Rugby Union World Cup 23 [Everything Thread - IC]

[Kaboomlandia]

Kaboomlandia Demolishes the United States of Devonta in First-Ever Victory

The Kaboomlandian rugby team has reason to celebrate. They earned their first-ever victory in international rugby competition in a 49-3 rout of the United States of Devonta. With tries from Monte Allen, Dave Watkins, two from Will Simpson, one from Jamie Fischer, one from Earl Labelle, and one from Jimmy Monahan that saw the third-string lock run 74 yards with the ball for a try, Kaboomlandia showed up in a big way.

NEXT UP: The Peoples Emirate, a relatively unknown team.

AROUND THE GROUP:
Riysa 34-14 Banija
The Fair Republic 37-3 The Peoples Emirate

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions' Momentum Slows Heading Into Key Stretch

Harland Howerton, Londinium Courier

After the Nova Anglicana Lions rugby team soundly defeated Mighty Warriors 37-17 in their opening game of RUWC 23 (building a 37-0 lead before conceding late), rugby fans were feeling enthusiastic. But even though the Lions have won their last two games in Lutternham City Park, they have not been quite as impressive. What does this mean for the Lions as they face their two ranked opponents in the group, Cosumar (83) and Abanhfleft (24)?

The Lions' second game against Silkjd looked like it would be a simple victory, given that fellow unranked Semarland demolished Silkjd 38-9 on the first matchday. And indeed, the Lions surged to an early 14-0 lead behind tries from Jean-Marc Aubert (a weak-side overlap left Aubert with nearly thirty metres of open space with which to cruise into the try zone) and Merlin St. Clair (smashing bravely through the Silkjd defensive line following a five-metre scrum). But both teams bogged down after that, with Silkjd fullback Lam Fung-on attempting to boom kicks down the pitch as the Quadcolors could not penetrate the Lions' defensive line. For the Lions' part, they tried to wear down their opposition through steady phase play and finding openings in the back line, but Silkjd stood firm and the first half ended 14-0.

The Quadcolors received the ball to start the second half and Kam Kwok-choi stepped through an unusually poor tackle from Eric Clark and just beat Graham King to the try line to score a try. Even though Luk Kam-chau missed the conversion, the try was a gut punch to a Lions defense that had played so well early on. Silkjd would add a drop goal on their next possession to cut the deficit to six. Frustrated with the Nova Anglican defense, Errol Anderson brought on Atticus Joiner for Myles Sheffield. Joiner is a ferocious tackler, if not much of an offensive contributor, and he flew around the pitch, denying Silkjd on several occasions. A particularly jarring tackle by Joiner managed to dislodge the ball from Kelvin Green, and Damien Clemens pounced on it. The Lions ground down into the Sikljdian end, and St. Clair managed to score a second try on the weak side from another five-metre scrum. But Foray was unable to hit the tricky conversion, and the score was 19-8. From there, Foray would hit a penalty and a drop goal, and Julian Lee would add a drop goal of his own as the Lions monopolized possession, coming away with a 28-8 victory.

After the game, Errol Anderson said, "The defense was much improved in the last thirty minutes of the second half. Would have liked to have seen a lot more from our offense, especially given our strength in retaining the ball, but credit Silkjd for good defense and we took the points we could get."

The Lions then squared off against Semarland, who had just been shellacked by Abanhfleft 26-6. The Semarlandic team came out aggressively, and Hans Corner even managed to strip Roger Wood five minutes in, which led to Sepp Johansson's long run and veteran Christian Clark's eventual try. Johansson nailed the conversion and Nova Anglicana faced their first deficit of RUWC 23. Nova Anglicana kept their opponents in check, but couldn't break past the skilled tackling of Semarland, and had to settle for two drop goals as the sum total of their first-half offense. They would have gone into the half trailing by just one, but Samson Abasi saw a kickoff at the end of the half hit him in the hands and bounce right into the grasp of captain Johan Sinclair. Sinclair motored down the pitch before being brought down by Merlin St. Clair. In the ensuing confusion, too many Lions players lined up too close to the ruck and Semarland had an overload on the left wing. Soren Marne took it home and Johansson hit the conversion as the Lions ended the first half trailing 14-6.

Semarland added a drop goal two minutes into the second half, and it looked like the game was slipping away from the Lions. But then Quentin Foray took over. He landed a nice tackle on Christian Clark and Julian Lee was able to strip the ball out and fling it to Roger Wood. Wood and the rest of the backs advanced it down the pitch a fair ways before Semarland could really recover. Inside the 22, Foray faked a pop pass to Wood, drawing both his and Wood's defender away before slicing through the hole in the defense and sprinting to pay dirt. He hit the conversion and the Lions trailed by four. Foray controlled the backs well, driving Semarland back deep into its own territory. He himself brought the ball within two metres of the goal before Tim Poole scooped it up from the back of the ruck and plunged across the goal line for a rare try. Unfortunately, Foray's conversion attempt hit the side of his foot, but the Lions still led 19-17. Foray would hit two more drop goals to close things out, running his point total to forty-eight, more than half of the Lions' total.

Semarland gave the Lions their first real test, but they responded admirably, and now look forward to facing Cosumar. The Cosumarites are 1-0-2, having lost to Abanhfleft 23-9, defeated Mighty Warriors 30-0, and been completely disassembled by Silkjd in a 43-3 loss. The Lions are still 3-0-0, but their momentum has been blunted somewhat. Let's hope they can recover it by compounding the woes of a surely disheartened Cosumar squad.

[Mapletish]

The Sour Kind
"Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day"

Sports | Timothy Jozua

Rugby Union World Cup Group G: Zhenherribae 23–17 Mapletish

Zhenherribae: 23

Tries: Mǎ Chāoxīn [2x]
Alexander Ugarte [1x]
Conversions: Chén Gāngdào [3x - 2 missed]
Penalties: Hugo Urberoaga [x1]
Drop Goals: Aaron Arrigorriagakoa [x1]


Mapletish: 17

Tries: Diogo Davi [2x]
Conversions: Diogo Davi [2x]
Penalties: n/a
Drop Goals: Brigham Harper [x1]

Diogo Davi star for the All Reds in the late afternoon sun only to be shocked by newcomers. Qualification for Round of 16 stalled before Apox challenge.

The All Reds were out of ideas in their surprising defeat to RUWC newcomers Zhenherribae, only to go home with a bonus point loss. Zhenherribae led 17-0 at the break through two Mǎ Chāoxīn tries, an Alexander Ugarte try and a Chén Gāngdào conversion. Chén Gāngdào missed two of his three conversion kicks in what would be an ill fated night for him. He would then find himself limping out of the field with a twisted ankle that appeared to be better after the match.

The All Reds started the mach confidently with two bonus point wins in their bag only to see their confidence slashed by a Zhenherribae onslaught. The wings were completely subdued by the Zhenherriabe backs as the All Reds struggled throughout the first half to gain their footing let alone cement their position in the match. Nothing could be more embarrassing as Alexander Ugarte broke through Ramsey Kynaston and Junior Van.

The win against the All Reds now marks Zhenherribae's second win but they are still struggling to find the tries that they so yearn for, a bonus point win. Their victory was of course not to be a bonus point win, at least not against an All Reds' side that was so out of sorts.

