Rugby world cup

[king canary 7,664]

8 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Probably as equally boring as England last night.

Probably. Also why I'm largely against the expansion of the Fifa World Cup. More teams means the tournament is longer with likely many more lopsided matches.

[Branston Pickle 3,683]

20 hours ago, Midlands Yellow said:

How can a tournament keep people interested when there’s no action 3 days a week. Very strange scheduling of matches. 

It’s weird - you can understand there being gaps as Rugby is such a contact sport that they need recovery time, but it makes for a horribly overlong tournament with no continuity - you almost forget it’s on.

It’s interesting with the cricket odi World Cup on now as well, there’s a game or two each day so it keeps momentum.  Even then, though, the format is a bit daft with a ten-team round robin to start, which makes it feel too long (and unfortunately the grounds haven’t been full).  

[king canary 7,664]

6 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

It’s weird - you can understand there being gaps as Rugby is such a contact sport that they need recovery time, but it makes for a horribly overlong tournament with no continuity - you almost forget it’s on.

It’s interesting with the cricket odi World Cup on now as well, there’s a game or two each day so it keeps momentum.  Even then, though, the format is a bit daft with a ten-team round robin to start, which makes it feel too long (and unfortunately the grounds haven’t been full).  

Yes the cricket World Cup is bizarrely constructed. 48 game tournament and 45 of the matches are in the group stage.

[Nuff Said 5,175]

56 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

It’s weird - you can understand there being gaps as Rugby is such a contact sport that they need recovery time, but it makes for a horribly overlong tournament with no continuity - you almost forget it’s on.

It’s interesting with the cricket odi World Cup on now as well, there’s a game or two each day so it keeps momentum.  Even then, though, the format is a bit daft with a ten-team round robin to start, which makes it feel too long (and unfortunately the grounds haven’t been full).  

But the hardest a cricketer has to work is to run 22 yards every few minutes.

This is one of Englands greatest ever cricketers:

 

[Midlands Yellow 4,068]

4 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

But the hardest a cricketer has to work is to run 22 yards every few minutes.

This is one of Englands greatest ever cricketers:

 

The tennis lads who win tournaments get the yards in. 

[Nuff Said 5,175]

14 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

The tennis lads who win tournaments get the yards in. 

I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember Superstars on the BBC where sportsmen from different sports would compete in a number of events to test skills in areas like strength, endurance and so on? I think they revived it a few years ago but it didn’t take off (and also that Brian Jacks (?) a judo champion just kept on winning it).
 

I remember the tennis players always utterly trashed everyone else for stamina. Not surprising when you think of the length of some games, and how often they play. 

[Midlands Yellow 4,068]

13 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember Superstars on the BBC where sportsmen from different sports would compete in a number of events to test skills in areas like strength, endurance and so on? I think they revived it a few years ago but it didn’t take off (and also that Brian Jacks (?) a judo champion just kept on winning it).
 

I remember the tennis players always utterly trashed everyone else for stamina. Not surprising when you think of the length of some games, and how often they play. 

Didn’t Jocky Wilson and Eric Bristow dominate that discipline in the 70s?

[Nuff Said 5,175]

1 hour ago, Midlands Yellow said:

Didn’t Jocky Wilson and Eric Bristow dominate that discipline in the 70s?

I think that was Superbars, not Superstars.

I was going to post the classic Top of the Pops Jocky Wilson mistake, but found this. How did they manage to play - and win? 

 

[BroadstairsR 2,202]

Yet the only time I'm ever any good at darts is after a few pints. Surprisingly accurate in fact, whilst being hopeless when sober.

Quite a few others I've met say the same.

It defies all logic.

[Well b back 3,275]

Wales within 5 minutes of going out !

[Well b back 3,275]

Just now, Well b back said:

Wales within 5 minutes of going out !

And that should be that

[Nuff Said 5,175]

New Zealand look on fire so far, but Ireland have just managed to pull it back to 13-10. Great game!

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

NZ so fast off the line. Ireland will have to hope they run out of energy orelse the All Blacks will pull away even further. Mind you, Barnes is letting them get away with it a bit at the rucks. Pinging Ireland but telling NZ "No get back".

As I speak Smith is yellowed.

Edited October 14, 2023 by keelansgrandad

[Nuff Said 5,175]

I wouldn’t have predicted 18-17 to NZ earlier in the half. I can’t see England, Fiji or Argentina coming close to competing with whoever wins.

