| Rugby World Cup Thread 15:39 - Sep 15 with 33180 views | kingsburyR |
I don't think someone has started one yet.
Can't see past New Zealand but Ill have a cheeky £10 on the Aussies who always come good in a world cup.
And Bet of the week is for the Aussies to come top of England's group @ 2/1 |  |
| Dont know why we bother. .... but we do! |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:44 - Sep 23 with 1943 views | ElHoop |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:35 - Sep 23 by Hunterhoop |
Slightly strange view.
Ford is undoubtedly more creative, but, and it may be my poor memory, I don't recall Farrell having discipline issues.
Farrell is undoubtedly better with the boot too. Ford left 6 points out there on Sat. Against the best nations it's difficult to do that and win. Farrell is also much bigger and stronger and, therefore, much better defensively. Fiji targeted Ford with their ball carriers and had success.
The big question is can Farrell build anything like the relationship Ford has with his Bath colleagues in Joseph and Watson? The answer is probably not. So England with Farrell are likely to be less exciting and dynamic. BUT, as Joseph is out injured of the Wales game, you could argue it's a moot point for this match.
Finally, Farrell actually came on and played well on Sat. He kicked his points but it was also him in who ran the support line for Joseph and managed to get the hand off to Brown for his second try. He actually had a greater impact on our attacking than Ford, if we're honest. Ford, I did not think had a good game at all, which was surprising. Nothing really came off for him.
Tbh, I'm not surprised they've done this, and I think given the type if opposition Wales are, I think it probably makes an England win more likely. But, hey, who really knows. |
Well we shall see - hopefully you are right. Whenever I see Farrell he seems to do stupid things, loses his rag, gets wound up by opponents - that sort of thing. I think that he's a weak link anyway and that the Welsh Costas will be after him, but hopefully it's not the case. |  | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:53 - Sep 23 with 1934 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 19:59 - Sep 18 by Monahoop |
Like you I much prefer League to Union. A bit more skill involved and faster than stop, start, often boring Union. I don't affiliate to any clubs, but just enjoy watching it now and again. However I shall probably watch some of the World Cup if not doing anything else. Haven't a clue who might win it. Loads of Irish going over to watch it. Always makes me laugh over here, the number of people who say they are rugger fans and haven't the foggiest about the rules or the history of the game. Many I have spoken to or know seem quite smug. Just enjoy denouncing football [ soccer over here, ugh! ] or even GAA sports. |
Couldn't agree more about Irish rugby 'fans'. Up to relatively recently, Inter-Provincial games here were played in front of a few hundred people, club games were played in front of a couple of thousand, and the Five Nations had good crowds two or three times a year. Then we all went back to following hurling, real football and English "soccer" (sorry Mona!).
Now, a huge swathe of people 'support' Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connaught on the television. A small portion go to Provincial games or have at least been to Thomond, hardly anyone even knows where the local club is, practically none of them have ever held a rugby ball let alone owned one and every weekend the pubs are scattered with these new 'fans' (they're the sixteenth man, don't you know), wishing they knew the rules so they could be properly indignant with the ref rather than just faking it.
But yet, but yet...come a Heineken Cup Final (don't even try to tell them that England and France treat it as a secondary competition) or, now, the World Cup and they are off in their tens of thousands, off on their quest for "The Holy Grail" ("Cardiff's in Wales, isn't it? Grand, have they an airport? Where would I get a ticket? Do you know anyone posh?" Ah g'wan, get us a ticket, I've been supporting them for two years. Christ, that was a goal, surely to God. Has that ref any black cards or did he leave them at home?). It's shameless bandwaggoning that we haven't seen over here since, well, since we were good at "soccer". I'm 45, and I know one person who was a true fan of rugby before Sky was. And he can't stand to watch anymore.
