#Rugby World Cup Predictions

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Rugby Swag Show: Rugby World Cup Recaps and Predictions - Week 3

New Podcast Episode: Nigeria Rugby competes for Olympic qualification. USA takes on Stade Toulousain and Rugby World Cup previews and reviews.

We are back with the Rugby World Cup. We’re taking a look at what happened in Week 2. Take a look into the Nigeria Rugby team missing the Olympics. What we believe is going to happen in the Week 3 of the Rugby World Cup.

[aus-wnt]

Caitlin Foord: ‘Men think women’s football is a ‘pussy’ sport’

Despite overtaking the Wallabies to become the third most popular national team in Australia, Matildas star Caitlin Foord says some Australians still see women’s football as a “weaker sport” - but she predicts that’s about to change.

Australians are on the cusp of witnessing one of the country’s most significant sporting tournaments when the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kicks off this month here and in New Zealand. And the excitement is demonstrably palpable: with more than a million tickets already sold, the event (which takes place from July 20 till August 20) is on track to become the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history.

For Matildas star forward Caitlin Foord, this World Cup will mark her fourth; in 2011, she became the youngest Australian ever to play in the tournament. ​​And to think her record-breaking career may never have happened. “Rugby league was what my family supported and I wanted to play rugby league when I was younger,” Foord tells Stellar. “But my nan told Mum that if she let me play then she would never speak to her again. So that went out the window. But if there were more girls playing at the time, and [if] it was more normal for girls to play, then I don’t even know if I would have gone into football.”

Like many children, Foord’s introduction to soccer began when she was a sporty nine-year-old playing with the boys during lunch at her school in the Illawarra region of NSW. “I was tearing the boys up a little bit, and they asked me to join the local team with one other girl,” Foord recalls. “Mum was hesitant because I was already doing a lot of other sports like Oztag [a non-tackling version of rugby league], and surf lifesaving. But then I got a little bit of help from my sister, who told Mum, ‘She’s really good, she beats all the boys at school.’”

In her first match, she scored six goals, and from there, she never stopped playing. “Before I started, the game wasn’t as professional as it is now, but I probably wasn’t thinking about that,” Foord admits, adding that since she wasn’t much of a student at school, she was all too happy to find herself playing for Sydney FC as a 16-year-old in 2010.

But as her abilities developed, so did the opportunities for women in the sport. Foord moved to the US to join New Jersey side Sky Blue FC in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season in 2013. She then signed with Vegalta Sendai in Japan in 2017. Now she calls London home, after renewing her contract with powerhouse Arsenal FC, where she’s played since 2020. “My transition in the game came at the same time that the game was growing,” she says. “It kind of just fell into place for me as I went up the ranks.”

Parallel to Foord’s personal career, the women’s game itself has made huge inroads. In 2019, Football Federation Australia signed a four-year-agreement with the player’s union, Professional Footballers Australia, that would see the men and women’s national teams receive equal shares of national team generated revenues. And, thanks to the likes of high-profile teammates such as Foord and captain Sam Kerr – arguably the greatest Australian football player – the Matildas have this year overtaken the Wallabies and are close to overtaking the Kangaroos to become the third most popular national team, according to independent market research firm Futures Sport & Entertainment.

Foord says the bond within the Matildas is a special one. “We’ve all grown up together,” she explains. “We’re a close-knit team. We’re not just teammates, we’re all friends, as well. We all thought that was the normal thing. But being overseas and playing with girls from different nationalities, I’ve heard people say they hate going into the national team. I find that so hard to believe because we love being around each other and I think that’s unique.”

Foord enters the World Cup with not just this camaraderie, but also a considerable home-field advantage and a golden opportunity to raise the profile of women’s soccer in the country. “Football is the world game, yet I’ve had a couple of conversations with people around home and they still don’t really see the women’s game,” Foord tells Stellar. “When we play overseas, it’s on at 3am.”

Which is why this upcoming World Cup is so pivotal. “Australians love sport, so I feel like they just need to see us and that’s enough,” she continues. “That’s all we need. That’s going to be the turning point, especially for the males who have spoken down on the sport before or think of women’s football as a weaker sport or a ‘pussy’ sport. But once they watch us and see how tough the game is and how we all get stuck, that’s all it needs.”

Following the team’s fourth-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Matildas are expected to go deep in the Women’s World Cup. This year’s tournament offers the field a record $165 million in prize money, more than three times the amount from the 2019 Women’s World Cup (though far less, still, than the almost $700 million offered to the men at the 2022 World Cup).

Even so, if the Matildas take out the title, Foord says she will celebrate by purchasing some jewellery.

“As an athlete, I’m used to wearing tracksuits and comfy clothes and the odd dress for an awards night,” she says. “But the older I’ve got, the more I’m into fashion.

“I didn’t grow up with money or anything like that, so when I see something, I don’t buy it straight away. If I’m constantly thinking about it afterwards, then I know I really want it – and I’ve always wanted a Cartier ring. If we went on to win the tournament, I’d buy the one I absolutely love, which has diamonds in it.”

But no matter what happens, Foord plans to keep on kicking on. “All the benefits that come with the game now, me and the girls were part of [building] that,” she says. “We’re obviously grateful for what we have now, but we know it still deserves more – and we need to keep pushing.”

[air-rising]

‘Irreplaceable’: meet the Matildas’ other bonafide superstar

Ellie Carpenter, one of the world’s best footballers, was playing in the biggest game of her career when her knee gave way. One year on she’s chasing an even bigger prize – a home World Cup.

It’s the biggest game of her life but Ellie Carpenter is being carried off on a ­stretcher. The replay is a sickening sight, causing groans among the 32,000-strong crowd. Her left knee has buckled beneath her, leaving the 22-year-old thumping the ground in agony. Her Women’s Champions League final is over and maybe so much more.

Waves of pain from her ruptured ACL make it hard for the young Australian to think clearly as she is lifted off the field after only 13 minutes playing for her club Lyon against Barcelona in Turin on May 21 last year. And yet, at this moment, she is focusing harder than she has ever thought before. The girl from Cowra, the former child prodigy of Australian soccer, wipes the tears from her eyes and stares straight up at the sky as if in a trance.

