You can get all the non world cup stuff for $80 for the season at any time, so impulse buying it all now only saves you $5 even if you pay the $35 for 2 matches, pretty sure they wouldn't put the semis or the final on gold only. (Or if you have another friend who also likes rugby you can probably get away with sharing an account and split the cost)Japan looked awesome and a very worthy Quarter Finalist. Thank goodness the match was played.
Now, more NBC Sports complaints - 2 of the QFs (Ireland v. New Zealand, Wales v. France) are PPV only, and they are now gouging us at $35/match. If I knew what matches will be free to air, it would be really helpful in terms of whether to buy into the package now, especially with an option to get the rest of the tournament plus 6 Nations and EPCR for $145. Probably still better off paying for the one-off on Ireland match, then waiting to see how much of 6 Nations might end up free over the air, but I may make a foolish decision.
Two QFs are on NBC Gold package only. If you have already paid for the full package, you would have them. If not, you are now paying $35/match.PPV only as in not even on NBC gold or whatever it’s called?
This is clearly the right approach, especially given there is no way I am going to watch all of the QFs. I just don't know why they wouldn't price the rest of the RWC + Six Nations at around $100, to give it some value.You can get all the non world cup stuff for $80 for the season at any time, so impulse buying it all now only saves you $5 even if you pay the $35 for 2 matches, pretty sure they wouldn't put the semis or the final on gold only. (Or if you have another friend who also likes rugby you can probably get away with sharing an account and split the cost)
US TV situation update: my programming guide now shows 3/4 matches will be live on NBC Sports Network, and Ireland v. New Zealand will be shown at 2:30 pm ET Saturday. Assuming I can make it to Saturday afternoon without spoiling the result for myself, I am getting pretty excited for this lineup of matches now.
I agree, without knowing much about rugby. But there's a reason why they play the games.I have a feeling this will be similar to 1995 (the first RWC I ever watched) for England, where "woohoo, we beat Australia, we rock!" turned into "oh shit..." after about five minutes of Jonah Lomu and co.
It was the best outcome ever. Game's tearing itself apart publicly. I don't hate rugby (though it's a pretty shit sport that benefits from a few rule changes that make it rugby league) I just hate the institution of the wallabies. Everything that's wrong with the desperate monarchist silvertails.SydneySox must be delighted with how the Wallabies committed hara kiri like that. Suicidal rugby as Larry Dallaglio put it.
I have immense respect for the Wallabies: two titles, four finals, and something like six out of nine semifinals is a pretty good record for a country where rugby union is the fourth most popular sport. It helps the vagaries of the GPS and its relation to the Australian class system don't bother me in the way half of England's squad going to public schools does. And John Eales is a republican.It was the best outcome ever. Game's tearing itself apart publicly. I don't hate rugby (though it's a pretty shit sport that benefits from a few rule changes that make it rugby league) I just hate the institution of the wallabies. Everything that's wrong with the desperate monarchist silvertails.
Bear in mind that I've only been watching rugby for a about a decade and as an American with English teachers about the game. England looks amazing on defense to me but still sloppy with the ball on offense. For those who know the game better, is that going to be a bigger struggle against SA than they've faced? And does England have the speed to stop the SA kicking game (have they played a great kicking team yet) and do they have the size to handle SA's maul? Sadly, after watching every televised match I'll be somewhere with a DVR for the finals so won't be able to watch.I love Barnes' face there. "Oh my!"
England were fuckin' great on Saturday, they really were. They did so much right tactically it's untrue. Didn't fall for the dummy runners, used their offloads, attacked NZ's lineout rather than the other way around. Itoje and Underhill were phenomenal, and Tom Curry wasn't far behind. They made Kieran Read look old and way past his prime, Ardie Savea did very little except fall over for a try, and they made the ABs do something very rare, which is panic and substitute Sam Cane for Scott Barrett. Beauden Barrett looked like an idiot trying to run things out of his 22 -- the ABs didn't just get outfought, they got outthought and that's very rare. It's the best England performance anywhere since 2003.
Can they lose to SA? Yeah, sure. I think far too many people (noticeably not the bookies -- England are only favoured by 5) just expect that to be the way England play now. It's not impossible that was their peak, and SA have huge, bastard forwards, will probably kick better than NZ did, and are certainly not going to do dumb shit like try and run it out of their 22 (even with a fit Cheslin Kolbe). A lot of people decided Wales are shit because they struggled to beat France, and therefore SA are also shit, without remembering that Wales are just bastards to beat. They don't quit, and Alun Wyn Jones's chutzpah in taking the scrum rather than the easy three and getting a try out of it was the on-field tactical decision of the tournament. Huge, brass balls for doing so.
