It's always nice to see the Saffas lose.
Rugby World Cup 2015
- Thread starter Rosco
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Every single news outlet showing highlights of the game here in Japan. What a win!!
Their noisy neighbours are currently beating the All-Blacks 13-9 and the Blacks have two in the sin-bin.
Well, the Blacks found a way to win in the end, but didn't they ever have to scratch around for it. It was interesting to see them penalised for stuff they've so often been allowed to get away with over the years, brilliant side though they've usually been.
How cool do the All Blacks look. Every single one of them with old school black boots.
Very. It's proper old school.
I still can't figure out how good this All Blacks team is, but the winners of these tournaments usually start solidly rather than spectacularly.
A few othet things from the weekend:
Wales are in a bad run of luck with injuries - things are not looking good for them. The English and Audries are probably feeling better.
I wonder how the Scots feel about their chances now? They play Japan in their first game.
France look like they might have their shit together.
I still can't figure out how good this All Blacks team is, but the winners of these tournaments usually start solidly rather than spectacularly.
A few othet things from the weekend:
Wales are in a bad run of luck with injuries - things are not looking good for them. The English and Audries are probably feeling better.
I wonder how the Scots feel about their chances now? They play Japan in their first game.
France look like they might have their shit together.
The Scots specialise in upsetting the odds and have beaten better teams than Japan before. The outcome of that game will be anyone's guess.
Of course they do. I'd have said so even before they turned the Saffers over.
My only issue for today is that Japan have had only 4 days rest after putting in a punishing performance against SA. That's not a long time to restore aching bodies, and Scotland are coming at it completely fresh. All things being even you'd have to fancy a cheeky punt on Japan, but that tight turnaround surely has to cost them. Very unfair scheduling.
It is. That's the problem with 5 team group.
That said I think most people thought the group stages were foregone conclusions with the exception of Australia /England / Wales. Japan have made it interesting.
Eddie Jones put some real effort into the preparations and the Japanese suits deserve credit for backing him wholeheartedly.
That said I think most people thought the group stages were foregone conclusions with the exception of Australia /England / Wales. Japan have made it interesting.
Eddie Jones put some real effort into the preparations and the Japanese suits deserve credit for backing him wholeheartedly.
ones told the Kyodo News: "The soccer approach (involves) everything being done in preparation for the game and in order to be tactically aware.
"I watched Bayern train and (thought) we can improve greatly with adjustments in the way we train. Rugby and soccer are very similar in that you always want to move the ball into space and Bayern Munich and (Guardiola's) previous team Barcelona played the most fantastic passing game you have ever seen. The principles are exactly the same. The very best soccer teams vary their depth and formation in order to make the most of the space."
Jones also brought in 33-test French hooker Marc Dal Maso to work on the scrum (Dal Maso was used by the title-winning Highlanders this year). The result: a scrum demolished by Italy in 2011 shunted the Italians backwards three years later.
Jones once told a Japan press club media gathering that new scrum engagement laws, which soften the hit, had helped Japan. But he gave huge credit to the "absolutely crazy" Dal Maso.
"He changed the mindset of the players...we (now) scrum very lowly and cohesively," said Jones.
"A lot of what we have done involves going back to the old days when Japan scrummed low and played with quick channelled ball. We played the All Blacks (in 2013) and we scrummed very well...the All Black coaches complained to the IRB about our scrummaging.
"When you do that you know you are having an effect. Our scrum was outside the top 30 in the world - we are now in the top five."
"I watched Bayern train and (thought) we can improve greatly with adjustments in the way we train. Rugby and soccer are very similar in that you always want to move the ball into space and Bayern Munich and (Guardiola's) previous team Barcelona played the most fantastic passing game you have ever seen. The principles are exactly the same. The very best soccer teams vary their depth and formation in order to make the most of the space."
Jones also brought in 33-test French hooker Marc Dal Maso to work on the scrum (Dal Maso was used by the title-winning Highlanders this year). The result: a scrum demolished by Italy in 2011 shunted the Italians backwards three years later.
Jones once told a Japan press club media gathering that new scrum engagement laws, which soften the hit, had helped Japan. But he gave huge credit to the "absolutely crazy" Dal Maso.
"He changed the mindset of the players...we (now) scrum very lowly and cohesively," said Jones.
"A lot of what we have done involves going back to the old days when Japan scrummed low and played with quick channelled ball. We played the All Blacks (in 2013) and we scrummed very well...the All Black coaches complained to the IRB about our scrummaging.
"When you do that you know you are having an effect. Our scrum was outside the top 30 in the world - we are now in the top five."
His training method for tackling has been interesting too.
Over the last few years I'd see the players tackling bags that were kept at shin height. He decided that was the only way Japan could compete with guys twice their size. And it's worked very well so far. (the average height of SA was higher than the tallest Japanese player!)
