Rugby Championship 2022

[brotheroffrank]

You know you can choose who to follow and who to see in your social media feeds?

I highly recommend choosing not to be on social media at all!

"Irony is just honesty with the volume cranked up"

[riocard911]

'His team does it all the time' - Cheika hits back at All Blacks over illegal play jibe

https://www.the42.ie/michael-cheika-arg ... 4-Aug2022/

Dunno was it all that clever of Fozzie to provoke an argy-bargy with Cheika over slowing down the ball at the breakdown. Sounds like a bit of PR boomerang - or maybe it's just the way Cheika tells 'em!

[Ruckedtobits]

Foster has never been that quick in repartee with opposition coaches.

[Xanthippe]

'His team does it all the time' - Cheika hits back at All Blacks over illegal play jibe

https://www.the42.ie/michael-cheika-arg ... 4-Aug2022/

Dunno was it all that clever of Fozzie to provoke an argy-bargy with Cheika over slowing down the ball at the breakdown. Sounds like a bit of PR boomerang - or maybe it's just the way Cheika tells 'em!

Please tell me the use of 'argy-bargy' above was intentional?

[riocard911]

'His team does it all the time' - Cheika hits back at All Blacks over illegal play jibe

https://www.the42.ie/michael-cheika-arg ... 4-Aug2022/

Dunno was it all that clever of Fozzie to provoke an argy-bargy with Cheika over slowing down the ball at the breakdown. Sounds like a bit of PR boomerang - or maybe it's just the way Cheika tells 'em!

Please tell me the use of 'argy-bargy' above was intentional?

No coincidences in this world, Xan!

[Ruckedtobits]

That's a fairly traditional response from NZ. JS getting a lot of credit on social media for turn-around.

[neiliog93]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

[LeinsterLeader]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

Ye know I think there's a lot to admire in what SA do. They can be awesome in their relentlessness and their power is undeniable. At their best they are almost unstoppable, and I really don't begrudge them their success.

....but for me, even on their best day, they are a dreadful watch!

[Cheeses of Nazareth]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

Anti rugby from SA. Slow the game down, plenty of niggle to catch a breather in between restarts. Grind it up from set piece than either a box kick or up and under from anywhere on the pitch up to opposition 22. Rush defence. 40 minute halves which go on for an hour.

Lovely finish by Mapimpi. Waste not to use their back 3 more often. Not sure how Etzebeth didn’t see yellow and Mapimpi did. Completely unnecessary from him.

[Dave Cahill]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

Ye know I think there's a lot to admire in what SA do. They can be awesome in their relentlessness and their power is undeniable. At their best they are almost unstoppable, and I really don't begrudge them their success.

....but for me, even on their best day, they are a dreadful watch!

Yep, there are no points in rugby for entertainment. They have identified a way to play that maximises their strengths. I find it quite enjoyable actually - their pack is so good and do their jobs so well.


Australia, now there's a team I can't stand watching. They are so f%~king hopeless at the basics - did they meet each other for the first time in the car park pregame? There was a time when the most innovative and creative back play and backs coaching was Australian. To quote Hooker Larkin from many years ago (which led to another team getting a certain nickname) watching the Australian backs try to pass the ball was like watching them try to juggle turnips

[jezzer]

Would love to know what the ball in time was for Oz-SA. 7 minutes maybe? Felt like it.. i more or less switched off.

[jezzer]

Man, Felipe has his work cut out there.....

[riocard911]

IMO, Etzebeth and the Oz no. 3 should both have seen red for their carry on. If I was a ref I wouldn't stand for such behaviour for a microsecond. I'd straight away make an example of those misbehaving and tell the rest of them they're welcome to an early shower, if they're that way disposed. And Etzebeth and the other dude, I wouldn't even give them explanation. I'd just show the card and tell them to get off my pitch.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

Ye know I think there's a lot to admire in what SA do. They can be awesome in their relentlessness and their power is undeniable. At their best they are almost unstoppable, and I really don't begrudge them their success.

....but for me, even on their best day, they are a dreadful watch!

Yep, there are no points in rugby for entertainment. They have identified a way to play that maximises their strengths. I find it quite enjoyable actually - their pack is so good and do their jobs so well.


