RWC Opposition Watch

[switchskier]

Irish squad has been announced. No Toner and McGrath feels like wins as they usually play well against us. Strong Lenister presence in that squad.

Forwards (17)
Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 119 caps CAPTAIN
Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 8 caps
Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 15 caps
Sean Cronin (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 69 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 35 caps
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 90 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 30 caps
Iain Henderson (Queens University/Ulster) 47 caps
Jean Kleyn (Munster) 2 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 59 caps
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 17 caps
Rhys Ruddock (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 22 caps
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 18 caps
John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 20 caps
Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 16 caps
CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 32 caps
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 18 caps

Backs (14)
Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 19 caps
Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster) 19 caps
Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 6 caps
Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 15 caps
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 77 caps
Chris Farrell (Young Munster/Munster) 5 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 37 caps
Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 91 caps
Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 15 caps
Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) 13 caps
Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 73 caps
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 23 caps
Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 83 caps
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 20 caps

[Mikey Brown]

I suppose they've looked at our lineout and don't feel it needs any further disruption.

[General Zod]

I suppose they've looked at our lineout and don't feel it needs any further disruption.

I’ll admit to being pleased not to see Toner - he seems to save his best lineout-disrupting performances for us.

In other news, it looks like Gorgodze has come out of retirement. Hopefully not in time for Friday!

[switchskier]

I suppose they've looked at our lineout and don't feel it needs any further disruption.

I’ll admit to being pleased not to see Toner - he seems to save his best lineout-disrupting performances for us.

In other news, it looks like Gorgodze has come out of retirement. Hopefully not in time for Friday!

Wasn't that him at 8 on Saturday or is there another Gorgodze?

Anyways, the Japanese squad is as follows:

Forwards: Keita Inagaki, Yusuke Kizu, Jiwon Koo, Isileli Nakajima, Asaeli Ai Valu, Takuya Kitade, Atsushi Sakate, Shota Horie, Luke Thompson, Wimpie van der Walt, Uwe Helu, James Moore, Hendrik Tui, Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Michael Leitch (c), Pieter Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno, Amanaki Lelei Mafi

Backs: Kaito Shigeno, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Rikiya Matsuda, Kenki Fukuoka, Ataata Moeakiola, Lomano Lava Lemeki, William Tupou, Ryoto Nakamura, Timothy Lafaele, Kotaro Matsushima, Ryohei Yamanaka

Anyone got any insights? I recognize Leitch, Tanaka and Fukuoka from 4 years ago but don't watch much super rugby.

[General Zod]

I suppose they've looked at our lineout and don't feel it needs any further disruption.

I’ll admit to being pleased not to see Toner - he seems to save his best lineout-disrupting performances for us.

In other news, it looks like Gorgodze has come out of retirement. Hopefully not in time for Friday!

Wasn't that him at 8 on Saturday or is there another Gorgodze?

Dunno, I was drinking rapidly during the match.

[Digby]

That was Gorgadze, who is probably 10 if not 15 years younger than Gorgodze.

[Mikey Brown]

They've already got an Otari Giorgadze and Beka Gorgadze in the backrow.

[Puja]

I suppose they've looked at our lineout and don't feel it needs any further disruption.

I’ll admit to being pleased not to see Toner - he seems to save his best lineout-disrupting performances for us.

In other news, it looks like Gorgodze has come out of retirement. Hopefully not in time for Friday!

Wasn't that him at 8 on Saturday or is there another Gorgodze?

Anyways, the Japanese squad is as follows:

Forwards: Keita Inagaki, Yusuke Kizu, Jiwon Koo, Isileli Nakajima, Asaeli Ai Valu, Takuya Kitade, Atsushi Sakate, Shota Horie, Luke Thompson, Wimpie van der Walt, Uwe Helu, James Moore, Hendrik Tui, Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Michael Leitch (c), Pieter Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno, Amanaki Lelei Mafi

Backs: Kaito Shigeno, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Rikiya Matsuda, Kenki Fukuoka, Ataata Moeakiola, Lomano Lava Lemeki, William Tupou, Ryoto Nakamura, Timothy Lafaele, Kotaro Matsushima, Ryohei Yamanaka

Anyone got any insights? I recognize Leitch, Tanaka and Fukuoka from 4 years ago but don't watch much super rugby.

It's a good squad. Joseph has got them playing a fast, offloading style of rugby and they're on a bit of a run of form having beaten Fiji, Tonga, and the US without any difficulty at all this year. The game against South Africa this weekend will be very interesting to see just how deep their improvement goes.

In terms of the players, Matsushima is a threat from fullback and their back row are very fast around the park. Lemeki and Moeakiola are very big and fast wingers and I can see cross-field kicks being hoisted if they're up against one of your diminutive backs.

Puja

ETA. All of their locks are foreign born but none are above 6'5. Van der Walt is only 6'1! You're not the only people glad that Toner is absent.

[switchskier]

I’ll admit to being pleased not to see Toner - he seems to save his best lineout-disrupting performances for us.

In other news, it looks like Gorgodze has come out of retirement. Hopefully not in time for Friday!

Wasn't that him at 8 on Saturday or is there another Gorgodze?

