Rugby World Cup

[sunny-dave]

Starts today with the intriguing France - All Blacks match this evening. France should win it, NZ are not what they were, but Les Bleus are oh so liable to bottling on big occasions.

Ireland - Romania tomorrow afternoon starts the serious stuff for our local bars here with "Shouting at the TV" becoming an Olympic sport in itself at times.

Good Luck to whoever you support (at least until they play Ireland) - it should be a great few weeks.

Rugger Dave xxx

PS : It won't affect me (I shall be watching anything of interest 'live'), but keeping spoilers to a minimum would be polite to others

[Redhelen72]

Cannot wait whoop whoop

[Hazlinny]

Will be glued to TV on Sunday - Scotland v S. Africa

[ToraToraTora]

We have no chance this year so let's hope Ireland or Scotland can do it. Though I'd be ok if any northern hemisphere side can stop the SH dominance.

[ichkeria]

The lopsided draw does neither Ireland nor Scotland any favours.
Why is such a great sport constantly embarrassed by its administrators?

36 years of hurt watching Ireland go down in the quarters or worse has left me less than overoptimistic.
Still, it should be a great spectacle.

[ToraToraTora]

ich the top eight are seeded into the 4 pools so there is 2 of them in each the others are drawn. TBF though the Pool B does look the toughest and C a lot easier. I think Wales and Scotland should ideally have been swapped but, nothing is ever perfect in these matters.

[Ellipsis]

As long as the winners don't get a smacker on the lips, everything will be fine ...

[ichkeria]

No matter how you draw it Tora it’s never going to be perfect that is true.
I think what irks is that the draw was done so long ago. At least they’ve acknowledged this and have vowed not to repeat it

[Deskdiary]

This, for me, is the best weekend of the year, although I fully expect to be homeless on Monday.

Tonight’s game is mouthwatering, I’ll be watching all four tomorrow (the Eng game is mid-dinner party and I’m already in the dog house because I’ve put my foot down, which I never normally do with Mrs DD, and said I WILL, be watching it live) and three on Sunday. Four if you include my son’s game at 10am Sunday morning.

I’m so excited.

[Khandro]

'Emmanuel Macron ‘booed by entire stadium’ as he opens Rugby World Cup'

This has nothing whatsoever to do with sport, this is because he has raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 !

Does anyone remember when sport was free from politics; no knee-bending, accusations of racism, transgender issues, etc. etc. ?

[drmorgans]

Bodyline, apartheid, Munich Olympics?

[Khandro]

drmorgans //Bodyline, apartheid, Munich Olympics?//

I'm not sure how the bodyline controversy was political - Apartheid, I take the point, & the Munich Olympics was an act of terrorism using the games as a stage.

I suppose you could add 'Hitler's' Berlin Olympics of 1936 to the list though.

[Ellipsis]

1980 Olympics, 1984 Olympics ... but this is good fun this evening!