“Count,” she tells herself as her ­stretcher makes its way out of the ­stadium to the applause of the sympathetic crowd. “Count the months.”

“I was thinking, ‘Oh shit, what month is it?’ Carpenter recalls. “It’s usually a 12-month recovery [from an ACL injury] and I needed to count the months until I could play again. So in my head I was going like ‘June, July, August’ and then I’m like ‘YES, YES, YES, I’ll make it. I’ll recover in time for our World Cup.”

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Almost exactly 12 months later Carpenter, now 23, bounces into a cafe in central Lyon, France, with her blonde hair in a bun, wearing a T-shirt and shorts and a grin on her face. It’s a wet spring day, but the sun is rising again for Carpenter after a horror year. She is back on the field, playing again for Olympique Lyonnais, the best women’s team in the world. Off the field, she is happy and in love. She has bought a house just outside Lyon with her ­partner and teammate, Danielle van de Donk, one of the best footballers on the planet, who also plays for the Netherlands national team. 

If the rapid-fire ticket sales are any guide, Carpenter may be underestimating the reception that awaits her and the Matildas. 

The World Cup, to run from July 20 to August 20, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, will see an estimated 83,000 watch Australia’s opening match against Ireland at Sydney’s Accor Stadium – more than double the Matildas’ previous highest attendance of 36,000. The opening match was moved from the 42,500-seat Sydney Football Stadium to the 83,000-seat Stadium Australia (known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship purposes) to meet the surging demand for tickets. At least 1.5 million people are expected to attend the games in Australia and New Zealand with an estimated worldwide audience of two billion. FIFA predicts the World Cup will encourage up to 400,000 girls to take up soccer in Australia.

“It’s crazy now, women’s football,” says ­Carpenter. “I’ve seen it go from here to here,” she says, moving her hands towards the sky.

Marketing surveys show the Matildas have overtaken the men’s Wallabies rugby union team in popularity, something that would once have seemed unthinkable for a team that only formed in 1978 and for years had to play on substandard ovals. The small crowds that came to watch them play in those days were mostly family and friends. 

“It’s incredible to see where this team has come from to be one of our biggest sporting brands … so many players have paved the way for this moment,” says Heather Garriock, who played 130 games for the Matildas between 1999 and 2011.

Ellie Carpenter's FIFA World Cup mission

For years Matildas players were paid a pittance, having to hold down second jobs while playing for the national team. In the early days one player recalled how a teammate called the coach before an international match to say she would be late because her shift at Woolies didn’t finish until 5.30pm. In the lead-up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Matildas were so desperate to secure sponsorship and public support that 12 of them posed naked for a calendar to get attention. Fast-forward to today and the Matildas are a household name, and Kerr is ­arguably the most recognisable Australian sports star in the world. In May, wearing a sharp black suit, she carried the Australian flag into Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III.

But it will take more than Kerr’s soccer ­royalty for the Matildas to realise their dream of winning a home World Cup.

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On a cold spring evening in London on the eve of the coronation, Kerr is playing to script, slamming the winning goal for her team Chelsea against Liverpool with just minutes to go. As she leaves the ground I ask her what she thinks about having Carpenter back with the Matildas for the World Cup. “Ellie is one of the best players in the world,” says Kerr, who ­described Carpenter as “irreplaceable” when she injured her ACL last year. “We’ve missed her and she’s a great personality to have on the team … I’m feeling good, I’m feeling excited [about the World Cup].”

A few days later, Carpenter is sprinting up the right wing, weaving the ball around her teammates during morning training near the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium on the outskirts of Lyon. It is just over two months since she made her comeback from her injury and the previous weekend she was one of the team’s best players in their 3-0 win over Dijon.

She calls out to her teammates in French and jokes with them in French, but if she makes a mistake on the field, the word “shit” rings out across the ground in an Aussie twang.

Her bilingual world in Lyon, a French foodie capital crammed with UNESCO World Heritage sites, is a reminder of just how many lives Carpenter has squeezed into her 23 years. “It all started here,” she says, pointing to a tattoo on her ankle that shows the outline of Cowra, her hometown of 12,500 people in the Central West of NSW. “It’s like one main street, two sets of traffic lights, a place where we knew everyone and everyone knew the Carpenters.”

Looking back, Carpenter’s unlikely rise from the streets of Cowra to international soccer star was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because she lived the real-life sporting fairy-tale. This was the tale in which a determined young country girl becomes a prodigy of the game, shattering every barrier in her path to find herself playing for Australia at the age of just 15 and then at the age of 16 at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the youngest ever female footballer in the world to compete in an Olympics.

The curse was that she was so good, so early, that she was a kid playing among adults, being thrust into the spotlight ahead of her time, ­before she was ready and before she had time to grow up. “I hated it sometimes,” she says. “I was always the youngest. People would say, oh, you’re the youngest ever Olympian or you’re the youngest ever to score a goal, the youngest this, the youngest that. I was playing with ­people who were 10 or 15 years older than me and you had to mature very quickly. It was hard with the pressure, the spotlight, the critics … I wasn’t prepared for that at the time.

“I’ve been in the public eye since I was 15 and now people think I’m 30 but I’m still just 23, one of the youngest in the team.” 

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Belinda Carpenter still scratches her head about how her daughter fell in love with soccer. “She was highly energetic, she never sat still but she did all sports – a bit of athletics, AFL, soccer, cricket, even triathlon, cheerleading and trapeze,” she says. Belinda and her then husband Scott, who were Physical Education teachers in Cowra, encouraged Carpenter and her older brother Jeremy to dabble in any activity that took their fancy. “Ellie also did ballet, so she would play ­football in the morning and then go to ballet with muddy knees under those pink stockings,” Belinda recalls. 

“I think I always knew I would be a sportsperson, because ever since I could walk I was running,” says Carpenter. “I think I could have done any sport really because I was also good at swimming and athletics. I was a tomboy. I didn’t really have a normal childhood. I never went to parties like other girls, I just wanted to play sports.”

