General Chat

GOOD MORNING RUGBY FANS! :-D :-D :-D :-D

Did you all enjoy the opening of the Rugby World Cup 2015?

ENGLAND PLAYED A FANTASTIC OPENING MATCH TO BEAT FIJI 35 ~ 11!

Setting the bar for the rest of the World Cup Participating Teams!


WALES HAS IT'S WORK CUT OUT METHINKS! :-(:-D
.... being in the same pool as England, AND Australia with only 2 teams from each pool going forward to the knockout stage!


WALES <3 PLAYS URUGUAY TOMORROW!

DID YOU ALL ENJOY THE OPENING CEREMONY?

Who enjoyed the little film of the History Of Rugby?

Legend has it that Rugby as we know it had it's start in Rugby School in 1823, when WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS got fed-up of just kicking a ball around and so he...
PICKED IT UP AND STARTED RUNNING! :-D :-D :-D

I've got to admit that that film made me quite emotional!


Here is that Opening Ceremony Film again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Mbd9W9u50

William Webb Ellis is played by Harlequins supporter- EDWARD ANTHONY.

Supporting Rugby Greats who helped make the film...
Bill Beaumont,Will Greenwood, Jason Leonard, Sir Ian McGeechan, Serge Betsen, Argentinian Gonzala Camacho, Sir Clive Woodward, Maggie Alfonsi, Johnny Wilkinson

and The Honorary President of the Rugby World Cup 2015
PRICE HENRY OF WALES (HARRY)

A MUST SEE FILM!

1st GAME TODAY

Pool C Game

TONGA v GEORGIA Kick-Off 12 noon

http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/11673.php#.Vf00ctJViko

AT KINGSHOLM STADIUM IN GLOUCESTER!

Home of our Lovely ANN (inGlos) and her T :-) :-) :-) :-) <3


Radio Jem will not be doing a running commentary for this one
(I do need to pace myself now that I'm getting older! ;-) :-D)

but I shall have the match on and I will keep an eye on this thread!

Please feel free to post if you are watching! :-) :-) :-)


Ann tells me that Gloucester is alive with excitement and decorations for the world cup
They have a FANZONE at GLOUCESTER DOCKS! where people can gather to watch the game on a big screen!


Fans have a Fanzone at the CARDIFF ARMS PARK.


HERE'S A LIST OF FANZONES INCLUDING DATES OF THE EVENTS

https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/fanzones

THE TONGA v GEORGIA MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

If any of you want to watch this game it's
LIVE ON ITV1

I'M WATCHING THIS MATCH TO OBSERVE THE REFEREEING SKILLS OF...

OUR NIGE!

Nigel Owens from Mynyddcerrig in the Gwendraeth Valley, Carmarthenshire.... not so very far away from me ;-)

Who is considered among Rugby Experts as the BEST RUGBY UNION REFEREE IN THE WORLD!

You just have to listen to how he explains his decisions to the players. And how he discplines them! Warning England's Chris Robshaw once he just said "CHRISTOPHER!" in a stern voice, and Chris was silent!:-D


Nigel is also a STAND-UP COMEDIAN and he can sing too (quite well) ;-)

Our Nige once famously told the teams at a line-out..."I'M STRAIGHTER THAN YOU!" :-D

WALES LOVES YOU NIGEL OWENS :-D :-D <3

Our Nige just spotted Georgia's number 7 wearing a neck pendant!

It should have been taken off before the game.

"You must take that off", he said "it's dangerous, we'll keep it safe for you!"

WELL DONE NIGE! :-)

HALF TIME SCORE

TONGA 3 ~GEORGIA 10

1 HOUR TO GO

IRELAND v CANADA ...... Kick-Off 2.30pm


Live on ITV1, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio Ulster

AND RADIO JEM ;-) :-D


Join us here to watch a great Rugby World Cup Match :-) :-) :-)

There's less 15 minutes left of the Tonga v Georgia Match

Score stands at TONGA 3 ~ GEORGIA 17

GEORGIA BEAT TONGA 17 POINTS TO 10

Tonga will get a bonus point from losing with 7 or less points difference

HALF HOUR TO GO TO IRELAND v CANADA

AND RADIO JEM IS LIVE ;-) ;-) :-D :-D :-D :-D

Here is Radio Jem's Theme Tune

YMA O HYD :-) :-) <3


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFHqMxLGjg

THIS IS A POOL D MATCH

The teams in this pool are

CANADA
FRANCE
IRELAND ITALY
ROMANIA

Each of these teams must play each other once.

