NPR

Compare Uruguay, who at least look like they try. We will host a miinows tourney for them. We'll never smell a wc again in any case with our eskom and safety issues.

Ramos to FH?

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 7:54 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 7:41 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 7:31 pm There has to be an argument for sending Africa 1 into the repechage rather than giving them a slot

Would be awesome if Nigeria got a bit of interest in the game. Was hoping Kenya might build a bit quicker from their 7’s base

It’s funny - Nigeria has to be the biggest ex-colony not to embrace either rugby or cricket. No idea why.

Add Zimbabwe to that list, but with the growth of rugby among France’s immigrant communities the smart money on a new African rugby nation would surely have to be on a francophone nation

A Senegalese team would be a frightening prospect

That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

How many Namibian boys are going... "yep, that looks like fun. Let's try that!"

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Hope not. Fear is for fractured cheek bone.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:24 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Hope not. Fear is for fractured cheek bone.

That’s my worry

F**king Couilloud. Better than Le Garrec my *rse.

He should be yellowed and bunkered for that dive

The acceleration was quite impressive though

Marylandolorian wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:33 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:26 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:24 pm

Hope not. Fear is for fractured cheek bone.

That’s my worry

Here goes our RWC, Ntamak / Dupont gone

Jalibert has shown enough that losing Ntamack isn't a big deal. Dupont out and may as well not bother turning up for the remaining matches.

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Can Moefana continue to look sh*t even in this context?

Margin__Walker wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:36 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Fuck. I really, really hope it’s nothing bad. Wouldn’t be surprised if he played anyway to be honest

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:37 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:36 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Fuck. I really, really hope it’s nothing bad. Wouldn’t be surprised if he played anyway to be honest

Depends on fracture. Some can be covered with a protective mask.

This RWC has been a graveyard for key players.

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:37 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:36 pm

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:23 pm That didn’t look good at all for Dupont, he looked like a guy who knows it’s serious

Fuck. I really, really hope it’s nothing bad. Wouldn’t be surprised if he played anyway to be honest

Yeah, I think it's possible depending on how bad it is. Pretty sure other players have played masked up. Far from ideal though

Depends on how bad exactly it is, but three weeks until the quarters for him to recover

OF COURSE IT FUCKING DEPENDS

Cunts

Oh oh!

Thought France might run up the first 100 pointer for a while, but it looks like they may run out of time.

sockwithaticket wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:47 pm Thought France might run up the first 100 pointer for a while, but it looks like they may run out of time.

Drop off from Dupont-Jalibert is huge in terms of attacking threat.

I was feeling sorry for Namibia but you can’t headbutt Tony Bridges, it’s not OK

C'mon Carley. Was that really necessary? Where TF was that zero tolerance when it was Wales v Fiji eh?

‘In truth they’ve been on the canvas for a while’, with the score at 96-0, absolutely incredible analysis

Paddington Bear wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:50 pm ‘In truth they’ve been on the canvas for a while’, with the score at 96-0, absolutely incredible analysis

ITV

No more news. France 2 reporting he's having tests at hospital in Marseille on that right cheek bone.

Time to dig out the prayer mat.

Couldn't watch the game. Sure hope Dupont's OK.

Exams means the french are going to turn to the pope in Marseilles to undo whatever the hospital finds ...

Fracture or not he will play in the QF, i can guarantee that.

Interesting to see claims other African nations could be better than Namibia (I've seen these claims made in this community for two decades now). Or that Namibia wouldn't qualify through a repechage. Argentina XV (players not in their RWC squad), Uruguay, Namibia, Chile all played in a warmup tournament before the RWC. Namibia's results were: Namibia 28 v 26 Chile, Namibia 18 v 26 Uruguay, Namibia 27 v 34 Arg XV.

They don't qualify against Italy/All Blacks/France.

_Os_ wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:34 pm Interesting to see claims other African nations could be better than Namibia (I've seen these claims made in this community for two decades now). Or that Namibia wouldn't qualify through a repechage. Argentina XV (players not in their RWC squad), Uruguay, Namibia, Chile all played in a warmup tournament before the RWC. Namibia's results were: Namibia 28 v 26 Chile, Namibia 18 v 26 Uruguay, Namibia 27 v 34 Arg XV.

They don't qualify against Italy/All Blacks/France.

The issue for Namibia is most other nations in Africa have much larger population and the game is progressing in a lot of places.
A lot of kids in the French suburbs qualify for these countries.
One of the place Rugby progresses in France is in the suburbs.
These guys can choose to lift their parents countries should they fail to reach the French team. (a lot did already for Algeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast...)

_Os_ wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:34 pm Interesting to see claims other African nations could be better than Namibia (I've seen these claims made in this community for two decades now). Or that Namibia wouldn't qualify through a repechage. Argentina XV (players not in their RWC squad), Uruguay, Namibia, Chile all played in a warmup tournament before the RWC. Namibia's results were: Namibia 28 v 26 Chile, Namibia 18 v 26 Uruguay, Namibia 27 v 34 Arg XV.

They don't qualify against Italy/All Blacks/France.

