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Season 6- Episode 1- Season Debut! (RWC Preview)
46 Plays2 years ago
WE ARE BACK FAM! On the season debut for those American rugby knuckleheads, give you a guess at what we are talking about. No not that, yes the Rugby World Cup as we are mere days away from the kick off. We go down the list, pool by pool and get into the fun guessing games of who wins which pool, who gets to the final and who raises the Webb Ellis. Also, a special surprise packed inside as well. Please grab something cold to drink, kick back and join us as we kick off season 6 of TFRY!
Check out the TFRY Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyRugbyYanks
Ask us questions via Twitter: Jarrod- jdyke8man & Ben- admrablsnackbar, and #AskTFRY.
Send us your thoughts for the show and questions for upcoming shows via e-mail fantasyrugbypodcast@gmail.com. Of course we welcome feedback via e-mail, twitter or by rating/reviewing the pod on Apple Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Transition
00:00:02
Speaker
It is the fantasy rugby angst. My name is Jared Dyke. I wanted to say it's stupid and let's move on, but then you kept going. I'm Ben Glauser. I don't like any way anybody handled that. Collusion. Collusion. Hello, everybody. Welcome back. It is the fantasy rugby angst. My name is Jared Dyke. I'm Ben Glauser.
00:00:31
Speaker
Season six, season six. How do we get here? How do we get here? You know, everybody said they couldn't, everyone was saying that we couldn't do it. And... You're almost right. So, you know, first bite. Yeah, something like that, right? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so those... Bear with us with the new sound we're trying out.
00:01:00
Speaker
new new software to get our recordings in because bye bye zoom zoom is evil yeah and so we're just trying to we're giving this world a world we'll see how it goes for a couple weeks and if we decide to this one this one we'll try another one but just bear with us with the growing pains we appreciate you all for patience we appreciate you all for coming back and listening to us for another season absolutely let's crack them open yeah i am prepared for that too
Community and Support Shoutouts
00:01:29
Speaker
Always find us on your favorite podcast app, share us, download great review, feedback, always welcome as usual. Still got one. This is one of those beers that we bought up at Lake Placid. I've got one of our golf beers. You still have those? Jesus. I don't drink beer except for the pod. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I stick to hard alcohol and other substances. Yeah.
00:01:59
Speaker
You would. As usual, make sure that you are checking out our good friend, the fantasy rugby geek, George, buy him a coffee and or beer, however you see fit, especially with the very intense period that we're about to come up here with. There's at least two formats of rugby World Cup fantasy. He'll be just as busy as us, if not busier. So make sure that you support him and give him a look.
00:02:24
Speaker
As always, there is no discrimination here on this podcast, nor should there be in sports or in life.
Women's Sports and Coaching Trust Issues
00:02:30
Speaker
We're going to hit the elephant in the room in terms of what everyone's been talking about this whole summer, which is Spain's Women's World Cup victory being very tainted by the head of the Federation doing things you just shouldn't do.
00:02:48
Speaker
and yeah yeah and his refusal to step down as well which is kind of bullshit but diving into a few more other topics so this is going to be probably a good 10-minute conversation if you want to skip over it but um catch us on the other side but anyway um yeah you go here you go Ben I'm done that one for a second yeah so I saw it happen live and even then I was kind of like I know that there I knew that there was issues I didn't um I didn't have the full picture at the time but yeah I was like that I hope
00:03:18
Speaker
that they're okay with, like, because, yeah, he was being, like, he was being super friendly with all of them, a little aggressive. And then after that kiss, I was like, Oh, they must really like this guy, or they really hate him. Like, it was one of the two. And I was like, either he's an asshole, or they're like, he's one of the good guys. And found out very quickly afterwards that no, it wasn't. And it brings me to
00:03:41
Speaker
question that's developed in my mind the last couple of weeks and months anyway. So I have familiarity with coaching women's rugby at a fairly high level. I mean, it's American, so how high can you get? But I've coached a couple of the teams who play at some of the highest levels of US rugby. And I really want, like, I would love to coach Beantown again.
00:04:06
Speaker
That has always been an awesome role to be a head coach there. I was an assistant for a little bit. But now I'm wondering if men should even coach women's sports at this point.
00:04:24
Speaker
And ultimately, because there's too many, the women that I coach, my wife was playing with them for the most part. So they knew what I was about and that I wasn't creeping on them or anything like that.
00:04:40
Speaker
there's still always going to be that, that question in the back of their mind, that lack of trust, that lack of, you know, what's this guy's real motivation here? Why isn't he, why is he not coaching guys? Why is he coaching us? And like, there are, there are women that don't like men, just like there are men that don't like women there. I've definitely coached women that do not like men at all. And I've gotten along with them, but they, you know, it's that, that relationship's only going to go be so friendly off the pitch anyway.
