Rugby World Cup 2015 Results

[Wolfie33]

Match 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Date NZT 19 Sep 19 Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 21 Sep 21 Sep

England     South Africa     Tonga     Ireland     France     Wales     Samoa     New Zealand

vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs

Fiji    Japan    Georgia    Canada    Italy    Uruguay    United States    Argentina

Winner England Japan Georgia Ireland France Wales Samoa New Zealand

Score 35-11 34-32 17-10 50-7 32-10 54-9 25-16 26-16

Pool A	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Wales	1	1	0	0	54	9	45	8	0	1	0	5
England	1	1	0	0	35	11	24	4	1	1	0	5
Fiji	1	0	0	1	11	35	-24	1	4	0	0	0
Uruguay	1	0	0	1	9	54	-45	0	8	0	0	0
Australia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pool B	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Samoa	1	1	0	0	25	16	9	2	2	0	0	4
Japan	1	1	0	0	34	32	2	3	4	0	0	4
South Africa	1	0	0	1	32	34	-2	4	3	1	1	2
United States	1	0	0	1	16	25	-9	2	2	0	0	0
Scotland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pool C	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand	1	1	0	0	26	16	10	2	1	0	0	4
Georgia	1	1	0	0	17	10	7	2	1	0	0	4
Tonga	1	0	0	1	10	17	-7	1	2	0	1	1
Argentina	1	0	0	1	16	26	-10	1	2	0	0	0
Namibia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pool D	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Ireland	1	1	0	0	50	7	43	7	1	1	0	5
France	1	1	0	0	32	10	22	2	1	0	0	4
Italy	1	0	0	1	10	32	-22	1	2	0	0	0
Canada	1	0	0	1	7	50	-43	1	7	0	0	0
Romania	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

                                          
Key:
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points



Match 1  ENG v FIJ
The only game I have seen live. Have to say I was disappointed. Maybe it was opening night nerves, perhaps the conditions . .
I felt disappointed in England, disappointed that Fiji somehow made England look good, disappointed in the constant interuptions by referrals to the TMO. However, the score did reflect the overall game.

Match Report
England 35-11 Fiji: England battle to bonus point victory in first game of Rugby World Cup 2015 | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - England v Fiji at Twickenham

Match 2  SA v JAP
Woo hoo hoo hoo hoo !! What a game from the Brave Blossoms. A simply staggering result.

Match Report
South Africa 32-34 Japan: Greatest shock in Rugby World Cup history | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Japan v South Africa at Brighton

Match 3  TNG v GEO
Maybe a bit of an upset here, though I recall Peter Williams picking Georgia as a dark horse.

Match Report
Tonga 10-17 Georgia - First upset of Rugby World Cup 2015 comes at Kingsholm | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Georgia v Tonga at Gloucester

Match 4  IRE v CAN
No surprise here, Ireland are a class act.

Match Report
Ireland 50 - 7 Canada: Seven try rout for Six Nation champions | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Canada v Ireland at Millennium Stadium

Match 5  FRA v ITA
An expected result

Match Report
France 32-10 Italy: Yoann Huget suffers cruciate ligament injury in victory | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - France v Italy at Twickenham

Match 6  WAL v URU
Another expected result. But Wales have a rash of injuries to cope with.

Match Report
Injuries continue to mount for eight-try Wales | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Wales v Uruguay at Millennium Stadium

Match 7  SAM v USA
Another expected result, but perhaps not as clear cut as many of us thought it would be.

Match Report
Samoa 25-16 USA: Eagles come up just short in first match at Rugby World Cup 2015 | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Samoa v United States of America at Brighton

Match 8  NZ v ARG
A good result, if somewhat laboured for the first 50 odd minutes. Make no mistake, the Argies are a class side.
They accounted for themselves well through the Rugby Championship matches & pulled off an away win against South Africa in the closing stages.

Match Report
All Blacks survive stern Rugby World Cup examination from Pumas | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
Match Details
Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Argentina v New Zealand at Wembley

And finally, here's a few thoughts from Sir Ted . .
Sonny Bill Williams and All Blacks bench earn high praise from Sir Graham Henry | Stuff.co.nz

Cheers     

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[Wolfie33]

