[RWC2023 QF3] England vs Fiji (15/10/2023)

[Derpus]

How was the reffing performance in this one?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Mad how Tom Curry doesn't start vs Fiji and we lose and then Tom Curry does start vs Fiji and we win
Will ponder this further

 

[Lé Ddanno]

How was the reffing performance in this one?

Couple of absolutely bullshit calls, decided offside was a thing in the last 15, ignored stuff in the final plays. Not great imo.

 

[Joe 90]

How was the reffing performance in this one?

All depends on whether yr team is the one chosen to go through.....if it is then u can do as u like.i

 

[TRF_Olyy]

All depends on whether yr team is the one chosen to go through.....if it is then u can do as u like.i

Weird that cause everyone wanted Fiji to go through and yet

 

[Joe 90]

On a serious note now though Fiji, Samoa efc need to be supported to continue this improvement..as with Portugal efc also. World Rugby needs to make this priority....

Spot on and well said.......but judging by the way they were reffed, the WRC has no interest in helping them.

 

[Joe 90]

I think its pointless untill Sweeney is gone tbh. Borthwick is not good, I dont buy the next cycle, he has been here a year and the rugby has been consistently pish, been chopping and changing basically every game, his top lineup here includes 2 players he cut from his initial squad, that is just incompetent.

But untill the RFU is sorted properly even a top coach is going to struggle. My only hope is steve improves with more time.

Borewick is hopeless and even worse he apparently let's Farrell pick the team .

 

[Saintjay]

Borewick is hopeless and even worse he apparently let's Farrell pick the team .

Well spot the odd one out.

Biggar, Farrell, Sexton, Russell.

I'll give you a clue. One has been starting fly-half in two RWC quater final wins.

 

[Joe 90]

Well spot the odd one out.

Biggar, Farrell, Sexton, Russell.

I'll give you a clue. One has been starting fly-half in two RWC quater final wins.

Well 3 are class acts and loved by their fans and one is not and is detested by the fans.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Well 3 are class acts and loved by their fans and one is not and is detested by the fans.

In that case Biggar might be the odd one out. For a long time, he was pilloried for being too 'boring' and 'unadventurous' and 'lacking in skill'.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

In that case Biggar might be the odd one out. For a long time, he was pilloried for being too 'boring' and 'unadventurous' and 'lacking in skill'.

Yet now, Welsh rugby fans and the press seem to be mourning him:

 

[Saintjay]

Well 3 are class acts and loved by their fans and one is not and is detested by the fans.

Or the one dropped by his coach in a very public falling out and refusing to not drink.

 

[Derpus]

Spot on and well said.......but judging by the way they were reffed, the WRC has no interest in helping them.

Aus and NZ are doing a fair bit. Teams for Samoa (sort of) and Fiji in SR as well as a fair bit of funding coming from both NZRU and the Australian federal government. I believe WR do also contribute to the running costs of the Drua.

I think the major issue that will hold them back is that SR is failing to compete with NRL or AFL regionally, and they don't have anywhere else to play. Quite a few Islanders end up in the NRL. Some come back in time like Radradra and Koroibete but many don't. Imagine if Fiji had a guy like Viliame Kikau running off the base of the scrum.

The other issue which isn't often openly discussed is corruption. Fair bit of it in the Islands and there isn't a whole lot WR can do about that (particularly given their own issues on the subject).

Edit: https://www.rugby.com.au/news/australian-government-announce-fiji-rugby-funding-20231015

 

[Zed]

You didn't think that was an embarrassing QF against Fiji?

It Fiji had landed two astray penalties your team wouldn't have progressed.

When it's more about a failed set piece than any positive game play on your behalf, that's an embarrassment. When you look at the relative size of the unions - 40M quid spent just on the England team, about 4 million quid spent on the whole of rugby in Fiji

England has 1,900 clubs, 10 of them professional clubs and 1,182,602 players, Fiji has 560 clubs with one professional club, 80,000 players - including 20,000 kids.

It looks like an embarrassment to me.

There's something pretty wrong with English rugby. The massive amount of money, resources and expert personnel they've got, plus the number of players in comparison to what Fiji has got. I'm not sure what the issue is, but England should not be a team that is struggling. Looking at their starting XV, a lot of players past their use-by date, players playing out of position, players not of international standard. They've got a ton mor eplayers to choose from than the likes of Fiji, so why are they performing like a tier 2 side? Is it simply lack of high calibre players or a cultural/structural thing?

 

[Zed]

Look Im aware England are on the good side of the draw, had a poor few years, don't think Borthwick is good enough and all that usual stuff we've all talk about over last few weeks. Just didn't think today was as bad as people say and happy to be in a semi final.

I'm beginning to think SB isn't the issue and it's simply a lack of quality players. Danny care 36, Ben Youngs 35, Farrell 32, Tuilagi 32, May 33, Daley 31. It's like a golden oldies team. There's some fundamental issue with English rugby if virtually your entire backline is in their 30s. Where's the fresh new talent coming through. Someone in this thread even said May wasn't getting a run for his club side.

 

[Zed]

Aus and NZ are doing a fair bit. Teams for Samoa (sort of) and Fiji in SR as well as a fair bit of funding coming from both NZRU and the Australian federal government. I believe WR do also contribute to the running costs of the Drua.

).

I'd have to verify this, but think the Drua players were only get $10k for the entire Super season. Australia players are getting $1 million plus and the top Fijian earner Virimi Vakatawa gets $1.8 million per year for Racing 92. Pretty hard to hold on to any decent Fijian players. I think if NZ/Aus want to create a strong Pacific Island presence in the super comp, someone needs to front up some big bucks. NZ can as we are broke. Israel Folau and Eddie Jones, took what was left of our savings.

 

[Derpus]

I'd have to verify this, but think the Drua players were only get $10k for the entire Super season. Australia players are getting $1 million plus and the top Fijian earner Virimi Vakatawa gets $1.8 million per year for Racing 92. Pretty hard to hold on to any decent Fijian players. I think if NZ/Aus want to create a strong Pacific Island presence in the super comp, someone needs to front up some big bucks. NZ can as we are broke. Israel Folau and Eddie Jones, took what was left of our savings.

No Australian player gets close to 1m a year for SR participation. I think an entry level salary is 80k a year. Only Hooper, who was on a combined SR salary and Wallabies top up which he earnt as Wallaby captain and one of our greatest ever players, earned 1m per year. Plus his contract is up now anyway.

Overseas salaries out-competing SR salaries is just reality at this point. They don't have to keep all their star players playing in SR they just need to keep developing them which the Drua will help with.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Can someone just knock out england already. I'm sick of hearing farrells voice

 

[Derpus]

Can someone just knock out england already. I'm sick of seeing farrells voice

A simpler solution might be to lay off the mushies ay?

 

[Umaga's Witness]

A simpler solution might be to lay off the mushies ay?

That smelt sharp