was actually talking about bristol next year lol
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- Thread starter Sledge Hammer
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was actually talking about bristol next year lol
Weird ass 6 nations - Ireland were dominant and never challenged yet nearly lost on opening day to one of the weakest French teams in recent memory
England coming in their lowest position ever
What a bizarre year
England coming in their lowest position ever
What a bizarre year
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Eddie Jones trying to lull the All Blacks
They looked like a shadow of the team they were the last 18 months
- they looked tired, weaker, slower, less tactically aware and less able to execute than virtually every other team they played - they admittedly had a lot of injuries to deal with at certain positions but tactically made poor choices to counteract those issues
Inqui
Pro Bowler
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/ne...-FtI_O2T94SO6A9UBK63feuUbQ04VJHgVsRlxp1stplJ4
There's been talk of this for a while but it looks like they're finally announcing the World League. Basically the midyear and end-of-year Tests didn't mean much of anything and the higher-ups were a little over it.
*Six Nations sides play each other once a year (I'm guessing at the same time as usual).
*Japan and the US join the Rugby Championship, so instead of playing each other twice a year the RC sides basically have their own Six Nations ~August.
*The 6N teams each play three games in the June/July window against randomly selected RC opponents.
*The RC teams then do their usual end-of-year tour and play the three teams they hadn't faced in the midyear window.
*All 11 games for each team is for league points and the semis and final will be played after the EoY window, with talk of Soldier Field of the Nou Camp.
Overall it's an exciting and interesting concept and it'll be pretty cool to truly integrate the two main international competitions. Though I do have three concerns/reservations/questions:
*That July window looks like a logistical nightmare waiting to happen. Imagine a team having to face Japan, Argentina and Australia in one window, or the US, NZ and South Africa. I guess the ideal window from a NH perspective is the US, Argentina and Japan but even that looks like a shitshow. Maybe Argentina, NZ and Australia in that order.
*It's a bit shit that Georgia and the Pacific Islands will probably be shut out for at least 10 years. I can see why that'd happen though, what broadcaster would want to pay for access to (and potential interest in) the Japanese and US markets only to lose one of them and get Tonga instead. I quite liked the idea of a promotion/relegation system, though again that'd just exacerbate the first issue.
*There's a minor issue of fairness with how the calendars line up. I'd have to look at the numbers properly but it seems touring sides always do unusually badly and I've always been of the school of thought that it's to do with the countries having different calendars. The NH sides head south for a few weeks in the SH winter and tend to tail off because they're shattered at the end of a long season while the SH teams are properly hitting their straps, and it's the inverse when the SH sides head north at the end of the year. I think the RC teams will rightly feel a bit aggrieved that the playoffs will be played as they're starting to wind their seasons down. I guess there's not much you can do about that though.
There's been talk of this for a while but it looks like they're finally announcing the World League. Basically the midyear and end-of-year Tests didn't mean much of anything and the higher-ups were a little over it.
*Six Nations sides play each other once a year (I'm guessing at the same time as usual).
*Japan and the US join the Rugby Championship, so instead of playing each other twice a year the RC sides basically have their own Six Nations ~August.
*The 6N teams each play three games in the June/July window against randomly selected RC opponents.
*The RC teams then do their usual end-of-year tour and play the three teams they hadn't faced in the midyear window.
*All 11 games for each team is for league points and the semis and final will be played after the EoY window, with talk of Soldier Field of the Nou Camp.
Overall it's an exciting and interesting concept and it'll be pretty cool to truly integrate the two main international competitions. Though I do have three concerns/reservations/questions:
*That July window looks like a logistical nightmare waiting to happen. Imagine a team having to face Japan, Argentina and Australia in one window, or the US, NZ and South Africa. I guess the ideal window from a NH perspective is the US, Argentina and Japan but even that looks like a shitshow. Maybe Argentina, NZ and Australia in that order.
*It's a bit shit that Georgia and the Pacific Islands will probably be shut out for at least 10 years. I can see why that'd happen though, what broadcaster would want to pay for access to (and potential interest in) the Japanese and US markets only to lose one of them and get Tonga instead. I quite liked the idea of a promotion/relegation system, though again that'd just exacerbate the first issue.
*There's a minor issue of fairness with how the calendars line up. I'd have to look at the numbers properly but it seems touring sides always do unusually badly and I've always been of the school of thought that it's to do with the countries having different calendars. The NH sides head south for a few weeks in the SH winter and tend to tail off because they're shattered at the end of a long season while the SH teams are properly hitting their straps, and it's the inverse when the SH sides head north at the end of the year. I think the RC teams will rightly feel a bit aggrieved that the playoffs will be played as they're starting to wind their seasons down. I guess there's not much you can do about that though.
yeah i heard about this a while ago - i think the promotion/relegation has to be a part of it if they want it to be a serious competition - but they can negate some of the potential to lose a big market by having the top of the lower league and the bottom of the higher league playoff to see who's relegated/promoted rather than automatically promote/relegate the top and bottom respectively
it does seem to me like a pretty huge undertaking and probably ends up devaluing the world cup a little bit because all teams will have faced each other every year between world cup years
but then again its pretty necessary if they ever want to increasingly expand and improve the sport like they have tried to do with Argentina (and before that Italy) and now with Japan also
it does seem to me like a pretty huge undertaking and probably ends up devaluing the world cup a little bit because all teams will have faced each other every year between world cup years
but then again its pretty necessary if they ever want to increasingly expand and improve the sport like they have tried to do with Argentina (and before that Italy) and now with Japan also
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Get the fuck over it!
Bullshit - it’s also one of the most anticipated things in rugby - don’t give a shit if it’s “unfair” or not
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Watched Japan vs Scotland highlights just now.
Thought I'm watching the Chiefs.
Thought I'm watching the Chiefs.
watched it live - was literally screaming along - was an incredible game
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Can't remember if I've ever seen the test where team winning possession and territory also made more tackles.
And the tackling was punishing, while only a single tackle was missed (1st half All Blacks vs Ireland).
Outstanding forward play by NZ.
And the tackling was punishing, while only a single tackle was missed (1st half All Blacks vs Ireland).
Outstanding forward play by NZ.
england new zealand is a tasty looking semi-final
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Yeah.
Final would have been tastier - clearly the best two sides in the world at the moment.
on the plus side - if japan wins their quarter against south africa it clears a path where its feasible they could make a final which would be awesome
on the minus... if south africa win then one side of the draw has zero excitement in it and the england new zealand game basically becomes the final anyway
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
But the winner of that final may end up not holding Webb Ellis trophy. Not likely but possible.
and as long as its not south africa who make it through that side of the draw then we get a new world cup winner which would be good for the sport too albeit disappointing
in order of preference of world cup winning for me at this point: England, Japan, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Wales
I feel like Japan is everyone's 2nd team (if not their first)
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
No way Japan pulls another one over Boks
Wales- Springboks 2nd semi
i mean i dont think they will be they're not minnows anymore - i dont think its out of the realms of possibilities especially with the way theyre being supported
then again south africa will be doubly motivated because they'll want to exorcise the demons of that match in Brighton in 2015
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
Good old Spark (former Telecom NZ). They bought rights for RWC and instead of pairing with TV provider, they decided to use their own, new streaming service. People who signed up watch only buffering.
Today on their site you can search for upcoming schedule and get these results:
Today on their site you can search for upcoming schedule and get these results: