Ireland 50 Canada 7. Despite more or less realizing the 42 point spread for the match.. it was still a drubbing.
Ireland though is 6 Nations Chamion and considered by many a real threat for the Web Ellis Trophy. But i expect a more cohesive effort from our boys as the tournament continues.
Anyone who thinks Ireland will win this World Cup needs their brain taken out by a spade and a new one inserted. They may be one of the stronger teams in the tournament but I don't think they'll go all the way - despite what the arrogant Irish rugby fans believe. Beating Canada 50-7 is one thing. A true measure of how good this Ireland side - who are the Six Nations champions - are will be when they come up against one of the big boys: the likes of New Zealand, England or Australia.
Well England doesn't seem particularly intimidated by the Haka.. sending up this video shamelessly mocking it (with the 'Hakarena'.. how English!) .. much to the outrage of Maoris and New Zealanders who deem it part of their culture.
England rugby player Matt Dawson sparks outrage in New Zealand by mocking haka | Daily Mail Online
i say to all who find themselves quaking in their boots, and quivering in fear for their lives at the cannibal appetites of the Haka.. if you can't stand the Rugby heat.. find yourself another game (or pot to boil in). :roll:
It should be noted that as part of the etiquette of the challenge.. the All Blacks.. or Fiji.. or Tonga.. always approach the Captain of the opposing team prior to the match to get his team's acceptance to receive the challenge. Presumably if they refused it would not be given.. but to my knowledge it has never been refused.. so much for opponents being 'forced' to stand there and be threatened. Good grief the whole thing lasts less than a minute... talk about making a mountain out of mole hill.
Meaning and origins of the Haka
The Haka | allblacks.com | allblacks.com
original version Haka
Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
Nana nei I tiki mai
Whakawhiti te ra
A upa … ne! ka upa …ne!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
Hi!
Translation:
I die! I die! I live! I live!
I die! I die! I live! I live!
This is the hairy man
Who fetched the sun
And caused it to shine again
One upward step! Another upward step!
An upward step, another… the sun shines
optional version of the All Black Haka - usually performed since 2006
kia whakata hoki au i ahau
hi aue, hi
ko aotearoa e ngunguru nei
au! au! aue ha!
ko Kapa O e ngunguru nei
au! au! aue ha!
i ahaha
ka tu te ihiihi
ka tu te wanawana
ki runga i te rangi e tu iho nei, tu iho nei
ponga ra!
Kapa O Pango!
ponga ra!
Kapa O Pango!
aue hi!
Let me go back to my first gasp of breath
Let my life force return to the earth
It is New Zealand that thunders now
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The passion ignites!
This defines us as the All Blacks
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The anticipation explodes!
Feel the power
Our dominance rises
Our supremacy emerges
To be placed on high
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
aue hi!
I'll have to say again that it's time the hake was banned. It is an act of aggression and intimidation against the opposing side which goes against all the gentlemanly conduct and proper sporting behaviour that we are taught should be upheld within sport. It's for this reason why it baffles me and, probably, most other rugby fans why the IRB allows it.
One particularly odious example of the way the IRB allows the New Zealand players to try to intimidate the opposition by performing the haka, but do NOT like it when the opposing team which is on the receiving end of this attempted intimidation stands up to the haka, was in the 2011 World Cup Final in New Zealand between New Zealand and France when, during the haka, the French formed a V-shaped formation and stepped in unison beyond their 10m line and over the halfway line and slowly advanced towards the haka-performing New Zealanders. And what was the response of the IRB! They later fined the French, who lost that Final 8-7, £2,500, much to the general bemusement and bafflement of rugby fans.
The IRB fined the French for slowly advancing towards the haka before the 2011 World Cup Final at Eden Park in Auckland. So the New Zealanders are allowed to intimidate their opponents by performing the haka, but opponents are not allowed to stand up to it!
It really is time the haka was banned. New Zealand cannot keep giving themselves an unfair pschological advantage by performing an intimidating war dance in which they threaten to slash their opponents' throats. And, if it won't be banned, it should at least be reduced back to what it used to be back in the 1970s and 1980s: a brief and harmless diversion, an amusement for the team and the crowd, a silly little dance in which have the New Zealand side can't even remember the words, with none of the disgusting throat-slitting gestures that now accompany it.
I was watching the Under-20 All Blacks perform their Haka in the lead up to their match with South Africa and it was pathetic.
It started off as the usual Haka, after a somewhat longer than necessary introduction before the Kamate bit, but the last motion was a threatening, and slow, slitting of the throat.
I wanted to throw things at the TV.
New Zealanders want their Haka to be treated with respect. Do they honestly believe that anyone in the world should respect a team which ends its - until then - tolerated and sometimes respected challenge with a throat-slitting demonstration.
Respect goes both ways. How stupid do the New Zealand rugby authorities believe their opponents to be?
It has really surprised me that they allowed the Under-20's to go with their Haka.
It's such embarrassing nonsense with earnest, gleeful, and plainly naïve young men doing their best to overact as if auditioning for supporting roles as pirates on Captain Hook's ship: Captain Cook would have been embarrassed.
Ok, so they will argue that it is "tradition".
Even supposing that most sporting traditions are barely 100 years old at most, when humankind had populated most ice-free parts of the world some 12,000 years ago, this is not tradition.
It's the evolution of what was a rather lame pre-match ritual that existed in my day and has evolved into a one-way wind up. In the 1980s some All Blacks didn't even know the words.
Rugby is a psychological game: players cool down after the anthems and then have to get themselves up for kick off, and, lo and behold, just before kick off one team gets to gather, shout a lot, slap thighs and threaten the other team.
I don't mind a Haka that is about respect.
But, firstly with the introduction of the new one a few years ago which they then ditched, and now with the Under-20's having attended too many drama classes, it shows no respect.