Match 9 10 11 12 13

Date NZT 24 Sep 24 Sep 24 Sep 25 Sep 26 Sep

Australia     Scotland     France     New Zealand     Argentina

vs vs vs vs vs

Fiji    Japan    Romania    Namibia    Georgia

Winner Australia Scotland France New Zealand Argentina

Score 28-13 45-10 38-11 58-14 54-9

Pool A	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Wales	1	1	0	0	54	9	45	8	0	1	0	5
England	1	1	0	0	35	11	24	4	1	1	0	5
Australia	1	1	0	0	28	13	15	3	1	0	0	4
Fiji	2	0	0	2	24	63	-39	2	7	0	0	0
Uruguay	1	0	0	1	9	54	-45	0	8	0	0	0
Pool B	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Scotland	1	1	0	0	45	10	35	5	1	1	0	5
Samoa	1	1	0	0	25	16	9	2	2	0	0	4
Japan	2	1	0	1	44	77	-33	4	9	0	0	4
South Africa	1	0	0	1	32	34	-2	4	3	1	1	2
United States	1	0	0	1	16	25	-9	2	2	0	0	0
Pool C	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand	2	2	0	0	84	30	54	11	2	1	0	9
Argentina	2	1	0	1	70	35	35	8	2	1	0	5
Georgia	2	1	0	1	26	64	-38	2	8	0	1	4
Tonga	1	0	0	1	10	17	-7	1	2	0	1	1
Namibia	1	0	0	1	14	58	-44	1	9	0	0	0
Pool D	P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
France	2	2	0	0	70	21	49	7	2	1	0	9
Ireland	1	1	0	0	50	7	43	7	1	1	0	5
Italy	1	0	0	1	10	32	-22	1	2	0	0	0
Romania	1	0	0	1	11	38	-27	1	5	0	0	0
Canada	1	0	0	1	7	50	-43	1	7	0	0	0

                                          
Key:
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points
Match 9 - AUS v FIJ
Opening game for the Aussies, they won. Three tries to one, but the 2nd half was a 10 all draw.

Match Report:
Australia 28-13 Fiji: Wallabies start World Cup with battling win over Pacific Islanders | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Match 10 - SCT v JAP
A road too far for Japan & they probably hadn't recovered from the previous games celebrations, & only a 4 day turn around.

Match Report:
Scotland 45-10 Japan: Vern Cotter's men avoid another Japanese upset | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Match 11 - FRA v ROM
France proved too much for the Romanians.

Match Report:
France 38 - 11 Romania: Sofiane Guitoune scores two tries in bonus-point victory for Saint-Andre's m | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Match 12 - NZ v NAM
Decent first half from our boys, not a lot happened in the 2nd half, I read somewhere there was only 12 minutes of actual play.

Match Report:
New Zealand 58-14 Namibia: All Blacks ease to victory over Namibia in second Rugby World Cup outing | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Match 13 - ARG v GEO
Argentina were too strong for Georgia, as was expected.
Match Report:
Argentina 54-9 Georgia: Yellow card for Mamuka Gorgodze proves pivotal at Kingsholm | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 14 15 16 17 18 19

Date NZT 27 Sep 27 Sep 27 Sep 28 Sep 28 Sep 28 Sep

England     South Africa     Italy     Australia     Scotland     Ireland

vs vs vs vs vs vs

Wales    Samoa    Canada    Uruguay    United States    Romania

Winner Wales South Africa Italy Australia Scotland Ireland

Score 28-25 46-6 23-18 65-3 39-16 44-10

Pool A		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Australia		2	2	0	0	93	16	77	14	1	1	0	9
Wales		2	2	0	0	82	34	48	9	1	1	0	9
England		2	1	0	1	60	39	21	5	2	1	1	6
Fiji		2	0	0	2	24	63	-39	2	7	0	0	0
Uruguay		2	0	0	2	12	119	-107	0	19	0	0	0
Pool B		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Scotland		2	2	0	0	84	26	58	10	2	2	0	10
South Africa		2	1	0	1	78	40	38	10	3	2	1	7
Samoa		2	1	0	1	31	62	-31	2	8	0	0	4
Japan		2	1	0	1	44	77	-33	4	9	0	0	4
United States		2	0	0	2	32	64	-32	3	7	0	0	0
Pool C		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand		2	2	0	0	84	30	54	11	2	1	0	9
Argentina		2	1	0	1	70	35	35	8	2	1	0	5
Georgia		2	1	0	1	26	64	-38	2	8	0	0	4
Tonga		1	0	0	1	10	17	-7	1	2	0	1	1
Namibia		1	0	0	1	14	58	-44	1	9	0	0	0
Pool D		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Ireland		2	2	0	0	94	17	77	13	2	2	0	10
France		2	2	0	0	70	21	49	7	2	1	0	9
Italy		2	1	0	1	33	50	-17	3	4	0	0	4
Canada		2	0	0	2	25	73	-48	3	9	0	1	1
Romania		2	0	0	2	21	82	-61	2	11	0	0	0

                                                
                                                
Key:                                                
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference                                                
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points                                                
** Have begun seeing issues viewing ESPN Scrum match reports.
** Seems to be locking up Firefox in XP, the only option I have is to Ctrl Alt Delete & End Process.
** Stab in the dark, I'm guessing it's an issue with java ??
** So have changed over to ESPN UK.
Match 14 - ENG v WAL
Quite a game to watch I gather. The Poms built up a points advantage & lead by 7 with some 15 minutes to go.
The Welsh Boyos suffered 3 injuries in the second half, so it wasn't looking good for them. So the final stanza saw a reserve halfback on the wing who at about 70 mins in, conjured up an amazing break & centering kick that the starting halfback flopped on between the posts and the succesful conversion leveled the scores. A few minutes later Dan Biggar knocked over a penalty from about half way, Wales leading 28-25. The Poms pressed forward, were awarded a penalty within range but a sharp angle, and choose to press for the win, kicking in to the corner. The throw to the front of the lineout was easily covered by the Boyos & the Poms were bundled into touch . . . and that was it, game over.
And by all accounts half of Twickenham went off, as did the Welsh team & no doubt the entire Nation.
A staggering turn of events.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news