Building Trust in Coaching
00:05:06
Speaker
But at the same time, would my presence be a distraction or a complication? So I work in a very heavily regulated industry, it's healthcare. And there's a big push about any potential, any appearance of conflict of interest is in itself a conflict of interest. And so it's like,
00:05:29
Speaker
just by me as a guy coaching women, does that create not a conflict of interest, but something similar, like a conflict of trust. And so now I'm just at the stage where it's like, I want to help, I want to be a supporter of women's sports, but I don't think I should be a coach. And I think that should be especially well, at least with club sports and higher, you know,
00:05:54
Speaker
school grade, I can get it. Um, I would like to move us away from that just cause again, I mean, and it's not universal. I shouldn't, I'm not trying to say it universally. It's just a question that's been rattling around old dooders head. Yeah. It's, I think it's a fair question. Number one. Um, and unfortunately it lies in that it depends area too. And that's always going to be the fact.
00:06:25
Speaker
With leaning towards, yes, I think it is more beneficial that women, people that identify as women, coach, women's sanctioned sports and girls sanctioned sports.
00:06:41
Speaker
I do think one thing you can and to just like wipe the board with it completely is just silly. I think we can all agree with that. That's nobody would want to do that anyway. The answer was that I was looking for is that yes. No, I know that I but I do appreciate the question. I think it's.
00:06:59
Speaker
I think the number one thing that needs to happen, and I don't think it happens enough, and I could be wrong about this, but I'm like, without having any research done, but I bet you I'm right anyway, I don't think enough of the players are involved in the hiring. And in order to get their backing and their trust, that's number one, you know, is this, you know, and they should maybe even participate a little bit in some sort of background search or just like information digging or whatever.
00:07:30
Speaker
because that's going to help them trust the person the most. Because yeah, you know, it's we. That's, that's it. That's right there. It's about trust. Right. And it's gonna it's like we were saying, and as we were talking about it, our amongst ourselves, like Dave Ford impregnated one of his players. Of course, they were married. So of course, they're married. So no big deal, right? It's still like,
00:07:57
Speaker
Yeah, that was hilarious that they had to pretend that they didn't know and Dave had to be yelling at the video. When is she getting back on the pitch? About that, I'm well aware of why she's not on the pitch.
00:08:10
Speaker
I'm just not going to tell anybody else or hint at it. Yeah. So it's it's there, but the trust has to be there. Right. Absolutely. And so it's always so that's the problem. The trust is so easy to just it's the it's the few that spoil it for the many. And that's the really shitty part.
Personal Updates and Podcast Future
00:08:25
Speaker
And that's not unusual for anything whatsoever. It sucks. And, you know, that's what makes me mad is that this this fucking bastard, these this group of bastards in in in Spain and the ones in Ireland
00:08:39
Speaker
for the women's rugby and others. It's not just those two. Those are the two that are immediately coming to mind. It's just like we need to do better and we need to establish that because the players will play better with that trust. And that's amazing. So bring it back to the point of the main focus of this, that the Spanish women's national team
00:09:06
Speaker
Fucking great for them for overcoming all of that and just saying we're going to ball out. Ourselves for a good stuff too on top of it, which was great. Right. That was excellent to see. So I'm happy about that. And. We just got to have I mean, we need less dickheads in sports anyway, but we certainly need fewer men, dickheads, men, dickheads being involved in women's sports and making their experience.
00:09:35
Speaker
anything less than it should be. It sucks. It really does. I feel for anybody that's had to deal with an asshole like this guy and then you start going into
00:09:51
Speaker
I will say this, so I participate in coaching other girls at my high school, I coach at, and I have given every player, and that's not just girls as boys too, any green light. If they feel like I'm not addressing something properly because I haven't listened to whatever, go right over my head. And if it happens, I'll know that I fucked up.
00:10:12
Speaker
I know that fucked up and I didn't listen to them. Now, obviously my job is to do my damnedest to make sure I listened to them regardless. And I don't want that to happen, but I want them to feel like they can do as they need to to protect themselves. That's the number one thing I want to portray. It sounds stupid and it sounds kind of almost
00:10:36
Speaker
virtue signaling, but you know, I just want them to understand that you should feel the most comfortable here, not me, you know, and that's, and that's hopefully something that more teams can get to. And then we won't have to have this concern, but while we have this concern, uh, that's prominent, then yeah, you have to ask the question, you know, what the fuck's this guy doing here every time? And rightfully so. Right. Right. I don't disagree. I think it needs to be asked every time. Yeah.
00:11:07
Speaker
okay so welcome back to those of you that skip the segment um so don't forget that we are on patreon we there's a little freebie preview up there with some prices of the from the official rugby workup game and there's also the list of buys and what the round matchups are and stuff like that we'll we'll dig more into that when we get into the fancy corner um later on but um just make sure that's there we're gonna
00:11:35
Speaker
It sounds like we're going to have some fancy stuff to talk about this year, which is we were, we were so like, in the world, we were like, I have no idea what we're going to do next year. And the news the last couple of weeks, not even like the last week or so has been ultimately positive. Not perfect, but positive, just the same. So we'll take it.
00:11:54
Speaker
Um, speaking of, make sure that you jump into the official podcast, uh, regular companies. We have one on super brew. We have one on the official app. Um, I've created them out at least once and they've been retweeted and they'll probably do it again before kickoff on Friday. So now we'll retweet them too. So if you see them, they come from, you know, from both, most of it from Jared, but, but for both of us. Yeah. So yeah. Grab and grab a spot in there. Um, of course we've been.
