Rugby World Cup

The 6 Nations start on Feb. 6th. Whoopee! More thighs to enjoy!

X

jings you mean you don't like to watch a game played by men with odd shaped balls?

Is it over now please?

I agree about Dan Carter, loved watching him

Pleased for NZ - it really matters to them while the Aussies are keen on such a range of sports that it is less of a big deal there.
Oh no, JessM the Aussies hate losing!! Although I thought they were very gracious in defeat.

And did you see this - Sonny Bill Williams giving his medal to a young fan. What a star!
www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/31/sonny-bill-williams-world-cup-winners-medal-14-year-old-fan

It was an exceptional match. The Nonu try and the final try - from the far end of the pitch in the last minutes of the game were fantastic. Pleased for NZ - it really matters to them while the Aussies are keen on such a range of sports that it is less of a big deal there.
And Dan Carter finishes his international career looking even more handsome than when he started it.
And our boy Nige did great.

Cracking final and hats off to the referee and his team. So pleased for the All Blacks and I felt like I was watching some of the greatest players of this generation. At certain times in sport an exceptional team comes along and NZ were one of those teams. Felt sorry for the Aussies and all credit to their coach for praising NZ in the post match interviews. Great tournament.

What a match! I'm exhausted, I feel like I was playing as well!

Two great teams. Pleased NZ won, though!

x

Thank goodness that's over!!

Paloma Faith singing I mean.

No seriously; a good match, if the Wallabies had played in the first half as well as in the second it may have been a lot closer.
Congratulations All Blacks
Well played Wallabies
And well done Nigel Owens

An Antipodean final.

With some Welsh for good measure

Yes-haa. Nigel Owen has been given the honour of refereeing the Final. I'm sure Wales is proud of him.

Interesting?

Well, that's an interesting word

I hope they get thrashed

Be interesting to see Argentina win. We've had a few unexpected results in this tournament.
Glad the All blacks won.

We were rooting foe NZ, for a few awful moments I thought it was going to be a repeat of last Sunday!

Still not got over it! Maybe never will!

X

Well, that's a relief!

Now, is it going to All Blacks -v- Wallabies in the final ??

I bet the pitch is a bit churned up after today and all that rain.

A very big match this afternoon which perhaps should have been the final. Big guys, all of them. I hope they don't deploy any dirty tactics as both NZ and SA have sometimes done in the past!

Some of the matches have been nail-bitingly excellent. I hope we are seeing an improvement in the second tier nations that will be a sign of what is to come in the years ahead. What will the next World Cup bring?
Although the home nations are no longer involved we can still enjoy watching the southern hemisphere teams and perhaps the home unions will pay more attention to how they train and encourage their youngsters. Brian Moore made some very telling points in his column in the DT on this subject - but will they listen!!

Agreed Wilma even at local club level the ref is addressed as 'Sir'

Or Ireland...

I agree JessM
I feel sorry for him (as well as the Scottish team)

Perhaps I should back them for the Six Nations.
After England and Wales of course .....

Quite. There are two I like to watch (and listen to). One is Barnes who is always a model of gravitas and clarity. But I, like many people, have a special place in my heart for Nigel who as well has being so clear and decisive also manages to bring his S Welsh sense of humour with him onto the pitch. So he's my nomination for the final. But I do feel sorry for Joubert. His employers should show some leadership and back him. Splutter splutter.

One of the reasons I like watching rugby is the way the players don't disrespect the ref. I like how the captain is called by the ref to be told what the problem is and what will happen. None of the messing about and disrespect you see in football. It's very rare to see rugby players having an argument with the ref.

Not that I'm grumbling
[ducks] to avoid any caber tossing Gnetters, who are all very sporting I must say

never look back, always look forward

www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/20/craig-joubert-scapegoat-world-rugby-scotland-australia-quarter-final

A split second decision right at the end of the match. I'd like to know if Matt Dawson would have done any better.

Your husband is quite right, hespian, but the situation becomes impossible when another official has access to television camera coverage from all angles and does not alert the man on the pitch to his error.

It would be a gesture of sportsmanship and of confidence in the poor man if he were offered the chance to referee the final, provided his own country isn't one of the finalists. Any thing to annoy the ghastly Matt Dawson.