Match 15 - SA v SAM
The Bokkies came out firing, obviously stung by their treatment at the hands of Japan, no doubt about this result.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news

Match 16 - ITA v CAN
An expected result but by the sounds of it, Italy were a touch lucky to escape some embarrassment.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news

Match 17 - AUS v URU
Another expected result, Aussie B given too much room to run, Quade Cooper & others relishing the space.
But a couple of injuries apparently ending the tournament for bruising forwards Skelton & Palu though.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news

Match 18 - SCT v USA
A comfortable win in the end for the Bonnie Boys, but USA kept them honest in the first half.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news

Match 19 - IRE v ROM
A comfortable enough win to the Paddies, no problems.

Match Report:
Live rugby 2015 | Aviva Premiership 2015 | Rugby Union fixtures and news
So, mostly all to plan, the big talking point surely being the Wales/England match.
And the English commentators have been scathing in pretty much all cases.

Here's a couple of reports quoting Sir Ted . . .
Sir Graham Henry says England choked against Wales in Rugby World Cup loss | Stuff.co.nz
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11519729
and a few others . .
Rugby World Cup 2015: Stuart Lancaster's substitutions cost England against Wales, says Clive Woodward - Telegraph
Will Carling slams Stuart Lancaster for treating England as schoolboys | Sport | The Guardian
England versus Wales Rugby World Cup match leaves Harry looking glum but Kate and William beaming - Mirror Online

Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 20 21 22 23

Date NZT 30 Sep 02 Oct 02 Oct 03 Oct

Tonga     Wales     France     New Zealand

vs vs vs vs

Namibia    Fiji    Canada    Georgia

Winner Tonga Wales France New Zealand

Score 35-21 23-13 41-18 43-10

Match 20   Tonga vs Namibia   Pool C
A good contest for much of the game by all reports, Tonga emerged the Winners & moved into 2nd place on the table . . . for the moment.

Match Report:    Tonga 35-21 Namibia: Namibia fall short of first Rugby World Cup points after close Tonga defeat | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 21   Wales vs Fiji   Pool A
Another good contest going by the report, Wales took the match but Fiji caused them a few problems and they were never that far away on the scoreboard.

Match Report:    Wales 23-13 Fiji: Win piles pressure on hosts England to defeat Australia | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 22   France vs Canada   Pool D
A brave effort by Canada, always trailing but coming back & keeping in touch . . . until the final quarter.

Match Report:    France 41-18 Canada: France cruise to Rugby World Cup win over Canada with five tries | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 23   New Zealand vs Georgia   Pool C
Well, the AB's got the result, but it seems no one was happy with the performance, & the worlds press loved it
True, it was often scrappy, error ridden & seeming to lack combination.
As Steve Hansen states you don't get gold medals for winning pool games.
According to Richie & Shak, "no need to panic" & "we're trying things & not showing our hand".
So they are playing it cool & keeping their powder dry ??

Match Report:    New Zealand 43-10 Georgia: Error-strewn All Blacks still cruise into last eight | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 24 25 26 27 28

Date NZT 04 Oct 04 Oct 04 Oct 05 Oct 05 Oct

Samoa     South Africa     England     Argentina     Ireland

vs vs vs vs vs

Japan    Scotland    Australia    Tonga    Italy

Winner Japan South Africa Australia Argentina Ireland

Score 26-5 34-16 33-13 45-16 16-9

Pool A		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Australia		3	3	0	0	126	29	97	17	2	1	0	13
Wales		3	3	0	0	105	47	58	11	2	1	0	13
England		3	1	0	2	73	72	1	6	5	1	1	6
Fiji		3	0	0	3	37	86	-49	3	9	0	0	0
Uruguay		2	0	0	2	12	119	-107	0	19	0	0	0
Pool B		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
South Africa		3	2	0	1	112	56	56	13	4	2	1	11
Scotland		3	2	0	1	100	60	40	11	5	2	0	10
Japan		3	2	0	1	70	82	-12	6	10	0	0	8
Samoa		3	1	0	2	36	88	-52	3	10	0	0	4
United States		2	0	0	2	32	64	-32	3	7	0	0	0
Pool C		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand		3	3	0	0	127	40	87	18	3	2	0	14
Argentina		3	2	0	1	115	51	64	13	4	2	0	10
Tonga		3	1	0	2	61	83	-22	8	10	1	1	6
Georgia		3	1	0	2	36	107	-71	3	15	0	0	4
Namibia		2	0	0	2	35	93	-58	4	14	0	0	0
Pool D		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Ireland		3	3	0	0	110	26	84	14	2	2	0	14
France		3	3	0	0	111	39	72	12	4	2	0	14
Italy		3	1	0	2	42	66	-24	3	5	0	1	5
Canada		3	0	0	3	43	114	-71	5	14	0	1	1
Romania		2	0	0	2	21	82	-61	2	11	0	0	0

                                                
                                                
Key:                                                
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference                                                
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points                                                

Match 24   Samoa vs Japan   Pool B
In short, the Rising Sun is on the ascendancy & it's heading towards sunset for Samoa.
A classy display by the Brave Blossoms & ill discipline from the Islanders cost them. Japan had a 20-0 lead at the break, and while Samoa improved in the 2nd half, the game was already out of reach.
Another milestone win for Japan.

