RWC 2011 - Pool D - Fiji, Namibia, Wales, South Africa, Samoa

[AngrySeahorse]

Bugger, some great play there by Namibia.

EDIT: Namibia may have gone over at the end!

EDIT: And its good!

 

[AngrySeahorse]

And its all over Samoa send a warning to the other teams in the pool. Another brave go of it by Namibia.

Samoa 49 Namibia 12.

 

[Rev Spooner]

Samoa were far of their best and Namibia came good in the end but were shy of the form shown against Fiji. Their set pieces were woeful today and cost them many points including a penalty try.

 

[tigerland12]

Solid by Samoa, but they will have to improve vastly to beat Wales or South Africa.
Namibia are improving since 4 years ago, but their set piece was horrible.

My top 3 players: Fa'asavalu, Jaques Burger, George Stowers

 

[matty_k]

Danie van Wyk was the stand out for Namibia. Amatuer player. Works in a brewery. Has plenty of pace.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Danie van Wyk was the stand out for Namibia. Amatuer player. Works in a brewery. Has plenty of pace.

No.13? If that is him then yes he cut them up. Their fly half is good quality too.

 

[matty_k]

Yep the 13.

 

[chief]

Danie van Wyk was the stand out for Namibia. Amatuer player. Works in a brewery. Has plenty of pace.

Bloody great background. I wonder if we will start seeing him in Currie Cup even S15. Because he was excellent.

 

[Braveheart81]

Windhoek Lager is a pretty good brew. Sounds like he does a good job off the field too.

 

[saulih]

Samoa was always going to win this game I thought, but I tuned in nevertheless to see if there would be a repeat of the field goal fest that Namibia instigated against Fiji. Kotze (sp?) never got into that groove but instead they spent the game giving away possession. Looked best with the pick and go in my mind. However, instead of using it, they kept spreading it wide again and again, only to have it lost due to a lack of supporting players backing up in the ruck. It was nice to see then comeback with a couple tries in the back nine after Samoa had relaxed, as well as hold Samoa to under 50 points.

All in all though it did feel like a bit of a letdown after the first match IMO. I imagine that these guys will packing plenty of ice for their plane trip home after their remaining games against the Saffas and the Welsh. What a grueling schedule they have compared to the other teams!

 

[saulih]

Oh, and highlight of the game was seeing Namibia defend their line after a Samoan won lineout at the Namibian 5 meter or so... seeing them fold the Samoan maul back on itself and the ensuing carnage was beautiful to see. Did result in a rib cage injury to one of the Samoans which was not good, but the Namibian defense at that moment was enormous.

 

[Lee Grant]

Rugby World Cup 2011: Fiji aim to leapfrog South Africa
From Paul Rees of The Guardian:

*******************

Fiji are looking to frog-strewn training pitches to spawn World Cup success. The 2007 quarter-finalists on Saturday meet the team who knocked them out four years ago, South Africa, not concerned about winter's late flurry in the capital this week.

The contrast between the holders and Fiji could not be starker. The Springboks' squad is made up exclusively of professionals, the vast majority of whom are based in the country. Fiji's players are scattered all over the world and only two play for the same club. The bonus for the entire squad if they reach the last eight again will be little more than that received by one Springbok.

"What we lack in resources we make up for in talent," said the Fiji captain, Deacon Manu, who plays for Scarlets. "We respect South Africa, but we pushed them four years ago and if we play our game, which is to keep the ball in hand, we can go one better this time."

Only seven of the Fijian squad are based at home. The rest are based in Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, France, Scotland and Italy, professionals who often have to pay their own air fares when they link up with the national squad.

"The fields we train on in Fiji are littered with frogs," said Manu. "They are an eye-opener even for someone like me. You are rarely able to use a full pitch. Most of the time you have to make do with a 22 and coming to New Zealand is such a contrast that most of the guys want to sleep on the grass we train on.

