I haven't seen England any time recently. I was led to believe they were completely shit.
Really excellent on the evidence of this.
Perhaps the trick is to get someone sent off unfairly, for some oops upside the head, and rally brilliantly.
9 Sep 2023
85
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Their best performances have been with a man down in recent games so it could be a strategy.
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Are you allowed to start with 14, and keep one resting on the sideline to send on when you feel like it?
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Just seen the post match interview with the England coach.
Is he a competition winner?
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In a sense. He replaced rugby’s version of WMD when the cuntiness outweighed the coaching ability.
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I liked the last one. He was funny. Impossible to watch the on pitch product with any joy of course.
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....watching the build up to the england japan game.
The japan team, err, do not all look the same.
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Young Kiwis often travel to Japan in order to play rugby (and "study"). It's a well funded game there.
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Neither do the England side
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No, England look shit. As normal.
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I have said in the past people should head the ball more in rugby.
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It surely opens up more attacking options. High flat defensive line? Head the ball behind it, run in unopposed for a try.
Rugbyist strategisers are clearly lacking in imagination.
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What a strange format for an international tournament. Meanders along with mostly inconsequential games or forgone conclusions for a month and a bit and then all the important bits in the final three weeks.
Realise it's enforced because the level of violence means they have to wait a week between games but maybe fewer games in the groups? 4x4 with some kind of pre-qualifying for the minor nations?
At least in the ODI world cup, which has similar issues of length (first game Thursday, final 19th November), there's a good chance of some upsets and, as they go straight into semi-finals, more jeopardy in the groups.
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I recognise that it might be different if you are actually into rugby, but I have had no interest in it, and paid very little attention to it.
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It's rubbish. But all international rugby (tbh, professional club rugby as well) needs overhauling - particularly the closed shop of the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship (and I don't mean South Africa joining the Six Nations as has been mooted).
Georgia, Romania, Portugal, Spain etc are never going to improve without regular exposure to the tier one nations. Why not have a Six Nations second (and even third) division, with one up one down? I realise the relegated team would dominate for the first few years, but the gap will close.
Same for the Rugby Championship - Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, play very little competitive rugby. Could very easily make that two six-team leagues as well (USA, Canada, Chile, Uruguay)
However, the likes of Scotland, Wales are never going to vote for it, in case they get relegated. -
Suspect none of the current six would want the reduced revenues of swapping one of the current group with Georgia or Romania. Which speaks volumes about the priorities of the game.