Match Report:    Samoa 5-26 Japan: Goromaru dominant again as Eddie Jones' men eye quarterfinals | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 25   South Africa vs Scotland   Pool B
The Bonnie Lads tried hard to match it with the Bokkies but . . . the Bokkies won in comfort.

Match Report:    South Africa 34-16 Scotland: JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana help Springboks close in on quarterfinals | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 26   England vs Australia   Pool A
Hmmm, what can you say?? I expected England to be stung by the loss to Wales & bring more than they did. Once again they made the opposition look good. Thumped by the Aussies.

Match Report:    England 13-33 Australia: Bernard Foley pours on the points as Wallabies humiliate tournament hosts | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 27   Argentina vs Tonga   Pool C
The Argies were too strong for Tonga, a sound victory to firm up a probable position in the last eight.

Match Report:    Argentina 45-16 Tonga: Pumas power towards Rugby World Cup quarterfinals | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 28   Ireland vs Italy   Pool C
The Paddies surprisingly struggled against the Ities on the scoreboard. In the end they held on to chalk up a narrow victory. They will now face off against France to decide the pecking order for the quarters.

Match Report:    Ireland 16-9 Italy: Unconvincing Irish clinch quarterfinal spot in Rugby World Cup | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 29 30 31 32 33

Date NZT 07 Oct 07 Oct 08 Oct 08 Oct 10 Oct

Canada     Fiji     South Africa     Namibia     New Zealand

vs vs vs vs vs

Romania    Uruguay    United States    Georgia    Tonga

Winner Romania Fiji South Africa Georgia New Zealand

Score 17-15 47-15 64-0 17-16 47-9

And the 2 games I thought would be humdingers turned out exactly that way.
Match 29   Canada v Romania   Pool D
Canada started well, leading 8-0 at the break & 15-0 shortly after the restart, 2 tries to nil. However Romania had other ideas & came back the stronger in the second half, scoring 2 tries to match Canada. The final difference was Romania converted both their tries, Canada only one. So Canada bows out of the Cup at 4 & zip.

Match Report:    Canada 15-17 Romania: Vlaicu completes dramatic comeback | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 30   Fiji v Uruguay   Pool A
A good start by Uruguay staying in touch for the first quarter, but Fiji lead 26-10 at halftime. Fiji kept the pressure on, playing in more of their usual style, to stretch away for a comfortable win. And that wraps up Fiji's involvement with perhaps a bit of disappointment for a 1 win record & 4th place in the pool.   

Match Report:    Fiji 47-15 Uruguay: Agustin Ormaechea receives first red card of Rugby World Cup 2015 | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 31   South Africa v United States   Pool B
No surprise here, the Bokkies were too strong. Also a notable game for Bryan Habana who scored a hat trick of tries to equal the record held by our own Jonah Lomu of 15 world cup tries.

Match Report:    South Africa 64-0 USA: Bryan Habana ties Jonah Lomu as Rugby World Cup's all-time leading try scorer | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 32   Namibia v Georgia    Pool C
The other humdinger game, Namibia, a team of mostly amateurs of South African extraction up against the mostly professional Georgians who play in the French leagues. Namibia took the lead with 2 early penalties & held that till halftime. Georgia came back with 2 tries in the 3rd quarter to lead 17-6. At 70-75 mins Namibia came back with a penalty, try & conversion to almost level at 17-16. Georgia then held on to take the game & ensure automatic qualification for RWC 2019 in Japan.

Match Report:    Namibia 16-17 Georgia: All Blacks could seal automatic 2019 spot for Georgians | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 33   New Zealand v Tonga    Pool C
Tonga were talking up their chances earlier in the week & for the first half performance matched the talk.
They ruffled the Kiwi feathers with a solid game both in defence & attack, 14-3 at the break. As we keep hearing, it's a game of 80 minutes, and our boys stepped it up a notch or 2 after the break, for a comfortable win in the end.
No doubt there are still many who are not impressed or convinced.
And the English press have again had a field day.

Match Report:    New Zealand 47-9 Tonga: New Zealand romp to seven try win over Tonga in Rugby World Cup | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Pool A		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Australia		3	3	0	0	126	29	97	17	2	1	0	13
Wales		3	3	0	0	105	47	58	11	2	1	0	13
England		3	1	0	2	73	72	1	6	5	1	1	6
Fiji		4	1	0	3	84	101	-17	10	11	1	0	5
Uruguay		3	0	0	3	27	166	-139	2	26	0	0	0
Pool B		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
South Africa		4	3	0	1	176	56	120	23	4	3	1	16
Scotland		3	2	0	1	100	60	40	11	5	2	0	10
Japan		3	2	0	1	70	82	-12	6	10	0	0	8
Samoa		3	1	0	2	36	88	-52	3	10	0	0	4
United States		3	0	0	3	32	128	-96	3	17	0	0	0
Pool C		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand		4	4	0	0	174	49	125	25	3	3	0	19
Argentina		3	2	0	1	115	51	64	13	4	2	0	10
Georgia		4	2	0	2	53	123	-70	5	16	0	0	8
Tonga		4	1	0	3	70	130	-60	8	17	1	1	6
Namibia		3	0	0	3	51	110	-59	5	16	0	1	1
Pool D		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Ireland		3	3	0	0	110	26	84	14	2	2	0	14
France		3	3	0	0	111	39	72	12	4	2	0	14
Italy		3	1	0	2	42	66	-24	3	5	0	1	5
Romania		3	1	0	2	38	97	-59	4	13	0	0	4
Canada		4	0	0	4	58	131	-73	7	16	0	2	2