"It is hard financially to play for the island teams. Guys have to pay their own way when they come back for trial matches and if they do not make the squad, they do not get a refund. We have to move our families all over the world because that is where the contracts are and we would like to play more Tests against the top teams.

"You are only going to improve if you play the best, not if you are always facing teams which are similar to you or lower in the rankings. The northern tours are vitally important because they challenge us. It is a matter of making sure players are not out of pocket when they play for Fiji. We don't get the perks and other things that teams in the north enjoy."

The International Rugby Board is using profits from World Cups to develop an infrastructure in Fijian rugby, starting with basic equipment such as scrummaging machines, and the country has a high-performance centre, if not one that is as well resourced at Samoa's.

"The unit is invaluable because it helps put academy players on the right direction," said Manu. "It gives young players a focus. There are not many sporting opportunities in Fiji and it is a case of showing kids that if they knuckle down and prove themselves good enough to play for Fiji, they can look after their family by getting a contract with a club abroad."

Family is important to Fijians. In the player portraits in their World Cup media guide, not only is an individual's birthplace included but the villages of his father and his mother. "We are one big family," said Manu. "We have some exceptional players, but no matter what they achieve as individuals they remain humble."

South Africa are wary of the threat of the Flying Fijians. "We respect them," said the Springboks' coach, Peter de Villiers. "They have a reputation of running from everywhere, but when you analyse their game it is a lot more structured nowadays. Fiji are a big team."

Manu has had Twitter conversations with his Scarlets' team-mates this week after Wales's narrow loss to South Africa here last Sunday. "They can take a lot out of that performance going into their game against Samoa," said Manu. "It is going to be one of those tournaments when it is going to come down to the last 10 minutes and our pool is so tight bonus points will be crucial.

"We are capable of making the quarter-finals again. We have to make sure we remain focused on what we do well. We are aware of what we are going to be up against with South Africa: you can be aware that you are going to be involved in a car crash and it does not help you. We have to be as resilient as Wales were."

South Africa include Bakkies Botha, who has made a speedy recovery from an achilles injury. He was named in the side 48 hours after he was being linked with a return home because the medical staff were struggling to work out the cause of the problem, but Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers are unavailable.

"I am not sure their injuries will benefit us," said Manu. "They have a strong squad, but we are more experienced than we were four years ago when we were level with them going into the last 20 minutes of the quarter-final. We know it will be tough, but we are confident."

 

[exISA]

please please please one time Fiji beat SA then giving them a sudden death game against Samoa.. that would be aws. k thx bai.

 

[Blue]

If we lose against Fiji we may as well go home.

Based on what I saw in the Pacific Nations Cup and their first performance against Namibia this teams isn't nearly as good as the 2007 version.

No doubt they will lift and play out their skin but we just need to keep structure and slow the game right down. Force them into set piece which looked poor against the Namibians.

 

[Scarfman]

please please please one time Fiji beat SA then giving them a sudden death game against Samoa.. that would be aws. k thx bai.

Don't forget that Australia might be playing the second placed team in this pool. I'm kind of hoping it's Wales.

 

[Blue]

Johan Muller ruled out. Francois Louw to come onto the bench. Alberts to cover lock.

We will finish the game with a pack that has five loose forwards on the field.

Smit likely to finish the game at 3 which doesn't bother me against Fiji (the reason is that they have /beast on the bench who only covers LH).

So for the last 30: Smit, Bismarck, Beast, Rossouw, Alberts, F Louw, Brussow/ Schalk, Spies

The most mobile bok pack in history.

 

[exISA]

Don't forget that Australia might be playing the second placed team in this pool. I'm kind of hoping it's Wales.

oh I know that - to be honest Im worried about coming up against either SA, Wales or Samoa - SA of course can beat Australia on any given Sunday but on their day so can the other teams... its going to be a nervous quarter final no matter who we face.