Australia, now there's a team I can't stand watching. They are so f%~king hopeless at the basics - did they meet each other for the first time in the car park pregame? There was a time when the most innovative and creative back play and backs coaching was Australian. To quote Hooker Larkin from many years ago (which led to another team getting a certain nickname) watching the Australian backs try to pass the ball was like watching them try to juggle turnips

Australia weren't at the races at all. I said last week that SA don't have the players to go out and beat teams up every week but thinking about it more I'm not sure any team apart from France has the squad/ability to perform every week and go on a long winning streak. It feels to me as if most teams are trying to peak for certain big games and chalk up enough wins to keep afloat and then switch off again until the pressure comes back on. We talk about fine margins a lot but I think there are wild swings in performances from week to week from nearly all of the top international sides. Travel used to be an excuse but I don't think it is anymore so I'm not sure what's causing it. Maybe it's the fact that games come so thick and fast that some of them lose meaning. Maybe NZ's collapse takes the pressure off other games and teams aren't as sharp as a result.

At the moment I'd almost write off the teamsheets when looking at games that are coming up and just focus on the mental side. If a team won last week they're likely to trail off next time out, but if a team is under pressure then I'd back them to deliver a big one.

[Cheeses of Nazareth]

IMO, Etzebeth and the Oz no. 3 should both have seen red for their carry on. If I was a ref I wouldn't stand for such behaviour for a microsecond. I'd straight away make an example of those misbehaving and tell the rest of them they're welcome to an early shower, if they're that way disposed. And Etzebeth and the other dude, I wouldn't even give them explanation. I'd just show the card and tell them to get off my pitch.

That was Michael Ala'alatoa’s brother

[riocard911]

IMO, Etzebeth and the Oz no. 3 should both have seen red for their carry on. If I was a ref I wouldn't stand for such behaviour for a microsecond. I'd straight away make an example of those misbehaving and tell the rest of them they're welcome to an early shower, if they're that way disposed. And Etzebeth and the other dude, I wouldn't even give them explanation. I'd just show the card and tell them to get off my pitch.

That was Michael Ala'alatoa’s brother

Well, apart from them displaying naked aggression to an intolerable degree, both of them touched the other's eyes with their fingers, which, if I remember correctly, is a sanctioning offence. Will they be cited? Probably not. Rugby referreeing, IMO, has been let go to the dogs by World Rugby, as big name players - and I include our own beloved Johnny Sexton - are allowed far too much leeway.

[Dexter]

Australia vs South Africa is a dreadful game. South Africa get their usual lucky try from a hoofed up-and-under.

On the basis of this game, if we play well we'll beat both of them in November.

Ye know I think there's a lot to admire in what SA do. They can be awesome in their relentlessness and their power is undeniable. At their best they are almost unstoppable, and I really don't begrudge them their success.

....but for me, even on their best day, they are a dreadful watch!

Yep, there are no points in rugby for entertainment. They have identified a way to play that maximises their strengths. I find it quite enjoyable actually - their pack is so good and do their jobs so well.


Australia, now there's a team I can't stand watching. They are so f%~king hopeless at the basics - did they meet each other for the first time in the car park pregame? There was a time when the most innovative and creative back play and backs coaching was Australian. To quote Hooker Larkin from many years ago (which led to another team getting a certain nickname) watching the Australian backs try to pass the ball was like watching them try to juggle turnips

Some people might like it for sure, but you won't attract many new viewers or fans of the sport. It's nearly unwatchable for many.
Most other professional sports would take some action to make the sport more attractive. Rugby seems to be going in the opposite direction imo.

[Dave Cahill]

Some people might like it for sure, but you won't attract many new viewers or fans of the sport. It's nearly unwatchable for many.
Most other professional sports would take some action to make the sport more attractive.

A succinct history of Rugby League.

[Dexter]

Some people might like it for sure, but you won't attract many new viewers or fans of the sport. It's nearly unwatchable for many.
Most other professional sports would take some action to make the sport more attractive.

A succinct history of Rugby League.

True... and that's the problem!

[neiliog93]

There's some talk of banning contestable kicks from a safety perspective, but from a spectacle point of view, might be good as well.