                                                
                                                
Key:                                                
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points

[Wolfie33]

Match 34 35 36

Date NZT 11 Oct 11 Oct 11 Oct

Samoa     Australia     England

vs vs vs

Scotland    Wales    Uruguay

Winner Scotland Australia England

Score 36-33 15-6 60-3

Match 34   Samoa v Scotland   Pool B
Quite a match by all accounts, Samoa, playing for pride, brought their A-game & gave the Bonnie lads a bit of a shake up. A fairly hectic first half ended with Samoa leading 26-23. Scotland must have had thistle heads instead of oranges at half time, they showed more resolve & Laidlaw scored with 2 penalties, a try & conversion to lead 36-26 with 6 mins to go. A few minutes later Samoa came back with a converted try, to trail 33-36. That's how it finished with the Bonnie lads hanging on for the final few minutes. Scotland through to the Quarters & Samoa look like finishing 4th in the pool.

Match Report:    Samoa 33-36 Scotland: Greig Laidlaw steers Vern Cotter's men in to Rugby World Cup quarterfinals | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 35   Australia v Wales   Pool A
Quite a match for other reasons. No tries scored, all penalties. Wales had their chances even when Aussie were down to 13 men due to sin bins, but the Aussie defence was "heroic" according to coach Cheika.
Didn't see much of Anscombe, guess he did ok.

Match Report:    Australia 15-6 Wales: Goal-line stand gives Wallabies memorable win | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 36   England v Uruguay   Pool A
Not too much to write home about here. Englands chariot has gone a tad sour.
An expected result, bit of a training run, score of no consequence. Uruguay lead early with a penalty in the first minute, but that was it for the brave South American lads. After that it was all the Poms with hat-tricks of tries to 37 yr old No 8 Nick Easter & winger Jack Nowell.

I plugged in to ESPN's blogcast for this one, quite humurous, here's a few of the high lights  . . .
Min    Comment
0   Are you still watching?
0   Start Of First Half
1   Anthems followed swiftly by kick off followed swiftly by the first Swing Low followed swiftly by the first penalty of the game... to Uruguay!
2   So, who thinks Uruguay might win this game?
5   And here's a scrum, which England must surely be expecting to dominate. Then again, they thought that would be the case against Australia and they turned out to be so wrong...
13   Another rendition of Swing Low echoes around the City of Manchester Stadium.
14   Swing Low didn''t last long and play is halted as Tom Youngs has some treatment.
15   England scrum in midfield and they push and eventually Uruguay concede a penalty which England kick to touch. One fifth of the way into this game and England lead by 4 points. Good job that England didn't come into this game needing to win by 80 points to advance
16   What am I saying, I so wish this game mattered.
17   England's penalty is kicked to the corner and the lineout becomes a rolling maul and Nick Easter, old man that he is, is the one to touch the ball down. 12-3.
20   Slade and Farrell are England's 15th centre pairing under Stuart Lancaster.How many will he try out in the next six years of his contract? He's going to see that contract out, right?
23   Nick Easter is 37. Lancaster trying out the youngsters in this meaningless game.
27   Sweet Chariot rings out for the third time this evening by my count. How many times will we hear it tonight?
30   And here comes the Mexican Wave.
31   Are you having fun yet?
32   Uruguay are trying to run the ball but eventually knock on. Swing Low Number Four rings out.
33   England's scrum on the edge of their own 22 is shoved back by the lighter Uruguayans. England boot the ball clear but that wasn't particularly impressive.
34   If one of the teams here are to be credited for inventiveness, it's not England. There's a clear gulf in class but England not capitalising.
36   England switch the ball back and forth and Goode tries to break the line, but it's all a bit too pedestrian.
39   Ben Cohen doesn't appear to have bothered turning up for "the wrong party!. His Twitter page is full of talk about Strictly Come Dancing.
42   So, apparently not everyone thinks that Stuart Lancaster will get to see out his six year contract.
42   End Of First Half
48   Not even a Swing Low in this second half to cheer us up.
58   Farrell boots that one between the sticks and it's 38-3. Uruguay looking tired. England's previously-unused adventurous backs profiting.
59   Joseph is going to come on and will play alongside Slade. England taking Farrell off - it turns out that England really didn't need a specialist kicker in this game.
60   Swing Low Number Five. And an England rolling maul into the blue 22. Who'd have thunk it.
61   A big shove and Nick Easter gets a hat-trick. That's a boost for England's 2019 RWC campaign. Easter will only be 41 by then.
62   Ford misses the conversion but it's now 43-3 and those points are not particularly (at all) crucial.
66   Some of you would like some more singing:
67   And is followed by Swing Low Number Five.
76   Swing Low Number Six.
77   England's forwards inch their way away from the line and then Wigglesworth kicks the ball clear. Uruguay have the ball and are inching their own way into the England half. Swing Low Number Seven.
80' +2   End Of Second Half

