Rugby World Cup 2015

[TANGODANCER]

Ireland 14-0 down to Argentina after 12 mins

Edit, make that 17-0....

[thebish]

Ireland 14-0 down to Argentina after 12 mins

Edit, make that 17-0....

awwww....

[Prufrock]

Well that was fecking stupid!

[thebish]

ireland are right back in this...

[thebish]

aaaaand now they're back out of it!

back to the drawing board Northern Hemisphere Rugby - in danger of becoming a bit of a joke - our six nations tournament will be smiled at by the rest as a bit of an irrelevance in world rugby terms...

Argentina (no mugs - but, still!) put 40pts past Ireland with 10mins to go??

[TANGODANCER]

Sad day for Ireland, but can't say it wasn't a well deserved win. Argies played with real ferocity. Cracking match. When they were still in with a shout Ireland didn't show patience and gave possession away too often with chance kicking.

[thebish]

from the BBC rugby news ticker..

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has just suggested on ITV Sport that the difference that the southern hemisphere sides have over their northern rivals is an markedly superior ability to "pass and catch the ball".

Is it that simple? Have teams in the north got so caught up in pumping iron, popping supplements and learning complex defensive systems that they have forgotten the simple joy of playing off-the-cuff rugby?

That might be a big part of it.

sadly, I think it might be more than that...

[TANGODANCER]

And Scotland go 10-5 ahead of the Oz....

[TANGODANCER]

How very cruel sport can be. Scotland Leading Oz by two points in the 79th minute and the ref gives Oz a penalty. Foley, not really the best of kickers I've seen slots it over in the pouring rain and Oz win by a point. Great effort by the Scots who fought like heroes.

[Worthy4England]

What a game...very unlucky for the Sweaties...

[thebish]

they should quit whining about it! enough already!! whinging jocks!

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - I'm over it now....fcking small team mentality. Penalties going against us - blah, blah...

[thebish]

Yeah - I'm over it now....fcking small team mentality. Penalties going against us - blah, blah...

that's the spirit!!

[Gary the Enfield]

Come on Austrealand!!!

[TANGODANCER]

They won't beat the Kiwis.

[Bruce Rioja]

How very cruel sport can be. Scotland Leading Oz by two points in the 79th minute and the ref gives Oz a penalty. Foley, not really the best of kickers I've seen slots it over in the pouring rain and Oz win by a point.

I know. 4ucking brilliant, isn't it?!

[Il Pirate]

Nicola Sturgeon's mon ain't getting a fckin sniff toneet!!

[bobo the clown]

How very cruel sport can be. Scotland Leading Oz by two points in the 79th minute and the ref gives Oz a penalty. Foley, not really the best of kickers I've seen slots it over in the pouring rain and Oz win by a point.

I know. 4ucking brilliant, isn't it?!

Tremendous. It really is the hope that kills.

[jaffka]

Two very good games today.

Ireland again failed to get to a semi final which was surely within their capability. That Argentina side has definitely been hardened and had to improve through exposure to the SH's rugby championship. They have a got a very good nasty streak about.

Scotland, within 2 minutes of making history and then let it slip. Great game though and that will have worried the wallabies today.

Last night France got annihilated by the ruthless AB's.

So this time round the SH dominate the rugby world cup at the quarter final stage, get ready for some press over reaction and hyperbole.

In this WC my predictions have mainly failed, so I sincerely offer my apologies to anyone who has bet on what I predicted

[truewhite15]

from the BBC rugby news ticker..

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has just suggested on ITV Sport that the difference that the southern hemisphere sides have over their northern rivals is an markedly superior ability to "pass and catch the ball".

Is it that simple? Have teams in the north got so caught up in pumping iron, popping supplements and learning complex defensive systems that they have forgotten the simple joy of playing off-the-cuff rugby?

That might be a big part of it.

sadly, I think it might be more than that...

I'm not sure it is. One of the key differences I've noticed between the Northern Hemisphere sides and their Southern counterparts is that the Southern sides are always looking for the quick offload, before a tackle becomes a ruck. Scrums, mauls, defensive lines are all much of a muchness - sure, Australia and the like might be that little bit better, but it's that sort of clever, inventive play before the rucks and the mauls that makes the key difference.