Caught most of the game in the bar this morning. I was impressed by the local turnout with about 15 men watching the game. I got talking to them and it turned out they were a group of French tourists down here for the weekend. The general feeling about yesterday's game was that all's fair in love and union.
After listening to the Spanish commentary team and seeing this BBC headline, 'Awesome All Blacks crush Australia', I have just one question. Do the media actually watch the events ON the field?

All Blacks are 1/10 to win the thing by the way.

[url=http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=32466Match fixing at rugby union world cup?[/url

[url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/rugby-world-cup/why-i-tip-a-waleswallabies-final-20111014-1lp4p.html?Stuart Barnes, take a bow[/url

Yes, that was my main memory from the game....Those 20-odd phases were the biggest waste of 3 or 4 minutes I've ever witnessed. I was trying to understand the point of what Wales were attempting to do.

However, it was probably caused by the bizarre Union rules....Look at the French defensive line - it was literally a metre from what League fans would call the 'play-the-ball'....Any chance of any rugby being played is simply suffocated by the ridiculous rules - Try playing League with a defensive line that far back and you'd end up with the same mess as they have in Union.

Sounds like sour grapes to me

That's funny


that's funnier

SA have won the world cup twice and both times scored no tries. The only tries scored in world cup finals since the turn of the century were Rugby League players.

I was looking forward to watching the All Blacks this morning but again only one try scored in the game. 2 semi finals with a total of two tries. I just dont see what is so great about it. The laws of the game make it so much more easier to defend than attack and thats why the SH has been trying to change laws and rules to make it more exciting.

Quade Cooper to the NRL? The more I see of him the more I think he would struggle.

If you want to see loads of points racked up, watch basketball. This preoccupation with tries is quite unhealthy.

I watched both games last night and whilst the Kangaroos looked impressive, the game was over after 15 minutes whilst the Union match was still up for grabs with about 15 minutes to go.

The Kiwis did have 12 players missing through injury.

It's a pre-occupation with attacking rugby & the ambition to score tries, not an attention on milking technical penalties & 20 x 2 metre plods for a drop goal.
The league international was disappointingly one-sided. I don't know what the Aus/NZ HT/FT summary was but they slated NZ in the Sky studio here. Rather than use language like immense, colossal, titanic to describe the game they did a honest critical appraisal. Any game can be up for grabs until the last second but still be garbage.

what if the basketball game consisted only of points scored from free throws? That would be just like RU.

If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points

If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points

Quote ="Dunbar"If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points'" So if it wasn't 'inner rage' and RU players aren't capable, what was up with Marc Cecillion and Bees Roux? Boys on tour?

Quote ="Dunbar"If ever an article summed up the media attitude to Union it is this in today’s Standard... www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... licious.do The piece at the bottom about France in the final includes the following “No one would doubt that Wales would have beaten France comfortably had Sam Warburton not been sent off. Even with 14 men, they were the better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising side in the semi-final.” How can one sentence be so wrong... I for one would doubt they would have beaten France even with 15 men and as for Wales being better, more forceful, imaginative and enterprising – well, you could just about muster an argument for the first two but how anybody could call that Welsh performance imaginative and enterprising I have no idea... they were utterly clueless and only had themselves to blame for not posting more points'" So if it wasn't 'inner rage' and RU players aren't capable, what was up with Marc Cecillion and Bees Roux? Boys on tour?

76,000 less australians tuned into the RWC than did the NRL Grand Final.......and, when you add the Kiwis, as the NRL like to do.....5,207,180 is the figure you come to.....18% bigger than State of Origin including Kiwis.
Not saying union is a better game, because it's not, but it does put into perspective the inane ramblings of certain aussie posters on this and other sites...

Australia v All Blacks gets 18% more viewers than two 'counties' playing each other. Hardly a surprise. If anything I'd have thought Aussie national pride being put to the test by the rugby union mad folk across the Tasman would have rated much higher.
What is surprising is that 76,000 more Australians chose to watch a club game than the biggest union international in 8 years.

