World Cup, Round Three!

Have only got time for the briefest of posts, but wow! What a setback for France.

Also, you know: the big Saffers v saintly Ireland (under-Ulstered) on Saturday. Prepare the sofa for hiding behind now.

Onna telly this week

Friday 22nd September

Argentina v Samoa16:45ITV1
Gloucester v Harlequins19:45TNT Sports 1

Saturday 23rd September

Georgia v Portugal13:00ITV1
England v Chile16:45ITV1 / STV
South Africa v Ireland20:00ITV1 / STV / RTÉ2

Sunday 24th September

Scotland v Tonga16:45ITV1 / STV / RTÉ2
Wales v Australia20:00ITV1 / STV / iPlayer / S4C

Wednesday 27th September

Uruguay v Namibia16:45ITV4

Thursday 28th September

Japan v Samoa20:00ITV4 / RTÉ2

352 thoughts on “World Cup, Round Three!

  1. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    This is tense

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  2. Bugger! Thought I won it at the death there!

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  3. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Oh no, what a chance to win, that is real pressure, though

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  4. Great rugby entertainment!

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  5. flair99's avatarflair99

    That was fun. Lots of missed opportunities on both sides (how many balls held up behind the goal line?) but some excellent skills, a fair result overall.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    Shame he didn’t get it as it would have meant a lot to Portugal and a draw is as good as a loss to the Georgians anyway. Anyone know how games between these two normally go? I assume they play regularly, I know the commentator said Portugal haven’t won for a long time, just wondering if they often even get close.

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  7. flair99's avatarflair99

    CMW, there has been 24 games between the two since 1997. Portugal won 4 of the first seven games but then haven’t won since 2005. They drew 3 times and lost 14.
    Last two games in the rugby championship were a draw in Portugal 25-25 and win for Georgia at home ( 23-14).
    Basically a fierce and familiar rivalry.

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  8. ClydeMillarWynant's avatarClydeMillarWynant

    Thanks Flair – sounds like despite not having beaten Georgia for ages Portugal would still have fancied their chances at least a bit. Enjoyed what I saw of the game though that wasn’t all that much.

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  9. Ooh, it’s the dream team in the studio. *mutes TV*

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  10. It says something about how England have been playing recently, that I can see this both being a walk in the park, but England also making it look very hard work.

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  11. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Chile are looking up for it

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  12. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Right, I’ve got one eye on the mountains and one eye on the match.

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  13. Finally, England made exceptionally hard work of the first points of the match.

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  14. Can you just imagine if England gave the ball to a player in motion, rather than standing still?

    Arundell gets another walk-in.

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  15. I’m enjoying Theo Dan’s play. He’s very dynamic.

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  16. Ok, that was lovely by Smith, albeit against a tiring Chile.

    End of the first half, England lead 31-0.

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  17. Dammit, SCW talking over the start of the second half. I didn’t avoid hearing him.

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  18. Yellow card for the Chile #3 – diving at the legs of a playing in the maul.

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  19. Hat-trick for Arundell. A bit lucky that the Chilean player covering wasn’t able to gather the ball.

    45-0 49mins

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  20. They way ITV/World Rugby showed Ford then the sub-board, I thought England had brought him on a scrum-half for a second.

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  21. 4th for Arundell – bit more effort to this one. A chip over the Chilean defensive line and a fingertip gather to dot down.

    52-0. 61mins

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  22. How is LFB’s pass still sooooo laboured and slow? And forward.

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  23. Arundell gets 5. Smith steps through the line and gives him an easy run-in, in the corner.

    57-0. 70mins

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  24. Lovely work by Ford, to create Smith’s second try.

    64-0

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  25. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    That’ll be the 70 then, with the conversion

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  26. Huge gap in the defensive line and Willis just gallops through, under the posts.

    71-0. 80mins.

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  27. Shame for Chile. They came close in the first half and they might have had a bit of a chance to score, if their lineout was functional.

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  28. sunbeamtim's avatarsunbeamtim

    Not sure how much that told us, altho Malins and Billy looked slightly off the pace. Arundel got 5, but four were walk ins. Daly looked sharp, Smith looked creative and fast, Willis was excellent, Dan surprisingly productive, Faz didn’t try and decapitate anyone, Ribbans excellent too.

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  29. flair99's avatarflair99

    What did I learn? That it was the first time Care and Farrell played together for almost 8 years? Funny, as they seem to have been around for ages.
    Good win for England, some good moves, no injury, no RC. But… lots of dead wood, handling and awareness still a work in progress, most backs lack pace. Toulon made a good signing with Ribbans.

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  30. sunbeamtim's avatarsunbeamtim

    Also, Lawrence looks to offer more than Manu at the moment. Hmm. Plenty of choices. Not a bad place to be for Borthwick. Wished Chile had managed to nail one of their breaks, but apart from that, I think that game went as well as could be expected from my viewpoint.

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  31. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    This is going to be epic, I hope.

    From a selfish perspective I have to back the Boks, it gives Scotland the best chance of progression, albeit very slight and it would mean us having to beat Ireland, which I find it very difficult to see happening.

    This could well be a dress rehearsal for the final, I can only see NZ or France matching these sides

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  32. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Kolisi is a great captain

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  33. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Kolisi sings the anthem with as much passion as Heyneke Meyer did

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  34. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Good start!

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  35. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Going to the corner

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  36. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Can’t braythe!

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  37. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    What the fuck was that line-out? Where’s Herring? Oh, not even on the bench!

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  38. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    Ireland’s lineout has been taken apart so far

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  39. Hansen’s gonna be sore tomorrow.

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  40. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Well, we won’t fucking win without a line-out.

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  41. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    The scrum is not doing much better.

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  42. James Lowe demonstrating the only time a winger can whoop and scream.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Our defence is good. Only thing saving us.

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  44. That was confusing. Ireland get pinged for a squint throw and they cut to a replay of a completely different lineout.

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  45. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    Sexton crocked. (How many times have I written that?)

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  46. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    DeAllende is making a real mess with his carries

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  47. Can you imagine Etzebeth, with *that* face, charging at you?

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  48. tichtheid2's avatartichtheid2

    No one gives a monkey’s but Porter hasn’t once bound on the body yet

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  49. thaumaturge's avatarthaumaturge

    TRY Hansen!

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  50. Hansen got horribly close to the whitewash there.

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