I've said it before, but Ireland supports rugby the way it supports X Factor. If it wasn't on the telly we wouldn't know, or care, and if it disappears...well we'll just have to be life-long fans of the next fad that passes. |  |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:57 - Sep 23 with 1928 views | BrianMcCarthy |
I hope New Zealand or Wales win it. I've seen how much those Countries love the sport, whereas it's a minority sport everywhere else. New Zealand's love for it is incredible. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 10:00 - Sep 23 with 1892 views | Discodroids |
Is Brad Barrett the Karl Henry of the england side??
(More of a rugby league man myself).
the great st helens side of the early noughties inc Paul Sculthorpe , Keroin Cunningham , tommy martyn and Chris Joynt donated their signed shirts to a cystic fibrois charity , when i wrote a letter to the club.
if we cant win it, which i very much doubt, Dylan Hartleys a huge miss, and weve never replaced andrew sherridan imo, id like a home nation side to win it.
Julian White, the old england prop was on my table for a lloyds of london under 35's dinner many moons ago. ive never seen a scarier looking bloke in all my life. I reckon he could take a Predator in a square go.
[Post edited 23 Sep 2015 10:04]
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| "...The monkey is never dead, Dealer. The monkey never dies. When you kick him off, he just hides in a corner, waiting his turn." |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 10:31 - Sep 23 with 1870 views | robith |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:53 - Sep 23 by BrianMcCarthy |
Couldn't agree more about Irish rugby 'fans'. Up to relatively recently, Inter-Provincial games here were played in front of a few hundred people, club games were played in front of a couple of thousand, and the Five Nations had good crowds two or three times a year. Then we all went back to following hurling, real football and English "soccer" (sorry Mona!).
Now, a huge swathe of people 'support' Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connaught on the television. A small portion go to Provincial games or have at least been to Thomond, hardly anyone even knows where the local club is, practically none of them have ever held a rugby ball let alone owned one and every weekend the pubs are scattered with these new 'fans' (they're the sixteenth man, don't you know), wishing they knew the rules so they could be properly indignant with the ref rather than just faking it.
But yet, but yet...come a Heineken Cup Final (don't even try to tell them that England and France treat it as a secondary competition) or, now, the World Cup and they are off in their tens of thousands, off on their quest for "The Holy Grail" ("Cardiff's in Wales, isn't it? Grand, have they an airport? Where would I get a ticket? Do you know anyone posh?" Ah g'wan, get us a ticket, I've been supporting them for two years. Christ, that was a goal, surely to God. Has that ref any black cards or did he leave them at home?). It's shameless bandwaggoning that we haven't seen over here since, well, since we were good at "soccer". I'm 45, and I know one person who was a true fan of rugby before Sky was. And he can't stand to watch anymore.
I've said it before, but Ireland supports rugby the way it supports X Factor. If it wasn't on the telly we wouldn't know, or care, and if it disappears...well we'll just have to be life-long fans of the next fad that passes. |
I both agree and disagree Brian. Obviously I don't live in Ireland since my parents moved away so I can't speak against your on the ground intel!
The JCLs (jonny come latelys) are infuriating. I was at Ireland Wales a couple of years ago and was getting grief from people for not having an Irish accent from people who openly admitted they only started watching 2 years ago when I paid large sums from my own pocket to go to Paris for the 2007 World Cup only to sit there in near silence as France absolutely pummelled us! Also Irish people in general are suuuuuuuuuuuper bad at a bandwagon in anything - we watch the GAA in a local pub and it's usually full of people begging for Arsenal to be put on; but come All Ireland Final day you can't get a seat for all the sudden regulars who appear braying about how they're always in there. Or indeed the Kerry fan who berated me last weekend for marrying a Dub but got every single word of the national anthem wrong.
However, it would be disingenuous to say anything other than rugby's popularity has been booming. It's nowhere near the player levels of GAA and probably never will be (it's history is really of a protestant middle class game in Leinster and Ulster with a small outpost of involvement in Munster as they realised they could kick in the Brit's heads) but since professionalism, it's been growing all the time. Year on year amateur player numbers and professional attendance's increase to the point where Munser, Leinster and Ulster have all had to either move or increase capacity in their grounds (I do laugh when I go past Donnybrook on the bus in Dublin - can't believe the team that now dominates Europe used to play there).
