Comments on: VRWC

By: Chris Brooke

Chris Brooke — Sat, 01 Nov 2003 14:12:03 +0000

An excellent game—but if only the Irish drop goal attempt in the 73rd minute or so had come off…

By: Chris Bertram

Chris Bertram — Sat, 01 Nov 2003 12:10:04 +0000

Harry is English too, but I thought Micah was American and suspected that Tom might be Scottish (not sure why). Ireland-Australia: great match wasn’t it!

By: Maria

Maria — Sat, 01 Nov 2003 00:25:15 +0000

I do live in France but guess who I drew in the office pool – bloody U.S.A. (no offence; great country, and since I got here yesterday after lunch I’ve done nothing but drink Starbucks, spend money on consumer decidedly non-durables and think to myself, ‘globalisation, really all that bad?’). Though now that the US have beaten the All Black’s B Team, oh sorry, Japan, the biggest girl’s blouses in the competition are officially Canada. What a waste of a fiver that office pool was. I can only presume they let that lot in for the same reason we let the Italians into the 6 Nations – we were sick of always winning the wooden spoon. But here’s the thing. Why doesn’t the World Cup have mikes on the refs like they do in the 6 Nations? This year there was a fabulous Australian ref who couldn’t have been more than 35, actually had a neck and was masterfully firm but fair to all the mud-sodden rugger buggers. Ruf Anyway, for all these reasons, and especially now that Jonah Lomu seems to be retired, the World Cup is grand and all, but the 6 nations is your only man.

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 23:50:11 +0000

Well, whether or not I played rugby depends on your definition of “played.” I was singularly dreadful at it, and was permanently excused from the sport in my second year of secondary education. Still watch it whenever I can though (and support the Irish team, as does Maria). But I’m from Tipperary, so I like hurling too (hard to keep up with in Canada).

By: Ted Barlow

Ted Barlow — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:10:27 +0000

It’s funny how little we Timberites know about each other, isn’t it?

By: Richard Bayley

Richard Bayley — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 15:06:58 +0000

For those CT readers who actually like sport, just a note to say real rugby (ie Rugby League) will be taking place in England during November, with an Ashes series between GB and Australia.

By: Conor

Conor — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 15:03:31 +0000

There is a conspiracy theory doing the rounds that Australia will allow Ireland to beat them tomorrow. The logic is as follows: – Australia, as hosts and defending champions, really do believe they can go all the way and win this WC – They also believe that the All Blacks and not the over-hyped English are the team to beat – Better to meet the All Blacks in the final than in the semis Therefore, let Ireland win tomorrow and set Australia on the right side of the knock-out stages to meet France, England and finally NZ in the final (as opposed to meeting NZ in the semis) I don’t beleive a word of it. I think tomorrow’s game has equal chance of either being a 30 point drubbing of the Irish or an extremely close and exciting match. Apparently, 25,000 of the 57,000 tickets for the game in the Telstra Stadium are held by Irish supporters. Australia just narrowly defeated Ireland a couple of hours ago in the same stadium playing the “compromise” rules game (Aussie football meets Gaelic football – some sight!) There was a quote from an Australian in today’s Irish Independent about the ubiquity of Ireland supporters in Melbourne: “The (Irish) are like green locusts, only very welcome ones”. As someone who also did not play Rugby at school, I now find I get more excited/nervous/satisfied from watching a big rugby game than from football or Gaelic games.

By: Brian Weatherson

Brian Weatherson — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 14:49:48 +0000

And my current residence, the good ol’ USA, has won a game for the first time in its history – but no one over here can see it because all the games are on pay-per-view, at $20 a pop. Here’s hoping for another glorious defeat and moral victory for the Irish!

By: dmm

dmm — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 13:37:07 +0000

The less said about Henry’s adoptive home, Canada, the better, it would seem. Any team that makes Wales look good…