Teams throwing RWC games to get a favourable draw

In The New Zealand Herald,Peter Bills ,has accused France of playing a weakened team to get a favourable draw,demanded that the IRB look in
it.It has also been suggested the Boks may throw the Samoa match to get a more favourable draw.Since De-valuing of other competions like the
3Ns is now common practice.should we be surprisedit has spread to the RWC.That is now acceptable not to rely on just winning every game but
some how manipulate groups to get a favourable draw.Should the IRB intervene if it is proven.Myself having looked at the France SQUAD for the
NZ match.I would say all the usual suspects are there,especially when you consider the last time we saw a full strength All Black team. Was the
Ist 3Ns match v Australia.at Eden Park and they have`nt run out together since.

Yes but its whether the French want to win it. I'm sure I heard one of the players on tv last night saying they want to play the AB's. they just don't want to win the match. Its nothing new- happened in at least 2007.

Funny thing Alan of all the teams the one who has suffered the most is Oz, and they've played, or tried to play their best team since the Samoa loss.

Now JOC is out, Cooper has been shown up without his Ioane bodyguard, their scrum and loosies are shot.

Samoa played their best team against Namibia and now clearly shouldn't have with the Pisi injury and the short interval.

I reckon just get the next two out of the way and then there will be no more gameplaying- just playing games. NZ and France will both qualify- the reason for having the pool games.

I remember Wales being accused of the same in 2003 and it provoked one of the best games of rugby in years and lead to a refreshing change in the spirit of Welsh rugby...

This could work for the french...

Thanks maesteg... just in time...

"memo to Henry....
Not sure if you remember but in 2003...

It just seems like the likes of Chris Rattue,and Peter Bills stirring it again,frankly its getting boring.
Come monday all the permutations could be changed,then next weekend changed again.
If it`s as good as Italys game today I won`t complain,when the minnows play each other we get some good Rugby.Japan today.

Yeah, I can see SA forsaking form, momentum, confidence and continuity for an ”easier” draw. Doh.

Besides it is clear with SA vs Wales and Australia vs Ireland that the wrong referee and the difference in the ”daylight” interpretation it may not be the best side of the draw for any SH team.

emack2 wrote:It just seems like the likes of Chris Rattue,and Peter Bills stirring it again,frankly its getting boring.
Come monday all the permutations could be changed,then next weekend changed again.
If it`s as good as Italys game today I won`t complain,when the minnows play each other we get some good Rugby.Japan today.

In Wales we have ANdy Howell who loves to stir things up.. he has hardly written an article recently..

I am looking forward to Tonga vs JApan first.

The joke being that if all the sides throw games then theyll all end up playing each other anyway.

I dont see the France side as a particulalrly weakened one, or the NZ game as one they had astrong hope of winning anyway. Bear in mind they arent even the strongest of the 6 nations sides.


If you want to look at thrown games how about SA trying their best to lose to Wales and messing it up thanks to theWelsh inability to kick goals and a certain ref?

Ah, but on the contrary sir, we could have fumbled those two tries.

I think the French team looks pretty strong. Really good three-quarters and I think injury has denuded their front row which would explain that. Harinordoquy on the bench raises eyebrows but Picamoles is solid and played well against Canada.

As I said on a previous post Parra will get some serious traffic in his channel and Dusatoir better have another blinder like in 07 otherwise Parra will have Nonu's, Kaino's and possibly SBW's footprints all over him at the end of the game.

I'd really hope that no teams are thinking of (or actually) doing this, France are probably the NH team who have serious depth and wont really weaken their team much by resting certain players etc. For instance if Wales put out a second side to NZ they'd be hammered (more so than usual) but France will probably get away with it being respectable (not if they're 'seconds' play how the 'firsts' have been playing recently though).

Even so, before Ireland turned Australia over there was no "easy" side of the draw, perhaps an "easier" (which is subjective) but if Oz had won each side of the draw would be difficult (personally I'd hate to have been on SA/NZ side of the draw for Wales mind).

I love it when the New Zealanders accuse the French of playing a weak team, then the French promoptly go on to hand them their assés!

if the boks lose to samoa we're out and they have a much easier path thru. mmmmmmm

Don't worry your pretty little head Gavstar, the boks won't throw the match, they want to continue their momentum, and based on the match between Ireland and aus, nothing really showed it would be easier either way.

pretty little head i aint got , i'm quite ugly in a mike tindall cuddly way ! seriously , as we know in all sport anything is possible , by fault or design. i hope for the credibility of rugby nothing untoward happens from here on

Gavstar, you will see SA will pick their strongest team for Samoa, you can tell your team they need to win their remaining matches and then stay on to play the quarters.

SA having secret, clandestine, under handed behind the scenes, hidden from public, undercover, surreptitious, concealed, covert and underground training camps is only for the Tri Nation teams to worry about.

so its true!!!