10 reasons England can still qualify for the quarter-finals

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29-09-15, 10:43
SinBin

10 reasons England can still qualify for the quarter-finals

Rugby World Cup 2015: 10 reasons England can still qualify for the quarter-finals
Telegraph Sport 11:52AM BST 28 Sep 2015

After Saturday's agonising 28-25 defeat against Wales, England have it all to do to qualify. But it's not all doom and gloom - there are plenty of reasons England will march on...

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...2_3455925b.jpg

Read on.. 10's the biggest worry..
29-09-15, 10:53
Sheikh

Quite. A few of those 10 are England reaching for solace, but the majority are valid points; if England beat us then the Wales game becomes massive, and depending on how many Wales score against Fiji we might have to put a hat-ful past them.
29-09-15, 11:17
GIGS20

Yeah bu 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Arguably 9 and 10 are all predicated upon an assumption that England will beat Australia this round.

That really makes it about 3 reasons that England can exit the pool stages. Sunday's game is the Start of England's knockout stages, whereas it's still a pool game for Australia. The pressure got to England once, who's to say it won't again?

Australia also have the safety net of playing Wales last, Wales are battered, routinely get beaten by Australia and are currently behind us on differential (but ahead of England) all we need is a win and a bonus point and we should be into the quarters. Wales are pretty much locked away with a Minnow game and us ahead of them and England have the same run but one less win.

I'm not saying England can't make it out of the pools, but it'd be a bloody good turnaround to make it happen.

(BTW, reason 6 is a massive reach, Quade Cooper has played himself out of the Wallabies altogether with the disaster this weekend!)
29-09-15, 14:09
Buddha Handy

are you saying Fiji are a minnow? I think Fiji are a great chance to knock off Wales with such a short turn around and so many injuries.

If Fiji beat Wales then I am guessing that would mean the Wallabies would only need to win 1 of the next 2 games to qualify which would take a fair bit of pressure off. So come on Fiji
29-09-15, 14:29
Swee_82

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIGS20

(BTW, reason 6 is a massive reach, Quade Cooper has played himself out of the Wallabies altogether with the disaster this weekend!)

Gigs, you've got far more faith in the selectors than I do at this point :P
29-09-15, 16:56
Macattack

Discipline is the big issue, any penalties in our own half are likely to cost us 3 points and we have form in that area - I hope we can keep our act together. Still also worried about the scrum, if they dominate it will be costly for us. A big test for Cheika's system!
29-09-15, 16:57
SinBin

We can only hope Cheika's seen the light with old Quade. Surely he won't pick him..

We really want to control our own destiny by knocking off England this weekend and let the others scrap it out.
30-09-15, 06:19
Sheikh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macattack

Discipline is the big issue, any penalties in our own half are likely to cost us 3 points and we have form in that area - I hope we can keep our act together. Still also worried about the scrum, if they dominate it will be costly for us. A big test for Cheika's system!

Yeah, but at least Skelton won't be on the pitch - the walking penalty generator
30-09-15, 06:42
travelling_gerry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheikh

Yeah, but at least Skelton won't be on the pitch - the walking penalty generator

I think Fardy is our Penalty Generator. I would be much more comfortable with Benny Mac there. The quiet achiever.
01-10-15, 20:32
Ralto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macattack

Discipline is the big issue, any penalties in our own half are likely to cost us 3 points and we have form in that area - I hope we can keep our act together. Still also worried about the scrum, if they dominate it will be costly for us. A big test for Cheika's system!

England will use the same things against us - big blokes, and penalty kicks. Cheika's statement after the first match - don't care about the bonus point, just happy to win - is good if you are only there to compete. England and Wales made sure of the bonus points. Cheika's bluffing, I'm sure he was pissed that the Wobblies didn't bag the bonus points early on. Because they might turn out to be keys.

I have these terrible "flashbacks" of loud singing, a scrum being pushed backward, rolling mauls, penalty tries, interpretations of "must release", etc. I'm staying up in the hope that the forces of good can triumph.
02-10-15, 08:32
hertryk

....I'm staying up in the hope that the forces of good can triumph.....

Same here..

Alison will be singing Waltzing Matilda..don't fret.. and drown out the darned chariot thingey.. rest assured.. I have the faith :)
02-10-15, 10:04
Ecky

Just remember though:
> Teams are ranked based on total Pool Points
> If 2 or more teams are leveled on total Pool Points, they will be ranked based on following tie-breaker rule :
1. Total points on head-to-head matches
2. Best Points Difference in all Pool Matches
etc etc down to #6

So if, in the unlikely event that England beat the :wallabies:, and we end up on the same points......
02-10-15, 10:16
GIGS20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ecky

Just remember though:
> Teams are ranked based on total Pool Points
> If 2 or more teams are leveled on total Pool Points, they will be ranked based on following tie-breaker rule :
1. Total points on head-to-head matches
2. Best Points Difference in all Pool Matches
etc etc down to #6

So if, in the unlikely event that England beat the :wallabies:, and we end up on the same points......

We then beat Wales (who, by all accounts, didn't impress against Fiji) and try to win the three-way-tie for topping the pool!