00:12:25
Speaker
We've been away for a little bit. I've been away for like a month and a half. Yeah. Yeah. About a month and a half. Um, you know, nothing new on this end, right? You know, I'm, I'm, I now I'm a head coach. So, uh, yeah. Oh, wait, no, that's not what you're talking about. No, no. Um, okay. So I'll, I'll go, I'll go with, I guess along with this, um,
00:12:53
Speaker
My news really is first in a way. But I managed to knock up the old wife. Ball and chain. They're just carrying my steed. She let you. That was the more amazing thing. Marry me. That was the amazing thing. Maybe that's true. And yeah, couldn't be happier. We've done a lot of work to get the house and to
00:13:21
Speaker
completely nest. And so there we are hatching. So one more rugby personality coming into the world. We couldn't be more excited to have a, you know, to be brewing up a, you know, next Eagles captain. Right. Well, the podcast is going to go is going to double in size because, yeah, same thing over here where
00:13:48
Speaker
So here's how this conversation went down, more or less. And there's a lot of other stories besides this, but I won't get into that. But I was like, well, it looks like we're going to have a good. I said this to Ben. And he's just like, oh, really? I was like, yeah. He says, when's your due date? I said, March 6. He said, oh, oh, boy.
00:14:14
Speaker
Ours is the 28th. Oh no. These poor children. These poor children. I'm so sorry, kids. I'm very, very sorry. You get to have one birthday party. It's for both of you and it's at a rugby game. Yeah, right.
00:14:36
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah, well, I mean, we'll, we'll, we'll throw it to the, yeah, but it's, I'm sure we'll throw something outside. We won't put them through that, unless they absolutely want to. But yeah, I mean, if I told you we didn't plan this, would you believe me? This does nothing to, to, to lessen any questions about us. If anything, if anything, it only raises more. It's probably true. Oh God, it's not bad enough.
00:15:02
Speaker
because they are significant others call each other the other husband or whatever it is it's only got pedal that yeah we we do so much together and now we're doing this together too which is actually in a way it's it's really touching and sweet but um at the same time i think it's fun but you know we all know everybody's like yeah yeah but it's also good it's like
00:15:27
Speaker
we don't have one of us experiencing this and the other one's not. You know, we're doing this at the same time, so we're both gonna be, you know, understanding of each other's... Yeah. Yeah. Sure. I agree. So, yeah. That's what I'm looking for. Yes, got someone to lean back on to be like, all right, what are we doing here? Like, what are you guys seeing? All right, good. I'm seeing the same thing. Okay, we're all good.
00:15:54
Speaker
So, so if there's a point where, you know, like, say March, where Ben and I disappear for a couple of weeks, don't be shocked. You'll know why. You'll, you'll understand why. We'll always put out stuff on the website, formerly known as Twitter. But sometimes the podcast might get skipped. You know, things that happen when you have kids. Yeah. We'll find out, indeed.
00:16:20
Speaker
Okay, so we've had that little bit of fun released. We got a tournament to talk about. What tournament's that exactly? That would be the one starting on Friday.
Rugby World Cup Pool A Predictions
00:16:35
Speaker
Oh, that one. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I heard of it. I think the best way to attack this is just go pull a pool.
00:16:48
Speaker
All right, and just kind of look and just go down the list. Yeah, it works for me. So, yeah, let's looking at this.
00:16:59
Speaker
This is probably the least competitive, yeah, the least competitive pool that's in this World Cup is pool A, honestly. Because I would love to say that Italy can challenge these two teams, but they're not going to. And that sucks. They will crush Uruguay. They will crush Namibia. No question about it, because they have raised their game. They really have. But they're just not going to be able to touch these two teams.
00:17:21
Speaker
They they could see them maybe giving New Zealand a game depending on what happens with the Kiwis. They they've been they've been touchable. We've seen that. Yes. But at the same time, let's be real, like it's hard. Italy, like I say, like Italy and Scotland and Tonga really got the shit end of the stick on this one. Yeah, we'll get to those two. But yeah.
00:17:49
Speaker
Yeah, well, the good news for the Kiwis is they do have Namibia between this first game against France and their game against Italy. So there won't be too, too, too banged up going into it. But yeah, I don't see. I don't see another two teams coming out of this pool. Unfortunately, of course, Ben and I are going to quietly root for Namibia because they've got. Two of our boys on it and little Milan and be in camaraderie.
00:18:18
Speaker
And so I was looking at the Uruguayan team the other day. I think in terms of professionalized players that they had compared to 2019, they do have more. Still quite a few of them playing for the team that's in whatever that America's super rugby or whatever it is. But some playing in the MLR, some playing in France, either D1,
00:18:46
Speaker
or D2, and some from the sevens team. And the rest are playing from Pinarol, which is, I'm guessing, I think that's the America super rugby team. But yeah, I know Gaddis, I know Mieris, those are two very good players. Arata from Kast is actually quite a good player. He's probably the best player on this team.
