Pool A - Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa

[BoyBrumby]

Bonus time! Makes it very, very interesting now.

 

[Howe_zat]

Japan are the best team to watch. Best.

 

[hendrix]

Through to the quarters.

Brilliant.

 

[vogue]

Second time I’ve watched Japan.. great rugby .

 

[Howe_zat]

Through to the quarters.

Brilliant.

It's still gonna come down to bonus points if Scotland win next week. If they're level then Scotland go through because head-to-head is the first tie breaker.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, not quite there yet. If Ireland beat Samoa they'll be on 15 points (16 with a try bonus), and if Scotland beat Russia and Japan with try bonuses in both and deny Japan a losing bonus it leaves them on 15 and the Blossoms on 14.

Unlikely but not impossible scenarios.

 

[hendrix]

It's still gonna come down to bonus points if Scotland win next week. If they're level then Scotland go through because head-to-head is the first tie breaker.

Yeah, not quite there yet. If Ireland beat Samoa they'll be on 15 points (16 with a try bonus), and if Scotland beat Russia and Japan with try bonuses in both and deny Japan a losing bonus it leaves them on 15 and the Blossoms on 14.

Unlikely but not impossible scenarios.

Ah ok.

Japan really should've got that bonus point from Russia. Would hate if it came back to bite them.

 

[Flem274*]

this means we play ireland in the quarters but gg japan ****ing top stuff

 

[Howe_zat]

Group A permutations.

It assumes that Scotland get a bonus point win against Russia.

 

[Bahnz]

Ah ok.

Japan really should've got that bonus point from Russia. Would hate if it came back to bite them.

They did - 2 5 point wins v Samoa and Russia and 1 4 points win v Ireland. The problem for Japan is the tie-breaker system - the first tie-breaker is H2H result, which means that if Scotland wins next Sunday and go level on points with Japan, they'll advance.

Still, the bonus point last night was critical, as it creates a conundrum for Scotland. They HAVE to get 5 points against Russia - if they don't then they'll need a bonus point win against Japan without conceding any bonus points in return - so normally you'd expect them to play a pretty full strength side to secure 5 points. But their games against Russia and Japan are just 4 days apart, which would leave them vulnerable to running out of gas in the second half.

 

[ripper868]

Scotland will be prime for the picking with that short turnaround it us really unfair the way the minnows get treated...

 

[ripper868]

Also, lol at the poll pre tournament for this group, Japan not only proving everyone wrong, but playing the most attractive rugby of the tournament. Best fans as well.

 

[Bahnz]

Scotland will be prime for the picking with that short turnaround it us really unfair the way the minnows get treated...

It's unfair either way.

 

[Howe_zat]

Scotland must be in trouble. He’s not even facing the right way.

 

[ripper868]

It's unfair either way.

It's part and parcel of tournaments

 

[Bahnz]

It's part and parcel of tournaments

Nah, it's part and parcel of the current tournament structure. The 1999 tournament format had its issues, but it at least made these kinds of preparatory mismatches a lot less common (just 3 cases of 4 day turnarounds in 1999 - 2 of which were the less egregious case of a team with a 4 day turnaround playing a team with a 5 day turnaround. There are 11 in 2019).

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Massive typhoon forecast for this weekend. There's a very small possibility that some games are cancelled which would greatly affect the permutations.

 

[ripper868]

Nah, it's part and parcel of the current tournament structure. The 1999 tournament format had its issues, but it at least made these kinds of preparatory mismatches a lot less common (just 3 cases of 4 day turnarounds in 1999 - 2 of which were the less egregious case of a team with a 4 day turnaround playing a team with a 5 day turnaround. There are 11 in 2019).

Until you get the quarter finals, where the teams who played the quarter final qualifiers had to face a 4 day turnaround from the qualifier to a quarter final. All 3 teams soundly beaten of course.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Massive typhoon forecast for this weekend. There's a very small possibility that some games are cancelled which would greatly affect the permutations.

no reserve days?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Yeah they'll play Sunday if required, but this typhoon is the biggest of the year so it might affect both days if its destructive enough.