In their infinite wisdom, World Rugby chose to schedule the World Cup in a country that is prone to typhoons at this time of year, and to make absolutely no contingency plans should a typhoon threaten.
In a development that appears to have taken the organisers completely by surprise, there is a typhoon headed in Japan’s direction, and two matches have been cancelled, with Japan v Scotland still in doubt.
France will miss out on the possibility of beating England to top their group, and Italy will miss out on a historic chance to beat the All-Blacks and progress to the quarter-finals for the first time.
All right, nobody thinks that Italy would have beaten New Zealand, but it’s a funny old game and a couple of red cards, or another sneaky peek at the rule-book, could have produced the upset of the century. Apparently we’ll never know.
As Parisse said:
“It is ridiculous that a decision of this nature has been made because it isn’t like the fans arrived yesterday. It is ridiculous that there was no plan B, because it isn’t news that typhoons hit Japan.
“Sure everyone might think that Italy versus New Zealand being cancelled counts for nothing because we’d have lost anyway, but we deserved to be respected as a team. We had the chance to play in a big stadium, against a great team.
“The alternative is plan B. When you organise a World Cup you should have one in place.”
Should the Japan v Scotland match be cancelled, all three teams in Pool A contention will have reason to feel aggrieved also: Scotland for obvious reasons, Japan because it is not the way you’d want to go through, and Ireland because they miss the chance to top the pool (that being in Scotland’s gift, rather than Ireland’s hands, of course).
Quite frankly, World Cup should be handed a red card for bringing the game into disrepute. Players and fans alike (and no doubt the sponsors too) are rightly furious.
These matches should be rescheduled in alternative locations.
Last weekend’s rugby
For a rundown on the state of play as of 07/10, please see Deebee’s excellent synopsis.
On the telly this week … or not
Friday 11th October
| Australia 27 – 8 Georgia | 11:15 | ITV4 |
| Cheetahs 40 – 16 Munster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Dragons 14 – 38 Connacht | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 / TG4 / S4C |
| Leinster 40 – 14 Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Gloucester 24 – 26 Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 12th October
| New Zealand v Italy | 05:45 | CANCELLED |
| England v France | 09:15 | CANCELLED |
| Ireland 47 – 5 Samoa | 11:45 | ITV |
| Kings 17 – 42 Ulster | 15:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Scarlets 54 – 10 Zebre | 15:00 | Freesports |
| Ospreys v Treviso | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Glasgow v Cardiff | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 13th October
| Namibia v Canada | 04:15 | ITV |
| USA v Tonga | 06:45 | ITV |
| Wales v Uruguay | 09:10 | ITV / S4C |
| Japan v Scotland | 11:45 | ITV |
Lock? Pfft.
That cwis is faulty
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Hmmm……………….Lock and I really really wanted to be a 6 or 7
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‘work horse’
pfffffttttt
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Apparently Ireland have some special moves lined up for the All Blacks.
I suspected they were just cruising for the last few games. the Green Machine is about to click into gear methinks…
Or, its a load of bollocks.
Can’t decide which.
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depends how long Sexton stays on the pitch……………
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Prop, just for once.
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Fly half. Must have side-stepped the truth when answering.
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I think Smith will edge Carre off the bench. The lad did well on the gallop, but got outfoxed by Uruguay for the Mullet n’ Tasche try.
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Proper Six? It was only a matter of time. You all know the score by now.
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8+7+6=21/3=7
All 7z
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Special moves? Down, down/right, right, punch. Hadouken! Fireball those fucks during the haka.
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Enzo – Its in Japan. Surely the many handed slap would be apt?
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Can’t remember the correct button sequence mind.
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Just hammer one of the punch buttons repeatedly.
Maybe that is better. G’wan, lads!
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Scrum half.
Quelle surprise!
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One of the characters had a special move that involved a left button right button left button combination from memory. it meant you could always see it coming as your mates character did a stupid little dance whilst they were trying to set it up. Classic.
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Wasn’t that Blanka’s headbutt thing?
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@tim
cwis says I’m a lock – which I was at times such as the vagaries of 4th XV rugby…. also played flanker and fullback….
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Yos – Yes!! Exactly that. Weird little jig followed by flying headbutt.
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I’m going with “a load of bollocks”
Unless this entire season has been one long rope-a-dope trick – can’t really see us shifting gears enough. Still we’ll watch and see….
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whilst convalescing I have read most of Cornwell’s Sharpe series – just right as no deep thought required!
