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RWC 2015


The Gudderman

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It is but it's a far bigger upset than that - that was a decent Samoan team against a shite Welsh team.

I'm racking my brain trying to think of a bigger upset in sport in my lifetime - really struggling!

Did North Korea not beat Italy in the 1966 World Cup?

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Can you imagine Scotland not being willing to accept a draw and going balls out for the win...? Can you f**k. We'd have probably scalffed the kick too.

They went for the win in their last game vs France instead of taking the draw...
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Surely the IRB is going to have to tighten-up on this "stadium scoreboards / referees / rescinding tries and going to TMO thing" after the remaining first matchday games are completed tomorrow. It's controversial but ultimately inconsequential in early group matches where top powers are beating lower seeds by big margins - but imagine the reaction in an important knock-out match, for example, or if a try stands due to the replay arriving after the kick.

As regards Japan, I caught the end of the game, and what a sensation. That's really put the cat among the pigeons in our section and it highlights both an opportunity (we can beat South Africa and/or can win the pool), and a threat (Japan and maybe the US may not be as easily dispatched as hoped).

Is it the greatest shock in the world cup of a team sport? Only examples I can think of in football would be Italy losing to North Korea in 1966 - or South Korea in 2002 - plus West Germany losing to Algeria in 1982. Italy losing to Costa Rica last year wasn't as big. No greater examples in rugby union. In rugby league there is the forgotten victory of Papua New Guinea over New Zealand in 1986. Zimbabwe, Ireland and Kenya beat Australia, India and West Indies at cricket.

I think there is also an extra significance in that Japan are hosting the next RWC, and it will be important that their populace feels their own team has a chance of putting up a half-decent showing. With no major championship in Asia their only test is the RWC itself hence a first win since 1991 is terrific.

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Surely the IRB is going to have to tighten-up on this "stadium scoreboards / referees / rescinding tries and going to TMO thing" after the remaining first matchday games are completed tomorrow. It's controversial but ultimately inconsequential in early group matches where top powers are beating lower seeds by big margins - but imagine the reaction in an important knock-out match, for example, or if a try stands due to the replay arriving after the kick.

As regards Japan, I caught the end of the game, and what a sensation. That's really put the cat among the pigeons in our section and it highlights both an opportunity (we can beat South Africa and/or can win the pool), and a threat (Japan and maybe the US may not be as easily dispatched as hoped).

Is it the greatest shock in the world cup of a team sport? Only examples I can think of in football would be Italy losing to North Korea in 1966 - or South Korea in 2002 - plus West Germany losing to Algeria in 1982. Italy losing to Costa Rica last year wasn't as big. No greater examples in rugby union. In rugby league there is the forgotten victory of Papua New Guinea over New Zealand in 1986. Zimbabwe, Ireland and Kenya beat Australia, India and West Indies at cricket.

I think there is also an extra significance in that Japan are hosting the next RWC, and it will be important that their populace feels their own team has a chance of putting up a half-decent showing. With no major championship in Asia their only test is the RWC itself hence a first win since 1991 is terrific.

As I understand it the ref has untill the conversion is taken (or 1 minute after the ref awards the try) to decide to ask the TMO. But in this case the TMO should of checked the grounding of the ball when it was referred to him for the pass.

Also there are roomers that Japan might lose the 2019 RWC due to stadium issues.

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That Japan player on the ground at full time, sobbing openly into the turf broke me a wee bit.

World Rugby's facebook had a video from the end of the game - at one point it had a Japanese lady wiping away tears, while the South African fan next to her was just in total shock.

Those were the sort of #scenes for which the word scenes was invented!

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The Japanese scored two tries that any of the top countries would have been proud of. The set piece knock down and go from the line out was brilliantly executed, and the way they used the full width of the pitch for the winning try was superb too. Not to mention the bottle and belief that they could score a try at that stage. Certainly a lot more worried about Wednesday than I was before. Can only hope that 4 days is nowhere near enough recovery time for Japan after the mental and physical effort they put in yesterday.

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Strangely I am no more worried about it than before.

Got to admit Japan were superb, but it was a similar gameplan to the one we play, and the South African style just isn't equipped to cope with it when you get it right. South Africa looked vulnerable in the Rugby Championship, they were beaten in South Africa by Argentina - probably one of the biggest shocks in South African rugby until yesterday!

I'm pretty confident that Scotland will still win on Wednesday - I don't think it's a guaranteed 5 pointer, but then Scotland games rarely are. Will be interesting to see if we unleash Strauss on them. He becomes Scottish today (i think), but he'll probably be raging at yesterday's result!

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