She played soccer from an early age but her path as a serious player began by accident when, at the age of about seven, she watched her brother Jeremy train with the NSW country soccer team. “I was just on the sidelines waiting for him, juggling the ball on my own, when the coach came up and said that I could join their next session. I was the only girl and the boys were much older than me. I don’t ­remember this but apparently I was, like, really good, smashing all the boys.”

Belinda and Scott decided to give both Ellie and Jeremy the chance to compete in competitions across the state. This required a brutal schedule of long drives for training and games. “Honestly I can’t believe they did that for me,” Carpenter says. “From Cowra we used to drive to Canberra every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which was more than two hours there and back, and then sometimes we would play in Sydney which was four hours there and back on the same day. I would spend so much time in the car, doing my homework or making up quizzes and things just to pass the time.”

By the time Carpenter was 12, it was clear that she had a natural talent that could no longer be nurtured from Cowra. So Belinda quit her job and moved with both the children to Sydney so they could attend Westfield Sports High School in Sydney’s west, which had a specialist sports program.

It was a big school in a big city, a culture shock for a country girl. “It was a huge change, I became this small fish in a big sea,” she says. Not long afterwards, her parents divorced, a time which she describes as difficult and sad.

The following year, aged 13, ­Carpenter went to watch the Matildas play in Sydney. “I think there was a maximum of 1000 people there but I watched the national team play and I was like, ‘Oh, sick, I want to be that.’ Then two years later, I was on that team. It was crazy.”

Carpenter’s precocious talent turned heads in the soccer world at that time, and things ­unfolded quickly. She broke into the “Mini-­Matildas” under-17 team at the age of 14, and when she turned 15 signed her first professional contract with the then W-League club Western Sydney Wanderers. The coach was so impressed with her that she didn’t even need to trial for the team.

Carpenter’s ambition was such that although she began her career as a midfielder, she volunteered to be a defender when the Mini-Matildas said they needed defenders only because she didn’t want to be cut from the squad. “I was like, I want to be in the team so I will play wherever.”

In March 2016, when she was still just 15, Carpenter made her debut for the senior Matildas, playing in a 9-0 victory over Vietnam. 

Not long afterwards, she was playing for Australia in the Rio Olympics, the first of the string of “youngest ever” firsts that she would soon tire of. “Obviously I was so young – I think I was the youngest in that team by five years,” she recalls. “So I guess I was kind of on my own. Some players were 30 years old and some of them were a bit like, ‘Who is this 15-year-old who has come into the team?’ and some people don’t want you there because you might take their spot. So some didn’t like me being there, but you’ve just gotta keep going.”

After the Rio Olympics, Heather Garriock, who was then coaching, says she noticed that the 16-year-old Carpenter was struggling. “I could see that she wasn’t doing well with the massive comedown after the hype of the ­Olympic Games. So, you know, I just put my arm around her – and since then I’ve always put my arm around her and taken her under my wing. She just wanted to be the best and to get better every day.

“She is so driven to win and yet she’s got such a nice nature, a very humble kind of girl who will always give you her time.”

Carpenter says she was forced to grow up quickly, but with the help of people like ­Garriock she eventually found her rhythm and adapted to the ever-growing public glare of being a Matilda. “I think it took me a couple of years, until I was about 17, to come out as Ellie,” she says.

In Year 10 Carpenter dropped out of school to pursue her dream of being a full-time ­footballer. “She wasn’t at school very much anyway,” says Belinda of her daughter’s busy soccer schedule. “I just told her, ‘Go do it, ­because if it fails and you don’t get to where you want to go in soccer, we will go back and figure out the education route’.”

When Carpenter was 17 she was pursued by the US National Women’s Soccer League team Portland Thorns, in Oregon on the US west coast. She signed with them but, in those days, women were not allowed to play until they turned 18. The club was so keen for her to play that she signed a contract literally on her 18th birthday, and played the following week, racking up yet another series of “youngest evers”. “That’s why I was the youngest ever player and the youngest ever person to score a goal in the NWSL at that stage,” she says.

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Carpenter says life in the US was a shock ­“because it was so different to Australia”. ­Belinda recalls that her daughter would often ­FaceTime her during dinner just to have a ­companion to speak with. “Until she found her feet I would often hang out with her on the phone while she was having dinner at a restaurant or something when she didn’t ­really know anybody.

“Even though Ellie is really outgoing, with a wicked sense of humour, I think she is also a bit guarded about who she lets in.”

Even so, Carpenter says she enjoyed her two years in Portland where she regularly played in front of crowds of 20,000. By this stage she had become a fixture of the Matildas team, playing in the 2019 World Cup in France where they made it to the round of 16 and then the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where the Matildas made it to the semi-finals.

By the time she turned 20, Carpenter was being pursued by the strongest women’s team in the world, Olympique Lyonnais. She recalls the moment she learned that Lyon wanted to recruit her. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ It was Lyon and I was like, ‘Are you sure they want me?’ I mean, if Lyon calls, you go to them ­wherever you are because they are the best in the world.” This is no exaggeration – the team has won eight Champions League finals in the past 12 years, including five in a row between 2015 and 2020. 

But Carpenter’s arrival in 2020 wasn’t so easy. “It was the time of the Covid pandemic so the city was shut. I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t know French,” she says. So she began her life anew yet again, throwing herself into French lessons and making friends at her new club. She impressed local fans by trying to speak French at press conferences, albeit with an Aussie twang. She also fell in love with Lyon itself. “I love it, it’s beautiful – not as nice as ­Sydney, but it’s still beautiful.” As soon as she arrived, she also saw why her new team kept winning championships. The ­fitness, the training, the skills were next-level, even for Carpenter. “She called me up and said, ‘Um, Mum, these players are really, really good’,” recalls Belinda. Initially she found it hard to break into her new team, and she won her first European Championship with Lyon in 2020 without taking to the field when she was on the team as an unused sub.

