RWC 2015

[Gnostic]

Imagine is a southern hemisphere team got caught doing that.

or fielding 16 players, or changing the match ball..........

Why not just fine the team and disqualify all the players who attended training not named in the squad from participation in the RWC.

 

[Beer Baron]

How good is tje improvement of japan namibia etc worst score to date of ireland vs canada iirc is a huge change from the days of 100 pt thrashings, which, weren't that long ago. They need to incorporate namibia into super rugby... although im sure the saf sides already look there.

 

[Highlander35]

I think the Namibians are joining the Currie Cup, there were rumours of Zimbabwe and Kenya doing the same.

 

[aeneas]

Well having watched two underwhelming performances in a row I fear that the All Blacks have gone about 12 months too far with this crew.

ABE rules from here. Anyone But England.

 

[Beer Baron]

Going off wiki, you're right. Kenya.and zimbabwe appear to have been brushed, with Namibia in a 15 team currie cup.

 

[BDA]

Its pretty clear that some of the all blacks are past their best. They still might be good enough to win it though.
None of the other teams have really set the world on fire yet.

 

[Hawko]

Its pretty clear that some of the all blacks are past their best. They still might be good enough to win it though.
None of the other teams have really set the world on fire yet.

But I would guess the playing field was a little more even than last time. I don't think our team is 1999 quality but I still think we are a good chance to take it out.

In 2011, with Deans making a mess of it, I thought we were about 1% chance of winning it at the start. This time I think our odds are way better and that NZ, England, Ireland and ourselves are all about 25 +/- 5%.

 

[zer0]

Its pretty clear that some of the all blacks are past their best. They still might be good enough to win it though.
None of the other teams have really set the world on fire yet.

This. England won in 2003, despite hitting their peak the year before. And, as France demonstrated last time round, you don't need to be fabulous in the pool stages to make the final -- hence why I would not yet discount South Africa.

 

[mxyzptlk]

MAD STATS
RWC 2015 ROUND 1

Here's some stats comparisons from the first round. All stats are taken from ESPN, and I'm just offering comparisons of best stats in a category, worst stats in a category, and in the case where there are percentages (like scrums won, tackles, made, etc.) I'm separating out who had the most in a particular category from those who had the best percentages.

In the first round, there were 12 games played, and four teams had to front up twice to cover the teams that got early byes. Those teams include Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, and France.

The stats include: Tries, Conversions, Penalties Kicked, Kick at Goal %, Meters run, Kicks from Hand, Passes, Runs, Possession, Territory, Line Breaks, Defenders Beaten, Offloads, Rucks Won, Mauls Won, Turnovers Conceded, Own Scrums Won, Own Lineouts Won, Tackles Made, Red Cards, Yellow Cards, Free Kicks, and Penalties Conceded.

For some stats of raw numbers (like tries, meters run, etc.) where there are some close runners-up, I mention those.

Of course these might tell you much, or anything at all, and someone is sure to make the tired bikini crack. But here they are nonetheless.

The Games

England 35 - Fiji 11; Tonga 10 - Georgia 17; Ireland 50 - Canada 7; South Africa 32 - Japan 34; France 32 - Italy 10; Samoa 25 0- USA 16; Wales 54 - Uruguay 9; New Zealand 26 - Argentina 16; Scotland 45 - Japan 10; Australia 28 - Fiji 13; France 38 - Romania 11; Namibia 14 - New Zealand 58

The Stats

Tries
Most: New Zealand - 9 (v. Namibia) [Runners-Up: Wales - 8; Ireland - 7]
Least: Uruguay - 0

Conversions
Most: Wales - 7 [Runners-Up: Ireland - 6; France - 5 (v. Romania); New Zealand - 5 (v. Namibia)]
Least: Fiji (v. England), Samoa, USA, Uruguay, Romania and Namibia all failed to convert

Penalties Kicked
Most: France - 6 (v. Italy) [Runners-up: Japan - 5 (v. South Africa); New Zealand - 4 (v. Argentina); Scotland - 4]
Least: Canada - 0; Wales - 0

Kick at Goal %
Most: All at 100% are Tonga, New Zealand (v. Argentina), Argentina, Fiji (v. Australia), France (v. Romania)
Least: Fiji (v. England) kicked at 33%

Meters Run
Most: Ireland - 732 [Runners-Up: New Zealand - 544 (v. Argentina); England - 528]
Least Namibia - 61

