[RWC2023 SF2] England vs South Africa (21/10/2023)

[TRF_Olyy]

Let's hope so. I've got 16 beers lined up and ready to **** talk throughout the whole game like prime Mike Phillips.

Sale legend

 

[Welsh Exile]

Sale legend

You must be in a tough bind today. Who do you support, your home country or your real love, South Africa? Tough call. I suppose you're in a win-win situation.

 

[ageingback23]

I'm sure all you Saffers out there are feeling pretty confident today, regardless of what the weather does. Just like all the New Zealanders were 4 years ago, and on form, rightly so. But when that whistle goes at 2000 hours, form won't count for jack. Only what the team does for the next 80 minutes. England have enough talent on the field, that if they empty their tanks, play to their potential (and maybe get the rub of the green here and there) they can go toe to toe with this SA side. I have hope, and as Gandalf said "there never was much hope, just a fools hope." Well slap a belled hat on me head, a beer in my hand, and cheer for foolish hope. Come on lads, one more game, CRY GOD, FOR ENGLAND, HARRY and ST GEORGE!!!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You must be in a tough bind today. Who do you support, your home country or your real love, South Africa? Tough call. I suppose you're in a win-win situation.

I just want them all to lose
England winning by 1pt after a terrible game and South Africa getting multiple red cards would be the most bants outcome

 

[Duck a l'Orange]

I'm sure all you Saffers out there are feeling pretty confident today, regardless of what the weather does. Just like all the New Zealanders were 4 years ago, and on form, rightly so. But when that whistle goes at 2000 hours, form won't count for jack. Only what the team does for the next 80 minutes. England have enough talent on the field, that if they empty their tanks, play to their potential (and maybe get the rub of the green here and there) they can go toe to toe with this SA side. I have hope, and as Gandalf said "there never was much hope, just a fools hope." Well slap a belled hat on me head, a beer in my hand, and cheer for foolish hope. Come on lads, one more game, CRY GOD, FOR ENGLAND, HARRY and ST GEORGE!!!!

Starting early then?

 

[ageingback23]

I just want them all to lose
England winning by 1pt after a terrible game and South Africa getting multiple red cards would be the most bants

Oh Oly. Let me help you out of the deep misery hole of despair you have flung yourself into. The current top team in the world, who are playing a wonderful brand of rugby, captained by a man who has dragged himself up from nothing to be the first black man to captain a country plagued but past racial trauma, and who is an inspiration across the world, is about to play an team who, on their day, have the potential to go toe to toe, and who have nothing left to lose and must leave it all out on the field if they have any chance of progressing (and who are the most successful team in WC semi finals). Both teams are chock full of players who will never have this chance again due to age, and many of whom still have points to prove, along with young lads looking to stake their claims for the future.

This game has everything it needs to be an absolute classic. So get on board the rugby train. This is our beautiful sport at its very best. So grab a beer, sing a song, and bloody well enjoy it.

 

[ageingback23]

Starting early then?

Define early?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Oh Oly. Let me help you out of the deep misery hole of despair you have flung yourself into. The current top team in the world, who are playing a wonderful brand of rugby, captained by a man who has dragged himself up from nothing to be the first black man to captain a country plagued but past racial trauma, and who is an inspiration across the world, is about to play an team who, on their day, have the potential to go toe to toe, and who have nothing left to lose and must leave it all out on the field if they have any chance of progressing (and who are the most successful team in WC semi finals). Both teams are chock full of players who will never have this chance again due to age, and many of whom still have points to prove, along with young lads looking to stake their claims for the future.

This game has everything it needs to be an absolute classic. So get on board the rugby train. This is our beautiful sport at its very best. So grab a beer, sing a song, and bloody well enjoy it.

