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Post by bluetornados on Sept 21, 2023 17:19:52 GMT
Rugby World Cup: Ronan Kelleher starts for Ireland against South Africa as Dan Sheehan returns..
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Dan Sheehan missed the first two matches against Romania and Tonga with a foot injuryRonan Kelleher will start at hooker for Ireland's crucial Pool B match against holders South Africa at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. Kelleher gets the nod from Andy Farrell to start ahead of Dan Sheehan, who returns from injury to make the bench. Leinster's Sheehan missed Ireland's opening bonus-point wins over Romania and Tonga with a foot injury. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park returns in place of Conor Murray in the only change from the team that beat Tonga. In the replacements, Sheehan replaces Rob Herring while fly-half Jack Crowley comes in for Ross Byrne. Ireland lead Pool B after the wins over Romania and Tonga in which Farrell's side scored 20 tries, while the Springboks defeated Scotland before earning maximum points against Romania. The winner of the highly anticipated Stade de France encounter will be well placed to top the pool and book a probable quarter-final against New Zealand. "[There's] a bit of continuity. I think it's a pretty good side, one that is capable of taking on the world champions," said head coach Farrell. "Dan Sheehan is obviously fit and raring to go. He is in fine condition and a world-class hooker, in my opinion, so he gets the chance to get his tournament under way. "The conversations I have to have during the week are difficult ones because they all want to play, and deservedly so. "They are all good players in their own right but, at the end of the day, we have to make the right decisions for the team for this particular game. "Those conversations are never easy, but the players make them easier because they understand the team always comes first." THE TEAMS
Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (capt), Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris. Replacements: Sheehan, Bealham, Kilcoyne, Henderson, Baird, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw. South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Kolbe; Libbok, De Klerk; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Wiese. Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Nyakane, Kleyn, Snyman, Van Staden, Smith, Reinach.
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Post by lostinspace on Sept 21, 2023 21:03:27 GMT
a seemingly irrelevant game "happened " this evening as France demolished Namibia 96 points to nil!!! as in World cups of and sport there will be some rather one sided games,but imo this is the game that proves there is a line to be drawn in championship games like these, it has no meaning,proves nothing and can do NOTHING to assist Namibia to the greater good
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 21, 2023 22:16:44 GMT
Adding to the post above - France 96-0 Namibia: Antoine Dupont injured as hosts score 14 tries in Marseille..By Mantej Mann, BBC Sport.
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France captain Antoine Dupont was forced off in the second half with an injury to his face during the Pool A rout of NamibiaFrance are on the brink of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals after claiming their biggest-ever win with a 96-0 victory over Namibia in Pool A. Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice. Antoine Dupont, Thibaud Flament, Baptiste Couilloud and Melvyn Jaminet also crossed before a penalty try took their total tally to 14 in Marseille. The only French cause for concern was the loss of Dupont to injury. The hosts' captain was withdrawn during the second-half following a head-on-head tackle by Johan Deysel, whose yellow card was upgraded to a red by the bunker. France head coach Fabien Galthie's decision to keep his talisman on the field despite his side's huge 54-point half-time advantage could be scrutinised if Dupont's injury keeps him on the sidelines with the knockout stages looming. Les Blues, who are top of Pool A with three wins from their opening three games, surpassed their previous biggest winning margin of 87-10 against Namibia in their last home World Cup in 2007 and will face Italy in their next fixture on 6th October in Lyon. Namibia are rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering three heavy defeats, and face a final pool game against Uruguay on 27h September. Line-ups
France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Danty, Bielle-Biarry; Jalibert, Dupont; Baille, Mauvaka, Atonio; Woki, Flament; Cros, Ollivon, Jelonch. Replacements: Bourgarit, Wardi, Aldegheri, Taofifenua, Boudehent, Couilloud, Moefana, Jaminet. Namibia: Van der Bergh; Mouton, Deysel, Burger, Greyling; Loubser, Theron; Sethie, Van der Westhuizen, Coetzee, Tjeriko, Ludick, Katjijeko, Retief, Gaoseb. Replacements: Nortje, Benade, Shifuka, Van Lill, Hardwick, Blaauw, Izaacs, Rossouw. Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 21, 2023 22:20:27 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Fixtures..
