Rugby World Cup - other team/games and general chat

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I couldn't see a topic to discuss general WC stuff and non home nations games.......

Now we do...

No head so lucky there. Off the ball, no arms.

That was a world-class dummy to set up the try. Yellow is fair. He was fooled by the dummy, pulled out of the tackle too late, and it ended up being a clumsy, no-arms effort.

God its annoying when the main commentator just talks over the ref despite Hastings trying to get him to shut up.

Portugal are a fun team to watch, very good at attacking.

Better attack than Wales so far!

Wales will win this comfortably but it is entertaining to watch so far ...

Portugal look a very tidy team, but the mistakes will likely cost them in the end

It is very enjoyable though

Yeah plenty to go but they have been the better side so far.

Portugal have some pro players, and have been competing on the Sevens circuit for a while. You can see the difference it makes, they’re a decent team.

Halfpenny is still a great player.

Portugal playing a lovely brand of rugby. You can definitely see that a number have a sevens background. The kicking game is causing Wales some problems which I doubt Gatland will be appreciating.

First half has flown past. Hoping for more of the same in the second, Portugal deserve a try or two and if it remains tight it'll be more entertaining. Wales look way more clinical in the 22 which will probably make the difference.

Looked inevitable but shame for Portugal to concede that close to half-time - they've been good value in the first half.

Dickson as hopeless as ever then.

Really good effort from Portugal in this half. Their kicking has been exemplary. They'll likely tire in the second half and Wales will pad the score, but hope it doesn't discourage them.

Samoa were quite poor earlier against Chile.

Portugal can turn someone over, it might somewhat rely on the opposition making changes. Uruguay did it at the last one so why not.

Portugal v Fiji could be a cracker ...

Dickson is awful

What do wales actually do in training? Clearly ball handling not one of them.

Dickson warned them earlier for to many penalties and then bottles it and gives them another warning!!

Another warning- are you serious!!!

Best try of the match!!!

What a try!

Great try by Portugal

Corker!

Morgan75 wrote:Dickson warned them earlier for to many penalties and then bottles it and gives them another warning!!

In the first half wasn't it? Then have them another warning in the second. Not like Wales who got two in the same half last weekend.

Not unusual to see a ref reset the warning as it were after half time.

Really nicely worked try by Portugal, they deserved that. Weren't likely to beat Wales but haven't stopped playing ball in hand and defending hard.

I think he warned them about too many offsides and then after he gave the scrum pen turned it into a general warning?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Morgan75 wrote:Dickson warned them earlier for to many penalties and then bottles it and gives them another warning!!

In the first half wasn't it? Then have them another warning in the second. Not like Wales who got two in the same half last weekend.

Not unusual to see a ref reset the warning as it were after half time.

Really nicely worked try by Portugal, they deserved that. Weren't likely to beat Wales but haven't stopped playing ball in hand and defending hard.

to be fair if they had just completed the scrum before half time and got the ball off the park, who knows what would have happened.

How the Frak was that not obstruction?

Finally picked up.

Heaf wrote:I think he warned them about too many offsides and then after he gave the scrum pen turned it into a general warning?

After he gave that general warning, just before Jac Morgan scored his try, the ref was shouting at the Portuguese hooker a number of times to put his hands behind the try line which he ignored. Wales scored but the ref chose to forget another offside. I’ve seen Wales in the past had a player sent to the bin by Nika Amashukeli though the opposition had scored a try.

Morgan75 wrote:

Heaf wrote:I think he warned them about too many offsides and then after he gave the scrum pen turned it into a general warning?

After he gave that general warning, just before Jac Morgan scored his try, the ref was shouting at the Portuguese hooker a number of times to put his hands behind the try line which he ignored. Wales scored but the ref chose to forget another offside. I’ve seen Wales in the past had a player sent to the bin by Nika Amashukeli though the opposition had scored a try.

OK didn't spot that - although not many refs still card if a try is scored, although in my view they should ...

Well Portugal should be very proud of their performance...been a joy to watch some of their rugby.

