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Classement mondial : Chute du Portugal, montée de la Belgique
La Belgique a créé la surprise en battant le Portugal 10-6 lors de la première journée du Rugby Europe Championship 2024, malgré son classement inférieur de 18,20 points et 16 places par rapport aux Os Lobos. Les deux équipes avaient de nouveaux entraîneurs principaux, mais c’est Laurent Dossat qui a remporté la victoire pour la Belgique. Hugo De Francq a marqué le seul essai du match en première période. La victoire a permis à la Belgique de gagner trois places au classement mondial, se positionnant désormais en 26e place, tandis que le Portugal descend de trois places pour se retrouver 16e.
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Pendant ce temps, l’Espagne a remporté une victoire serrée de 20-18 contre les Pays-Bas, permettant à l’Espagne de dépasser la Roumanie et de prendre la 19e place au classement. La Roumanie a gagné 0,12 point pour sa victoire 20-8 sur la Pologne, se plaçant juste derrière l’Espagne avec 63,40 points contre 63,46 points.
La Géorgie, sous la direction de son nouvel entraîneur Richard Cockerill, a gagné 28-17 contre l’Allemagne. Bien que la Géorgie n’ait pas gagné de points supplémentaires, elle a gagné une place au classement, se positionnant maintenant en 13e position.
Dans le Rugby Europe Championship masculin, le premier tour a été très compétitif, avec des victoires serrées.
La France reste 4e
À Marseille vendredi soir, le Tournoi des Six Nations a débuté avec une victoire incontestable de l’Irlande, championne en titre du Grand Chelem, sur une équipe de France réduite à 14 joueurs, sur le score de 38-17. Les 1,54 points obtenus par l’Irlande dans cette victoire conséquente lui ont permis de réduire l’écart avec l’Afrique du Sud en tête du classement à 2,43 points.
Malgré cette performance, l’Irlande et la France maintiennent leurs positions respectives en deuxième et quatrième places. Les autres équipes du Tournoi des Six Nations sont toujours en lice, avec des victoires serrées à l’extérieur pour l’Angleterre et l’Écosse lors des matchs de samedi.
L’Angleterre conserve sa cinquième place après avoir été poussée jusqu’au bout par l’Italie à Rome, finissant par l’emporter 27-24. L’Écosse se classe juste derrière à la sixième position, ayant réussi à gagner à Cardiff pour la première fois en 22 ans. Bien que l’Écosse ait eu une avance confortable de 27 à 0, le Pays de Galles a menacé de réaliser la plus grande remontée de l’histoire du Tournoi des Six Nations avec une performance remarquable en seconde période. Cependant, le Pays de Galles a finalement perdu d’un point, la défaite 27-26 lui coûtant 1,02 point.
Malgré cette défaite, le Pays de Galles reste à la huitième place mais descend en dessous de la barre des 80 points, avec un total de 79,62 points.
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Enfin, l’Algérie a battu le Sénégal 26-12, gagnant 10 places au classement mondial et se positionnant désormais en 70e place, tandis que la Tunisie a perdu cinq places pour se retrouver en 61e position.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
4 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
2 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
4 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
2 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
5 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
5 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
5 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
5 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
4 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
2 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to comments