Rugby world cup thread

mentasm

I hope you're Australian, because if not it's pretty sad that your want them to go through instead of another northern hemisphere nation. Perhaps I'm being over sensitive, but I'm getting a bit sick of all the anti-English sentiment coming from the other 'home' unions.

Paul224

If there's ever an England v Rest of the UNIVERSE the earthlings will still route for the other side!

Donnacha

I actually hope England win....will be great for the tournament and last round of games will be cracking!!

mentasm

That small mindedness is why none of the other home nations has ever won the World Cup. If England fails to progress I only hope Wales can see past their earlier victory and go one step further than last time, although to be fair these days it's more the supporters who see beating England as the be all end all (or at least you'd hope so).

gibbsy

If Wales go through to the quarters because of England losing tonight I can live with that. I support my nation, what is small minded about that. I hope and believe that Wales can beat Australia and top the group, that's what being a supporter is all about. Beating the 'old enemy' on the journey is the icing on the cake.

If it came down to Australia having to beat Wales for England to progress who would you be shouting for?

Sloppy Bob

I'll admit to being anti English when it comes to football and cricket. Only because the media never let you hear the end of it. We still get 1966 rammed down our throats every 4 years.

Other sports like Rugby, Athletics etc I'll support all the home nations up until they face or can ruin Scotlands chance of progressing.

Very poor first half from Scotland V RSA, we've been much better in the 2nd half so far so here's hoping we can pick things up.

gibbsy

Got like Nigel Owen. When Hogg took what best be described as a dive Owens told Hogg to come back in two weeks to this ground to try that on again. I doubt very much that the terraces at the Newcastle ground had ever heard a player saying yes sir, sorry sir to a referee.

mentasm

Yeah. Sometimes he takes his authoritative persona a bit too far, but he's one of the better refs. The Japan/Samoa earlier was great.

Sloppy Bob

I thought that although the ref was strict he was also quite blinkered to a number of incidents and as for him overuling the rules on lifting a player and dropping him, he should have been yellow carded, malicious or not. He missed an obvious tackle to the head by the same player a few minutes previously as well.

Liked what he said to Hogg though, no place for that rubbish in rugby.

mentasm

Yeah I agree with you on the yellow. It wasn't malicious, but the outcome is the key thing he should have gone. I guess the new interpretations could have come into play though...