Rugby World Cup - Most Overrated Event in World Sport?

[SpaceMonkey]

Lol Tommy Smith is looking like a goose right now, in every game so far the underdogs have put in a brilliant showing. There hasn't been a game yet thats been completely one-sided, it says something that the MoM award has gone to a player on the losing side in 2 of the games.

Tonga - really took it to the ABs in the forwards in the second half
Romania - Had the scores locked up with Scotland with 10 to go
Namibia - led Fiji early and were in the game til the last quarter
Japan - had France seriously rattled and were right in it til the last quarter

Compared to previous tournaments, the performances from the minnow teams have gone up a couple of gears, I think it's a payoff from the professional era, we aren't going to see the number of blowouts that we saw in previous pool stages.

 

[Butters]

The merit of the competitveness of the teams involved, I'd say bookies odds would be a very accurate measure.

Give yourself an uppercut :lol:

 

[sheepbender]

0 wins and 99 losses would suggest otherwise.

I agree with almost everything you just said. But the notion that these mid-tier nations have a chance against the worlds best is grossly overstated.

Their is a great culture and interest for rugby in Ireland, Wales and Scotland (and to a lesser extent Argentina, Samoa and Fiji) but these teams, especially away from home, have next to no chance of beating Australia and South Africa and absolutely no chance of beating New Zealand. And they make up the "best of the rest" in rugby.

Contrast that with football where Switzerland beat the worlds best team in Spain at the 2010 World Cup. France and Italy didnt even make it out of their groups. Its far more competitive.

But, like i said, the likes of Ireland and Wales do bring alot of fans to any Rugby World Cup and make for a great carnival atmosphere.

I guess i just get annoyed when neutrals denigrate a rugby league contest between Australia and France or Australia and Fiji/Tonga/Samoa/PNG, and yet marvel at the prospect of a Rugby World Cup quarter final between the All Blacks and Ireland.

In terms of it being a contest, there really is no difference. In fact even those League nations could do better than 0-99, surely!!

I think youve been overly harsh on Ireland, Wales and Scotland.. Of the top 10 nations, only Scotland and Fiji have never beaten New Zealand.. Wales has a few wins over New Zealand, as does Ireland.. But all 3 have several wins over South Africa and Australia... All the top nations have ups and downs through the years, but as people have been saying, on the day, any team can win.. In fact I believe Wales will beat South Africa tomorrow..

I agree the Football (Soccer) is a bit more competitive, but there are more competitions, more money, and more teams, so players have more experience, and more ability.. So lower nations are spread all round..

But Rugby has been improving over the years, Russian, Georgian, Romanian, American and Canadian players play in the big European comps for French and British teams, whilst Fijian, Samoan and Tongan players are split between Europe and Australia/NZ competitions which is helping these players with their skills and Rugby knowledge..

And this is only the 7th Rugby World Cup, compared to Footballs 19 World Cups, Rugby as an International game is only young, when we're on our 19th, Im sure there'll be a few more nations able to give New Zealand a go..

 

[ceagle]

Rugby world cup is probably the best world cup behind the Fifa world cup

 

[Xfactor1979]

Glorified 6 nations tournament

With the inclusion of the tri nations teams

the others need some catching up to do

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

Deciding the merit of sport based on bookies odds.

Weak effort.

yeah the bookies have nfi. case in point, here are my bets for this round

- Romania to score more than 0.5 tries, odds were evens

- Scotland to win by 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35 point margin... 6-10(that was the result) was 20/1 odds, 31-35 was 5/1 odds

- Japan over 1.5 tries, evens

- France to win by 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40. 11-15 odds were 33/1, and 36-40 were 8/1. France won by 26 at 16/1

Put £25 on Romania and Japan to score over 0.5 and 1.5 tries. And £10 on each of the winning margins

£170 bet, £480 back, £310 up :lol:

I fancy £50 on the USA to score first points with a try also, at odds of 14/1

Basically the bookies are clueless. They're applying non world cup standards and expectations to an actual world cup.

