2015 Rugby World Cup

[MUSC4EVER]

Tournament starts on September 18th, here are the groups...


Pool A
Australia
England
Wales
Fiji
Uruguay

Pool B
South Africa
Samoa
Scotland
Japan
United States

Pool C
New Zealand
Argentina
Tonga
Georgia
Namibia

Pool D
France
Ireland
Italy
Canada
Romania


Top two in each group make it to the quarter finals and then there's the Semis, 3rd/4th place playoff and the final at Twickenham, England are hosting most of it but a few matches are being held at the Millennium Stadium, Wembley and the Olympic Stadium will host some games too, New Zealand are bookies favourites with England second.

 

[Akmuq]

Pumped for this, going to see Ireland vs Romania next month, just wishing I could have got tickets for that France game.

 

[Barra333]

Group A is brutal.

I looked into going over to a game or two of this, but even for nosebleeds for Aus v. Fiji in Cardiff they wanted upwards of £50. Then there is travel, accommodation etc. Too expensive.

Hopefully BBC air some of it, otherwise I am only a couple hundred miles away with no way of watching it.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Its on ITV I'm afraid....

 

[Barra333]

Grrr... I may have to resort to some things I can't talk about here.

 

[Dennisch]

Grrr... I may have to resort to some things I can't talk about here.

RTL7 will be airing 24 matches this year.

 

[Brett]

I am going to attempt to watch more than just the final this time.

 

[Liquid]

@Barra333 Wales can't beat southern teams. Do the honourable thing and let us beat you so we can take down England together.

 

[Barra333]

As long as we both beat England, I will let it slide if you beat us. I will be immensely happy if England get knocked out. They are the only team in world rugby I truly hate, ever since they bored everyone to death while Wilkinson won them the cup in 2003.

 

[Valkyr1313]

Group A is for sure the group of death this year. I can't wait to see what happens there.

And of course, let's go All Blacks! Hopefully we don't fluff up and win this one. Another team that I hope does well is of course the US but they will have a fight to get out of their group. If the stars align I could possibly, maybe see it happening but there is no way they are beating SA there. It'll be tough against Scotland and Samoa and I'm still nervous about Japan

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb out of the tournament for Wales

 

[Liquid]

 

[JohnBM01]

I do cheer on my United States team, but they have a LOT to work to do to be among the real contenders. We already got blasted by Australia earlier this month in an International Friendly. The only team I can see the USA take down in our Pool is Japan. Maybe Scotland too, and I just don't see the USA taking down South Africa or Samoa unless divine intervention happens.

I REALLY like Pool A here. Any one of those teams could win this tournament. Only dark horse in that Pool to me is Uruguay. I got New Zealand as favorites in Pool C. Argentina and Tonga will be solid 2nd choices to me. And in Pool D, I like France and Ireland.


This should be a good Rugby World Cup.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

So the action gets underway on Friday night, here are the games for the first few days..

Friday Night
England v Fiji 8pm, Twickenham

Saturday
Tonga v Georgia 12pm, Kingsholm
Ireland v Canada 2.30pm, Millennium Stadium
South Africa v Japan 4.45pm, Brighton
France v Italy 8pm, Twickenham

Sunday
Samoa v USA 12pm, Brighton
Wales v Uruguay 2.30pm, Millennium Stadium
New Zealand v Argentina 4.45pm, Wembley

There's no games until Wednesday after that and ill post the games for that and the days after at the weekend, Opening Ceremony is on at about 7pm on Friday..

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Opening Ceremony in just over an hour at 6.45pm, also worth pointing out that the whole tournament is on ITV...

 

[True-blue-8]

Anyone doing a fantasy league? Just got mine sorted on ESPN

Hoping for England to give a solid performance

 

[MatskiMonk]

Hurray, national pride in a sport I don't follow!

 

[Dennisch]

Just found out that there is a Dutch guy in the Scottish team. Weird that you can play for a nation if you have spent 3 years in the nation's competition.

 

[True-blue-8]

Just found out that there is a Dutch guy in the Scottish team. Weird that you can play for a nation if you have spent 3 years in the nation's competition.

There's 3 English players in the Fiji line up I believe lol

 

[Dennisch]

In the future the WC will become the Colours cup.

The green shirts vs the white shirts. The black shirts vs the blue etc. etc.

 

[Robin]

The 02 adverts are pretty soul stirring...

 

[Akmuq]

The main reason to watch this first game is Nadolo, maybe Nakarawa as well.

 

[Dennisch]

That's how you do an anthem. With a stadium singing along.


Are you reading this, USA?

 

[Barra333]

The main reason to watch this first game is Nadolo, maybe Nakarawa as well.

I've not stayed on top of who's who, especially in the Fijian team, but was immediately impressed by the giant unit wearing #11 for Fiji - yep, that would be Nadolo... Lomu???

 

[Akmuq]

Yup, general consensus is that he'd make it into most top teams if eligible, absolute freak of nature.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Boom

 

[xZAMGMarmite]

Great game. Vunipola at the end though

 

[Akmuq]

I fear for Canada when Ireland empty their bench.

 

[Robin]

Come on Japan, make history!

 

[Barra333]

It was not that many years ago that they lost by 100+ to NZ