“I don’t think many people understand what it really takes to be a football player,” says Carpenter’s teammate and partner Danielle van de Donk. “You win trophies and everyone thinks it is a high but no one really knows about the lows.” Van de Donk, who has been going out with Carpenter for about two years, says she has the rare ability to lift the team’s morale ­single-handedly. “She is the most energetic person I know, she is very, very positive, and off the pitch she just brings a different kind of energy to the room – even when she was injured the coaches were saying to her, ‘Bring your energy to the team, we need it’,” says van de Donk. “She is already a star but she is just going to get bigger and bigger. She is only 23.”

Van de Donk says she’s attracted to ­Carpenter because they are “similar people in life”, adding: “It’s kind of wild, she is from ­Australia, I’m from the Netherlands and we are buying a house in Lyon – it’s very cool.’’

After that tricky start at Lyon, Carpenter ­became a regular in the team – until the 13-minute mark of last year’s Champions League final. “It was just sickening to watch her go down,” recalls Belinda, who was watching the game live in the middle of the night from her home in Wamberal on the NSW Central Coast. “I actually said when I watched it, ‘She does not go down and she does not stay down’.”

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Carpenter’s injury came in two parts. The first came when she was tackling an opponent near the corner post and her left knee twisted in the tackle. Carpenter hobbled off in obvious pain. But she was desperate to come back on, and tested the injured knee in front of the team’s medical staff. “I remember being on the sideline and they were testing me and I was like, ‘Is it strong, can you feel my ACL?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah I think it’s fine, so you want to go back on?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s the Championship Final.’ So I ran back on and then I was like, ‘Oh, something’s not right’.”

Back in Wamberal, Belinda was horrified to see her daughter run back onto the pitch. “We were like, ‘No, no, no, don’t do it’,” she recalls.

Moments after returning to the field ­Carpenter moved to intercept a long pass. But as soon as she changed direction her knee gave way completely, severing her ACL and sending her to the ground.

Van de Donk, who was watching from the sidelines as a substitute, had torn her own ACL as a teenager and knew what lay ahead. “I saw her go down and instantly I knew it was wrong,” she recalls. “It was horrible to watch.” 

But once Carpenter counted the months and realised she could still potentially play in the World Cup in Australia, her mood lifted. Lyon won the match 3-1, giving Carpenter her second championship medal and yet another first as the only Australian to win two Champions League medals. After the match, despite having her injured leg in a splint, Carpenter joined her teammates in the celebrations on the field, swinging precariously on her crutches and then hopping on her one good leg as she held up the Champions League cup. She then flew back to Lyon with the team and continued the celebrations. “I was in so much pain, so I just took lots of painkillers but we went to a restaurant and partied in Lyon drinking champagne until 5am.”

The next morning Carpenter woke with a hangover to the bad news she had feared. She needed a full knee reconstruction and would be out of the game for up to a year. Recalls Belinda: “The first thing she said to me on the phone was, ‘I’m getting an operation, I’m going to get better and I’m going to play in the World Cup’. It was all about the World Cup.”

That has been Carpenter’s singular goal ever since. In those early months after her injury when she could not run, she followed her rehab plan like it was Holy Writ – long hours in the gym keeping the muscles working followed by swimming, physio, massage and the hardest task of all: patience.

“I had to learn a lot about patience because I am impatient,” she says. “When I finally was able to take my first jump again I actually cried with happiness.” At times Carpenter wondered whether she would be the same player when she returned, but mostly she says she kept her mental demons at bay.

“It was a long journey for her and she was a bit insecure in the beginning, she struggled for about three weeks,” says van de Donk. “But after that she was OK, she just powered through – and now I think she’s much stronger than she was.” Carpenter, for her part, puts a gloss on the whole saga, saying she believes it gave her a much-needed break from the game she’d been playing almost non-stop since she was a child.

Today, Carpenter’s football routine is very full-time. She goes into the club from around 9am to 4pm most days to do a mixture of ­training, gym, recovery and sponsorship work. Then she plays on weekends, often travelling. She works with a nutritionist and also a ­psychologist. She estimates she gets one day properly off each month. Such is the profile of the team in Lyon that she now gets recognised in the street, and after three years here she says she is now fluent in French.

“Ellie has always known the path that she wanted and she has just followed it ­completely. That is pretty incredible for a 23-year-old,” says former Matildas player ­Garriock. “She is already one of the world’s best players and her energy and leadership are crucial for the World Cup. She has achieved things at 23 that others wouldn’t achieve in their whole career. I have no doubt that she will be the captain of the Matildas in the ­future. She has all the leadership qualities and the big game experience.” 

Carpenter is now on the home stretch of her quest, hoping to stay in form and avoid ­injury until the World Cup begins in three weeks.

Although she loves playing for Lyon, she says there’s nothing like going home to play with the Matildas. “It’s like going back to your family,” she says with a grin. “We’ve all known each other for years. Everyone is so close. We can all laugh at ourselves and we look after each other. It’s such a good, strong group. I don’t know how to ­explain it but I have a special passion when I play for the Matildas, it’s unique. For me, this World Cup is the top of the top, it’s probably the best thing I will ever experience.”

So how far can Carpenter and the Matildas go in this World Cup?

“We’ve never seen an Australian team like this,” says Garriock. “This core group of players like Ellie Carpenter, Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord have played together in World Cups and big tournaments since they were 16 years old. They are in their prime and this is their moment. It is written for them.”

[oscar-piastri]

I just clocked that england might be playing australia 💀💀💀💀 I am not looking forward to that possibility at all dnfnns

wales vs argentina should be a lively game for sure. might be the least predictable of the next round of games!

I hope you're able to go to bed happy! that is such an early start 😭 reminds me of having to get up super early to watch the final back in 2003. it was worth it in the end, so I hope you're able to get that kind of memory too <333

i mean australia has been a bit................ meh so england could win if australia dont get their head in the game

i've got like 2 memories around rugby and the world cup and none of them ended good for france ���🫡🫡 one was funny tho, when france lost against the blacks in 2011? we were at a wedding and the morning after the wedding it was the match, so the men including the groom literally all went to a pub to drink and watch the match after being up all night celebrating the wedding so they went back crying and slept the entire day

[delphinia13]

I have barely recovered from the football world cup last month, and now the rugby world cup is starting in just a couple of hours! I'm excited, but also dreading the inevitable from a Scottish perspective - I've been mad about the draw since 2020, still can't believe they did it so early, and based on rankings from January, not even two months after the previous world cup. It's a terrible system and I really wish they'd change it.

