Thetownend.com

Probably not the most popular sport on here, but I love a bit of egg chasing.

The World Cup starts tonight with England vs Fiji and it's all on terrestrial TV (sadly this does mean ITV) which is nice to see.

New Zealand are obviously big favourites, but this could be one of the best tournaments for a while as England, Ireland, South Africa and Australia all look strong (as did Wales before they all got injured).

Anyone else watching or even going? (I've got tickets for SA v Samoa and Ireland v France- nothing involving England as I'm not made of money)

Very excited about this, difficult to see anyone winning apart from the All Blacks. The podcast on the Guardian is worth a listen.

Listening to that now actually, Andy Zaltzman is great. The Egg Chasers (http://www.eggchasers.com/) is another decent podcast.

We should win the pool, but it's anyone's guess after that.

The squad looks better than 2011. As long as we don't go out to a miserable defeat against the French again, I'll be happy.

My father was always big on Rugby, I never got into it and chose Footy instead. Going to give some of the games a watch though and try to understand what's going on.

I might watch the odd game. Certainly won't spend the duration whinging that it's on television all the time.

I knew it was coming up but didn't know it was being played here until last week. Wife knows nothing about the game, but suggested we watch over the club tonight. Anything that involves beer is good with me. I wont know what's going on but should enjoy.

We played at school and I hated it, but now I sort of see the skill and the point and have many an argument with my northern relatives regarding what is better League or Union?

Not really a fan of rugby but am actually quite looking forward to watching it.

Good excuse to get pissed up aswell

Love a bit of rugby, my son has played for the last 10 years over which time I've got less interested in football and more in rugby.
England have shown they can beat anyone on their day, but I am still more nervous about playing Wales than anyone else.
If you thought world rankings were stupid in football, rugby is worse. How can you have 4 teams ranked in the top 10 in the world in the same pool of 5 ? Eng, Wales or Aus to miss out of the KO stages !
Got tickets for NZ v Argentina on Sunday, cant wait !
Beer festival on at Bassett rugby club this weekend, could get messy ! :pint:

I've been known to go to the odd game down the years....but can take it or leave it, sort of depends what's happening.

I played at schoolboy level....scrum half. It is essentially a simple game made obscure by picky rules, which tends to mean the average casual punter has little idea  what is going on, even though the ref is miked up.

Not sure we would be favourites to win the pool, Australia and Wales are good sides and Fuji are no mugs.

There is a chance we might not get out of the group at all.

I've never been able to latch on to a club side, despite having several friends in Swindon who are all big Bath supporters.  I've been with them to some games and it's a great day out in a great city, but I've never been able to watch the rugby itself from anything other than the standpoint of a neutral.  Seems the old adage that 'you don't choose your club, your club chooses you' has something in it.

International rugby is different though.  Love it.  For me, It's odd.  A complete reversal of the feelings I have for football...which is all about STFC.  The England bit, I can take or leave.

It always saddens me when I pass through Chippenham train station on a matchday and seeing all the rugby fans waiting for the train to Bath as the trickle of Town fans get on the other train.

Used to be quite different.

Funny that.  Bath rugby crowds are not a lot bigger than ours (ie <50% more).

Because the ground is full and they can't get planning permission for a larger ground. This year they sold out of season tickets and have a full waiting list, at prices roughly double what we pay.

Not always been the case, but in recent years since they've been really successful, you can't get a ticket for all the tea in china.

They should come in on the redevelopment of an expanded CG and ground-share.

Wales are without their first choice full back and scrum half. They're still a good side, yes, but not the threat they should be.

I fancy us to beat the Aussies too.

There was talk of them ground sharing 10 years or so ago when they were first looking at a new stadium.

Fucking shit game.

Maybe time to revive the discussion. If Power hasn't quietly done so already of course.

That's a good point about the Welsh injuries to key players, it will be interesting how they fare without them.

I don't follow rugby too closely but the Australians are always strong and dangerous.

Bath will never leave the Rec.

hth

Hmm. If what the man says is right about not being able to expand there and missing out on much bigger crowds, I wouldn't be so sure. Who would have thought that Wops would play in Watford, Saccarine in Reading or London Belch on a sewage farm?

Wops, Saccarine and London Belch? Jesus that's Aljokefree levels of humour

Possibly 'Nottingham Florist' too.

I miss JJ.

I'm not very good at rugby humour.

job done, 4points for a win plus the bonus point for a 4th try in the last play of the match.  The bonus point could be crucial if England, Wales and Oz take points off each other. 

Ironically it was a Mr Vunipola crashing over for the final try against the South Sea islanders.

