[2015 RWC] Semi Final 2: Australia vs. Argentina (25/10/2015)

[bjarg]

Nope, not that I can see. Pretty sure they'll be fine.

Good!
Im hoping both teams will be at 100%.

 

[ABs2011]

Nope, not that I can see. Pretty sure they'll be fine.

Really? Last I heard it was looking like it was unlikely they would play.

Did they train on Thursday though? I haven't heard anything - perhaps it was a rest day.

Either way my understanding is they are giving all three until Fridays training to proove themselves.

But with all 3 not making it through a full traing on Wednesday it does not look good. They are not just suck it up and deal with the pain type injuries either so I dont think the Ozzies will risk any of them if they are not near to 100%.

- - - Updated - - -

By the way, what is this obsession with distinguishing between so called "true rugby supporters" and the rest? I dont even know what that term means? If you want rugby to grow around the world you welcome everyone with open arms. It doesnt matter if they watch 1,2,3 or 100 games of rugby a year, it doesnt matter if they know all the rules of rugby or half of them, and it certainly doesnt matter if they watched the rugby world cup 1987!! Is it insecurities or something?

 

[KeyboardWorrier]

I think they're just playing mind games. Although I expect Folau would be concerned if he broke a nail.

 

[ABs2011]

I think they're just playing mind games. Although I expect Folau would be concerned if he broke a nail.

Nah mate, it's not mind games cause they have not been training. Like I said, none made it through Wednesday's training. Folau last 10 minutes, and the others spent more time on the sidelines than on the field.

Pocock has a calf issue that was initially diagnosed to keep him out for 2 weeks (from the Wales game) so I understand they hoped he would be good to go, but it has since progressed more slowly than they had thought. Folau seems to have a pretty bad anlke injury. He's been out since the England game. And Sio's elbow looks pretty bad and it sounds like he will not play.

Tough times for the Ozzies I reckon!!

Beale is an adequate replacement for Folau but he cant break the game open in the same way and certainly doesnt have the aerial skills.
Cant coment too much on Sio, but the OZ scrum has been a huge improvement in recent times so presumably he can take some credit and will be a loss.
Pocock is irreplaceable though!!

My take is that without Folau and Pocock Argentina become the favourites!!

 

[KeyboardWorrier]

Without Pocock the Wallabies barely scrape past IRB 10th ranked nations. With Pocock they're up there with the best.

 

[Superalexmarket]

Without Pocock the Wallabies barely scrape past IRB 10th ranked nations. With Pocock they're up there with the best.

 

[ABs2011]

So I am told buy someone relatively close to the OZ camp that all three boys will be OUT! I wouldnt bank on it quite yet but it appears there is little confidence any of them will suit up.

 

[Sonic Kiwi]

Without Pocock the Wallabies barely scrape past IRB 10th ranked nations. With Pocock they're up there with the best.

50/50 call there bro, Cheika hasn't had much depth on the bench.
Pococock is good but with him or not I can still see the Wobblies using there off runners/wings. It was good to see Genia going for gold.

Cheika knows a thing or two and a great reader of the game, unless the ockers get injured, I think the Ozzies are more 'professional' than the Pumas.

I'm picking the Ozzies to win by 8.

Let's not forget that the Wobblies scrum has held its own when others laughed. Against Argy, that's a plus

 

[Yobbo]

Let's not forget that the Wobblies scrum has held its own when others laughed.

They more than held their own, they obliterated them.

 

[Sonic Kiwi]

Let's not forget that the Wobblies scrum has held its own when others laughed.

They more than held their own, they obliterated them.

Warburton (spelling) springs to mind.

One player doesn't make a team

 

[Rukhage]

By the way, what is this obsession with distinguishing between so called "true rugby supporters" and the rest? I dont even know what that term means? If you want rugby to grow around the world you welcome everyone with open arms. It doesnt matter if they watch 1,2,3 or 100 games of rugby a year, it doesnt matter if they know all the rules of rugby or half of them, and it certainly doesnt matter if they watched the rugby world cup 1987!! Is it insecurities or something?

Like everything latino we tend to be a bit more fociferous than you anglo commonwealth folk. Also like many of the other Argentines in the forum have pointed out, our sociopolitical makeup is largely responsible for the many schisms and stereotypes that rugby/soccer has about them. Obviously not every soccer fan is a drunken drug-addled hooligan, and neither is every rugby fan a prim-proper example of gentlemanly conduct (some clubs have been known to be outright racist, but I won't point any fingers because hopefully that's in the past now).

Also like others have pointed out before most Argentine sports fans are "glory hounds" and are openly critical when we don't win. To them it's an "All or Nothing" mentality, mostly bred from our religious/fanatical devotion to all things soccer. Because of this, the concept of long-term planning and growth is practically non-existent (also something apparent in our political structure), and because of this everybody expects positive results in the short-term. It's the reason why the national soccer team has gone through five different managers between 2006 and 2015, whilst in comparison the Germans have had Joachim Low in the chair for that same period! We want results, and if we don't get them then the team is a disgrace to the nation and all things argentine.

