RUGBY! Here we go...!

[Kate Gilliver]

I think SA have to be the favourites. But then so were Australia. And France (marginally). Hard luck the Pumas - you have to wonder if the occasion got to them a bit. But all credit to them for a fantastic tournament run.

[Paullus Scipio]

Ah, Kate............and there was me thinking the All-Blacks were the overwhelming favourites previously..... :wink:

[Tarbicus]

England were just poxey :twisted:

We'll find out how poxy we are next weekend when we play you in the Final.

Oh, sorry, mea culpa! You're not in the Final, are you!

:wink: :wink:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

So who made it through? Aside from the obvious?

[Hibernicus]

And me having to wait a day to watch the semis.. that or hang out at the Pub and that being standing room only and me being on the shorter side of tall getting eyes on to the tube ( can you call an HD digital flat screen TV a tube??) is problematic.....

Anyway, had a great afternoon! Grilled dogs (American Bison meat!) and Guiness. Poor Argentinos, beating themselves and SA taking full advantage of it.. no mercy there! Good for England. AND how could France fold at home??

I hope the final is a game! England can give SA a game and SA certainly deseve to be truly challenged.

It is notable to note that the two teams going on are from the same group as the US. Says something about how well we did against England! If only Hercus's leg was better we'd've likely placed third in our group, maybe beat England! Four more years!

All y'all ought naught rest to easy. Jimmy's crackin' corn!

Yankee Doodle!!


Sean / Hibernicus

[jonwr]

Just got back from 10 days in the wilds. My what a turn around. Sure blew my top 4.
Got a bunch of DVDs to watch so I can catch up, so wont comment on the games I haven't seen.
Nice one Jim
Guess it doesn't matter how ugly you win as long as you win.
Should been a good final if England decide to play up!!
Sure would have liked to see an England v Pumas final. :twisted:
JonR

[Paullus Scipio]

Hib said:-

All y'all ought naught rest to easy. Jimmy's crackin' corn!

....say what ?!?!! :? ? )

[jonwr]

I think that means they are getting ready to show up in 2011 with even higher hopes.
Jon R

[Paullus Scipio]

I think that means they are getting ready to show up in 2011 with even higher hopes.
Jon R

..Thanks for that Jon! As I remarked earlier, Heaven help the rest of us if the U.S. decides to get serious about Rugby.

On a slightly different note, is anybody else a bit disappointed with the general dominance of defence and the lack of tries?...IIRC England have managed to make the final and only scored 1 try in the preliminary rounds.....

Some of you may not know that there are some significant Law changes coming up...they've been trialled at Club level here, will be used in the 'Super 14's ' next year and all being well, will come in Internationally in 2009....... one of the rule-changes will make the defence line move back...no more defences smashing the fly-half/no. 10 before he makes the advantage line...another will make many current penalty offences a free kick instead.... but fear not, all you dour defensive, kicking teams ! ( you know if you are one of these!), the rule changes are intended to still allow those tactics as an option, just provide other options...

[Tarbicus]

....say what ?!?!! :? ? )

I had a bit of a "Huh?" moment, too :wink: . Here's one explanation, halfway down the page:
http://viewfromthecloud.blogspot.com/20 ... t-all.html

[Paullus Scipio]

Tarbicus said:-

I had a bit of a "Huh?" moment, too . Here's one explanation, halfway down the page:

Thanks for that...knew the song, but wasn't aware of context....just more proof ( if ever any were needed) that we don't always speak the same language as our American cousins......

[Kate Gilliver]

On a slightly different note, is anybody else a bit disappointed with the general dominance of defence and the lack of tries?...IIRC England have managed to make the final and only scored 1 try in the preliminary rounds.....

Er... isn't that what Australians say every time their rugby team's beaten by Jonny Wilkinson's boot? :wink:

What about the Wales / Fiji game, which was a classic example of all-out attack and absolutely no defence? I think there's a gradual evolution in the game of rugby - defences improve, so the laws are altered slightly to encourage attacking play / penalise negative play and make defence harder. Then the defences adjust and improve again (or push the laws on defence past their limits in the case of the All Blacks), so there's another adjustment back in favour of attacks. Dominant defences and lack of tries doesn't necessarily lead to a boring game - Saturday's was exciting precisely because the lack of tries meant it was so tight.

I think I'll find myself a neutral again this weekend.

ps. great excitement - this post has just made me a Primus Pilus

[Ceannt]

i know were not in the final and i will say it again Poxey and S.A will win the world cup and you will be crying Ha,Ha

[Paullus Scipio]

Kate said:-

Er... isn't that what Australians say every time their rugby team's beaten by Jonny Wilkinson's boot?

ou..ch ! But not true....what happens is that we stick 50 points or so on them in the very next game....which of course makes us feel no better at all...

Saturday's was exciting precisely because the lack of tries meant it was so tight.

It was?? :? ? ) lol: :lol:

[jonwr]

Going back a bit here. Was about 1967. I was stationed at Newton Abbot(Devon) A bunch of us from the regimental ruby team went to Torquay to watch a game. It was a US team called the Eagles (?) against Torbay combined side. Don't remember the score. It was horrific but was the first time I had ever heard of anyone in the US playing the game.
I think they were a side made up of fellows from USAF bases that had started to play with the local teams. Then they put together a traveling side.
My how things have changed.
Jon R