However, I have to admit it's set up some exciting pools - pool C in particular stands out, I feel like any of Australia, Wales, Fiji, or Georgia could qualify, in fact I'll be disappointed if it does end up just being Australia and Wales! Likewise, while England are usually my second team, I'd be more than happy seeing them stay in the pool and Argentina and Japan making it out of pool D.

I'll be supporting Scotland no matter what but I'm not gonna get my hopes up too high - yes, I think we could beat any team on a good day, but we can also lose to just about anyone in a way you wouldn't expect, say, the All Blacks or Springboks to - it would be just like Scotland to pull a shock victory against South Africa or Ireland only to lose to Tonga and fail to qualify anyway. Also, even if we somehow pull off a victory against South Africa/Ireland, that doesn't guarantee qualification, it could then come down to bonus points if the team we beat also beat the other one. And if a miracle happens, it'll be France or New Zealand waiting in the Quater-finals... but my honest prediction is Scotland come third in the pool losing to both South Africa and Ireland - my only hope is that we put in some good performances along the way.

The Quarter-finals will be brutal, only two of the four big favourites can get through. I have a feeling the Semis will be pretty dull after that, with the draw being so imbalanced, but if players get lost along the way to injury or cards I could see one of the favourites still going down there.

Right now I'm leaning towards a French victory. It feels like there's so little between the top four teams, so I think the home-side advantage will just tip it in their favour. I would not be surprised if the final winds up being a repeat of this opening match - France v New Zealand - it would be poetic in a way. Whatever happens though, in the end I just want to see some good rugby!

[afreakingdork]

I'll try to remind you! But you weren't stereotypical. There are many things I didn't see coming in past fics, I'm just the Sherlock Holmes of fanfiction. I have the ability to just guess what may happen at some stage. I think if the reader and Donnie were too kiss soon, it is fairly easy to guess for it to happen but in the way that the person reading is hyped and going, and I quote, "KAHDLAJSOWBDJKAHSOSBAI" once it happens. Plus it's more of the way you write your fic. I could care less how stereotypical your fic is, i love the way you write things in detail. It actually helps me know the tone of the scene. Might be an autistic thing but dunno. If a scene, setting, tone or anything isn't really mentioned then I struggle to read it right. Lets say an author didn't say the scene or the mood at all, I could then read the most gut-wrenching sentences in a neutral or happy tone and probably just skip the fic all together if im being honest. You also have a good plot for your story. It wasn't predictable, and it still won't be in future. I read a chapter and can possibly guess things (e.g: a kiss) but that's not because I know that's what will happen in future. That's just one thing. I have no idea what will happen next. I dont even know how the future kiss is written. Is it cheek? Forehead? Lips? maybe it's just the hand? Maybe it's a pity kiss? I don't know. I just know it will be in an upcoming chapter, if not the next. I don't think Chapter 20 is the last chapter, seeing as you would've made a bigger announcement for that if it was. No one can guess what'll happen next. Not even I. We can only guess a small fraction of things and even then we aren't certain. I would like to mention I have been typing absolute nonsense because im half asleep and idk if this makes sense to anyone but me, but the point im trying to make is:

you don't write stereotypically and I will go, and I quote, "AOFBAKJEKAJFNOS" when you make the lovebirds kiss and cheer like my team just won the world cup for rugby. I will swing my legs and twiddle my hair with my finger like a little school girl talking to her crush on the phone.

-🦴

Bones, goodness gracious. There was no babbling to had and this makes a ton of sense. This was also truly lovely, thank you so much! I'm quite emotional right now 😭💞

[dailyrugbytoday]

Newcastle Falcons manager Steve Diamond responds to reports involving Stuart Hogg

New Post has been published on https://thedailyrugby.com/steve-diamond-responds-to-reports-involving/

The Daily Rugby

https://thedailyrugby.com/steve-diamond-responds-to-reports-involving/

Newcastle Falcons manager Steve Diamond responds to reports involving Stuart Hogg

Steve Diamond talks about being taken aback. Rumours about Stuart Hogg as Newcastle looks to fix “bad recruitment” Steve Diamond, the consultant director of rugby at the Newcastle Falcons, has addressed rumours that Stuart Hogg has been discussing a possible comeback to rugby.

Before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the legendary player from Scotland announced his retirement from the game, saying he was “knackered, physically and emotionally.” Nevertheless, it was revealed on Friday that Hogg had conversations with a failing Newcastle squad, who lost all 18 of their games and finished bottom of the Premiership.

Given Hogg’s ongoing legal battle for accusations of domestic abuse and stalking, it would be an unexpected and contentious move, but Steve Diamond emphasised that there was “no truth whatsoever” to the reports.

That seems to put an end to the rumour, though it must be acknowledged that the 55-year-old has flatly denied any transfers have ever occurred only for them to be made public shortly after. The former hooker is well aware that the Falcons require reinforcements following yet another crushing defeat at ninth-place Gloucester to cap off a terrible season.

The Cherry and Whites crushed Newcastle 54–14 on Saturday, and the team finished the season with just five bonus points after 18 losses and 0 wins.

Steve Diamond addresses Stuart Hogg Rumours

Steve Diamond remarked, “We looked like rabbits in the headlights again.” Gloucester performed flawlessly. They were getting ready for their major European final when they took a little heat last week for the team they fielded.

“The guys will be off for a few weeks, but I have to get to work right now. For a variety of reasons, the recruitment process here has not been excellent.

“You can survive in the Premiership with one or two that you bring from the Championship.” However, you cannot form a championship squad if you get them all together. And based on the outcomes, we have turned into precisely that.

“A team this demoralised cannot be instantly elevated to the top four.” However, the following time, we can aim to rise above the bottom of the league.