I'm not surprised people don't know where their local club is. At the advent of professionalism the IRFU decided to use a provincial basis for a couple of reasons. First, it would be financially easier to support 4 top level teams than the multitude of clubs. Secondly, the IRFU owned the provinces, thus would own the players and access to them for training and scoping the national team. It's been the cornerstone of Ireland's domestic and international success and the very reason why the English wanted to change the Heineken because the Irish teams don't have to worry about relegation so can rotate their players. The English and French very much rate the tournament - English teams are desperate to win it.
For us true believers, it is annoying to endure (particularly facebook when seeing people at uni who used to actively refute their Irish heritage conjure up France tickets while I only got a seat somewhere in space for the Romania game), but I feel the truth is somewhere in the middle.
COYBIG |  | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 10:51 - Sep 23 with 1864 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 10:31 - Sep 23 by robith |
I both agree and disagree Brian. Obviously I don't live in Ireland since my parents moved away so I can't speak against your on the ground intel!
The JCLs (jonny come latelys) are infuriating. I was at Ireland Wales a couple of years ago and was getting grief from people for not having an Irish accent from people who openly admitted they only started watching 2 years ago when I paid large sums from my own pocket to go to Paris for the 2007 World Cup only to sit there in near silence as France absolutely pummelled us! Also Irish people in general are suuuuuuuuuuuper bad at a bandwagon in anything - we watch the GAA in a local pub and it's usually full of people begging for Arsenal to be put on; but come All Ireland Final day you can't get a seat for all the sudden regulars who appear braying about how they're always in there. Or indeed the Kerry fan who berated me last weekend for marrying a Dub but got every single word of the national anthem wrong.
However, it would be disingenuous to say anything other than rugby's popularity has been booming. It's nowhere near the player levels of GAA and probably never will be (it's history is really of a protestant middle class game in Leinster and Ulster with a small outpost of involvement in Munster as they realised they could kick in the Brit's heads) but since professionalism, it's been growing all the time. Year on year amateur player numbers and professional attendance's increase to the point where Munser, Leinster and Ulster have all had to either move or increase capacity in their grounds (I do laugh when I go past Donnybrook on the bus in Dublin - can't believe the team that now dominates Europe used to play there).
I'm not surprised people don't know where their local club is. At the advent of professionalism the IRFU decided to use a provincial basis for a couple of reasons. First, it would be financially easier to support 4 top level teams than the multitude of clubs. Secondly, the IRFU owned the provinces, thus would own the players and access to them for training and scoping the national team. It's been the cornerstone of Ireland's domestic and international success and the very reason why the English wanted to change the Heineken because the Irish teams don't have to worry about relegation so can rotate their players. The English and French very much rate the tournament - English teams are desperate to win it.
For us true believers, it is annoying to endure (particularly facebook when seeing people at uni who used to actively refute their Irish heritage conjure up France tickets while I only got a seat somewhere in space for the Romania game), but I feel the truth is somewhere in the middle.
COYBIG |
I think that's a very fair post.
I do notice, however, that rugby is beginning to slide already in some parts. in West Cork, where I'm from, participation numbers are falling in line with Munster's fall from 'glory'. Soccer, which had been on the wane, is picking up a bit. The GAA continues to dominate, though the days where they enjoyed a monopoly are long one. I think that rugby as a spectator sport in Ireland will probably continue and not go the way that Irish soccer did post-Charlton, for two reasons: the IRFU are more organised than the farcical FAI and IFA and rugby is protected by the uber-wealthy who own Irish media. That should ensure their future.