However, what has struck me is that these books, mainly written in the 1980s/90s, air some pretty strong stereotypes of our European neighbours:
Portuguese: plucky, reliable, brave
Spanish: duplicitous, mainly cowardly, generally untrustworthy
French: violent, nasty, brutal,
Do these widely read books reflect English social attitudes in the years in which they were written; was Cornwell making it up or furthering an anti-EU atmosphere in anticipation of a future Brexit?
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have also read ‘Suspicion’ by Amy Waldman – terrific book.
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@slade
It was only in 1991 when Ron Noades, the Crystal Palace chairman, said:
“The black players at this club lend the side a lot of skill and flair, but you also need white players in there to balance things up and give the team some brains and some common sense”
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That’s outrageous.
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Reading [1] a lot of biff, chip & kipper stories currently
[1] i.e. getting read to me, slowly
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Chimpie – surely you don’t need help with those?
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The plot lines are bit complicated, craigs.
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Scrum-half
Let’s be honest, you’re a bit gobby. You like to play the class clown and keep all your team-mates entertained. They pretend to hate it, but love you really.
Unfortunately a bit too accurate for my liking.
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Also scrum half. Would have like a flash offload/chicken wing answer but out of luck.
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My 2 cents – I think there’s a difference between argument between us on whatever subject and a constant digging of a team or the character of a team and it’s general demeanour.
There was a post the other day about Ireland kicking the opposition in the heid whilst calling them ‘c@nts’ over and over. That’s not the same as saying that they are an aggressive, if slightly attritional team (which I’m not saying). Once seems silly, but if it’s been going on for ages then it drives people away which reduced the diversity of opinion here. Didn’t Slider leave due to the STATATTACK?
We’re here to talk about rugby mainly, and we all support a team or player or whatever in the sport. That’s a good thing and the reason I come tbh. I’m not sure that’s been respected by pro tbh.
As I said I can be guilty of this too*, but I hope no one thinks that I am taking a personal position against them or the reason they come here (unless I call them a dick I suppose).
* apologies to Tomp and OT for ramming my opinion about the IDW down your throats a while back.
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From Ron Noades’ seminal biography of Napoleon:
“Of course, he could do some fancy dan stuff on the fields of Austerlitz but could he do it in a long winter march just outside Moscow? The answer was a gutting no for the little French lad with the funny hat.”
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Chimpie – at the end the key will always glow and they end up back in their room. No questions asked. And they don’t miss the people they’ve met so make of that what you will.
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What’s the IDW, you bastard*/old chum*?
(* I don’t remember what that argument was about so not sure if to hold a grudge or not)
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Tomp – Billy Bragg etc. Tbh, I read it back the next day and thought I’d been overbearing.
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the bad guys can usually be spotted by their facial characteristics too. Terribly prejudiced against those who don’t spend their lives wearing sunny smiles.
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‘not sure if to hold a grudge or not’
Has sag taught you nothing over the years?
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Here’s a seminal biography of Napoleon – if you like your traditional songs stripped back to the bare bones, wrap your lugs around this
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@craigs
I can’t remember what you’re going on about and am a bit angry I don’t get to be the bitter victim this time. Anyway you mentioned Billy Bragg, I assume you meant this
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You should always hold a grudge. Hold on tightly but hide it until it’s uncontrollable then unleash at the appropriate time.
Far more entertaining that way.
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See Craigs, you’ve upset OT now.
Dick.
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Craig’s ‘such a dick’ man
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Also, over apologising is my thing.
Bastard.
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Billy Bragg vs Eric Weinstein.
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OT, I’m angry that you’re not angry. But I’m also angry at craigs for not leaving either of us with a burning sense of anger.
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Maybe I should be more overbearing….
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‘salot of anger
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‘hold a grudge’
Milne once accused me of ‘typical English arrogance’ for essentially agreeing with him. Straight up. It happened. (about a million years ago)
But you know me, I just let thing’s go.
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@tomp
I find that being permanently sarcastic and cynical means I can’t remember if I’m really angry or just putting it on.
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There was that other time I was called a racist for liking LOTRs. That’s how it went down definitely. I’m sure.
But again. Water off a ducks back for easy going old me.
We should have some kind of ancient grudge amnesty.
If only for me.
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Martin Simpson is an English singer and guitarist, he says
“Dick Gaughan sang The Green Linnet on his first LP No More Forever which remains a massive influence for me. It is a song about Napoleon Bonaparte, who was largely vilified by the English, a bogey man for children, and a popular bust moulded into the bottom of chamber pots. He was regarded however as a possible saviour by the Irish, and was therefore mourned in a number of exquisitely verbose songs.”
Moulded into the bottom of chamber pots – quite the legacy.
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