Only in America :lol: :lol: :lol:

He's got four kids, so it obviously didn't do any long term damage.

Well I agree with bigoldalphamale to a point. If we got really serious about rugby, we could be really good at it, but the point is that we won't. The end result is.... always getting our ass handed to us in the World Cup, if we manage to make it that is. They oughta make a special grouping where all the weaker teams play each other in the WC, so they can get some confidence and maybe, just maybe upset a big team. Rugby players are just so much more tougher than football players, these guys bleed through phases, they don't run over to the sideline asking for a Band-Aid. What the NFL teams need to do is start recruiting it's kickers from rugby, they're pretty damn good. Doubtful that the rugby guys will do it, but hey, it's worth a shot. Anyways, I side with my international friends on this one, rugby players are more physically adept than football players are, bar none. And plus, Arrington would probably feel really woosy too after getting hit by even, Jonah I daresay, he can lay down some hits too, even with bad kidneys.

Anyone want to speak up now that the All Blacks have smoked the Aussies and South Africans? Anyone want to talk about who is the favorite to win the RWC? Anyone?

That's what I thought. Methinks they're hitting their stride, the All Blacks are...

Oh, and in my opinion, the three events in the poll are equally compelling. Just depends on the time of the year.

rugby is damn fun, and hardcore, but i'd have to say that aussie rules football is the most extreme sport i know of. basically, to my understanding, is that 'aussie' means 'no'

i would love to see NFL atheletes try and play rugby..who wouldnt want to see lincoln kennedy or tony siragusa try and play prop!

oh, and go canada! get beat by the maoris 52-10!
lol

Are these just different leagues or something?

Well, Super 12 rugby can be compared to the National Football League, cept that S12 is international with the Aussies, Kiwis, and I believe some South Pacific Island nations participating. The NFL comparison comes into play, because it's not just nations competing, more like regions or cities competing. Six Nations is Northern Hemisphere Rugby with England, Ireland, Italy, France, Scotland, and one other I can't remember that compete for the Six Nations Championship. Tri Nations is considered the creme de la creme of rugby, with the three world power houses of S. Africa, Australia, and New Zealand competing for the TN Championship. The SN and TN playoff series is basically a tune up for World Cup Rugby. And, Siddhartha, I agree, the All Blacks are finally hitting their stride and are the clear favorites to win the World Cup.

Mwahaaa!! 2003 New Zealand All Blacks- Tri-Nations Champions and Bledisloe Cup Winners and future RWC Champions. (I know a little late, but my international peeps need to post more).

Tri nations. Go the Wallabies!!!!!

Damn those Springboks are dirty buggers.

Yeah. Aussie are angels, though. They'd never get sent off for dangerous tackles.

Did you see it when Griegan tried to tell the ref in the Blacks/Wallabies game (when they were trying to figure out if a play was a try, or if the Blacks player lost the ball forward) what was going on and what happened. The ref just said "We know, we know." and basically told him to shut up.

The best Gregan moment was when Jerry Collins reached over the ruck and picked up the ball. The look on Gregan's face when the ref told him it was legit was priceless!

that was such a strange moment. it was like the whole game just paused for a moment, while jerry reached in and took it.

but my fav facial expression was wendel just after he took muliaini in the air (in their first tri nations clash)... he was like, ´what? what?´ - now that was funny.

archer, its pretty much georgies thing to get in there and tell the ref the rules.

have to hand it to the kiwis... absolutely amazing performance... easily the best team around, by far.

they´ve got easily the best back line i´ve ever seen. and that defence in the second half of the last bledisloe game - rock solid. the all blacks in their stride are going to be impossible to stop this world cup.

even with our full strength wallaby squad they taught us a lesson.

as for dirty bokka tactics... well i think in the first bledisloe match, the wallabies played fairly dirty as well (at one point i thought the only tactic eddie jones had put forward was to take out the kiwi back three)... but everyone knows that the dirty teams are France, England and South Africa.

