Rugby World Cup

[Mat]

I'm far from a rugby man and I have very little knowledge of the game.
I found it a proper bore fest and I don't recollect England once even remotely threatening to score a try.
It seemed to be all set plays and kick it back to eachother, a far cry from some of the quarter and semi finals I watched.
As I said I am pretty clueless about rugby and maybe those more knowledgeable will have found it thoroughly entertaining.
Thank God for football is all I can say.

You could see with the last few minutes where England needed a score, they tried to run the ball, but SA defence started to force them backwards with their defensive line speed (speed they get out to the tackle). England cross the gain line with ball in hand. Their tactic was to kick for territory and hope for errors, or reclaim the ball under the high kick with their taller wingers. It mostly worked (though dull).

A key moment was a 5m attacking scrum (after a SA knock on) just after Marler went off, we give away a scrum penalty and get no points from a very attacking position. It gave SA impetus and the eventual winning kick via another penalty.

Their try was also weakly defended from the line out, Vunipola really should have had the first break man, but was too narrow, then England couldn’t recover their defence.

 

[IJN]

It's a truly silly game.

 

[Mat]

It's a truly silly game.

All games are. I can watch most sports apart from Baseball, Basketball and American Football.

 

[Brussels Bureaucrat]

All games are. I can watch most sports apart from Baseball, Basketball and American Football.

Agree about basketball and American football. I quite enjoy baseball though, I just enjoy the rhythm of it. I've been to a few MLB games in the States, and it is a very agreeable way to spend a sleepy weekday afternoon in the summer.

 

[Lousy Pint]

All games are. I can watch most sports apart from Baseball, Basketball and American Football.

I'd agree with those three and add handball. It was very popular when I worked in Germany many years ago. A very silly sport. It looked like a game of water polo, where they had forgotten to put the water in the pool 😂
Not keen on judged sports either, like ice skating, diving, etc.. More of an art form than a sport imo.

 

[boletus edulis]

It's a truly silly game.

But many magnitudes more interesting as a spectator than golf.

 

[Mat]

I'd agree with those three and add handball. It was very popular when I worked in Germany many years ago. A very silly sport. It looked like a game of water polo, where they had forgotten to put the water in the pool 😂
Not keen on judged sports either, like ice skating, diving, etc.. More of an art form than a sport imo.

”judged” sports aren’t sports IMO.

 

[The Pilgrim]

I see the South African player has been cleared of using racist language against Tom Curry. Interesting that it didn't even go to a disciplinary panel.

 

[unhinched]

I see the South African player has been cleared of using racist language against Tom Curry. Interesting that it didn't even go to a disciplinary panel.

It is. Although my wife says that one of the alleged insult words, beginning with 'c' , is just not commonly used in SA and virtually never by black South Africans - the word 'poes' is the normal insult of that ilk.
Which may suggest that 'wit kant' (white side) or wyd kant ( wide side) may actually have been what Mbonambi shouted and not w.... c....
Today in training his teamates were heard screaming at him 'watter kant' which means 'which side'.
Complex !

 

[X Isle]

Notwithstanding that's a highly plausible defence, if John Terry could get off that videoed clearly lip read comment back in the day, then anyone can get off anything.

With no (ahem) skin in the game this weekend who are people wanting to win?

Its NZ for me, I know SA is now a reformed nation but I grew up during the years of apartheid and it's hard to shake the dislike, also they play ugly rugby.

 

[Ottawa Green]

All games are. I can watch most sports apart from Baseball, Basketball and American Football.

What about the CFL or CPL???

 

[Mat]

What about the CFL or CPL???

Oh CFL is horrid. CPL I haven’t seen, but Pacific FC are close to me now. I watched a Whitecaps game live and the standard was just awful, so CPL, may be tough.

 

[L G]

But many magnitudes more interesting as a spectator than golf.

Absolutely bang on!

 

[Mexijan1]

But many magnitudes more interesting as a spectator than golf.

Golf is one of the few ball games that completely loses me. You start at point A and have to get to point B whist walking there... pick it up carry it there you dumbass without hitting it with a multitude of silly sticks.
I admit I may have missed the nuances of the game but just seems too be over complicating a simple task. That said I do watch the Ryder cup results anything to beat the Yanks with their World series in baseball and Superbowl seriously nobody else in the world takes your made up games seriously.

 

[AdelaideGreen]

England scrape past Argentina in the 3rd/4th playoff. The score 23 - 26.