[flowingriver]

Once again it is looking like the All Blacks tournament to lose. However this year more than ever with SA and Aus not having fantasticn squads and England looking worse than ever.

I think Ireland will have a good run and could have a good run and reach the semis, but I think with the lack of experience in the later stages of the tourny they will have to produce some sort of miracle to make the final.

The one question is of course france. On there day they can beat anyone. However the reverse is true as well. Playing all their games in front of a French crowd may be the missing ingredient to capture their first

[davidab157]

I'm gonna gamboool a bit on France to win it. It depends on which team turns up though...

[jharding666]

Originally Posted by flowingriver

On there day they can beat anyone.

I really strongly disagree with this. An in form All Blacks side comfortably beats an in form France imho.

[WotaWaster]

When was it last All Blacks to lose? England were huge favourites at the last one and the one before that was 8 years ago so I don't even remember who won, never mind who was favourites.

I would bet that England go out in the quarter finals, seems a pretty solid bet.

[davidab157]

Wales ftw!

[jharding666]

Originally Posted by davidab157

Wales ftw!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha

[davidab157]

First sporting match I'm ever supporting USA in and it starts on Saturday evening.

....

[WotaWaster]

Why do Welsh/Scottish people devote so much time and energy to hoping England lose?
I honestly don't hope Wales lose in any sport unless they are playing England.

[jharding666]

Originally Posted by WotaWaster

Why do Welsh/Scottish people devote so much time and energy to hoping England lose?
I honestly don't hope Wales lose in any sport unless they are playing England.

I always ask myself the same question mate, jealousy is the only answer I can ever come up with.

[davidab157]

Originally Posted by WotaWaster

Why do Welsh/Scottish people devote so much time and energy to hoping England lose?
I honestly don't hope Wales lose in any sport unless they are playing England.

Well.............

Basically it stems from the media. When we watch the 6 nations/any football etc. on the BBC (BRITISH broadcasting etc.) all we here about is England England England. If it's Scotland v Wales in the rugby, the hour before the match is spent talking about England and how Jonny Wilkinson trained the other day.

If England win something we never hear the end of it. When Scotland beat England the other year in the 6 nations, the next week they spoke about it for about 1.5 seconds then moved on to England's next game.

I guarantee the build up to Ireland/Scotland/Wales in the WC matches will be dominated by how England are doing.

In football, it's all about the English teams in europe. Champions league, they don't even mention the Scottish teams unless they play an English team. It's pretty ignorant and REALLY pisses people off who have to watch these programs as their national tv service but can't get an impartial view.

Like tomorrow the first game is France v Argentina on British tv. 3 guesses who they'll talk about for the 1/2 hour leading up to the match...