The two teams with the highest points at the end of their matches will go on to the knock-out stage of this competition.

In this Pool I shall supporting Ireland, as I have an Irish OH.

But not if they go on to play Wales at some point of course! :-D :-D :-D :-D

IRELAND v CANADA KICKS OFF AT 2.30PM

Live on ITV1, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio Ulster

AND RADIO JEM ;-) :-D :-D :-D :-D


If there are any Irish or Canadian GR Rugby Supporters, please feel free to join in! :-)

Over to Radio Jem's Features' Desk! ;-) :-D

CAPTAINS’ JOINT RECORDS!

CANADA’S CAPTAIN JAMIE CUDMORE

The 37 year old Canadian Lock, Jamie Cudmore....
TODAY JOINS THE RANKS OF PLAYERS THAT HAVE PLAYED IN 4 RUGBY WORLD CUPS!

The other players being-
Gareth Rees, Al Charron, Rod Snow and Mike James.


IRELAND’S CAPTAIN PAUL O’CONNELL

Today Paul O’Connell matches not one, but two records!

1. THIS WILL BE PAUL’S 4th RUGBY WORLD CUP FOR IRELAND!
Paul shares this record with BRIAN O’DRISCOLL.

2. PAUL TODAY RECEIVES HIS 105th CAP FOR IRELAND...
... becoming the JOINT MOST CAPPED FORWARD IN IRISH HISTORY!



CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF THE CAPTAINS FROM RADIO JEM

As time is short now, lets go to the Anthems

IRELAND has two anthems

The Irish Nation Anthem SOLDIER'S SONG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysXPUg8GLQ0


and the Ireland Rugby Union Anthem, a particular favourite of mine, which unites both Northern and Southern Ireland

IRELAND'S CALL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtMzIacbMQ

O CANADA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaBhJ1eYq1A

THE TEAMS

IRELAND:

Backs:
15. Rob Kearney
14. Dave Kearney
13. Jared Payne
12. Luke Fitzgerald
11. Keith Earls
10. Jonathan Sexton
9. Conor Murray

Forwards:
1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Iain Henderson
5. Paul O'Connell (Captain)
6. Peter O'Mahony
7. Sean O'Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip

Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin
17. Cian Healy
18. Nathan White
19. Donnacha Ryan
20. Chris Henry
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Ian Madigan
23. Simon Zebo

CANADA

Backs:
15 Matt Evans
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Ciaran Hearn
12 Nick Blevins
11 DTH Van Der Merwe
10 Nathan Hirayama
9 Gordon McRorie

Forwards:
1 Hubert Buydens
2 Ray Barkwill
3 Doug Wooldridge
4 Brett Beukeboom
5 Jamie Cudmore (Captain)
6 Kyle Gilmour
7 John Moonlight
8 Aaron Carpenter

Replacements:
16 Benoit Piffero, 17 Djustics Sears-Duru, 18 Andrew Tiedemann,19 Jebb Sinclair; 20 Richard Thorpe, 21 Phil Mack, 22 Liam Underwood, 23 Conor Trainor

TO SING ALONG

A SOLDIER'S SONG

We'll sing a song, a soldier's song,
With cheering rousing chorus,
As round our blazing fires we throng,
The starry heavens o'er us;
Impatient for the coming fight,
And as we wait the morning's light,
Here in the silence of the night,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Chorus:
Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
"Mid cannons" roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

In valley green, on towering crag,
Our fathers fought before us,
And conquered 'neath the same old flag
That's proudly floating o'er us.
We're children of a fighting race,
That never yet has known disgrace,
And as we march, the foe to face,
We'll chant a soldier's song.
Chorus