RWC RANT NO. 10

ON FIJI

I agree with all my fellow pundits; Fiji definitely got the short straw and could have achieved so much more in a different pool, but that’s life and as they say ‘that’s the luck of the draw’ – mind you I think it was more contrived than luck. But it’s clear many underestimated the ability of the Fijians, which was again reaffirmed with Wales securing an equally unconvincing win as England and the Wallabies considering the difference in funding, player drain and professional infrastructure. The Flying Fijians should put Uruguay to the sword, giving them one good win for the tournament, which should provide a deserved silver lining of more Fijian players securing overseas contracts so they can continue playing high level rugby between World Cups. I believe they will be a very different team in Japan in 4 years time. Hopefully McKee hangs around. They certainly seem to be responding and adjusting to some much needed structured play to set them up for their flamboyance.

ON AUSTRALIA V ENGLAND

It will either be a ‘must win game’ or ‘must not lose game’ and there is a big difference. The way the coach and team decide on the approach comes down to the level of pressure applied. If we’re talking about pressure, there’s a great deal more on Lancaster than Cheika and the weight on the English team’s shoulders eclipses their Wallaby counterparts. Both coaches had to make significant changes in multiple areas but Lancaster has had since 2011, while Cheika was only appointed in 2014 just before the end of season tour. Wallaby fans have their fingers and toes crossed but have the escape clause of saying we’ve done better than we thought we would based on how the team was travelling before Cheika came on board. Whereas, the English have been steadily talking it up and they are the home nation with their usual air of arrogance. Twickenham will be more of a pressure cooker for England than the Aussies, but that crowd singing ‘Swing Low’ can smoother the confidence out of any team and has got to be worth at least 10-15 points. There are two things I am hoping for, firstly, the game doesn’t turn into a kicking competition and, second the referee is consistent with the way the laws have been adjudicated so far in the tournament. For mine, England will adopt the ‘we must not lose’ mentality and that may be the flaw in their system, whereas the Wallabies will be more laidback and adopt the same as usual ‘one win at a time’ approach. I think it will be close almost too close to call. But I think the Wallabies may be get the edge.

RUGBY MAINTAINS ITS POPULARITY

While I enjoy watching a bit of league (go the mighty Red Vs) Rugby is my No.1 sporting passion, so when given the chance I’ll put the boot in. The current figures confirm that rugby union – the original game – still monsters league at an international level (Soccer/Football will not enter this conversation).

Here are the facts:

– 2013 Rugby League World Cup – Total attendance figures approx. 570,000 (Host Nation, England)

– 2015 Rugby World Cup – Total attendance during pool matches so far approx. 983,000 (Host Nation, England). Final figure will be well over 1 million! BOOYAH! Proving rugby is truly an international game and league is a limping counterfeit.