
It'll be messy, and a but arbitrary - there will probably be 6 teams on 1 win and 2 defeats, so it'll likely be the ones who piled on a stack of tries against the bottom team in the pool that will go through.
The bigger problem with the format, IMO, is that at the quarterfinal stage you'll have 6 pool winners. So that means 2 will get a relatively easy draw against a pool runner up, and the other 4 pool winners will play each other. A lot will come down to the luck of the draw.
Like every RWC to date
Nah, there's always some imbalance and luck of the draw, but this weird format will supercharge it.
@KiwiMurph said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
I can't believe we've got to wait 2 more years to find out who else Wales, Fiji and Australia have in our pool.
I like the reduction to 4 teams in the pool - 3 matches is enough, and it wont take a month.
But the unevenness of the knockout stages will be annoying.
I know this for sure because I grew up watching football as well as rugby, and this is the exact same format that was used for the 86/90/94 World Cups.
@booboo said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
@Machpants said in RWC 2027 in Australia:
So the format changes to six pools of 4, and a round of 16 before the quarters. That reduces the length of tournament by a week (good thing). WR to take more financial risk with bookings and stuff, so the draw will be closer to kick off, although not confirmed when.
World Rugby have announced that the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia will be expanded to 24 teams and have confirmed the kick-off dates for the tournament.
The men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia will feature 24 teams after the World Rugby Council approved historic reimagination of the competition format, window and timing.
How do they rank the top 16 from 6 pools?
Top 2 from each pool, plus 4 best 3rd place finishers.
It'll be messy, and a but arbitrary - there will probably be 6 teams on 1 win and 2 defeats, so it'll likely be the ones who piled on a stack of tries against the bottom team in the pool that will go through.
The bigger problem with the format, IMO, is that at the quarterfinal stage you'll have 6 pool winners. So that means 2 will get a relatively easy draw against a pool runner up, and the other 4 pool winners will play each other. A lot will come down to the luck of the draw.
@booboo said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@canefan said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@taniwharugby said in Rugby World Cup general discussion:
@Bones I also think that the ARs need to do a better job of assisting, whle the TMO needs to have thier remit amended.
Assistant refs have been shithouse for as long as I can recall, I still have memories of Stuart Dickerson dragging play miles back for some minor or imagined foul play that allowed him the limelight for a few minutes more. I can't remember how it was back in the days they were called touch judges. But I seem to recall that at least offsides and forward passes were picked up
Touchies used to just work out where the lineouts were and who's throw it was, and judge kicks at goal. Until sometime in the 80s when their roles expanded.
I remember in school my mate explaining that if the ref was on the other side of the scrum you could just punch the opposing prop because the touchy wouldn't do anything about it.
Not sure if that was true, I played for the second team, which was a lot more casual.
@Toddy said in RWC QF: Wales v Argentina:
@Machpants Are you sure
Looking at the process, and rewatching the incident, it seems pretty clear to me that Dickson shat the bed.
Law 20: Dangerous play in a ruck or maul.
A ) A player must not charge into a ruck or maul. Charging includes any contact made without binding onto another player in the ruck or maul.
B ) A player must not make contact with an opponent above the line of the shoulders.
So that's a clear "Yes" to the first 2 questions.
What was the degree of danger?
Well, it meets the direct contact, high speed, and dynamic criteria (and arguably some others). So that's RC territory.
Is there any mitigation?
Yup, Tompkins was falling. So that means it's downgraded to YC.
It's a fairly well defined process (whether you agree with it or not), so how the heck they came up with no penalty is a mystery for the ages.
A few rambling initial thoughts, after not much sleep, and before rewatching any of it... (I reserve my right to contradict myself and change my mind without notice)
Argentina were deserving winners. But they were pretty limited, and didn't do much - just were better than Wales. We were pretty poor all game. Hugely disappointing, after we'd put in some really solid performances in the pool - but this kind of level is where we've been for a while, so given how we looked 6/12 months ago it's no shock.
Wales' best period was the first 20, where we managed the game well. But so many mistakes - handling errors mainly - meant that we only scored 10. Felt like we missed the chance to score more in that period (although to be fair so did RG). After that, we couldn't get any control for pretty much the rest of the game. Our kicking, which had been really smart and well executed against Australia, was pretty poor. Handling errors, crap line outs etc. So many of our senior players had really poor games.
Honestly can't think of much to say about Argentina. They played well enough, and smart enough, to get past Wales, but that was a low bar today.
Game was enjoyable enough, but quality was so far below the other match - the semi will be a formality if both teams play like they did today.
Still dumbfounded about the decision that it wasn't even a penalty for the hit on Tompkins. I need to watch it again before I whinge too much, but my impression at the time was that it was reckless - although Tompkins was falling at the time, so certainly some mitigation. I get what MtS says, it could have changed the outcome. But that's true of many reffing decisions during a game. If it had been a high quality, high intensity, knife-edge match then I might be furious about it. But there are so many reasons we lost that were within our control that it doesn't seem right to just focus on one that wasn't.
@Wairau said in RWC QF: Wales v Argentina:
@sparky let's hope South win all 4 !
This Welshman would be happy to see you take 3 - need France to see off the boks