"The previous two victories with just fourteen players in the starting line-ups could have gotten into everyone's heads. Just this morning, we rectified this issue and called up former Team Mapletish athlete, Isidro Roberto. This is the biggest joke we ever had in the multiverse stage," commented head coach, Teripane in the post match interview.

The All Reds however got themselves back into the game in the second half. Diogo Davi opened the scoring with two tries from a perfect team link-up and converting two of the subsequent conversions. Mr Referee then awarded a controversial penalty call and it was Hugo who extended Zhenherriabe's lead further.

The All Reds however added onto their scoring with a drop goal from long range from Brigham Harper only to see his efforts replicated by Aaron. The All Reds however continued to get ahead only to see their efforts nullified by Zhenherriabe's defence. Should the All Reds fail to get one over Apox in the next match, the All Reds might be playing their way in to the Round of 16 via the Round of 24, or face their nightmare of being eliminated in the group stage.

[Zhenherribae]

Sport in the City
By Katrín Skarphéðinsdóttir

There aren't many traveling fans of the Xuěbào here in Ingla Terra at the Rugby World Cup. But you'd never know it from the sound of the gallery in the latest match. The lads from Zhenherribae leaped to a 17-0 lead in the first half, stunning the backers of the heavily-favored All Reds from Mapletish, and then held on against the inevitable comeback to score a 23-17 upset and delight many of the neutrals in attendance.

The result wasn't the only odd feature of the match. Captain Mǎ Chāoxīn, scorer of key points with his boot in earlier matches, ran for two tries. Alexander Ugarte added a third. All the kicking points were scored by players other than Mǎ: one conversion from three attempts by Chén Gāngdào, a mildly contentious second-half penalty taken by Hugo Urberoaga, and a final drop goal from Aaron Arrigorriagakoa to stem the late Red tide. Diogo Davi starred for Mapletish with 14 points from two converted tries, and Brigham Harper's deep bomb of a drop goal late brought the All Reds to within three at 17-20 before Arrigorriagakoa restored the final margin.

Coreyo and Kernansquillec remain for the third-place Snow Leopards. One win from two may be enough to go forward. Two from two could result in a higher placement and better seed in the round of 24. But both goal difference and a lack of earned bonus points in the standing work against Zhenherribae; it will be quite enough to squeeze out the needed result(s) to cement an advancement thought unlikely just a few days ago.

[Neu Engollon]

"Good Evening, Neu Engollon! Magda Wertauer here with you on the NETV 7 Sports Update. We go to the Rugby World Cup 23 being held in Ingla Terra and the Royal Barangay once again. The Goats are looking at their most fearsome match tonight, versus Darmen. For a special insight, Tonight, we have on one of the newer members of the Goats, Louis Katz-Savrin, who can usually be found in the second row or filling in as a flanker. Louis, thanks for coming on to talk to us."

"Thanks for having me on, Magda."

"Louis, how do you think things are going so far?"

"Well, I know that we're not doing as well as everyone hoped, but I don't think we've done that badly. We're winning so far. It's the point spread that's killing us. Point difference is what is mattering in this tournament, not just wins."

"That it is. You all play your hearts out and get down in it, no matter how gritty the journey there, your wins still didn't quite help edge out Darmen for the top spot."

"Two matches to go, Magda. We'll see what happens."

"Absolutely, that's the spirit. So, how have things gone with the team, as far as welcoming you aboard, and the other new members?"

"Oh, great. I feel like we've been on the team for ages, even though it's only been a short while, that's how well we've been integrated in and they helped us to get the plays down in the weeks before the Cup. We all know each other from the AVRU, so its not like we're total strangers."

"Right. You and Arvin Frankenheim both came in from the Enbrun Saisers."

"Accorzu. So we have that mutual rookie support there, right."

"It's been quite a while since the Goats had Saisers representation. Now there's two of you. It's good to see more teams from the AVRU getting spots on the National squad."

"That it is, Magda. We're pretty excited about it and the hometown feeling in Enbrun has been fantastic, well...sort of. It's difficult to get anywhere or do anything around downtown without getting stopped for autographs and pictures now, not that I'll ever really complain about that."

"I'll bet you won't. Enbrun isn't your original hometown, though? Is it?"

"I meant adopted hometown. Sorry. For my 4 seasons with the Saisers, it has become my home, even though Albertville will also always call me home."

"I see. Another great city. Well, we're running out of time, but it was great to talk to you, Louis. Good luck out there."

"Thanks Magda. Tough match."

"Yes, The All Greens. This is the telling match for the group for you. Viewers, you can catch it right here tonight on NETV Sports 7 and rebroadcasts and simulcast on NETV Sports 19, our sister station. Stay tuned for more coverage after the break."

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

MIGHTY WARRIORS VS. ABANHFLEFT: SCORES AND LIVE TWITTER REACTIONS
By Archon Venkman

LUTTERNHAM, INGLA TERRA - High from their success against Semarland in yesterday's game in the 23rd Rugby Union World Cup, the Fleftic national team is looking to collect yet another victory against a team from a nation known only as Mighty Warriors (quite a strange name for a country, kind of like The Sword Bloke, if you know what I mean). Little is known about this nation, except that they claim to be mighty warriors. They haven't even released an official roster for their team, but their team does exist, as evidenced by their games against Nova Anglicana and Cosumar. But despite all that, coach Thomas Gordy has told his players that despite playing against what could only be considered a "mystery team," they should not fall victim to overconfidence, lest their opponents take advantage and deal them a surprise loss.

@ThomasWard_Gordy2014: Mighty Warriors team still a complete mystery, but we won't underestimate them. #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

In typical Berserker fashion, Abanhfleft started strong, with John Borisov and Kirk Wahlberg landing back-to-back tries within the opening seven minutes. Fleftic baseball star Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, also a known rugby union fan, tweeted:

@ArmoredDinnerJacket67: Back to back tries from Borisov and Wahlberg. Mighty Warriors not as mighty as they claim. #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

But the "Mighty" Warriors refused to back down. They landed a try of their own after their loosehead prop managed to get away from the Fleftic defense, and Ahmadinejad was quick to fire off yet another tweet about this.

@ArmoredDinnerJacket67: Mighty Warriors get a try back. Lock down on defense Berserkers! #COYB #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

Wesley Nakamura landed yet another try to close off the match, with Till Solvermann completing his third conversion of the game. The Riuwiee Daily Bulletin, while not really ecstatic about the score, did appreciate that Abanhfleft might need every point that they could score in this game.

@RiuwieeDailyBulletin: Abanhfleft leads Mighty Warriors 21-7 at halftime. #RUWC23

At the start of the second half, it appeared that Mighty Warriors had gotten some confidence back, as they made consecutive drop goals courtesy of their eight-man and tight flanker. Almohads player Mackenzie Dent was a bit troubled by this sudden jump in Mighty Warriors scoring opportunities.

