RWC: AUS v ENG (Twickenham): POOL A; 6am (AEDT) Sunday 4 October

[Bairdy]

Their back 3 are arguably in better attacking form than ours. Their defence, specially May's - is inferior to ours.

Foley needs to kick his goals. The forwards need to treat each setpiece contest on its own merits and not drop their heads like 2014 after conceding a scrum/lineout early on.

Test out how recovered and mended B. Youngs and Joseph are after their injuries.

It's doable. C'mon you men in Gold!

 

[jollyswagman]

I am big fan of Matt Giteau and have never questioned his selection since being bought back into the fold. That said, I think it is high time he stood up and had a big game. I would dearly love for him to make obvious to the world this weekend exactly why he has been picked. The same could be said for Folau.....I will be disappointed if he has "just another solid game," as he is due for a blinder IMO. At least one of either AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), TK or Foley also needs to put on a great performance if we are going to get on top.

 

[KOB1987]

I'm glad McCalman made the bench, he has been one of our best consistently since the EOYT. It will be interesting to see whether one of Fardy or McCalman goes in to the row or if McCalman subs on for Fardy.

Hopefully people will stop banging on about the no bonus point in the Fiji game now. The best outcome for both us and Wales is that we beat England and knock them out, but regardless of whether we win or lose Wales will now be hoping we don't get a bonus point on Sunday.

 

[jollyswagman]

I am not sure if this is considered "banging on" about the bonus point KB (Kurtley Beale), but my apologies if it is, but am I correct in assuming that if we lose this weekend an do not collect a bonus point against England, that we will have to beat Wales AND earn a bonus point or deny them a bonus point just to make it out of the pool? How does it work exactly?

 

[BDA]

Nice to see Slipper has recovered. The 6 frontrowers chosen are all world class. Hard to see england getting much of an advantage in that area without the use of dirty tricks. Id say England might get the early advantage, but our bench front row should dominate theirs

 

[fatprop]

I am not sure if this is considered "banging on" about the bonus point KB (Kurtley Beale), but my apologies if it is, but am I correct in assuming that if we lose this weekend an do not collect a bonus point against England, that we will have to beat Wales AND earn a bonus point or deny them a bonus point just to make it out of the pool? How does it work exactly?

If we lose we don't deserve to make the quarters, bonus point, shmonus point

It is about winning or going home

 

[KOB1987]

I am not sure if this is considered "banging on" about the bonus point KB (Kurtley Beale), but my apologies if it is, but am I correct in assuming that if we lose this weekend an do not collect a bonus point against England, that we will have to beat Wales AND earn a bonus point or deny them a bonus point just to make it out of the pool? How does it work exactly?

No because in that scenario we will start the game 4 points behind Wales but we have a better for and against and have also scored more tries. That can be turned around if England give us a trouncing but more than likely Wales would need to beat us by a big margin and stop us from getting a bonus point to finish the pool ahead of us.

Edit: sorry, my mistake. If we lose this week we have to beat Wales but not necessarily get a bonus point.

 

[Cardiffblue]

No because in that scenario we will start the game 4 points behind Wales but we have a better for and against and have also scored more tries. That can be turned around if England give us a trouncing but more than likely Wales would need to beat us by a big margin and stop us from getting a bonus point to finish the pool ahead of us.

No. It's much simpler. Forget the bonus points. You lose to England then its winner takes all vs Wales. But it's not gonna get to that is it?

 

[aeneas]

Whats going on here? Wheres the legendary Aussie confidence? Your boys will smash them.

 

[Quick Hands]

If we lose we don't deserve to make the quarters, bonus point, shmonus point

It is about winning or going home

Hallelujah.

 

[KOB1987]

Whats going on here? Wheres the legendary Aussie confidence? Your boys will smash them.

I'm in this camp. Just made the schoolboy error of getting caught up in the bonus point debate!

 

[Chunderstruck]

Beat England, we are through

If we lose with:
-0 BP: must beat Wales and make sure they don't get more BPs than us
-1 BP: must beat Wales and just avoid them getting 2 BP and us 0
-2 BP: any form of win over Wales

Remember that head-to-head comes before points difference if teams are tied

 

[qwerty51]

Who cares seriously. If we lose, we're not good enough to win the RWC. If you're not first, you're last.

 

[BDA]

I'm just telling my secretary to hold all calls today. How can a man work in these conditions

 

[Braveheart81]

Who cares seriously. If we lose, we're not good enough to win the RWC. If you're not first, you're last.

Yes, but if we take the 2011 RWC, I much preferred watching us play a quarter final, semi final and 3rd/4th playoff than being bundled out in the pool.

 

[pjm]

Who cares seriously. If we lose, we're not good enough to win the RWC. If you're not first, you're last.

Did you miss the part where he said he was drunk when he said that and that it's stupid as there's 2nd and 3rd etc.

 

[BDA]

Who cares seriously. If we lose, we're not good enough to win the RWC. If you're not first, you're last.

I thought this at the start of the tournament, but I'm not sure I agree at this point.

The competition so far has proved that there is not a lot between the teams, even the minows are capable of beating the tier 1 teams on their day.

It is possible that England, Wales and Australia could all finish this pool with 1 loss and 3 wins. Given the strength of the pool, I'd hardly call that fatal for any of those sides. France made it to the finals in 2011 (and should have beaten the All Blacks) and they lost twice in the pool stages.

The real problem is that whoever comes second most likely has a much more difficult run to the finals.

 

[qwerty51]

I should've mentioned I think coming 2nd in the pool is the death wish. I'd rather just get knocked out before it.

 

[No4918]

I should've mentioned I think coming 2nd in the pool is the death wish. I'd rather just get knocked out before it.

Know I've heard everything.

 

[No4918]

Everyone is happy that the Aus camp is quiet and all the attention seems to be on England and in particular the scrum and decision making. I bet the English are equally happy that all the journo's have written them off, has anyone tipped them? Just have to go back to the Ashes to see how none of that means anything and a better side on paper means nothing. Is all the optimism just bravado or do people really think this is a done deal?