Whether they view it in those terms it’s impossible to say, but here’s not exactly anything new about them dishing out more than their share of high shots.
I can’t see why any of them are red cards if the Ritchie one isn’t. In the very short term him being let back on made for a more interesting game for about ten minutes, but it wasn’t good at all in the bigger picture.
The Wales-Australia game was perhaps notable in that I don’t think there were really any incidents at all of this kind – there was one fairly bad tackle round the neck, a kind of old-fashioned high tackle if you like, and that was about it.
I counted ten late/high or off the ball hits, Tonga started early, Turner got a monster hit in the back from the Tongan 5 at a maul about three minutes in.
The off the ball hit on Steyn was only picked up by the useless Whitehouse because the French producers replayed it on the stadium screens and tv replay. The hit on Kinghorn late on looked as bad as the one on Ritchie. It wasn’t looked at.
If they are not trying to injure opponents I’d like to know what the thinking is when they smash shoulders into faces and backs
@Ticht – I watched that one in the pub so wasn’t too sure – there were a couple in the first half that I wondered about, but as there doesn’t seem to have been any controversy have to assume they were OK. Good that two such high profile games went off without any of these problems.
Gosh
I didn’t see that coming.
I expected a 50/50 match with Australia winning in injury time from a dubious penalty, as per.
I was wrong about Tomkins, North, Anscombe and Gats was right.
He may not be the best coach in world rugby but he’s the best for Wales.
I assume his training camps are the usual fitness, skills training, unicorn sacrifice and mortgaging you soul to Satan but he certainly gets that extra 120% out of the team.
Special mention for Rowlands, Morgan, Gareth Thomas and Elias.
@BRB – Yes, the front five did really well. Whatever it was that they did to sort the scrums out after those first couple of penalties went against them had a really big bearing on how things played out.
The ón the edge’ sensation in the Ireland/SA game was extraordinary – nobody cracked and did something really stupid. Lowe was the nearest, I think, on Jantjes
That was a helluva weekend of rugby! Congrats to all the winners, commiserations to all the losers and great stuff on the draw between Portugal and Georgia! It sets up this next round rather nicely with some critical results in most pools:
In Group A, I can’t see the Kiwis coming unstuck against Italy this weekend, and with Italy then facing France a week later, it’s surely a closed group. Surely Italy can’t beat the Kiwis? If they did, it would send New Zealand out at the group stages for the first time ever and get Japan 2015 off our backs as the greatest shock in World Cup history.
Group B is shaping up nicely as well. If the Boks get a full house of five points against Tonga, they’re through regardless of other results. We’ve then got two weeks before the QF, so the coaches may well put out a strong 23 to make sure of the result. Ireland have a bye and will watch with interest as Scotland face Romania before their encounter on the final pools weekend. Assuming the Boks do get their bonus point win against Tonga (and I can’t see why they won’t), it’s then a straight shootout between Scotland and Ireland in the final pool match. Scotland need to win, with a bonus point, and deny Ireland a bonus point to go through, which seems highly unlikely. But…
Group C will likely see Australia on the boat home, regardless of their own result, if Fiji beat Georgia this week. Fiji must be heavy favourites to do that, and if they secure the bonus point, it’s the Nauru processing centre for Eddie and the Bedwetters (serves him right for picking a kindergarten squad). No bonus point and Australia have a mathematical chance of going through. However, with Georgia and Portugal as their two final opponents, Fiji must be pretty certain of a spot in the quarters.
Samoa, Japan and Argentina are all still in with a shout of finishing runners-up to the runaway leaders England, meaning the winner of Samoa-Japan is still in with a shout, but the losers almost certainly out. Argentina have the inside lane, even thought they’re below both Samoa and Japan, with a match against bottom side Chile – should be a nice, feisty match between neighbours! Samoa have England as their final game, and whilst I don’t think they’ll beat England (even if ‘SB’ decides to put out a weakened side to protect star players), a bonus point or two could swing things in their favour. Argentina-Japan is the other final group game and should see Argentina through if they get a full house two weeks in a row.