Nobody said any of those things

laurent wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:40 pm

_Os_ wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:34 pm Interesting to see claims other African nations could be better than Namibia (I've seen these claims made in this community for two decades now). Or that Namibia wouldn't qualify through a repechage. Argentina XV (players not in their RWC squad), Uruguay, Namibia, Chile all played in a warmup tournament before the RWC. Namibia's results were: Namibia 28 v 26 Chile, Namibia 18 v 26 Uruguay, Namibia 27 v 34 Arg XV.

They don't qualify against Italy/All Blacks/France.

The issue for Namibia is most other nations in Africa have much larger population and the game is progressing in a lot of places.
A lot of kids in the French suburbs qualify for these countries.
One of the place Rugby progresses in France is in the suburbs.
These guys can choose to lift their parents countries should they fail to reach the French team. (a lot did already for Algeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast...)

Thing is I watch African rugby when I can. Uganda who aren't up to much in XVs can beat Tunisia. I've seen Namibia beat Tunisia by 100+, just like I've seen Namibia beat Morocco 50+. Ivory Coast are capable of something playing in Ivory Coast but will get taken apart otherwise. Algeria more capable than the other French speaking countries at the moment, but fully capable of losing to Kenya/Zim/Uganda.

I've been reading all this stuff for decades in this community and have consistently said in reply, if other African countries want to displace Namibia they need: 1. A rugby culture and tradition in the country itself, XVs is played in schools and clubs in Nam to a reasonable standard 2. Actual interest so that there's money/sponsors/investment and no corruption that ends up in all that being stolen 3. Proper organisation so that there's an actual team which competes, sides often skip tournaments because they're not organised.

Population numbers and people in France doesn't matter without that. Uruguay has a population of 3.5m (Nam 2.5m), Uruguay has 28 clubs (Nam 36). Not the case that a country with 10s of millions in population and some guys in France can beat either, if they're not really interested in the sport and not organised.

Slick wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:44 pm

_Os_ wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:34 pm Interesting to see claims other African nations could be better than Namibia (I've seen these claims made in this community for two decades now). Or that Namibia wouldn't qualify through a repechage. Argentina XV (players not in their RWC squad), Uruguay, Namibia, Chile all played in a warmup tournament before the RWC. Namibia's results were: Namibia 28 v 26 Chile, Namibia 18 v 26 Uruguay, Namibia 27 v 34 Arg XV.

They don't qualify against Italy/All Blacks/France.

Nobody said any of those things

I know it’s early in the piece and speculation only but there’s some suggestion coming out that DuPont may have a fractured jaw.

Blake wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 7:49 pm

_Os_ wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2023 6:40 pm Very strange AC didn't pick Swanepoel, he's one of the best kickers in the tournament, can land goals from 60 metres, huge height on bombs, accurate deep restarts. Van Jaarsveld didn't get selected, he's a very good hooker. Uanivi their best lock also not there. There's some rotation in that Nam 23.

Backrow and backline are the sort of players which could be in an SA URC squad. Tight five maybe not at that level.

Probably saving his best players for the Uruguay match targeting it for Namibia’s first ever win at a World Cup?

I dunno.

I think this is likely the case. Looking at the schedule they played their first match on the 9th of September against Italy, they were competitive in that for 30 to 40 minutes much like Uruguay were against Italy, but got blown out at the end. Next match against full strength All Blacks on the 15th of September, next match against full strength France on the 21st of September, final match against Uruguay on the 27th of September. 19 days 4 of which are match days. Not checking every pool, but in Pool A that's 10 days less than France, 9 days less than the All Blacks, and 3 days less than Uruguay. I could tell just looking at their 23 that this wasn't their best team, they picked squad players to save some of their best especially in the pack for Uruguay.

France and the All Blacks picking their strongest teams against Nam didn't really make much sense to me. France now look to have lost their best player from that choice.

_Os_ wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:57 pm France and the All Blacks picking their strongest teams against Nam didn't really make much sense to me. France now look to have lost their best player from that choice.

NZ didn't name their strongest team... but there's an argument in favour of doing that. We've seen mixed selections and line ups all through Foster's tenure. It's time he settled on his best combination and allow them steady game time. If he had done that, then yes... perhaps you'd run a secondary team out against the minnows but despite that not being the case he went with a different line up anyway. The Foziolis Effect.

Off topic, but the referee for NZ vs Italy is Matthew Carley.

Yay.

Gumboot wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 12:15 am Off topic, but the referee for NZ vs Italy is Matthew Carley.

Yay.

oh... wow. That's ummmm.... great, I guess. Yay Carley.


Apparently, Dupont has fractured the orbital floor, not his cheekbone. Some hope he'll be back for the QFs but it's a serious injury and there is no guarantee.

Guy Smiley wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 12:22 am

Gumboot wrote: Fri Sep 22, 2023 12:15 am Off topic, but the referee for NZ vs Italy is Matthew Carley.

Yay.

oh... wow. That's ummmm.... great, I guess. Yay Carley.


Apparently, Dupont has fractured the orbital floor, not his cheekbone. Some hope he'll be back for the QFs but it's a serious injury and there is no guarantee.

Uh, isn't the orbital worse? I remember a lad I used to coach having that, face swelled up so he couldn't see out of that eye, had to get a metal bar across it.