Friday 22nd September
Pool D: Argentina v Samoa (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard) - 4.45pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
Saturday 23rd September
Pool C: Georgia v Portugal (Stadium de Toulouse) - 1pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
Pool D: ENGLAND v Chile (Stade Pierre-Mauroy) - 4.45pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
Pool B: South Africa v IRELAND (Stade de France) - 8pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
Sunday 24th September
Pool B: SCOTLAND v Tonga (Stade de Nice) - 4.45pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
Pool C: WALES v Australia (OL Stadium) - 8pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 22, 2023 17:53:57 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 22, 2023 22:09:21 GMT
South Africa v Ireland: 'Irish face biggest test as Springboks showdown finally arrives'..
Ireland, South Africa and the rugby world have been building up to this one for what seems like a lifetime.
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Jamison Gibson-Park (left) is the only change to Ireland's line-up from the Tonga game while fit-again Dan Sheehan is on the benchIreland and South Africa have met 27 times in a rivalry spanning over a century, but have never stepped into the World Cup arena together. They may as well give us something worthy of the occasion, then. The hype surrounding this heavyweight dust-up has led some observers to compare it to a final. It's not, of course. As Ireland head coach Andy Farrell pointed out during his news conference on Thursday, it's not even "do-or-die" territory for Ireland, who have maximum points from their first two games and still have Scotland to come at this venue in a fortnight's time. Nor is it for South Africa. The Springboks flexed their muscles early in this title defence, seeing off Scotland 18-3 and followed that up by thumping a poor Romanian side who had barely recovered from a 12-try decimation by the Irish. But while neither team's World Cup hopes will be ended in front of 80,000 spectators on Saturday, this will undeniably hand a major psychological boost to the victor. "This is kind of what we've been working for for the last three years I've been here [with the Ireland team]," said wing Mack Hansen, who marked his World Cup debut with a superb try in Ireland's 59-16 win over Tonga in Nantes last week. "We're super excited for it. It's a big step up from the previous games we've had, but it's everything we've been working for this whole time." ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/0E6C/production/_131229630_gettyimages-1682618618.jpgMack Hansen, Josh van der Flier and Paul O'Connell spoke to the media on the eve of Ireland's much-anticipated Pool B clash with South Africa
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 22, 2023 22:12:07 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Fixtures..
Saturday 23rd SeptemberPool C: Georgia v Portugal (Stadium de Toulouse) - 1pm - LIVE ON ITV 1 Pool D: ENGLAND v Chile (Stade Pierre-Mauroy) - 4.45pm - LIVE ON ITV 1 ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/FCE6/production/_131224746_farrell_getty.jpgEngland captain Owen Farrell will earn his first minutes at the Rugby World Cup after serving out a ban for a red cardPool B: South Africa v IRELAND (Stade de France) - 8pm - LIVE ON ITV 1
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 23, 2023 22:57:30 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Result
Saturday 23rd September
Pool C: Georgia 18 Portugal 18
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Portugal full-back Nuno Sousa Guedes failed to convert a last-gasp penaltyPortugal missed a last-minute penalty as they were denied a first World Cup win after staging a stirring comeback against Georgia in Toulouse. After being 13-0 down, Portugal wing Raffaele Storti looked set to be the hero with two superb solo tries as his side led in the dying stages. But a 79th-minute try awarded by the TV match official drew Georgia level. Portugal full-back Nuno Sousa Guedes missed the crucial penalty kick seconds after the restart. Georgia took just 75 seconds to open the scoring as record try-scorer Akaki Tabutsadze charged over in the corner for his 30th try in 33 Tests. A conversion and two penalties from Tedo Abzhandadze put Georgia 13-0 up but after wasting countless visits into the Portugal 22, Georgia were stunned when Storti beat three men to race over brilliantly from distance. Portuguese prop Francisco Fernandes was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Shalva Mamukashvili but even in his absence Portugal were on top. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9C89/production/_131237004_-43ce64ee-cd81-4476-9bf5-ba31454a54dd.png
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 23, 2023 23:02:08 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Result
Saturday 23rd September
Pool D: ENGLAND 71 Chile 0 - Henry Arundell scores five tries in Rugby World Cup pool game.
