HALF TIME

Aust 14 - 10 USA

USA did GREAT!!!

To score a try, and a good try at that, against Aust , is a feather in the cap

(Well done Dakota's guy Mike Petri)

Within 4 points score makes the game evenly poised.


And... the commentators did great too
They are pitching to US audience who may not be familiar with the rules, and finer points of the game of rugby. They seem unbiased and fair to me. Aussie rugby commentators are (generally) a biased bunch who detract from the game.. would pay to switch those bastards OFF if you are ever stuck with them.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

FULL TIME

Australia win

Aust 47 - 10 USA



Rumpole's Tip: USA practice lineouts

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Still to come...

Sunday 6th, Canada v Fiji, The Stoop
14:30 local, 13:30 GMT

Look for link at
http://www.realstreamunited.com/rugby-l ... video.html

or

Rugby Canada on Twitter
https://twitter.com/RugbyCanada/with_replies

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

All Blacks ready for World Cup - Foster

Assistant coach Ian Foster says the All Blacks are in good shape as they prepare to board the plane later this week for the Rugby World Cup.

SBS.com | 8 SEP 2015 - 2:24PM

The All Blacks are confident they are on track in their preparations just under two weeks out from their opening match in the Rugby World Cup.

The 31-strong squad are in their final training camp in Auckland before they board the plane for Britain on Thursday night and assistant coach Ian Foster says excitement is building.

"There are a few more things we have to tick off before we really focus on the plane trip," he said.

"But you can hear the boys starting to talk about it and we are ready."

The players had an opposed training session at Eden Park on Tuesday, with referee Nick Briant called in to control proceedings.

"We had a referee in there just to keep an eye on things," Foster said.

"We need to be ready physically and part of that is going through the whole contact."

Foster said it was hard to replicate all aspects of a match situation but "I think we're in good stead jumping on the plane, to be honest".

More at link: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/09/08/all-blacks-ready-world-cup-foster

Dan Carter, Liam Messam

Wales without Leigh Halfpenny is like the 2003 England team without Jonny Wilkinson... his loss is fatal - Matt Dawson
11 September 2015 Updated 09:20, 11 September 2015
By Jon Doel



One England World Cup winner believes Wales without Halfpenny is the same as the 2003 England team trying to win without Jonny Wilkinson

England World Cup winner Matt Dawson believes Wales' Rugby World Cup hopes ended the moment Leigh Halfpenny was ruled out of the tournament.

The former England star described the full-back's injury as a 'game-changer' in the Pool of Death, likening Halfpenny's loss to the England team of 2003 trying to win that World Cup without Jonny Wilkinson.

Halfpenny and Rhys Webb were both dealt crushing blows earlier this week when injuries sustained during the final tournament warm-up match against Italy put them out of this month's global showpiece.

...more at link
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugb ... e-10032484

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Looks like No Rugger the weekend.. as teams rest before Rugby World Cup 2015

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Rumpole, I know you have a shorter version of a Haka vid in the Music thread,
but I'm gonna drop this right here because Music is locked and I may want to talk about it.

Haka - History

There was an incident around time of last world cup.

A drunken bar incident.. it happens... only captain Tana Umunga apparently grabbed a ladies "purse" off the bar and gave the player involved a whack with it. Lots of piss-taking in social media etc.. the handbag up for auction on eBay etc.

and....the Aussies did this.....

Handbag Haka




http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5153506.stm

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

That is SO funny!

I noticed while watching a few of the Haka vids, that the Aussie players looked disgusted as they have to stand there watching the performance, waiting for it to end.

I just found this. Lots of information, but a bit of scrolling to do to find anything in particular, like Pool D. I may use it as a go-to reference for the other teams that I know nothing about.

Wales Online
Rugby World Cup 2015 guide
http://rwcguide.walesonline.co.uk/index.html

Rugby World Cup 2015: Referees to watch for 'football-style' cheating

By Matt Slater | BBC Sport | Sept. 17, 2015

World Cup referees have been told to clamp down on "football-style" diving and appealing for penalties.

Players who feign injury will get a yellow card and 10 minutes in the sin bin, while teams who badger officials will be marched 10 metres back.

World Rugby's match officials chief John Jeffrey said simulation would be "very heavily" sanctioned.

"There is a culture creeping in, I call it the football culture, of simulation, people appealing and players diving."

Simulation is not specifically banned in rugby union's laws but it will be treated as "ungentlemanly conduct".
[...]
Players caught diving on camera can expect a warning from citing commissioners, the equivalent of a yellow card.

Three yellow cards or warnings will result in an automatic hearing to decide if a player should get a one-match ban for repeat offending.

Jeffrey was speaking at Twickenham on Wednesday as the governing body outlined its plans for the tournament, which starts on Friday when England meet Fiji.

An integrity unit will watch for match-fixing, independent concussion experts will assess head injuries and there will be a record number of drugs tests, some of which will be stored for reanalysis.

More at link: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/34278293

FREE RWC 2015 ONLINE STREAMING

After looking at several websites, these are the best sources I can find for FREE streaming.

http://www.rugbyonlinestream.com/free-rugby-stream/

http://www.realstreamunited.com/rugby-live-streaming-video.html

Fixtures, Results & Live Scores in Windows Tab

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/fixtures/_/league/164205

Thanks Molly....

I'll put a copy of that in "Reference" thread

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Molly tells me.. no LIVE STREAM of opening ceremony...

I have it on TV ( Sky Sports)

I can tell you.. so far you aint missing much.

At the moment a Doco showing highlights of previous WC tournaments. It is worth watching, but I recall the SPECTACLE of 1999 WC opening in Cardiff.. Shirley Bassey wearing a dress styled on a Welsh Flag, singing World in Union... Tom Jones, Brynn Terfel, Catatonia, "Max" Boyce etc... live show augmented by Welsh crowd singing.. I was spoiled

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

As far the game goes.....

You know my view on Pool A..

WALES have gotta beat the English, so England V Fiji.. lets hope a few Poms get some "intense" tackles from the Fijians.... Gnomesayin?

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

ENGLAND WON (with a Bonus point)

Eng 35 - 11 Fiji


A good game to watch.. but not great rugby

I saw game to the end.... and so VERY pissed off that Eng got 4th try and bonus point.

That one fucking little thing COULD be what knocks Wales out of tournament

(Try looked iffy to me... and I think Ref bowed to Mob hysteria from crowd... but have to accept it.)

Fiji let me down

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I guess the (Wales) pool still comes down to....

"As Long As We Beat The English"
(And Fiji and Uruguay)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light