Rugby World Cup On Chit Chat - It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Home nations group fixtures

Sunday, 22 September	Pool A: Ireland v Scotland (Yokohama), 08:45
Sunday, 22 September	Pool C: England v Tonga (Sapporo), 11:15
Monday, 23 September	Pool D: Wales v Georgia (Toyota), 11:15
Thursday, 26 September	Pool C: England v United States (Kobe), 11:45
Saturday, 28 September	Pool A: Japan v Ireland (Shizuoka), 08:15
Sunday, 29 September	Pool D: Australia v Wales (Tokyo), 08:45
Monday, 30 September	Pool A: Scotland v Samoa (Kobe), 11:15
Thursday, 3 October	Pool A: Ireland v Russia (Kobe), 11:15
Saturday, 5 October	Pool C: England v Argentina (Tokyo), 09:00
Wednesday, 9 October	Pool A: Scotland v Russia (Shizuoka), 08:15
Wednesday, 9 October	Pool D: Wales v Fiji (Oita), 10:45
Saturday, 12 October	Pool C: England v France (Yokohama), 09:15
Saturday, 12 October	Pool A: Ireland v Samoa (Fukuoka), 11:45
Sunday, 13 October	Pool D: Wales v Uruguay (Kumamoto), 09:15
Sunday, 13 October	Pool A: Japan v Scotland (Yokohama), 11:45

As you will be aware, Germany have a rich history when it comes to rugby.
The Schwarze Adler (Black Eagles) won the silver medal at the 1900 Olympics in Paris without having to actually win a game

Three teams competed in the Rugby tournament. A French representative team defeated a team from the German city of Frankfurt and Moseley Wanderers from England. The Moseley team had played a full game of rugby in England the day before they made the journey to Paris. They arrived in the morning, played the match in the afternoon and were back in their home country by the next morning. The proposed game between the British and German sides was cancelled, and both are credited as silver medallists.

A controversial qualification campaign saw the Schwarze Adler promoted from last place in the European group to second place, Romania and Spain both having points deducted for fielding ineligible players.

This second place qualified them for a complex repechage event where they defeated Portugal prior to losing out on qualification to to Samoa.

However, all was not lost, a further route to qualification remained open via the final repechage round-robin event where they were pitted against Canada, Hong Kong, and Kenya. Both Hong Kong and Kenya were easily dispatched, leaving a winner takes it all encounter with the Canadians.

Alas, the punishing campaign caught up with the Schwarze Adler, the Canadians showing admirable composure to see off stubborn German resistance and get the win that takes them to Japan, converting a narrow 10-7 lead in to a 29-10 final score.

After the match, German captain Michael Poppmeier said: “All credit to Canada, they played really well. It was a hard, physical game and there is a reason why they have been to every World Cup since its inception. We can only hope we can go from strength to strength.”

Close, but no cigar on this occasion. But watch out for an even stronger qualification campaign for the 2023 tournament in France, the Schwarze Adler will be keen to return to the scene of their former Olympic glory.

Wouldn't have happened with the German backs coach.

Floating pitches, volcano views and cities named after car companies.

These are just a few of the things awaiting fans at the 12 venues for Asia's first ever Rugby World Cup.

The final will take place in Yokohama, close to Tokyo, but perhaps the most moving stadium is in Kamaishi, on the site where a tsunami destroyed two schools in 2011.

Pool games will be contested in stadiums along the length of Japan.

1. Sapporo Dome, 2. Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, 3. Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, 4. Tokyo Stadium, 5. International Stadium Yokohama, 6. Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, 7. City of Toyota Stadium, 8. Hanazono Rugby Stadium, 9. Kobe Misaki Stadium, 10. Oita Stadium, 11. Kumamoto Stadium, 12. Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium

International Stadium Yokohama will host seven matches, including the semi-finals and final. Rugby was reportedly first played in Yokohama as early as the 1860s so it is often called the birthplace of the sport in Japan. The stadium has a capacity of 72,327 and will also host Ireland, Scotland and England matches during the tournament.

At the Sapporo Dome, the rugby pitch will be grown outdoors, then floated in and spun into position. The stadium, which has a capacity of 41,410, is usually set up for baseball matches but will be transformed for England v Tonga on 22 September and Australia v Fiji on 21 September.

A tsunami hit Kamaishi on 11 March 2011 and the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium was built in 2018 in memory of those who died. Elementary and junior high schools once stood on the site and were wiped out by the water, but all the children escaped to higher ground and were saved. The 16,334-capacity stadium will host two matches: Fiji v Uruguay and Namibia v Canada.

The city of Toyota was once called Koromo, but changed its name in 1959 because of the car company which has several manufacturing plants there. The City of Toyota Stadium is known for its steep stands and will host four matches. Wales and Japan are both playing at the 45,000-seater venue.

Unlike some of the other venues, Kumagaya Rugby Stadium is built especially for rugby. Japanese Top League matches are regularly played there and the 25,600-capacity stadium has been refurbished for the World Cup. Three pool-stage matches will be played there.

A bit like Twickenham in England, Tokyo Stadium can be found to the west of Japan’s capital. The venue - which can hold 49,970 fans - will host eight matches, including the opening ceremony before Japan v Russia on 20 September, and two quarter-finals. Tokyo Stadium will see more international rugby in 2020, when the Olympic Rugby Sevens takes place there.

Shizuoka is home to green tea plantations and Mount Fuji - the active volcano which is Japan’s tallest peak. The 50,889-seater Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa is the venue for four pool matches, including Japan v Ireland.

