[RWC2023] Ireland vs Romania (09/09/2023)

[Amiga500]

Henshaw out, Hansen in

At least the kitman can reuse the H

Shouldn't have the names on the jerseys anyway.

This is not soccer.

 

[spursindevon]

For those mad enough to think the world cup can expand to 24 teams, this is the perfect advert why it should not. The tournament should never have been expanded to 16 until a proper development path was created. Shame on the people calling for Italy to be taken out of the six nations, a proper bi-annual European championship is one of the things required. The national teams of Portugal, Georgia, Spain and Romania should be playing every year on the European Challenge Cup, if good enough then in the Champions Cup. Soon, people will stop buying tickets to watch such mismatches.

 

[Groundhog]

Craic in the stadium after was ******* mighty. I fell over a fence. Great, great day

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

For those mad enough to think the world cup can expand to 24 teams, this is the perfect advert why it should not. The tournament should never have been expanded to 16 until a proper development path was created. Shame on the people calling for Italy to be taken out of the six nations, a proper bi-annual European championship is one of the things required. The national teams of Portugal, Georgia, Spain and Romania should be playing every year on the European Challenge Cup, if good enough then in the Champions Cup. Soon, people will stop buying tickets to watch such mismatches.

Romania only qualified cause Spain played an ineligible player, of course they were gonna get blown out.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Game provided quite a lot of answers. It did raise a few questions tho

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Romania's biggest World Cup defeat?.

They lost 90-8 to Australia in 2003, and 85-8 in 2007.

 

[spursindevon]

Romania only qualified cause Spain played an ineligible player, of course they were gonna get blown out.

And they would have competed better, unsure after the Argentina warm up game

 

[Reiser99]

They lost 90-8 to Australia in 2003, and 85-8 in 2007.

So what you're saying is Ireland underperformed. Got it.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

So what you're saying is Ireland underperformed. Got it.

I'm just providing the numbers haha

 

[big ginger 8]

Craic in the stadium after was ******* mighty. I fell over a fence. Great, great day

Wasn't even a fence mate.

 

[OldSchoolRugga]

I despise cricket scores in rugby games. However, Romania opening the scoring with a try was a nice surprise.

 

[Amiga500]

Wasn't even a fence mate.

Was it even a kerb?

 

[IT157]

For those mad enough to think the world cup can expand to 24 teams, this is the perfect advert why it should not. The tournament should never have been expanded to 16 until a proper development path was created. Shame on the people calling for Italy to be taken out of the six nations, a proper bi-annual European championship is one of the things required. The national teams of Portugal, Georgia, Spain and Romania should be playing every year on the European Challenge Cup, if good enough then in the Champions Cup. Soon, people will stop buying tickets to watch such mismatches.

I've not heard this being a thing.

 

[spursindevon]

I've not heard this being a thing

If you look at the Wikipedia page for USA 2031, there is a link to an ESPN story

 

[big ginger 8]

Was it even a kerb?

It was maybe 30cm high and like a horse that's jumped its last fence and needs to go to the glue factory.

 

[IT157]

If you look at the Wikipedia page for USA 2031, there is a link to an ESPN story

I see. ESPN and probably a guaranteed to get the States in if they do host it.

 

[MarcusLawrence]

With football it's debates like "Why have teams like San Marino in qualifying?", in Rugby it's "Why have teams like Romania in the Rugby World Cup Finals?"

At the end of the day it gives exposure to the team, the sport in its country and they make good prize money out of it just by competing.

Having said that though, it should not have been increased from 16 to 20 teams.

 

[Smurfy]

Think Ireland have played well - overplayed too much though. Think better opposition will cut that down

Not sure that would be the gameplan against better opposition. For most previous Irish sides that would probably have been a 40 or possibly 50 point game, and it's this ability to put points on the board without being at their best that sets this side apart. Farrell & Co seem to have got the build up right, and despite too many errors the side looks in good fettle. Obviously the lineout issues need to be sorted, but I do wonder if Ireland are keeping their powder dry there.

 

[Alex Anghel]

With football it's debates like "Why have teams like San Marino in qualifying?", in Rugby it's "Why have teams like Romania in the Rugby World Cup Finals?"

Are you old enough to remember when we beat you 24-6 in Bucharest in 1983 and 15-9 in Cardiff on 10.12.1988?

Have you ever known that Romania was about to be invited to join the Five Nations in the 80s, but ultimately it could not be done as we were a Communist country?

Comparing San Marino (football) with Romania (rugby) is completely disrespectful and shows a poor knowledge of the history of the game...just for your info, we were invited to join the first-ever Rugby World Cup in 1987 and only missed one ever since over an administrative complaint.

 

[Which Tyler]

I've not heard this being a thing.

Personally, I want it to expand to 32.

June/July 2026 (neutral territory):
4 (seeded) pools of 6, from (more or less) 9th to 32nd in the world.
Then (if practical) knock-out rugby for 3rd and 4th from each group.

July 2026, seeds drawn for 2027

November 2027
Top 2 from each pool joins the 8 QF.ists from 2023
4 pools of 4