@MackenzieDent1959: Drop goals falling everywhere. Abanhfleft must lock down every part of the field! #COYB #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

John Borisov landed his second try of the game just a minute after Mighty Warriors' consecutive drop goals, but unfortunately for Solvermann, once again a crosswind picked up his ball and sent it the wrong side of the goalposts. Fleftic lacrosse star Cecilia Cuvimi was less than pleased with this turn of events.

@iamCeCeCuvimi: @TillTheSolver45 fails to make his second fourth conversion of the game. Maybe we should get another kicker for this fourth conversion? #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

With only two minutes left on the clock and having had barely a sniff at the ball, Mighty Warriors appeared to just be waiting for the final whistle. Abanhfleft took the opportunity to pounce, and Zack Mosquito landed one more try for his country, while the Mighty Warriors players could only watch on. Solvermann was luckier this time, and the ball sailed cleanly through the goalposts. After the final whistle was blown, the Rugby Union Federation of Abanhfleft sent out this tweet:

@rugbiunitasor_abanhfleft: Another convincing win from our Berserkers send us to top of group F. Two more games left to play, but a spot in the knockouts are closer and more probable now. #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

Archon Venkman is a former national rugby union team fullback and captain. He now writes rugby union-related blogs and articles for Abanhfleft's Crescent News Network Sports Channel. He is also the author of the book Why in the World Did Rugger Gain Fame Here in My Country Anyway?: The Irreverent and Ultimately Irrelevant Autobiography of Archon "The Anchor" Venkman.

[The Royal Barangay]

THE BARANGAYAN STAR
SPORTS NEWS

Three for three
Tamaraws remain perfect after three games, faces Saintland in a top of the group matchup
by Tei Dalawangbayan

SANGTI - The Royal Barangay National Rugby Team are doing it.

After a 32-10 win over the Unified Sunrise Islands, the Tamaraws managed to defeat Ontorisa and Yttribia, with scorelines of 46-14 and 39-3 respectively. These dominating performances gave the Barangayans two bonus points to lead Group A after three games, one point ahead of their next opponents, the sixth-ranked Saintland.

After their dominating 50-3 domination of RamsGates, they struggled to beat Yttribia, giving them a bonus point, and the Unified Sunrise Islands, though they prevented the Sunrisians from getting the bonus point. The multiverse expected a Sanctii win, however, the Barangayans have to be happy, as Coach Ranny is optimistic that the Tamaraws can take the fight to the Saintland team.

"We are on our home turf. It is difficult for our opponents to score here. Let's see if we can take the number 6 down." the coach said. After the showdown, the Tamaraws will close out their group schedule against RamsGates, an expected victory, while Saintland faces Ontorisa.

[The Royal Barangay]

Cutoff for Matchday 4.

---

MATCHDAY 4

Group A
The Royal Barangay 23–13 Saintland
RamsGates 18–14 Yttribia
Unified Sunrise Islands 8–38 Ontorisa

  Group A                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 The Royal Barangay          4    4   0   0   140   40 +100    16      2     18
2 Saintland                   4    3   0   1   105   54  +51    12      1     13
3 Ontorisa                    4    3   0   1   106   72  +34    12      1     13
4 Unified Sunrise Islands     4    1   0   3    87   91   −4     4      1      5
5 RamsGates                   4    1   0   3    26  145 −119     4      0      4
6 Yttribia                    4    0   0   4    45  107  −62     0      2      2

Group B
United States Of Devonta 7–33 Riysa
The Peoples Emirate 23–13 Kaboomlandia
Banija 6–30 The Fair Republic


  Group B                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 The Fair Republic           4    4   0   0   144   33 +111    16      3     19
2 Riysa                       4    4   0   0   136   31 +105    16      3     19
3 Banija                      4    2   0   2    81   77   +4     8      0      8
4 Kaboomlandia                4    1   0   3    81  105  −24     4      1      5
5 The Peoples Emirate         4    1   0   3    42  111  −69     4      0      4
6 United States Of Devonta    4    0   0   4    22  149 −127     0      0      0

Group C
Kaauqliaq 43–0 Vermark
Darmen 21–25 Neu Engollon
Mallanica 7–27 Polaaskan

  Group C                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Neu Engollon                4    4   0   0   119   53  +66    16      1     17
2 Darmen                      4    3   0   1   129   35  +94    12      4     16
3 Polaaskan                   4    2   0   2    81   82   −1     8      2     10
4 Kaauqliaq                   4    2   0   2    91   67  +24     8      1      9
5 Vermark                     4    1   0   3    32  135 −103     4      0      4
6 Mallanica                   4    0   0   4    34  114  −80     0      1      1

Group D
Ekoz 34–8 Estenia
Green Jello Salad 49–7 Volcanoc
Levivania 11–29 Uitbregen

  Group D                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Uitbregen                   4    3   0   1   116   58  +58    12      2     14
2 Ekoz                        4    3   0   1   111   56  +55    12      2     14
3 Estenia                     4    3   0   1   111   61  +50    12      2     14
4 Green Jello Salad           4    2   0   2   109   75  +34     8      2     10
5 Volcanoc                    4    1   0   3    50  126  −76     4      0      4
6 Levivania                   4    0   0   4    32  153 −121     0      0      0

Group E
Hutanjia 33–7 Free Swiss States
Neyosil 19–27 Borxinoia
Ingla Terra 34–6 Electrum

  Group E                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Hutanjia                    4    4   0   0   117   37  +80    16      1     17
2 Ingla Terra                 4    3   0   1   109   52  +57    12      2     14
3 Electrum                    4    2   0   2    79   95  −16     8      1      9
4 Borxinoia                   4    2   0   2    97   87  +10     8      1      9
5 Neyosil                     4    1   0   3    92   79  +13     4      2      6
6 Free Swiss States           4    0   0   4     7  151 −144     0      0      0

Group F
Mighty Warriors 14–32 Semarland
Silkjd 13–27 Abanhfleft
Nova Anglicana 25–3 Cosumar

  Group F                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Nova Anglicana              4    4   0   0   115   45  +70    16      1     17
2 Abanhfleft                  4    4   0   0   109   41  +68    16      1     17
3 Semarland                   4    2   0   2    93   74  +19     8      1      9
4 Silkjd                      4    1   0   3    73   96  −23     4      0      4
5 Cosumar                     4    1   0   3    45   91  −46     4      0      4
6 Mighty Warriors             4    0   0   4    44  132  −88     0      0      0

Group G
Zhenherribae 23–9 Coreyo
Kernansquillec 7–52 Mapletish
Apox 22–14 Wray

  Group G                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Mapletish                   4    3   0   1   158   42 +116    12      4     16
2 Apox                        4    3   1   0   116   69  +47    14      1     15
3 Zhenherribae                4    3   0   1    76   87  −11    12      0     12
4 Kernansquillec              4    1   1   2    69  124  −55     6      0      6
5 Coreyo                      4    1   0   3    56  108  −52     4      1      5
6 Wray                        4    0   0   4    60  105  −45     0      2      2

Group H
Prusy krolewskie 41–5 Quetzala
Québécois Commonwealth 10–37 Western Borderlands
The Sword Bloke 15–31 Ko-oren