The Hanazono Rugby Stadium, built in 1929, is the oldest dedicated rugby union stadium in Japan. It is the venue for the annual National High School Rugby Tournament and has been updated in preparation for the World Cup. With space for 24,000 supporters, four pool games will be played on the Hanazono turf.

Much like the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, the Kobe Misaki Stadium has a retractable roof. But Wales are the only home nation not to play in the 30,132-capacity stadium situated in the port city, with England, Scotland and Ireland all travelling to Kobe for group games.

Japanese fans may have fond memories of the Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium, because it was host to a 121-0 victory for Japan against the Philippines in 2013. The stadium, which can hold 21,562, is surrounded by trees and close to the city centre. Ireland play their final group game there, against Samoa.

The 30,228-capacity Kumamoto Stadium is placed amid a backdrop of wooded hills and parkland. It is the furthest south of all the venues and will host two matches, including Wales’ final group game against Uruguay. Kumamoto is also home to one of the world's largest active volcanoes - Mount Aso.

Oita Stadium also has a retractable roof and will be the venue for the Pool C and D quarter-finals, which could involve England and Wales. The 40,000-seater stadium will host three pool games, including Wales v Fiji.

Tournament now up and running, a pleasing victory for the host country.  Final Score : Japan 30 Russia 10

Three matches tomorrow:

Saturday, 21 September
Pool D: Australia v Fiji (Sapporo), 05:45
Pool C: France v Argentina (Tokyo), 08:15
Pool B: New Zealand v South Africa (Yokohama), 10:45

and a further three on Sunday

Sunday, 22 September
Pool B: Italy v Namibia (Osaka), 06:15
Pool A: Ireland v Scotland (Yokohama), 08:45
Pool C: England v Tonga (Sapporo), 11:15

All look tasty tomorrow

Expect Aussies to win easily, but the other two are anyone's guess. Argentina and South Africa to "shock" the holders for me though.

Australia 39-21 Fiji: Wallabies fight back to win opening match

Australia ran in four second-half tries as they fought back to beat Fiji in their opening 2019 World Cup match.

The 2015 finalists were trailing until halfway into the second half before hooker Silatolu Latu went over for two tries inside five minutes.

Peceli Yato's try gave Fiji an early 8-0 lead, and a shock looked possible when Waisea Nayacalevu scored under the posts early in the second half.

But Australia roared back to end fears of a first loss to Fiji since 1954.

The Wallabies' next outing in Group D is on Sunday, 29 September, when they face Wales in Tokyo.

France held off a second-half comeback by Argentina to win a gripping World Cup match in Tokyo.
The Pumas overturned a 20-3 half-time deficit to take a 21-20 lead until Camille Lopez's drop-goal put France ahead again in the Pool C encounter.

A thrilling encounter with the Argies missing a difficult penalty that would have snatched victory at the death

New Zealand 23-13 South Africa: All Blacks hold off spirited Springboks

Defending champions New Zealand produced a clinical display to hold off a spirited South Africa in their World Cup Pool B opener in Yokohama.

The Springboks started brightly and took the lead with a Handre Pollard penalty before the All Blacks hit back.
Richie Mo'unga drew New Zealand level and two quick tries by George Bridge and Scott Barrett put them in front.

Pieter-Steph du Toit's try and a Pollard drop-goal made it tense before Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett penalties.

The result means New Zealand extend their winning run to 15 games in the competition, last losing to France in the 2007 quarter-finals.
South Africa play Namibia next on Saturday, 28 September (10:45 BST), while the All Blacks face Canada on 2 October (11:15).

Ireland hump Scotland in the first half 19-3, can the Scots find anything in the second ?

We were utter pish

Just the one match tomorrow : Pool D  Wales v Georgia 11:15

Just one match tomorrow : Pool A Russia v Samoa 11:15
Russia the first team to play their second match.

am i right here , that if eng win their group and new zealand  theirs , then they would definetly meet in semis if both
on their quarters

nz v scot/sam****
sa v ire
eng v aus
wal v fra

then nz v eng/aus   
sa/ ire v wal/fra

is this the way its predicted to go.? thx

god i cant say j a p an

I have France and Argentina going through in that pool

shouldn't be allowed back in the country if they don't get through that group. argentina have been on the decline for a while and france an utter shambles for the last 5 years at least

Scotland scrum-half Ali Price is out of the World Cup because of a foot injury suffered in Sunday's defeat by Ireland.

The Glasgow Warriors player, 26, came on as a second-half substitute in place of Greig Laidlaw in the 27-3 loss in Yokohama.
Edinburgh's Henry Pyrgos will fly out as Price's replacement.

It comes a day after Scotland lost back-row Hamish Watson for the rest of the tournament, with Magnus Bradbury called up to replace him.

"We're disappointed for Ali to have to return home so early in the tournament," said Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend.
"Both Ali and Hamish invested a lot of effort in being in their best physical shape for the World Cup and it's a shame they've only been involved in one game.

"However, we have a lot of belief in our wilder group and the two new players who have been given this opportunity."

Russia 9-34 Samoa: Strong second half sees Samoa clinch bonus-point win

Three tries in eight minutes at the start of the second half saw Samoa overcome a slow start and earn a bonus-point win against spirited Russia.

The Pacific Islanders went down to 13 men in the first half as Rey Lee-Lo and Motu Matu'u were both sin-binned for high tackles on Vasily Artemyev.

Russia led at the break thanks to two penalties from Yury Kushnarev.

But Samoa found their fluency to run in five second-half tries and ease to victory as the Bears ran out of steam.

Samoa narrowly top Pool A - which also contains hosts Japan, as well as Ireland and Scotland - on points difference.

England always find a way to muck it up mafeking

We got knocked out of the pool stage at our own party last time