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Arundell's five tries helped England to their biggest win of this Rugby World Cup campaignWing Henry Arundell scored five tries as England sliced apart Pool D's weakest opposition to all but qualify for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals. The 20-year-old's clutch of scores against Chile matches the most scored by an England men's player in a Test and moves him to the top of the tournament try-scoring standings in his first appearance of the campaign. England, as expected, were far too strong for the spirited, but limited Chile, as their forward power and backline edge had the Rugby World Cup debutants in near-constant retreat. While Arundell's feat will steal the headlines, the pick of their 11 tries came from Marcus Smith, who raced on to his own kick after a searing break from his new role as a full-back. England will complete their pool-stage campaign in a fortnight's time against Samoa, and could even be assured of their last-eight place before then should other results work their way. This performance will give coach Steve Borthwick plenty to consider during England's break week as an exciting backline, containing warp-speed Arundell and Smith's defence-breaking agility, bristled with threat, admittedly against weak opposition. Owen Farrell didn't miss a beat on his return to the team after a four-match ban and England combined all three of their main playmakers to good effect - Farrell, Smith and George Ford - after the latter was introduced off the bench in the 55th minute. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/7263/production/_131238292_smith_getty.jpgMarcus Smith was making his first senior start at full-back for either club or country
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Marcus Smith struck up a promising understanding with fellow back Henry Arundellichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/14A67/production/_131238548_-bbba7855-4da8-4f67-b206-4dd5175e68e2.png
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 23, 2023 23:10:50 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 23, 2023 23:12:13 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 16:57:19 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 17:04:30 GMT
Wales v Australia: Rugby World Cup 2023 match preview, team news, kick-off time & Pool C standings..There is a lot at stake for Wales and Australia in Lyon on Sunday evening. Wales will book a place in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals if they beat Australia. They are guaranteed to progress with a third successive Pool C win, but the Wallabies will be on the brink of elimination if they lose. Bonus-point victories over Fiji and Portugal mean Wales are currently in charge of their pool. If they defeat Australia it will be a case of mission accomplished in terms of reaching the quarter-finals for a fourth World Cup in a row under head coach Warren Gatland. Gatland's team can get the job done with a game to spare - they face Georgia in Nantes on October 7 - by beating the Wallabies and setting up a potential last-eight appointment with England or Argentina. Australia have an outstanding World Cup record which is under threat. In nine previous editions of the competition they can reflect on two world titles, two runners-up finishes, a third and fourth-place return, plus three quarter-final appearances. A first pool-stage exit now looms, though, as they bid to recover from losing to Fiji last weekend and topple Wales. Head coach and former England boss Eddie Jones has received fierce criticism from ex-internationals, but the storm will rage if Wales leave them teetering on the brink of elimination. Australia have effectively reached a point of no return. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/3860/production/_131223441_cdf_261122_be_wales_v_australia023.jpgWales captain Jac Morgan scores against Australia in November 2022
View from Wales campWales head coach Warren Gatland: "We're happy with our position going into this game. There's a confidence among this group and we've had a good edge to training this week. "Every game in the World Cup is tough, the stakes are high, and this will be no different. Australia have talented players and we know they will want to come out and put in a performance. "Against Australia we know we have to take our chances and put them under as much pressure as possible. If we play the way we know we can and maintain that for 80 minutes, we will be a very hard team to beat. "They're going to be desperate, we're desperate as well. I expect us to win on Sunday." ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/158F9/production/_131231388_gatlandjones_reu_pa.jpgWarren Gatland's Wales take on Eddie Jones' Australia in one of the key pool fixtures at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday
View from Australia campAustralia head coach Eddie Jones: "The way the team's prepared and come together, I've got no doubt we'll win on Sunday. "Every team has matches like this during a World Cup and for this young team it is this week. We've prepared well and we'll be ready to fight on Sunday night. "We've got an opportunity to show whether we can grind out to get the result we need to get and I'm confident we can." Wales v Australia line-upsWales: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; G Thomas, Elias, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Wainwright, Morgan (capt), Faletau. Replacements: Dee, Domachowski, H Thomas, D Jenkins, Basham, T Williams, Anscombe, Dyer. Australia: Kellaway; Nawaqanitawase, Petaia, Kerevi, Koroibete; Donaldson, McDermott; Bell, Porecki (capt), Slipper, Frost, Arnold, Leota, T Hooper, Valetini. Replacements: Faessler, Schoupp, Fa'amausili, Philip, McReight, White, Gordon, Vunivalu. Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9C89/production/_131237004_-43ce64ee-cd81-4476-9bf5-ba31454a54dd.png
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 17:59:27 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Result
Sunday 24th September
Pool B: SCOTLAND 45 Tonga 17
Scotland 45-17 Tonga: Scots run in seven tries to stay alive in Pool B..By Colin Moffat, BBC Scotland.
