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After 8 matches we have 491 pts been scored, with all teams bar Japan scoring (crossing the line that is) at least once....
Not a bad start really....
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That makes Australia look even betterI felt sorry for the Japs...i wanted them to score a try by say the 10th try for Australia... haha
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
I honestly didn't feel too sorry for them as i was awestruck at the Wallabies performance and didn't want it to end, pure Aussie gold...If anything, i was a little disappointed they kicked those three points....
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So far the "minnows" are making a mockery of the supposed plan to reduce the comp to 16 in 2011 too...
If they are kept in I think we will see some genuine upset results by then and that is probably behind why some nations want the reduction.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I have a suspicion that the driver for less teams in RWC 2011 is the limited number of grounds and small venue sizes in NZ.
Note, the disasterous effect of failing to have sufficient infrastructure. It is likely to make the 2011RWC a bit of a farce after the great start at this and other WC's by the "minnows".
Sometimes fighting above your weight division is the only way to improve.
mm you'd think given that rugby is the religion in NZ that they'd have adequate facilities. I thinks its healthy to have these upsets. And its not like NZ are feeling particularly 'upset' at this point in time. If they don't win this year's world cup though there is going to be blood spilled and 2011 will be a nightmare...actually it'll probably be just as bad if they are the reigning champs...
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
I don't see how limited number of grounds is a legitimate excuse. You could run this tournament with three grounds. Just means more games at each venue. They have five Super 14 teams all with a different stadium, more then enough. I think the main issue for NZ is the cost, apparently it is something like $400,000 to host a team for a week. So if they cut out four teams I think they are saying they'll save around $5-$7 million dollars.
I agree it would be a shame to cut it down to 16. These teams are just happy to be there. A few cups ago Argentina would have been considered a minnow, and now they are ranked fourth in the world.
Well under that basis you suggest hopep, the same argument could be used to cull the top six nations as they are the ones that draw all the extra pesky tourists and revenue...
c/o www.worldstadiums.com
Stadia suitable for Rugby:
New Zealand 20k +
Auckland/Eden Park 45 472
Christchurch/Jade Stadium 36 500
Wellington/Westpac Stadium 36 000
Auckland/Mt Smart Stadium 35 000
Rotorua/Rotorua Int'l Stadium 35 000
Dunedin/Carisbrook 30 000
Hamilton/Waikato Stadium 27 500
Whangarei/ITM Stadium 25 000
Albany/North Harbour Stadium 25 000
New Plymouth/Yarrow Stadium 25 000
Christchurch/Queen Elizabeth II Park 20 000
Japan 30k +
Yokohoma/Yokohoma Intl' Stadium 72 370
Saitama/Saitama Stadium 2002 63 700
Tokyo/Olympic Stadium 57 363
Shizuoka/Stadium Ecopa 51 349
Tokyo/Ajinamoto Stadium 50 000
Osaka/Nagai Stadium 50 000
Rifu/Miyagi Stadium 49 281 (nb Eden Park 45 472)
Toyota/Toyota Stadium 45 000
Hiroshima/Hiroshima Big Arch 45 000
Kobe/Universiade Memorial 45 000
Oita/Oita 'Big Eye' Stadium 43 254
Niigata/Niigata Stadium 42 700
Sapporo/Sapporo Dome 42 122
Kashima/Kashima Soccer Stadium 41 800
Kobe/Kobe Wing Stadium 34 000
Kumamoto/KKWing Stadium 32 000
Takamatsu/Kagawa Stadium 30 100
Higashiosaka/Hanazono Stadium 30 000
Fukuoka/Hakatanomori Athletic 30 000
Morioka/Athletic Park Stadium 30 000
And the ARU were the bad guys for voting for Japan![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Basically in going for New Zealand and then discussing reducing teams they have put the cart before the horse.
If you look at the France 07 Stadia in comparison to what New Zealand currently have then it is obvious that ticket prices are going to have to be extraordinarily high or the RWC '11 will run at a major loss.
Compare the NZ figures above to these:
France RWC '07:
Stade de France/Saint-Denis (France) 80 000
Millennium Stadium/Cardiff (Wales, UK) 72 000
Murrayfield/Edinburgh (Scotland, UK) 67 800
Stade Vélodrome/Marseille (France) 60 031
Parc des Princes/Paris (France) 48 527 (nb Eden Park 45 472)
Stade Félix Bollaert/Lens (France) 41 649
Stade de la Beaujoire/Nantes (France) 38 285
Stade Municipal/Toulouse (France) 36 550
Stade Geoffroy Guichard/Saint-Etienne (France) 35 615
Stade de la Mosson/Montpellier (France) 35 500
Stade Chaban-Delmas/Bordeaux (France) 34 462
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
In the tipping comp atOriginally Posted by frontrow
there is a mystery question each week for a prize. This week you have to predict the total points scored at RWC 2007.
I have guessed 2,456.
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
I picked 2,207 myself...
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