Rugby World Cup 2011: Go Canada!

[St. Pats]

Originally Posted by NBC

That was irritating. France was beatable today. Scoreline was in no way reflective of the match. I hate late tries especially 2 inside the last few minutes. Always gives the impression of a comfortable win. But at 25-19 it was by no means comfortable.

Conceding 3 late 1st half penalties were always going to be difficult to overturn. Had the match been a bit closer going into the 2nd half - or a Canadian lead - which would not have been undeserved, the final outcome may have been different. Ill-discipline was a real problem today. Too many penalties - 8 in the 1st half. Parra was on fire and not likely to miss many while Pritchard picked a poor time to have an off-game with the boot.

France has a lot of class and talent in their fold, but today, at least for a while, they were beatable. Lots of handling errors and serious problems with the high-ball. We just gave away too many silly penalties in soft positions where their kicker was not going to miss.

Too bad. Could have been an upset for the ages.

Frankly I didn't think France were beatable in this game. But and it is a BIG but the Canadian side was a whole lot more that gritty. In the past they have been given credit for being gritty and basically it was a statement that they were a hard trying untalented unimaginative poor rugby playing team.

This is a vastly different squad from the teams I have watched for years. Yes they are hard nosed. But they are sound positionally on defense. They have the slide out defense down pat though they are sometimes a little late getting to the outside but still good organization.

On offense no more are they just a bash and smash pack with no imagination. They now utilize the kicking game and their backs much more effectively and they have some genuine good runners at the centers.

I thought they played the French lineup pretty well facet for facet. Two things IMO they still lack and that was the difference. First and it is a big one is depth. Same lineup? With a French team inserting 11 fresh faces. That sounds a whole lot like one team is going to tire before the other and they did. Plus injuries to tired players another factor.

The second is just the lack of game changers. The top clubs all seem to have that winger or that center etc that is a notch above talent. Canada's backs are certainly improving and might be the best group ever but they lack some breakout speed.

Canada was putting the French side under some pressure as they were in turn. But they were able to bring on subs with no dropoff at all. In fact the fresh bodies helped them. Canada had players being carted off the field and the replacements were not as good.

All that said I find this Canadian team very encouraging and on the way up. The placement of at least 5 of the starters on that team in Wales has helped their development. I believe that Welsh coach is also their defensive coach at this World Cup. They seem to have a plan in place for development and a clearer path to the national team(CRC, U19, U20) and they have also started to appear at more IRB seven's tournaments which can't but help their skill development.

Some funding coming their way at the seven's level as well because of the fact they are in the OLY's in 2016 and 2020.

Hopefully they can beat Japan and use their performance here as a springboard to greater ones in the future.

[Boblobla]

Great post St. Pats.

I was very impressed with the recovery the Canadian scrum made after getting bullied in the first few. It makes for a very long game when it is ####ty conditions and your scrum is on rollerskates.

Also,

WTF is going on with England. Their play was unbelievable undisciplined against the Romanian side. I know they broke for some trys near the end of the match but that game was terrible.

[GirlySports]

Samoa's not happy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...cup-2011-samoa

"#IRB, Stop exploiting my people. Please, all we ask, is fairness. If they [Wales] get a week, give us a week. Simple. #equity #justice," wrote Fuimaono-Sapolu on Twitter.
"If is obvious the IRB is unjust. Wales get seven days, we get three. Unfair treatment, like the holocaust, like apartheid. F*** U.
"Give Wales 3 days off and give Samoa a week. We would kill them."

[valo403]

He may have a point, but throwing in the apartheid and holocaust references makes him an idiot.

[dustyanddaflames]

Yes, I am sure the holocaust and the apartheid is exactly like a difference of only four days. I remember going to Robbin Island a couple years ago, and thinking, "How did Nelson Mandela survive four days here?" Idiot.

[Slava]

Looks like Locke and I will hit Petes pub for Canada/Japan on the 27th from 10pm and on. Other CPers should suck it up and stay out late on a school night! It'll be a good game, and an even better one if Japan is still reeling from the beat down at the hands of New Zealand!

