Rugby World Cup 2019

[Sean89]

Rugby world cup will kick off next Friday. Being held in Japan, they will open the tournament against Russia.

New Zealand will be the bookies(and most peoples) favourites to retain the title.
20 countries will compete.

This tournament will be a great show case for White athletes.
Players and teams to watch out for -

Teams with a realistic chance to win-

New Zealand(Islanders, Natives with a big number of white players/stars)

South Africa(Mixed, lot of white defenders, some attackers)
England(Majority white)
Wales(99% white)
Ireland (99%white)

Could cause a shock -

France(Mixed, but nowhere near as bad, as the soccer team)
Australia(Plenty of whites, with natives)
Scotland(All white I believe)
Argentina(Again all Native I believe)

Dolphins have a better chance to win Superbowl -

Russia
Italy
Japan
Fiji
Tonga
Canada
Uruguay
U.S.A.
Samoa
Namibia
Georgia


Some players to watch -

Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) - Huge man, good ball skills and very physical at breakdown/defensively
Some wanted him to suspended over allegation of racism.

Louis Pickamoles(France) Good Passing, decision making, will look to get the French on the front foot against people

George North(Wales) Big man, with great speed, and scoring skills.

Johnny May(England) Possibly the faster man at the tournament, devastating agility/ speed combo along with great scoring/finishing ability. Must watch TV when he has ball in hand.

Beauden Barrett(New Zealand) Quick, balls skills, kicking ability, game control. Just a star player, and great player to watch. Highest current try scorer in the All-Black squad.

Jacob Stockdale(Ireland) Another big winger that has power, speed and loves to run at people with ball in hand. We will need him firing on all cylinders, if we are to progress into the later stages.

 

[greyghost]

At last ...rugby World Cup ......some wonderful athletes on show here .......amazing how Americans show no real interest outside of the 7s ......have always felt rugby players can and have played nfl ...but nfl players play rugby 15s at elite level ...hhhhmmmm......

 

[greyghost]

Rugby is a wonderful game for all different shapes and sizes .....watch out for Stuart Hogg ....and Johnny May .....Hogg would be a top end running back ...and Johnny May a top end receiver .....and yet their capacity to endure in a violent game like rugby is phenomenol ....nfl players nothing without the pads ....

 

[Bob]

The opening match kicked off in Yokohama on Friday night with Japan taking on Russia - the hosts coming out on top by 30-10.

Despite coming into the tournament as the bottom-ranked team, the Russians acquitted themselves much better than most pundits were expecting.

The Russian team, nicknamed the Bears, scored the first try of the tournament when wing Kirill Golostnitskiy recovered a muffed punt by the Japanese fullback, breaking two tackles on his way to the endzone.

The superior preparation and skills of the Japanese eventually helped them ease clear, but the Russians made them work for every point. The Japanese looked very much like they were feeling the pressure of expectation as hosts, and the Russian defence was obstinate and stifling.

Russia has some very promising talent - fullback Vasily Artemyev was a rock of stability as Russia's last line of defence, and flanker Vitaly Zhivatov was everywhere in defence - racking up 12 tackles and missing only one. Russia's professional league (based mainly in Siberia), is still in its fledgling stages, and the players lack the level of coaching, conditioning and quality opposition to fully realise their potential.

An event like the World Cup is invaluable to give the squad big-game experience, and for talented players to be scouted for more competitive professional leagues.

While traditionally Japan has not been seen as a serious contender at World Cups in the past, they have made major strides in the past 5-10 years. Their domestic competition has been attracting a lot more star foreign players - with the national side reaping some of the benefits of the World Rugby governing body's 3-year residency rule.

Japan have always struggled to field big men to compete with the top teams, so they have recruited a few big South Africans, New Zealanders and polynesians to help bulk up their forward pack.

One of these players, the 6'2" 235lb South African Pieter Labuschagne, scored a terrific try to ease the home team's nerves.

With the scores close at 10-7 just after halftime, he stripped the ball from a Russian player in a tackle and outpaced the covering defence, running 55 metres to extend Japan's lead to 15-7.

There are three games scheduled for Saturday: Australia v Fiji, France v Argentina, and a match-up that many are predicting to be a preview of the final - New Zealand v South Africa.

Highlights of the opening match

 

[Sean89]

Scotland Vs Ireland is on now.

Wins yesterday for France, NZ, Australia and Italy

 

[Sean89]

Ireland beat Samoa 47-5. Japan with another upset, beating Scotland 28-21.

 

[Sean89]

South Africa - England

12-6 at half time.

Both teams are mixed, but, a lot of white power and speed on display for both.