  Group H                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Ko-oren                     4    4   0   0   106   66  +40    16      0     16
2 Western Borderlands         4    2   1   1   102   71  +31    10      2     12
3 Prusy krolewskie            4    2   0   2   102   66  +36     8      3     11
4 The Sword Bloke             4    2   0   2    89   80   +9     8      1      9
5 Québécois Commonwealth      4    1   0   3    77  103  −26     4      1      5
6 Quetzala                    4    0   1   3    38  128  −90     2      0      2

Legend:
Team - Group winners, advances to Round of 16
Team - Secures at least a Round of 24 spot
Team - Eliminated from contention

[Ko-oren]

(Just wanted to let you know that I uploaded a roster here that's not linked to in the OP)

Ko-oren 24–22 Western Borderlands

7-0 TRY Braga
7-7 TRY WB13
7-10 DG WB09
7-17 TRY WB05
----
7-22 TRY WB15
14-22 TRY Kajiwara
21-22 TRY Chauvin
24-22 PG Favre
----
Conversions:
Favre 3/3
WB09 2/3

Prusy krolewskie 16–22 Ko-oren

3-0 DG Januszewski
3-3 DG Favre
3-10 TRY Trottiscliffe
----
6-10 DG Schweinsteiger
6-15 TRY Santos
9-15 PG Schweinsteiger
9-22 TRY Van Loon
16-22 TRY Prusinowski
----
Conversions:
Schweinsteiger 1/1
Favre 2/3

Ko-oren 29–13 Québécois Commonwealth

7-0 TRY Salomon
14-0 TRY Trottiscliffe
14-7 TRY QC08
----
14-10 PG QC10
21-10 TRY Salomon
24-10 DG Favre
29-10 TRY Maki
29-13 PG QC10
----
Conversions:
Favre 3/4
QC10 1/1

The Sword Bloke 15–31 Ko-oren

7-0 TRY Mu Ra Ta
7-7 TRY Russell
12-7 TRY Verona
15-7 PG Herta-Gerto
15-14 TRY Young-Il
15-21 TRY Favre
15-24 PG Favre
----
15-31 TRY Magalhães
----
Conversions:
Herta-Gerto 1/2
Favre 4/4

One more win sees Ko-oren advance to the knockout round without a scratch - but only barely. Teams have gotten close to dethroning the champions of the two last World Cups, but in the end the Dragonflies have always come away with a win. The Western Borderlands, highest ranked team after Ko-oren in this group, have come closest. They commanded the first half and with two tries and a drop goal they threatened to walk over us, especially after the second half started with another try for the fellow Atlantian Ocenian side. The Greenblues got stuck in, and two quick tries saw them almost on par with their opponents, and a 68th minute penalty goal by Favre (they should have known better to give away a penalty within 20 metres of their own try line) sealed the Ko-orenite victory.

The second opponent never really got the jump on us, but they scared us enough with their effort and never-give-up mentality. The Prussians always bounced back to within a couple points of Ko-oren, and even after Van Loon's try to make it 9-22, the Prussians refused to give up with one last minute try. The other two opponents were definitely easier victories, with the Quebecois never even coming close to our score (the best they did was 0-0) and the Sword Bloke imploded halfway through the first half. All that was left was a boring second half with just one try - a letdown after a half with five tries.

Favre is looking impressive with just two missed conversion kicks, while Cyrille Salomon is surprising pundits with his appearance against the Quebecois (two tries). Him and Jules Reynaud might just replace Eusebio Nunes and Sergio Santos in the definitive Ko-orenite team for the knockouts, but conservative head coach Makkarn might just as well stick to his regular XV.

Tournament-wise, there's one thing - again - that's holding our team back: bonus points. We've got none. But then again... the Dragonflies haven't suffered from this in either the 21st or 22nd World Cup.

[Banija]

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!


Coach Oskar Vermaak at a practice

Win or go home match upcoming for Banija against Kaboomlandia

RYNE- With their matchday 4 results, Banija is still sitting in third place, like they have been for the entire tournament, after racing off to a hot start and cooling down considerably against the group's top two sides. Banija is sitting in third place with 8 points in the group after their 30-6 walloping against the Fair Republic, in which they could not manage a single try throughout the entirety of the match. While Banija won their first two games, then lost their next two, results in other matches, including a massive bonus point victory for Kaboomlandia in their matchday 3 game against the United States of Devonta, which they got a 49-3 victory, makes the entire group stage come down to the final day for those two teams.

With a win or a draw, no matter what else happens in the group, due to its tiebreaker over the People's Emirates, Banija will clinch third place in group B and move onto the Round of 24. This will reach the goal of any team in its first appearance in an established tournament such as this one- get out of the group stages and go to the knockout stages, where it is either "5 and won" or "1 and done". Kaboomlandia has taken a much different path to get here. They are in 4th place in the group, and are 1-3. They lost their first two games against the group's top two teams, Riysa and the Fair Republic respectively, and in matchday 3 they had a massive 49-3 bonus point victory against the People's Emirates, which gave them 5 points. While they had a relatively surprising poor showing in a matchday 4 loss to the People's Emirates, everything is on the line for them as well. As they do not have the tiebreaker any longer against the People's Emirates, their path is straightforward, though a little more challenging than Banija's. The People's Emirates have a tough path to the knockout stages, but their matchday 4 win keeps them alive. The scenarios are broken down here. The People's Emirates are playing Devonta, who are the cellar-dwellars of the group and have allowed bonus point victories to every opponent they have faced, save Banija. They could not have asked for a better opponent to play as they try to claw their way back

Banija advances with: Win or Draw against Kaboomlandia
Kaboomlandia advances with: Bonus point victory against Banija OR Win and lack of a bonus point victory for People's Emirates
People's Emirates advances with: Bonus point victory AND a non-bonus point victory for Kaboomlandia


So for Banija, this means that they need to do whatever it takes to get a victory in this game. If they lose, there is absolutely no path to the knockout stages, as Kaboomlandia will be ahead of them on absolute terms in terms of points. As the pressure is on both teams to go ahead to the knockout stages, Coach Vermaak will have to be able to get his players to relax, and regain their confidence following their two losses to Riysa and the Fair Republic. Many sports commentators on the East side said that the team got too overconfident after their first two wins in the RUWC, and now their confidence is lacking. You could see the defeat in the faces of many of the players after their recent 30-6 shellacking at the hands of the Fair Republic, though Banija was truly the only team to hold them back as it was the only game the Fair Republic did not get bonus points.

Banija will go into the game as a slight favorite against Kaboomlandia, but in a do-or-die, win-or-go-home situation, almost anything can happen. The two teams are on equal footing, and not only do they both have everything to play for, they have nothing to lose as they are both debuting at this tournament. Banija will have to recapture the form and confidence they had against cellar-dwellars Devonta and the People's Emirates in this all-important match against Kaboomlandia. We will need better performances from team leaders, like captain Gabriel Prinsloo and Inside Center Igmar Van Zyl for our team to clinch a spot in the knockout stages.

As there has only been two draws throughout this entire tournament so far, none in group B, we do not feel as if a draw is likely. The prediction from this magazine will be that, in a very close game, Banija will prevail in what will be seen as one of the better matches of the group stage, especially in terms of intensity as players from both sides will leave it all on the field.

