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InternationalIreland

The Short Ball - RWC2023

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On this week’s episode of The Short Ball, Scotty Stevenson & Mils Muliaina discuss the merits of each of the three Rugby World Cup bids for 2023.

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Listen in to the full podcast here.

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Sam Cane weighs in on Luke Jacobson's All Blacks re-emergence with big claim

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Comments on RugbyPass

G
GrahamVF 12 minutes ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

Sometimes you are given space to be magnanimous Nick😉

302 Go to comments
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Eric Elwood 14 minutes ago
'Farrell wants Ireland to be the best - but the top sides have them figured out'

The RWC is a lottery. The team that won it in 2023 and 2027 were not even the best team in their pool. Draw based in more recent rankings now so improved but still not better.

Apart from 1991 any team that beat NZ in a knock out always lost the next match. Did you need to be the best team in the world to win the RWC? No, just be on the other side of the draw to NZ and if not hope that someone else beat them first.



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E
Eric Elwood 20 minutes ago
'Farrell wants Ireland to be the best - but the top sides have them figured out'

France/NZ and SA are on the other side. I would worry more about your team making a semi.

34 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 21 minutes ago
'Farrell wants Ireland to be the best - but the top sides have them figured out'

You are not familiar with Irish rugby. We don’t have the depth to mass discard so we evolve. What is this “obligatory dip”?

Only a few players will be moving on after 2027.



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Eric Elwood 26 minutes ago
'Farrell wants Ireland to be the best - but the top sides have them figured out'

Furlong is not a loss anymore, Clarkson is better.

It is revealed that Ireland has a small player pool and a deep run of injuries will effect it. Planned or not now we have achieved some depth in key roles.



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34 Go to comments
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Eric Elwood 37 minutes ago
All Blacks legend weighs into Ireland: 'They've turned into a pack of whingers'

POM noted that Jordie Barrett was robbed with 3 Jackels unrewarded.

He also said that the deliberate knock on taking two minutes to deliberate on the deliberate knock on. Once it was deliberate it had to be yellow. Everyone saw the line break opportunity. They also commented on the Jacobsen head hit and also O’Brien not getting yellow for tackling Love ion the air. Pundits have to comment on the ref good or bad. 2/3 pundits said they liked the ref coaching the breakdown. POM didn’t.



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N
Nobrain 37 minutes ago
Argentina's Albornoz charged following altercation with match officials

Referring to Ben Youngs' comments about Los Pumas, Atlberg said:

"I'd like to ask good old Ben Youngs how he felt about Henry Pollock's gestures in the middle of Avenida 9 de Julio, pointing both index fingers at the entire Argentine crowd when there were still four or five days to go before the match. I'd ask Ben Youngs what he thought of those provocations. And I'd also ask him how he felt when England scored a superb scrum try and Ellis Genge, one of their leaders and vice-captain, turned to the Argentine supporters and made a taunting gesture. Wasn't that embarrassing? Isn't that part of the rugby values you so often talk about?



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Nobrain 47 minutes ago
Argentina's Albornoz charged following altercation with match officials

This is a copy of an editorial written by Martin Altberg which translate what we think about the issue. :To me, Nigel Owens  is the greatest rugby referee in history. He is certainly the most influential, not only because of what he did while he was an active referee—we have analyzed countless matches officiated by the Welshman, always highlighting his work and the way he managed games—but also because he has continued to work for the development of refereeing, to bring referees together as a community, and to help the Laws of the Game evolve. For that reason, he has my utmost respect.

So, when I listened to his Whistle Watch segment—a program he produces for World Rugby, under the umbrella of the sport's governing body—I was eager to hear his opinion. He usually clarifies controversial refereeing decisions from the weekend, and many times, just like my colleagues at Scrum and I do, we watch his explanations to resolve doubts about particular incidents.



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Eric Elwood 1 hour ago
Joe Schmidt's new role in Irish rugby confirmed

Excellent appointment from Ulster. Joe is in Ireland regularly anyway and this makes perfect sense for all concerned.

1 Go to comments
B
Bazzallina 1 hour ago
Five All Blacks talking points from the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry squad

Well guess I’m kinda talking out my bum as I don’t really have an idea so just having a punt on my gut feelings but Rennie did say they had planned first 4 games out so sure they have thought thru the others to an extent

6 Go to comments
O
Olly 1 hour ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

The Reds have had the best tackle completion rate in SR for all but this year under Kiss (Force just got the Reds this year) so something is working with the defensive system. I think at the Reds he has had a strong focus around turning D into attack as he seems to have a focus on counter attack. Looking at the risk the Reds are willing to take, they have been a strong defensive team particularly with players like Jock Campbell who over his career has been very questionable as a defender. IMO the system only got exposed when they got out muscled and teams had to physically beat up the Reds to break the D system down.

302 Go to comments
j
johnz 1 hour ago
Richie Mo'unga named on Canterbury bench for NPC return

If the All Black’s team naming had been delayed one week, Mo'unga would have been elibible. Makes perfect sense.

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N
NB 2 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

Ditto.

302 Go to comments
N
NB 2 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

So good to have your endorsement OJ.😉

302 Go to comments
N
NB 2 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

That what Eddie says he thinks. The interesting thing is that Les was a defence coach as an assistant with SA and Ireland, but as a head coach he’s coached attack-minded sides with questionable D in Queensland and L Irish! What will now happen with WB defence is anyone’s gues based on those examples from his past….

302 Go to comments
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NB 3 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

I don’t know what is happening there WL. I believe Larkham was canvassed at the beginning of the appointment process but interest ebbed away thereafter… But for a top-tier side you really need something more than an unproven head coach surrounded by a cadre of mostly unproven assistants!

302 Go to comments
N
NB 3 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

Noah would have been most logical as he as the original first choice for Joe… As you will know already I agree with all your other observations!

302 Go to comments
N
NB 3 hours ago
Joe Schmidt bows out on a high - but can the Wallabies escape 'the twilight zone'?

Admirably generous response G.😁

Sadly he started by ‘quoting’ something that was never there in the piece!



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302 Go to comments
D
Defcon1 3 hours ago
Aseza Hele back for Springbok Women's two-Test tour of Fiji

Probably this

This year Hele has missed the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and a two-match Test series against the USA Women’s Eagles in Johannesburg and Pretoria with a hand injury.



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2 Go to comments
R
RD 3 hours ago
Sam Cane weighs in on Luke Jacobson's All Blacks re-emergence with big claim

The players know who they dont want to confront physically. Its shaping up well! SA will be the litmus test this year.

1 Go to comments
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