RWC 2023 Qualifying

[miccloarch]

This is unbelievable in a very good way. Well done Chile. Tough luck Yanks.

 

[die_mole]

first time Chile will play Samoa, Japan, or England. Will be their first match against a full strength Argentine side since 2014.


apparently world rugby really wanted us to make it

 

[Al Bangor]

1 point on aggregate? Lemoine making me look like a fool again but such a foolish way for the US to lose, indiscipline overturning the match winning penalty.

31-29 to Chile FT

My condolences to US posters. Portugal in the repechage will be epic.

That's a tough loss, but no condolences needed. Unfortunately, were used to it. Thank you though. Were pretty good in 7s and bad in 15s. It's been that way for a long time. I ordered tickets today for the final leg of the 2022 HSBC Sevens Series next month in Los Angeles. Can't wait.

 

[die_mole]

Just have to say props to AJ. I wouldn't blame him at all if he decided he didn't want to play for us anymore. He plays as hard as he can for us every window and we are lucky to have him. I just wish the organization could be as professional and as enthusiastic as he is.

 

[die_mole]

My dad bought prunes from pichot back in the early 2010s (the farm was based in Chile for all you conspiracy theorists). I asked if he was willing to help out recruit pichot but he had no interest. Clearly he wants to keep soccer and football ahead of rugby.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Gold sounded very complacent after losing to Uruguay, but here he is much more coherent.

Comments from USA coach Gary Gold and captain AJ MacGinty - Americas Rugby News

There has been no shortage of public commentary on yesterday's World Cup Qualifier result that saw C

www.americasrugbynews.com

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

An insight into the gulf in pedigree of players available to Tonga and Hong Kong prior to their RWCQ on Saturday. Hong Kong shouldn't get within 30 points but Tonga have been so so bad for a couple of years now.

Plus a couple of the more unusual team logos.

Tonga/Hong Kong: les compos

Samedi, Hong Kong affronte les Tonga en barrage Asie/Pacifique pour une place à la coupe du monde de rugby de 2023 en France. Après une victoire très difficile face à la Core du sud (23 à 21) après 79 minutes en infériorité numérique, le sélectionneur Lewis Ewans effectue 7 changements dans le...

www.asierugby.com

 

[die_mole]

interesting that Tonga is without their nation switchers.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Apparently Piatuau only agreed to play two Pacific Championship games and not the crucial RWCQ. The other two were injured.

Tonga 44 - 22 Hong Kong

Score apparently flatters Hong Kong who will face Kenya, USA and Portugal in the repechage (probably November). Tonga qualify for the RWC but continue to be very lacklustre and I've no idea how they are reasonably high in the rankings at 16th.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Apparently Piatuau only agreed to play two Pacific Championship games and not the crucial RWCQ. The other two were injured.

Tonga 44 - 22 Hong Kong

Score apparently flatters Hong Kong who will face Kenya, USA and Portugal in the repechage (probably November). Tonga qualify for the RWC but continue to be very lacklustre and I've no idea how they are reasonably high in the rankings at 16th.

Here's my prediction: USA loses to Portugal and misses RWC2023. World Rugby freaks out, essentially removes all USA Rugby leadership, and hires Gatland to a 8-year contract covering RWC 2027 and RWC 2031.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Honestly Rugby needs to expand the RWC.

 

[die_mole]

We'll get Hansen after he's fired for losing the bledisloe. Wouldn't mind watching boring gatland ball if it meant wins though.

And yeah expansion is needed. 4 years ago I'd say no way but seeing how continental Europe and South America have taken to the game has changed my mind. Even Africa has increased the amount of non-joke sides.

 

[Brigantine]

I've no idea how they [Tonga] are reasonably high in the rankings at 16th.

