The 2015 rugby union thread

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I'm shattered the Welsh couldn't pull off a miracle against South Africa. They were so close too.

Especially since I'd prefer to face the Welsh in a semi than the Boks. Though on the basis of these quarters I'm not sure how much the All Blacks have to fear. If - if - we can play like we did today, I don't think anybody can stop us. Astonishing levels of skill and cohesion, and some of our passing has to be seen to be believed. It feels like a different team to the one that puttered around the pool games without setting the world alight.
 
High drama in the Ireland vs Argentina game. We're not even twenty minutes in and Argentina have already scored two tries and copped a yellow card while Ireland just had a try disallowed.

God I love finals rugby.
 
Hah yeah it's nice. Don't think I'll stay up for Australia vs Scotland, especially as the result will probably go very strongly in Australia's favour.

Argentina totally squandered their early advantages with and after that yellow card, and although they have a handy ten point lead at the break the momentum is now all Ireland's. Ought to be a compelling second half.
 
That was big. Exciting stuff. Great atmosphere at that stadium where the Manics had their famous change of century concert. :wink:
 
:lol: Nice one.

And please Argentina, don't fucking blow this.
 
(They're probably a bit dejected about Wales losing, though)

That feeling when you feel you've broken through a chain but then you end up running 15m sideways. :lol:
 
This is absolutely thrilling. I think we are about to see one of the great comebacks.
 
Well that shows what I know!!

By god did the Argies need that.
 
Great try. Fancy making it when you're already in the process of being ragdolled sideways by 2-3 people.
 
For the first fifteen minutes and the last fifteen minutes, Argentina played as if they were the All Blacks of last night. For the whole time in between Ireland were in the ascendancy and did too little with it.

I can't believe Ireland still haven't made it to a World Cup semi. It's been fascinating talking to Melburnians about this fixture. They recognise Argentina are getting better but they still seem to think of them as a second-tier rugby country and Ireland (rightly) as a traditional force. Argentina have fucking come third in a World Cup! They're much better on the big occasion than Ireland.
 
Oh wow, it sounds like Scotland were absolutely robbed. Outrageous the TMO was not consulted.
 
I just rewatched the highlights and by god were both the yellow card and final penalty against Scotland incredibly harsh calls. Whoever lost would've had reason to feel aggrieved, but at least if Australia had gone down it would've been through their own errors (poor goalkicking and some shocking errors to let the Scots score tries), not through Craig Joubert. I know this pain too well: Scots must be feeling how every Kiwi felt in 2007. I wonder if Joubert will become to Scotland what Wayne Barnes was and remains to New Zealand. It might be a shame if he does because he's usually a much better referee than Barnes.

If this weekend proved nothing else, though, it is that Southern Hemisphere rugby remains streets ahead of Northern Hemisphere rugby. Australia look suddenly wobbly after being dominant in the group stages (I doubt that will last a week) and South Africa don't look as imposing as they have in previous years (I'm still nervous about the semi, but not maybe as terrified as I would've been a couple of years ago), but both have made most Northern teams look ordinary and New Zealand and Argentina have played with absolutely thrilling flair and skill. Right now I'm thinking that a New Zealand vs Argentina final would be best if we want an aesthetically great game. New Zealand's destruction of France just gets better the longer the glow lasts, one of the most complete displays on a rugby field. Carter's reverse flick pass behind his back (off his weaker hand!) to set up Savea's first try remains unbelievable.
 
Yep, should've been an Australian scrum, not a kick. Would love a ruling on that "deliberate" knock-on that led to the yellow card too. That decision was possibly even more significant; had it not happened, would Scotland have conceded a try soon thereafter?

Can't believe Wayne Barnes has been given officiating duties in Australia vs Argentina. I don't say that out of some residual 2007 spite, but because his officiating in South Africa vs Wales led to a dour, penalty-ridden contest that rarely flowed as freely as it should've.
 
There was no way that was a deliberate knock on,yeah maybe if you look at it in slow motion! Then what about Hogg being wiped out off the ball,nothing done about that.

Sent from my Hudl 2 using U2 Interference mobile app
 
Infuriating half. We're the only team to score a try (or to look like getting any more), but South Africa are in front, we're a man down at the break, and the flow of penalties against us is becoming both serious and tiresome.

We're fucked if we can't get our discipline down in the second half, and the tactic of trying to find holes in the Boks' defence with chip or grubber kicks is yet to work...
 
Oh christ. New Zealand lead by only two with under ten minutes to go. This is nervewracking. The Boks have not let us play anything like what we did last week, and the chip/grubber gambit has failed. We've been better in free-flowing play but haven't converted it, while the Boks have made the most of winning penalties. Can barely watch now.
 
That was such a fucked up match. Nerve wrecking indeed. (If you where cheering for NZ)
 
I'm relieved we won, not only for parochialism but for the good of the game. We actually came out aiming to score tries at every opportunity, while South Africa rarely even seemed interested in the tryline (despite being threatening when they did break), playing a dour and defensive style of play to eke penalties and to shut things down when it began raining heavily. It was too Northern Hemisphere in execution and deserved to lose; every single one of their points came from a penalty kick and when they needed to get up the other end of the park in the last minute to have even a hope of winning they didn't know how to do it.

The grand final should be a better game no matter who we end up playing; the three teams left right now are the three most exciting to watch. I just hope it's Argentina - both because I'd fancy our chances a bit more, and because it would be incredible for rugby as a global sport.

I do hate, though, that this was one of those games where the overriding emotion at the end was not jubilation but relief. Wish we'd been able to score a try in the final few minutes to properly seal the deal.
 
Damnit Argentina!

Nothing is going to be worse for my nerves than playing Australia in the grand final. I couldn't stomach losing such a game.
 
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