Gutted for Scotland, they really deserved a win there. Awesome performance against a lucky Australia. Even the Aussies can be shocked by that schooling.
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Rugby World Cup 2015
- Thread starter The-Real-Deal82
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I'm truly sorry for Scotland - would have loved to have seen them win, and go through to the semis, and certainly they fought brilliantly and bravely and reached well above themselves until the bitter end, unlike France (who folded), or Ireland (who, alas weren't good enough and never once seriously threatened to win).
With no northern hemisphere presence left to cheer on, not sure I have much interest left in this Rugby Word Cup.
Well, as a proud European, I am sorry that the Northern Hemisphere are no longer represented in this Rugby World Cup. That is a first: All four semi-finalists are from the Southern Hemisphere Australia - (who were far too complacent by half - and, indeed, strikingly ungenerous in their post match commentary - I suspect they thought they only had to turn up - against a very brave and fierce Scotland), Argentina (who thrashed Ireland, although Ireland - when they woke up, belatedly at around the 20 minutes stage, did try to fight back), New Zealand - who slaughtered France (I have never before seen France fail to show up so comprehensively), and South Africa, who had earlier destroyed Wales.
England, as we know, had been dispatched at the Group stages.
It would appear that the future of rugby lies increasingly south of the equator. However, I have to say that the ball handling and confidence on the ball, pace, balletic fleetness of foot, strength, focus and team work combined to make the All Blacks demolition of France an astounding masterclass in how to play rugby. Every player on that All Black team looked as though they could have filled almost every position with equal ease and comfort.
They don't simply focus on strength and fitness - although, needless to say, they have these aplenty. They also focus on ball carrying and passing skills, and fleetness of foot, balance, grace and pace to complete the skill set. And accurate kicking.
Too many northern teams assume that bulk and strength equals mastery and victory. This world cup should have taught them that it doesn't.
A personal story which might be of slight interest: Some years ago, a young male cousin a few times removed told me an interesting tale. His father - who was a cousin of mine - was a macho idiot (my words, not his) who wanted his son to play rugby and partake in other manly things; his mother (who had died tragically young) and her sister - the boy's aunt - had both taught dance, including Irish dance for a living, their students winning a great many dance competitions in the process.
As a child, the boy had been extremely good at dancing, winning many competitions himself, but as a teenager, he disdained it, as, among other reasons, his father, by then a widower, did not consider it manly enough.
However, he had an epiphany when a football coach informed him that he needed to be faster on his feet. In his later teens, he returned to dance classes (without broadcasting the fact too loudly) and credited the need to master fast, balanced, and rapidly changing co-ordinated footwork on the dance floor with his vastly improved performance on the football field.
England, as we know, had been dispatched at the Group stages.
It would appear that the future of rugby lies increasingly south of the equator. However, I have to say that the ball handling and confidence on the ball, pace, balletic fleetness of foot, strength, focus and team work combined to make the All Blacks demolition of France an astounding masterclass in how to play rugby. Every player on that All Black team looked as though they could have filled almost every position with equal ease and comfort.
They don't simply focus on strength and fitness - although, needless to say, they have these aplenty. They also focus on ball carrying and passing skills, and fleetness of foot, balance, grace and pace to complete the skill set. And accurate kicking.
Too many northern teams assume that bulk and strength equals mastery and victory. This world cup should have taught them that it doesn't.
A personal story which might be of slight interest: Some years ago, a young male cousin a few times removed told me an interesting tale. His father - who was a cousin of mine - was a macho idiot (my words, not his) who wanted his son to play rugby and partake in other manly things; his mother (who had died tragically young) and her sister - the boy's aunt - had both taught dance, including Irish dance for a living, their students winning a great many dance competitions in the process.
As a child, the boy had been extremely good at dancing, winning many competitions himself, but as a teenager, he disdained it, as, among other reasons, his father, by then a widower, did not consider it manly enough.
However, he had an epiphany when a football coach informed him that he needed to be faster on his feet. In his later teens, he returned to dance classes (without broadcasting the fact too loudly) and credited the need to master fast, balanced, and rapidly changing co-ordinated footwork on the dance floor with his vastly improved performance on the football field.