There's obviously more subtle things going on, but those should fill up a good academic journal on sociology.

 

[austingtir]

Folau is not a huge loss. Iv been saying for ages Beale (in the right frame of mind) would actually be an improvement for this wallaby team at FB.

Sio and Pocock though are huge. Argentina wont be competitive at all with Barnes in charge and Pocock on the field. Pocock gone evens things up alot.

 

[Rukhage]

Argentina wont be competitive at all with Barnes in charge and Pocock on the field. Pocock gone evens things up alot.

What do you mean not competitive? Barnes seems to be decent enough not to slant things one way or another.

 

[KeyboardWorrier]

Argentina could easily send home the best Wallaby team at the moment.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Imagine a South Africa vs Argentina World Cup Final.

That would be superb!

 

[Cliffyboy]

Good point. I took this very thing up with someone, who didn't bother responding, probably because I didn't count, when debating some issue - I think it was the use of TMO - where he said something like if a world poll was conducted 'true rugby' etc., would support his view, or in other words, if the majority conflicted with his view, it wouldn't really count because they weren't true rugby supporters, a case of heads I win, tails you lose. As you so rightly say, if we want rugby to grow - and it does have enormous potential around the world - the last thing you need or want is an elite and esoteric bunch of know-alls pontificating from on high while us mere mortals gaze up in servile admiration.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

By the way, what is this obsession with distinguishing between so called "true rugby supporters" and the rest? I dont even know what that term means? If you want rugby to grow around the world you welcome everyone with open arms. It doesnt matter if they watch 1,2,3 or 100 games of rugby a year, it doesnt matter if they know all the rules of rugby or half of them, and it certainly doesnt matter if they watched the rugby world cup 1987!! Is it insecurities or something?

It may sound weird but there is a logic behind it and it has to do with how he see loyalty, which is a paramount value for us.
Some people, quite a few actually, believe it is quite easy to follow a team when it's winning, buy the shirt, post ad nauseam on facebook/twitter and market yourself as a hardcore fan.
When people who've been following the team for a long time, particularly through bad times, see this, they generally do not like it. Not one bit. Think of it as a swallow-bird-fan: when the weather is good, they'll be there, screaming and pretending to care. Kinda like annoying attention whores. But when the **** hits the fan they are nowhere to be found.
A lot of people think about fans in terms of quality and not quantity.
Being there as a supporter when your team wasn't doing good is a way of earning your stripes as a fan. You don't even have to actually "support", you can criticize, but you have to be part of the conversation because that means you care.

I'm exaggerating a bit for descriptive purposes but the principle is pretty much that.

 

[Xapi]

Why is it that we fight amongst each other? It's like we're in a constant struggle of one-upmanship to see who's the most, and pardon the expression, "pija".

I believe the expression in english is we are constantly in a "******* match".

- - - Updated - - -

Lol, that didn't help. "Peeing match", maybe?

 

[Cliffyboy]

It may sound weird but there is a logic behind it and it has to do with how he see loyalty, which is a paramount value for us.
Some people, quite a few actually, believe it is quite easy to follow a team when it's winning, buy the shirt, post ad nauseam on facebook/twitter and market yourself as a hardcore fan.
When people who've been following the team for a long time, particularly through bad times, see this, they generally do not like it. Not one bit. Think of it as a swallow-bird-fan: when the weather is good, they'll be there, screaming and pretending to care. Kinda like annoying attention whores. But when the **** hits the fan they are nowhere to be found.
A lot of people think about fans in terms of quality and not quantity.
Being there as a supporter when your team wasn't doing good is a way of earning your stripes as a fan. You don't even have to actually "support", you can criticize, but you have to be part of the conversation because that means you care.

I'm exaggerating a bit for descriptive purposes but the principle is pretty much that.

But it isn't something you could even begin to measure or quantify, not really. My background in terms of school, was in the very bad old days in England in the fifties when, if you failed your 11+, as I did, coming from a council estate in North London, you were sent to the local secondary modern factory fodder school where rugby wasn't even played. It was still very much a class thing in those days. It was only in the sixties when I began watching what was then the five nations, that I learned to love the game, particularly the Welsh and their great players, like my all-time favourite, Barry John, and the flamboyant French. I've been an avid follower of the game ever since, even played it a few times as an adult. But just because I've only relatively recently been commenting on this site, it doesn't mean my love for the game is any the less then someone who went to a rugby-playing school in England, no way. I bemoaned the way England played the game for years, like when we had a talent like the great David Duckham, and rarely passed the effing ball to him. but although I admired the Welsh and French, as I've said, and, of course, the great All-Black sides that toured the U.K. and the great Australian team that contained the Ella brothers, I still always wanted England to do well. In my view, there is still a hint of that class thing in this logic, as you call it.

 

[Wakaloo]

Both Pocock and Folau fit for semi-final.

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/116610

- - - Updated - - -

A bit surprised to see them both as starters. Great news for Australia and rugby in general. Not so much for Argentina!