Anyone interested?
Big Time…
Drinking beer in the pub @ 2AM or 4AM is not going to be easy… but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Allez les Bleus!
Fred.
Good view from my office overlooking the pandemonium that is Queen St (Auckland) right now. This city is definitely in party mode…I’ll be watching from the comfort of my sofa though (heavy training block).
Please change the subject line to “The Official Rugby World Cup Thread” to encourage tournament long discussion.
I’m trying to get interested but the problem is it’s rubgy 
I travelled with a girl for a while from New Zealand and she started getting my interest up but not much coverage here. I will be tuning in and would love to see a thread with updates.
I agree with Pete, let’s turn this into a tourney-long thread.
I’m not much of a fan–or really a fan at all. My only exposure to rugby was during college, we got a bunch of games on satellite and I started watching the All Blacks–just to see what Lomu would do that day as he was just emerging as an elite talent.
However, I’ve always wanted rugby to become popular in the US because it’s a sport I’d love to follow if it were played on an elite level in my area. An interesting article I read yesterday about the growing popularity of the sport in the US:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14725789
I don’t necessarily agree with the optimistic viewpoint of people in that article–look at the growth of soccer in this country, and yet it’s still a distant–VERY distant–5th or 6th in the pecking order; rugby is orders of magnitude behind even that. But as I said, I’d love for the sport to grow, it’s exciting as all hell and I believe elite rugby players are the most well-rounded athletes in the world–they need speed, agility, strength, toughness and endurance, something I don’t think you can say about any other major sport in the world.
they need speed, agility, strength, toughness and endurance, something I don’t think you can say about any other major sport in the world
…oh, other than AFL. Perhaps not as much strength but certainly a sh!tload more endurance. Biggest playing fields in the world…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqVk9qvyeoM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YRvlBy3Qg&NR=1&feature=fvwp
and for the ols schoolers…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=a9lwkzms-f4
But sorry, Rugby isn’t a bad runner’s up sport.
Similar to you, I recally reading a Time magazone back in the day talking about this Jonah Lomu, weighing in the order of 120+ kg’s and being able to run a 10.5 100m (or thereabouts) and thinking to myself, fook this is BS I have to see this guy. Then watching him steamroll through teams during that World Cup. The sport isn’t huge this side of the country but as soon as you throw ‘World Cup’ in front of a sport Aussies are up for it.
they need speed, agility, strength, toughness and endurance
You forgot one other factor…skill. Every position on the park requires a unique suite of skills, with some being ridiculiously technical…right down to the meathead props (lineout/kickoff lifting, cleaning out at the breakdown, and particularly scrummaging). The forwards of today have catch & pass skills equal to most backs.
Opening game was a bit of a fizzer…at least from this viewer’s perspective. The ABs lacked cohesion and relied on individual brilliance from no’s 10 to 15. Even though the Tongans didn’t bring the fireworks we’re accustomed to they muscled up and in the 2nd half their forward pack matched ours at the breakdown and got a few good hits in at scrum time.
edit: I made the mistake of following my usual easy flat recovery ride route this morning…right through the middle of the “party central” area shut down for yesterday’s opening night celebrations. The city looks like a bomb hit it…remind me to put aside some time this arvo to pick all the glass outta my tyres.
Anyone interested?
What is the over/under on the number of teth knocked out during the whole event?
Seriously though they are some tough little bastards.
they need speed, agility, strength, toughness and endurance
You forgot one other factor…skill. Every position on the park requires a unique suite of skills, with some being ridiculiously technical…right down to the meathead props (lineout/kickoff lifting, cleaning out at the breakdown, and particularly scrummaging). The forwards of today have catch & pass skills equal to most backs.
Opening game was a bit of a fizzer…at least from this viewer’s perspective. The ABs lacked cohesion and relied on individual brilliance from no’s 10 to 15. Even though the Tongans didn’t bring the fireworks we’re accustomed to they muscled up and in the 2nd half their forward pack matched ours at the breakdown and got a few good hits in at scrum time.
edit: I made the mistake of following my usual easy flat recovery ride route this morning…right through the middle of the “party central” area shut down for yesterday’s opening night celebrations. The city looks like a bomb hit it…remind me to put aside some time this arvo to pick all the glass outta my tyres.
Pretty much all of queen street was a party last night even. It was the craziest I had seen auckland. Pretty fun atmosphere.
Sat through an utterly depressing England performance this morning. Don’t know what was up with Wilkinson’s kicking, never seen him miss that many, wondering if it might be something to do with the glass roof on the stadium as the Argies missed a bunch as well.
The landlord of our local pub is an Irish rugby nut who is opening up for all the games, going down there next week to see the Aus vs Ire game with a bunch of Aussies, hopefully our Celtic neighbours can put on a better performance than we did!
As a casual AB supporter I’m somewhat relieved the rest of the big guns failed to fire over the weekend…glad to see some of the “minnows” stepping up on the big occasion and making a tournament of it.
A couple of crackers in there too, notably the English & South African wins…very World Cup worthy games (tight, physical, uncompromising).
Yeah what’s up with the goal kicking? Shocking stuff so far…
a bit but we got a crappy pool draw… NZ & France… equals early exit for Canada
And another vote for les bleus, but since I’m half Aussie, I’ll have two chances to win
.
And another vote for les bleus, but since I’m half Aussie, I’ll have two chances to win
You must have enjoyed watching England play at the last two RWCs then… 
New balls. They are a kicker’s worst nightmare. Pool of death for Canada. Hope they play well against Tonga!
mp
Anyone interested?
What is the over/under on the number of teth knocked out during the whole event?
Seriously though they are some tough little bastards.
Says the triathlete, lol.
I’ll only be watching whats on NBC for free. Not a great line up of pool matches, mostly Eagles v whoever. I get that they want to get the US involved but seeing the hometown boys losing all the time is kind of a double edged sword.
Some excellent coverage in the championship round.
Since I picked up the whistle after playing I mostly watch the refs now, talk about an illness
Bloody wanker! 
Anyone find a way to watch online, preferably for free?
I think the US v. Russia game is tonight? Late? (PST)
Sucks that you have to watch it online. Up here in the Great White North, TSN an TSN2 are covering all of the games live, and in HD, and its fantastic. Well, apart from the 1am and 4am start times. That sucks just a little bit.
if you do not mind waiting a day or 2 after, you can watch them online @ the official RWC site.
Fred.