Yeah I get all that but Sale are playing Leicester today so anything after is a massive step down from that

I want England to win and everything, don't get me wrong, but I'm not emotionally invested in this RWC campaign at all - too much guff in/from the coaches, poor picks, poor gameplan etc. I watch rugby cause I love the sport and it entertains me - England frustrate me more than entertain me atm so I look forward to watching other sides more etc, like I enjoyed Fiji vs Portugal more than I have any England game in a long long time

 

[Nudger]

The English Rugby Union reportedly wanted referee Ben O'keefe to be replaced, a request which was refused.

The New Zealander will make you bite the dust, you will taste it and join the French in their revolt.

Final: South Africa - All Black.

You said it, he's a terrible ref and doesn't do England any favours

 

[ageingback23]

You said it, he's a terrible ref and doesn't do England any favours

If it's true that England complained about the ref before the game then that's not only poor form, but also bloody stupid, because that isn't exactly going to endear us to him and as professional as modern refs can be, in the end they are human, and bias creeps in. We should have just sucked it up, take the ref that's given, and play the game.

 

[ageingback23]

Yeah I get all that but Sale are playing Leicester today so anything after is a massive step down from that

I want England to win and everything, don't get me wrong, but I'm not emotionally invested in this RWC campaign at all - too much guff in/from the coaches, poor picks, poor gameplan etc. I watch rugby cause I love the sport and it entertains me - England frustrate me more than entertain me atm so I look forward to watching other sides more etc, like I enjoyed Fiji vs Portugal more than I have any England game in a long long time

I strongly recommend you sit yourself down, crack open a beer, watch Zulu and Master and Commander back to back, and get those patriotic juices flowing. In fact that's an excellent idea. Where's my remote?!

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

no one thinks o'keefe is biased. the issue is that he is so scared to blow the whistle we spend more time staring at rucks than we do watching rugby.

 

[Grizwald]

If you're French you've got to be miffed in O'Kefee l that they didn't at least pick a ref who can speak some French last weekend.

 

[Jimbo]

If it's true that England complained about the ref before the game then that's not only poor form, but also bloody stupid, because that isn't exactly going to endear us to him and as professional as modern refs can be, in the end they are human, and bias creeps in. We should have just sucked it up, take the ref that's given, and play the game.

if they had they'd have had a valid point, it's not a stretch to say the lack of officiating the breakdown heavily influenced the France game, it's also not a stretch to say that Rassies picking refs apart publicly couldn't have heavily caused him to be more lenient or at-least sympathetic to the SA game style, if he applies the law evenly that's not bias as such but can hugely benefit one side more than another, ordinarily I wouldn't condone anything like this, but when SA seem to find some new way to exploit things at every turn I can understand it.

 

[ncurd]

Well we can't be as poor as the cricket team....can we?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Well we can't be as poor as the cricket team....can we?

Even the biggest pessimists around here probably aren't thinking the Boks will lead by 399 at half time. But if George goes off early and they get after Cole, who knows?

 

[ncurd]

Even the biggest pessimists around here probably aren't thinking the Boks will lead by 399 at half time. But if George goes off early and they get after Cole, who knows?

I'm trying to think what the rugby equivalent would be....loosing 70-0 or something.

 

[mustardcharlie]

Yeah I get all that but Sale are playing Leicester today so anything after is a massive step down from that

I want England to win and everything, don't get me wrong, but I'm not emotionally invested in this RWC campaign at all - too much guff in/from the coaches, poor picks, poor gameplan etc. I watch rugby cause I love the sport and it entertains me - England frustrate me more than entertain me atm so I look forward to watching other sides more etc, like I enjoyed Fiji vs Portugal more than I have any England game in a long long time

C'mon You Tigers! Don't tell me the result! Will watch later.

If England were playing France at tiddlewinks at the Sorbonne I would support them. As for all the guff etc i just have a very convenient off, volume etc Don't want anthems, war dances, etc. Certainly no Mark Poobottom

 

[Atmavictu]

I might be delusional, but having watched both South Africa and England in Marseille at the opening week end, I'd say it might be a way tighter game than most people think.

 

[Becca]

Did any of you see that World Rugby have said that Kolbe's charge down was illegal and Ramos should have had a second chance at it ?