Anyways, the Japanese squad is as follows:

Forwards: Keita Inagaki, Yusuke Kizu, Jiwon Koo, Isileli Nakajima, Asaeli Ai Valu, Takuya Kitade, Atsushi Sakate, Shota Horie, Luke Thompson, Wimpie van der Walt, Uwe Helu, James Moore, Hendrik Tui, Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Michael Leitch (c), Pieter Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno, Amanaki Lelei Mafi

Backs: Kaito Shigeno, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Rikiya Matsuda, Kenki Fukuoka, Ataata Moeakiola, Lomano Lava Lemeki, William Tupou, Ryoto Nakamura, Timothy Lafaele, Kotaro Matsushima, Ryohei Yamanaka

Anyone got any insights? I recognize Leitch, Tanaka and Fukuoka from 4 years ago but don't watch much super rugby.

It's a good squad. Joseph has got them playing a fast, offloading style of rugby and they're on a bit of a run of form having beaten Fiji, Tonga, and the US without any difficulty at all this year. The game against South Africa this weekend will be very interesting to see just how deep their improvement goes.

In terms of the players, Matsushima is a threat from fullback and their back row are very fast around the park. Lemeki and Moeakiola are very big and fast wingers and I can see cross-field kicks being hoisted if they're up against one of your diminutive backs.

Puja

ETA. All of their locks are foreign born but none are above 6'5. Van der Walt is only 6'1! You're not the only people glad that Toner is absent.

I'll be ok with our wingers Fielding crossfield kicks tbh. Seymour and Maitland are excellent in the air, Kinghorn gives nothing away in terms of size and Graham has a decent leap on him. I'm far more worried about gaps in the centres.

[General Zod]

Just watching the Japan - SA match. Japanese line-out is mis-firing so far and one of their wingers has gone off injured (but looks ok).

Whenever there’s a scrum, the Japanese fans clap rhythmically (like a long-jump) and get progressively faster. May catch on!

Anyway, Kolbe in the corner made it 7-0 after about 7 minutes. Still 7-0 after about 15 (something going on with the clock on screen).

Japs aren’t afraid of a tap and go. Very lively but a little lacking in composure so far. Leach looks good for them.

Ball looks slippery. Not going to be an easy fixture - fitness and not dropping it will be key, as they’ll run it back all day.

[General Zod]

Half time 22-0. Mafi looks decent as well for Japan. However, the rest look a little rusty.

Interested to see the quality or otherwise of the Japanese replacements. We’ll be playing them in game 4, so it may come significantly into the equation.

[General Zod]

27-0. Japanese scrum not great, but Boks front rows (starting and replacement) are different gravy.

[General Zod]

27-7. Bit of a cock-up from the Boks.

[Puja]

7-41 in the end, which is about par. Japan had a few names missing (no Horie, Tanaka, or Lemeki), but not massively far off their first choice side. They'll be dangerous, although if you play to your best you should have enough to beat them.

Puja

[General Zod]

FT 41-7.

Game was won early - Boks looked pretty decent during the first 50 minutes, but knew it was in the bag.

Japan look lively and their back 3 have decent boots on them, but the Boks got on top of them early as we must too.

Think I was right to be more worried about Samoa, but we have a winnable game to take care of before that.

Edit - and I don’t mean Georgia!

[General Zod]

Anyone watching Samoa? They’re ok I guess, and will improve, but Australia are stopping them from playing and executing their own plan fairly well. They’re better than what I saw of Japan, but at half time it’s 22-3 Australia.

[General Zod]

Er...

22-15, 61 on the clock. A handful, no doubt. Need to get in their faces from the off.

[General Zod]

FT 34-15. Ok, they’re good, and capable of beating us if we don’t turn up, but we should be confident of beating them.

Rey Lee-Lo at centre looked decent and a couple of them appeared to have short fuses, (am looking at Batman here). They will undoubtedly improve, but so should we.

As an aside, I think Fiji first up for Australia could prove troublesome.

[switchskier]

Anyibe watch the wales game? Ireland back to doing what they do well. Suffocating defense, no mistakes in attack but no real creativity. To beat them we need to get out in front I think and force them to play. No playing your way into that one I reckon.

[General Zod]

Anyibe watch the wales game? Ireland back to doing what they do well. Suffocating defense, no mistakes in attack but no real creativity. To beat them we need to get out in front I think and force them to play. No playing your way into that one I reckon.

Good shout. I agree. I just hope we don’t start flinging it wide like we did in Cardiff last time we were in the 6N there! We did it against Ireland last time we beat them at Murrayfield - something like that would do!

[General Zod]

Hmmm. Don’t think it will affect how we prepare - our performance is in our hands. I’d also always take this sort of news with a pinch of salt.

If true and he misses the first match, I hope he doesn’t miss the tournament, as he’s a good player.

[switchskier]

Hmmm. Don’t think it will affect how we prepare - our performance is in our hands. I’d also always take this sort of news with a pinch of salt.

If true and he misses the first match, I hope he doesn’t miss the tournament, as he’s a good player.

Won't change the way that Ireland play, aki will likely just sub straight in. Think I'd rather face aki than henshaw though, think that the later has the ability to help them play that big wider.

Of course, henshaw at full back is the ideal scenario.

[General Zod]

Not sure if they strictly count as opposition (just yet anyway), but Rob Howley has been sent home from the Wales’ camp for alleged betting irregularities.

This is not at all funny in any way.

[sharvey44]

Not sure if they strictly count as opposition (just yet anyway), but Rob Howley has been sent home from the Wales’ camp for alleged betting irregularities.

This is not at all funny in any way.

Absolutely not funny



Definitely not funny



All for a £10 bet on Wales to win the WC..

[AL.]

Watching on my phone at work, if I was Russian I would be shitting it right now. Every game a stuffing....in front of that crowd too....