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Rugby World Cup


skygod

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I think most Scotland fans were disappointed that BVC was relived of the role. But – let’s be quite clear here – he was being courted by Montpellier and by leaving the Scotland job he was able to take this up a year earlier. He was reported to be on Eur 1m. We may have lost him anyway, albeit with compensation.

Gregor had made it clear that he was leaving Glasgow, and the SRU offered him the job, as we know. He might have been better served going to a club role in England or France (he speaks fluent French) but, at the time, he felt if his star waned he might, as happened with Sean Lineen, never get another chance at the Scotland job. He is quite a forceful guy so played his hand and won. To be fair, he also didn’t want to pull his boys out of their school in their mid-teens.

Gregor is a very good coach, albeit an extremely technical one, and a good motivator. As a Lions Legend there is never a ‘show’s your medals’ issue. However, players I have spoken to thought BVC was an incredible motivator and some of the stories of 1-2-1 chats are amazing. None of your watching Braveheart the night before a game crap.

It is interesting that there is talk of the Ireland game being called off because of the Typhoon about to hit Japan. This would mean the result would be called a draw which puts Scotland in the driving seat. Some think the weather may also cause a problem for the Scotland game on Sunday but, as anyone who knows Gregor closely will tell you, he is made of Jam. If there is one guy an outside influence will aid it is him! We shall see. If his bold selection against Russia tomorrow doesn’t pay off he will be looking for after-dinner gigs by Christmas.

Anyway – off to pack my case. Going to the game on Sunday, weather permitting, with a comp from the man himself. Amazing how much money you spend to use a freebie……………

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11 hours ago, skygod said:

South Africa 40 Canada 0 after 30 mins. 

Mismatches like this do the RWC no favours at all. 

Every other game in the group stage seems to be a slaughter. 

That's one problem with rugby as a sporting spectacle, you rarely get anything close to an upset.

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54 minutes ago, Lroy said:

Japan v Ireland?

Japan Vs S Africa in 2015?

Sxotland against Samoa, New Zealand Namibia, England Tonga, everyone against Russia?

It's like football was 20 years ago, the smaller teams are too far behind at the moment.   Remember African football teams getting scudded most games, doesn't happen much now.

Rugby is still an emerging game for the most part outside the big 8 or 9 countries if you include italy as one if the big guys.

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RWC progresses the game. Italy used to get scudded like Canad did yesterday, as did USA, Fiji etc. Samoa pretty much stood still but most Tier 2 nations moving forward. Georgia will be a force soon and wait 10 years and USA will be Top 10 comfortably..... and look at Japan ! If there had been no RWC the game would still be dominated by the old 5 Nations, NZ, Australia and SA. They are generally still doing so, but the gap between them and others is much, much smaller.

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8 minutes ago, Wrangodog said:

The sh!t will really hit the fan if the Japan v Scotland game is cancelled and Ireland and Japan go through. Maybe no precedent for delaying by 24 hours, but fairer than not playing at all.

I heard they might move it to a venue further south.

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8 hours ago, plunkit said:

RWC progresses the game. Italy used to get scudded like Canad did yesterday, as did USA, Fiji etc. Samoa pretty much stood still but most Tier 2 nations moving forward. Georgia will be a force soon and wait 10 years and USA will be Top 10 comfortably..... and look at Japan ! If there had been no RWC the game would still be dominated by the old 5 Nations, NZ, Australia and SA. They are generally still doing so, but the gap between them and others is much, much smaller.

Italy did used to get scudded by the game’s elite but have improved thanks to participating in the Six Nations. They still haven’t advanced beyond the pool stage in  nine attempts. 

Japan are probably the success story of the RWC. I can recall them being literally brushed aside, such was their physical disadvantage. 

Canada and Samoa have gone backwards. Canada made the quarter finals in 1991! 

Samoa did so in 1991, 1995 and 1999; now they are losing to Georgia and the USA. 

Progress might be getting made overall but it’s at a very slow rate. 

Only 16 competing nations, of which four of five are rank outsiders. 

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1 hour ago, skygod said:

Italy did used to get scudded by the game’s elite but have improved thanks to participating in the Six Nations. They still haven’t advanced beyond the pool stage in  nine attempts. 

Japan are probably the success story of the RWC. I can recall them being literally brushed aside, such was their physical disadvantage. 

Canada and Samoa have gone backwards. Canada made the quarter finals in 1991! 

Samoa did so in 1991, 1995 and 1999; now they are losing to Georgia and the USA. 

Progress might be getting made overall but it’s at a very slow rate. 

Only 16 competing nations, of which four of five are rank outsiders. 

20 nations 

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5 minutes ago, skygod said:

Might the Japanese stand aside and let Scotland progress if the match is unplayable?

With their strong sense of honour, I wonder if they would want to be seen to benefit from bad weather in their tournament in their country. 

 

I hope not Skygod. Dont see it as an honour thing just unfortunate. Going to be some match gulp! 

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I know nothing about the extent of the weather in Japan or the geography and maybe I am just a total cynic after watching FIFA for years. It seems to me the only obstacle to the World Rugby's governing body re-scheduling the game to another time or another venue is the politics of getting the host nation out of the group stages.

The fact that nobody has even hinted at that just seems like nobody really wants to go there because it's rugby and they don't do that sort of thing.

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19 minutes ago, gdevoy said:

I know nothing about the extent of the weather in Japan or the geography and maybe I am just a total cynic after watching FIFA for years. It seems to me the only obstacle to the World Rugby's governing body re-scheduling the game to another time or another venue is the politics of getting the host nation out of the group stages.

The fact that nobody has even hinted at that just seems like nobody really wants to go there because it's rugby and they don't do that sort of thing.

I watched the last Japan game and the ref seemed desperate for them to get the bonus point....

The idea that rugby is unique from corruption and exits in a bubble of Corinthian fair play is far fetched. Money corrupts and World Rugby will be well aware of the financial implications of the hosts exiting in the group stages. Imo we’re more likely to get a fairer outcome from the weather than whichever ref has been appointed for the game (wouldn’t surprise me if we got the one that screwed us at the last World Cup or the Welsh tossser). 

I just hope the sense of honour @skygod mentioned, prevents the Japanese from bombing the Scotland base the night before. They’ve got previous. 

Edited by Zorro
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As an outsider (with a vested interest) I found it hilarious how the philosophical "rules are rules" attitude in Scotland disappeared when the storm changed direction!! Champagne one day, knotted knickers the next ... admittedly I was drinking Champagne whilst having to disentangle my own underwear when the weather changed.  Still I hope Scotland gets the job done today!

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