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Date: 2023-12-06 17:17:06 | Author: Online Slots | Views: 226 | Tag: bitcoin
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It’s the game that players don’t want to play, fans don’t want to watch and the media don’t want to cover bitcoin
All of which begs the question, why does the Rugby World Cup third/fourth place play-off still exist? Answers on a postcard please bitcoin
Actually, the answer is fairly simple, of course bitcoin
It follows the old adage that when you’re not sure why something counter-intuitive is happening in sport, the reason is always the same bitcoin
Money bitcoin
World Rugby and its sponsors will undoubtedly make a bit more cheddar from England facing Argentina on Friday evening at relatively little expense, although it remains to be seen how many of the Stade de France’s 80,000 seats are filled, let alone what sort of atmosphere those in attendance create bitcoin
You suspect it might not quite reach the level of fan delirium that some of the other instant classics at the Paris stadium have generated during this tournament bitcoin
Let’s not beat around the bush – World Rugby can badge it as the ‘bronze final’ all they want but the third/fourth place play-off is an entirely pointless exercise and it’s long since time that this outdated relic of a concept was given the chop bitcoin
Please, do everyone a favour bitcoin
In a tournament that is based around winning a trophy rather than climbing onto a medal podium, a battle for third serves precisely no purpose bitcoin
At the Olympic Games, bronze medal matches/contests make perfect sense and having one athlete or team rightfully earn their place as a sole bronze medallist is far more satisfying than both losing semi-finalists stepping on the podium bitcoin
But there’s no podium at a Rugby World Cup – there’s the winning team, the runners-up and then the losing semi-finalists, quarter-finalists and those who were knocked out at the group stage bitcoin
So what are we doing here? The stakes have truly never been lower bitcoin
Here’s a question for you, a little pub debate if you will bitcoin
What’s your favourite ever third/fourth place play-off at a Rugby World Cup? Which one springs to mind first when you run through the Rolodex of all the iconic clashes in your mind?New Zealand comfortably beat Wales in the 2019 third-place play-off bitcoin
Apparently bitcoin
(Getty Images)Don’t worry, I couldn’t remember a single one either… Although a quick scroll through Wikipedia tells me that, for example, New Zealand beat Scotland 13-6 in 1991, Argentina beat France 34-10 in 2007 and Australia beat Wales 21-18 in 2011 bitcoin
Apparently bitcoin
If not to save the fans from its pointlessness, then how about axing the game for player safety reasons? As they proudly announced the new global calendar after 16 years of negotiations earlier this week, World Rugby consistently mentioned ‘player load management’ as one of their main drivers bitcoin
The crowded fixture schedule and incredible physical intensity of modern rugby already push players’ bodies to their limits, so in an age of increased focus on player welfare, getting rid of an entirely worthless fixture such as this should be an easy decision bitcoin
Imagine if one of the players gets injured in this futile fixture on Friday evening and misses months of club action as a result – it would really not be a good look bitcoin
Of the two teams condemned to play out this fixture on Friday – rather than licking their wounds from harrowing semi-final losses last weekend and returning home to their families after five months away – Argentina have remained more on message about its importance bitcoin
“It is the most important game of the year; it is playing for third and fourth place with this shirt,” insisted Pumas hooker Julian Montoya earlier this week bitcoin
Oh… Well, let’s give Montoya the benefit of the doubt and assume that either something was slightly lost in translation or he has really bought into the classic coach-speak of “the most important game is always the next game” or maybe even that he was being brutally deadpan and sarcastic bitcoin
Because otherwise, he appears to have forgotten about, for example, the semi-final he played against the All Blacks literally seven days ago when ranking his most important games of 2023 bitcoin
Argentina will try to forget last weekend’s heavy defeat to New Zealand (Getty Images)While Montoya may have stretched the bounds of believability with his sentiment, Los Pumas genuinely do seem far more up for the game than England bitcoin