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training in a different sport or at least by a coach of a different sport can have tremedous impact not only on lower league levels but also in professional sport. In many pro-sports it is common to play other team sports as exercises in training. It also helps with team building (Rugby players dancing with each other might not happen)
In the past those players/team who pioneered such cross sport training could gain a serious edge: While still being a 2nd league player Jürgen Klinsmann infamously joined one of Germany's best track and field sprint coaches for sprint training during the summer season break and within 2 months he improved his 100 meter time from 11.7 seconds to 11.0 seconds !
Excellent point about cross- training - and one which makes an awful lot of sense. It is also nice to see nonsensical gender roles deconstructed.
In any case, I think the young man in question may also have been using the dance classes to re-connect with his mother's legacy - she had strongly encouraged his dancing as a child and he was devastated by her death - but in conversation with me, he was emphatic (and delighted) that the dance classes had given him a serious edge on the football field.
Well it seems Scotland did in fact beat Australia with the penalty at the end being false. However the decision will not be reversed and we have a country broken hearted and another having gained a place through luck not work. The sad thing for Scotland is this is their best team in years. It's a massive blow for them. I am English and although I doubt England would get any sympathy if the roles were reversed, I still support British teams in world sport. Scotland deserved to go through and were without doubt the best from our nation in this tournament. I can't see the ref getting a gig on the world stage either after this one. It should have gone to video.
Well it seems Scotland did in fact beat Australia with the penalty at the end being false. However the decision will not be reversed and we have a country broken hearted and another having gained a place through luck not work. The sad thing for Scotland is this is their best team in years. It's a massive blow for them. I am English and although I doubt England would get any sympathy if the roles were reversed, I still support British teams in world sport. Scotland deserved to go through and were without doubt the best from our nation in this tournament. I can't see the ref getting a gig on the world stage either after this one. It should have gone to video.
A very similar thing happened to Ireland in 1991 - in, as it happened, the Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals - against the very same opponents, namely, Australia. Ahead with a few minutes to go, the task being to let the clock draw down, followed by - literally - last minute defeat.
Superb and gutsy performance by Scotland, and I feel deeply sorry for them. While mistakes happen, two - well, three - things do bother me a little about this. The first is that the mistakes at this level in both soccer and rugby almost invariably go in favour of the team deemed 'stronger'.
More specifically, in this instance, is the fact that second opinions and video evidence do not appear to have been utilised correctly, or professionally.
However, of most concern, is the craven way in which the ref - and I normally don't blame referees, they can be seen as an easy target and are on the receiving end of a lot of criticism, much of it unfair - scuttled away at the final whistle: He needed to explain why that particular decision had been taken to the players, especially the Scots. The contrast with the excellent ref - who meticulously reviewed evidence, sought second opinions, and made the right call most of the time - who was in charge of the New Zealand v France game was quite striking.
I'll just leave this last little bit here. 
http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/video-rugby-juniors-realise-they-tackled-all-black/2838705/
BL.
http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/video-rugby-juniors-realise-they-tackled-all-black/2838705/
BL.
New Zealand were deserved winners; when it mattered, they were by far the better team irrespective of who they played - and, at their sublime best, were nothing short of superb.
Moreover, they were able to shift gears - and pull out strong performances when it mattered most, such as when they demolished France.
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The great rugby player Jonah Lomu, who played for the All Blacks, has passed away.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/34853536
http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/34853536
I meant to post about Jonah earlier myself.
Very sad and unexpected. A man who changed the way rugby was played forever. A true legend who will be missed.
RIP.
Very sad and unexpected. A man who changed the way rugby was played forever. A true legend who will be missed.
RIP.
Very sad and unexpected. I saw that while reading the news online on the train this morning.
A true gentleman, a fantastic role model and an extraordinarily gifted and talented rugby player. I will never forget seeing that match in 1995 when he - personally - destroyed England, trampling players with force, speed, power and grace as he flew towards the line. An extraordinary player.