RWC organisers axe ‘Man of the Match’ voting after Joe Launchbury farce

“It was a different context in 2007 and a different team”.

In the third quarter-final, Ireland tackle Argentina in Cardiff.

“I was 19 when I was called to the national team”.

Warwick School rugby players were very privileged to have a coaching session with six coaches from the Japanese Team.

The remaining four teams are ranked by the team that has the greatest chance of a quarter-final upset, to the least.

But they played their final World Cup match against Uruguay before a sell-out crowd at the Manchester City Stadium.

Scoring leaders: Tommy Seymour with three tries leads the team. Record ticket sales, packed fanzones and massive TV audiences have enabled World Rugby to hit or surpass most of their tournament targets off the pitch, while officials have been delighted with the action on it during the 40 pool games. It goes without saying there’s no scope for your playmaker to have rotten days from now on in.

The All Blacks need to create more one-on-one situations.

“It’s always sad when you leave a team that you love”.

The Kiwis have tended to win their Pool games by less than what would have been expected, and that has helped the spurt of doubting that appears to have suddenly become quite prevalent in the New Zealand media. Ben Ryan will doubtless be desperate to get him into his Fiji Sevens team for the Olympic Games. The Boks rediscovered their muscularity and have shelved any pretence of flamboyance.

Give two people a ball and a flat surface and a game of football can be played, couple this accessibility with the sport’s long-standing in Ireland and the marketing might of the Premier League and it’s supremacy is untouchable.

At what cost did the pool victory against France come? Loud and proud with a series of upbeat, catchy songs, they were great fun to be around, and they will need to play their part in a fascinating quarter-final against Ireland.

“Probably 60 percent of this squad can go to the next World Cup, so the guy who takes over is going to have a good squad to work with”, Jones added.

Scotland’s earlier victory over Samoa had consigned Eddie Jones’ men to an early exit but that didn’t stop Japan dispatching the U.S. with all the style, skill and courage that has seen them win the hearts of England 2015.

Uili Kolo’ofa’i warms up before the Rugby World Cup Pool C match between New Zealand and Tonga at St James’ Park, Newcastle, England, Friday, October 9, 2015. These teams and their like should play against Tier One nations on a more regular basis.

This is payback time for New Zealand.

Turning to the All Blacks, tactically they are playing too much off No.10.

There are a few who reckon they won’t win it now, with that theory being based on the growing perception that All Black coach Steve Hansen has made a mistake by selecting too many veterans who have reputations built around what they did in the past rather than on their current form.

Up next: South Africa.

Australia, along with Wales, are the most battle-hardened of the quarter-finalists.

This is all going to sound a bit same-old, same-old, but France showed next to nothing in Pool D aside from a dominant setpiece against Italy. The spirit of the England fans means they will move on from the defeat of their team. To be allowed to be the best they can be.

A case of blind loyalty from Cippers, perhaps, but after this World Cup campaign I reckon the only Englishman left in an Aussie/English team would be Joe. Could it be that they are using their matches as extended training sessions, with the last 10 minutes being the sharpening phase?