[The Fair Republic]

The Fair Republic Toucans defeated Banija today 30-6 to set up a group winner deciding match versus Riysa. The Flying Springbrooks played excellent defense to start out and were able to take a 6-0 advantage thanks to two drops goals from Julius Van Schoor. Ross Lynch responded with two drop goals of his own to even the score at 6 all. Victor Peterson scored his first try of the cup to give the Toucans a 13-3 lead and Brett Adams scored a drop goal on a penalty advantage to give the Toucans a 16-6 lead heading into the break. Banija continued to play excellent defense and it seemed like they were going to keep the game close until Bart van Schling issued a late hit on Peter Lazarus, earning him a red card at the 63rd minute. The Toucans were able to use this to their advantage as Lazarus got a try on the very next possession to give the Toucans a 23-6 lead. Brett Adams scored a try with 9 minutes left to increase the score to 30-6 and officially put the game out of reach. Gideon Patrick said after the game, "I'm really pleased by the way we hung in their today. Banija played really stellar defense today, keeping the game close and frustrating our attack. This proved that, we don't get rattled easily and are able to find a weakness in the defense. Today it was using their physical style of play against them by quick cuts and passes. Tomorrow it could be something else, but I don't know what that will be."

Next Game: Riysa (16)

This is the game that will decide the winner of Group B. The Ibexes have played fantastic rugby so far. They average 34 points a game while only conceding 7.75 points on average. Daraawi's squad might be the most fundamentally sound squad today. You never see them make any mental errors. The Toucans, who score an average of 36 points per match while only conceding 8.25 have their toughest challenge yet. If the Toucans are going to win, they have to play perfect rugby. This has the making of a classic game, that fans in both nations will be talking about long after the final whistle blows.

[The Sword Bloke]

SWORD TV
"And after being rudely disrupted by that 3 day broadcast of 'To Kill a Volcanic", I have a short report of our first 4 games in the Rugby World Cup in The Royal Barangay."

GAME ONE: Loss to Prusy Krolewskie. Poor game, we should have won. We would be in the top 3 had we won. Shop Owner is a try-scoring machine though, a legendary try scoring machine.

GAME TWO: Victory over Québécois Commonwealth. Yes, we did it in this game. We demolished them truly. I must say that Barangay Hot Dogs are great to accompany the game.

GAME THREE: Victory over Quetzala. We were always going to win against them. Again, we have a try scoring machine.

GAME FOUR: Loss to Ko-Oren. We were going to lose to them unfortunately, we were with them in World Cup qualifying. Meh, we need to win the next game.

UP NEXT: Game vs Western Borderlands. A tough one, but even worst it is a must win game. Yes, they are 24th in the world, but they haven't even sent a roster of players over. We could possibly win this, but we need Québécois Commonwealth to lose also. Ahhhh... Why us?

[Kaboomlandia]

Kaboomlandia with Must-Win Game against Banija

Nobody expected the Kaboomlandians to be in this situation.
Through their first four games, the first-timers suffered two blowout losses to Riysa and The Fair Republic, 37-7 and 42-12. Game 3 was the highlight as Kaboomlandia got its first-ever rugby victory with a 49-3 pounding of United States of Devonta. The shock came today, as they bowed out to the lower-ranked The Peoples Emirate. Now, with only one game remaining, they must beat Banija and have some other things go their way to make the playoffs:

Banija advances with: Win or Draw against Kaboomlandia
Kaboomlandia advances with: Bonus point victory against Banija OR Win and lack of a bonus point victory for People's Emirates
People's Emirates advances with: Bonus point victory AND a non-bonus point victory for Kaboomlandia

Any of the three teams could advance. However, The Peoples Emirate is playing United States of Devonta, a team that has been a pushover for the other four teams in Group B.

Kaboomlandia knows the challenge they face. They must get the bonus point against Banija to have a ghost of a chance at advancing, and that means winning by 33 or more points or allowing seven or less. The other option is if United States of Devonta somehow manages to either stay within 32 points or score more than seven.

[Ontorisa]

The Kelixsburg International
Ontorisa's #1 Trusted International News Source

Ontorisa Clinches Their Position in the Round of 24 With the Defeat of Unified Sunrise Island

---

Top Stories: Askosan forces have broken the ceasefire that was supposed to take place later today by shelling rebel positions. - Head Senator Kalamier announces his act to deploy an additional regiment to Askosa to finalize Askosa's defeat - Ontorisa's Rugby Team has clinched their spot in the Round of 24, defeating Unified Sunrise Island with the score of 38 to 3

Theriad Cemakse during his early prospect years as
part of the Saliasburg Barbarians. Cemakse recorded
41 tries & 8 drop kick conversions in his first year.
(Asmikia Cemakse/Submitted)

Sports | Posted: April 14 2015, 4:57 PM | Last Updated: April 14 2015, 6:09 PM | Written By: Venaskal Umirka

Sangti, Royal Barangay - ONTORISA IS IN! Cinching their spot in the Round of 24 by defeating the Unified Sunrise Island with a score of 38 to 3, former rookie Theriad Cemakse scoring his first two tries of the game. The game also saw plenty of the substitutes receiving valuable playing time in anticipation of any future injuries that may plague the team, notably Yweko Oayir, a native of the Dessulair province from the small village of Kapravoska.

"Uhm, it was a really fast game. My first two conversions were garbage and I know that," Oayir commented on his performance following the game. "But I remembered that it's just like any game I've played before so I started finding my marks."

Throughout the game, the Ontorisans were dominant in their performance, scoring three unanswered tries in the first half before taking a mindless "Handling in the Ruck" penalty at their own 22 yard line. The Unified Sunrise Island's Full Back, Edward von Raiden, made short work of the positioning and the distance, easily kicking the ball through the two posts. During the remaining minutes in the half, the Ontorisans desperately held back the relentless Unified Sunrise Island offence as von Raiden's penalty goal had led to the opponents smelling for their first try of the game.

That was not the case as the Blue Falcons managed to hang on.

"That was a bloody sloppy play out there!" Coach Taksma-Major could be heard shouting at the Blue Falcons. "Handling in the ruck? You guys know better!"

As the 2nd Half started, a renewed spirit from the Ontorisans led to three more unanswered tries. While there were plenty of scrums here and there as well as very good scoring chances for the Islanders, luck was not on their side as the Blue Falcons sealed the deal with Lock Iliam Retiak's try followed by a successful conversion by Oayir.

"We played well since we really want this position in the Round of 24." Mikael Zubrovaski, who set up the try for Retiak, spoke following the game. "It was hard on the body since they [Unified Sunrise Island Team] kept finding ways to exploit our defence and push through."

Despite this determined effort by the Islanders to penetrate the Ontorisan defence, their efforts came to no avail as the Ontorisans advanced, leaving the Unified Sunrise Island basking in elimination from the tournament.

"I feel really bad for them," Theriad Cemakse, who most arguably led the Ontorisans to victory with two tries. "They played hard, they played fast and they played with tons of heart. I wouldn't mind playing them again in a more, relaxed, situation where both teams can go home feeling good about themselves."

Ontorisa has won three of their four games in the Rugby Union World Cup, their most recent against Ramsgate (25-5), a loss against Royal Barangay following a hard game (46-14) and a dominating start against Yttribia (29-13).

