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RWC 2011 – Quarter Final Preview
It is down to the business end of the competition. The pool play has finished and all we are left with is the top eight teams in the world. To be honest, most of these teams were easy to predict that they would get through to the quarters. Perhaps only Argentina can claim that they are the only shock, but even then, it was not a huge stretch of the imagination to see them qualifying. Read more…
David does RWC days 18, 19 and 20
David does RWC – Days 18, 19 and 20
Sorry this has been a bit late, but I’ve been really busy of late. The atmosphere up in Auckland for the games was amazing. I have to give props to the organisers of the RWC as they have done a superb job on creating such a good tournament. Both at the game and in the fanzone, it was great to see that heaps of people were getting into the games and supporting their team. Read more…
David does RWC – Days 15, 16 and 17
The 2011 Rugby World Cup is well under way in New Zealand, and we’ve sent our Chief Rugby Analyst David Shipton along to cover the entire tournament for us (well… not really. He lives there.)
RWC Days 15, 16 and 17
The RWC has been chugging along quite nicely so far. There was a lot of talk in the build up to the RWC as to if New Zealand would be able to host a good RWC. There were fears that that the All Blacks would be the only team supported and that the other teams really would not get a look in. However, most of the crowds (the majority kiwis) have really gotten behind other teams and have really decided to adopt a second team. It has been really enjoyable to watch on the TV/Fan Zone. I will be, however, travel up to Auckland to watch to South Africa v Samoa game (watch for me in the crowd) and will give you an update on facilities there.
Podcast – Series 3 Episode 12 – Grand Final Edition
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
This week we present our grand final show for 2011! The Phantom joins us for the entire show, while David Shipton makes his podcast debut. That’s right – a five person panel!
There’s a big preview of the NRL and AFL grand finals, as well as the upcoming round of EPL action. The RWC is closely examined, with everyone revealing who they think will win the tournament.
In addition to this, Tomo’s Think Tank returns for a second consecutive week, covering some pretty diverse topics. He also reveals how he won $1000 in Dunedin.
This is the last podcast until the summer – not one you want to miss!
David does RWC – Days 12, 13 and 14
The 2011 Rugby World Cup is well under way in New Zealand, and we’ve sent our Chief Rugby Analyst David Shipton along to cover the entire tournament for us (well… not really. He lives there.)
RWC Days 12, 13 and 14
As per the last article I want to start this one with a bit of a rant. I was watching Argentina and Scotland play in really bad conditions, and couldn’t happen to notice that there was quite a high injury toll during the match. Now, if the injury to the player is serious enough, the ref will stop play and award a scrum. This is generally also done to stop the injured player and the medics getting in the way of the game.
However, on Sunday night I watched as Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe got what seemed to be a serious enough injury, yet nothing was done about it. A couple of seconds later the play was round him, and he couldn’t get out of the way (he had done something to his knee and therefore could not walk off). There were several Argentinean rucks only meters away from where he lay with a medic guarding him, and on several of them he influenced the play. Now this is just unacceptable. You cannot have an injured player influencing the game like Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe did (no fault of his). He should have been allowed to go straight off instead of having the possibility of a ruck potentially forming near or even on him, and having an influence on play. The IRB have dropped the ball on this one for me. Read more…
The Punt #15
We had no winners last week, with the Wallabies’ unfortunate loss to Ireland at RWC causing a lot of grief. Adrian on the other hand just had a shocker, with all three legs failing to get up. Everyone will be looking for a change in fortune, and there are some interesting selections, so head on in to see where we’re putting our cash! Read more…
David does RWC – Days 9, 10 and 11
The 2011 Rugby World Cup is well under way in New Zealand, and we’ve sent our Chief Rugby Analyst David Shipton along to cover the entire tournament for us (well… not really. He lives there.)
RWC Days 9, 10 and 11
The RWC has marched on through the week, only taking a break on Monday. The minnow nations that are taking part are beginning to tire a bit and I don’t really blame them. This is one area that I think the IRB needs to take a look at. The minnow’s (basically everyone bar those in the Six Nations and Tri Nations plus Argentina) have had such quick turnarounds that they are getting fatigued in the last 20 minutes of the game and letting the bigger sides romp all over them. How is it fair that they regularly have to play 2 games in a week (including at least one against the top dogs) yet none of the top teams have to play more than once a week? It would help even the playing field so much if they did this. Teams like Fiji and Samoa have enough talent to be competitive and win games against the top 10 but will stand no chance if they have had to back up a couple of days later and play a strong and well rested side? Anyway that’s my rant over, now onto the games. Read more…
Podcast – Series 3 Episode 11
The podcast returns! This week on the show, we cover a mountain of material. From the NRL and AFL preliminary finals, to the Rugby World Cup and EPL, nothing is left untouched. “Tomo’s Think Tank” makes its debut, and is well worth listening. He touches on everything from England’s controversial black RWC strip, to Sonny Bill Williams’ playing future, Phar Lap, rugby union props, the thong, Bones, and How I Met Your Mother. So many topics, so much good listening!
David does RWC – Days 7 and 8
RWC Days 7 and 8
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) has motored through its second round of action over the weekend with the first real upset of the competition occurring on Saturday evening. The atmosphere has been great at the games, and it helps that most games have featured a reasonable degree of competitiveness. I mentioned that I was going to the fan zone on day three, and I did and it was a good experience. They set it up like a rugby field (with an actual mini sized pitch in the middle) with stands and massive screens to watch the games on. There was a good crowd in, especially considering it rained for the first wee while. Read more…
David does RWC – Days 4 + 5 + 6
The 2011 Rugby World Cup is well under way in New Zealand, and we’ve sent our Chief Rugby Analyst David Shipton along to cover the entire tournament for us (well… not really. He lives there.)
RWC Days 4 + 5 + 6
We have had a fair bit to be excited about over here in NZ. The rugby action has been good for the most part, with games being well attended and played in good spirits. There have been a couple of good ones to boot and plenty of well worked tries as well. We move more into the second round, with some of the bigger teams playing over the weekend. Firstly though, here is a look at what has happened with days 4, 5 and 6. Read more…
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