On the Heineken Cup, I will reserve judgement on your comments on English teams being desperate to win it. You obviously know your stuff. French teams, however, often send reserve teams to Ireland for their away games. For that reason and for the reason that an entire Irish province is allowed to play against small towns in Wales, Italy and France, I refuse to take the competition seriously. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 11:23 - Sep 23 with 1839 views | Ranger78 |
Sadly the midfield changes look to be because Joseph is injured.
That's a big loss and will mean we are far less creative.
The positive is Farrell's kicking. In all honesty, when it comes to winning a tight World Cup game, it's more likely to be converting penalties rather than creativity that will win the game.
Certainaly won't be as exciting to watch but I think we'll be ok against Wales |  | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 11:32 - Sep 23 with 1824 views | adhoc_qpr |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 11:23 - Sep 23 by Ranger78 |
Sadly the midfield changes look to be because Joseph is injured.
That's a big loss and will mean we are far less creative.
The positive is Farrell's kicking. In all honesty, when it comes to winning a tight World Cup game, it's more likely to be converting penalties rather than creativity that will win the game.
Certainaly won't be as exciting to watch but I think we'll be ok against Wales |
Don't forget Farrell played in that game at the Millenium Stadium a few years ago where Wales absolutely destroyed us!
Blaming the backs (especially Ford) for the forwards dreadful display - what were they supposed to do with no clean ball and losing set pieces?
Lack of cover for Joseph is down to Lancaster's poor squad selection - Burrell and Daly would be pretty useful now! And why pick Slade if you don't trust him?
Shocking choices by Lancaster and if we do lose and end up going out, he'll deserve to get the sack for it. |  | | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 12:10 - Sep 23 with 1798 views | Ranger78 |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 11:32 - Sep 23 by adhoc_qpr |
Don't forget Farrell played in that game at the Millenium Stadium a few years ago where Wales absolutely destroyed us!
Blaming the backs (especially Ford) for the forwards dreadful display - what were they supposed to do with no clean ball and losing set pieces?
Lack of cover for Joseph is down to Lancaster's poor squad selection - Burrell and Daly would be pretty useful now! And why pick Slade if you don't trust him?
Shocking choices by Lancaster and if we do lose and end up going out, he'll deserve to get the sack for it. |
Definitely agree with you about the squad selection, it's definitely leaving him few options now.
Burrell would be very handy now | | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 12:13 - Sep 23 with 1796 views | ElHoop |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 12:10 - Sep 23 by Ranger78 |
Definitely agree with you about the squad selection, it's definitely leaving him few options now.
Burrell would be very handy now |
Maybe he's planning a war against Wales so that a few get injured and he can bring them in!
What are the rules regarding replacing backs - do you have to replace like with like? | | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:02 - Sep 23 with 1769 views | MrSheen |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:53 - Sep 23 by BrianMcCarthy |
Couldn't agree more about Irish rugby 'fans'. Up to relatively recently, Inter-Provincial games here were played in front of a few hundred people, club games were played in front of a couple of thousand, and the Five Nations had good crowds two or three times a year. Then we all went back to following hurling, real football and English "soccer" (sorry Mona!).
Now, a huge swathe of people 'support' Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connaught on the television. A small portion go to Provincial games or have at least been to Thomond, hardly anyone even knows where the local club is, practically none of them have ever held a rugby ball let alone owned one and every weekend the pubs are scattered with these new 'fans' (they're the sixteenth man, don't you know), wishing they knew the rules so they could be properly indignant with the ref rather than just faking it.
But yet, but yet...come a Heineken Cup Final (don't even try to tell them that England and France treat it as a secondary competition) or, now, the World Cup and they are off in their tens of thousands, off on their quest for "The Holy Grail" ("Cardiff's in Wales, isn't it? Grand, have they an airport? Where would I get a ticket? Do you know anyone posh?" Ah g'wan, get us a ticket, I've been supporting them for two years. Christ, that was a goal, surely to God. Has that ref any black cards or did he leave them at home?). It's shameless bandwaggoning that we haven't seen over here since, well, since we were good at "soccer". I'm 45, and I know one person who was a true fan of rugby before Sky was. And he can't stand to watch anymore.