These are all legit questions. A lot depends on how well England executes — they were just perfect last Saturday. If they step back a bit, SA can definitely win this game.Bear in mind that I've only been watching rugby for a about a decade and as an American with English teachers about the game. England looks amazing on defense to me but still sloppy with the ball on offense. For those who know the game better, is that going to be a bigger struggle against SA than they've faced? And does England have the speed to stop the SA kicking game (have they played a great kicking team yet) and do they have the size to handle SA's maul? Sadly, after watching every televised match I'll be somewhere with a DVR for the finals so won't be able to watch.
Unfortunately for the Irish, this turned out to be prescient.I don't know where Ireland go from here, but I do think they need to start moving on from their dependency on Sexton. As much as he claims to want to be rugby's Tom Brady, and as great as he has been at his best, there is no way he will be leading Ireland past the QF in 2023.
Surprised we don't have a thread for the 2023 World Cup. I'm as casual a rugby fan as they come but I watched the Ireland-NZ QF yesterday and that was one of the most compelling sporting events I've watched in a long time. The 37-phase conclusion was excruciating. I was exhausted just watching it, I can only imagine how the players felt.
I agree, and went looking for this thread last night. Then, two more outstanding matches today, capped by South Africa nipping the hosts by a single point. There is so much I don't understand about rugby, but I do know what a compelling sporting event is, and I witnessed a few this weekend.
I was so wrong about the particulars and yet...Unfortunately for the Irish, this turned out to be prescient.
By the way, I've just remembered/realized what sport runs its World Championships (and the Olympics) more or less like the bolded: women's ice hockey. That's another sport with an even clearer top tier of teams and a bunch of second-tier teams, and this two-track format is perfectly fit for purpose; that's exactly what world rugby needs.I've seen it suggested that there should be a second-tier "plate" tournament for the best eight teams that don't escape their groups that runs alongside the quarterfinals/semifinals/final, but I'd go even further and split the tournament in two from the start. Put the best 10 teams in two five-team groups and have them play round-robin against each other, and put the next 10 teams in two other five-team groups, and then work toward a knockout structure where the best teams in the top tier get byes into the quarterfinals, the worst teams in the top tier are eliminated, and the middle teams in the top tier have to play the better teams from the bottom tier in the first round of knockout matches. That would be plenty watchable and give the lower-tier teams some real competition against one another, instead of giving us Ireland 82-8 over Romania and France 96-0 over Namibia and England 71-0 over Chile and New Zealand 73-0 over Uruguay.
Is this really not on TV???Semi #1 today - 3pm ET, ARG v NZ. I don’t know enough about rugby to analyze the matchup (beyond knowing NZ has expectations, and Argentina perhaps is playing with house money a bit?)
NZ in a no-doubter. Hopefully a little more drama tomorrow.Is this really not on TV???
Good! Since I will BE in NZ sometime next week. We leave here Tuesday night and I think we arrive Thursday.NZ in a no-doubter. Hopefully a little more drama tomorrow.
Prior rounds were on FS1, or some other non streaming outlet.All games are on Peacock
On evidence, it’s probably time to consider that there’s something about Northern Hemisphere teams that isn’t built for this tournament. England 2003 is the only NH champion, and there’s an argument that France may be the more successful NH team in these. Wales has had some great teams and has never as much as seen a final (I can hear the Welsh growling at me in 2011). The 2015 QFs had four North-South matches, including Ireland-Argentina, and the Northern sides lost all four. Almost forty years in, the evidence says they’re built different in the South.Ireland should have won this one.
Absolutely there is something to the Southern Hemisphere theory. The data back that up.On evidence, it’s probably time to consider that there’s something about Northern Hemisphere teams that isn’t built for this tournament. England 2003 is the only NH champion, and there’s an argument that France may be the more successful NH team in these. Wales has had some great teams and has never as much as seen a final (I can hear the Welsh growling at me in 2011). The 2015 QFs had four North-South matches, including Ireland-Argentina, and the Northern sides lost all four. Almost forty years in, the evidence says they’re built different in the South.
One of my old scrum halfs and physios is a Kiwi and he is a complete fucking sadist. I feel bad for anyone who ends up on his table Monday.My swim coach is a NZ native.