Rugby World Cup 2015

[westg]

just ordered room service Jas ....hope I can stay awake for the wallabies.... Ireland just scored ...the wife is screaming ...go Ireland

[OZCUBAN]

Was a great game the welsh were strong but not strong enough SA were a juggernaut in the second half

[OZCUBAN]

Go Wallabies ?

[jat]

Scotland are now the hope of the Northern Hemisphere !!!!

It's fantastic to see tries and not have games won by the boot.

The Pumas will be a tough game for the wallabies (or Scotland, was asked to write that)

[El Presidente]

Congratulations Argentina!

Great game of Rugby. Commiserations to the Irish.

Whoever plays Argentina next week in the Semi is in for a hell of a game.

[jat]

Nows your chance to get that English Rugby jersey as they're now on sale for 50% at the RWC site, along with other such power houses as Romania , Italy and Georgia. Everybody else, full price. Mind you at 20 pounds even 50% off is not enough.

[jat]

Bloody wife, 'her' team can't loose, half blue and half gold, the rest of us can't believe the 1st half. A little rushed, too many mistakes, wallabies need to settle and retain possession. Scotts playing with more width and pace then I've seen on ages. Bernard, you're killing me, 3 misses and that pass !!

[OZCUBAN]

I think my hearts stopped lol

[OZCUBAN]

Commiserations to Scotland well played

[jat]

Oh my god, tears have flowed.

In the lottery of rugby, the scots have been done, in the cruellest way.

The whisky is done, I'm cooking for the next week, but that is not the result I was hoping for.

Gutted but elated. Good night

[jat]

Should also say SCOTLAND, best northern hemisphere team in 2015. All else have dropped by the wayside. I hope they can carry that form forward, bring on the 6 nations in Feb 2016.

[ayepatz]

Very, very proud of our lads. Nobody thought we'd give the Wallabies such a run for their money.

Some seriously questionable decisions from Craig Joubert. How does a man who can't take a dump without consulting the TMO not refer to him for such an important call?

And Maitland's yellow was completely unwarranted. As the replay clearly shows, he doesn't slap the ball down. Even the great Michael Lynagh felt it was too harsh. Penalty yes, yellow card no.

Hats off to Foley for slotting that last penalty home though, despite not having had the best day at the office. Showed some serious bottle.

[JohnS]

QUARTER-FINAL 3 - ARGENTINA 43 - IRELAND 20

Argentina have stunned a depleted Ireland 43-20 in the 3rd Quarter-final. The Pumas were 17-0 up after 14 minutes, but despite the Irish closing the gap to 20-17 shortly after half-time, the Pumas were never headed.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-match-report/rugby-world-cup-2015-argentina-beat-ireland-4320-in-quarterfinal-rampage-20151018-gkc6dn.html

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/114752

[JohnS]

QUARTER-FINAL 4 - AUSTRALIA 35 - SCOTLAND 34

Scotland have employed an attacking game throughout this World Cup, and were within 60 seconds of defeating the Wallabies until referee Craig Joubert awarded a controversial offside penalty to allow Bernard Foley to kick a penalty goal and allow Australia to meet Argentina in next week's second semi-final. This result means that there will be no Northern Hemisphere teams in the final four stage of the World Cup for the first time.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/rugby-world-cup/rugby-world-cup-2015-australia-survive-scotland-fightback-to-advance-to-semifinals-20151018-gkc6h4.html

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/115493

[JohnS]

Congratulations Argentina!

Great game of Rugby. Commiserations to the Irish.

Whoever plays Argentina next week in the Semi is in for a hell of a game.

Rob, it goes to show that Australia aren't quite the same team without Hooper and Pocock in the side together are they? Australia need these two next week, and of course Israel Folau at the back to have their best team.

[El Presidente]

Very, very proud of our lads. Nobody thought we'd give the Wallabies such a run for their money.

Some seriously questionable decisions from Craig Joubert. How does a man who can't take a dump without consulting the TMO not refer to him for such an important call?

And Maitland's yellow was completely unwarranted. As the replay clearly shows, he doesn't slap the ball down. Even the great Michael Lynagh felt it was too harsh. Penalty yes, yellow card no.

Hats off to Foley for slotting that last penalty home though, despite not having had the best day at the office. Showed some serious bottle.

Great game by Scotland. I seriously thought you guys were robbed. The worst umpiring performance I can recall.

[Hoepssa]

FRANCE PLAYED LIKE NAMIBIA. Lacking skills and discipline, they are not in the same league with ABs after the loss to Irsh.

Aussie having better than Scot, we all know, but they had too many mistakes, 3 TDs came from own flaws, thanks to Joubert they clinched the last gasp victory. Tri nations + Arg now rule the RWC!

Poor Wales, they worried George North is too injury prone before the summer, the he's the only one safe and sound among those to wear no.11-15 starting for WALES, imagine ABs lacking Savea-Nonu-Smith-【healthy whoever】- B.Smith .......oops

[ayepatz]

In the cold light of day, I had calmed down a bit and admit that whole Joubert debacle would have been avoided if Scotland hadn't risked the long ball at he lineout. It was a poor decision by Scotland. And Australia capitalised brilliantly, proving the fact that you cannot give the slightest opening to a great team, or they will punish you for it.

