The 2023 Rugby World Cup

[Del.Monte]

Ooph that was close.
England nearly uglied their way into another final, then the saffers suddenly remembered how to play rugby.

The best team on the night lost the game. Hopefully the Springboks will be well beaten in the final - no more than they deserve.

[678904673]

The best team on the night lost the game. Hopefully the Springboks will be well beaten in the final - no more than they deserve.

While I agree the best team lost tonight. England were awful for the majority of the tournament. It would have been a travesty if they beat SA.

The final has the potential to be a belter. But I'm edging towards AB

[jmayo]

Well one thing that stood out for me was the management.

Whereas Ireland management left a 38 year old non performing out half on the pitch for the full 80 minutes, old Rassie and the lads showed true leadership and yanked Libbok ashore after just 30 minutes and threw on Pollard.
Then they introduced Faf de Klerk at half time as scrum half.

And what really shows why Ireland will never do well at WC was the three ex Ireland related rugby guys (ok including that muppet Williams because ex Leinster coach for argument purposes) discussing how it was bad for Libbok to be taken off after just 30 minutes.

SA management reacted and made the right non sentimental decision whereas Irish rugby people it seems would rather leave a guy on having a mare of the match.

Difference between winners and losers right there.

[Cyclepath]

Tournament/Cup Rugby is a flawed way to have global competition. It created a ridiculous situation where far weaker teams made it far further purely based on luck. It's great for bookies/betting folks but a shite way to determine who the best team is.

[Del.Monte]

It's good for me anyway and I'm holding my own with Paddy Power but one-sided games are generally awful spectacles and bad for the game. Having said that, I would happily watch the All Blacks put 100 unanswered points on the Boks in the final.

[678904673]

If you thought this World Cup has some one sided matches. Just wait until 2027

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby-world-cu ... -24-teams/

[PogMoThoin22]

If you thought this World Cup has some one sided matches. Just wait until 2027

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby-world-cu ... -24-teams/

This is good for world rugby, it benefits the smaller teams

[jmayo]

This is good for world rugby, it benefits the smaller teams

Yeah getting hammered by nearly 100 points is great for the confidence, the kids back home will want to line up so it can happen to them some day.

World rugby is in trouble for all the waffle.
How many real teams have you?
NZ, SA, France, England, Ireland followed up by Scotland and Wales.
The game is a basket case in Australia now, Italy is going nowhere slowly, Wales actually can't do professional rugby, Argentina is hit and miss.
Fiji are making some strides now that they have professional club setup, but how long will that last.
The rest are crud.

Saying all that one of the most enjoyable matches was one with Portugal Georgia.
But that was because they were equally weak and were getting hockeyed by the big teams.

[quodec]

Rugby World Cup final - game on. Northern hemisphere teams look away now!

[quodec]

Yep, All Blacks down to 14, SA it's theirs to lose. Ruins the game as a spectacle but them's the rules for high tackles!

[PogMoThoin22]

Yep, All Blacks down to 14, SA it's theirs to lose. Ruins the game as a spectacle but them's the rules for high tackles!

Harsh red, yellow was enough

[Del.Monte]

At least we got the racist Boks hooker.

[quodec]

What a try by the All Blacks! Never say die!

Edit: Knock on. No try. How they referred before TMO I'll never know.

[quodec]

Some game of slogging attrition and SA win by a point. And the only team to beat the World Cup winners was....?

[Del.Monte]

Hate the Boks, their arrogant manager and fans even more than at the start of the RWC.

[678904673]

Some game of slogging attrition and SA win by a point. And the only team to beat the World Cup winners was....?

Wasn't that the team that didn't make it past the quarter finals. Again

[678904673]

The delusional is strong in this one

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1117/14171 ... rls-rugby/

[Del.Monte]

The delusional is strong in this one

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1117/14171 ... rls-rugby/

Are you trying to deny that rugger is Ireland's most popular sport?

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/gaa-footbal ... -football/

[marhay70]

Are you trying to deny that rugger is Ireland's most popular sport?

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/gaa-footbal ... -football/

Real Gaels don't play Rugby. It's for Knobs, Prods and the silver spoon brigade. Ask any GAA evangelist.

[jmayo]

The delusional is strong in this one

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1117/14171 ... rls-rugby/

Jaysus can RTE ever get anything right.
They do absolutely no fact checking.
Earls wasn't in the match day squad never mind on the pitch for the loss to the kiwis in quarter final,so in no way was this his last match for Ireland.

FFS useless shower of ar**holes in Donnybrook.

About the only thing they got right in the article was quoting him how THEY FAILED
AGAIN.

And speaking of his autobiography I could use the old interaction by another famous Limerick rugby player who met another famous Munster player on the street in Limerick.
Limerick Player: howya I see ya have a book out
Munster player: yeah an autobiography
Limerick: who wrote it