Kicks from Hand
Most: Ireland - 43 (easy, qwerty51) [Runners-Up: Romania - 37; Japan - 36 (v. South Africa); South Africa - 35]
Least: Japan - 11 (v. Scotland)

Passes
Most: Ireland - 212 [Runners-Up: New Zealand - 204 (v. Argentina); Tonga - 173]
Least: Namibia - 34

Runs
Most: Tonga - 160 [Runners-Up: New Zealand - 152 (v. Argentina); Ireland - 147]
Least: Namibia - 30

Possession
Best: Tonga - 72%
Worst: Georgia - 28%

Territory
Best: Tonga - 74%
Worst: Georgia - 26%

Line Breaks
Most: England - 11; Ireland - 11 [Runners-Up: New Zealand - 10 (v. Argentina & Namibia)]
Least: Uruguay - 1; Namibia - 1

Defenders Beaten
Most: England - 35 [Runners-Up: New Zealand - 33 (v. Argentina); Ireland - 29; Samoa - 29]
Least: Uruguay - 4; Namibia - 5

Offloads
Most: New Zealand - 26 (v. Argentina) [Runners-Up, which aren't even close: Fiji - 13 (v. Australia); Wales - 12]
Least: Japan - 0 (v. South Africa)

Rucks Won
Most: Japan - 123/124 (99% v. Scotland)
Best %: Scotland - 66/66 (100%)
Worst %: Fiji - 72/79 (91% v. Australia); France - 68/75 (91% v. Romania)

Mauls Won
Most: Wales - 12/13 (92%)
Best %: All at 100% are France (8/8 v. Italy); Italy (5/5); Samoa(7/7); New Zealand (5/5 v. Argentina); Scotland (4/4); Japan (5/5 v. Scotland); Australia (7/7); Fiji (4/4 v. Australia); Romania (3/3)
Worst %: Uruguay - 1/4 (25%)

Turnovers Conceded
Fewest: Scotland - 5 [Runners-Up: Japan - 7 (v. South Africa); Romania - 7]
Most: Wales - 20

Own Scrums Won
Most: Georgia - 35/41 (85%)
Best %: All at 100% are Ireland (32/32): Canada (28/28); South Africa (20/20); Japan (25/25 v. South Africa, 2/2 v. Scotland); Samoa (8/8), USA (5/5); New Zealand (5/5 v. Argentina, 11/11 v. Namibia); Argentina (7/7); and Fiji (2/2 v. Australia)
Worst %: Italy - 17/32 (53%)

Own Lineouts Won
Most: Wales - 25/25 (100%)
Best %: All at 100% are Ireland (10/10); South Africa (15/15 v. Japan); Japan (10/10 v. Scotland)
Worst %: Romania - 7/12 (58%)

Tackles Made
Most: Georgia - 185/201
Best %: Wales - 100/105 (95%); Scotland - 182/192 (95%)
Worst %: USA - 81/110 (74%); Argentina - 92/125 (74%)

Red Cards
none

Yellow Cards
Most: New Zealand - 2 (v. Argentina)
Least: 0 for England; Tonga; Japan (v. South Africa); France (v. Italy and v. Romania); Italy; Samoa; USA; Wales; Uruguay; Scotland; New Zealand (v. Namibia)

Free Kicks Conceded
Most: 1 for England; Fiji (v. England); South Africa, Italy; USA; Wales; Uruguay; Argentina; Australia; Namibia; New Zealand (v. Namibia)
Least: Everyone else

Penalties Conceded
Least: Samoa - 7; Wales - 7; New Zealand - 7 (v. Namibia)
Most: Italy - 18

Does This Mean Anything?

I'll leave that up to you. A few outlier stats are Ireland's number of meters (732) combined with by far the most kicks (43) and the most passes (212). New Zealand leads or runs close on most stats (except meters in that first round), and they outshone everyone with their number of offloads against Argentina. Fiji really seemed to turn some things around after England, like their mauls and scrums, Tonga likes to have a run, and when the earth is a burnt husk of a dark planet Georgia will still be looking to scrum.

 

[Guy]

Hi All

Since when did we start calling the time after the 80th Minute "injury time"?Have i really somehow never heard this term before (played from 14yo to 36yo)?

I have heard it now a bunch of times watching RWC and it just sounds like they are at the wrong game...

