Rugby World Cup - other team/games and general chat

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

Now we do...

Cane ruled out late.....

Tupou Vaa’i will start at 6 tonight for the All Blacks > Dalton Papalii to open side with Sam Cane ruled out. -elliot smith

Thought it was just a bit of mind games when I heard he was doubtful right before KO, but, no, a proper injury and an unwanted headache for NZ.

How do we see it going? NZ have never lost a RWC group match, the only team to have competed in RWCs who can say that, but I think France will narrowly end that run tonight.

C'mon France!!!

Wow!

Wow....some start!

Great start but some of the NZ players look very nervous

New Zealand looking to get outside the French blitz early. Interesting tactic that, if they keep that up it could be a very open game.

Great start. Didn’t see the knock down again, but France could be on at least one yellow card imo. Certainly with the quick tap.

Could easily have been a scrum to France as well to be fair for the initial forward pass on the break.

Fancying a red card tonight....very fast and physical

It's very frantic stuff. Both teams making quite a few errors.

Would like to see the Kiwi pass for the initial break that led to the try again. Not seeing many replays tonight.

You have to laugh with the amount of work a lot of refs have done recently in trying to speak both languages Poite is merely taking the British 1980s response of shouting louder in English.

Yeah Peyper not poite. I blame the heat.

Peyper isn't interested in reffing NZ at the breakdown tonight is he. Savea is a lucky boy there, no attempt to stay on his feet for that clearout and went well beyond the breakdown, he knew he'd made an error as well.

Who thought it would be a good idea to give Peyper the first game???? Awful

Boring game so far, very stop start, lots of kicking. Two nervous sides.

De Groot having a tough game. Struggling at the scrum, now knocking on in the French 22.

Don't really get that decision. Nz win it then they're not allowed to play it?

Dont see why France are kicking so much, great opportunity to go down the line and put pressure on the ABs.

Collapse2005 wrote:Dont see why France are kicking so much, great opportunity to go down the line and put pressure on the ABs.

The ball is very greasy. Don't want to risk giving the ball away on a dangerous area. NZ are dangerous ball in hand.

Also France always kick alot.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Dont see why France are kicking so much, great opportunity to go down the line and put pressure on the ABs.

The ball is very greasy. Don't want to risk giving the ball away on a dangerous area. NZ are dangerous ball in hand.

Also France always kick alot.

France are too though, think they are showing NZ too much respect.

Extremely tight....I think I'm fancying NZ to sneak it.

I think I’ve seen 2 replays in the first half (one of which was the NZ try during the water break). Is this to stop the live crowd seeing any contentious issues and reacting? I thought I saw Savea fly off his feet and missed Aldrit being in front of the kick off. It would be nice to see what the ref is actually blowing up (or not) for!!

Collapse2005 wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:Dont see why France are kicking so much, great opportunity to go down the line and put pressure on the ABs.

The ball is very greasy. Don't want to risk giving the ball away on a dangerous area. NZ are dangerous ball in hand.

Also France always kick alot.

France are too though, think they are showing NZ too much respect.

They haven't really made any inroads so far and I think that's denting their confidence a bit. The ABs are making the breakdown a war and it's slowing the ball. France are desperately missing Danty.

Worrying for France that Alldritt looks tired and is nursing a sore shoulder. They're going to need him.

Morgan75 wrote:I think I’ve seen 2 replays in the first half (one of which was the NZ try during the water break). Is this to stop the live crowd seeing any contentious issues and reacting? I thought I saw Savea fly off his feet and missed Aldrit being in front of the kick off. It would be nice to see what the ref is actually blowing up (or not) for!!

There was the challenge on the air that looked a bit iffy as well.

Agreed, it's stupid we are seeing so few replays.

What was the craic with France's national anthem? A bad time to pick your worst rendition ever.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:What was the craic with France's national anthem? A bad time to pick your worst rendition ever.

I think it was a choir singing it as a delay. I'm sure there's a technical term for it. Not sure I've heard it done for a national anthem before.

Looked very forward

Does seem to be a case of tmo is getting the replays and not the crowd. Given how much we've seen the home side get the calls due to it you can understand.

Where are all the French TV director replays

formerly known as Sam wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:What was the craic with France's national anthem? A bad time to pick your worst rendition ever.

I think it was a choir singing it as a delay. I'm sure there's a technical term for it. Not sure I've heard it done for a national anthem before.

Whatever it was, it was horrific and negatively affected the atmosphere.

Anyway NZ looking good here.

Looked forward. The French defender gave up on it thinking it was so forward! All started from what seemed to be a harsh penalty against France.

Seeing a concerning number of players (both sides) throwing themselves to the floor and trying to buy a penalty.

A large motivation for the bunker system was apparently avoiding the crowd getting a dozen super slow mo replays to holler at it.

I don't think I've seen so few replays in the coverage before though. World Rugby run the RWC so maybe they have more control over the coverage here.

The pass looked forward live and I honestly only looked up at the end of the one replay they showed!

No 7&1/2 wrote:Does seem to be a case of tmo is getting the replays and not the crowd. Given how much we've seen the home side get the calls due to it you can understand.

I can understand the crowd but it would be good for the home audience to see them!!

What is the point in showing a blatant (in my professional opinion 🤪) forward pass after the conversion was taken???

Morgan75 wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Does seem to be a case of tmo is getting the replays and not the crowd. Given how much we've seen the home side get the calls due to it you can understand.

I can understand the crowd but it would be good for the home audience to see them!!

What is the point in showing a blatant (in my professional opinion 🤪) forward pass after the conversion was taken???

Cos the same pics are shown at home and at the stadium.

Awfully decent of Jamie Roberts to say Peyper has had a good game

Great tackle that.

Great tackle to stop a brilliant piece of attacking play.

Did a Monye there and carried the ball under his wrong arm.

Glad someone picked up on the absolute travesty that they made of the French national anthem - couldn’t believe what I was hearing given how rousing it can be with the full band

Get in there!!!!

Gamble rewarded.

BamBam wrote:Glad someone picked up on the absolute travesty that they made of the French national anthem - couldn’t believe what I was hearing given how rousing it can be with the full band

Sounded like the crowd was out of sync with the choir resulting in a mess. Keep it simple.

Yellow only for me

That looked bad!!!

That's excellent from Jalibert slipping into that Ntamack role. All three France playmakers were reasonably threats in space of a 2 pass play with Dupont feeding Jalibert and Ramos running the support line. Then it just takes a hard line from Ollivon and Jalibert takes the correct option with perfect timing. Lethal stuff.

Oh no, Jordan. Lucky that it's only yellow.

Saved from a red by the French player controlling the landing with his arm.

Anyway, great chance for France to turn the screw, get a second try and get two scores ahead.

NZ are swamping Dupont around the fringes. It's largely kept him quiet but leaves gaps elsewhere as it requires committing numbers near the ruck on every phase.

Terrible decision to go for goal, what are France at???