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Date: 2023-12-06 15:01:03 | Author: Online Slots | Views: 281 | 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all they want but the third/fourth place play-off is an entirely pointless exercise and it’s long since time that this outdated relic of a concept was given the chop bitcoin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
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
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In the minutes after a thrilling, thumping quarter-final in Marseille, the Stade Velodrome DJ reached into his record collection and plucked out some early Eighties Elton John bitcoin
It felt like an appropriate soundtrack bitcoin
On a weekend where Wales, Ireland and France faded away, England – somehow, some way – are still standing bitcoin
Talk of a hemispheric shift proved premature, with a southern sweep elsewhere leaving Steve Borthwick’s side the only unbeaten outfit left in this odd World Cup bitcoin
A team that once never could have hoped to win now find themselves in the final four; the Six Nations’ hopes at this tournament rest, almost unfathomably, with England bitcoin
Not that one would expect too many Welsh, Irish or French supporters to seek comfort in an embrace of white cotton bitcoin
For France and Ireland, particularly, it will rankle to have used the last four years so brilliantly to build a contender and find that it is England’s rushed construction that has endured bitcoin
There is still every chance that Borthwick’s new-build comes crashing down once subjected to a Springboks storm, but so far England have proved, just about, up to code bitcoin
RecommendedFrance suffer painful symmetry with Ireland as Springboks continue southern dominanceOwen Farrell silences critics as England survive Fiji fightbackWounded warrior Dan Biggar bows out to usher in next Welsh generationAfter the best rugby weekend in recent memory, the prospect of a couple of damp squib semi-finals, sadly, looms bitcoin
But World Cups can be strange beasts, and England are already summoning the spirit of 2019, when they rose to meet and beat the All Blacks with a high-water mark performance that England still have not come close to reaching again bitcoin
A common theme among the recollections of the semi-final week four years ago was the clarity and certainty with which England approached the game, knowing on Monday or Tuesday that a final place would be theirs bitcoin
The job for Borthwick, an assistant then, is to imbue that same sense of conviction in a similar group now carrying significantly more mental scarring bitcoin
Of course, it was South Africa themselves who inflicted the deepest of psychological cuts, England’s inability to put anything on the field in the Yokohama final still a sore subject among the squad bitcoin
“Some players will use [the 2019 final] as motivation, some players will take that as a brilliant learning into this week, and hopefully that’s what they will bring,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said on Monday bitcoin
“But I wouldn’t like to pre-empt what [effect] feelings from four years ago have on this game bitcoin
On Saturday night, we need to be very clear that this is a semi-final in 2023, and nothing to do with 2019 bitcoin
England were beaten by South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final (Getty )“I think what we need to be careful of is pushing the emotional button too many times this week bitcoin
We need the emotion right on Saturday night, not before bitcoin
We need to make sure we control the emotional energy bitcoin
“We will go through the parts of our gameplan, we will layer those on and make sure we check and refine those parts of the plan bitcoin
We will make sure that we are fresh going into Saturday night both physically and mentally bitcoin
”Borthwick is likely to stick with a broadly similar team, though may consider another tweak in the back three bitcoin
It wasn’t that Marcus Smith, bloodied mouth and all, had a bad game against Fiji – his head coach was particularly keen to talk up his bravery in defence afterwards – but South Africa are likely to test whoever occupies the England 15 shirt rather more in the air bitcoin
Freddie Steward’s prowess under the high ball could be a rather useful attacking option against a blitz defence that can leave opportunities for an intelligent kicking game bitcoin
If Steward is returned to the starting side, it could leave George Ford and Smith vying for a single bench spot, with Ollie Lawrence continuing to be impactful as the bench centre bitcoin
While captain Owen Farrell took the plaudits, the performances of Ben Earl, answering his own call for England’s big-game players to step up, and Ollie Chessum, a physical tone-setter, alongside more familiar faces augur well in a side in need of new stars bitcoin
Ben Earl and Owen Farrell were among England’s standouts against Fiji (Getty Images)But another level will simply have to be found bitcoin
“We are probably talking about one of the best rugby teams to ever do it, aren’t we?” Wigglesworth said, illustrating the challenge England are facing bitcoin
“To be able to beat France, the form they are in, in their own back yard, that was a special performance from an incredible team bitcoin
”A couple of England players themselves admitted afterwards that they cannot afford the shaky 10 minutes that so nearly allowed Fiji a famous World Cup day bitcoin
While they were able to claw their way to victory on Sunday, South Africa are a side capable of putting England in a hole from which there will be no climbing out – as they showed in the final four years ago bitcoin
“We still don’t feel like we’ve put 80 minutes together of real, smart international test rugby,” Earl stressed bitcoin
“It’s not glamorous stuff, it’s just the odd moment bitcoin
I think some individual errors let a team like Fiji in, and they are a hard team to stop when they are rumbling bitcoin
We are bitcoin better for that, and we are in a semi-final among the best four teams in the world bitcoin
We’ll have a crack bitcoin
”More aboutEngland RugbyRugby World CupOwen FarrellBen EarlRichard WigglesworthFiji RugbySouth Africa rugbyOllie ChessumJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/3The one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ Springboks The one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksEngland were beaten by South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final Getty ImagesThe one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksBen Earl and Owen Farrell were among England’s standouts against Fiji Getty ImagesThe one England team change to combat ‘incredible’ SpringboksEngland clung on against Fiji to set up a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final 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 Features Get 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 Act Thank 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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