What they appear to have missed is that at one stage paper planes were being launched from the upper spectator levels. Apparently the biggest cheer of the night was when 1 plane actually reached the playing field.   
Oh, & in among all that lot was other stuff . . .  like tries scored, penalty kicks, scrum happenings, breaks, fumbles, yellow cards,  you know . . . unimportant stuff. 

Match Report:    England 60-3 Uruguay: Nick Easter man of the match as England bow out of RWC with Uruguay win | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

[Wolfie33]

Match 37 38 39 40

Date NZT 12 Oct 12 Oct 12 Oct 12 Oct

Argentina     Italy     France     United States

vs vs vs vs

Namibia    Romania    Ireland    Japan

Winner Argentina Italy Ireland Japan

Score 64-19 32-22 24-9 28-18

Match 37   Argentina v Namibia   Pool C
Not much on this game, the Argies had already qualified for the quarters & just needed a win here to ink it in. They rested a few of their top line & still managed a comfortable win.
So the Argies finish 2nd in the pool, & Namibia last on 1 point.

Match Report:    Argentina 64-19 Namibia: Pumas score nine tries to complete Pool C rout | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 38   Italy v Romania   Pool D
Quite a bit of incentive here, the winner would cement 3rd place in the pool & gain auto qualification for RWC 2019. The Ities got out of the blocks well to lead at the break 22-3, 3 tries on the board. However the Romanians were the stronger in the 2nd half & won the half 19-10, but not by enough to overhaul the difference. So Italy grab the spot for RWC2019.

Match Report:    Italy 32-22 Romania: Six Nations side see off threat to book place at Rugby World Cup 2019 | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 39   France v Ireland   Pool D
A good bit of incentive here too, they were playing for position, which team will face the AB's or potentially the easier Argies in the Quarters. Quite a torrid match by all accounts, with Ireland copping a few injuries to key men & a likely referral to the disciplinary committee for an Irish punch.
From what I gather, it was a fairly even first half with the Paddies leading 9-6 at the break. Two tries in the 2nd half effectively sealed the win & the easier path through the Quarters for Ireland, while the Frogs will have to face the AB's.

Match Report:    Ireland 9-24 Italy: Ireland top Pool D with win over France in Rugby World Cup | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum
(ignore the scores & teams, ESPN seem to have got that wrong)


Match 40   United States v Japan   Pool B
The Brave Blossoms wanted to finish their RWC on a high, & also cement in 3rd place in the pool & auto qualification for RWC2019 being held in Japan. Out of the blocks they did themselves proud, 2 tries to one & a half time lead of 17-8. The second half was pretty even, final score 28-18.
Japan have been eye opening in this tournament, who will ever forget the win over power house South Africa.
Eddie Jones has performed miracles in turning the team into a classy competitive side.
And Otago's own Tanaka played a big part, not to mention the many Kiwis in the side.

Match Report:    Japan 28-18 USA: Japan bow out of Rugby World Cup with win over USA | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

So, that's the last of the pool games . . . the jostling for the top spots is over, and the money games now beckon.


Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Pool Tables
Here's the final table standings as at the end of the pool games - Match 40.
    The top 2 in each pool progress to the quarter finals.
    The top 3 in each pool gain automatic qualification for World Cup 2019 in Japan.
    Japan are the first Nation to win 3 games & not earn a quarter final spot.

Pool A		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Australia		4	4	0	0	141	35	106	17	2	1	0	17
Wales		4	3	0	1	111	62	49	11	2	1	0	13
England		4	2	0	2	133	75	58	16	5	2	1	11
Fiji		4	1	0	3	84	101	-17	10	11	1	0	5
Uruguay		4	0	0	4	30	226	-196	2	36	0	0	0
Pool B		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
South Africa		4	3	0	1	176	56	120	23	4	3	1	16
Scotland		4	3	0	1	136	93	43	14	9	2	0	14
Japan		4	3	0	1	98	100	-2	9	12	0	0	12
Samoa		4	1	0	3	69	124	-55	7	13	1	1	6
United States		4	0	0	4	50	156	-106	5	20	0	0	0
Pool C		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
New Zealand		4	4	0	0	174	49	125	25	3	3	0	19
Argentina		4	3	0	1	179	70	109	22	7	3	0	15
Georgia		4	2	0	2	53	123	-70	5	16	0	0	8
Tonga		4	1	0	3	70	130	-60	8	17	1	1	6
Namibia		4	0	0	4	70	174	-104	8	25	0	1	1
Pool D		P	W	D	L	F	A	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts
Ireland		4	4	0	0	134	35	99	16	2	2	0	18
France		4	3	0	1	120	63	57	12	6	2	0	14
Italy		4	2	0	2	74	88	-14	7	8	1	1	10
Romania		4	1	0	3	60	129	-69	7	17	0	0	4
Canada		4	0	0	4	58	131	-73	7	16	0	2	2