Score Summary

1st Half

11th Minute - Cemakse, Theriad Try [Unsuccessful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]
17th Minute - Qam-as-Demau, Hesamak Try [Unsuccessful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]
25th Minute - Salku, Yegnar Try [Successful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]
38th Minute - Unified Sunrise Island Penalty Kick [Successful, kicked by von Raiden, Edward]

2nd Half

56th Minute - Cemakse, Theriad Try [Successful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]
61st Minute - Horska, Javirkap Try [Successful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]
88th Minute - Retiak, Iliam Try [Successful Conversion by Oayir, Yweko]

[Kaboomlandia]

Kaboomlandia with Must-Win Game against Banija

Nobody expected the Kaboomlandians to be in this situation.
Through their first four games, the first-timers suffered two blowout losses to Riysa and The Fair Republic, 37-7 and 42-12. Game 3 was the highlight as Kaboomlandia got its first-ever rugby victory with a 49-3 pounding of United States of Devonta. The shock came today, as they bowed out to the lower-ranked The Peoples Emirate. Now, with only one game remaining, they must beat Banija and have some other things go their way to make the playoffs:

Banija advances with: Win or Draw against Kaboomlandia
Kaboomlandia advances with: Bonus point victory against Banija OR Win and lack of a bonus point victory for People's Emirates
People's Emirates advances with: Bonus point victory AND a non-bonus point victory for Kaboomlandia

Any of the three teams could advance. However, The Peoples Emirate is playing United States of Devonta, a team that has been a pushover for the other four teams in Group B. Also, Riysa plays The Fair Republic tomorrow, with a bye to the Round of 16 at stake.

The game will be broadcast on Kaboomlandia's national television station.

Kaboomlandia knows the challenge they face. They must get the bonus point against Banija to have a ghost of a chance at advancing, and that means winning by 33 or more points or allowing seven or less. The other option is if United States of Devonta somehow manages to either stay within 32 points or score more than seven.

[Prusy Krolewskie]

Prusy Krolewskie crushes Quetzala

The Reprezentacja Pruski crushed Quetzala 41-5 and Prusy Krolewskie is still battling with Western Borderlands and The Sword Bloke for one of the two remaining playoffs spots. Prusy Krolewskie started strong against Quetzala when Agata Grudzinska scored a try at the 1st minute and then Tomasz Gorski scored another try at the 3rd minute. It was already 14-0 Prusy Krolewskie. Philipp Schweinsteiger made a drop kick at the 12th minute. Quetzala scored their only try at the 19th minute but #10 missed the conversion so it was 17-5 Prusy Krolewskie. Krzysztof Szerszenowicz scored a try at the 25th minute, Grzegorz Skrzypek scored one at the 36th minute . It was 31-5 at the halftime.

With leading 31-5 at the halftime, coach Wlodzimierz Szabakiewicz decided to rest some key players. Quetzala was penalised at the 61st minute and Sophia Müller made the penalty goal. At the 74th minute, Mateusz Blaszczykowski scored a try and the conversion was made by Sophia Müller. Prusy Krolewskie was leading 41-5 and it's the final score!

GAME SUMMARY

1st minute - Try by AGATA GRUDZINSKA (succesfull conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
3rd minute - Try by TOMASZ GORSKI (succesfull conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
12th minute - Drop Kick by Philipp Schweinsteiger
19th minute - Try by #15 (unsuccesfull conversion by #10)
25th minute - Try by KRZYSZTOF SZERSZENOWICZ (succesfull conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
36th minute - Try by GRZEGORZ SKRZYPEK (succesfull conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
61st minute - Penalty Goal by Sophia Müller
74th minute - Try by MATEUSZ BLASZCZYKOWSKI (succesfull conversion by Sophia Müller)


Standings

Ko-oren are qualified for the playoffs with 4 wins in 4 games. Western Borderlands are 2nd with 12 points. The Reprezentacja Pruski is 3rd with 11 points and The Sword Bloke is 4th with 9 points. The winner between Western Borderlands and The Sword Bloke will qualify for the playoffs. Prusy Krolewskie will need to win against Québécois Commonwealth to qualify too. If Prusy Krolewskie loses, we still can qualify only if Western Borderlands wins. Here is the standings after 4 games:

  Group H                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Ko-oren                     4    4   0   0   106   66  +40    16      0     16
2 Western Borderlands         4    2   1   1   102   71  +31    10      2     12
3 Prusy krolewskie            4    2   0   2   102   66  +36     8      3     11
4 The Sword Bloke             4    2   0   2    89   80   +9     8      1      9
5 Québécois Commonwealth      4    1   0   3    77  103  −26     4      1      5
6 Quetzala                    4    0   1   3    38  128  −90     2      0      2

[Nova Anglicana]

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Let's Talk Rugby
by NovaRugby



How I imagine most people are reacting to this article.

Yeah, we don't do rugby much on this blog. It's kind of a niche sport, so it's really only the diehards who follow it day-to-day. The rest of us, we look up every two years or so, say "Oh, look, there's that strange sport that's kind of like American football, but really not." And we cheer when we watch five or ten minutes of the match and a Lion scores, but on the inside we're thinking, "So how does this sport really work?"

I'm glad you asked. Rugby is played by two teams of fifteen players. Each team is made up of seven big numbskulls called forwards and eight primadonnas called backs. The forwards' job is basically to run blindly into contact and spend their time shoving the other team off the ball. That is, when they're not sticking their heads between each others' legs and shoving the other team. The backs' job is to stand around on offense complaining that they don't get the ball enough and then to spectacularly flub tackles on defense.

Rugby is a free-flowing game for the most part, which means that everyone on the pitch is in constant motion for eighty minutes. Compare that to American football, which has ten seconds of action for every thirty seconds of inaction, or regular football, where whoever's not near the ball can just stand there and watch the rest of the players scramble. The two big exceptions to continuous play are scrums, where the seven forwards lock heads with the other seven forwards and just push while the backs wait fruitlessly for the ball to get kicked out by some forward's leg, and lineouts, where two of the forwards grab another forward by the asscheeks and thighs and hoist him up, only for another forward to throw it right to the other team.

When one of the players actually manages to blunder into the last ten metres of the field, they have to touch the ball down to score five points, called a "try". No touch, no points. Otherwise, scoring is limited to which one of the primadonnas actually has the skill to kick a prolate spheroid through a 6 metre space at least 3 metres off the ground. That's worth three points, unless it comes after a try; then it's worth two points.

Got it? No? F it, we'll go ahead anyway. So the Nova Anglicana Lions have started 4-0-0 in the RUWC 23, with the most recent win over the Azure Dragons of Cosumar, 25-3. The numbskulls did a great job of tackling, and the primadonnas even managed not to mess things up. Cosumar scored their only points, a drop goal, with just about two minutes to go to spoil the shutout. Obviously, the Lions' superb defense had everything to do with this (just ignore the fact that Cosumar missed about four previous drop goal attempts, including one from seventeen metres). But really, the Lions did a great job of stifling Cosumar's progress, never letting them get within five metres of the goal.

