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

[Vieux Talonneur]

Apparently more than 1400 tickets unsold (per the Times online) for this match. Surely be snapped up regardless of how **** England played v Samoa?

Guardian saying it's more like 4,500 ranging from €75 to €300 plus resales, while also reminding us that such is the allure of this Eng team that the top tier of HQ was empty for the Fiji warm up match.

Thousands of tickets unsold for England v Fiji but Paris quarter-finals sell out

On Tuesday evening nearly 4,500 tickets were still up for grabs for Sunday afternoon’s quarter-final in Marseille, ranging in price from €75 to €300

www.theguardian.com

 

[TommiG88]

Guardian saying it's more like 4,500 ranging from €75 to €300 plus resales, while also reminding us that such is the allure of this Eng team that the top tier of HQ was empty for the Fiji warm up match.

Thousands of tickets unsold for England v Fiji but Paris quarter-finals sell out

On Tuesday evening nearly 4,500 tickets were still up for grabs for Sunday afternoon’s quarter-final in Marseille, ranging in price from €75 to €300

www.theguardian.com

I was thinking of going….
Then I looked at flights and hotel, and thought Aus Fiji cost me enough, I don't need another +£1k to leave my account

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I would have gone with my son but he's been so bored watching England that I didn't want to take him out to France only for him to be bored after 10 minutes, he's taken to supporting other teams.

I really don't think the RFU realise the consistent damage they are doing to the English brand.

The biggest thing for me, is that we arnt actually playing a tactical kicking game with a big pack and playing that game plan.

We also arnt playing to our strengths as a mobile ball carrying pack.

We are in fact doing neither, we have no real game plan other than to kick and defend and that won't win you anything. If we kick the ball consistently against Fiji they will eat us alive just like they did a month or so ago. Especially if Farrell is playing as his tactical kicking is really poor.

 

[dirty harry]

Missed the last kick that would have taken the bonus point away from Aus, I got it drunkenly on video. Come on Harry!

Lomani missed the last kick, as I said Lomani isnt good, what's his chops Kurovoli was 100% against Aus before going off.
Come on tommi.

 

[TopTen2003]

Who plays 9/10 for ENG this week then guys? Can't help but fear a little for Mitchell and Ford given how the Samoa game panned out. Can just see SB going for OF at 10

 

[IT157]

I was thinking of going….
Then I looked at flights and hotel, and thought Aus Fiji cost me enough, I don't need another +£1k to leave my account

Good call. Save it for watching England win the final instead.

 

[AlRums]

This is hilarious

Vunipola queries top 4 rankings; agrees England are 'public enemy No1'

Billy Vunipola has hit back at the suggestion that there is a top four in international rugby and that England are grouped amongst the also-rans even though they have won their way through to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

www.rugbypass.com

 

[whocaresaboutthetruth]

This is hilarious

Vunipola queries top 4 rankings; agrees England are 'public enemy No1'

Billy Vunipola has hit back at the suggestion that there is a top four in international rugby and that England are grouped amongst the also-rans even though they have won their way through to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

www.rugbypass.com

Why is it hilarious?

 

[ageingback23]

England will get to the semis and Borthwick will be safe. This years 6 nations and World Cup warm up games were absolute gash. My only hope was that he was playing his cards really close to his chest for the World Cup, and they were doing some rope-a-dope tactic in preparation for the World Cup. I'm actually starting to believe that more and more.

Oh IT, you're not actually going to fall for that absolute tosh about fitness programme, it's all part of the plan BS are you?! Because fitness hasn't been the biggest issue. Poor selections, people out of positions, Farrell still in the squad, poor kicking, hi pen rate, cards etc etc. To give SB some leeway, he did inherit a hot mess, and hasn't had a lot of time to turn things around. But rather than embrace the new, look to a clean sheet and brighter future, he's stuck with the same old same old, lacking the courage to adopt real change. We've dragged ourselves through by far the easiest pool unconvincingly, with the first serious challenge coming in the semis, where we will be dumped out on our ass and yet it will be heralded as success and that England are on the right track. Well, they're not. The only thing that would convince me that anything has changed is if we lift the cup, which means having to beat two of the best teams in the world, or at least run the final close. Anything less is just smoke and mirrors.

 

[ageingback23]

Who plays 9/10 for ENG this week then guys? Can't help but fear a little for Mitchell and Ford given how the Samoa game panned out. Can just see SB going for OF at 10

I like Mitchell and Ford. You actually want to scare Fiji you play smith at 10, but we all know BS hasn't got the stones for that selection, nor has he the stones to drop Farrell all together. He's not our best 10, or 12, and yet he will almost certainly start, which means someone better gets dropped or benched. I suspect the SB won't risk the Ford Farrel axis again, so I fear Farrell starting at 10, Ford on the bench, likely with Smith and Care. At least with this we could have Manu 12, Marchant 13, and Arundel and May on the wings, Steward at 15. This is a best case scenario for me, but I suspect Malins, who is ponderously slow and has no step at all, will end up on the pitch instead of Arundel for reasons known only to those in power. Either way, if we do get through this game it'll be ugly and uninspiring. I'll watch, like maltreated dog still pining at its master, but in all the years I've watched England play, I don't think my expectations have ever been lower.

