England V Scotland

[Mich the Tester]

When England win, it's ugly, cynical and graceless

Oderint dum metuant.

[malvolio]

Can I just remind everybody that the object of the game is to score more points than the opposition. One point more will do.

If you want entertainment, put some porn on the telly. Rugby is about winning.

There is a world of difference between winning and not being beaten.

Oderint dum metuant.

We don't fear anyone. Hwyl mawr

[shaunbhoy]

Don't let that stop you forming a lengthy and judgemental opinion on it though Shaun

I didn't.

[TiroFijo]

Can I just remind everybody that the object of the game is to score more points than the opposition. One point more will do.

If you want entertainment, put some porn on the telly. Rugby is about winning.

Yup, that is the case, it's the final score that counts! At least it was a close game all the way until the try was scored, which kept me on the edge of my sofa for the whole 77 mins!

[d000hg]

Can I just remind everybody that the object of the game is to score more points than the opposition. One point more will do.

Or -7 points today. Glad that they actually went for the win though.

[Doggy Styles]

YEah, whiop di doo. You miss the point.

Getting to a final by grinding away and getting the odd lucky break agaisnt quantifiably inferior opposition doesn't mean you're any kind of good. And "Southern Hemisphere" is the style of the game, not the location: the one where people run, where the ball carrier always has a man on each shoulder, where all players can play anywhere on the park and where the game is not won by who concedes the fewer (detected) penalties at the breakdown. Ireland and Wales both play southern hemisphere rugby.

When England win, it's ugly, cynical and graceless, but if it makes you happy.

I prefer sport myself.

Nope, never mind the waffle, I hit the point spot on.

You said England wouldn't get much further and would get "swamped by southern hemisphere teams".

"Southern hemisphere teams" are teams from the southern hemisphere. And England won't meet any of those until the final, which is almost as far as you can go in any tournament.

Scots, what would we do without them.

[Alf W]

There are perhaps a handful of nations in the world where Rugby Union is really seen as anything other than a minority sport.
Australia, South Africa, France, England, and New Zealand are, I believe, the only nations ever to have won the RU WC, and I am not even sure about the Frogs.
Outside of that there are a slack handful of smaller nations, comprising Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Argentina, Italy who have any real credentials. The rest are just making up what still constitutes a real lack of numbers.
This was the first time that Scotland, a nation in which Rugby is played by nobody outside of a few pretentious Public Schools, and a raft of hyperactive bull-necked sheep-farmers in the Border region, have ever failed to reach the quarter finals.
Says it all about what is a fringe activity designed for those, generally without the raw skills needed for more graceful and athletic pursuits.
The little interest that the rest of the civilised world has in this lardassed activity was nearly strangled out of them by watching England's dreadfully tedious victory in 2003. It is forever destined to remain firmly in the shadows of mainstream sport, thanfully. And the wholly predictable way that this year's tourney is panning out is simply further testament to that inescapable truth.
Now get on with it and let's get back to the Curling!!

Fixed it.

With 20 minutes to go and England trailing I noticed Sky Bet recklessly offering better than evens on an England win. Chucked a cheeky £20 bet on. So not only do we get the laugh of putting the Sweaties back on the plane, I got a minor cash boost as well.

Only France and Ireland stand between England and the final now. If NZ don't choke then Carter's Crocked. England also have the tournaments top try scorer. What's not to be optimistic about?

[Doggy Styles]

No. Scotland never tend to brag that they are going to win such tournaments. They then go out and back that up.
England on the other hand generally make outlandish claims about how well they will do in such tournaments, then go out and perform like Scotland.

HTH

I don't know many Englishmen who think England will win this tournament. If any.

Edit: Except Alf

[Alf W]

You may have noticed that whenever England play Scotland they start each game by singing a song suggesting they are going to kick our arses and send us home "tae think again". Our chaps, on the the other hand, sing their National Anthem for them.

[Incognito]

Scots, what would we do without them.

I believe he's Welsh.

You may have noticed that whenever England play Scotland they start each game by singing a song suggesting they are going to kick our arses and send us home "tae think again". Our chaps, on the the other hand, sing their National Anthem for them.

If you actually took time out to understand the words of The Flower of Scotland you'd maybe appreciate it's about Scottish identity and not about kicking English arse.