Rugby World Cup 2021 (The 2022 Edition!)

[tigerburnie]

Well played the Red Roses, superb result to get to the final.

[Rugbygramps]

What a finish... got to feel for the french 10

You have but an international kicker should be getting that.

[Darc Tiger]

What a finish... got to feel for the french 10

You have but an international kicker should be getting that.

Maybe a bit of a difference in experience to the men's game there. How many times would Drouin have been in that kind of pressure? Probably never. Boy, they could have used Jessy Tremouliere there...

[Scott1]

Good luck to the ladies,not something I've watched but after the footballers it's a fantastic time for women's sport!

[drc_007]

Eng v Can highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTBMdSNN1PY

[Rugbygramps]

What a finish... got to feel for the french 10

You have but an international kicker should be getting that.

Maybe a bit of a difference in experience to the men's game there. How many times would Drouin have been in that kind of pressure? Probably never. Boy, they could have used Jessy Tremouliere there...

Agreed it was all about the pressure. You would have hoped our Emily would have risen above it.

[CJ]

The NZ France game was outstanding. A great advert for the women’s game. And indeed for rugby as a whole. So exciting and could have gone either way. The French must be gutted.

[Ian Cant]

Thought the England v Canada game too was very good. England’s defence was outstanding as was their discipline for most of the game. Canada can hold their heads high as they tested England in the forwards and their backs played very well but came up against an England defence that was like Sarries’ Wolf Pack.
The All Blacks should just shade it next week as their all round game is, I believe, a little stronger.
Good luck England Ladies.

[Darc Tiger]

England: Kildunne; Thompson, Scarratt, Aitchison, Dow; Harrison, Infante; Cornborough, Cokayne, Bern, Aldcroft, Ward, Matthews, M Packer, Hunter (capt)
Replacements: Davies, Muir, Brown, O'Donnell, Cleall, Kabeya, MacDonald, Heard

A bit of a shuffle for England. Botterman and Lucy Packer have not recovered, so they've gone for a punchy 6-2 split, with MacDonald covering 9 and Thompson back on the wing. Kildunne is the obvious replacement for the injured Rowland at 15, but the selection of Aitchison at 12 is the big surprise. More of a ballplayer and kicker than the powerful Heard. Big tactical implications.

New Zealand: Holmes; Tui, Fluhler, Fitzpatrick, Woodman; Demant (capt), Cocksedge; Love, Ponsonby, Rule, Roos, C Bremner, A Bremner, Hirini, McMenamin
Replacements: Connor, Murray, Taumata, Ngan-Woo, Simon, Bayler, Tubic, Leti-I'iga

One enforced change for the Black Ferns, with Charmaine McMenamin replacing number 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u due to injury.

0330 start for the 3rd place playoff between Canada and France.

0630 for the big dance at a sold out Eden Park! Should be electric! Huge day for the sport.

[CJ]

Fantastic news that it’s a sell out. Should be a terrific match. Here’s hoping for an England win in the rugby and the cricket, following a Tigers win on Friday.

[longlivethecrumbie]

Absolute shoot out! The defence coaches won't be happy!

[markharbtiger]

Sadly the contest ruined by a red card for what seemed to me to be an accidental collision: yet another part of this game in dire need of reform

[ads]

NZ should have been a red as well for me.

[Postiger2]

Shame for the ladies. It really feels like the officiating was the difference. That said, England had a chance at the end and didn't execute.

[Tiglon]

NZ should have been red for me too. Struggling to see a meaningful difference between the two.

Add on the ref giving a penalty to NZ in the last 5 having apparently forgotten that she was already playing advantage to England and the TMO piping up to change a kick/line out decision but not being interested in pointing out the painfully blatant knock on by NZ in their own 22. If you're going to get involved in one non-foul play decision then you've got to get involved in all of them.

Oh, and most of the lineouts England lost were from NZ grabbing their arms in the air.

Brilliant stuff by the players on both teams but let down by some shocking officiating.