 

[whocaresaboutthetruth]

Oh IT, you're not actually going to fall for that absolute tosh about fitness programme, it's all part of the plan BS are you?! Because fitness hasn't been the biggest issue. Poor selections, people out of positions, Farrell still in the squad, poor kicking, hi pen rate, cards etc etc. To give SB some leeway, he did inherit a hot mess, and hasn't had a lot of time to turn things around. But rather than embrace the new, look to a clean sheet and brighter future, he's stuck with the same old same old, lacking the courage to adopt real change. We've dragged ourselves through by far the easiest pool unconvincingly, with the first serious challenge coming in the semis, where we will be dumped out on our ass and yet it will be heralded as success and that England are on the right track. Well, they're not. The only thing that would convince me that anything has changed is if we lift the cup, which means having to beat two of the best teams in the world, or at least run the final close. Anything less is just smoke and mirrors.

So your whole opinion and beliefs can be changed by two games?

 

[HamJan]

Why is it hilarious?

Because he likes to stoke up any kind of anti English sentiment at every opportunity. Try not to take his bait.

 

[ageingback23]

So your whole opinion and beliefs can be changed by two games?

My opinion is that England are still on a downwards trend overall, having failed to beat any world class opposition in a very long time. If we were to go on to lift the cup, having beaten 2 of the top 4 teams in the world to do so in the highest intensity games that can be played, then yes, I would see that as a move upwards and towards growth and improvement. Does it mean that we are suddenly back as a world class outfit? No. We would then have to go on and demonstrate continued improvement and produce more results. But it would be a start.

 

[whocaresaboutthetruth]

My opinion is that England are still on a downwards trend overall, having failed to beat any world class opposition in a very long time. If we were to go on to lift the cup, having beaten 2 of the top 4 teams in the world to do so in the highest intensity games that can be played, then yes, I would see that as a move upwards and towards growth and improvement. Does it mean that we are suddenly back as a world class outfit? No. We would then have to go on and demonstrate continued improvement and produce more results. But it would be a start.

Winning the World Cup would be a great way to start growth

 

[TRF_Olyy]

At Sale's pre-match press conference Sanderson said, about Ford:

He got his opportunity with England and played unbelievably well yet it still doesn't fall for him. What has he got to do? I guess he should have been named captain. I like Owen Farrell; he is a good leader and brilliant attacking fly-half. George can't do any more by ways of game management and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. He can't do any more, not after the Argentina game.

Considering Ford started 3/4 of the pool games that sounds like he's heard he's getting dropped

 

[BPM]

Because he likes to stoke up any kind of anti English sentiment at every opportunity. Try not to take his bait.

This is certainly true. However, Billy's comments on the top 4 piece were pretty dumb.

I agree with Billy on England being 'public enemy no. 1' though. @AlRums himself is an example of that anti-England sentiment. We're also not doing ourselves any favours with our style of rugby though. Let's put it this way, we aren't going to win any new fans by providing entertainment value.

 

[MarkyH]

If we have to start Farrell I'd rather it be at 10.

Let's be clear tho, despite his successes for Saracens I think Farrell is absolute dogshit, it's not about playing free flowing rugby, but I don't think he can execute a game plan successfully anymore.

My son hates rugby, likes football and Liverpool. He watched the game vs Samoa and said he was awful, and he was like Jordan Henderson, gets picked despite playing absolutely awful and kicking the ball away all the time. The passes behind players were a joke. And the only reason Care scored was because Smith ran the other way to draw defenders. Farrell does not worry defenses.

I know some people can't hand the truth, and they are triggered by Farrell criticism, but maybe they don't care about the truth

 

[BPM]

Winning the World Cup would be a great way to start growth

Never going to happen with this team.

I'm hopeful of beating Fiji but we don't have a prayer against France or SA.

It would need unbelievable luck and even then I'm not sure that would be enough. I genuinely think France or SA could start with 14 and still beat us. Our only real chance is that the QF is so brutal that they play their final two rounds early and we can somehow capitalise.

Before anyone accuses me of negativity or not backing the team, I'll reiterate that I WANT us to win the RWC, but I just don't see how that happens with our current squad and tactics.

 

[HamJan]

Winning the World Cup would be a great way to start growth

No it wouldn't. It would only allow Sweeney et al the chance to paper over cracks instead of stripping back what's broken and rebuilding from the foundations.

 

[HamJan]

At Sale's pre-match press conference Sanderson said, about Ford:

Considering Ford started 3/4 of the pool games that sounds like he's heard he's getting dropped