Are refs allowed to issue a straight red anymore or do all decisions have to go to the bunker?

Multiple penalties- yellow cards?????

I think they can if they're sure but if any doubt they just let someone else decide ...

Could turn out to be a crucial bonus point for Wales if Fiji defeat Australia tomorrow. Mind you, I didn't think they'd have to leave it so late to get it! Full credit to Portugal for their gallant effort.

Very lucky wales

Morgan75 wrote:Multiple penalties- yellow cards?????

He’s been very lenient on Portugal. I’m not sure if it changed the result but it’s made the game quite stop-start in the second half. A few balls hit backwards by Portugal were called as ‘Wales knock-ons’… Anyway, very impressed with Portugal, they certainly know how to play and have a few tricks.

Wales eventually got the BP win, but it was not an impressive performance

What about Portugal though, how proud they must be!

Yep, glad Portugal managed to get a try - and what a corker it was .....

A couple of monster forwards and a bit more top level exposure and that Portugal team could do some serious damage

Morgan75 wrote:Are refs allowed to issue a straight red anymore or do all decisions have to go to the bunker?

It'll go to the bunker everytime, a ref still can go straight red but in order to speed the game up once it's obviously at least a yellow they'll just send it to the bunker and get on with the game. Given the extra review time the official can go over every angle multiple times and make sure they get a good decision.

Wales somewhat lucky they got away with wheeling that final scrum. Probably should have been a penalty to Portugal there.

Great performance from Portugal to make it such a close game.

I think Portugal are a good side and should win at least one match in this World Cup. They have a good looking back line and if it wasn’t for a few handling errors they would have got more points on the board in this match.

Unless Wales play their full A side, whenever the second choices have a go, it is a stop/start affair with multiple knock ons and handling mistakes - look at the November tests as an example. TBH, you can say the same about the A side as well!

There were lots of comments in the last welsh game calling Wales being lucky in not having anyone sent to the bin earlier with the number of penalties they gave away in the red zone even after warnings. Nothing said about Portugal? When Karl Dickson awarded I think 3 penalty advantages in the red zone in the same phase of play around the 75th minute he must have forgotten the 3 warnings he had already given. I know I’m an armchair fan and have not gone to referee school but why aren’t his refereeing colleagues reminding of this?

I think it is pretty impressive that teams like Portugal, Chile, Uruguay (even England) come into the tournament and don't really show any jitters against top level opposition.  Some real talent, for sure, but confidence.  Exactly what Rugby need.

I'm not sure your numbers are quite right but if they are then yes he should have given a yellow - although with Karl Dickson everything is a lottery. Also maybe he was influenced by having just given a yellow/red for foul play?

Either way I think Wales were still lucky not to have someone binned earlier last week - especially Biggar for his cynical pen.

Also, although probably stressful for Welsh fans, Wales have been involved in two of the most entertaining games so far ...

I agree that both Wales matches have been exciting but Wales just frustrate me so much! They have bags of potential but seem to do everything they can to make it as hard as possible for themselves to actually win. They have poor handling skills, make poor decisions, give away too many penalties and are just not slick. I don’t want to disrespect Portugal but against any other Tier 1 nation I think the bonus point would have been won in the first half.
My heart wants Fiji to win against Australia tomorrow but my head wants Australia to win (So when wales invariably lose to Australia they can still progress as the second placed team). With their current form, I think we’ll get out of the pool but that will be as far as we go

9-13 killed Wales today. Everything was so ponderous. It was obvious we were going to work hard for a BP today, so Cement Head should’ve brought Basham on for Lydiate, Costelow for Anscombe (who was clearly way off it) and Adams for Halfpenny sooner. At least then you have three players who can make a bit more happen.

In the end, they did well to get a bonus. But the way Gatland played his subs today was pretty poor.

Tomos Williams wasn’t getting to the ball quick enough, him and Anscombe didn’t control it that well. I also feel Jenkins didn’t really take his chance, so now we’re stuck with Beard.

Not sure he actually kicked that before time was up?

He did not!

Yeah probably not