Losers all-round in World Cup cancellations - but biggest victims still to be decided
It’s the outcome that no one was hoping for, but that many expected might occur: two Rugby World Cup matches have been called off due to the impending arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, and there’s still a chance for at least one more cancellation.
Earlier today, World Rugby announced that the fixtures between New Zealand and Italy in Toyota, and England and France in Yokohama were to be designated nil-all draws.
A decision has yet to be made on Sunday’s game between Japan and Scotland – a match which could have huge repercussions on the final standings at the end of the group stages of the 2019 tournament.
Big ticks for safety-first approach
World Rugby have rightly taken a safety-first approach to the coming storm.
The ‘super typhoon’ is telegraphed to do an extensive amount of damage, particularly in the Tokyo region, which has caused World Rugby to wisely reconsider hosting the two major games in Yokohama.
Fans will be frustrated that they won’t be able to attend at least one highly anticipated match, between England and France. Although Japan’s game against Scotland is still on schedule for Sunday, World Rugby could make a later announcement to also cancel that fixture.
Fan frustration is the least important consideration, however, when it comes to potentially life-threatening storms and World Rugby should be applauded for making the smart choice.
Every avenue explored?
In the days leading up to the announcement, rumours were rife regarding what would be the outcomes of matches if they couldn’t be played on the scheduled time and date.
It was always going to be immensely difficult moving the two matches played at Yokohama Stadium (between England and France, and Japan and Scotland) due to the sheer size of the venue.
70,000 fans have booked tickets to each Yokohama game and there’s simply no way to accommodate all those fans at any of the other obvious venues around the country.
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That rules out any chances of fans getting access to a replacement game, as there would simply be no way to fairly allocate tickets.
The common rumour seemed to be that the two Yokohama games would instead be played in a roofed stadium, away from the eyes of the public. This solution would ensure that no games were outright cancelled and the integrity of the tournament would be maintained.
It was one that evidently did not satisfy World Rugby.
“The decision to cancel matches has not been taken lightly and has been made in the best interests of public, team, tournament personnel and volunteer safety, based on expert advice and detailed weather information,” said tournament director Alan Gilpin.
“While we have extensively explored all options, public and team safety was our utmost priority as well as ensuring a consistent, fair and equitable outcome for all teams.”
Japan no stranger to typhoons
Questions can rightly be asked as to why greater contingency options didn’t exist in the first place.
World Rugby haven’t disclosed why games can’t be played elsewhere (nor do they have to), simply suggesting that it would be too much of a logistical nightmare.
Surely, given Japan’s ten years of preparations for this event, the logistics could have been determined in advance of matches?
. @danleo82 on what's next for Fiji.
Maybe an expanded RC (Southern Hemisphere Six Nations) feat. @fijirugby and @JRFURugby ? https://t.co/KMK9Jf6sGy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 9, 2019
Japan, of course, are no strangers to typhoons.
The country is regularly buffeted by heavy winds and intense rainfall over the stormy season – which conveniently takes place over the period of the Rugby World Cup.
There should have been every expectation by the tournament organisers that a major typhoon could disrupt primary World Cup plans, so contingencies should have been in place from right from the get-go.
Top teams undercooked heading into quarterfinals
England, France and New Zealand, the three sides involved in cancelled games who will partake in the finals, will head into the sudden death stages of the competition feeling somewhat undercooked.
France and New Zealand both kicked off the tournament with tough games, against Argentina and South Africa respectively, but have not come up against a tier 1 side since.
France were at least challenged by a galvanised Tongan team on Sunday, but New Zealand have cruised through their latest two games, winning 63-0 against Canada ten 71-9 against Namibia.
The All Blacks also haven’t fielded their top team since that initial game against the Springboks and rested and rotated their players in their most recent games, which could see them entering the playoffs (against one on Japan, Ireland or Scotland) lacking cohesion.
Brodie Retallick, who’s only just returned from a shoulder injury, has accrued just 30 minutes of game time.
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You would have to think that NZ head coach Steve Hansen was quite looking forward to fielding his top side against Italy, so as to at least give his team a good hit-out heading into the quarters.
Instead, New Zealand will enter sudden death rugby having not played a game in two weeks, and having not played a competitive game in a month.
Last time New Zealand had such an easy pool was at the 2007 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
It’s a similar scenario for England, who were counting on getting their first proper challenge of the tournament from the feisty French.
England’s biggest game to date was against Argentina, who played with 14 men for the majority of the match. They’ve conceded just 20 points in the tournament and notched up 35 or more in all their matches.
That’s hardly what you’d call ideal preparation for going up against the Wallabies, who had two tough pool games against Fiji and Wales.
Unprecedented rests for tournament favourites
The other side of the coin, of course, is that some teams will enter the quarterfinals with two week rests for the first time in the competition’s history.
“We’re excited at the prospect of having a great preparation for the final now,” said England coach Eddie Jones after learning that his side’s game against France was to be called off.
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Wales, who France will face in their quarterfinal, will enter sudden death a week and a half after being battered, bruised and almost bested by Fiji – they’ve also got one more fixture to play, against Uruguay. Flyhalf Dan Biggar may not be available for the quarterfinal after copping a heavy blow from his own teammate in the game with Fiji – what would Warren Gatland have given to be able to skip that fixture?
It’ll be a similar story for Ireland, who will face either South Africa or New Zealand barely a week after having to deal to the sizeable Samoan team.
England, France and New Zealand will have an exceptional amount of time to rest up and prepare for the impending sudden death games – but will the gross amount of time off be a help or a hinderance?
Scotland on path to redemption or ejection?
A decision is yet to be made on Sunday’s crucial fixture between Scotland and Japan.
The final scheduled match of the group stages of the World Cup would decide who of the two competing teams will progress through to the quarterfinals.
Two competition points for Japan would lock up top spot in the pool, even if Ireland get a bonus point win over Samoa on Friday. Scotland, on the other hand, would need to earn at least four more competition points from the game than Scotland. That effectively means they need either a bonus point win, or a regular win but by more than 7 points.
Plenty of mid-table movement in the power #rwc2019 rankings
– writes @alexshawsport https://t.co/tiWsLpuRpr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 9, 2019
If the match is cancelled, then Japan will progress from Pool A as the top-seeded team, booking them a game against South Africa.
Scotland, have come out of the gates slowly at this World Cup but have found some form in recent weeks, would be favourites to win Sunday’s match, despite Japan’s rich run of form, and will be profoundly frustrated if their match is called off.
Already pundits are frustrated at the fact that matches have been cancelled for the first time in World Cup history, but the greatest victims of the cancellations are still yet to be decided. Will it be the teams that will miss out on significant challenges before entering sudden death, the sides that have to go up against well-rested opposition come the quarterfinals, or the nation that started slowly but was looking to finish the group stages with a flourish?
Ardie Savea is still adjusting to the goggle life:
Comments on RugbyPass
Less modern South African males predictably triggered.
10 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
78 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
5 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real people. They claim free speech. Free speech for anonymous trolls/voilent thugs threatening people under false names? The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
78 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
5 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
10 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to comments