Problems is you aren't gonna see as good odds for any of the other rounds now, because the bookies will wake up to their stupidity. I never bet on WC wins, but winning margins and over x number of tries is always a brilliant money winner when the minnows play. The bookies seem to think every game is gonna be a 70 + victory in favour of the better team :crazy:

 

[Parra]

Argentina stretched the poms. With the Argies in the 4 nations next year they will only get stronger.

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

f**king hell the bookies are still on their cocktail of acid and crack

Ireland victory of USA, obvious, but here are the odds for Irelands winning margin

1-5 = 40/1
6-10 = 33/1
11-15 = 25/1
16-20 = 12/1
21-25 = 9/1
26-30 = 7/1

USA playing on 9/11? Those odds are tasty eh

 

[Parra]

Pommy all black kit was even worse than it originally sounded. Idiotic decision.

 

[abpanther]

I missed the Argentina game, did they play well or were England terrible?

 

[ThirdEye]

Rugby world cup is probably the best world cup behind the Fifa world cup

It has certainly been a terrific event so far. If the first four games are a pattern for the rest of the tournament then we are in for a stonkin six weeks. It seems that the lesser teams are closing the gap to the tier-one nations.

 

[jargan83]

I missed the Argentina game, did they play well or were England terrible?

England were dreafull for 60 minutes, Argentina had their moments though, just couldn't get points for alot the pressure they mounted. Too keen to attempt penalties from 40-45 metres out

 

[andrew057]

Basically the bookies are clueless. They're applying non world cup standards and expectations to an actual world cup.

Says the guy who comes on and brags about his bets after the fact. Lets see how your USA first try bet goes...

 

[andrew057]

f**king hell the bookies are still on their cocktail of acid and crack

Youve got it, they make their money by setting stupid lines.

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

Says the guy who comes on and brags about his bets after the fact. Lets see how your USA first try bet goes...

It doesn't matter how my USA first try bet goes, I'm up. Nobody wins every bet, and I don't expect to. I go with high return bets in flurries, leaving me with a big upside and small down side for these events. I also know rugby, something you obviously don't if you think the bookies are clued up

the bookies wouldn't be paying me money if they knew their arse from their elbow

If you desire enlightenment you can pay me. I don't give out free tips to strangers, especially those i don't like ----- which is most of you

 

[Thomas]

f**king hell the bookies are still on their cocktail of acid and crack

Ireland victory of USA, obvious, but here are the odds for Irelands winning margin

1-5 = 40/1
6-10 = 33/1
11-15 = 25/1
16-20 = 12/1
21-25 = 9/1
26-30 = 7/1

USA playing on 9/11? Those odds are tasty eh

Are these serious odds?

Wow.

I might put $10 on Ireland to win by 21-25.

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

Are these serious odds?

Wow.

I might put $10 on Ireland to win by 21-25.

f**king stupid right. round 1 and the bookies are giving away money with these odds

not only is it 9/11 tomorrow, but the USA will be hugely encouraged and inspired by other team performances.

personally I don't like going for just 1 margin though, i go for about 5 or 6. Usually i want it so that the smallest odds atleast see me lose nothing

whenever i've tried to narrow it down i always seemt o miss by about 2 points :crazy:

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

for example if you took all those margins(not to talk down to you, i knwo you're not an idiot), you greaten your chances of not losing tremendously.

Ireland could go past a 30 point margin, but is it really that likely? Even if you put down all 6, and 1 is right, the least you'll see back from 10 on each is profit of 30, with the the lowest margin pocketing you a massive 360

if you miss all you're 60 down though, bit of risk for the reward. maybe spread 20 across

i wasn't going to be on the margin of that game myself. don't want to after a good day either, i always lose when i change my mind and get confident, making last minute bets lol

i don't gamble often either, but the bookies baited me good with their odds for this weekend of games

 

[Noa]

Rugby world cup is probably the best world cup behind the Fifa world cup

Basketball is easily the 2nd best and the 2nd most competitive world championship.