[valo403]

Canada up 3 spots to 11th in the latest IRB rankings. Pretty impressive to be behind only the 3 southern hemisphere teams, the six nations teams and a strong Argentine team.

http://www.tsn.ca/rugby/story/?id=376170

[Locke]

Thats the word folks.

Petes Peanut Pub, Tuesday the 27th at 10pm. Slava and I will be there, but the more the merrier.

[SeoulFire]

Would love to but will be in Vancouver =/

[Stay Golden]

Q. In this tourny is it only the 2 teams with most points that go through each bracket?

Canada sitting at 4 possibly at 11 after the Japan match if they run it up.

NZ and France at 10 playing each other my Guess is that Canada can have a shot if France loses to NZ and is upset by Tonga and Canada has to win against Japan and somehow keep it close vs NZ getting a single point to finish at 12 and hope France finishes at only 11.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Q. In this tourny is it only the 2 teams with most points that go through each bracket?

Canada sitting at 4 possibly at 11 after the Japan match if they run it up.

NZ and France at 10 playing each other my Guess is that Canada can have a shot if France loses to NZ and is upset by Tonga and Canada has to win against Japan and somehow keep it close vs NZ getting a single point to finish at 12 and hope France finishes at only 11.

Yep top 2 only, but Canada can't get to 11 points after the Japan match. They're currently on 4 and can only take a max of 5 out of that match, so unless France drops both remaining matches and Canada pulls out a draw against NZ they won't be moving through.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats the word folks.

Petes Peanut Pub, Tuesday the 27th at 10pm. Slava and I will be there, but the more the merrier.

In.

[St. Pats]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

Great post St. Pats.

I was very impressed with the recovery the Canadian scrum made after getting bullied in the first few. It makes for a very long game when it is ####ty conditions and your scrum is on rollerskates.

Also,

WTF is going on with England. Their play was unbelievable undisciplined against the Romanian side. I know they broke for some trys near the end of the match but that game was terrible.

That scrum adjustment just another good sign of an improving team. The Japan game will be a whole different challenge. Like many teams Tonga and France show up looking to control the ball and wear the other team down. Eventually tossing the ball around.

Japan tosses the ball around from the opening whistle. Canada will have to control the ball and be very alert for the quick offloads Japan will utilize.

Considering the work rate shown by them so far in two games I think they are up to the task.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

So um... does anyone actually know the rules of rugby? If so would they mind explaining? I was watching bits and pieces of the Japan vs. France game, and it seemed like football without pads, downs, or forward passes

Found this today. Here are the rules.

NSFW!

no nudity but probably nsfw

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Found this today. Here are the rules.

NSFW!

no nudity but probably nsfw

That explains so much.

[St. Pats]

Tonga beat Japan and according to the writeup it was the power game triumphing over the fast flowing game. That bodes well for a Canadian victory as they outpowered Tonga in their match.

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats the word folks.

Petes Peanut Pub, Tuesday the 27th at 10pm. Slava and I will be there, but the more the merrier.

The TSN schedule says that game is the 27th at 12 am...as in 22 hrs earlier then your meeting. Unless I'm reading something wrong.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

The TSN schedule says that game is the 27th at 12 am...as in 22 hrs earlier then your meeting. Unless I'm reading something wrong.

Thats the last time we trust SeoulFire, thankfully a Liverpool fan comes to the rescue. Filthy United scum.

Okay, I'm looking at TSN's Broadcast Schedule, the game is being played at 5:00pm on Tuesday New Zealand time.

TSN is broadcasting the game at 11:30pm Eastern time on Monday, which means we have to change our meet to Monday at 9:30 for the live broadcast.

Heres the schedule:
http://www.tsn.ca/rugby/feature/?id=47571

I'll still be there.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by SeoulFire

I believe that it is a 10pm game on the 27th.

Quoted so we have proof that he lied to us! And that we were too lazy to check on our own.

[Slava]

Good catch! I'll be there as well...still waiting for the RSVP from girlysports though!