                                                
                                                
Key:
P - Played   W - Won   D - Drawn   L - Lost   F - Points For    A - Points Against   PD - Points Difference   
TF - Tries For   TA - Tries Against   TBP - Bonus Points Tries   LBP - Bonus Points Losing   Pts - Points

[Wolfie33]

Match 41 - QF1 42 - QF2

Date NZT 18 Oct 18 Oct

South Africa     New Zealand

vs vs

Wales    France

Winner South Africa New Zealand

Score 23-19 62-13

Match 41   South Africa v Wales   Quarter Final 1
Our picksters favoured the Bokkies roughly 2 to 1, and so it turned out. But they only just got there.
I only saw the last quarter, but going by the reports . . .
Wales came out of the shed fizzing & should have perhaps had a couple of tries on the board early, only being let down by handling at crucial times. As it was the Bokkies held the early lead through penalties. The Boyos did grab a try eventually & held the lead at the break 13-12 & generally had the better of the half.

After oranges, the Bokkies ramped it up, consistently probing on attack. The pressure eventually told when they grabbed a try out wide with a few minutes left. So, a win & they are through, but not entirely convincing, & the Welsh could be considered a tad unlucky. The telling difference between the two teams were the penalties given up by Wales & converted by the Bokkies.

Match Report:    South Africa 23-19 Wales: Springboks captain Fourie du Preez breaks Welsh hearts | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 42   New Zealand v France   Quarter Final 2
It's fair to say there was a good bit of nervousness prior to this game.
Which French team would turn up? And what might happen that may light their fuse?
Answer? In short, ordinary . . . & nothing!
It's also fair to say that the bogies have been well & truly buried.

A smoking start by the AB's, playing freely, looking for width, applying constant pressure with accuracy.
At the break, our boys were up 29-13, 4 tries to 1, and a rather fortunate Frog try at that.
I'm still a tad amazed at the 2nd half, so many highlights it's hard to pick the best moments. 
Final score 62-13 (a record for a World Cup QF) 9 tries to 1, a hat trick to Savea, & a double to Kerr-Barlow who only played some 16 mins.

My view. The forwards can take a huge bow, they laid the platform early & maintained that thoughout. What was most pleasing was seeing the entire 23 getting a run & doing it well, & especially seeing the offloads some of the forwards came up with. Hats off to Joe Moody too, brilliant cameo considering he was only let through the gates at Heathrow a few days back.
The Froggie centre Fofana seemed to find gaps in our defence quite often, & that is a worry, even if we did have the breaks covered eventually.

Match Report:    New Zealand 62-13 France: Awesome All Blacks fly into Rugby World Cup semifinal | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum

Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 43 - QF3 44 - QF4

Date NZT 19-Oct 19-Oct

Ireland     Australia

vs vs

Argentina    Scotland

Winner Argentina Australia

Score 43-20 35-34

Match 43   Ireland v Argentina   Quarter Final 3
Our picksters favoured the Irish roughly 4 to 1, however the Argies didn't get the memo.
Out of the blocks & the Irish looked to be somewhat disorganised & the Argies took advantage, 2 tries within 10 minutes & 17-0 up after 15. To their credit the Paddies resolve stiffened & they came back with a try of their own, but still trailed 20-10 at half time.

After the break, the 3rd quarter saw the Paddies strike back again with a converted try & a penalty, to a penalty to the Argies who still lead 23-20 after 60 mins. Here on, the Argies had the upper hand, finishing the stronger with 2 more tries & a few kicks to close out the game.

Match Report:    Ireland 20-43 Argentina: Pumas power into Rugby World Cup semifinals as southern hemisphere clean sw | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 44   Australia v Scotland   Quarter Final 4
Almost everyone was picking the Aussies to take this one by a decent margin, especially considering their pool games form.
The Aussies had a couple out with injury, the Bonnie lads had consumed their thistles, a bit of rain possible, this could well be interesting.

The Aussies came out of the shed & piled on the pressure & were rewarded with an early try, but the Scots they kept a coming, & with a few penalties & a converted try, they held the lead for the 2nd quarter. Aussie scored a late try to trail 15-16 at the break.

An early try to the Aussies after the restart saw them take the lead, but it was again almost level at 60 mins 25-24 to Aussie. More tries & penalties to either side saw the game poised at 34-32 to the Bonnie lads with some 5 minutes left. The final stanza in this game was a controversial penalty awarded against Scotland with a minute to go, which Foley duly slotted to take the game.
So Aussie completed the Southern Hemisphere shut out for the semi finals.
Gotta say however, Aussie did not look all that convincing, & the brave Bonnie lads nearly pulled it off!!

Match Report:    Australia 35-34 Scotland: Bernard Foley saves Wallabies and sets up Argentina semifinal clash in Rug | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Humour time !!