Stuart Hogg’s unexpected comeback to the Premier League in his retirement has been related. At the conclusion of the season, there might be just one spot between Newcastle and Gloucester, but in practice, there is a massive gap. A week after suffering a 90-0 humiliation at the hands of Northampton Saints, the Cherry and Whites concluded their domestic campaign on a positive note. They will try to carry that energy into the Challenge Cup final against the Sharks.

“Sharks are going to be a formidable squad. We are playing in a proper final with a proper team. Gloucester’s director of rugby, George Skivington, predicted that the Sharks would be a formidable squad. “This is a proper team we will be playing at a proper final and they will be hard to beat.” It’s going to be a huge event for all of the guys, so I’ll need to sit down and choose the squad after learning how each player is feeling.

It was crucial to end the season on a positive note because this was our final game. Although we didn’t have the desired league season, we still wanted to finish strong and score a few tries.

15 players will be leaving the Newcastle Falcons this summer, the team has announced. The team’s season has been disappointing because they haven’t won any Premiership games. Due of this, the northern team’s performance in the English Premier League this season has been subpar. Since there is currently no relegation, they will participate in the Premiership the following year.

Steve Diamond appoint ex-Sale and Worcester boss as consultant Director of Rugby

Between seasons, there are changes afoot as rugby consultant director Steve Diamond reorganises things. Barton, Phil, Sam Clark, Sam Cross, Mark Dormer, Rory Jennings, Louie Johnson, Matias Moroni, Matias Moroni, Guy Pepper, Vereimi Qorowale, Iwan Stephens, Josh Thomas, Michael van Vuuren, and George Wacokecoke are the players leaving.

Rugby’s chairman, Matt Thompson, stated The boys should be proud of their work ethic and attitude despite the difficult season. We always find it difficult to say goodbye to well-liked and gifted players in our playing group, many of whom have been with us for a long time and contributed greatly.

We are already well on our way to assembling our team for the upcoming season and beyond, with Steve Diamond leading a group that promises to be fiercely competitive.

Our fans have been incredibly supportive of the team, and I have no doubt that they will be just as kind in expressing their gratitude to the players who are leaving.”

After a few days off following the humiliating loss to Bristol last Sunday, Steve Diamond’s team returned to the training field on Wednesday, demonstrating his ability to pick himself up after the most recent Newcastle setback.

The bottom-of-the-table Falcons, who had shown improvement in their previous two games under new coach Steve Diamond, who took over for the fired Alex Codling, were destroyed 85-14 at Ashton Gate on a 13-2 try count, their fifteenth straight Gallagher Premiership loss this season for Rugby News thedailyrugby

On March 23, Newcastle battled to a 16–25 loss at Exeter, and six days later, they gave Leicester a scare with a 13–19 home loss. But the three-week break that had given them the impression that they would be a more prepared team was shattered when they trailed three tries as early as the 13th minute, making the 23-day wait until their next game against Bristol disastrous.

When RugbyPass questioned Diamond about the 500-kilometer journey, the athlete joked, “Well, they were high-fiving, we stopped at a couple of brothels on the way back and bought loads of booze.” Steve Diamond had been travelling back to the northeast on the squad bus. Liam, how would you describe it? The bus wasn’t too far away, but there wasn’t a dead quiet either. It felt like spending six hours at a funeral.

How were the hours passed? “We definitely watched the game in front of the bus and had a debate, but since I really believe in not reacting to situations hastily, we weren’t shoving people in the bus every 20 minutes.

Given the humiliating scoreline in Bristol, it would have made sense if Steve Diamond had given the players a hair dryer treatment a la Alex Ferguson. Nonetheless, his tact was applauded for not verbally abusing the situation. Read more about Newcastle Falcons manager Steve Diamond

[gifttimerugby]

Rugby Swag Show: World Rugby Media Colonialism and Rugby World Cup Recap/Predictions (episode 87)

Today we get to talk a lot of Rugby World Cup and a little bit of Rugby news. We’re looking at the RWC matches from week 1 and looking forward to Week 2 of RWC matches. Speak on World Rugby opening Rugbypass TV.

[wales-official]

rugby world cup time! :)

i didnt miss our first match against fiji what are you talking about

[leaguepremsinfo]

ABRAHAM OKEYE. 28. man city goalkeeper many loathe to face, single. daniel kaluuya.

Lightning fast reflexes and a stare that could make a lion shit itself, those are words that have been used to describe Okeye. A Manchester born first-generation immigrant, Abraham had his eyes set on becoming a rugby player since he was young enough to understand how the game worked, but after a year of playing tag games, his club lost its funding and an eight year old A.B was left looking for something to do.

In strolled aunt Olusola. Her son ran football clubs across the city, she plucked the boy up and dropped him in a team and the rest, as they say, is history.. But AB was never too good on his feet like the other boys, sometimes stumbled despite his very obvious excitement about being put on a pitch – so, the coach plucked him up again and slung him in goal. And boy, was he bloody glad he did. 

The boy, already slightly bigger than his peers, might have let nearly every goal pass him, but he had promise and he was already predicting where the ball might be flying – it was just his technique that needed refining.

So, they worked on that, on refining his technique, until one day, two blokes rocked up and watched the little matches and strolled right over to his parents, sat on the sidelines, to ask about their boy. 

He was Manchester United bound – they’d not let the men finish speaking before jumping and agreeing to whatever it was. They were tired people, who had big dreams for their only son – they wanted to see him flourish and be part of something bigger than themselves. That, and if he made it big, the money would surely help them along too.

He grafted hard, kept his head down, practised with kids at lunch time, poured over old clips of famous goalkeeping legends until some day, inexplicably, he walked onto the pitch at Old Trafford at the age of fifteen, seven months and three days, and stood in goal and saved all eighteen attempts. It was one for the books alright; never had a debut shone so brightly on that pitch.

But it couldn’t last forever – though it was a ten minute drive, an hours walk away, AB found his transfer to City was tense, hard to come to grips with. His father was disappointed, thought it a comment on his son’s ability, his son just missed playing in red. He had played in the seniors for four years before his transfer, wasn’t sure what he’d done – but then he realised, he’d done everything right. He was nineteen and starting out with a new team, he was determined to make something of himself all over again and sure enough, AB proved himself to be a great goalkeeper all over again.

