Liam

You cannot compete at an international level if you cannot score tries. You might win one or two low scoring games, with 3 or 1 point winning margins but you will not win consistently and convincingly by kicking all your points game after game.

Do you think Scotland should be shopping for a coaching team from down under, plenty for sale, and I'm sure they would be cheaper than Mr Robinson and sure they could teach Scotland how to beat the bloody English or at least score a try once in a blue moon?

IRB is set to make $160 million dollars from hosting the RWC, yet top end nations like Aus and NZ are set to lose around $40 million each in potential earnings which makes it harder to retain our talent pools.

And now Manu Samoa have been fined ($10k NZD) for one player wearing a "branded" mouth guard, yeah, a fricken mouth guard ! - 5,000 quid fine. Surely there is room for a win/win where individual corporate sponsors can provide revenue and the revenue gathered can off set revenues lost from not touring and having to participate in the stupid RWC tournament every 4 years.

Maybe time for a Super Union, or drop the tired old men in charge of the dinosaur that is the IRB and make some realistic positive changes appropriate for the modern game?

There has been a lot of noise from all corners including the best goal kickers in the world that the RWC balls are 'different' and need to be struck spot-on to get accuracy.

Why not just scrap goal kicking and conversions, and just dish out yellow cards for long arm penalties?

Or do you think the best goal kickers in the world have got it wrong and should just shut up and accept that there RWC percentages suck because they aren't working hard enough to get to grips with the match ball.

Unreal, they are fully in it to win it now, great send off for Mr Cleary just to make the Grand Final; again, unreal.

Anyone game to pick score line for the Grand Final?

Don't they know the cup cannot be won by a team wearing a black jumper?

I reckon he went alright, but Nounu was unreal. Tana would be proud of both. I really can't see how Nonu can be ignored, he pretty much wrote his name all over the number 13 jumper and to think that Canterbury meathead sent him north. Kahui also showed his class and his years as a specialist centre surely out weigh Money Bill's lack of experience. With Nonu and Kahui starting (centre or wing) you have room to bring Williams on as impact and switch Nonu and Kahui as needed particularly in response to injury but more to force and give emphasis to attacking sets. Of course; still can't go past Conrad for big hits and would love to see Dagg and Kahui running onto Smith's creativity - he is a ghost.

Maybe there is method in Mr Henry's madness?

To my mind low scoring games based on defensive sets, killing the ball, slowing the game down, creating kick-able long arm penalty opportunities and generally rolling around in the mud seems to be the way to win the world cup.

Running rugby is fine if the opposition is willing to play fast paced exciting footy, but no point expecting power house forward packs like England and the Bokke to risk winning by playing attractive, entertaining rugby.

Are the ABs able to shelf their speed, power and superior skill sets for the 3 games that count and restrict the flash stuff to the pool games?

I think not. Guess it depends on who they play against, I'm sure the French and the Aussies will be up for the new rules and fast paced running rugby as will the PI nations, Japan and Wales, but can the flash stuff really win the games that count. I doubt it.

Will the Africans and the Poms be disappointed if they win the RWC having only scored half a dozen tries in the last three games? I doubt it, knock-out comps call for slow, boring defensive rugby and maybe . . . DC should be allowed to kick some drop goals?