Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

Well, Ghiraldini will be gone for gouging. Idiot. SOB was utterly immense, the whole Irish back row was. Even if Heaslip isn't yet back up to speed. Italy tried hard to the best of their limited ability but losing Castro so early - with Perugini having to swap sides and not coping - put paid to any remote chance they had. Not that I think they ever really had a hope.

[LDiCesare]

Ireland is really impressive in this world cup. O'Brien (spelling?) and Healy are marvelous players.
NZ without Carter is simply unlikely to win. Even more so if they miss McCaw.
I'd say South Africa is probably the team with the best chances of winning the World Cup right now.

[finbar]

You got Sean O'Brien's name exactly right. Amazing player, and still only 24. Healy has also developed into a fine prop. He was always good in the loose but, a couple of years ago, his scrummaging was weak. The Ireland scrum coach - a Kiwi whose name escapes me - has done an excellent job.

[Havak]

Even without Carter NZ remain in the box seat for me.

Ireland-Wales is the tastiest Qf for me however. After a few wins some fans of both have them as finalists already and one of those bubbles gets pricked this weekend.

[finbar]

Ditto re the ABs. They've got an awful lot of talent aside from Carter.

Ditto re Paddys -v- Taffys. Unless the Paddys get it very wrong - something of which they're very capable as we know - I suspect they're going to be too rugged and streetwise for the Taffys. Plus they're always more likely to score tries than the Taffys. The Taffs waste so much ball in atack and rely so much on Roberts smashing through tackles.

Not far behind in the interest stakes will be England -v- France. England are most vulnerable when they can't get front foot ball. That's when Youngs and Flood stumble and the problems start. If the French forwards turn up - the back row in particular - anything could happen. Clerc and co still know how to score tries.

Less said about Tigers the better, hm?

[Havak]

Yes thank you.

Well England - France was going to be interesting. But apparently Walsh is the referee. The man has never hidden his anglophobia so I'm guessing we are in for a rough ride on the whistle. The IRB seem to love doing this, I notice Wayne Barnes gets to helm a lot of NZ games too.

[finbar]

I've just been having a fairly angry debate on a rugby blog about Walsh reffing England. His problems with the England team and management - fights in tunnels, etc - were at a time in his life when he had a very serious drinking problem. He's rehabilitated himself, started a new life in Australia, and - it has to be said - he hasn't been the worst ref at the WC, and I've watched 90% of the matches. He errs too often at the breakdown for my liking but then he's not the only one. England will get a fair call. Hopefully they won't fall into what has become their typically idiotic disciplinary habits.

Ghiraldini = fifteen weeks for gouging. Having watched the replay several times now I'm not sure that he set out to do it. Wrong bits of the hand in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can't complain, though.

[Havak]

Having started a new life in Australia will not endear him to England fans of course.

Fair play to him for turning his life around however.

I wasn't sure there was intent on the gouging either - but they tend to take the view these days that a player needs to be aware when his hands are in contact with an opponents face. Fifteen weeks seems to send the right message on that one (it could have been up to two years?)

[finbar]

What an interesting weekend ahead. Yet again J**** defeats me with a selection or two. Fatso for Brand H? Okay, more of a genuine 8 than BH, but Fatso disappears when the going gets tough and he's a certified penalty machine. BH, as big a d*ck as he is, hasn't been England's worst back rower. Part of England's back row problem is the original selection - too many ball carriers, not enough animals. Lawes was always on borrowed time. He hasn't done a lot in this tourney apart from indulge in some very dodgy tackles/hits. I think his inexperience has caught up with him. Flood at 12? Again, J****'s original squad selections might come back to haunt him with Hape the only alternative. Wilko's going to have play alongside Youngs on the gain line. If he hovers as deep as he usually does, Flood will be stranded. Much as poor old Shane Geraghty was when he played outside Wilko a couple of years ago. I can see the French pack bothering England enormously. Starting Stevens again at 1 is asking for trouble. England are most fallible when they can't get front foot ball. If the French pack turn up, and if their back row fires up, with England notoriously slack at the breakdown, who knows what will happen?

[finbar]

Deans has opted for McCabe in front of Barnes at 12 against the Boks, reuniting the team that beat the Boks and ABs a month or so ago. Strong defender, McCabe, but a crash ball merchant. Barnes is (a) the squad's most reliable goal kicker and (b) a play-making alternative to Cooper, taking the pressure off Cooper. We shall see.

Oh, but the Fruit Loop has picked Smit to start. So that evens things out nicely.

[Havak]

I genuinely have no idea how to call three of the four fixtures. The only one that seems easy to call is that NZ will sweep a valiant Puma effort aside?

[finbar]

The thing is, a lot of people are saying the French have to return to the glory days of old to beat England. I don't think so. If the French forwards turn up in a big way and keep the effort going, it's going to seriously disrupt England. And a few in that French backline only need a sniff. But we shall see.

[Havak]

Personally I never thought that - and generally never take France for granted anyway. France have so far failed to turn up and if they do they are quite capable of giving us a good hiding.

At the same time if they don't turn up we are quite capable of doing the same to them. As is ever the case it all depends what frame of mind the French take the field in. They have seemed strangely disinterested so far, as would befit a camp with internal strife. And in all honesty their coach does give every indication of being a loony at times? Is there a Professional player in France he hasn't tried in the bleu?

My main concern is that whatever way around Wilko and Flood are played they will need a megaphone to talk to each other. The older he gets the further back Jonny stands

[LDiCesare]

Is there a Professional player in France he hasn't tried in the bleu?

Acutally yes. Most fly halves.

[kittenOFchaos]

Eugh, another early get up.

Right, prediction time:

Ireland to beat Wales.
England to beat France.
South Africa to beat Australia.
NZ to beat Argentina.

The hardest to call was SA Vs Australia for obvious reasons.

So excited (and sleepy!!!).