His younger years were fraught with people trying to push him into all the wrong avenues, his parents loving him eternally, but all too focused on the money he’d bring in, it all sent him into his own little shell over time.

Off the pitch, he’s a little unlucky in love, doesn’t gel too much with the main bulk of the team – not because they’re bad guys, but because they’re all very, very different people.

He got his call up for England – his father wanted him to play for Uganda, but he gently asked his dad just how many times he had seen Uganda in a world cup.. exactly.

[brijeshtiwaripune]

Australia's Stunning Win Against India Secures World Cup 2023

India vs Australia - World Cup Final 2023

In the Cricket World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, hosts India, two-time champions, set a target of 241 for Australia, who are five-time winners of the prestigious tournament. Australia, having won the toss, opted to field first and successfully restricted India to a sub-par total of 240 all-out. Virat Kohli (54) and KL Rahul (66) were the standout performers for India, each scoring a half-century in their innings. The unbeaten Indian team aims to maintain a flawless record of 11 victories with a win in Ahmedabad. On the other hand, Australia enters the final with an impressive eight-game winning streak, although they faced a setback in the group stage encounter against India. Australia dominated in both fielding and bowling, limiting India to 240 all out. Winning the toss, Australian captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl, a decision India's Rohit Sharma acknowledged they would have made as well. Despite Rohit's explosive start, Shubman Gill fell early to Mitchell Starc. Virat Kohli entered aggressively, but Rohit's dismissal by Glenn Maxwell, courtesy of an exceptional catch from Travis Head, halted the momentum just shy of his half-century. Marnus Labuschagne celebrated a half-century, while Cummins dismissed the in-form Shreyas Iyer. Kohli's departure at 54 off 63 slowed India further. KL Rahul tried to anchor the innings, but the 10th over marked a boundary drought. Rahul eventually fell for 66 off 107, and the last recognized batters, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, managed 14 runs before India concluded their innings at 240 in 50 overs. In defense, India started well. Mohammed Shami, taking the new ball instead of Mohammed Siraj, removed David Warner in the second ball of his first over. Jasprit Bumrah then dismissed Mitchell Marsh. Despite their expense, these bowlers eliminated two of Australia's formidable top-order batsmen. As India and Australia collided in the World Cup final, the tension was palpable. Ravi Shastri's pre-tournament prediction of these two as potential finalists seemed improbable when Australia struggled with two consecutive losses. However, their resurgence with eight consecutive wins led to this highly anticipated final, a fitting clash between two deserving teams for cricket's most prestigious honor. In Australia, where rugby reigns supreme, the pressure pales in comparison to the intense anticipation among Indian fans. The atmosphere is tense, akin to the night before a university exam. The wait for an ICC silverware has been a decade, and for a World Cup, it extends to 12 years since 2011. Only Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin remain from the 2011 squad, adding emotional weight for cricket fans in their mid-30s, who vividly remember the heartbreak of March 23, 2003.

Highlights of India vs Australia: World Cup 2023 Final

- Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first. - Rohit Sharma made a quick start, but Shubman Gill fell early to the Australian attack. - Virat Kohli entered aggressively, but Australia struck back, claiming the wickets of Rohit and the in-form Shreyas Iyer. - Despite Kohli and KL Rahul's efforts, they struggled to accelerate. Kohli scored another half-century but eventually fell to Pat Cummins. - Rahul managed a hard-fought half-century, but the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja followed. - Suryakumar Yadav couldn't provide a strong finish to the innings. - Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav combined to push India's total to 240. - In the opening over, Jasprit Bumrah conceded 15 runs, but Mohammed Shami dismissed David Warner with only his second ball. - Bumrah took two more wickets in the first 10 overs, removing Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith. - Staging a comeback, Travis Head reached a century off 95 balls, guiding Australia to 185/3 in 33.5 overs. Read the full article

[neptunianashes]

Argentina made it to quarter finals in the rugby world cup and the french are already doing their prediction to who they will face off at the finals and they want Argentina to reach the finals sooo badly, they want their revenge soooooo badly. They do not know we are about to crush them on rugby too 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[les-degustations-ugo]

🇫🇷❓❓Hello les amoureux du tire-bouchon. Et vous, quel est votre pronostic pour le match de ce soir ❓❓🇫🇷

🍇🍷AOP Crémant de Bourgogne cuvée France Rugby Brut de @veuveambal 🍇🍷:

🍇 :

Pinot Noir

Chardonnay

Aligoté

Gamay.

🏺:

A l'issue des vendanges entièrement réalisées à la main, seules les premières presses sont gardées, plus riches et plus complexes. Le vin vieillit ensuite pendant 12 à 18 mois sur lattes.

💰:

10,40€ / bouteille

👁️ :

Une robe de couleur or brillante

👃 :

Un nez expressif sur des notes de fruits jaunes, agrumes

💋 :

En bouche, on a un Crémant équilibré, aromatique, avec des bulles fines et vives. Sur des arômes de poire, pomme verte, pêche jaune. Une bonne longueur en bouche avec une finale sur des notes d'agrumes (citron, pomelo) qui amène avec merveille une touche de fraîcheur aux papilles et de prune jaune.

📜En résumé📜 :

J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce crémant de Bourgogne qui allie fruité, finesse en bouche. Un excellent rapport qualité-prix plaisir. En espérant que cette cuvée portera chance à nos bleus dans ce Mondial. Bon match à tous.

🧆Dégusté en apéritif 🧆.

📌N'oubliez pas, boire un canon c'est sauver

un vigneron. Allez voir le site internet du domaine pour voir toutes les cuvées et promotions du moment📌.

🔞« L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération »🔞 La plupart des

vins ont été dégustés et recrachés. Dégustation non rémunéré.