First trip for me to the Amex will unexpectedly be to see USA v Samoa this Sunday (both of whom Scotland will have to better in their group if they are to get through to the knock out stages)  Can't wait! :pint:

Never watched Rugby before that and I enjoyed it.

Bath Rugby have a severe problem when it comes to expansion in as much as that their current ground falls within a world heritage site.  Perhaps they should join with Bath City and develop Twerton Park.

I assume everyone knows that Johnny May was from Swindon ?

Until he signed for the best team in the area ?

And why is everyone so keen on the hooray Henrys from Bath when we have the club with the finest tradition in the country on our doorstep ?

Always enjoyed my rugby,never had much of a choice with John Palmer as a relative for the older heads on here. My old man always wanted me to play but I was always adamant I'd be safer playing football. Never did fancy a 20 stone prop running at me.
England did what they had to do tonight, started well but took their eye off the ball at times. The Welsh will be our hardest game of the next two.

"Glooooosteer, Glooooster" (sic). That said, I've only seen rugby in my place of birth once, the World Cup on 8 October 1991, New Zealand 46-6 USA.

Just drove there with a couple of colleague mates, picked up a couple of tickets for £12 from a tout and went in the shed. Wish it were that easy/cheap now.
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Not a big rugby fan, but happy to watch the odd game. Timed that bonus point to perfection yesterday!

I hate rugby. Forced to play it as a kid. Lads sticking their hands between my thighs at 12 years' old is not my idea of fun. Anyway if England don't win it, their Daddies will be able to buy them all new companies. Haw, haw, haw!

Just remember Bloodgate.

Thanks for letting us know about your issues- perhaps you might like to also post in every other thread on the forum to let us know whether or not you like the subject? I personally can't wait to get an encyclopaedic knowledge of your personal preferences!

...

Decent result for England last night, was never going to be an easy game, Fiji are a good side and Nadolo in particular is an absolute monster. A bit too much TMO for my liking, I hope that doesn't become a theme of the tournament.

A short tournament of the top eight teams would have been interesting I guess, but the also rans, three figures drubbings and six weeks is gunna make this one mighty ordeal.

You mean a bit like the 6 Nations, which also takes six weeks?

No one's forcing you to watch it.

I was similar and eventually ended up with Harlequins.  Take a trip to watch the Final every year now, the odd England game when tickets are available as well.  It's a great day out, and so long as you don't try and directly compare it to football it's a great game to watch.

England tried to go wide too early last night, until the last 15 minutes.  Fiji are a decent team.  The Aussies get them in 3 days time so should brush them aside but Wales may get a scare against them I think.

I was going to suggest to Ardiles...Harlequins. I know a few Quins fans who have no roots anywhere else, they're a sort of Man United of egg chasing.

The amount of Irish fans at Temple Meads right now, jeeeeeeeez.

It's like one of those football fan pictures from the 1920's, sans flatcaps.

Japan beat World Champions South Africa - fantastic finish!

Unbelievable.

Yeah, they need to get rid of the minnows like Japan, watching them getting smashed by South Africa isn't a good look for the sport.

Oh.

(http://i.imgur.com/j3G6aYK.gif)

I wanna know what the duck behind him is whispering into his ear.

*Edit. I think he's telling a joke: "I saw a duck in a pub last night leave his drink but, personally, I'd a downed that one"

See what I did there?

I don't normally watch/have an interest in rugby but I stuck the last ten minutes of the Japan match on and bugger me but I was getting into it. Nothing quite like a field full of 20+stone blokes crying like they've won the whole tournament. Great stuff.

Fowl

South Africa deserve to lose with a player whose first name is Bismarck FFS.

He was well and truly sunk!

I just watched ITV's highlights. They managed to miss a Japan penalty, a Japan try (A TRY FFS!!) and there was no clock displaying the time left so you didn't actually realise that the winning try was right at the very death.
Just when I thought I couldn't hate ITV any more than I do, they've surpassed themselves.

Truly amazing result and performance, in spite of ITV's best attempts to balls it up.

Its been brilliant so far, no real drubbings of anyone, and just as I thought Georgia beating Tonga might be the biggest shock Japan go and beat the Saffas - brilliant performance, and what a finish.

I went to Wembley yesterday for the NZ v Argentina game. All I can say is Wow. On the 3 previous times I've been to the new version, the atmosphere has been crap, full of whingy, pissed up twats. Yesterday showed me that it is possible to have a good atmosphere there, it was buzzing right from the start, mostly down to the Argies who never stopped singing the whole time. Great game, and although you always felt NZ had another gear to go into, it was close enough to feel a shock was possible until the last 10/15 minutes or so. Record attendance for a RWC match, so sorry to the purists amongst you, but I suspect we may see more egg chasing there in the future.