And respect is a fundamental part of the game, while expecting a team to watch you threaten them smacks of a lack of respect.
Plus, you can't invent tradition; unless I am misunderstanding a fundamental aspect of tourism.
Are New Zealanders really proud of this?
BBC - John Beattie: The Haka is losing its charm
******************************************
Samoa VS USA has kicked off at midday at Brighton Community Stadium in a Pool B match. Samoa lead 11-0.
Samoan captain Ofisa Treviranus plays his club rugby for London Irish in England's Aviva Premiership.
Line-ups
Samoa: Tim Nanai-Williams; Ken Pisi, Paul Perez, Reynold Lee-Lo, Alesana Tuilagi; Tusi Pisi, Kahn Fotuali'i; Ofisa Treviranus (capt), Jack Lam, Maurie Fa'asavalu; Iosefa Tekori, Teofilo Paulo; Anthony Perenise, Ole Avei, Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements: Motu Matu'u, Viliamu Afatia, Census Johnston, Faifili Levave, Alafoti Faosiliva, Vavao Afemai, Mike Stanley, Fa'atoina Autagavaia.
United States: Blaine Scully; Takudzwa Ngwenya, Seamus Kelly, Thretton Palamo, Chris Wyles (capt); AJ MacGinty, Mike Petri; Samu Manoa, Andrew Durutalo, Al McFarland; Greg Peterson, Hayden Smith; Titi Lamositele, Zach Fenoglio, Eric Fry.
Replacements: Phil Thiel, Oli Kilifi, Chris Baumann, Cameron Dolan, Danny Barrett, Shalom Suniula, Folau Niua, Brett Thompson.
Samoa are leading USA 11-0
Today's other fixtures:
Pool C: New Zealand vs Argentina
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Date: Sunday, 20 September
Kick-off: 16:45 BST
Holders and tournament favourites New Zealand are putting out a full-strength side in this Pool C encounter at Wembley, fielding the most experienced international XV in history.
Steve Hansen's side feature 1,013 Test caps in the starting line-up and a further 316 on the bench.
Tony Woodcock will equal Englishman Jason Leonard's record of 104 Test starts as a prop.
The Pumas, who have not beaten the All Blacks in 21 Tests, have seven World Cup debutants in their starting XV.
Eight of the New Zealand XV started the World Cup final four years ago, when the All Blacks beat France 8-7. Richie McCaw will lead his country for the 143rd time.
Match stats
The All Blacks are the only top-tier nation Argentina have never beaten
The All Blacks have won 20 and drawn one of their 21 Tests against Argentina
Argentina drew 21-21 against the All Blacks in Buenos Aires in 1985
Since winning the World Cup on home soil in 2011, the All Blacks have played 47 Tests, winning 42, drawing two and losing three
The average score between the sides in Tests is 41-13
New Zealand: Ben Smith; Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea; Dan Carter, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (capt), Jerome Kaino; Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick; Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock
Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Sonny Bill Williams
Argentina: Joaquin Tuculet; Santiago Cordero, Marcelo Bosch, Juan Martin Hernandez, Juan Imhoff; Nicolas Sanchez, Tomas Cubelli; Leonardo Senatore, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Pablo Matera; Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti; Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Agustin Creevy (capt), Marcos Ayerza
Replacements: Julian Montoya, Lucas Noguera, Ramino Herrera, Mariano Galarza, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Martin Landajo, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino
BBC Sport - Rugby World Cup 2015: All Blacks at full strength for Argentina
Pool A: Wales vs Uruguay
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff,
Date: 20 September
Kick-off: 14:30 BST
(Many English fans must think it rather unfair that, even though England is supposed to be the host nation, the IRB have allowed, for some reason, some matches to be played at Millennium Stadium in Wales - including, even more incredibly, some WALES matches, with Wales having actual home advantage.)
Wales have the easiest start in the World Cup group of death, but captain Sam Warburton is determined not to let his team's standards drop.
Minnows Uruguay - ranked 19th in the world - are Sunday's Pool A opponents at the Millennium Stadium.
Wales are expected to win comfortably but, in the most competitive pool, Warburton is calling for ruthlessness.
"We will go with our foot down for the full 80 minutes," said the 2013 British and Irish Lions captain.
Match stats
Wales and Uruguay have never met at senior level, but Wales A beat them 66-22 in 2001 in a match which saw Shane Williams and Gavin Henson score tries.
Gethin Jenkins, Wales' most capped player and a member of the current squad, was on the bench for that game.
Wales captain Sam Warburton was sent-off after 17 minutes of the 2011 semi-final against France which Wales lost 9-8.
Uruguay have won two World Cup matches - against Spain in 1999 and Georgia in 2003.
Wales currently lie fifth in the World Rugby rankings, with Uruguay 19th.
Teams
Wales: Liam Williams (Scarlets); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons); Rhys Priestland (Bath Rugby), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Paul James (Ospreys), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Sam Warburton (capt, Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), James King (Ospreys).
Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Dominic Day (Bath Rugby), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester Rugby), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Morgan (Bristol Rugby).
Uruguay: Gaston Mieres; Santiago Gibernau, Joaquin Prada, Andres Vilaseca, Rodrigo Silva; Felipe Berchesi, Agustin Ormaechea; Alejo Corral, Carlos Arboleya, Mario Sagario, Santiago Vilaseca (capt), Jorge Zerbino, Juan Manuel Gaminara, Alejandro Nieto, Matias Beer.
Replacements: German Kessler, Oscar Duran, Mateo Sanguinetti, Franco Lamanna, Agustin Alonso, Juan De Freitas, Alejo Duran, Francisco Bulanti.
BBC Sport - Rugby World Cup 2015: Wales v Uruguay