Jean Deysel gets a 12 week ban for his tackle on Dupont. Reduced by 50% for tasty biscuits and another week off for attending the unicorn tackle school. He may well be playing again before Dupont is fully fit.
Namibia Rugby Union is the most financially deprived of all the unions in the WC. To participate in rugby as a player, coach or ref is not easy. Different clubs are hundreds of kilometres from each other and everything comes out of their own pockets. It’s work during the day, training in the evenings and games on weekends.
I don’t know if they are in fact the most financially deprived, but I do know the distances in Namibia between the towns makes it very taxing to play week in and week out for ordinary folk.
I hope these are just mind games and that Dupont doesn’t play anymore during this WC, except maybe in the final if France ever get that far. His short term and long term health is at stake, no game is worth that much.
Besides, as a selfish viewer, I’d rather be entertained by Dupont for the next few years, regardless of the competitions, be it T14 or Hcup rather than a WC, than seeing him being targeted and destroyed for good.
Quite like the Uruguay kit (again playing in the gold tops and blue shorts). I don’t think they’ve played in their first choice blue at all? Although I don’t like white numbers on gold shirts, difficult to see sometimes.
Uruguay in again. First Namibian yellow stays a yellow, but second one should be upgraded and has been. Apparently Namibia have played all their games within 18 days. Thought there was supposed to be more time between games, why couldn’t this game have been played on Friday, for example?
Refit, Vakatawa isn’t allowed to play in France due to stringent health regulations.
Christopher Tolofua (#2, hooker) couldn’t play either (some serious neck injury) and also went to England before coming back to Toulon (?) a few years later , able to play legally then.
Hope the best for Virimi , a wonderful player. It’s a great signing for Bristol albeit a serious question mark over his health ( heart condition).
So, bonus point win leaves the Boks thru ? Scotland can only go thru if they beat Ireland by more than 7 points and Ireland get less than 4 tries , thus knocking Ireland out ?
Can we take a point off the Boks for picking Pollard, or using a 7-1 split on the bench last game ? I have to say the traffic lights look a bit suspicious to me, surely they must contravene some arcane law, and they had the measure of Ireland.s lineout early doors, perhaps a little further investigation may reveal some nefarious spy shit going down, Bok Bugs in Ireland Training Sessions Shock.
Well yes of course, but it would be easier if the officials didn’t manage the opposition through games like they did with South Africa, which cost us the game, and against Tonga which didn’t affect the outcome
RFU are killing English rugby by undermining any progressive structure.
Jersey were Championship champions but Following a 50% cut in funding wither the rest?
Effing idiots…………………………………………………….
:quality(70):focal(1986x276:1996x286)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YU2GURKC7IARJDNYEIMO2RCEOI.jpg)
Ovally Balls 
Toonie not happy either….
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/66908213
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“Tonga were looking to injure players all game”
Whether they view it in those terms it’s impossible to say, but here’s not exactly anything new about them dishing out more than their share of high shots.
I can’t see why any of them are red cards if the Ritchie one isn’t. In the very short term him being let back on made for a more interesting game for about ten minutes, but it wasn’t good at all in the bigger picture.
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The Wales-Australia game was perhaps notable in that I don’t think there were really any incidents at all of this kind – there was one fairly bad tackle round the neck, a kind of old-fashioned high tackle if you like, and that was about it.
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I counted ten late/high or off the ball hits, Tonga started early, Turner got a monster hit in the back from the Tongan 5 at a maul about three minutes in.
The off the ball hit on Steyn was only picked up by the useless Whitehouse because the French producers replayed it on the stadium screens and tv replay. The hit on Kinghorn late on looked as bad as the one on Ritchie. It wasn’t looked at.
If they are not trying to injure opponents I’d like to know what the thinking is when they smash shoulders into faces and backs
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CMW, the South Africa Ireland game was about as physical as rugby gets, but I don’t think there were any high/off the ball or late hits.
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@Ticht – I watched that one in the pub so wasn’t too sure – there were a couple in the first half that I wondered about, but as there doesn’t seem to have been any controversy have to assume they were OK. Good that two such high profile games went off without any of these problems.
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Gosh
I didn’t see that coming.
