Pool A - Australia, England, Wales, Fiji, Uruguay

[hendrix]

Awesome stuff from Aus when 13 men down, but no composure from Wales whatsoever, numerous chances to go wide when numerical advantage, North botched a try and turned down penalty points.
.

Yeah any winger in the world should've been able to score that. Silly not to use the numbers advantage too. Although Moore very lucky not to give away a penalty try.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Aussies defence was brilliant today. Fair play to them doing that and getting the much easier quarter final.

 

[dermo]

what a time to be australian

 

[Hurricane]

I haven't really wanted to admit this out loud in case it comes true. But Tim Horan said after the Aussie world cup victory that you don't need to be the best team in the world going into the tournament as long as you are competitive with everyone you can win the cup. This Australian side fits that bill.

Anyway she is all on for young and old from here on in.

If Australia go to sleep against Scotland they will lose. No such thing as an easy quarterfinal.

Scotland will play like their very lives are on the line.

 

[Hurricane]

I hope we get the quarterfinal threads up on Monday...Will it be one thread for all quarterfinals - or one for each match.

 

[Hurricane]

I won't cry into my beer if Australia get up and win the whole thing. They have a strong team and would be worthy champions.

My rankings of the teams at this stage into the tournament

NZ = Australia
daylight
Wales '
France = Ireland = South Africa = Argentina
Daylight
Scotland

The teams I fear the most in a knock out match

1 France
2 Australia
3 South Africa

Those three teams I worry about.

 

[the big bambino]

Yeah the ref took an age to warn them about what they were pretty obviously doing IMO.

Yeah very strange. Yet Mumm was warned and off quick smart. Very strange. So this ref - Joubert by any chance?

 

[social]

I haven't really wanted to admit this out loud in case it comes true. But Tim Horan said after the Aussie world cup victory that you don't need to be the best team in the world going into the tournament as long as you are competitive with everyone you can win the cup. This Australian side fits that bill.

Anyway she is all on for young and old from here on in.

If Australia go to sleep against Scotland they will lose. No such thing as an easy quarterfinal.

Scotland will play like their very lives are on the line.

Nah, Scotland are very average

Semi will be a big challenge against Ireland, France (???) or Argentina as they have both the ability to spoil and capitalize

Bottom line, I could see Oz losing to Wales and others at this stage but Scotland would be an absolute shocker

 

[Spark]

Yeah very strange. Yet Mumm was warned and off quick smart. Very strange. So this ref - Joubert by any chance?

Yep.

 

[hendrix]

Whilst the Oz cards were fair enough, you have to wonder how Wales got away with it as it seemed like a fairly blatant tactic

Reckon it worked against them in the end as they weren't able to play expansive rugby when they had the numerical advantage i.e. mindset was to spoil, keep it tight, etc and they couldn't change

Yeah the ref took an age to warn them about what they were pretty obviously doing IMO.

Yeah very strange. Yet Mumm was warned and off quick smart. Very strange. So this ref - Joubert by any chance?

I wouldn't complain too much about Joubert. Australia were very lucky to not concede a penalty try or cop another yellow when Stephen Moore brought down the maul (which I think should be legal anyway but whatever).

 

[the big bambino]

Haha that sounds just like a Joubert defence. Look the guy is an utter prick as all Brumbies fans know and we aren't just specking that on a one off performance. Tall about luck if you want and maybe you are right. All I know is that we ended up 2 men down so I can't see any reason to feel placated. Either ref both sides or turn a blind eye. In the meantime I've seen enough of him to justify an uneasy feeling he really likes to ref Australian teams out of a contest.

 

[Hurricane]

Nah, Scotland are very average

If we had drawn Scotland I wouldn't be writing them off. I think you will find that Scotland grow an arm and a leg for this game,

That said I also have Australia down to win by 20. But only if they take it seriously.

 

[ripper868]

It's a World Cup Quarter Final. I'm pretty sure they'll take it seriously.

End of the day, the team that finishes with more points should win.

 

[Spark]

Haha that sounds just like a Joubert defence. Look the guy is an utter prick as all Brumbies fans know and we aren't just specking that on a one off performance. Tall about luck if you want and maybe you are right. All I know is that we ended up 2 men down so I can't see any reason to feel placated. Either ref both sides or turn a blind eye. In the meantime I've seen enough of him to justify an uneasy feeling he really likes to ref Australian teams out of a contest.

Eh, I don't think you could legitimately complain about the two yellow cards, they were both pretty blatant.

 

[the big bambino]

I didn't.

 

[marc71178]

Certainly read that way when talking about the Mumm card...

 

[the big bambino]

Can't see how. Don't think I even made a direct reference to Mumm in the post quoted.