Rugby World Cup

foobar75

Master
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
2,332
Hey folks, our Rugby WC thread is not getting much traffic except for a few hardcore fans who have been following the World Cup during this past month. So, I'll use the Happy Hour forum to call your attention to this weekend's upcoming semi-final matches. If you're sick of the affirmative action league, aka NFL, do yourself a favor and watch this weekend's games if you can. They will be broadcast live on Universal Sports here in the US, with re-runs happening the same day. I know not everyone gets this obscure channel, but if you do, and want to see some incredible world-class White athletes compete at the highest stage, you owe it to yourself to catch some of the action. If you know nothing about rugby or the rules, don't worry about it. There is enough similarities with football that you can probably figure out the rest as you go along.

Here's a quick preview:

Semifinal #1: Saturday, 4AM ET/1AM PT, Live on Universal Sports. (5PM ET re-run)

Wales vs France

The young Welsh team has played exceptionally well in the 2011 WC, and were picked by many as the darkhorse team to make it to the final and even win the WC. The more veteran French side did not play particularly well during the group phase, but stepped their game against England in the quarterfinals and now have a chance for more success. This should be a great game, and since both teams are almost all-white, it's a shame that one will have to lose. I don't have a rooting interest one way or another, and I believe either team will make a worthy finalist and possibly world champion.

Roster Breakdowns for semis:

Wales: 14/15 white starters, 7/7 white subs, 21/22 whites total on the match-day roster
France: 13/15 white starters, 7/7 white subs, 20/22 whites total on the match-day roster

Semifinal #2: Sunday, 4AM ET/1AM PT, Live on Universal Sports. (5PM ET re-run)

New Zealand vs Australia


This match has a champoinship feel to it, as two of the world's top teams and archivals meet in the 2nd semifinal. Think of this rivarly along the same lines as Duke-NC, Yankees-Red Sox, Michigan-Ohio State, etc. There is no love lost here and the match should easily break some viewership records in both countries. The All-Blacks (NZ) are the #1 team in the world and will no doubt be under a lot pressure at home with the weight of the entire country on their back. I'm personally rooting for NZ to win this match, but it won't be easy. Australia defeated defending champions South Africa in the quarterfinals after a thrilling match, and NZ is also dealing with some injuries to key players, which means this could be a very close contest at the end.

Roster Breakdowns for semis:

NZ: 9/15 white starters, 5/7 white subs, 14/22 whites total on the match-day roster
AUS: 9/15 white starters, 5/7 white subs, 14/22 whites total on the match-day roster

Note: NZ would have most likely had 10/15 whites starting, with 6/7 white subs, for a total of 16/22, but both of those whites (Carter, Slade) are out with injuries.
 

Bronk

Mentor
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
962
Location
Texas
Thanks for the update, foobar75. As an ex-rugger my ownself, I still love the game but the lack of TV coverage prevents me from seeing many matches. The ones I am able to see are the rebroadcasts on Universal.
 
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