RWC 2015

Author
Discussion

Leins

9,418 posts

147 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
el stovey said:
Italy giving Ireland a good game here, if anyone is still watching the World Cup. hehe
I'm not too happy with Zebo at FB or Earls at 13, but I suspect by 60 minutes the Irish scores will come

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Italy are playing well but I'll be surprised if they can keep it up. Ireland looking comfortable and don't think Italy are testing them defensively yet. Ireland have always been a strong second half team and if they get another try early on I'd expect them to carry on for the bonus point. First thing on their mind is the win and I've no doubt that'll happen.

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Oof that was close though. Come on Ireland, tighten up.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
10-9

TheExcession

11,669 posts

249 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
dmitsi said:
Oof that was close though. Come on Ireland, tighten up.
It's not working out too well now frown

What ever the Italians had injected into their half time oranges seems to be working.

(Does anyone else remember oranges at half time? hehe )

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
So, in the unlikely event of an Italian win, Ireland are still ahead and likely to go through second?

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Right I'm hoping for a bonus point now that parisse is off hehe

Bit annoyed the crowd couldn't respect the new kicker's first attempt, especially from that distance.

MiniMan64

16,863 posts

189 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Italy are properly giving us a game here, great defence.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Some interesting info about the England squad (second hand, but coming from a few separate places now) coming out, have a look at:

https://twitter.com/InfernoProTV

Sounds like chaos.

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
MiniMan64 said:
Italy are properly giving us a game here, great defence.
They've been gutsy and strong but have lacked a forward threat. Ireland need to keep calm now down to 14.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Interesting. A mate was at the Billy V/Campese/Bracken evening. His stories were v similar to those now appearing on Twitter. And he had some others too.

MiniMan64

16,863 posts

189 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
So the man supposed to be in charge of England isn't actually in charge?

timlongs

1,720 posts

178 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Symbolica said:
Some interesting info about the England squad (second hand, but coming from a few separate places now) coming out, have a look at:

https://twitter.com/InfernoProTV

Sounds like chaos.
Very interesting, Billy might not have done himself any favours by talking so candidly, but I guess he has to. Gonna be interesting to see the fall out from this.

photosnob

1,339 posts

117 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
If this is true - then until England sort out things from the top I'll stop watching them. I put the blame on Lancasters shoulders. But if he has been put in impossible position by the RFU I'll change tact - and blame them entirely. We would never have won. But it appears that there has been a strong culture of bullying in the camp. That isn't acceptable.

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
This popped up on my Leicester Tigers group feed on Facebook....

  • Found on the Quins forum
From a friend before the game yesterday:
So, it turns out Kieran Bracken’s next-door neighbour is the senior partner at a City litigation law firm called Stewarts Law. Last night they held a RWC gathering which was hosted by Bracken. As part of the proceedings—after David “rent-a-gob” Campese had spent 15 minutes railing against everything in modern rugby—Bracken got hold of the mic and did a Q&A with injured England no. 8 Billy Vunipola! who had a beer in his hand and appeared to have a couple more inside him…

Bracken: when you were interviewed after the game against Fiji you said you didn’t know you’d scored the bonus-point try—that was a strange thing to say…
Billy: not at all. None of us knew bonus points were part of this world cup. No one had told us.

[…]

Bracken: what’s Stuart Lancaster like to work with as a coach?
BillyV: I don’t know.
Bracken: what do you mean?
BillyV: Stuart doesn’t coach the team, Andy Farrell does. I’ve never been coached by Stuart.
Campo, butting in: what effect has that had on the way the team plays?
Billy: he makes us play like a rugby league team.

(Campo then goes off on one about England’s terrible style of play is and how the RFU should just bite the bullet and hire an experienced international coach. To be fair, he’s absolutely spot on with that).

[…]

Campo: so what do you think about England picking Sam Burgess?
BillyV: it’s been disruptive. The whole squad is unhappy about it.
Bracken: WHAT? Why?
BillyV: Luther Burrell earned his place in the RWC squad and Sam didn’t. Luther should have been picked, not Sam.

[…]

Bracken: and how are you enjoying playing under Chris Robshaw?
BillyV: *shrugs shoulders, sips beer, says nothing*

So, that’s OK then.

Meanwhile Jake—who seems to have got himself quite close to the England camp—is saying that Mike Catt walked out of last week’s selection meeting and vowed not to return: seem Farrell is not only coaching the team but picking it as well… *

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Maybe. Maybe not. These stories inevitably are retold through a prism of the storyteller's own grudges and preconceptions. But there's likely at least a few seeds of truth in there. The trick is to work out what they are.

Derek Smith

45,513 posts

247 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
An exciting match for the non-aligned. I thought Italy might do it, Got to love 'em for the effort.


Derek Smith

45,513 posts

247 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Re: the problems with the England squad: it is the same problem they've always had: the RFU. Until the old boys are out, we will have the same old.

The old joke is still spot on: the only people in rugby who can score an own try are the RFU.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
TheExcession said:
Really enjoying this series.

(Perhaps we can have a different thread for 'how to fix English rugby' so that we can keep this one on topic for the remaining matches hehe )
Too right.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Derek Smith said:
An exciting match for the non-aligned. I thought Italy might do it, Got to love 'em for the effort.
Yup Italy have improved massively over the last few years. Much more disciplined and well organised.

So Ireland and France both through. That'll be a good game when they face each other to see who goes top. Winner probably faces Argentina and the runner up gets the all blacks.