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Scotland fly-half Finn Russell was at the heart of most of Scotland's best momentsScotland saw off stubborn Tonga with a bonus-point victory to keep alive their hopes of progressing from Pool B at the World Cup. On a warm afternoon in Nice, George Turner, Duhan van der Merwe, Kyle Steyn and Rory Darge delivered the required four tries before the interval. Tonga played with admirable commitment and led briefly when Solomone Kata responded to Turner's early score, but missed tackles and ill-discipline let them down, with Afusipa Taumoepeau and Vaea Fifita both shown yellow cards, the latter upgraded to red. Ben Tameifuna and George Horne traded scores in a scruffy second period before Blair Kinghorn and Darcy Graham added some late gloss. ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/cpsprodpb/15B5C/production/_131242988_59223fae50eda651a358f7e69d9bac504f302dec.jpgScotland: Kinghorn; Steyn, Harris, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; Russell, White; Sutherland, Turner, Z Fagerson; Gray, Cummings; Ritchie (capt), Darge, Dempsey. Replacements: Ashman, Schoeman, Nel, Skinner, M Fagerson, Horne, Jones, Graham. Tonga: Piutau; Kata, Fekitoa, Ahki, Taumoepeau; Havili, Pulu; Fisi'ihoi, Ngauamo, Tameifuna (capt); Fifita, Lousi; Halaifonua, Talitui, Fifita. Replacements: Moli, Koloamatangi, Apikotoa, Coleman, Paea, Vailanu, Takulua, Pellegrini. Referee: Karl Dickson (England) AS IT STANDSichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/9/24/3a32ef74-ad18-4f3b-8395-9b7ea54c0122.png
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 22:21:38 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Result - Sunday 24th September..
Wales 40-6 Australia: Warren Gatland's side hammer Wallabies to seal World Cup quarter-final spot..By Gareth Griffiths, BBC Sport Wales in Lyon.
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Nick Tompkins celebrates scoring a try in a game he had billed as the biggest of his careerWales became the first team to reach the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals as they celebrated a record win over Australia in Lyon. Gareth Anscombe kicked 23 points and tries from Gareth Davies, Nick Tompkins and Jac Morgan sealed a last-eight place with a game remaining in Pool C. ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/cpsprodpb/703E/production/_131243782_gettyimages-1687355526.jpgichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/9/24/b694b7ce-eec0-4999-90de-5218c96e9c0c.jpgichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/9/24/be8c7c18-dbe3-487b-8a00-0833577c39b2.jpgGeorge NorthAustralia managed just two penalties from Ben Donaldson. Eddie Jones' side are on the brink of becoming the first Australia team to suffer pool stage elimination. The woeful Wallabies were humbled by Wales, who are celebrating a fourth consecutive World Cup quarter-final qualification under Warren Gatland as head coach. This display must rank as one of Wales' finest performances under the New Zealander and the result beats their previous record win against Australia, a 28-3 triumph in 1975. Captain Morgan was again outstanding, while number eight Taulupe Faletau and scrum-half Gareth Davies showed their class. The only negative for Wales was a worrying injury that forced talismanic fly-half Dan Biggar off in the first half, but his withdrawal allowed Anscombe to excel with six penalties, a conversion and a drop-goal. A victory over Georgia on 7 October in Nantes will officially ensure Wales finish as group winners but only two match points will be required. That would set up a probable quarter-final against Argentina, Japan or Samoa in Marseille the following weekend, with England clear favourites to win Pool D. ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/F0C2/production/_131243616_gettyimages-1687315689.jpg
Australia fly-half Carter Gordon is tackled by Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau
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Australia are facing the prospect of failing to qualify from the World Cup pool stages for the first time
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Gareth Davies scores the game's opening try
Line-ups