I've said it before, but Ireland supports rugby the way it supports X Factor. If it wasn't on the telly we wouldn't know, or care, and if it disappears...well we'll just have to be life-long fans of the next fad that passes. |
I think you're being a bit harsh on Munster fans, Brian. I went to the Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham in 2004 (one of the worst days in my life as it happens, the day after my 40th). Wasps were playing Toulouse but there were thousands of Munster fans who'd bought tickets before Wasps had knocked them out in the semis, but were going to come for the craic anyway. There was a big group of them around us, from Limerick. They were all hammered and sang the Fields of Athenry throughout the second half, making much more noise than the supporters of the finalists. Munster had been building for a while, but I was astonished by how many had come from a relatively hard-up part of the country. Leinster? Another story. They didn't sell out their 2,500 tickets for the Bloodgate game at Harlequins, they year they first won the cup, despite how easy it is to get there from Dublin and the hordes of professional Dubliners who live in London. Once they won one trophy, they were much thicker on the ground.
You clearly see it as glory-hunting, but I think it's great that Irish people get behind their teams without needing a direct connection with it, eg cricket. I think it reflects the fact that Irish kids have a go at anything, GAA, badminton, karate, football, rugby, rather than being stuck with just one game and rubbishing others for tribal reasons like here - Union's for posh tw*ts, League's for northern monkeys, Rooney's a thick chav, Andy Murray is a chippy jock, Wiggins is a cheat, etc, etc ad nauseam. Someone Irish people still consider Michelle Smith a national hero. I like it when you drive through a village there and see flags and banners out for county GAA sides, village teams, signs celebrating someone's Taekwondo title, it must do much more to promote playing sport than hearing people sneering about the success of others. |  | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:23 - Sep 23 with 1745 views | jamois |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 11:32 - Sep 23 by adhoc_qpr |
Don't forget Farrell played in that game at the Millenium Stadium a few years ago where Wales absolutely destroyed us!
Blaming the backs (especially Ford) for the forwards dreadful display - what were they supposed to do with no clean ball and losing set pieces?
Lack of cover for Joseph is down to Lancaster's poor squad selection - Burrell and Daly would be pretty useful now! And why pick Slade if you don't trust him?
Shocking choices by Lancaster and if we do lose and end up going out, he'll deserve to get the sack for it. |
I think you're bang on here. As for Farrell I don't think his problem is discipline, it's creativity with ball in hand. His is a kicking game and I'm not just talking about penalties. I hope we're not going back to stuff it up the jumper rugby with the pack. |  |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:26 - Sep 23 with 1744 views | Toast_R |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 08:57 - Sep 23 by BrianMcCarthy |
I hope New Zealand or Wales win it. I've seen how much those Countries love the sport, whereas it's a minority sport everywhere else. New Zealand's love for it is incredible. |
South African's too love the game and friends and colleagues of mine were having their own brand of national mourning this week. Also Fiji are a mad Rugby nation. New Zealand won it last time out, watching them win it again as favourites surely wouldn't do much to inspire enthusiasm for the game which for the first time, has the weaker nations competing at a much higher level. [Post edited 23 Sep 2015 13:26]
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:57 - Sep 23 with 1725 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:02 - Sep 23 by MrSheen |
I think you're being a bit harsh on Munster fans, Brian. I went to the Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham in 2004 (one of the worst days in my life as it happens, the day after my 40th). Wasps were playing Toulouse but there were thousands of Munster fans who'd bought tickets before Wasps had knocked them out in the semis, but were going to come for the craic anyway. There was a big group of them around us, from Limerick. They were all hammered and sang the Fields of Athenry throughout the second half, making much more noise than the supporters of the finalists. Munster had been building for a while, but I was astonished by how many had come from a relatively hard-up part of the country. Leinster? Another story. They didn't sell out their 2,500 tickets for the Bloodgate game at Harlequins, they year they first won the cup, despite how easy it is to get there from Dublin and the hordes of professional Dubliners who live in London. Once they won one trophy, they were much thicker on the ground.