I expected a 50/50 match with Australia winning in injury time from a dubious penalty, as per.
I was wrong about Tomkins, North, Anscombe and Gats was right.
He may not be the best coach in world rugby but he’s the best for Wales.
I assume his training camps are the usual fitness, skills training, unicorn sacrifice and mortgaging you soul to Satan but he certainly gets that extra 120% out of the team.
Special mention for Rowlands, Morgan, Gareth Thomas and Elias.
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@BRB – Yes, the front five did really well. Whatever it was that they did to sort the scrums out after those first couple of penalties went against them had a really big bearing on how things played out.
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Yes ,they adjusted.
A commentator said it might be that Francis was too long initially (Karl). Improved again when Slipper went off.
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Tonga’s serial offender was the tall blond 2nd row – very naughty previously as well.
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Ticht
I Ithought the only possible mitigation for the foul on Ritchie was that Ritchie was also lowering his shoulders and head into the collision?
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The ón the edge’ sensation in the Ireland/SA game was extraordinary – nobody cracked and did something really stupid. Lowe was the nearest, I think, on Jantjes
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I thought Wales were excellent, both individually and as a collective – well done to the players and Gats.
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That was a helluva weekend of rugby! Congrats to all the winners, commiserations to all the losers and great stuff on the draw between Portugal and Georgia! It sets up this next round rather nicely with some critical results in most pools:
In Group A, I can’t see the Kiwis coming unstuck against Italy this weekend, and with Italy then facing France a week later, it’s surely a closed group. Surely Italy can’t beat the Kiwis? If they did, it would send New Zealand out at the group stages for the first time ever and get Japan 2015 off our backs as the greatest shock in World Cup history.
Group B is shaping up nicely as well. If the Boks get a full house of five points against Tonga, they’re through regardless of other results. We’ve then got two weeks before the QF, so the coaches may well put out a strong 23 to make sure of the result. Ireland have a bye and will watch with interest as Scotland face Romania before their encounter on the final pools weekend. Assuming the Boks do get their bonus point win against Tonga (and I can’t see why they won’t), it’s then a straight shootout between Scotland and Ireland in the final pool match. Scotland need to win, with a bonus point, and deny Ireland a bonus point to go through, which seems highly unlikely. But…
Group C will likely see Australia on the boat home, regardless of their own result, if Fiji beat Georgia this week. Fiji must be heavy favourites to do that, and if they secure the bonus point, it’s the Nauru processing centre for Eddie and the Bedwetters (serves him right for picking a kindergarten squad). No bonus point and Australia have a mathematical chance of going through. However, with Georgia and Portugal as their two final opponents, Fiji must be pretty certain of a spot in the quarters.
Samoa, Japan and Argentina are all still in with a shout of finishing runners-up to the runaway leaders England, meaning the winner of Samoa-Japan is still in with a shout, but the losers almost certainly out. Argentina have the inside lane, even thought they’re below both Samoa and Japan, with a match against bottom side Chile – should be a nice, feisty match between neighbours! Samoa have England as their final game, and whilst I don’t think they’ll beat England (even if ‘SB’ decides to put out a weakened side to protect star players), a bonus point or two could swing things in their favour. Argentina-Japan is the other final group game and should see Argentina through if they get a full house two weeks in a row.
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There was news on Dupont yesterday, he s to be back for the quarters wearing a mask.
It seems incredibly risky to me, in terms of his long term health I mean
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Ticht, seems risky short-term as well.
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Jean Deysel gets a 12 week ban for his tackle on Dupont. Reduced by 50% for tasty biscuits and another week off for attending the unicorn tackle school. He may well be playing again before Dupont is fully fit.
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A comment on a SA site about Namibian rugby:
Namibia Rugby Union is the most financially deprived of all the unions in the WC. To participate in rugby as a player, coach or ref is not easy. Different clubs are hundreds of kilometres from each other and everything comes out of their own pockets. It’s work during the day, training in the evenings and games on weekends.
I don’t know if they are in fact the most financially deprived, but I do know the distances in Namibia between the towns makes it very taxing to play week in and week out for ordinary folk.