On offense, the Lions started with a try from Garrett Morgan, one of the backs, about fifteen minutes in. He broke through a hole in the Cosumarite back line and sprinted to daylight. Quentin Foray, another back, hit the conversion to send the Lions up 7-0. Ten minutes later, Damien Clemens, the rare numbskull captain, crushed a helpless Cosumarite back and Myles Sheffield, another forward, stole the ball quickly and fought his way through two tacklers to touch it down with Foray's conversion making it 14-0. It remained 14-0 at the half; so credit Cosumar with playing some good D.

The Lions won a lineout deep in the Cosumarite end early in the second half, and the fastest forward, Merlin St. Clair, took the ball from the lineout winner and plunged across the try line, his third try in two games. Foray's conversion attempt hit the post, but the Lions were still comfortably ahead 19-0. Foray and the head of the backs Julian Lee each hit a drop goal later in the second half to push the Lions' lead to 25-0 before the aforementioned Cosumarite drop goal. The Lions closed out a stifling defensive, if not spectacular offensive, performance and improved to 4-0-0. Their next game will be against world #24 Abanhfleft (the Lions are #10), also 4-0-0. The game is mainly for seeding purposes, as the Lions have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but it's also about revenge. The Lions were knocked out of RUWC 22 by Abanhfleft in the first playoff round, and they are looking to get back at their opponents. Yeah, they'll talk about how it's just another game, and they're not putting any special emphasis on it, but they are. They have to be. As a fan, I've been looking forward to this game ever since the groups came out. I really hope the Lions stick it to them and finish out the group stage undefeated. 8 am sharp on StateSports1. Eat a big manly (or womanly, for our female readers) breakfast and watch some rugby. There's nothing better.

More from Lion's Roar
Looking at Group H in World Cup 71
Baseball Season Starts Soon...
Update on Nova Anglican Footballers Abroad

(OOC: Logo at top shamelessly cribbed from Pride of Detroit, Detroit Lions blog. The opinions expressed above are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Nova Anglicans or the user behind Nova Anglicana.)

[Zhenherribae]

Sport in the City
By Katrín Skarphéðinsdóttir

Well, that's another opportunity gone to cash in at your local sports book.

I'm certain that if you could have found someone to take the wager, it would have been long odds indeed against the Zhenherribae Snow Leopards, a national team schooled in sevens instead of fifteens, to qualify out of the group stage of the Rugby World Cup with a match in hand. But that is exactly what happened with their 23-9 win over Coreyo last night.

Zhenherribae's pack looked like a different unit from the struggling, disorganized mass that were pushed around by Apox in the opener such a short time ago. Give credit to assistant coach Ármann Úlfsson for his work with the back two rows in support of the sevens-trained props and hooker, and to the "old man" at number 8, Aaron Arrigorriagakoa, for superior leadership in raising the level of forward play. He also kicked a drop goal for the second successive match, creating consternation for spell-checkers everywhere.

Mǎ Chāoxīn sat out this match, but Brynjólfur Þorbjörnsson slotted in at fly-half and never missed a beat. He kicked two conversions, a penalty, and a drop goal on the night. The Snow Leopards' two tries came from Sū Xùhé early on and from Ignacio Urberoaga just after half time.

The venue will now shift to the national stadium at the Ingla Terra capital of Shiefield for a last-round tie with Kernansquillec, with seeding very much on everyone's mind. Although the chance of overtaking Apox for second in group is quite slender, it's already been shown that this fifteen can produce the unexpected.

Xuěbào! Xuěbào! Xuěbào!

[Abanhfleft]

CRESCENT NEWS NETWORK
SPORTS CHANNEL - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

SILKJD VS. ABANHFLEFT: SCORES AND LIVE TWITTER REACTIONS
By Archon Venkman

LUTTERNHAM, INGLA TERRA - Abanhfleft is still undefeated in this run of the Rugby Union World Cup, and they will be looking to keep that record intact as they come into the game against Silkjd. Their last match was a quite unbelievable 43-3 trouncing of Cosumar, which is faring much better in other sports such as lacrosse. But this article is not about lacrosse. It's about rugger, and Abanhfleft is currently on a roll with regards to that. Silkjdian players to watch are Sumitomo Uesu, Lawrence Wu Chi-wai, and Lam Fung-on, but coach Thomas Gordy said just before the match that like always, the team will be focusing on every opposing player instead of just a chosen few, a strategy that had proven fruitful for the current tournament.

@ThomasWard_Gordy2014: Silkjd have some impressive players, but we'll defend all of them like we've done before. #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

The start of this game was marked by a large number of drop goals for both sides, surprisingly, with Dixon Cochabamba and Nawwaz Shareef Wahhab scoring for Abanhfleft, and Chiu Ka-wai and Lam Fung-on scoring for Silkjd. Avid rugger fan Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, who is also a popular baseball star for both the Verbergerkinnh Cubs and the Fleftic national baseball team, tweeted his opinion of the match as it stood.

@ArmoredDinnerJacket67: Drop goals flying in from everywhere! Looks to be the start of a great game! #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

After the initial flurry of drop goals, the match settled into a more relaxed tempo, with both teams seemingly content with playing the possession game. That is, they played the possession game until the Quadcolors' inside center Kelvin Green managed to get past the Fleftic defense and landed the try. With the successful conversion from Chiu, Silkjd had suddenly taken a 7-point lead over favorites Abanhfleft, and the Riuwiee Daily Bulletin sent this tweet after Chiu had made the conversion.

@RiuwieeDailyBulletin: Kelvin Green scores try for Silkjd. Successful conversion from Chiu Ka-wai and Silkjd lead Abanhfleft 13-6. #RUWC23

As it turned out, that was to be Silkjd's first and only successful try in the game. Starting from the second half, the Berserkers' defense locked down hard, and the Quadcolors had a much more difficult time penetrating into the final ten yards. Meanwhile, Abanhfleft's offense took the opportunity to run roughshod over a Silkjdian defense that had been committed to supporting their offense. When Dev Nasuggi scored the try that would eventually lead to the equalizer, Almohads eight-man Arthur Ezcaleta tweeted:

@thatezcaletadquickly: Abanhfleft back on level ground with Silkjd following @TheDevNasuggi's try. #COYB #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

And Abanhfleft was not yet finished. Sensing opportunity, Sikaruchabamba and Archie Wigglesworth twisted the dagger deep into the Silkjdians' side courtesy of back-to-back tries. Ibrahim Ahmadinejad appeared to be very happy about this, as evidenced by this tweet:

ArmoredDinnerJacket67: Sikaruchabamba and @ArchWigglesYeah with back to back tries! Abanhfleft surely to win the game now! #AbanhfleftVyievra #RUWC23

And indeed Abanhfleft won against Silkjd, by a scoreline of 27-13. Abanhfleft is now four games undefeated, but they are no longer top of the group because Nova Anglicana has overtaken us by virtue of goal difference. Tomorrow's game will also decide which of these two teams will enter the knockout stages with an unblemished record.

Archon Venkman is a former national rugby union team fullback and captain. He now writes rugby union-related blogs and articles for Abanhfleft's Crescent News Network Sports Channel. He is also the author of the book Why in the World Did Rugger Gain Fame Here in My Country Anyway?: The Irreverent and Ultimately Irrelevant Autobiography of Archon "The Anchor" Venkman.