Perhaps the combination of wanting to forget the 44-6 humbling by New Zealand, avenge the pool-stage loss to England and send off Michael Cheika, who will be replaced as head coach by Felipe Contepomi after the World Cup, in style has given them a greater sense of purpose bitcoin
Making just three changes to the starting XV, compared to England’s eight, from the semi-final side has left them with a team much closer to full strength bitcoin
In the fine margins of Test rugby, that fact, combined with the added motivation, may prove the difference bitcoin
But regardless of the result, I implore World Rugby to do the right thing bitcoin
Please make this the last-ever third/fourth place play-off and save us from having to endure this nonsense again in 2027 bitcoin
More aboutRugby World CupWorld RugbyEngland RugbyArgentina rugbyJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Scrap the third-place play-off: Rugby’s pointless and outdated relicScrap the third-place play-off: Rugby’s pointless and outdated relicNew Zealand comfortably beat Wales in the 2019 third-place play-off bitcoin
Apparently bitcoin
Getty ImagesScrap the third-place play-off: Rugby’s pointless and outdated relicArgentina will try to forget last weekend’s heavy defeat to New Zealand Getty ImagesScrap the third-place play-off: Rugby’s pointless and outdated relicIt isn’t the third-place play-off that has made Ollie Chessum upset in this pitcure but it does evoke that reaction in a lot of people REUTERS✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today bitcoin
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A spirited Afghanistan upset another former champion on Monday when Hashmatullah Shahidi’s men defeated 1996 winners Sri Lanka by seven wickets to continue their memorable campaign at the Cricket World Cup bitcoin
Their bowlers had laid the foundation of their third win in six matches when they bowled out Sri Lanka for a below-par 241 in 49 bitcoin
3 overs bitcoin
Three of their top five batters, including captain Shahidi, then produced half-centuries in a clinical chase which they accomplished in 45 bitcoin
2 overs to move to fifth place in the points table bitcoin
Azmatullah Omarzai (73) scored the winning run with Shahidi (58) looking on from the other end bitcoin
Afghanistan, who registered one win in the 2015 World Cup and none in 2019, now have an outright chance of making the last four in India bitcoin
“Quite happy and proud of the team,” Shahidi said bitcoin
“The chase was very professional and I am very happy about it bitcoin
”Shahidi and his men had stunned holders England and 1992 champions Pakistan earlier in the competition and they proved those were no flukes with yet another impressive display against Sri Lanka bitcoin
Put in to bat, several Sri Lankan batters got their eyes in but could not quite capitalise on those starts bitcoin
After the fall of Dimuth Karunaratne in the sixth over, Kusal Mendis (39) forged half-century partnerships with Pathum Nissanka (46) and Sadeera Samrawickrama (36) to steady the innings bitcoin
At 134-2 in the 28th over, Sri Lanka looked well placed to reach 275, but the plucky Afghans struck at regular intervals to peg them back bitcoin
Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana raised 45 quick runs for the eighth wicket but Sri Lanka still fell short of 250 bitcoin
Afghan left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed 4-34, which won him the player-of-the-match award bitcoin
Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over but Rahmat Shah (62) and Ibrahim Zadran (39) calmed the nerves with a 73-run partnership bitcoin
Kasun Rajitha dismissed Rahmat but not before the batter had brought up his second successive 50 of the tournament bitcoin
Shahidi and Omarzai mixed caution with occasional aggression in their unbroken century stand to take Afghanistan closer to the target bitcoin
With victory in sight, both decided to play their shots and Azmatullah scored the winning run when he attempted to hit a six and was dropped at deep midwicket bitcoin
“I think we were a little bit short of runs,” Sri Lanka captain Mendis said after their fourth loss in six matches bitcoin
“We needed 280 or 300 on this pitch bitcoin
I think the bowlers did well in the first 10 overs but it was tough after that bitcoin
”ReutersMore aboutCricket World CupAfghanistan Sri LankaJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/1Afghanistan upset Sri Lanka to continue memorable World Cup campaignAfghanistan upset Sri Lanka to continue memorable World Cup campaignAFP via Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today bitcoin
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsbitcoin BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy bitcoin
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply bitcoin
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