00:19:14
Speaker
So got to give him a little bit of credit or not. It's what it's unfortunately going to be. I don't know if they're going to have the same ability to shock anyone like they did Fiji. Fiji were definitely sleeping on them when they played them in Japan four years ago. And I think
00:19:34
Speaker
you know, never the maybe an M is going to probably be a close game. I think Italy is going to be very alive for the fact that you're awake and can nab them if they're not paying attention and bringing their a game. So unfortunately, you know, they kind of already pulled their shocker a couple of years, four years ago. And that's probably all they'll get out of it. And like I said, maybe they'll beat Namibia. Maybe not. I don't know. But it's now a matter of who wins the pool. And I think we find out on Friday.
00:20:04
Speaker
Yeah, really we do. I have a hard time getting beyond what we saw last of the All Blacks and the fact that this is the opener for the host nation that they're playing. A team that has the highest ambitions of winning this thing.
00:20:23
Speaker
And I just question how good New Zealand are at this point. I don't know. I think we're good. I think and I what they're so you never know, because you're right. We've seen of them the last couple of times out, really.
00:20:42
Speaker
has been poor and it's been consistent that way. Every so often they'll show up and then play pretty well, but it's trending negatively. But then they're just going to show up and fall out and it doesn't matter. There's certain teams here and we'll get to them where
00:21:02
Speaker
We know how they have been playing and it's just not going to change. New Zealand can turn flip it. You know, it's, especially if they win the one, if they win this game Friday, like this desk could be them. Potentially that could be the way they get to the world, but to the, to the, the finals, you know, that, that, that could springboard them. There is a path there for them to get to the final anyway, but right. We'll see what it looks like. Yeah.
00:21:28
Speaker
but it gets a lot harder after this match if they come away with a loss. So with that said, you know, I don't want to face the Kiwis with their backup against the wall, but then it's against the hosts and yeah. Yeah. It should make for an interesting match come Friday, no doubt. Yeah. If we can, let's turn our attention to the host and don't want to dive too deep into the squad, but there is kind of an issue with,
Controversial Player Selections
00:21:57
Speaker
I'm calling up a convicted racist in shallow and. Yeah, I mean, never mind the fact that he's he is what he is and he's done what he's done. I don't think he's that good. Personally, I see. I'm pretty sure. Frickin God, me off who is eligible now, French, French, the big, the big lock. Why aren't you bringing him in? That dude is a monster.
00:22:24
Speaker
Yeah, it makes no sense to me. This guy is just a he's a jag. He's a jag. And like we're talking about like replacing balance with him. It's not even close either. You know. So I just yeah, I don't I don't get it. It's it doesn't make sense at all to me. And yeah, it's just a bad, bad look. And he's he's 31. He's got to have someone younger and
00:22:53
Speaker
Yeah, I don't I don't like it. Neither. I'm not racist, you know. Yeah, that's the other thing. Like you are hosting a World Cup. This is your time. This is definitely France's time. You want the entire nation behind you. You don't need people calling you out for making this move, you know, because you don't need that. That's all that little sour taste that the
00:23:19
Speaker
Populous needs to start to be like, no, we're not going to do this. You know, you have everybody behind you thinking this is going to be, this is going to happen. You know, you still have the one of the one of, if not the world's best player in the end town, DuPont. As long as you have him, you are going to have absolutely one of the best shots. And I don't know why you would even take the momentum that you built for this World Cup with a selection like that. Right. It just doesn't make sense to me.
00:23:49
Speaker
Yeah, it's exactly kind of that questioning point I was talking about before where, like, why would you make people you? Why would you give people the reason to question and yeah. Like, you're already under scrutiny just based on the way it is and don't don't make it worse. I agree. Yeah, I like trying to think is.
00:24:15
Speaker
Yeah. Why another guy that I think on top of the fact that, yeah, like you said, he's not even a good player. So what are you, what are you doing here? How much is he going to play in the end? Probably he'll probably get the look against Namibia and probably Uruguay as well. Um, one guy I was thinking of was Leval from, um, La Rochelle.
00:24:37
Speaker
who's he's 24. He's a really good player. He's actually probably one of the better players in that pack. And that would have been someone I would have definitely tapped to say, all right, that's a good replacement right there. You know, but be forward looking look to the neck. Like, yeah, absolutely.
00:24:56
Speaker
Absolutely. So like there's there's every reason that they shouldn't bring this guy and they're bringing him anyway He's not good. He's he's older and you got younger talent that you could probably bring along and get them valuable experience And he's a racist. Okay. Well, let's yeah Yeah Let's go over to pool B
Rugby World Cup Pool B Analysis
00:25:19
Speaker
without a doubt, the most competitive pool and the most interesting, only because C and D are competitive, but also that's because the top, what would traditionally be the top two teams are in a really bad spot to say the least. A bit of a bad spot. Yeah.