 

[Braveheart81]

Hi All

Since when did we start calling the time after the 80th Minute "injury time"?Have i really somehow never heard this term before (played from 14yo to 36yo)?

I have heard it now a bunch of times watching RWC and it just sounds like they are at the wrong game.

What else do you call it?

Injury time is certainly a term from a bygone era where the referee controlled the timekeeping but there isn't really a better term to easily describe it.

It isn't extra time, it isn't time added on. It's essentially time has expired but we'll keep playing until there is a stoppage in play.

 

[Beer Baron]

Interesting that Japan kicked for all buggery against Boks and ran it all day against Scotland - and the results that transpired. Given their 10 and 15's booming boots I would be surprised not to see a return to the winning tactics employed against Samoa and USA. 2 games where playing high percentage football would be very smart.

 

[Mr Doug]

There was a short, but interesting interview on ABC Radio's AM program this morning. Nicole Chettle interviewed Sir Nicholas Shehadie, about how the RWC evolved. Sir Nick said there was opposition from Scotland and Ireland, however, Aust, NZ, and France pursued the concept, and got it through the IRB in 1985, by two votes! His story about how "Bill" appeared is 'gold'!

Someone here might like to put up a link to the printed version from the ABC News website "Rugby World Cup: Sir Nicholas Shehadie .............".

 

[Beer Baron]

This. England won in 2003, despite hitting their peak the year before. And, as France demonstrated last time round, you don't need to be fabulous in the pool stages to make the final -- hence why I would not yet discount South Africa.

Sth Aftrica just need to boot their coach mid tournament in a good old fashioned player revolt.... although sounds like the Minister for Sport (or similar) may be doing it for them!

 

[zer0]

Sth Aftrica just need to boot their coach mid tournament in a good old fashioned player revolt.. although sounds like the Minister for Sport (or similar) may be doing it for them!

Sounds like a slightly modified version of the 2011 France strategy, as devised by S.Baldrick Solutions Inc. A very cunning plan indeed.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Interesting that Japan kicked for all buggery against Boks and ran it all day against Scotland - and the results that transpired. Given their 10 and 15's booming boots I would be surprised not to see a return to the winning tactics employed against Samoa and USA. 2 games where playing high percentage football would be very smart.

A kick is only as good as its chase, isn't that what they say? Looking at Japan's stats in their two games so far, they had 47 more runs against Scotland than South Africa (142/95), and had 7 fewer meters run against Scotland than against South Africa (363/370). From memory, they kicked for space fairly effectively against South Africa, and they were speedy enough to pressure the Boks before they could get anything set. That kind of pressure led to 11 turnovers. Against Scotland, without that kind of game, they only managed to win 5 turnovers and gave up 18.

Sure, some of that will be fatigue from backing up after the South Africa game, but you'd almost think because they were backing up they'd try to play the style that was most effective -- and that style had plenty of sharp running plays. Not sure why they didn't against Scotland.

 

[I like to watch]

I think the difference was that against Scotland the effing ref kept interrupting & making sure Scotland had possession of the footy.

And yes,I am talking through my kick.....

 

[Highlander35]

For all the shit piled on the ref for "bias" he gave us absolutely nothing at the breakdown, despite Hardie, Wilson, Scott and Lamont being set over the ball numerous times in the game.

70% of the time it was the Japanese stuffing up their own opportunities anyway, with forward passes, dropped balls and that blatant obstruction.

 

[Lindommer]

The Poms et al have a different attitude to time than us in the SH. Like so many other things about professional football they've slavishly copied the practice used in soccer. There, after 45 minutes have lapsed in each half one of the sideline wallahs signals how much "injury time" is to be added. NH rugby follows the same method without the public signal how much time's left. There was a debate some years ago to adopt the SH practice of stopping the clock when refs signal time out so's everyone could see how much actual time there is left, the powers-that-be decided not to go down that route. Hence commentators still rabbit on about "injury time" after the 40 minute mark in each half.

There are some things soccer does better than rugby (TJ/ARs have a lot more influence on the run, policing of offside is MUCH better, a word from the TJ/AR on Ma'afu's side would've been illuminating in the first scrum against Fiji), but the time-keeping practice in SH rugby is about the best practice going around.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Has there been a boilover in Bath yet? Get it? Boilover? In Bath? Come on, that headline writes itself. Has to happen. Who's playing in Bath? Surely the selfish bastards playing there can engineer some sort of boilover amongst themselves. COME ON. I'M WAITING.