this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2023
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After the treat that was Saturday's matches, here's two more to keep the couch full!

Can Fiji, everyone's 2nd team it seems, perform the miracle vs an England team that are building and learning to do what it takes and win ugly? England did the drop goal game already in the Velodrome, will we see some more here?

Will the hosts be able to overcome the mighty Springbok defense and keep alive the northern hemisphere hopes? Will SA have brought their kicking boots and can french flair find room to maneuver?

All too close to call imo, the bookies always inflate England: these are going to the 80'!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

People rave about the defensive effort in NZ v IRE, but if the first 5 minutes of SA v FRA are to go by it could be the best quarterfinal purely from the attacking rugby.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fucking hell. Whoever wins this match is winning the tourney

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

If they catch their breath in time

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This match is 🔥🔥 I came to the only bar I could find leaning pretty neutral, but the unexpectedly large rugby crowd is so lopsided for France I'm cheering with the 4 Spring Boks fans. Of course my Houston Sabercats have a huge contingent of Saffa players, so I might be seeing some of these guys find their way here in a few years!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Oooooo we got ourselves a contest here!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

We love to see it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok, WTF has Rassie cooked up that SA call a scrum from a free-kick when catching fairly deep in their own 22m?~~?~?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That was so quickly called by Willemse it must have been a pre-match decision; and the SA scrum wins the penalty too. This forces France to only do contestable shorter kicks or lose territory through penalties.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I didn't expect it to be this close. Does this mean the Wallabies actually aren't crap?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Four teams vying for a chance to lose to New Zealand in the final.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Meh. Either France or SA will fancy their chances against them.

Still reckon there’s a chance of England walesing their way to a final.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

NZ-SA or NZ-FRA will be a very good match.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Shame it’s gonna be England :D

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

We'll wish them best of luck in any case.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a better match than IRE v NZ so far. Which team is going to tire sooner?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Those pressure-cooker 30-phase defensive plays were 🔥 too tho.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That was a saucy bounce out of the scrum! Fiji seem to be having a lot of this today, scrambling to recover the ball when it just meanders out of control.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

England shutting down all attacks here really effectively. And taking the 3, forcing Fiji to play even more desperately now

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Itshappening.gif

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Statement of intent from the boys in blue.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

T F is going on, they'll be dead by half time if they keep up this pace.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Damn Eng gonna win this on these 3-pointers

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Knock out rugby at its best. England with more experience at this

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was thinking it wasn't as exciting a game as yesterday's two but then that final quarter happened. I think we were a little lucky to get away with that intentional knock on not being a yellow, but I think Eng haven't played that well in a long while.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

England keep getting better. Already written off for next week. But not by me

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This Kolbe, is he made of Teflon?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

His shit don't stick, that's for certain

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Etzebeth charging straight through defenders like he's Jonah fucking Lomu.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Gutted for Fiji. Bricking it for tonight.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

My fucking ~~beverage~~ confidence for NZ in the final.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

lol! Love the edit!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Does Bryan Habana talk even less sense than Sean Fitzpatrick?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

SA intent on the hard way 2nd half

Allez les blues!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Aw man would've loved Farrell to have gotten a card on that disgusting knock

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

FUUUCCCKKK YEEESSSSS

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well that has ruined my year. Some weekend of matches.

Guess I’m Argentinian now.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Tbe NH folding the story for me. Really thought the 6n had turned a corner, alas

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

In fairness ireland and France could easily have won their games.

By “easily” I mean it didn’t take a hugely different set of circumstances, such as a ref decision, bounce charged down conversion etc.

Both of those games were won on the finest of margins, and it just so happened that it was the SH teams that won both. Replay both those games ten times and I reckon you get like five wins apiece or whatever

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I'm thinking the only way to play with that kind of chaos and flair at the pace we saw tonight is to base it on a foundation of the kind of well drilled precision we saw last night. So maybe these two teams are a level above IRL and NZ.

Or maybe they're all four about the same level and it was just different game plans. Last night's was "keep possession" and tonight's was "get their defence scrambling"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

That had to hurt.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Kick-off time! I love a good underdog, but I also have English ancestry to root for. As long as them match is competitive that's all I could ask for.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

A little sloppy but great close by Fiji to put their first try of the match on the board!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well. In tears. England ain't gonna hold SA next Sat. NZ for the cup imo!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Missing kicks going to be very costly here. Come on Fiji!

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