00:25:35
Speaker
Right. So this to me, like South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, all three of them could beat up on each other potentially. Tonga is going to definitely make some noise. And I wouldn't be shocked if they beat any of those teams. Yeah. Romania, you're just going to have to grab ankles and hope that they don't abuse you too much. Yeah, that's going to be. Let's make some career decisions, boys. You're not winning this World Cup. Don't
00:26:01
Speaker
Don't don't do anything stupid. No. Yeah. Only four professional players, I believe, playing for Romania outside of Romania. I think and I think those other four are playing in some level of France. So, yeah. Yikes. Good luck. You know, I liked everything about what South Africa was doing, including last week, but without Pollard,
00:26:32
Speaker
I don't even think they're going to win this group. Maybe they do, but they still could. They're the way they play, but it's going to be tough. Yeah, just I like I like the way what I've seen of Libach. I think he's been. Quite good, right? Well, but whatever's happening here, it's like.
00:26:53
Speaker
We're getting too money. Lee box. We're getting the money. Lee block in the spring box shirt. And we're getting the money. Lee block in his club shirt and his club shirt. He's spectacular. And right now he's been okay in a spring box shirt. You know, I think that's probably a mostly fair statement to say. Um, but with, I mean, with everything else they have, like it's, it's hard to sit there and just be like, yeah, there's no way, but there's a way it's just, they're going to have to do a lot to cover up for.
00:27:23
Speaker
their kick, the really their kicks at goal, being the number one thing like, and he actually was very good in the URC with it. And for some odd reason, it's just kind of gone away. And now that now they're searching for who's gonna kick it goal, and they keep giving it to him, which is fine. Hopefully he comes around. And if he does, then yes, they absolutely have a shot at winning this thing.
00:27:45
Speaker
But while he's kind of figuring himself out, it's kind of going to be some growing pains. And, you know, some somebody might nick them like Scotland might get them talking less so, but still possibility. Tonga has been playing really good in the warmup stuff. So don't dismiss them either. No, no, not even a little bit. No. You know, like it's hard to sit there and look at Scotland and Finn Russell, who's probably the best 10 at this World Cup.
00:28:16
Speaker
and go, shit, then I'm going to make the knockouts. And that's so painful to think about like, but they're just in a really, they're in the wrong group. If they were in CED, I totally put them in there to get out of the group, but. Absolutely. It's just, this is a crazy group where really, I mean, you know, as you've been saying it, like one through four could make the knockouts easily. Um,
00:28:44
Speaker
And that's like kind of, that's a good thing. It's something like, you know, C and D were one through three could make it, but it's all like, you know, really good. There are some cases for outside shot, but damn, like, do we really want any of the, how many of them do actually want moving on this one? It's like, I want all of four of these to move on. Um, do we place them over into one of the, you know, one of the other two of them over into C and D and that way we can have multiple teams to, to pull for, but yeah. Yeah. I mean.
00:29:13
Speaker
Ireland obviously the favorites to win this pool and I'm not going to. I have no reason to say otherwise, especially Sexton back and the best part of him coming back this for now is he's going to get an easy game to start the plane remaining to start.
00:29:30
Speaker
So is he back at the start or is he, I thought he was missing some of the pool play. I think he's back. I totally could be watching that as well. I thought that was kind of the whole thing. Like he's going to be done for the warmups, but he's going to be eligible for the pool play. Um, could be wrong. If I'm wrong, then I will eat my hat. That's fine. Um,
00:29:50
Speaker
It's been a while since that all went down. So it's been a little bit more to discuss. It's been a lot of other things that have happened. So with that, we have. It's this conundrum of what one of these three and who can can Scotland finally get over that? And, you know, they've gotten into the the knockoffs before, but it was all like I remember in 2015, it was they were
00:30:18
Speaker
they were in the right group. They had the US, they had Samoa. I believe that Japan and Japan had shocked South Africa, but didn't do enough to get out of the group. So they weren't quite there. And then, you know, four years ago,
00:30:35
Speaker
You know, we were all cheering for the braid blossoms at that point, so they were kind of boned. At this point, it's like, I do want them to get out of this. I love a lot of what they have. I really do. Like Finn, Ben White, that center pairing is just mouthwatering. Now they've moved Kinghorn to fullback. I love that. You know, Graham and Doohan, Graham can play rugby in a phone booth. I swear to God. Right.
00:31:02
Speaker
And I actually like Ollie Smith a little bit too. So with all that, it's like, I want this team to get out, but I don't know which one of these other two teams I want them to get out over either. So I won't be sad if Scotland gets out. Let's put it that way. I'd be happy to be wrong. And then obviously, yeah, Ireland and.
00:31:22
Speaker
Band of Flair and a lot of what they have, although I did see something I don't think they're going to be missing a couple of guys to start. But like I said, they ever may need to start so they can. Yeah, they'll be all right. They can afford to have a couple of guys take a back seat and recover healthily. Tonga, as much as we're kind of glossing over Tonga.
