RWC Roundup

by Kieran Healy on September 9, 2007

After the first weekend’s matches, I’d say that the Southern Hemisphere big-guns haven’t been tested yet (though South Africa had a hard 40 minutes of fighting against the Samoans), and of the IONA countries, only Scotland have any reason to be happy. England were boring and stuck. Ireland looked uncoordinated. Namibia scored two tries against them in four minutes, which is ridiculous. Having beaten France and seen Ireland’s performance today, Argentina must be feeling pretty good right now — and the French are probably feeling better as well.

{ 12 comments }

1

Chris Bertram 09.09.07 at 8:10 pm

SA-Samoa was pretty good, I thought, until the South Africans got on top. And little David Lemi showed why he is such a favourite with Bristol fans.

(I doubt we’ll be hearing much more crowing from one supporter of an IONA nation to others about how “your team” got a scare from a third-rate country, since England, Wales and Ireland have all looked pretty dreadful.)

2

Cheryl 09.09.07 at 8:30 pm

It has been an interesting day. I liked the point that Murray Mexted made about the minnow teams having figured out that they need to come out and play. Sure they’ll still go down, but they’ll go down fighting and gather a little glory along the way.

As for IONA teams, hopefully they’ve got over the first match nerves by now. Making a statement is good, but the important things are to win and bring home the bonus point.

3

colin roald 09.10.07 at 12:17 am

I love tournaments like this, and am interested in actually watching some rugby and figuring out how the game is played. Is anyone carrying the games in the States? I tried the rugbyworldcup site, and their supposed internet broadcast pay-per-view thing is ridiculous. Who wants to watch a game 24 hours or more after the scores have been published? Not just published, but *published on the pages where you’re trying to order the game to watch*. If there’s some way to watch a game there without being told already what the score was, I don’t see it. Who the hell is their market for that? That’s nuts.

4

Kieran Healy 09.10.07 at 1:44 am

I know, it’s insane. And you can’t listen to it on the radio in the U.S., either (unless someone can inform me otherwise …).

5

Mark 09.10.07 at 1:54 am

The cable channel Versus is carrying some of the games – but it’s showing them a couple of days later (like the website.) Today they showed the France-Argentina game and they have England-USA tomorrow afternoon. I believe Setanta bought the rights to broadcast the games in the US – so you either need to find a bar somewhere showing the games (and I imagine that unless you live in one of the four or five largest cities you’ll have a hard time finding one) or you can shell out for pay-per-view at, if I remember correctly, about $20/game.

6

ammupatti 09.10.07 at 4:46 am

I get it on dish on setanta sports (channel 406). for free.

7

sappycynic 09.10.07 at 4:58 am

well for a kiwi perspective, if the AB’s choke yet again, i’m not sure they will be allowed back in the country.

8

Alan de Bristol 09.10.07 at 11:49 am

I have DirecTv Satellite, and pay $12 a month for Setanta. I think some cable companies offer the option as well. The Rugby World Cup games thev’ve shown have all been live so far.

9

Katherine 09.10.07 at 2:40 pm

Although, Colin, you might find it quite hard to work out the rules by watching the games being played. I can’t imagine how you’d begin to make sense of the rules on, for example, playing the advantage if you hadn’t read a little bit. Ditto the offside rule, which always seems to be complicated no matter what the game.

10

mollymooly 09.10.07 at 11:05 pm

I don’t like “IONA”. Call them “Those Islands”. Or “Transushantia”.

11

colin roald 09.11.07 at 1:52 am

I take your point, Katherine, but I’ve found trying to read about the game without being able to watch any of it at least as mystifying, I think . . .

12

Maria 09.11.07 at 10:18 am

Ireland played so embarrassingly badly against Namibia that I actually felt relieved of the obligation to support my own team.

Now I know what it’s like to be an England supporter.

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