A bird picks better than I do

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11530838&ref=rss
Joubert denies 'Richie the Macaw' a clean sweep | Sport24

 

[Wolfie33]

Match 45 - SF1 46 - SF2

Date NZT 25 Oct 26 Oct

South Africa     Argentina

vs vs

New Zealand    Australia

Winner NZ Australia

Score 20-18 29-15

Match 45   South Africa v New Zealand   Semi Final 1
Our lot all picked the AB's to win, & about 2 to 1 by 13 or more.
It didn't quite happen that way, and turned into a bit of a grind. I got up early to watch it live on freeview, & have to admit after some 30 minutes, I began doing other stuff & only had a quick glance when I heard some rising crowd noise. A better 2nd half saw a deserved win to the AB's (probably), 2 tries to nil, a bit of rain, but far too many penalties given away which the Bokkies converted with ease to stay in the game.
The replay later on, I thought revealed an absorbing game & we generally had the upper hand, but some of those penalties were a tad mystifying. We will need to sort that out for the final.
So the AB's go through to the money game while the Bokkies are consigned to that other game that no one really wants to play.

Match Report:    South Africa 18-20 New Zealand: All Blacks fight back to reach Rugby World Cup 2015 final | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Match 46   Argentina v Australia   Semi Final 2
Aussie was favoured 8 to 5 in our picks, so the Argies were in with a chance, right?. Yeah sure!
The Argies were under the pump early with the Aussie's grabbing an intercept try within 2 minutes and a second shortly after, to lead 14-3 after 10. A third try at about 30 mins & at the break Aussie lead 19-9.
A bit of penalty ping pong & a fourth try with some 10 mins left saw Aussie wrap it up 29-15 & a hat trick to Ashley-Cooper.
So the Aussie's are through to face the AB's in the final, & the Argies will play off against the Bookies for 3rd/4th.

Match Report:    Argentina 15-29 Australia: Pumas caught cold as Wallabies progress | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Cheers     

[Wolfie33]

Match 47 - Bronze 48 - Final

Date NZT 31-Oct 01 Nov

South Africa     New Zealand

vs vs

Argentina    Australia

Winner South Africa NZ

Score 24-13 34-17

Match 47   South Africa v Argentina   Bronze Play Off
Our lot all picked the Bokkies to win, (with one exception & we won't mention that fella's name) & that is exactly how it turned out. At the first whistle the Bokkies piled it on, & the Argies found themselves under pressure early with a yellow card to half back Cubelli, & Pietersen was in for a try within a minute. A few penalties & the Bokkies lead 16-0 at the break.
After oranges, the Bokkies scored a quick try to Etzebeth but the Argies started to gain more possession & began to run the ball at every opportunity. But handling errors so often let them down just as things started to look promising. They mounted a stirring push late in the game & managed a try just into overtime & that made the scoreboard look better.
Habana, by his own standards, had a shocker with the ball, bombing 4 chances by all accounts in the first 40 to score a World Cup record breaking try, maybe he was trying just a tad too hard??
And that was the curtain raiser . . . and I have to say I expected a little more from the Argies in the last few games but hats off to the their supporters who were always positive & jubilant, great to see.


Match 48   New Zealand v Australia   FINAL
Our picksters all went for the AB's (funny that!) and were picking a win of 13 or less at about 2-1.
The first stanza was a bit of a sorting out period, a few breaks, a lot of kicking, a few crunching defence moments by our boys, a busy spell from Savea, & then just before the break . . . a well worked wrap around try to Milner-Skudder. Half time 16-3.
Out of the shed after the break & SBW is subbed on for Conrad Smith. SBW is quickly into the game, sucks in 3 Aussie defenders on half way & somehow manages an offload to Nonu in what looks like a messy situation . . . but Nonu skips through on an angle for a great run leaving 2 defenders sprawled in in his wake & goes over in a tackle for a try, 21-3.

Some 10 mins later Ben Smith has a touch of brain fade with a lifting tackle & spends 10 mins in the naughty chair. The tackle was certainly not dangerous, but he did lift the guy a bit, and a 2nd Aussie in support pushing forward & down made things look worse than it was. And the TMO seemed to sway the Ump's mind a fair bit. That 10 minutes proved costly for our boys with Aussie nabbing 2 tries, the first from a driving maul, but I admit the 2nd was top stuff, a deft chip kick into space from Genia, great chase & gather, and support runners following up.
So, some 15 mins to go & the AB's lead is down to 4 points, 21-17.

The AB's wrung the changes with subs, DC snapped over a dropped goal, knocked over a penalty, & with a few mins left, the lead was back to 10, 27-17. In the final few moments, Ben Smith & Beauden Barrett conjured a stunning bit of magic. Smith gathered a spilled Aussie ball, dodged a few tacklers & punted forward. Barrett showing sizzling pace, steamed past the chasing defenders to gather & score a defining try. Carter pulled a right footed conversion out of the hat, game over, All Blacks victorious 34-17 & a few World Cup records set.


Match Report:    Rugby World Cup final: Awesome All Blacks make history | Live Rugby Match Pack | ESPN Scrum


Cheers