00:31:44
Speaker
you know, they're, they're not at the level that that Scotland or, or South Africa are at. So, you know, even if you're, you know, have a couple of, you know, banged up bruised players that are going, cause you're, you're short on some other players that they should be okay. But until they've run into Fekatoa's channel. Yeah. Yeah. He's not the ball carrier anymore, but man, that you can still hit. All right. Um,
00:32:10
Speaker
They got other guys to carry the ball. No, they got plenty squad. Pia Taos in there. Moala. Yeah. Well, if I could tell. Oh, how long is how long this wall for? Oh, that's right. Five games. So he's out. Yeah. He's out of this. Damn. Probably out of this really sucks. Yeah. I was looking forward to him. Fucking duck. All right. That really sucks. But then, you know, Tango and with the likes of also Fiji and Samoa, which we'll get to in a second. But
00:32:40
Speaker
The, it's the, the great thing about this is a lot of these guys have been playing together for a little while now, you know, with the, with the Moana Pacifica. And yes, more guys have been playing elsewhere as well, but being the free Jax. But it's just really awesome to see that they've had those opportunities with that team and with the Virginia Drew as well. And so that is only going to make this world cup better. I really, I truly believe that.
00:33:10
Speaker
So, yeah, go get a Tonga. If you upset somebody, I'm going to be the first one jumping up and down, I promise. Let's go see.
Pool C Insights and Team Strategies
00:33:20
Speaker
Wet fart. It's total wet fart. I mean, especially the top two, Fiji, though, that's, you know. Oh, come on, Fiji. Get it done, please, for all of us, for all of us.
00:33:32
Speaker
You know, for all of us, get out of this group because nobody wants whales to get out besides whales. Nobody wants Australia to get out. Well, the players do, but I don't know that like the fans of Welsh fans really are like really believe they're going. Yeah. And honestly, nor should they. This is not it's not it's not a good way of seeing by any stretch now. You know, Australia is one of two teams that have been ruined by Eddie. So not that they were hot shakes anyway.
00:34:02
Speaker
I really believe Renny was getting something going with them. And then they just decided that. Yeah, I was. That he was the Lord and savior. I was like, no, you guys are stupid, but good luck with that anyway. Right. Although I will say that that kind of Gordon is.
00:34:18
Speaker
He's a player, he's a player, you see, and him and he's gonna he is going to whatever Eddie wants that that's the best part to me for for watching Australia is that yeah he's going to want to play want them to play a certain way where you know they do all the same shit that England have been doing I mean that they look identical watching the last Australia match was that.
00:34:39
Speaker
Is that France? I can't remember. Yeah, like Australia just looked, it was like watching England just in a different Jersey. And yet still Carter Gordon is kind of tearing it up a little bit and, and, uh, now walking into Wassey, he's getting the ball to the walking into Wassey and just get him the ball. Yes, please. Um, but yeah, so there's not much to see there. That's why I'm, I'm.
00:35:03
Speaker
I'm not in Georgia. I wish Georgia was in a position to take advantage of this, but they're saying they're not. They're not. They've got the physicality, which which actually that might help them because that's that's Eddie's one. The problem that Eddie has is he likes to make these games. Close. And and then maybe hopeful hope to win at the end and.
00:35:26
Speaker
But the funny thing is that actually benefits every single other team in this group, because Australia could be if they if they played balls out. But, you know, the best team in this group, although that's debatable because of because Fiji is actually really, really good. But they were definitely top two. But because of the way they play, they're going to invite a loss to a Fiji or a Georgia just by even if they're there, they're one to twenty three, a better team on the day.
00:35:57
Speaker
they're still going to let them in the game. And that's all it takes is just one mistake and Georgia or Fiji could put one in on and Wales too. They have the fucking horses back there. So. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Just I don't get it. Like if you're one of the better teams, you should not be playing a style that lets the other team hang around. That's that's what to me, that's what lost England. The final against South Africa, not that South Africa where the where the I mean, obviously they weren't the worst team. That's why you play a style where it's like, OK, we got to put up points.
00:36:25
Speaker
You keep it close. South Africa is like, yeah, please. Let's let's do that. Yeah. Because I'll take our chances. And they did. And they did. And England never took their chances. So like that's the thing. They never know when it's time to be like. As I try to tell the team, like the structures that we put in place. Are there to be broken down like they're intentionally supposed to disintegrate while we swore a try. But yeah, of course. Any structures just remain in place. No, no, no. We have to do this. We got to do this.
00:36:55
Speaker
No, you don't go score the goddamn try first. Yeah. You can worry about it later. Right. Yeah. I, I am praying to the gods that Fiji can get out of this. And I really would like them to, I would really love them to win the group, honestly. I don't know if they're going to, but I would really love it if they won the group, because really they, because of the Fiji,
00:37:16
Speaker
And because that we're looking at, we're not, we're not looking at Ben Volovola anymore. Thank God. That's only to their benefit. You know, you have months and you have Teti Tella and months has put himself ahead of Teti Tella by a pretty good margin at this point as well. And then you have the centers that they're mouthwatering between, especially between like what potentially could be Red Radra and Revovo, like
00:37:41
Speaker
they don't even need to be anything they're not other than just a little bit structured and a little bit disciplined. Everything else will take care of itself. Yeah. And you, but you watch Fiji from, you know, a couple of years ago and you watch them now and it is night and day with that stuff. They used to just throw the ball around and hope somebody was there. Yeah. And that really hurt them. Cause you sometimes either there was nobody there or there was someone in a really bad position and it ended up being like, Hey, we want to have fun, but it just kind of falls apart. You know, the teams take advantage now.