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I hope these are just mind games and that Dupont doesn’t play anymore during this WC, except maybe in the final if France ever get that far. His short term and long term health is at stake, no game is worth that much.
Besides, as a selfish viewer, I’d rather be entertained by Dupont for the next few years, regardless of the competitions, be it T14 or Hcup rather than a WC, than seeing him being targeted and destroyed for good.
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What a start for Namibia! Breakaway try in a minute!
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If that last pass isn’t forward, Namibia are in again! Uruguay look a bit shell-shocked.
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Uruguay in now. Again, the last pass might have been forward. TMO is Whitehouse…..
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Quite like the Uruguay kit (again playing in the gold tops and blue shorts). I don’t think they’ve played in their first choice blue at all? Although I don’t like white numbers on gold shirts, difficult to see sometimes.
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Uruguay maul over! This has been fun.
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Namibian tichtheid off with a yellow for repeated penalties at scrums. Uruguay turning the screw here, but need to score.
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Uruguay fullback scores a very acrobatic try! And he’s called Baltazar, which somehow makes it better.
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Ooh, that pass just died on the Namibian player.
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Uruguay in for another try, lovely from the scrum half. Now in the lead 26-23.
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Hi Refit! Think everyone else is at their tea….
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Another yellow for Namibia, high tackle. Could be upgraded to red, but who knows….
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Wotcha BB. I got in from work just in time for the second half.
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And probably another yellow, could almost be a straight red. Namibia have just lost all composure.
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And immediately after that yellow, one of the props hits a Uruguayan player inna head. Also a yellow & bunker.
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Ooh, Bristol have signed Virimi Vakatawa. That might make up for the loss of Semi.
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Uruguay in again. First Namibian yellow stays a yellow, but second one should be upgraded and has been. Apparently Namibia have played all their games within 18 days. Thought there was supposed to be more time between games, why couldn’t this game have been played on Friday, for example?
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Ooh, another TMO check.
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Now Uruguay have a player off for a high tackle. Might get upgraded, but won’t affect the match. 14 vs 14 now.
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This time it’s the Uruguayan 10 who was upright in a tackle and got properly clattered. Yellow & bunker for him as well.
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Uruguay yellow stays a yellow. Not sure how they get to some of these decisions.
Anyway, Uruguay win 36-26 in the end.
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Wrote a novel, but WordPress said fuck you. Basically, we’ll beat Tonga with the bonus point, despite some slightly iffy selections.
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Refit, Vakatawa isn’t allowed to play in France due to stringent health regulations.
Christopher Tolofua (#2, hooker) couldn’t play either (some serious neck injury) and also went to England before coming back to Toulon (?) a few years later , able to play legally then.
Hope the best for Virimi , a wonderful player. It’s a great signing for Bristol albeit a serious question mark over his health ( heart condition).
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So, bonus point win leaves the Boks thru ? Scotland can only go thru if they beat Ireland by more than 7 points and Ireland get less than 4 tries , thus knocking Ireland out ?
Can we take a point off the Boks for picking Pollard, or using a 7-1 split on the bench last game ? I have to say the traffic lights look a bit suspicious to me, surely they must contravene some arcane law, and they had the measure of Ireland.s lineout early doors, perhaps a little further investigation may reveal some nefarious spy shit going down, Bok Bugs in Ireland Training Sessions Shock.
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Flair – thanks for the background info. Fingers crossed Bristol treat him well and keep the workload fairly light.
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Finn only 31, will he make the next world cup ?
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SBT, will Scotland make the next World Cup?
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You can go off some people…..
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“will Scotland make the next World Cup?”
Well yes of course, but it would be easier if the officials didn’t manage the opposition through games like they did with South Africa, which cost us the game, and against Tonga which didn’t affect the outcome
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Jersey have gone bust.
There are rumours of more problems in the Prem and Championship clubs
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Namibia have played all four group games now.
There are many teams that have only played two. It’s a lot of pressure on a team that won’t have a lot of depth to choose from
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RFU are killing English rugby by undermining any progressive structure.
Jersey were Championship champions but Following a 50% cut in funding wither the rest?
Effing idiots…………………………………………………….
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