Rugby

Aren’t they playing an Aussies 2nd XV? or a 1.5 XV?

Officials also appear to be having a good game and the game has some flow to it.

Wales should have cantered home - they had your Wobblies on toast and looked they could put 50 points up. And then they imploded. They were clueless after Tipuric yellow and snatched defeat from jaws of victory.

Now HT at HQ and going pretty much as expected. Grim. England should be down more than 11 and fortunate to still have 15 on the pitch. Farrell carrying the injury from last week. Needs to pass the tee to Smith. Bokke by 20 at this rate

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Eng v SA – cut & paste your comments, with the usual slew of pens and some aimless kicking to a fast back 3 (which England don’t have).

As a game of rugby in general, apart from a couple of moments (e.g. SA’s long rage try), it’s been a dreadful watch IMHO, with so many stoppages and ages taken to kick pens, manage the scrums etc,.

RIP Doddie – very sad news.

Wallabies finished their tour on a high with a good win overnight, considering the injuries and the obvious changes think the tour has been positive.

Overall it appears world rugby might be on its way and the next WC will be the most competitive I can remember.

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The rugby this weekend takes second place to the departure of Doddie Weir. A gentle giant and a real gentleman, but a ferocious competitor on the pitch. 52 is far too young but he made a huge difference in raising awareness of MND and funds to combat it. Injury robbed him of a test place in the Lions of ‘97 and MND had robbed him of the good years with his family. RIP

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A great fight back win by Wallabies with a makeshift team - they will be competitive by time RWC comes around

Overall not a bad tour at all losing marginally to top teams

Boks absolutely smashed England in the forwards just ad ABs did last weekend. A worrying sign for them and dear Eddie

Indeed Quickben - RIP - the world is a most unfair place often

As you say he was robbed of many years with family

It would be nice to get our A team back on the park. Think the summer break is going to be welcomed and a chance to recuperate.

Was just reading a match review not only did we lose our captain in the first half we rolled out our 51st player this season. Shows a bit of heart to comeback from 34/13 with a half an hour to go.

I watched the extended highlights - Wales had so much possession and had so many chances to win they just stuffed it up a little

From what I saw the Wallabies played just OK but again have to fix up the silly little things they are doing

The Boks smashed England - I can see a France vs Boks RWC final looming , mind you 9/10 months away so anything can happen

England outclassed. Let’s also be fair, it wasn’t just power, this SA side have a running 10 and a bit more intention to play than at times past. They are also pretty ruthless, almost never leaving the opposition 22 without points.

Much as I am happy to give EJ a kicking I think you have to watch that match and conclude England just aren’t that good, and certainly not close to the top three in the world.

One of the few consolations of the Autumn is that at least they are better than Wales. Well done Australia, especially considering that it was their B team!

Bruce

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Yes Bruce you got the right word in there

SA were “ruthless”

And agree their backline is starting to fire up

To me they are looking good

In the post-match I/Vs yesterday Manu said there was a plan, but it was very challenging to see what it was. Worse, one has to question why the team continues to exhibit such poor discipline, which gifts the opp 12+ points a game, whether directly and/or in spurning promising field position.

Such a contrast to the France v Japan and Wales v Aus games.

It’ll be interesting to see what World Rugby finally propose.

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How sad, I’d missed that news.

He was immense on the field of play and a true legend of Scottish rugby widely admired by all non-Scots.

Excitement on Saturday was rapidly displaced by disbelief here.

Perhaps Pivac and Eddie Jones should be sent on a sabbatical together!

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Think Pivac will go quicker then EJ - Gats in for a short term deal in all likelihood. RFU not embracing EJ too readily - maybe time for him to be paid off. Suggestion that they might approach Wayne Smith or Scott Robertson.

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The sooner the better! I just don’t think he gels well with Wales.

If the RFU had any sense (or is it about cash?) they should have sacked EJ after the last 6nations at the latest. Cannot see them doing it so close to next year’s tournament and the WC.

Bruce

I read this with an air of disbelief and with the mindset of ‘statements of the bleedin’ obvious’.

This is all within a referee’s ability now i.e. to enforce faster play (no delays at line-outs et al), ensure kicks run to time and keep the water carriers off (i.e. coaches), yet they don’t do it — unless you’re a French ref and it’s Australia! – and the ref was right IMHO.

The ball in play times have become pathetic and things like the 50/22 kick are simply things which don’t need to exist. It’s compounding in to an ever-increasing set of laws, with some being inserted to counteract the effects of others e.g. if they went back the old offside laws, you wouldn’t have so much kicking.

World Rugby lost the plot a while ago IMHO.

It’s getting like cricket where some umps abdicated their responsibility to look for no-balls. Why???

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