00:38:12
Speaker
They're throwing that ball around to players where they know, and again, it's that structure that's supposed to break down, but they still know where the players are supposed to be. Like that's person's job. Whoever, I don't, might not know who it is, but there's someone whose job is to be right. Exactly here in our, in our structure. So I throw this offload. That's where they'll be. And we'll do all right. And that makes all the difference. It's not scary. Right. And I think.
00:38:37
Speaker
I think in the forward pack and the one place that they've, they've had their growing pains has been the front row. And there's two guys that are going to change that tune just a little bit. And that's Maui and Mattivacy. Yup. You know, Maui obviously playing with Saracens, Mattivacy playing with the saints. Mattivacy is probably the best hooker, not in the tier one nations.
00:39:03
Speaker
likely. He's up there if he's not. He's up. Yeah, he's not. Yeah. You know, so I I'm gonna enjoy watching him and have him play and Fiji, please win this group, please. And then you can let shitkicker whales and shitkicker Australia duke it up for second. Right. Anyway, speaking of shitkicker. Let's go to D. Argentina wants this group number one. Yeah, I guess.
00:39:33
Speaker
I'll be shocked otherwise. I'll be shocked otherwise. Yes. So there's that. Who finished the second though? You know, if Japan taking steps forward since 2019, which I don't think they have, unfortunately,
00:39:53
Speaker
then I would say, yeah, you know, you could see England have a pool exit. It wouldn't shock me. Especially the way Borthwick's got these guys playing. And I did see something stupid that Tom Curry's going to start the first game. Why? I don't know. No, here's the thing. If it's Curry and we know it's not going to be this, but what I'll say is if it's Curry, Willis and Earl, that's not a bad back row. Right. Or if it's even like, yeah, yes. You know, it's going to be
00:40:23
Speaker
Curry, either Willis or Earl and laws, which is like just a, and Argentina will have, Argentina are happy to be physical, but the best part about them is they can do other things too. And they can just burn you on the outside. They have some wonderful back, you know, they have a mighty mouse, they have freaking buffelli and they just, they have this way about them. And even there, you know, even some of their back rowers are just like blistering and it's so much fun to watch.
00:40:53
Speaker
you know, Montoya, we talked about captains and guys you want to run through a wall for Montoya is that as well. So, you know, they will go to the woodshed with him all day and defend that line and get in the trenches with them. So the combination of those things makes them extremely dangerous, number one, but number two, just
00:41:12
Speaker
something you can't try and just bully. Because yeah, like we said, with the way Eddie likes to play, you get a team that fronts up against you, and all of a sudden, your plan A is out the window and you have no plan B. And that's what Argentina are good at. Yeah, and Argentina will put points up too. They can ball. Yes. So that's something that England have to do.
00:41:42
Speaker
We're going to see two lagi. Yes, we will. Should we see two lucky? No, absolutely not. Guy can't play anymore. No. Why is Johnny May in this squad? I haven't got a clue. Why is Ben Young still in the squad? And you're right. The forwards, you have Tom Curry, world class six, but they're never going to put him at six because they think he's a seven for some reason. But guy can't carry worth a damn. So yeah.
00:42:10
Speaker
Like maybe if it's Curry, Ludlum, Earl, but even then Ludlum is still that slow. Like they can't have, uh, and Courtney laws is like, he, he does. I like did like that at the last broadcast where they're like, you know, he's really does have to be a lock. Yeah. It's like, yes, he really does. It's he doesn't have any, like he's better off as an undersized lock now than he is as a plotting loose forward that that's not really what he used to be. I agree.
00:42:38
Speaker
He's not he's not making that that track down from 40 meters like he did I think was at the last World Cup where he made a tackle like coming back in coverage like On a on like a wing or something ridiculous. Like that's not him. Anyway, it was that I think it's what the fuck fall games, but it doesn't matter right? So I yeah, I I
00:42:58
Speaker
I think what will happen is Argentina win the group. I think England will lose to either Japan or Samoa. They'll get caught. I don't know who. They'll still find a way to manage themselves out of the group, though. And that's that's how it's going to happen. Yeah, I don't see them losing to I don't see them losing to Japan because Japan doesn't have the physical physicality to I don't think they have the speed either. No, really unfortunate. Yeah, like I get that they have Matsushima still, but
00:43:25
Speaker
Yeah, that's not enough. He's probably an unfortunate. That's not enough. And, um, Oh, who was it? Where is he? Um, Him and Oh is not what I, he, Him and Oh is not him. And Oh, like if we thought a couple of years ago that, that this guy could be like a sensation at eight and, um, he's kind of turned, turned, you know, jaggish plus, like he's not, he's not a jag, but he's not,
00:43:51
Speaker
much better than a Jag, which is a shame. It really is. And Shota Hari is still good, but he's 37. He ain't young no more. He's still quality, but he's not turning up. So yeah, they don't have the horses. Like flat out. Yeah. And you know, what was it? Matsuda is still good, but same thing. Like he could have been, like he was trending for something amazing.