Wembley stadium would happily host an under-7's Sack Race if the money was right.

Enjoyed the USA Samoa game at the Amex on Sunday - the executive suite 1901 club being open for free to the sel ect few who asked  :) (Groucho: I wouldn't want to be a member of any club which accepted me as a member?).  My first trip to a football ground with padded seats that I've liked (the opposite to Stad MK) and a decent atmosphere too.  Would really, really love it if we could one day have a new Town Centre Stadium with the old floodlights preserved with a few new bulbs.

Oh good lord. He's going with a midfield of Farrell, Burgess and Barritt against Wales. That is brave. Very brave, but a huge change to something England have never tried before for a crucial game.

Wales rely on bulk, so if you can compete with them on that, you open up the backs - we out muscled them in Wales last time out.  With Joseph out I'd imagine Farrell is in to offer up a secure defensive line with Ford able to come on later with the legs tired.  Burgess just has something about him that seems to put the shitter up opposition players - tie in the midfield, make room for May, Watson and Brown.

Bugger (not Dan)

the taffs deserved it

Distraught  :hmmm:

Absolutely stunning performance from the Welsh 2nd 15 😀 . That was one heck of a come back with half a team against the hosts.

Bovvered.  Still dont really get it.  They certainly seem to care about it more than us.

Bet Samdy regrets being such a confident eejit pre-tournament.

Fucks fucking sakes. The welsh played really well, I can't see how they're even going to get 15 out for the Fiji game on Thursday considering their injuries but can't imagine they care much now. England paid the price for shit discipline and an unusually weak and oddly selected bench bench. I like George Ford, a lot, but as a sub when defending a lead? Can't see that.

England need to beat Australia now. Then we could be going down to bonus points.

I actually went to the SA v Samoa game at Villa park today, enjoyable day out with some very good wing play by the Boks

No regrets. We really should've won that, but credit to Wales they never gave up. England stopped playing after 60 minutes.

Pretty infuriating wasn't it :(

How the fuck did England lose that game.....? 10 points clear and comfortable - they decided to stop playing for some reason. I still think we will beat the Aussie`s though...

For me, the occasional  rugbyist who knows nothing, England's downfall was giving away penalties in the first half when they were well on top to keep the sheep botherers in it.

That and obviously not scoring a killer try when the Welsh were pinned back.

I'll tell you this now, I'd love it if we smash the Aussies, and the Aussies put out Wales. Love it.

Oh dear Danny Cipriani

Australia completely deserved that victory, not good enough from England. First host nation ever to be knocked out in group

Emulating our national football team.

Awful.  Threw it away last week really.

Outclassed tonight.

shite

Yep, the Aussies played really well, our main issue was last week.

There will be a witch hunt against Lancaster but it's hard to justify changing your fly half after one game that you won. That and the changes, completely mechanical and ineffectual.

Wasnt shite at all. Australia were just better. Shame Lancaster lost faith in the rugby that England had been playing. Would have been great to see what impact Ford would have had on the Welsh and Aussie matches from the start.

of course it's shite for us. we failed to get out the group stage as our own world cup.
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we shot ourself  in the foot against Wales, and were comprehensively dismantled by the Aussies. got what we deserved.. it is therefore shite.

Especially as Farrell can't seem to keep that shoulder charge in check.

Now England are out it leaves a quandary as to who to 'support' going forward. Having lived in Scotland for over 10 years of my life, it's an easy choice. Come on Ireland!

There's some nuclear level fallout brewing from England going out, there are some quotes going around about Farrell (Andy) basically picking and running the side, him insisting on Burgess' selection, and him and Catt having a huge fall out over the selection for the Wales game. Interestingly enough the source appears to be a bevvied up Billy Vunipola.

The media do love a good witch hunt, and this one looks to be shaping up promisingly.

I am no expert on Rugby (unlike all the people I went to school with who didn't like sport but are now 30 years on massive Rugby fans!).

However just so I know what is more embarrassing - going out at the group stage having lost to Wales and Australia or getting through to the Quarter Finals and then losing to Argentina?

Argentina are really pretty good. So still us I'm afraid.

The quarter finals were all really good games actually, Scotland especially had a bloody good go against the Aussies. Has everyone stopped watching now?

Quarter finals were very good. More glorious failure for Scotland. Very typical. Still heads held high, need to back it up with a decent 6 nations. Excellent World Cup so far, be interesting to see how the closing stages pan out.