Wales: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; G Thomas, Elias, Francis, Rowlands, Beard, Wainwright, Morgan (capt), Faletau. Replacements: Dee, Domachowski, H Thomas, D Jenkins, Basham, T Williams, Anscombe, Dyer. Australia: Kellaway; Nawaqanitawase, Petaia, Kerevi, Koroibete; Donaldson, McDermott; Bell, Porecki (capt), Slipper, Frost, Arnold, Leota, T Hooper, Valetini. Replacements: Faessler, Schoupp, Fa'amausili, Philip, McReight, White, Gordon, Vunivalu. Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) AS IT STANDSichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/9/24/6becd729-4251-4567-93b9-d1b87a2180e4.png
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 22:27:22 GMT
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 24, 2023 22:35:06 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Fixtures..
Wednesday 27th September
Pool A: Uruguay v Namibia (OL Stadium), 4.45pm
Thursday 28th September
Pool D: Japan v Samoa (Stade de Toulouse), 8pm
Friday, 29th September
Pool A: New Zealand v Italy (OL Stadium), 8pm
Saturday 30th September
Pool D: Argentina v Chile (Stade de la Beaujoire), 2pm
Pool C: Fiji v Georgia (Stade de Bordeaux), 4.45pm
Pool B: Scotland v Romania (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), 8pm
Sunday 1st October
Pool C: Australia v Portugal (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard), 4.45pm
Pool B: South Africa v Tonga (Stade de Marseille), 8pm
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Post by Nobbygas on Sept 25, 2023 11:24:51 GMT
England v Argentina: Alex Mitchell and Jonny May to start Rugby World Cup opener..
Alex Mitchell and Jonny May will start for England in their World Cup opener against Argentina despite initially missing out on the 33-man squad. Scrum-half Mitchell and wing May were late additions to Steve Borthwick's squad after Jack van Poortvliet and Anthony Watson withdrew with injury. George Ford will start at fly-half with captain Owen Farrell banned for the first two pool games. Flanker Tom Curry starts his first game since the Premiership final in May. Open-side Curry, who started the 2019 World Cup final defeat by South Africa, is yet to feature for England this summer after recovering from an ankle injury. Ben Earl replaces Saracens team-mate Billy Vunipola, who is suspended for the opening game following his red card against Ireland in England's penultimate warm-up game, at number eight. Courtney Lawes completes the back row on the blind-side and continues as captain in the absence of Farrell. Wing Elliot Daly has recovered from a knee injury to join May and regular full-back Freddie Steward in the back three. Harlequins' Joe Marchant partners Manu Tuilagi in the midfield - as they did in the defeat by Ireland in Dublin. Replacement scrum-half Danny Care is given the nod over Leicester Tigers' Ben Youngs on the bench in what could be only his second World Cup appearance, having made his first against Uruguay in 2015. England, who are ranked eighth in the world, lost three of their four warm-up games heading into the World Cup. Borthwick's side also face Japan, Chile and Samoa in Pool D, with the top two sides progressing to the quarter-finals. Line-up
England team to face Argentina: Steward; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Ford, Mitchell; Genge, George, Cole; Itoje, Chessum; Lawes (capt), Curry, Earl. Replacements: Dan, Marler, Stuart, Martin, Ludlam, Care, Smith, Lawrence. Difficult to get to revved up about England. They were boring, dull and clueless in the 6 nations. I enjoyed all the 6 nations games - apart from the England games. They were about 4-6 to win this game a month ago. Now an evens contest. Is it really bad to be supporting Argentina? Should be a great tournament with 4 realistic potential champions in France, Ireland, AB's and the Boks. France / AB's this evening should be a belter. What do we know so far? The Aussies are going home. The AB's are no longer the force they were. SA still want to play the grinding forwards game. Wales look capable of beating anyone on their day, but can they keep it up? England are improving, but still look very shoddy. Ireland and France are now the favourites. And nobody will want to play Fiji ! |
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 25, 2023 16:39:31 GMT
Wales 40-6 Australia: Warren Gatland hails 'outstanding performance' against Wallabies..By Ceri Coleman-Phillips, BBC Sport Wales at OL Stadium, Lyon.
