Rugby World Cup 2019

[Dismal Pillock]

Can't find it to link to it but Foster was quoted over the weekend saying that one of TJP, Crotty or JBar will play 5/8 in a RWC Pool match. Also that this would be news to them as they hadn't actually "had that conversation yet" or similar. I'd have thought the last 20 v Tonga this weekend would be an appropriate time to trial it.

Jesus. You'd think after 2011 they'd insure themselves by picking Josh Ioane. An actual 1st 5. Flapanara at 1st 5 for an entire test match? He'd be lost in space.

Crotty's tinpot kicking game would be hilarious. Even fucken Laos would just pressure him into kicking with his off foot and then watch the shanks and dribble duffs putter sideways

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Ireland:

Forwards: Rory Best (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Dave Kilcoyne, Iain Henderson, Jean Kleyn, Peter O'Mahony, Andrew Porter, Rhys Ruddock, James Ryan, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier.

Backs: Bundee Aki, Joey Carbery, Jack Carty, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Kearney, Jordan Larmour, Luke McGrath, Conor Murray, Garry Ringrose, Jonathan Sexton, Jacob Stockdale.

Devin Toner dropped for a bloke who qualified on residency literally last month & WR (World Rugby) VP Pichot's not happy about it:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12264237

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Can't find it to link to it but Foster was quoted over the weekend saying that one of TJP, Crotty or JBar will play 5/8 in a RWC Pool match. Also that this would be news to them as they hadn't actually "had that conversation yet" or similar. I'd have thought the last 20 v Tonga this weekend would be an appropriate time to trial it.

Mo'unga's shoulder isn't right so Josh Ioane has been flown in as cover. Will be interesting to see whether they start him & Beaugan stays at FB or give him the last 20.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

GORGODZE IS RETURN FOR WORLD CUP. "OH DANIEL WHERE ARE YOU?"

​

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

France:

Forwards: Jefferson Poirot, Rabah Slimani, Demba Bamba, Emerick Setiano, Cyril Baille, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Camille Chat, Peato Mauvaka, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Gabrillagues, Arthur Iturria, Bernard Le Roux, Gregory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon, Louis Picamoles, Yacouba Camara, Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92).

Backs: Antoine Dupont, Baptiste Serin, Maxime Machenaud, Camille Lopez, Romain Ntamack, Gael Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Sofiane Guitoune, Virimi Vakatawa, Yoann Huget, Alivereti Raka, Damian Penaud, Maxime Medard, Thomas Ramos.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/ru...ran-louis-picamoles-included-in-frances-squad

 

[Braveheart81]

 

[wamberal]

Sam Lousi is one that we should have worked harder to retain, I reckon. That said, it is great to see him in the Ikali Tahe squad.

 

[fatprop]

France:

Forwards: Jefferson Poirot, Rabah Slimani, Demba Bamba, Emerick Setiano, Cyril Baille, Guilhem Guirado (captain), Camille Chat, Peato Mauvaka, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Paul Gabrillagues, Arthur Iturria, Bernard Le Roux, Gregory Alldritt, Charles Ollivon, Louis Picamoles, Yacouba Camara, Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92).

Backs: Antoine Dupont, Baptiste Serin, Maxime Machenaud, Camille Lopez, Romain Ntamack, Gael Fickou, Wesley Fofana, Sofiane Guitoune, Virimi Vakatawa, Yoann Huget, Alivereti Raka, Damian Penaud, Maxime Medard, Thomas Ramos.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/ru...ran-louis-picamoles-included-in-frances-squad

And of course the coolest jersey at the RWC

 

[Tex]

Jesus. You'd think after 2011 they'd insure themselves by picking Josh Ioane. An actual 1st 5. Flapanara at 1st 5 for an entire test match? He'd be lost in space.

Crotty's tinpot kicking game would be hilarious. Even fucken Laos would just pressure him into kicking with his off foot and then watch the shanks and dribble duffs putter sideways

You'd rather be experimenting with Crotty at 5/8 against Namibia than one of the big boys. Australia had to play Nathan Grey at 5/8 against England back in 03 after Larkham got hurt and Flatley hit the piss. Possibly the biggest backline we've fielded, all noted ball players: Gregan, Grey, Roff, Kefu, Turinui, Sailor, Latham.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I don't know where to put this, but Michael Hooper is the most yellow-carded player in test match history.
From the stats it shows he has cleaned up and not had one in the while. But a very surprising statistic.

These stats are from 2017.

https://punditarena.com/rugby/smcmahon/michael-hooper-now-yellow-carded-player-test-match-history/

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Scotland:

Forwards: John Barclay, Simon Berghan, Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Allan Dell, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Stuart McInally, Willem Nel, Gordon Reid, Jamie Ritchie, Blade Thomson, Ben Toolis, George Turner, Hamish Watson, Ryan Wilson.

Backs: Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Adam Hastings, Stuart Hogg, George Horne, Pete Horne, Sam Johnson, Blair Kinghorn, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Maitland, Ali Price, Finn Russell, Tommy Seymour, Duncan Taylor.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...name-sean-maitland-and-blade-thomson-in-squad

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I don't know where to put this, but Michael Hooper is the most yellow-carded player in test match history.
From the stats it shows he has cleaned up and not had one in the while. But a very surprising statistic.

These stats are from 2017.

https://punditarena.com/rugby/smcmahon/michael-hooper-now-yellow-carded-player-test-match-history/

Georgia's Viktor Kolelishvili has now caught up. Current list here:

http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_yellow_cards.html?id=1;type=class

Kieran Read NZ's worst with five. Brian Habana's seven surprised me.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Did
Cooper vuna do the 7s switcheroo?

 

[Braveheart81]

Did
Cooper vuna do the 7s switcheroo?

Yes. He played in some 2016 Olympic 7s qualifiers for Tonga and then was selected to play a test for Tonga in 2016.

 

[Derpus]

If be interested to see a Fiji, Tonga and Samoa 15 that include all their eligible players that have declared for other nations.

I bet they would all be very impressive teams.

 

[Dan54]

If be interested to see a Fiji, Tonga and Samoa 15 that include all their eligible players that have declared for other nations.

I bet they would all be very impressive teams.

You could probably say that about any of the Home Nations teams too mate, probably a fair amount of players in ABs,Wallabies who have a grandparent born in UK.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

If be interested to see a Fiji, Tonga and Samoa 15 that include all their eligible players that have declared for other nations.

I bet they would all be very impressive teams.

Eligible by birth or heritage? If by heritage (grandparent rule) then clearly, yes they'd be impressive. But if by birth, not so much.

 

[Derpus]

I was thinking the grandparent rule more than by birth.

 

[Braveheart81]

Eligible by birth or heritage? If by heritage (grandparent rule) then clearly, yes they'd be impressive. But if by birth, not so much.

It's foreseeable in a generation or two that they will need to introduce heritage eligibility (like for NZ Maori) for the Pacific Islands.

Migration from the Pacific Islands is only going in one direction and ultimately there will be a lot of PI rugby players who are part of Tongan/Samoan/Fiji communities in Australia and NZ and elsewhere that won't be able to play for those teams under the existing rules.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ I've been posting along similar lines for as long as I've been a G&GR'r so I'm pleased that someone else has noticed the impending PI player availability crisis (let's face it, Samoa or Tonga minus their heritage players would struggle in many Club comps e.g. Auckland, Sydney & Brisbane).