I know it is, I just love the ref's reactions in rugby, so much better than football, basketball, or hockey, even soccer, I just love it. It's just too funny to see these little tiny referees tell these big huge backs what they did wrong and the backs look like they've been admonished by their mother (looking at the floor, or maybe the ref since they're so short, nodding and saying "I'm sorry,"). And yeah, the dirty teams are France, England and the Boks.

Almost right.

S12 is basically club rugby from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

And now that the All Blacks rightly have the Bledisloe, I really can't care about the world cup :D

But All Blacks look damn hot to win it.

Allblacks would definitely be the favourites going into the cup but I think the Aussies can be quietly confident after their performance the other night. They at least showed they have the potential to do it. England is still a big threat too me thinks...

I think the Bledisloe is the best yearly competition (in the southern hemisphere anyway).

Anyone going to any of the world cup games??? I've got tickets to about 8 or 9 matches and can't wait till October comes around.

Tri-nations has become the one tourney I look forward to each year (except for the World Cup), but with England currently the best side in the World, The World Cup would be the best playoff series (why isnt it in the poll).

I wish.

Because of the stupid NZRFU messing up the co-host agreement, to see the tickets I have to buy some sort of package which includes inflated air fares and accomodation. Apparently they go for NZ$4000 a pop.

Jesus!!!

That's a bit steep aye.

I was lucky and managed to get tickets to all games in my city. Some from as little as $5. Unbelievable! These games might not be that good but there'll still be a bit of atmosphere around.

It's a real shame NZ couldn't get their act together for the cup. Especially considering the form that they have been in recently.

Hey if any mod reads this, can you please place a "World Cup" option on the poll? Thanks.

did just see the latest rugby results correctly?
did France just beat England...?

have the Poms peaked too early??
and are the French coming into dangerous form??

imo, yes and maybe...

Ireland thrashed Italy, and Argentina thrashed Canada... no surprise here.

wish this World Cup would just bloody hurry up!!
i´m sick of all this speculation...

Poms are overrated... which is what we've been saying since June.

They were lucky to beat NZ (in NZ's first "new-look" outing mind you), and Australia knew that this season they were in for a shocker, so there's no surprises really.

Although France love upset wins... /me bitterly remembers 1999

Super 12 has started back up again? And who's ready for some RWC!!!??

Oh god no!

The New Zealand NPC (local rugby championship) has started, with only a couple of all-blacks being released to play, looks like a really good season.

But yeh, bring on the RWC!!

is the current RWC Qantas ad being shown anywhere else?

well, if its not, it has several portraits of one famous player from most of the top competing countries sitting in famous locations of their homeland, with their name written above.

anyway, the point is, with all of these great players like Tana Umaga, Martin Johnson etc... theres one glaring mistake.

with the Canadians, the ad just says, 'the Canadians'. no names.
does qantas not know who plays for Canada..?
i think its pretty unfair. i mean, they even name the Fijian player, and they're just about as competitive as Canada.


anyway... bring it on!

Wallabies vs Pumas to start things off.
that should be a good game.

I'd say Fijians are more competetive than Canadians, perhaps not as a team, but a lot of their wingers play in New Zealand for the Super 12.

But, I agree, it sounds like shabby advertising.

Hmmm, the Fiji team for the RWC may not be as good this year (like it matters for the US they're gonna be everyone's bitch) because most of the Fijian all-stars aren't going to play for Fiji in the RWC, at least, that's what I heard and I could be wrong.

YEA GO ALL BLACKS!!!!!!!!!

The six Nations, just because their are only 6 nations which play good RUGBY!!! The rest has to pratice more often!!!!

An NZ fan

??

those six nations being England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy ??

they all play good rugby??

what do you mean the rest need to practice more?

I'm in Australia. I don't see the big deal about rugby, I've tried watching it, but I don't liek it. Same about cricket, boring and slow to me. AFL I don't mind. American football I don't mind either, although we only really get coverage of the superbowl. I like soccer best though. Atleast for you rugby fans, world rugby interest is slowly getting bigger and bigger.