Blimey, is that right – 76,000 fewer Australians tuned into the WRC semi than the NRL Grand Final

That’s amazing – a World Cup semi final between Australia and its biggest Union rival attracts a smaller audience than a RL club game (where one club wasn’t even from Australia where the biggest rivalries naturally lie)

Thanks for posting that – really puts the Australian sporting landscape into context

Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.

Someone at work mentioned about the scrumming rule where there can be no contested scrums. That was my perception from what he said despite him not being aware of the rule but claiming to prefer yawnion to rugby.

its in the london evening standard.

Quote ="Catalancs"Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.'" Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.

Quote ="Catalancs"Someone sent me a text this morning saying Warren Gatland has come out and said Wales considered faking injury in the game against France so as to gain an advantage. He didn't send a link and I can't find one so I told him it's utter tripe. Imagine the crap that would stir up after, for example, 'Bloodgate'! If this is incredibly true and someone does find a link, please post it on here. Thanks.'" Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.

Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.

Anyone remember Ian Millward summarising a Wales RU match on tv 7-8 years ago?

Don't think he got invited back

Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about

Glad to have been of assistance

Quote ="dids858"Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.'" My mistake. Are most of those boxes in West Yorkshire or South-West Lancashire? I only ask as rugby league always rates highly. Quote ="dids858"Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.'" But you know it will all be forgotten about within a few weeks. I found a link to the Wales cheating story on The Guardian website. I don't know what's more incredible; Gatland and the Welsh coaching staff considering cheating [ior[/i not cheating and then telling the world you seriously considered it. Quote ="gutterfax"Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about '" And don't forget Australian union fans. Well, maybe not

Quote ="dids858"Sadly unless we are only part of the 6,000 who have a box that calculates the tv viewing public in the uk it doesnt matter if we were watching union or babestation.'" My mistake. Are most of those boxes in West Yorkshire or South-West Lancashire? I only ask as rugby league always rates highly. Quote ="dids858"Take your pick of 2055 pieces news.google.co.uk/news/more?q=wa ... CB0QqgIwAA Yet more shame for union. Oh and from what I could stand of that semi final was shocking I know it rained but simple passing and catching is awful. Well at least in two weeks time I wont have to watch pot shot after pot shot on the news while they are reporting the world cup.'" But you know it will all be forgotten about within a few weeks. I found a link to the Wales cheating story on The Guardian website. I don't know what's more incredible; Gatland and the Welsh coaching staff considering cheating [ior[/i not cheating and then telling the world you seriously considered it. Quote ="gutterfax"Agree 100%.....but let's face it, without TV ratings to argue over, what would Australian RL fans and AFL fans have to talk about '" And don't forget Australian union fans. Well, maybe not

[i"No team wants to play boring rugby, but everyone you come up against at international level is good opposition and that makes it harder. No-one cares about how you're playing if you're getting results. The result is the priority, the performance is number two. That's rugby, that's the way it always has been and that's the way it always will be."[/i
- Mark Cueto


Looking like Joel Tomkins to Saracens could go through as early as next week. What stood out for me in a recent article were Wigan chairman Ian Lenaghan's comments.
"I’m not worried about rugby union," said Lenagan.
"It irritates me that they are able to pay more to get players, but look at the phenomenal losses they are making. If I was an owner losing millions of pounds I’d be concerned. They are in a mess financially and we are stronger than that."


[iFrom the New Zealand Herald:[/i
The BBC reports that the IRB are privately stunned and shocked and considering what action to take against Wales. Faking injuries is treated as an extremely serious offence. But Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis said Gatland should be praised, not admonished for his admission.
"Warren Gatland should be applauded in this professional era where tough things and tough decisions are made that he didn't go into that particular zone," said Lewis.

Priceless!