 

[Bullrush]

Frank Bunce, Pat Lam attack IRB over unfair scheduling
by Manu Samoa on Friday, September 16, 2011 at 6:18am
MARC HINTON IN AUCKLAND

Sept., 16, 2011

The IRB is coming under fire for the short turnarounds being inflicted on unfashionable tier-two countries who have proven star attractions through the opening week of the Rugby World Cup.

Teams such as Samoa, Canada, Namibia, Georgia and the USA all had just three days between their opening games and their second pool matches this week.

However, New Zealand had their first two games scheduled a week apart, England had a luxurious eight days (allowing them to get on the ran-tan in Queenstown) between games and Australia and South Africa six days.

Many believe that's unfair on countries who are struggling to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots of rugby and who have the odds stacked against them anyway.

Former Samoa greats Frank Bunce and Pat Lam, both of whom went on to play for the All Blacks, believe the IRB have got the formula completely wrong.

They reckon tier-two countries who lack the financial and playing resources of the major rugby nations should be the ones afforded the lengthier break between games and say the heavyweights are well equipped to handle a short turnaround through the pool stages.

"It's unfair," said Bunce who played for Samoa at the 1991 World Cup and then went on to have a 55-test career with the All Blacks. "They're the least-equipped teams to have the short turnarounds.

"We saw last weekend the so-called lesser teams stood up and they certainly all went down fighting. But we've seen at World Cup after World Cup they start well, but tend to drop off because you can't keep that intensity up when you have to play again so soon."

Lam says the solution is simple, and he offers another recommendation around the developing nations.

"In the professional game with the resources and depth of the top nations, it's those teams that should have the shorter turnarounds," said Lam.

"It only takes the tier-two nations to lose two or three players and that's a major catastrophe because their depth isn't as strong. Having that full turnaround will make them even more competitive."

Lam also wants to see a plate or shield competition that would give the tier-two nations something to aspire to beyond the pool stage. His proposal is for the last-placed teams to go home and the third and fourth finishers to enter a second-tier knockout competition.

"Imagine instead of a third-place playoff that teams don't even want to play, the day before the final there's a shield final that could be Georgia or Romania against Fiji or Tonga. What a great competition and more rugby at this level for those nations."

Rumblings have already started among the so-called lesser nations.

"It makes me laugh," said Canada's Kiwi coach Kieran Crowley after his team's opening upset over Tonga on Wednesday night. They now play France on Sunday.

Tongan coach Isitolo Maka attributed Wednesday night's defeat, and the record 11 personnel changes made, to the demands of two games within a week. "The only reason we had to make the changes was the four-day turnaround, but now we've got a week to prepare, so it's going to be different facing Japan."

The IRB's hands are tied by the realities of the prescribed time frame. Their TV partners, who pay serious money for rights, also make it clear they prefer the heavyweight clashes in the weekend slots.

"This is the best-balanced schedule to date for a Rugby World Cup," said a spokesman. "While it is unavoidable that some teams have a more compressed schedule than others, we have worked to ensure no team has two three-day periods in a row, as well as minimising travel. There are five teams that have 14 rest days or less, down from seven in 2007 and eight in 2003."

The spokesman added broadcast revenues were reinvested into the tier-two nations. "We are investing over £150 million in that regard between 2009-2012 as a result of the commercial success of RWC." - Stuff

 

[tigerland12]

I'm most annoyed about Samoa getting the short turn-around. They have a massive chance of making the quaters

 

[barbarian]

It is one of those necessary evils of the RWC. There aren't many ways around it. You could play 5 pools of 4 like the Soccer world cup, and each day from Wed-Sun is devoted to one pool only, with each team in that pool having the same schedule. But how do you do Quarter Finals with 5 pools?

I feel for the minnow teams, but can't really see a solution. The one Bunce proposes (that big nations have the tight turnarounds) may work but you do have to cater for your larger markets, and shafting the Boks, Poms, Frogs etc could backfire badly. Not to mention affect the quality of rugby seen in the later stages.