Rugby World Cup 2019

[taylorsworkrate]

I always just remind my NZ mate of the 1970s version:

https://youtu.be/emJyEa4z2Ec

That is genuinely brilliant.

[taylorsworkrate]

Ireland have not remotely turned up for this match. NZ have been excellent and exposed some extremely poor play from the Irish.

[cdbearsfan]

Even Scotland would have put up more of a fight than this.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Not really.

[taylorsworkrate]

NZ have been excellent and ruthless. Their execution is flawless at times.

Ireland on the other hand appear a mere shadow of the team they were this time last year. Basic error after basic error, no creativity, no intensity and no belief.

[AsTallAsLions]

Ruspict the haka!

No.

It's a massive indulgence which allows NZ to try and intimidate their opponents, who also cool down whilst standing still, and they piss and whine about it like little babies if the opposition don't react exactly how they like (standing still, doing nothing, mentally and physically passive).

I'd love a team to do what the Irish did years ago and just walk right up to them and tell them to fuck off. Or what Campese did and just kick about in the in-goal and ignore it completely.

The haka is one of the few indigenous Maori traditions that remains at the forefront of New Zealand culture overseas. That they are better than England at Her Majesty's own game is what you're truly upset about. Wind your neck in and let them keep what's left of their culture, plenty of damage was done by the English already with the Treaty of Waitangi.

[Axl Rose]

Ruspict the haka!

No.

It's a massive indulgence which allows NZ to try and intimidate their opponents, who also cool down whilst standing still, and they piss and whine about it like little babies if the opposition don't react exactly how they like (standing still, doing nothing, mentally and physically passive).

I'd love a team to do what the Irish did years ago and just walk right up to them and tell them to fuck off. Or what Campese did and just kick about in the in-goal and ignore it completely.

The haka is one of the few indigenous Maori traditions that remains at the forefront of New Zealand culture overseas. That they are better than England at Her Majesty's own game is what you're truly upset about. Wind your neck in and let them keep what's left of their culture, plenty of damage was done by the English already with the Treaty of Waitangi.

Let's keep this about the rugby shall we. Fucking hell.

[Axl Rose]

Even Scotland would have put up more of a fight than this.

Spoiler for Hiden:

Not really.

Ha!

[AsTallAsLions]

Ruspict the haka!

No.

It's a massive indulgence which allows NZ to try and intimidate their opponents, who also cool down whilst standing still, and they piss and whine about it like little babies if the opposition don't react exactly how they like (standing still, doing nothing, mentally and physically passive).

I'd love a team to do what the Irish did years ago and just walk right up to them and tell them to fuck off. Or what Campese did and just kick about in the in-goal and ignore it completely.

The haka is one of the few indigenous Maori traditions that remains at the forefront of New Zealand culture overseas. That they are better than England at Her Majesty's own game is what you're truly upset about. Wind your neck in and let them keep what's left of their culture, plenty of damage was done by the English already with the Treaty of Waitangi.

Let's keep this about the rugby shall we. Fucking hell.

The song the Irish fans sang through the haka, and frequently sing at the rugby, The Fields of Athenry, has nothing to do with rugby. It's a political song. Swing Low Sweet Chariot has nothing to do with rugby. Leave them their haka ffs.

[Axl Rose]

Ruspict the haka!

No.

It's a massive indulgence which allows NZ to try and intimidate their opponents, who also cool down whilst standing still, and they piss and whine about it like little babies if the opposition don't react exactly how they like (standing still, doing nothing, mentally and physically passive).

I'd love a team to do what the Irish did years ago and just walk right up to them and tell them to fuck off. Or what Campese did and just kick about in the in-goal and ignore it completely.

The haka is one of the few indigenous Maori traditions that remains at the forefront of New Zealand culture overseas. That they are better than England at Her Majesty's own game is what you're truly upset about. Wind your neck in and let them keep what's left of their culture, plenty of damage was done by the English already with the Treaty of Waitangi.

Let's keep this about the rugby shall we. Fucking hell.

The song the Irish fans sang through the haka, and frequently sing at the rugby, The Fields of Athenry, has nothing to do with rugby. It's a political song. Swing Low Sweet Chariot has nothing to do with rugby. Leave them their haka ffs.

Fair enough.

[luke:lamf]

I didn't suggest they can't do it. I do suggest that they can do it, but that the other team should be entirely free to ignore it, continue their warm-up, or challenge it as they see fit without NZ whining about some sort of disrespect. Or that each team gets the chance to have their 90 second tradition while the other team stands still.

NZ are an excellent team, watching them being by far and away the best at getting their arms free to pass out of the tackle is a joy (only Japan come close at this WC). But they are way too precious about the haka, and refs rarely punish their forward passes. Oh, and I also like the way the whole team wears plain black boots they way God intended. None of those multi-coloured luminous monstrosities.

[cdbearsfan]

England need to Morris Dance before every game.

[paul_e]

I'm not sure what that game shows us about NZ. You can call it clinical but getting so much time and space in early phase play is ridiculous.

For lreland that was possibly the worst QF performance I've ever seen, absolutely bottled it, i suspect the talk of never making a Semifinal along with the pressure of playing against NZ got to them.

The game next week is gojng to feel like a final.

[UK Redsox]

England need to Morris Dance before every game.

The Morris Men Cometh

IMO there’s no need for the Haka or any other form of pre-match dancing about by a team.

[PaulWinch again]

When is the last time we played NZ in a World Cup? 1995?

[paul_e]

On the Haka, I mostly agree with luke. I have no issue with them doing it, but the opposition being forced to stand still and watch instead of keeping warm is totally out of date, whilst marginal it does give NZ a small advantage in the first few minutes of the game. I remember England played them under Woodward and he told the England players to stand in tracksuits to watch so they then had to go to the dugout and take stuff off, leaving NZ stood for a couple of minutes. Of course NZ sulked and claimed it was disrespectful but England did everything as they should. I think every team should find some way to delay kick by another minute or 2 so NZ either have to stand getting cold or go through some warm up routines. If they do the latter then they're left with no comeback when teams start doing it during the haka.