Since 2017 they don't have proper home games, i.e. in Tonga with the *play at ranking+3.00* as part of the ranking calculation.
Said another way, the ranking algorithm treats all Tonga's home games as though they're neutral games.
This is from even before the volcano. I think their venue must have lost accreditation or something and not up to standard, all their home games are hosted in Aus/NZ

Also, when do they every play against teams lower than Samoa/Fiji? They're already 8 points below them, i.e. expected to win 10% and lose 90% of the time (and lose 100% when their opponent has home advantage)
[2022 Hong Kong (W); 2021 Romania (L); 2019 USA (RWC, W); 2018 Georgia (L); 2017 Romania (W); 2016 Italy (W), USA (W), Georgia (L)]

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Since 2017 they don't have proper home games, i.e. in Tonga with the *play at ranking+3.00* as part of the ranking calculation.
Said another way, the ranking algorithm treats all Tonga's home games as though they're neutral games.
This is from even before the volcano. I think their venue must have lost accreditation or something and not up to standard, all their home games are hosted in Aus/NZ

Also, when do they every play against teams lower than Samoa/Fiji? They're already 8 points below them, i.e. expected to win 10% and lose 90% of the time (and lose 100% when their opponent has home advantage)
[2022 Hong Kong (W); 2021 Romania (L); 2019 USA (RWC, W); 2018 Georgia (L); 2017 Romania (W); 2016 Italy (W), USA (W), Georgia (L)]

Hopefully Tonga get fixtures with teams around 17-22 in the rankings this November. Thay will quickly readjust their ranking to something more representative. At the moment they have a high enough ranking to secure Tier1 tests and I don't think that's in anyone's best interests unless they find some form.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Details for the repechage will be announced tomorrow supposedly.

If it is the November window (as expected) then Portugal will hit this flying in terms of conditioning. They'll have had 6 rounds of the RE Super Cup under their belt in Sep & Oct with the Lusitanos (which makes up the majority of their national side). MLR in contrast presumably won't start until next January at the earliest? What will MLR based players be doing between now and the repechage if it is in November?

If it wasn't for World Rugby politics I'd be firmly supporting the USA, but if the repechage is held in Europe in November I'm struggling to see them beating Portugal unless Portugal choke (which I think is a possibility given their habit of letting wins slip away in the final 10mins).

 

[RedruthRFC]

Honestly Rugby needs to expand the RWC.

I could be talked into this, but while WR are doing a less than bang-up job of running a 20 team World Cup, adding teams seems contraindicated to me. If WR can find a way of eliminating short turnaround times for teams outside the top tier and set up a repechage so that the lowest teams don't just gett beaten up 4 times then sent home and we get another chance to see exciting sides who just miss out on the quarter-finals (e.g. Fiji last time round #justiceForYato) then I can see an argument for adding another 4 teams to the mix. If you believe in the WR rankings, there's now 24 teams vying for position with those close to them, before there's a significant drop off in points to the 25th side (ignoring Russia, who WR still assign ranking points to).

Are there any proposals to achieve this? If so, how are they proposing to achieve it?

 

[Which Tyler]

Are there any proposals to achieve this? If so, how are they proposing to achieve it?

IIRC the RFU's proposal for... 2007? covered this.

IIRC they held a pool-based competition for teams 11-28(?), with the top 6 from there going forwards to meet the 6N&QN teams in 4 pools of 4.
First phase hosted by Premiership rugby clubs to chase fans, second phase hosted in bigger stadia to chase crowds.

 

[RedruthRFC]

IIRC the RFU's proposal for... 2007? covered this.

IIRC they held a pool-based competition for teams 11-28(?), with the top 6 from there going forwards to meet the 6N&QN teams in 4 pools of 4.
First phase hosted by Premiership rugby clubs to chase fans, second phase hosted in bigger stadia to chase crowds.

Thanks. I can't see why this isn't looked at as a winner. The games hosted at Sandy Park and Kingsholm in 2015 seemed like a huge success to me.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

The USA rugby world cup put a proposal for the 2031 RWC to be 24 teams with a last 16 round
So I guess
6 pools of 4 with the top 2 of each pool going into the next round and 4 the highest points 3rd place teams (Would get rid of the mid week game since it reduces it by 1 game BUT you will get poorish teams in the knock outs I guess granted shouldn't matter since on paper they should lose)

Would make the schedule on the whole a lot better each pool can play their games on the same team no one gets extra rest everyone even.

 

[Brigantine]

Honestly Rugby needs to expand the RWC.

That's a tough one. Any more pools and you just won't get competitive pool games at any particular level.
But I wouldn't be against a format with 3 pools of 4 and a preliminary round before that to whittle 24 teams down to 12.
More likely way it would happen is 4 pools of 6 i.e. same as now with one more dead rubber week for T1's to play Portugal/Kenya/Russia/Hong Kong. At least you do then get e.g. USA vs Russia, Chile vs Kenya, Namibia vs Hong Kong.