However, the I read this over my coffee this morning:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/11939472/Australia-35-Scotland-34-World-Rugby-confirms-Craig-Joubert-right-not-to-consult-with-TMO.html

I have a small problem with this. He may have been correct not to refer to the TMO, according to the rules, yet, as the TV replay showed, he got a vital decision wrong.

This needs to be addressed, not just because I'm Scottish and grumpy, but because, for the good of the game, it simply cannot happen again. Surely common sense dictates that if it's such a huge call, the ref should be able to refer to the TMO, or the TMO should be allowed to speak up if the ref gets it wrong? A Wallaby scrum may have yet allowed an Australian victory, without all the outrage about Joubert.

Joubert saw the replay himself, and sprinted off the park at the end of the game, without even shaking hands with the team captains. Disgraceful behaviour. That hardly suggests he had faith in his decision.

Ironically, I have been critical of him as a referee for a while now, as I feel he is often disrupting the flow of the game by referring to the TMO too often!

World Rugby need to address this as we have some tantalising rugby ahead of us, and it should not be dominated by talk of poor refereeing.

And all the best to Australia. I hope you win the tournament, as I have you in the pub sweepstake! Pocock has been my man of the tournament so far, and hopefully his return (and maybe a wee scare from the Scots!) will galvanise the team.

A Wallabies/All Blacks final is a tantalising prospect after the one-a-piece end to the Championship. A World Cup final decider!

[Ken Gargett]

dread a wallabies v kiwis final. they'd wipe the floor with us unless a massive turnaround. we missed pocock enormously. i think he is as good as any player in the world at the moment and probably the best flanker, even if he is currently playing 8, as australia has ever produced.

such a lucky escape. Thought that was a very dodgy decision, especially when he had earlier ruled a much more obvious one as accidental.

And how on earth a bloke gets sin binned because he fails to intercept is beyond me. That was ridiculous.

If we play like that, and the argies play as they did, we won’t get to the final. As for what the all blacks would do to a side at that level – it would be worse than the French. I thought Argentina was fabulous.

I know Foley kicked the final goal – it was hardly that difficult – but I thought he had an absolute shocker up to then. For all the raving about the bloke, if Quade had missed all those kicks (granted not easy but nor were the ones Quade missed v Uruguay), dropped a high ball with no pressure on him, had a crucial kick charged down for a try (and remember, had Laidlaw not shaved the post with the conversion, a penalty would not have won it at the end) and generally played like a useless ****, the Quade haters would be howling (i'm looking at you, ayala!). And where was Foley when slipper was forced into first receiver? He’d run in to stand behind the ruck where he did nothing. Just a passenger. What possible use was he there? Why? He is the bloke supposed to be running the show. Instead, he leaves it to a replacement prop.

As far as I can see, Foley has had a couple of competent games and one excellent one, behind a pack that was dominant. As soon the pack came back to earth, so did he. The only thing stopping the kiwis is a south African miracle. We won’t be a speed bump unless we improve out of sight.

[ayepatz]

I have to admit, this made me giggle rather a lot. Top Aussie humour.

[El Presidente]

If Quade had missed all those kicks (granted not easy but nor were the ones Quade missed v Uruguay), dropped a high ball with no pressure on him, had a crucial kick charged down for a try (and remember, had Laidlaw not shaved the post with the conversion, a penalty would not have won it at the end) and generally played like a useless ****, the Quade haters would be howling (i'm looking at you, ayala!).

It would be Quades normal international game. That is why he was on the bench.

While your loyalty to Cooper is admirable, he has been tried, measured and come up short this year at international level. We wouldn't have got to that final lineout simply because Quades' kickoff wouldn't have gone the 10m.

[JohnS]

The main thing is that Pocock and Folau will be back for the semi-final. Without Pocock, the Wallabies has 3 turnovers against the Bravehearts, and that was a critical difference in performance in comparison to the previous games for Australia.

That news.com.au player ratings article had me in stitches, Iain!

I agree Ken, I hold little hope for Australia in a final against New Zealand. It would take an infamous All Black 'choke' for them not to win this World Cup.

[Ken Gargett]

It would be Quades normal international game. That is why he was on the bench.

While your loyalty to Cooper is admirable, he has been tried, measured and come up short this year at international level. We wouldn't have got to that final lineout simply because Quades' kickoff wouldn't have gone the 10m.

you are like gruden defending cousins while rg3 sits on the sidelines.

[El Presidente]

you are like gruden defending cousins while rg3 sits on the sidelines.

I am sure they will play RG3 agains the Bucs or the Jaguars. It is like Quade playing Uruguay. Looks pretty. Doesn't count.

[Ken Gargett]

I am sure they will play RG3 agains the Bucs or the Jaguars. It is like Quade playing Uruguay. Looks pretty. Doesn't count.

foley wins us the cup, i'll scream apologies to the heavens and renounce any suggestion that quade has ten times the ability in his little finger than foley.

you can apparently chalk up a win v the skins these days if it is windy. gruden excuses interceptions when it is a bit windy. the most hypocritical heap of incompetency ever employed as a coach (except possibly graham at the reds).