Scotland is a significant factor you left out of your calculation Doofus.
Scotland is a significant factor you left out of your calculation Doofus.
They touring here next year too. Will be good to some decent competition here besides the ABs.
Scotland is a significant factor you left out of your calculation Doofus.
No. SC has been preparing for more than two months with the goal of achieving a ftiness level to sustain a try hard effort over 80 minutes.
It has shown during the preparation games.
Most contending to the final title teams postpone reaching this level of fitness to the quarter finals.
This could have allowed SC to snipe SA rugby.
Except that as shown by preparation games, SA rugby are in the same spirit, they are fit way before a contending team is expected to. The staff will probably use the rest week to rebalance the fitness level before the quarter finals.
As to the way SC plays rugby, it is the most unsuited against SA rugby negative approach.
SC vs SA rugby will one of the two games (the other being WA vs FI) featuring teams able to sustain full efforts over 80 minutes.
SC will try hard for 80 minutes while SA will negate the try hard effort for 80 minutes.
Poor game incoming but a full game.
...and Scotland Ireland also a forgone conclusion?? Nah, you're full of it...
Must agree with DbDraad not that you are full of it but that Scotland are dangerous and cannot be underestimated. Ireland and SA are better but not by that much and injuries and on the day performance they can easily take a scalp. If SA lose to SC on the first day then the chaos begins....
We lost to Japan before....
Scotland have had the rough end of reffing in their World Cups... hoping for another good 50/50 from Angus Gardner on the 10th.
and Scotland Ireland also a forgone conclusion?? Nah, you're full of it...
The story, the story, liberals love their stories.
Never written that IR is a forgone conclusion, written they may have no incentive to commit fully.
As to SC, it was written that the core of the game plan relies on being able to play full 80 minutes against an opponent that can not.
As stated, major contenders aim for that level of fitness for the quarter finals and onwards, it can not be carried over a whole competition lasting like one month and half.
Except that SA rugby are fitness ready.
Once SA rugby secure their win over SC, they are qualified, that is the OP point, there is no stake attached to the game vs IR.
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A big game, not a great game as SA rugby are involved.
A big game happens when stakes are high, that the winner takes it all, forcing teams to give their wholesome; committing fully.
WR has yet to understand how to organize a competition as to prevent teams from calculating.
So no surprise, SA and IR are expected to qualify, no competition in the group stage, so are FR and NZ their potential opponents.
FR and NZ play as an opening game to the WC. No stakes attached to the game, it does not decide the qualification and they go blind, not knowing if IR will finish first in their group stage.
Losing or winning does not matter.
Happens IR vs SA rugby, both teams will know the result of NZ vs FR so they will be in a position to calculate what result is the best for them, including a loss.
So big doubts the game is a big game.