00:44:22
Speaker
And it just hasn't panned out. No, it hasn't. I agree. I agree. All right. So let's knockouts. Who makes them? Um, you got France, France, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, Fiji and who?
Knockout Rounds Predictions
00:44:45
Speaker
And Australia. Okay.
00:44:47
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I do think they're better than, I think whales are just like, Hey, we're sending a team because we have to, but I don't think. Right. I agree. And then, um, are you saying England? I think so. Okay. I would, I'd like Samoa to make it too, but I think England will, we'll move on for, to the knockout stage to.
00:45:15
Speaker
We'll see. Agreed. Um, all right. So who wins, who wins, who wins a France. I think, I think that's what I did too. Yeah. Does Island one B or South Africa? I think South Africa wins B really. Okay.
00:45:37
Speaker
And then they're scary. They're, they're, they're playing. So they're playing such, they're playing amazing South Africa rugby right now. Yeah. And yeah. Dick them. Can Fiji win the group or the strike? I don't want to do. I think Fiji win the group because I think Fiji beat Australia. And then I think Fiji run, run this table. I don't think that they lose to anybody in this, in this group. All right. If they do lose to anybody, it'd be Australia. So that's really the Fiji Australia match.
00:46:07
Speaker
in where are they round two is gonna decide this one I believe. All right, so that would put Fiji against England and South Africans just dealing in the knockouts. I would love that. And then France against Ireland in the knockouts. Oh, I love that. And RG's in Australia, RG's won that one. Oh yes, they do. And then England Fiji would be a good match. We'll see. It will be.
00:46:33
Speaker
man I would really be they've made the knockouts once it would be great if they could do one better and and win the semi-file I just don't know I want them to I really do um and I think yeah I man here's the thing New Zealand and South Africa have each other's number all day I just
00:46:58
Speaker
knockout rugby with New Zealand and South Africa. I just think New Zealand get it done. And that's really, that actually takes a lot for me to say, cause I don't like the way they've played the last couple of times really, but especially that last one at Wembley. Or I'm talking to my mother. Yeah. But that last one, like, I don't know what more could be, like they, South Africa is just like, we're going to camp out in your end for 20 to 30 minutes and get, you know, compile two cards and all like, they just,
00:47:27
Speaker
they worked them. And that's something where it's like, that's Mike Tyson ask. For those of you who like who might only remember him from you know, being a clown. This dude used to come out and like just wail on people for like 30 seconds and then they just wouldn't want to fight anymore. Yeah. And like, and yeah, it wasn't really around one knockout exactly. But it was like,
00:47:57
Speaker
Oh, it was New Zealand on the mat for the first half of the match, essentially. So that's not going to happen every time. That's where I'm going with it. That's one of those where you kind of just throw it out because the game unfolded the way it unfolded, and it could not have gone any more perfect for South Africa, and New Zealand never got a chance to get a toe hold in.
00:48:21
Speaker
Yeah, there's not, they're not all going to go like that. I still think, I still think, as I said, South Africa are playing the best South Africa, you know, Springbok rugby that they've played. I think they're playing it better than they did in the last World Cup, which is saying something. Although again, the Pollard, like, I don't know. So that's tough. That's the hardest part for me. But either way, I know who I'm picking to win. And that makes whoever wins that matchup irrelevant anyway. So. Well, who's in the final?
00:48:52
Speaker
I have France, Argentina. I don't think anybody beats Argentina in the other bracket. I think they're underrated too. I think they're underrated because they're not New Zealand, they're not South Africa, but they're fucking good.
00:49:14
Speaker
And they've got studs everywhere and they've got depth, maybe not so much at lock. They're, they're still, you know, they're still starting Lavinini and that's going to, you know, he is going to get the card at the inopportune moment. Cause he's Thomas Lavinini. Um, but they got guys who can make up for it. Right. Yeah. Yep. All right. So.
00:49:38
Speaker
That is the predictions. Okay. So we are into full swing here with the first one. We're going to go. Well, who do you have? You didn't, you didn't, you didn't give it to me. I have France. I have France as well. Okay. Who do you have beating though? Um, I think I got my brackets all dribbled up. So I'll get back to you on that one. Anyway. Um, yeah. So that's that. Um,
00:50:03
Speaker
First episode of the season. We're going to jump over to Fancy Corner. If you're not joining us over there, then cool. We'll catch you next week after the openers. But if you are, then we'll see you over there and we'll talk all kinds of fun, fancy shit. But until then, happy to be back. Missed you all. Hope you guys missed us. We'll catch you guys real soon. Everybody enjoy the opener yet. Hope we're not going to talk to you again. Have a good one, all. Later.
00:50:30
Speaker
This has been the fantasy of the yanks podcast.
00:50:37
Speaker
If you'd like to ask a question or leave us general feedback, email us at fantasy rugby podcast at Gmail dot com. You fart, you die, by the way. Yeah, exactly. The ticky tackiness kind of absolutely pisses me off. Be sure you check out our Patreon at Patreon dot com slash the fantasy. Yeah.