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Wales enjoyed a record winning margin against Australia in LyonWarren Gatland had said he "expected Wales to win" against Australia. It was a statement that suggested confidence, but even the most optimistic of fans could not have predicted the ease with which Wales dispatched the Wallabies. Gareth Anscombe starred as Wales celebrated a record win margin of 40-6. It means they have cruised into the quarter-finals, with a final pool game to come against Georgia on 7 October in Nantes. "I thought today was an outstanding performance in terms of what we wanted to achieve with game management," enthused Gatland. "We were blowing at half-time but we knew they were worse than us. We went out and controlled the second half. I thought we were fantastic." Asked which areas of the game pleased him, Gatland said he was "happy with a lot of stuff". "Defensively, our line speed wasn't brilliant at the start but we improved on that. We were clinical, controlled the game, we didn't really give them anything. "This team gets better and better and, with some confidence and momentum, we're in a pretty good place now." Wales will now return to their base in Versailles, where they will have just under two weeks to prepare for their final pool game. "You can always get better, but I think we'll enjoy tonight," added Gatland. ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/240/cpsprodpb/13712/production/_131243697_gettyimages-1699042596.jpg"We've got a break of about 13 days, so the boys have all got some time off to spend with their families, then we'll regroup next week and start thinking about Georgia." Victory in Nantes will ensure Wales finish as group winners, in fact only two match points will be required. That would set up a probable quarter-final against Argentina, Japan or Samoa in Marseille the following weekend, with England clear favourites to win Pool D. But Gatland insists they are not looking that far ahead. "We haven't looked past anything yet, it has been one game at a time," he said. "I know a lot has been said about this side of the draw, it is what it is, we can't do anything about it. It's not our fault. "Our focus will be on Georgia, a team we lost against in the autumn. We need to rectify that and we need to make sure we don't drop our standards. I think these players are well aware of that, they have worked incredibly hard." ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/9BFE/production/_131243993_cdf_240923_cf_wales_v_australia_138.jpgWales captain Jac Morgan plays for Ospreys
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 27, 2023 9:38:28 GMT
France 2023: Rugby World Cup Fixtures..
Wednesday 27th September
Pool A: Uruguay v Namibia (OL Stadium), 4.45pm
Rugby World Cup 2023: Namibia hoping to end wait for first World Cup win
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Tjiuee Uanivi (right) will captain Namibia against Uruguay in the absence of the suspended Johan Deysel
Namibia are hoping to end their 25-game wait for a first win at the Rugby World Cup with victory over Uruguay in their final Pool A game on Wednesday. The African side have been knocked out in the pool stages after losing every game in the last six tournaments. They came closest to a win with a one-point defeat by Georgia in 2015. Namibia have suffered heavy defeats by Italy, New Zealand and France in their opening three games in 2023 and face winless Uruguay in their Lyon finale. Head coach Allister Coetzee said victory over Uruguay could "change a lot" for the country. "It is up to us and how we are going to finish this one," said Coetzee. "The players know that a game like this - and what a win means for the country - can change a lot. So we will pitch up. "It's important for us to get over that final hurdle." Namibia will be aiming for victory without captain Johan Deysel, who is suspended after receiving a red card for a dangerous tackle on France captain Antoine Dupont in their 96-0 defeat. Coetzee says his players want to produce a positive performance for their skipper. "As a group we owe it to him," he said. "A positive result would deflect his red card and the focus would be on our performance. That is one objective we want to achieve as well, make sure we soften that red card blow."
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