[Nuff Said 5,175]

Funny how the member of the Irish team who was born in New Zealand is the one who looks most like a leprechaun.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

39 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

Funny how the member of the Irish team who was born in New Zealand is the one who looks most like a leprechaun.

When I lived in NZ, a third of the population had Scottish heritage. Every early Sunday morning, the Wellington Bagpipe Band used to practice near our house.

[Capt. Pants 4,276]

Wow incredible match. Never rule out the All Blacks.

[Capt. Pants 4,276]

If Sexton hadn't missed that conversion Ireland would almost certainly scored a winning drop goal.

Fine margins.

[Robert N. LiM 4,477]

On the subject of this being a bizarrely organised tournament, can someone explain to me: if Ireland are the world's number one team, how come they get a QF against the All Blacks while England, who are plainly bobbins, get Fiji?

[Robert N. LiM 4,477]

11 hours ago, king canary said:

Yes the cricket World Cup is bizarrely constructed. 48 game tournament and 45 of the matches are in the group stage.

It's constructed at the behest of the BCCI (the Indian cricket board) to ensure that India are guaranteed at least nine games for the money they make through TV coverage: they went out in the group stage a few tournaments ago and the BCCI decided: never again.

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

22 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

When I lived in NZ, a third of the population had Scottish heritage. Every early Sunday morning, the Wellington Bagpipe Band used to practice near our house.

I went to NZ around 10 years ago 

From memory, Dunedin seemed to be particularly Scottish 

[Branston Pickle 3,683]

13 minutes ago, Robert N. LiM said:

On the subject of this being a bizarrely organised tournament, can someone explain to me: if Ireland are the world's number one team, how come they get a QF against the All Blacks while England, who are plainly bobbins, get Fiji?

The draw was done quite a while ago, using the rankings at that time.  Since then, its changed a fair bit with (I think) Aussie, Wales and England having fallen back.  Scotland (who were ranked 5th going into the tourney) in particular seemed to get a poor rub of the green in their group with Ireland (now 1st) and SA (reigning champs and 3rd,I think).  It’s left it a bit lop-sided, and with with the current top 4 ranked sides playing each other in the QFs.  The lesson to learn is not to do the draw as early as they did.

I don’t watch that often these days but tonight’s game, NZ v Ireland, was very good and ought to have been a s-f or final.  But it is what it is, you play who you’re drawn against and put up with it,

Edited October 14, 2023 by Branston Pickle

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

5 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

The draw was done quite a while ago, using the rankings at that time.  Since then, its changed a fair bit with (I think) Aussie, Wales and England having fallen back.  Scotland (who were ranked 5th going into the tourney) in particular seemed to get a poor rub of the green in their group with Ireland (now 1st) and SA (reigning champs and 3rd,I think).  It’s left it a bit lop-sided, and with with the current top 4 ranked sides playing each other in the QFs.  The lesson to learn is not to do the draw as early as they did.  

According to Wikipedia , 3 years ago!

The Ireland v New Zealand game that's just finished would've made a great final 

[Nuff Said 5,175]

39 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

When I lived in NZ, a third of the population had Scottish heritage. Every early Sunday morning, the Wellington Bagpipe Band used to practice near our house.

Nice. How early?

[Branston Pickle 3,683]

9 minutes ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

According to Wikipedia , 3 years ago!

The Ireland v New Zealand game that's just finished would've made a great final 

Yes, think it wasn’t long after the previous tournament,

For (cricket and) rugby there’s normally only so many countries in it with a real shout so I suppose they didn’t consider it a massive issue.  The big group losers were Scotland and Aussies, so no harm done🙂!

[Robert N. LiM 4,477]

9 hours ago, Branston Pickle said:

The lesson to learn is not to do the draw as early as they did.

 

9 hours ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

According to Wikipedia , 3 years ago!

Thanks both. Does seem crazy to do the draw that far out.

[Herman 9,820]

10 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

Wow incredible match. Never rule out the All Blacks.

Not a big rugby fan at all but I really enjoyed that one. Unlucky for Ireland but I do feel that the Kiwis deserved it. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Come on England, show us your best. Never mind what our boring coach says. Go out there and show what you can play like. Entertaining, try scoring and winning rugby.

[Nuff Said 5,175]

Well, Fiji appear not to have turned up and the referee is giving everything to England so far, that yellow looks very harsh.

[Herman 9,820]

Getting a deserved kicking this second half.