You clearly see it as glory-hunting, but I think it's great that Irish people get behind their teams without needing a direct connection with it, eg cricket. I think it reflects the fact that Irish kids have a go at anything, GAA, badminton, karate, football, rugby, rather than being stuck with just one game and rubbishing others for tribal reasons like here - Union's for posh tw*ts, League's for northern monkeys, Rooney's a thick chav, Andy Murray is a chippy jock, Wiggins is a cheat, etc, etc ad nauseam. Someone Irish people still consider Michelle Smith a national hero. I like it when you drive through a village there and see flags and banners out for county GAA sides, village teams, signs celebrating someone's Taekwondo title, it must do much more to promote playing sport than hearing people sneering about the success of others. |
"I think it reflects the fact that Irish kids have a go at anything, GAA, badminton, karate, football, rugby, rather than being stuck with just one game and rubbishing others for tribal reasons like here"
That there is precisely my problem with it (though it doesn't keep me awake at night, honest!) - most Munster fans haven't had a go at it all. They've never played it, never want to, never will. They're just Event Junkies. I will make exception for Limerick City people, there always was a sizeable minority of rugby fans there, proper club fans who play, coach, support, the lot. But I guarantee you that the vast majority of the thousands you saw were from outside Limerick and have no history with rugby, no present bar going on the lash if 'their' new team is going well, and no future with rugby if the team starts to struggle. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 14:04 - Sep 23 with 1720 views | Discodroids |
I wish itv would change that' world in union' theme tune, not content with using it for about the last 6000 years, the fkrs have upped the ante and got some sqwauking woman giving it the R&B Twist.
it sounds like shes singing the word 'Union' while shitting out a kumquat.sideways.
[Post edited 23 Sep 2015 14:22]
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| "...The monkey is never dead, Dealer. The monkey never dies. When you kick him off, he just hides in a corner, waiting his turn." |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 14:07 - Sep 23 with 1717 views | robith |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:23 - Sep 23 by jamois |
I think you're bang on here. As for Farrell I don't think his problem is discipline, it's creativity with ball in hand. His is a kicking game and I'm not just talking about penalties. I hope we're not going back to stuff it up the jumper rugby with the pack. |
Farrell *does* have a discipline problem. He concedes waaaaaaay too many penalties for a stand off and most of them come from fisticuffs.
In fact 2 years ago with England on Italy's line he started a scrap and got penalised, and the game ended soon after. One score more and England would've won the world cup.
You won't run through Wales. But you can really run round them. | | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 14:28 - Sep 23 with 1701 views | MrSheen |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 13:57 - Sep 23 by BrianMcCarthy |
"I think it reflects the fact that Irish kids have a go at anything, GAA, badminton, karate, football, rugby, rather than being stuck with just one game and rubbishing others for tribal reasons like here"
That there is precisely my problem with it (though it doesn't keep me awake at night, honest!) - most Munster fans haven't had a go at it all. They've never played it, never want to, never will. They're just Event Junkies. I will make exception for Limerick City people, there always was a sizeable minority of rugby fans there, proper club fans who play, coach, support, the lot. But I guarantee you that the vast majority of the thousands you saw were from outside Limerick and have no history with rugby, no present bar going on the lash if 'their' new team is going well, and no future with rugby if the team starts to struggle. |
Harsh. Are you only allowed to cheer for teams in games you've played? No-one plays a new game after the age of 20, so that's your cut-off? Where I go in Kerry, the nearest rugby club is 40 miles away in Killorglin, so should they not be allowed to cheer the provincial or national team that claims to represent them?