#lesdegustationsugo #wine #winelover #vino #winetasting #winetime #winelovers #instawine #redwine #winestagram #winery #beer #wineoclock #vin #sommelier #love #vinho #foodporn #winelife #instagood #whitewine #cocktails #drinks #wein #foodie #wineporn #drink

___________________________________________

🇫🇷🗣️Description du Domaine 🇫🇷🗣️

A ce jour, la Maison est dirigée par Eric Piffaut et son fils Aurélien. Tous deux perpétuent avec talent cette tradition familiale de vins haut de gamme.Fort du succès de ses vins, le site d'élaboration est installé depuis 2005 aux portes de Beaune, aux bords de l'autoroute A6. Le niveau qualitatif des vins VEUVE AMBAL a toujours été un objectif. Un palmarès issu des concours les plus prestigieux atteste de la qualité de ses cuvées. Notre maison dispose également de cuvées certifiées par le label Agriculture Biologique.A la pointe de la technologie Veuve Ambal est certifiée IFS et BRC.

___________________________________________

⏬🇫🇷Français dans les commentaires🇫🇷🇮🇹Italiano nei commenti 🇮🇹⏬

🇬🇧❓❓Hello corkscrew lovers. And you, what is your prediction for tonight's match ❓❓🇬🇧

🍇🍷AOP Crémant de Bourgogne vintage France Rugby Brut from @veuveambal 🍇🍷:

🍇:

Pinot Noir

Chardonnay

Aligoté

Gamay.

🏺:

At the end of the harvest, carried out entirely by hand, only the first presses are kept, richer and more complex. The wine then ages for 12 to 18 months on slats.

💰:

10.40€ / bottle

👁️:

A shiny gold colored dress

👃:

An expressive nose with notes of yellow fruits and citrus

💋:

On the palate, we have a balanced, aromatic Crémant, with fine and lively bubbles. With aromas of pear, green apple, yellow peach. A good length on the palate with a finish of citrus notes (lemon, pomelo) which wonderfully brings a touch of freshness to the taste buds and yellow plum.

📜In summary📜:

I really liked this Crémant de Bourgogne which combines fruity and finesse on the palate. An excellent value for money pleasure. Hoping that this vintage will bring luck to our blues in this World Cup. Good match everyone.

🧆Tasted as an aperitif🧆.

📌Don't forget, drinking a barrel is saving a winemaker. Go to the estate's website to see all the current vintages and promotions📌.

🔞“Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation”🔞Most wines were tasted and spat out. Unpaid tasting.

#lesdegustationsugo #wine #winelover #vino #winetasting #winetime #winelovers #instawine #redwine #winestagram #winery #beer #wineoclock #vin #sommelier #love #vinho #foodporn #winelife #instagood #whitewine #cocktails #drinks #wein #foodie #wineporn #drink

_____________________________________

🇬🇧🗣️Domain Description 🇬🇧🗣️

To date, the House is managed by Eric Piffaut and his son Aurélien. Both of them skillfully perpetuate this family tradition of high-end wines. Building on the success of its wines, the production site has been established since 2005 on the outskirts of Beaune, on the banks of the A6 motorway. The quality level of VEUVE AMBAL wines has always been an objective. A list of prizes from the most prestigious competitions attests to the quality of its vintages. Our house also has vintages certified by the Organic Agriculture label. At the cutting edge of technology, Veuve Ambal is IFS and BRC certified.

___________________________________________

🇮🇹❓❓Ciao amanti dei cavatappi. E tu, qual è il tuo pronostico per la partita di stasera❓❓🇮🇹

🍇🍷AOP Crémant de Bourgogne vintage France Rugby Brut di @veuveambal 🍇🍷:

🍇:

Pinot Nero

Chardonnay

Aligoté

Gamay.

🏺:

Al termine della vendemmia, effettuata interamente a mano, vengono conservate solo le prime pressature, più ricche e complesse. Successivamente il vino affina per 12-18 mesi su doghe.

💰:

10,40€/bottiglia

👁️:

Un abito color oro lucido

👃:

Un naso espressivo con note di frutta gialla e agrumi

💋:

Al palato abbiamo un Crémant equilibrato, aromatico, con bollicine fini e vivaci. Con aromi di pera, mela verde, pesca gialla. Buona persistenza al palato con un finale di note di agrumi (limone, pomelo) che apportano meravigliosamente un tocco di freschezza alle papille gustative e di prugna gialla.

📜In sintesi📜:

Mi è piaciuto molto questo Crémant de Bourgogne che unisce fruttato e finezza al palato. Un eccellente rapporto qualità-prezzo. Sperando che questa annata porti fortuna ai nostri azzurri in questo Mondiale. Buona partita a tutti.

🧆Degustato come aperitivo🧆.

📌Non dimenticare, bere una botte fa risparmiare un enologo. Vai al sito dell'azienda per vedere tutte le annate e le promozioni del momento📌.

🔞“L'abuso di alcol è pericoloso per la salute, consumalo con moderazione”🔞Most i vini venivano degustati e sputati. Degustazione non retribuita.

___________________________________________

🗣️🇮🇹Descrizione i Dominio 🗣️🇮🇹

Ad oggi, la Maison è gestita da Eric Piffaut e da suo figlio Aurélien. Entrambi perpetuano abilmente questa tradizione familiare di vini di alta gamma e, forte del successo dei suoi vini, il sito di produzione è stato stabilito dal 2005 alla periferia di Beaune, sulle rive dell'autostrada A6. Il livello di qualità dei vini VEUVE AMBAL è sempre stato un obiettivo. Un elenco di premi dei concorsi più prestigiosi attesta la qualità delle sue annate. La nostra casa dispone anche di annate certificate dall'etichetta Agricoltura Biologica.All'avanguardia della tecnologia, Veuve Ambal è certificato IFS e BRC.

[the-worlds-sport]

Rugby World Cup/ Pool predictions

After the first week of games has passed, let’s predict the final standings of the Rugby World Cup groups.  Pool A: France: They showed their undeniable quality against the All Blacks. France is one of the favorites to win the whole competition so it is not a surprise that they are predicted first.  New Zealand: Even though they lost their first game, the All Blacks did show their quality…