[Mort]

I think everyone else is hoping the Frogs redo 99, and knock off the Kiwis before forgetting how to play the game in the final!

On the other hand, Australia has only just discovered its part-time skills and kicking coach (Andrew Johns) has a drug problem... next they'll be telling us that the Tour De France might be unnaturally enhanced!

Hurry ... up ... RWC

[Tsundoku]

Bought my Wallabies jersey today!

Cheers,

La Sombra, wears heart on sleeve. And torso.

[caladanbrood]

Mort;206708 said:

I think everyone else is hoping the Frogs redo 99, and knock off the Kiwis before forgetting how to play the game in the final!

So like the aussies did in 03 as well

[Mort]

Well done Sombra-greeen-and-gold! Now if we can wear our shirts longer than the 1/4s I'll be happy. (I may have to dig out my old Boks Jersey)

Brood - I was hoping you'd still be reliving the long past glories of the English to bring that up... I mean, do I still mention the 3-0 drubbing we handed your team in Soccer? Or the fact that we white washed the last Ashes series...

Obviously the Rugby is far more important. How's Johny W doin?

[Tsundoku]

caladanbrood;206716 said:

So like the aussies did in 03 as well

Considering it's a miracle we got there in the first place after playing the game of the century to beat the All Blecks. Only to come up against an English team rightly determined to win in their way: boring, mindless, grinding, typical northern hemisphere kick rugby, plus a referee who thinks he's the star of the game and wants to prove it by using his whistle all the time. Australia tends to get a lot of those sorts of refs - Soccer World Cup, anyone?

I don't care if we don't win, honestly. I just want Johnny f**king Wilkinson to get both legs broken.

Cheers,

La Sombra, saw a northern hemisphere fly-half run the ball once, and nearly died of shock ...

[caladanbrood]

Sombra;206856 said:

Considering it's a miracle we got there in the first place after playing the game of the century to beat the All Blecks. Only to come up against an English team rightly determined to win in their way: boring, mindless, grinding, typical northern hemisphere kick rugby, plus a referee who thinks he's the star of the game and wants to prove it by using his whistle all the time. Australia tends to get a lot of those sorts of refs - Soccer World Cup, anyone?

I don't care if we don't win, honestly. I just want Johnny f**king Wilkinson to get both legs broken.

Cheers,

La Sombra, saw a northern hemisphere fly-half run the ball once, and nearly died of shock ...

See, you're still whiney and bitter about it. We accept this as a fact of life, you should too

After all, we've got less than a month left before we don't have the right to lord it anymore... cut some slack;)

Mort - you need to realise that we all suffer from collective selective memory loss up here in the north:cool:

[Mort]

IT's ok Brood - we've totally banished the single Ashes blip on our rader from the last, what is it, TWENTY years.

Can it just hurry up and start already? Our local "premier" competition is a very poor substitute

[iscariot]

Sombra;206856 said:

La Sombra, saw a northern hemisphere fly-half run the ball once, and nearly died of shock ...

Now now, the Welsh usually produce running fly-halves. Even the prodigious kicker, Neil Jenkins knew how to run...

The problem the Welsh have these days is that their tight five is so crap that their fly-half, while wanting to instinctively run, wouldn't recognise front foot ball if he fell over it.

...and then there's the French...

I agree with you though, when it comes to the Irish and English. The Scots don't count as they're so bad they don't get enough ball to run or kick the damn thing...

[Falco]

Anyone think that '03 will be to the union fans in England what '66 is to the football fans?

Can't wait now. Got my local Irish pub lined up and all...

[Mort]

Falco - what's the local pub?

I need to find an excuse to piss off work for a month so I can get pissed in front of the rugby!

[Mulch]

Sombra;206856 said:

I don't care if we don't win, honestly. I just want Johnny f**king Wilkinson to get both legs broken.
...

If you've followed his career since the last world cup you'd see he's just about been crocked for 4years!

If England don't win I'll support any of the N/h teams to win!

[Cold Iron]

http://sportal.com.a...spx/rugby-union

I have made a fantasy team here called "Malazan Claw" and they gave me a public league called "Public League 948606".

It would be great to have a few people here join the league so i'm not just competing against strangers.

Join up people!

[caladanbrood]

Wonderful start to the world cup, if a little unexpected. Argentina are a quality team, it was only a matter of time until they showed it. And if France play like that against Ireland, they're out of this world cup.

[Falco]

lol @ France. Applause to the Argies. makes the group of death v. interesting now...

[Mort]

NZ seem to be doing it in a canter

[polishgenius]

Let's not be hasty. They're the favourites, but they were only playing minnows. Australia by all accounts were equally impressive, and the 'Boks are yet to play...
England were dire today though. There's going to be massacres when they come up against a decent side. Nice to see them trying to actually score tries in the absence of Wilkinson for a change, but now's a bit late to start practicing...

Falco;207052 said:

Anyone think that '03 will be to the union fans in England what '66 is to the football fans?

Can't wait now. Got my local Irish pub lined up and all...

Nah, tbh I reckon England are a big enough Rugby country with enough organisation to win it again or at least mount a serious challenge within the next five decades.
Provided it's not cocked up spectacularly of course, which these four years have been, but I doubt there'll be as much long-term faffing about as there has in the football since '66.

[Falco]

yeah i agree, but i'd say that about cricket and that hasn't happened either...

[dktorode]

Is is just me or did anyone else think the opening ceremony was probably the worst thing ive seen on television in a looooong time!!!

-still having nightmares about crazy spandex wearing cycling helmet guys with pointy shoulders jumping around like monkeys.....terrible.

[dktorode]

On Rugby now.....well the Aussies and All Blacks racked up convincing wins over inferior sides...hardly surprising how those games turned out.

The Argies have had France's number for a while now...i thought home advantage would have swung it France's way in the second half but well done to them for hanging on...so thats what? 4 wins out of last 5 games for the Argies vs Frogs?

England struggling against the U.S was a surprise...lets hope they keep up the bad form till next week

Whales struggled the first half against Canada was a highlight for me...the Canadians gave it their all the first half but seemed to just run out of gas the second half...well done canada for that excellent first half...my local pub was shouting like crazy for you guys...heh heh..always supporting the underdogs

And Then South Africa vs Samoa....well i think SA did well. Samoa are not a side you can just walk over like Japan, they are very physical and have alot of flair in the back. Samoa were looking to turn the game into a scrap and was succeeding in the first half but the boks did well to keep discipline.
All in all a good game of rugby with the Samoans giving the Saffers a good hard warm up game before taking on the English!

[Skinner]

The "minnows" have been more competitive than I expected.

Or in the case of Ireland v Namibia, maybe the some of the professional sides have just not been playing so well.

Still, its good to see how passionate the amatuer players are, and when they score tries the crowds go wild! Go underdogs!