Rugby World Cup 2015

20 mins gone and Australia just look better at the detail, they look confident and totally in control. England lack the precision, and as has been the case for ages they lack a world class back row.

i predict it may not even be close

Sadly, I think you're right Bruce. I don't think I can watch the second half...

Done....

Shame...At least we get to play some more...(geddit?).

G

Oh dear.  England were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition last night.  The match wasn't in the least bit close.  They took a real thumping and Australia look deadly.  It's a real pity that the authorities who set the tables up did so in such an honorable manner instead of taking on board some appreciation that keeping the host nation in with a shout would be bound to enhance the whole competition.  I'm from NI and naturally I'll support Ireland but when I look at the (hope I don't have to eat humble pie later this afternoon for saying this!) teams in our group, it should be a relative walk in the park for Ireland to get through to the next stage.  Not that England would have gone far, but their presence in the next round would have added plenty to the competition.

Peter

Yes very disappointing, couldn't shake the feeling we were hoping it would 'just magically happen' on the day without any pure true overall planning. Did we ever play our best 15 for more than 1-2 games in the last 4 years?

Too many small decisions going wrong to add to the whole.

Personally never been much of a fan of Owen Farrell, just me, but that tackle no matter how dubious the card possibly was in the end was suicidal, and he does it once every game, losing the plot for one big tackle (usually off the ball), again my thoughts only but not for me. When he missed touch against Wales letting them push back to make the score 19-9 at half time when it should have stayed 19-6 IMO was the turning point, it gave Wales a fresh grip on the points and a little belief going in at half time. Unforgivable for me.

His kicking would have been matched by Ford also IMHO.

Ah well its all over regardless. Onto Euro 2016 and more England group failings.... Everton to beat Liverpool and Chelsea lost, there better now :-)

Tis a pity about England. I'm with Northpoles comments about the draw. It would have been so much better if England had stayed in. On their day England are very hard to beat and I always remember how they comprehensivdly thrashed the All-Blacks in 2012. Our worst loss in the last decade.

Currently Australia  look like the form team. New Zealand are stuttering along like a mis-firing Ferrari. Hopefully they'll get in tune when it matters. Dan Carter has been kept on 5 years past his use-by date and is nowhere near his old form, what with missing lots of penalty kicks and conversions.

Another Kiwi here. Yes I remember that game in 2012 well. If I recall correctly it was Manu Tuilagi who instigated many of England's tries and the rest of the team was organised enough to finish well. What happened to him? This England team appears to have many problems beyond missing an explosive ball carrier though. While it's a shame they're out of the tournament the Welsh won't be too upset. Three doesn't go into two, someone was always going be be KO'd. It's almost as if the general consensus was that England as the home nation, were somehow immune. This Australian team looked dangerous when they beat the All Blacks in Sydney so I'm not entirely surprised by what happened yesterday. If there is one positive to take from Pool A containing three major nations it's that it has given the front end of the tournament genuine interest. I for one have never been as interested in a Rugby World Cup.

It will be interesting to see whether the added attrition of Pool A effects Australia in the latter stages of the tournament. One thing I have repeatedly observed in the last 10 years of test rugby is that it gets very hard for a team playing their third or fourth big game in as many weeks. The All Blacks often look below par by the time of the last game of their northern tour. That England game in 2012, the more recent one against Ireland spring to mind. They were also very nearly beaten in the 2011 final. Steve Hansen claims the ABs are timing their run. I sure hope so as their game sure doesn't look polished at the moment. Australia are undeniably the form team. They look a great chance to make the final, but that would be their fifth big game in succession. If they win the cup they'll sure deserve it. Big ask.

Hi Goat

Perceptive analysis. Hopefully you're right and the Aussies, bless them, will run out of gas in the latter stages.

tehm

I don't think there is any shame that England lost to a very good Australia team that simply outclassed us. The disappointment was really the game against Wales which they could and probably should have won.

I don't get why anyone thought England would do well. When did we last win a 6 Nations, let alone a Grand Slam? We have simply not brought together a consistently winning team and even if the draw had been more favourable we would have lost against the first S Hemisphere side we encountered in a knockaout stage, or France, Ireland and maybe Wales!

Good luck to Australia; I'm not sure the group has been too attritonal for them. S Africa are going to muscle on but it is hard to see them making it all the way. France look like the only side that might prevent an Australia/NZ final.

England may be out but it will not stop me enjoying the tournament from here on. In fact it helps!

Bruce

In this sort of situation, is there much chance of English switching allegiance and supporting the Welsh or the Irish? Maybe it doesn't work like that. Please excuse my ignorance. Perhaps that's a bit like asking if a Kiwi would support the Wallabies should the ABs be eliminated. My answer to that would be... err... hmm... unlikely. Having said that, this Aussie team seems to be playing some smart, attractive rugby and look a relatively humble and together group. I guess stranger things could happen. 

So Wales and Australia will play for the right to meet Scotland (presumably) and not South Africa in the quarters? Hard to say how motivational that is. Moderately is all I can imagine. 

I'm always happy to support other sides, especially if they play good stuff. Wales and Ireland will get my 'support' such as it is now (I'm going to Ireland vs France) but I was actually really impressed with Australia and the rugby they played. Wales do have a vaguely heroic quality about them too.

I find the 'brand' of rugby played by S Africa pretty grim so I will support a n other against them!

I'm not very partisan about these things!

Bruce

I think most englishmen will support the home teams in these circumstances. It's a shame the Welsh and Scots enjoy it so much when we lose! My dearly-beloved, being of the latter persuasion, made a very poor fist of trying to commiserate when England got pasted. The s******s gave it away...

There is an upside to England not getting out of the group.

The supermarkets have huge stocks of beer that they will have sell off cheaply.

Asda are selling 30 cans of Stella for £20.

Papers mention Eng v Uruguay online tickets are available for £2.50. Could be rubbish but crikey, still going to watch on tv later. Roundtree and Farrell coaches banned tonight also, what if they loose tonight or its close?

A weekend with some fine games. I had a feeling Ireland may come up short-they looked shattered after the game with France (and France similarly jaded against a scarily good NZ). Argentina conversely were full of vim.

Feel a bit sorry for Scotland but the better side probably did win. Much attention on the referee but the rules state he could not refer that final decision to the TMO as it was not a try or foul play and in the end he made the wrong call. Lots of errors are made by players at crucial times too though; such is sport.

What did appear pretty poor was him failing to stay in the pitch at the conclusion of the game. I think he should have had the courage to shake hands with the players-and will have lost a lot of respect for failing to do so.

Might we get an NZ vs Argentina final??

Bruce

We had an amazing evening at Millennium for Ire v France. My first experience of the stadium and what a fantastic venue, The atmosphere was quite something.

I think that would be the most interesting final, and a 3rd-place match between AUS and SA would make for quite a contrast in style of play!

ATB.

Hook

Yes, Argentina have really come on strong. They have an excellent chance of beating Australia. 

New Zealand played a great game against a weak demoralised France. It will be tougher against the Springboks who have something to prove after their Japan loss. Should be an interesting weekend!

Looking forward to the NZ vs SA game tomorrow. 4 AM here so early start. Predictions? NZ by 13 and the Argies by 10.

I think NZ may have a good win after a tight first half, but Aus v Arg could be very tight. Australia by 3?

Bruce

Looking forward to the New Zealand v South Africa game - wearing all black 

It was tight but I never really felt that the Boks would actually win playing such a one-dimensional game; maul, high kick and keep it narrow did not seem to me to be enough. Their scrum half deserves a better team!

bruce