Wogball in crisis

Surely the Soccer WC is the joke if NZ is one of the elite teams. It's a country of a few million people where soccer is the No 3 football code and most of the population are genetically unsuited to it.

Yes, but it has to be balanced geographically, or all the teams would be from Europe and South America.

JGK wrote:Surely the Soccer WC is the joke if NZ is one of the elite teams. It's a country of a few million people where soccer is the No 3 football code and most of the population are genetically unsuited to it.

What, because most of them are of British origin you mean?

Shoeshine wrote:Yes, but it has to be balanced geographically, or all the teams would be from Europe and South America.

The Norman influence . . .

DJ_Smerk wrote:Also, Lebanon appear to be one of the 'elite' teams in the Rugby League world....what is going on?


Can someone break down for me the difference between Joke Rugby and Rugby Union because I have no motivation in looking it up for myself...

In "Joke Rugby", more commonly known as Rugby League, the rules encourage players to run the ball in an effort to score tries.

In Rugby Union, also known as "Kick and Clap", the rules encourage players to kick the ball into touch in an effort to gain field position and kick penalty goals.

Rugby Union has facets of both, running and kicking. It's just down to the coaching and/or individual player where they decide to do what and where. It has the ability to provide entertaining phases with both elements, depending on the situation.

Union, is naturally a game of territory and every yard counts; hence why no-one will argue with the referee in fear of being pushed 10 yards back, and vice versa.

I just don't see the enjoyment in one touch, roll behind rugby.

Yeah, rugby league is basically rugby with most of the interesting bits taken out - meaningful scrums, line-outs, rucks and mauls etc. It's one-dimensional, five tackles then if you don't score a try then kick for the corner and hope for the best.

I agree that most of the union internationals haven't been great recently though and the kicking is dominating too much, there needs to be a balance. It's fair enough for teams to kick it away or go for the drop goal etc. if they have had a few phases of play and aren't getting anywhere but too often we are seeing kick tennis with no attempt to run the ball.

Smerky and Beamer - I replied over on the Autumn Internationals thread. I thought it was more relevant to the discussion there and might help to keep the conversation in one place.

It's a shame India can't qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The world is being denied of the chance to hear commentary about this bloke. (Clicky linky.)

beamer wrote:

JGK wrote:I'm not sure of seedings but it would be grouse if there was a WC group of England, Aust, NZ and SAf.

England should be seeded, and I guess the Yarpies will be as hosts even though they're not actually any good, so unlikely they can be drawn together. Aus and NZ could meet in the group stage I believe, as they no longer officially represent the same continent.

NZ would be in the 4th pot, England in the 1st pot; Aust are a chance of being in the second pot on current rankings so it would need Safs to be in third pot.

Hey if Ireland beat France?

the occasion would even up the gulf in class.

phurt! Where's the evidence over say, the last 4 years, that England is any better than Australia.

JGK wrote:

beamer wrote:

JGK wrote:I'm not sure of seedings but it would be grouse if there was a WC group of England, Aust, NZ and SAf.

England should be seeded, and I guess the Yarpies will be as hosts even though they're not actually any good, so unlikely they can be drawn together. Aus and NZ could meet in the group stage I believe, as they no longer officially represent the same continent.

NZ would be in the 4th pot, England in the 1st pot; Aust are a chance of being in the second pot on current rankings so it would need Safs to be in third pot.

If it's the same as last time, there is only one seeded pot, the remaining 24 teams are all treated equally, with the only rule being that teams from the same continent are kept apart so no continent other than Europe has 2 teams in the same group, and Europe doesn't have 3 teams in the same group.

The seeded pot always contains the hosts, to maximise their chances of progressing, although in footballing terms it's crazy to think of SA being seeded - that has the potential to create a really weak group.

It's mundanely tragic that a decent set of battlers like Ireland will be out, but The Soccanoozas will be there.

All in the name of spreading the worldwide brand of chaseball, I guess.

Gayball will always be an after thought in this country. The Gay League is losing millions a year, with crowds rarely hitting the 10K mark even when they play in the summer and don't have to compete with real footy.