Playing only two teams in your pool and playing them twice would be a bizarre tournament.
It would also take longer to play those pool games than the entire tournament runs for right now.
The current tournament runs for 19 days and involves playing a game every 4 days in the pool round and 5 days in the playoffs.
Any sort of bye is nonsense. Worst bit of the World Cup. Need to campaign for a slightly longer tournament and expanding to 16 teams if you genuinely think you're hard done by the system.[/
No not suggesting hard done by, as it looks like two other teams will be in the same position; just not an ideal situation where a number of teams have won 2 games each, but get excluded. Needs looking at. I'm sure whilst the experience is great for Japan, Italy & Georgia getting beaten well 2 times or three times, no real point to it. Seed the teams into 4 or increase the numbers to 16. 12 doesn't work in 3's.
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So Australia needs to beat England with a 4 try bonus point and deny England a bonus point to make the semi-finals. Will be a tough ask.
Best thing about the midweek games is that they're all on the main channels and hence recordable.
FS2:
12.10am Argentina v Japan
2.25am New Zealand v Wales
4.35am England v Australia
FS5
12.10am Scotland v Italy
2.25am Ireland v Georgia
4.35am South Africa v France
If results fall the way we expect, the finals should be:
1-4
England v New Zealand
Argentina v Ireland
5-8
South Africa v Wales
Scotland v Australia
9-12
France v Japan
Georgia v Italy
based on a combined table of
1. England 14
2/3. Argentina 13
2/3. Ireland 13
4. New Zealand 11
5. South Africa 11
6. Scotland 8
7. Australia 7
8. Wales 6
9. France 5
10/11. Georgia 1
10/11 Italy 1
12. Japan 0
That was one of our week links in the first game IMO. Sione is a natural 12 and Jooste should be a bench 10/15. Kennewell would have been better in the centre's.No idea whether Jooste is injured or not.
Thought Jurd looked quite good when he came on against Italy. I'd think Jooste probably got dropped on form.
Good to see Lukan Tui in the starting side - unfortunate for Rodda who has been playing good but McCauley also earns his spot.
Would have preferred Rob Leota at 8 as the stronger runner and harder defender.
Les Frogges nearly won RWC2011 having lost a pool game to Tonga.That truism works for all big competitions, Hugh.