Rugby Championship 2021

[Sully]

I would rather Phil Kearns.

Da fuck we would!

 

[Merrow]

I would rather Phil Kearns.

Could be on your own there

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Rankings have been updated & AB are indeed #1 by 91.15 to 90.95 so obviously the "No Home Advantage" part of the algorithm doesn't apply which is imo just bizarre: an AB win in Townsville will count as a win in Dunners? But a win in Brisbane counts as a win in Jo'burg or Cape Town? Not to mention we got as many points for the Brisbane win as we would've had it been in BA. That's so messed up.

Anyways, it is what it is & adds a little more spice to the upcoming matches.

Wobs have leap-frogged Ireland & Ringinland into third. Probably not enough points on offer v Argentina to go any higher but quite the turnaround & cause for optimism I'd have thought.

 

[Dan54]

I still can't worry about rankings etc, not something I take notice of I admit.
What I will say is I just a little nervous with test coming up, I know the Boks have lost a couple of test against wallabies, but I do know what happens when they play ABs, they become a different beast. It hard to explain I know to many rugby people outside NZ and SA, but the rivallary , history etc. Actually listening to Jon Smit last night on tv helped to remind me, and just get me back on edge of seat a little at though of a Bok test!!
With all due respect to Wallabies, England etc there is just nothing quite like for me.

 

[dru]

Rankings have been updated & AB are indeed #1 by 91.15 to 90.95 so obviously the "No Home Advantage" part of the algorithm doesn't apply which is imo just bizarre: an AB win in Townsville will count as a win in Dunners? But a win in Brisbane counts as a win in Jo'burg or Cape Town? Not to mention we got as many points for the Brisbane win as we would've had it been in BA. That's so messed up.

Anyways, it is what it is & adds a little more spice to the upcoming matches.

Wobs have leap-frogged Ireland & Ringinland into third. Probably not enough points on offer v Argentina to go any higher but quite the turnaround & cause for optimism I'd have thought.

What is messed up is the impact of COVID on the international tests. I think you are right, home games are retained and get nominated per the schedule. Also probably Suncorp Stadium is for WB home game, otherwise when we are "away" it is secondary stadia such as FNQ and the Gold Coast.

 

[KiwiM]

1. Who is their top hookers? Samisoni and Asafo are extremely powerful, and I think the ABs need ball-carrying and raw power in their forward pack. In 2019, the only line-bender they had was Ardie Savea.
2. It seems pretty much locked-in that bar injury, 4 and 5 will be Retallick and Whitelock respectively. So who wears the 19 jersey?

1. Completely agree re: ball carrying and power. The ABs really suffered on the weekend when Samisoni went off. The forward pack needs a balance of power and grafters - something they didn't have in 2019. I'd be looking to get more and more minutes into Samisoni and Aumua.

2. Whilst Scott Barrett would be the favourite here, Tupou Vaai is coming along very nicely and seems to be the type of forward they like with his skillset and workrate. Whilst he doesn't have as much bulk or abrasiveness as Scott Barrett - his error rate is much lower than Scotty B.

 

[Tazzmania]

Appears that all four sides have now gone back into restricted bubbles, soft quarantine I think that they call it due to evolving situation in Queensland

 

[Derpus]

Bored so here's my crack at a combined RC team to take on (and utterly humiliate) a Lions team.

1. Nche
2. Mbonambi
3. Tupou
4. Etzebeth
5. Retallick
6. Ioane (fell off badly against South Africa but was the stand out 6 after four weeks)
7. Hooper (C)
8. Vermeulen
9. Smith (yeah i know he only played a couple - but there's just no one close)
10. RMo (ditto)
11. Kellaway
12. Kerevi
13. Am
14. Reece
15. JBar

16. Taylor
17. Slipper
18. Nyakane
19. LDJ
20. A. Savea
21. White
22. Cooper
23. RIoane

Not sure that's strictly the best performers from this years comp, but i think that team would properly roger the Lions 3-0.

 

[Adam84]

there has been a few team of the tournaments names, here’s another:

 

[Blue]

there has been a few team of the tournaments names, here’s another:

View attachment 12691

lol

 

[Derpus]

Mine is way better.