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Rugby (6N, Rugby Championship, IRB 7s, etc.)

Me thinks the Boks are playing possum again pre-World Cup, but I'm not sure how well this strategy and overall Tresselball philosophy will work out this time. Oz seems to be back on the upswing and while NZ is wont to shyte the bed in the WC, it is at home for them this time.
 
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I think the the All-Blacks are in form and will be very, very difficult to beat. I agree, the Aussies are looking better.

SA is playing a B team and resting several good guys. They have done this every time they won the World Cup, but I would be very pleasantly surprised if they won it this time.
 
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Thanks, BB.

I'm pulling for them, too, Steve; especially since I just bought a second Boks jersey.

I also think that the first two away 3N losses shouldn't be taken too heavily. The A-side talent will be back, but I still worry a little about the set piece/kick-focused style of play.
 
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RugbyBuck;1962849; said:
Thanks, BB.

I'm pulling for them, too, Steve; especially since I just bought a second Boks jersey.

I also think that the first two away 3N losses shouldn't be taken too heavily. The A-side talent will be back, but I still worry a little about the set piece/kick-focused style of play.

I wouldn't be surprised if they lose all their Tri-N games. Boks are seriously over-played and Tim Noakes has them very much fearing what will happen if folks aren't rested. Some will be back for last two games but still not at match strength.

2nd Bok jersey? My goodness, you have such good taste! :banger:
 
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Canada Comes Back to Beat USA

The Canadian Men's National Rugby Team beat the USA Eagles, 28-22, to retain the Can/Am Trophy at BMO Field in Toronto earlier today.

With the Toronto skyline in the background and 10,621 in attendance, "The Battle at BMO Field" was a hugely physical encounter between two sides determined to outmatch each other in the first ever rugby match held at the stadium.

Canada kicked off to start the match and the USA recovered, but a poor kick directly into touch by flyhalf Nese Malifa halted the Eagles attack. Canada took the lineout at the USA?s 22-meter line and several minutes of back-and-forth play ensued. The Eagles tried to get mauls going off the lineouts but Canada was able to halt them in their tracks.

Continued...
 
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At this point I'm sure that everyone is tired of reading this from me and I'm certainly tired of writing it: For the love of all whom are dear and all that are holy, please get us a motherfcuking flyhalf!

Yes, I understand that it's too late to do that going into the World Cup in three weeks, but that's part of my frustration. It would be different if the Eagles sucked, but we FINALLY don't. We have some solid players with high-end foreign experience now, but we've got some others that seem to just keep being capped because they keep being capped. It's tough to win without at least a solid quarterback or point guard and the same goes for flyhalf. I doubt that we'll make it out of our RWC pool (although for once we have a side that could) largely because of inadequacy at flyhalf and center (quarterback and tailback). The tries we scored against Canada this weekend were in spite of not because of Malifa. We will be hopelessly outgunned at #10 with Cooper for Australia and either O'Gara or Sexton for Ireland in our pool.

Why did someone not start working on this a year ago, Wes?
 
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Unfortunately Eddie didn't ask you or I...:biggrin:

I don't know that there are any options around that are the level of a guy like Cooper but it was painfully obvious last weekend that Malifa is not the long-term answer.
 
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wadc45;1966531; said:
Unfortunately Eddie didn't ask you or I...:biggrin:

I don't know that there are any options around that are the level of a guy like Cooper but it was painfully obvious last weekend that Malifa is not the long-term answer.

He must've lost my number, but I don't understand how because I've emailed him over a hundred times. Clearly, must be an oversight. :biggrin:
 
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Starting flyhalf is #10; replacement's # will be in the low 20's. He would be the quarterback in football in a shotgun, if the center could run with the ball. Not the best analogy, but roughly accurate. The point is that the offense moves through the flyhalf.

I'm even more discouraged with the US after watching the final pre-RWC match against Japan yesterday. Japan played its ass off and the only reason the score was close was because of two heads-up, but fluke plays by one player on our side. We had ZERO organized offense.
 
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I didn't get to the see the game but I know they rested Todd and heard Paul played well...more of the same from Malifa? Sounds like the game was very sloppy in the rain. MacDonald clearly to gives up the first try by not scraping across quickly enough.

Here are the "highlights":

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpMezB1FnuQ"]Japan gives USA another Rugby loss - from Universal Sports - YouTube[/ame]

Swiryn's try might be one of the biggest flukes I've ever seen in an international match...
 
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Yes, two flukes, but Swiryn plays hard and seems to put himself in the right spot to take advantage of things like that. I feel bad for him, Emerick and the forwards. They all played hard and the ball just got out too slowly. I don't think it was Petri's fault. He could've been faster, but given the conditions, I think he played very well. The biggest problem to me was that Malifa was camped out WAAAAY to far back and didn't move onto the ball at all. We just had nothing going forward. Add a couple of errant kicks again and, well... we lose to Japan.

On that note, it was hard not to pull for Japan. They played with a ton of heart and almost lost it anyway. I will be pulling for them in the RWC. Also, it was entertaining as hell to watch in the rain. It wasn't nearly as sloppy as I would've expected.
 
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Caravelli Steps Down

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Al Caravelli has stepped down as the head coach of the USA Men's Eagle Sevens team due to personal reasons, effective immediately.

Caravelli started his term as head coach in 2006 and led the USA to its first-ever Cup final appearance in Adelaide in 2010 and a bronze medal campaign at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Continued...
 
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