Sorry, a bit over-rhetorical, but I don't find JCLs much more irritating than people who insist on jealously guarding "their" game from intruders. | | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 14:48 - Sep 23 with 1682 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 14:28 - Sep 23 by MrSheen |
Harsh. Are you only allowed to cheer for teams in games you've played? No-one plays a new game after the age of 20, so that's your cut-off? Where I go in Kerry, the nearest rugby club is 40 miles away in Killorglin, so should they not be allowed to cheer the provincial or national team that claims to represent them?
Sorry, a bit over-rhetorical, but I don't find JCLs much more irritating than people who insist on jealously guarding "their" game from intruders. |
No, very fair point. I stream baseball and cricket all the time and I've never been to a game of either (I've played cricket twice, but let's not talk about that!).
I know I'm being harsh, and I'm doing it with a smile on my face, being honest, but I suppose my point is that I don't pretend to be a supporter of either baseball or cricket or of any club that plays either sport. I do it purely for the craic and have no problem admitting it. Why every Munster 'fan' I know pretends that they've always supported them, pretends that they're a great supporter and, worse, pretends that they're better than the mirror-image Leinster fans is beyond me. Their protestations just don't stack up. I've often recycled Dave Thomas's old joke about there being only 600 QPR fans at the 3-2 away victory over Leeds and he's met all 50,00 of them, but changed it to refer to Munster's 1978 win over the All-Blacks!
In short, I see nothing wrong with Event Junkies. But I struggle to take seriously anyone who pretends they're a rugby fan when they've never been to a club match, which means that I struggle to take the vast majority of Irish rugby fans seriously.
As for your last sentence, I agree completely. Both types are no more or less irritating than the other.
Anyway, it's clear you love the sport and that you're a good fan. I hope you really enjoy the tournament. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 15:00 - Sep 23 with 1668 views | robith |
On a related note Brian, have you read When Munster Beat The All Blacks? It's a fascinating book about not just the game but how many lives aligned and were irrecapbaly altered that day. Like one of the player's dad's died at half time and they agonised about telling him in the break, and the NZ coach was under pressure so he played his best tighthead who had "scrum pox" a type of facial herpes that he gave to the Munster loosehead that gave him facial scarring for life. It's a really great read - barely focuses on the game itself at all! | | | |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 15:08 - Sep 23 with 1663 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 15:00 - Sep 23 by robith |
On a related note Brian, have you read When Munster Beat The All Blacks? It's a fascinating book about not just the game but how many lives aligned and were irrecapbaly altered that day. Like one of the player's dad's died at half time and they agonised about telling him in the break, and the NZ coach was under pressure so he played his best tighthead who had "scrum pox" a type of facial herpes that he gave to the Munster loosehead that gave him facial scarring for life. It's a really great read - barely focuses on the game itself at all! |
No, Jesus - it sounds wild!
Must look that up. Thanks Robith. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 15:45 - Sep 23 with 1630 views | londonscottish |
Watching Scotland Japan in the background. Only two points in it and Japan would be ahead but for handling errors. Gulp. |  |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:00 - Sep 23 with 1613 views | TheBlob |
Banzai !!!!!!!!!.
F*cking bent ref. |  |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:09 - Sep 23 with 1603 views | simmo |
It's a long way back to Japan from Gloucester. |  |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:12 - Sep 23 with 1597 views | TheBlob |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:09 - Sep 23 by simmo |
It's a long way back to Japan from Gloucester. |
They've still got an easy game to qualify.Put that in flight movie on hold. | |
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| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:13 - Sep 23 with 1594 views | Toast_R |
| Rugby World Cup Thread on 16:09 - Sep 23 by simmo |
It's a long way back to Japan from Gloucester. |
To be fair though 3 days rest in-between a massive closely contested game with SA to this, is a big ask by anyone's standards. Scotland are as fresh a daisy so it's no real surprise they've walked it in the latter stages. We'll know far more about them when they front up SA in what now looks like a compelling fixture. This pool is wide open now, England should they progress could be up against either of SA, Scotland, Japan. [Post edited 23 Sep 2015 16:15]
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