The way the draw has worked out too I guess. Saying that I always suspected that this weekend was never going to live up to what we saw last week.
I see that Pichot (former Argentinian scrum half) has had a pop at Bill Beaumont, head of World Rugby on this topic these last few days.
QUOTE
“It’s not a global game,” he told the Mail. “We can say, ‘Oh, Portugal beat Fiji’ but I strongly believe rugby is at a critical point. A lot of unions are trying to keep the old boys’ club.
“I tried to come and help but the Six Nations blocked me — calling every union, especially Alan Gilpin (World Rugby CEO) and JJ (John Jeffrey) because they are threatened. Come on guys, it’s not frightening. I love the game.
“Bill came to Argentina last year and I said, ‘Bill, I ran against you because you wanted to go down one path that won’t expand and be global.’ You can see it now. Nothing has changed.’
“Call me in June 2026 and ask me about Portugal. It will be a déjà vu story. You have the Six Nations in one corner and the Rugby Championship in another,” he said.
“It’s self-preservation, survival. The system is done to protect the core. They have to see that bigger is better but they won’t take that risk. But they are already at risk. They are in the red. It has to be a discussion of taking risks for a bigger vision.”
It was all so predictable from before the tournament began. The QFs on one half of the draw were always going to be the best games in the tournament. England will get tanked tonight. Final probably 50:50 though won’t be as good as quarters
Bill Beaumont has been extremely disappointing as head of world rugby. Every statement I have heard him make has been sucking up to SA and NZ. It’s a disaster.
I can not get out of my head that the way the ref for the QF France vs SA changed his style for the second half. Did someone have a word in his ear?
Whatever the ref was out of his depth.
England can be better than that. We’ll see it will hinge on discipline imo and England haven’t a good record on that however they can be disciplined and they can be really good at slowing the game down and getting the power going.
It does look a bit one sided though doesn’t it?
I’ll say that France have every right to feel hard done by I feel but still one hell of a game. Normally, you can pick out a clear winner in games and the odd questionable decision here and there (lets be honest the breakdown is often a complete shit show) doesn’t matter. This time it really did, the game was that close.
Beaumont, is a proper RFU old school member. There wasn’t a fat chance in hell that he would drive massive reforms to the game structure. While I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen in this World Cup by the smaller nations its clear something needs to change somehow.
Problem is, the 6 nations for example is a wonderful competition and has always thrown up some magical moments but it’s a completely closed shop. I dont know how you can preserve it and yet somehow give other nations a route upward.
There’s already an argument that players are playing too much already and having an international focus to the game comes at the detriment of the league structures under it and beyond.
There’s also the fingers in pies argument that is a real issue here in Wales.
It was one hell of a game and France let themselves down on 2 high balls I think both after turn overs?
However the Ref let rugby down in that second half, the interference at the breakdown in offside positions by SA and ‘allowed’ by the ref was unacceptable.
I won’t go on about the scrum where real bias was seen imo (ref influenced by SA ?).
I really think that was a generational failure - and one that will haunt Canada. Rugby Canada gets wildly disproportionate financial support from World Rugby more or less for voting against our interests, and those of the rest of the Americas. As a result, the emerging South American unions despise Rugby Canada. Our Board still gets to hobnob with the likes of England and Ireland boards (maybe not at the World Cup anymore) and the sport spirals into the ground.
The seemingly French crowd are booing everything that goes for SA, which puts England in the usual position of being supported in France by a french crowd
The prop we brought on had the England scrum at 6’s and 7’s and they didn’t have a platform to play anymore as any knock ons etc would result in a scrum and any scrum was likely to result in a penalty to South Africa. When that happens any team is going to find it extremely difficult to play with that inevitability in the back of their mind.
Not very pretty though, in all honesty, but effective
