Babbling 'brook

FDI is a TLA for Foreign Direct Investment. Does it have another meaning. CDC date 5th May 2020, how out of date do you want to be? Flu epidemic or season. COVID isn't the flu but for some strange reason there was virtually no flu season in the winter just past. Nobody is claiming that masks are a ...

This nonsense of wearing masks after games needs to stop, Sweltering heat and lads coming off the pitch gasping for air having their breathing restricted, rebreathing their own C02, blood crying out for oxygen they're not getting. Of course masks are absolute madness in every day life in general, h...

This nonsense of wearing masks after games needs to stop, Sweltering heat and lads coming off the pitch gasping for air having their breathing restricted, rebreathing their own C02, blood crying out for oxygen they're not getting. Of course masks are absolute madness in every day life in general, ha...

Hey Beavis and butthead. Find me one instance where one ref has had more than one knock out game for the same team in any rugby competition since professionalism started.

Clowns. But sure look, you can lead a donkey to water it doesn't mean he'll drink. Like I said, nothing to see here, all is well - one ref getting England's flagship sides in two knock out games in the WC and the HC. His observable record with England/Saracens in the three biggest global rugby compe...

Joking aside I put the stats up for Garces in May here when Garces got the Final for the Heineken final and sarries, after reffing the semi final v munster, where he was roundly condemned from media and fans alike. Over 90% for Sarries and England, in all games, since going pro. England rugby do no...

For my next trick, I predict Poite will get the Final - "we have a deal". Anatomy of a sham. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7QPqLnbP80 Watch the look after he gets a word in his ear at 2.06. After saying conclusively, penalty, when all machinations/interpretations have been exhausted. H...

Joking aside I put the stats up for Garces in May here when Garces got the Final for the Heineken final and sarries, after reffing the semi final v munster, where he was roundly condemned from media and fans alike. Over 90% for Sarries and England, in all games, since going pro. England rugby do not...

If you think this is bad (England and New Zealand and the hosts having a few miles shaved off their marathons, and everyone else having to run the full 26.2 miles), wait until England get Garces for their quarter against Australia. Then all doubt will be removed, and the blind shall finally see :D ...

I said it yesterday that they should have given an explanation as to what alternatives had been looked into but they didn't and that lead to a backlash which they've had to confront today. It was blatantly obvious that that was going to happen so why not get out in front of it? Oh but they did say ...

On another slightly related topic - I believe Farrell is suffering serious concussion after-effects. Lavanini creamed him in the noggin and John Quill did too, less than a week before for the USA. He (Farrell) was also in the news on Monday last as having an unspecified illness, before the cancellat...

Some strange stuff going on with world rugby. From https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/tournament-rules Where a pool Match cannot be commenced on the day in which it is scheduled, it shall not be postponed to the following day, and shall be considered as cancelled. In such situations, the result shall be...

Moving on, why was Oita mooted as the alternate venue? Yes its far from the storm, but it was always going to be logistical issues for that venue. My point is, it was an impossibility for the game to move from Fukuoka to Oita - its a 1000km (see image). Why didn't they moot somewhere closer before c...

Dave - I disagree on a lot of what you say. But let's start with where we agree. This is not good for the tournament and they probably should have had more detailed plans they have. Sophisticated travel and weather prediction isn't much use 2-3 days before an event. Moving venues (other than fairly...

If you think this is bad (England and New Zealand and the hosts having a few miles shaved off their marathons, and everyone else having to run the full 26.2 miles), wait until England get Garces for their quarter against Australia. Then all doubt will be removed, and the blind shall finally see :D .

KErmis - It says nothing there about prohibiting change of venue does it? Absolutely nothing to say it can't be put in another venue. They have 4 days now to organise anything. This is Japan, they're pretty good at that kind of thing1`! And let's get extreme here. Lots of football matches get played...

I'm delighted for the RFU (who run the IRB), and england rugby in general. They must be so happy that there's logistical reasons they can't reschedule to a stadium at basically the other end of Japan (Oita). How fortunate...now they wont have to face France without their two best players, Farrell an...

Australian media now reporting that England france is definitely cancelled. So they've gone from moving it to cancelling it completely.
How convenient for Japan, had they moved england v france , as they said they would, they would have had to move japan scotland.

I have actually edited that above Doc to include the fact they allow for a venue change in the knockout game section, but make no reference in the pool section. So Townsend was actually right in regards to a day change being out of the question, but not a venue change Scotland have a legal case on t...

Some strange stuff going on with world rugby. From https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/tournament-rules Where a pool Match cannot be commenced on the day in which it is scheduled, it shall not be postponed to the following day, and shall be considered as cancelled. In such situations, the result shall be ...