[Green Jello Salad]

Two and two after four. The Salad Shooters have a mathematical chance of advancing in the Rugby Union World Cup. Yes, you read that right. The other code. Led by a gritty series of performances from captain Aiden Begum at eighth man and deadly kicking from Andrew Bowen, the Green Jello Salad squad have delighted the faithful.

And our national sports teams have rarely needed a result more than this squad will in this match with Ekoz. A bonus point with a win would be really big, but first get the win. Then pray for help in the other matches; differential is against us so help will be needed.

Do you believe yet?

[Neu Engollon]

"Bon Pommitti, Neu Engollon! I'm Magda Wertauer on the NETV 7 Sports Update...."

"And I'm Karl Demais, co-host for tonight."

"The Rugby World Cup 23 continues on in Ingla Terra and the Royal Barangay. As many of you know and watched last night, and a good crew of super fans that flew out to watch in person, the Goats brought it home big for the needed win."

"That they did, Magda. It was a bruiser versus Darmen. The All Greens brought their top game tonight, too. With the likes of Spencer, Boveri or Kerr, it was bound to be a tight one. The amount of contact and time spent down on the pitch for both sides was incredible."

"Four point difference for victory. Three tries, a missed conversion, a drop kicked goal and a penalty."

"That's right it was the magic foot of Urbach that many say might have made that difference, but really, the last points scored were the try by Marcel Donette, which Urbach missed the conversion on the steep angle to the posts."

"Oh Ernie we love you! You put up the good fight and you got the kicks that counted."

"The scrum was pretty beat up for this. Literally, Joos had a deep cut over his right eye after one ruck."

"I think it was pretty obvious that Durant cleated him on the ground, but no call on that."

"I agree. At least an offsides for playing the ball in a ruck before resetting, as Durant was the first All Green there for that ruck and already forward. It was a messy play. Well, they got the offsides penalty kick due to Wilbur later, of course. Anyway, I'll tell you, Magda, I hope the Goats are up to this match with Mallanica tomorrow. Even though they are an unranked team and haven't done all that well, the Goats are going to be having a tough time bouncing back from this Darmen match."

"I think they'll do just fine, Karl. It's a bit anti-climactic, but it's the final match of the group qualifiers and we know that Neu Engollon has already made it through on points to the playoffs. Still will be a worthy match to watch. You can watch that match, as always, right here on the Sports 7, with highlights and rebroadcasts, as well as replays, and player profiles and other coverage on our sister station..."

"NETV Sports 19. Stay tuned after the break, folks..."

[The Royal Barangay]

Cath, off.

---

MATCHDAY 5

Group A
Ontorisa 6–31 Saintland
Yttribia 14–18 Unified Sunrise Islands
The Royal Barangay 34–14 RamsGates

  Group A                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 The Royal Barangay          5    5   0   0   174   54 +120    20      3     23
2 Saintland                   5    4   0   1   136   60  +76    16      1     17
3 Ontorisa                    5    3   0   2   112  103   +9    12      1     13
4 Unified Sunrise Islands     5    2   0   3   105  105    0     8      1      9
5 RamsGates                   5    1   0   4    40  179 −139     4      0      4
5 Yttribia                    5    0   0   5    59  125  −66     0      3      3

Group B
The Fair Republic 18–18 Riysa
Kaboomlandia 20–6 Banija
United States Of Devonta 3–31 The Peoples Emirate


  Group B                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 The Fair Republic           5    4   1   0   162   51 +111    18      3     21
2 Riysa                       5    4   1   0   154   49 +105    18      3     21
3 Kaboomlandia                5    2   0   3   101  111  −10     8      1      9
4 Banija                      5    2   0   3    87   97  −10     8      0      8
5 The Peoples Emirate         5    2   0   3    73  114  −41     8      0      8
6 United States Of Devonta    5    0   0   5    25  180 −155     0      0      0

Group C
Polaaskan 26–12 Vermark
Neu Engollon 24–18 Mallanica
Kaauqliaq 27–9 Darmen

  Group C                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Neu Engollon                5    5   0   0   143   71  +72    20      1     21
2 Darmen                      5    3   0   2   138   62  +76    12      4     16
3 Polaaskan                   5    3   0   2   107   94  +13    12      2     14
4 Kaauqliaq                   5    3   0   2   118   76  +42    12      1     13
5 Vermark                     5    1   0   4    44  161 −117     4      0      4
6 Mallanica                   5    0   0   5    52  138  −86     0      2      2

Group D
Uitbregen 23–25 Estenia
Volcanoc 19–23 Levivania
Ekoz 6–44 Green Jello Salad

  Group D                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Estenia                     5    4   0   1   136   84  +52    16      2     18
2 Uitbregen                   5    3   0   2   139   83  +56    12      3     15
3 Green Jello Salad           5    3   0   2   153   81  +72    12      3     15
4 Ekoz                        5    3   0   2   117  100  +17    12      2     14
5 Volcanoc                    5    1   0   4    69  149  −80     4      1      5
6 Levivania                   5    1   0   4    55  172 −117     4      0      4

Group E
Electrum 37–13 Free Swiss States
Ingla Terra 19–27 Borxinoia
Hutanjia 39–9 Neyosil

  Group E                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Hutanjia                    5    5   0   0   156   46 +110    20      1     21
2 Ingla Terra                 5    3   0   2   128   79  +49    12      2     14
3 Electrum                    5    3   0   2   116  108   +8    12      2     14
4 Borxinoia                   5    3   0   2   124  106  +18    12      1     13
5 Neyosil                     5    1   0   4   101  118  −17     4      2      6
6 Free Swiss States           5    0   0   5    20  188 −168     0      0      0

Group F
Cosumar 19–19 Semarland
Abanhfleft 28–21 Nova Anglicana
Mighty Warriors 10–24 Silkjd

  Group F                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Abanhfleft                  5    5   0   0   137   62  +75    20      1     21
2 Nova Anglicana              5    4   0   1   136   73  +63    16      2     18
3 Semarland                   5    2   1   2   112   93  +19    10      1     11
4 Silkjd                      5    2   0   3    97  106   −9     8      0      8
5 Cosumar                     5    1   1   3    64  110  −46     6      0      6
6 Mighty Warriors             5    0   0   5    54  156 −102     0      0      0

Group G
Wray 9–31 Coreyo
Mapletish 32–24 Apox
Zhenherribae 26–12 Kernansquillec

  Group G                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Mapletish                   5    4   0   1   190   66 +124    16      4     20
2 Zhenherribae                5    4   0   1   102   99   +3    16      0     16
3 Apox                        5    3   1   1   140  101  +39    14      1     15
4 Coreyo                      5    2   0   3    87  117  −30     8      1      9
5 Kernansquillec              5    1   1   3    81  150  −69     6      0      6
6 Wray                        5    0   0   5    69  136  −67     0      2      2

Group H
Ko-oren 31–7 Quetzala
Western Borderlands 10–28 The Sword Bloke
Prusy krolewskie 29–23 Québécois Commonwealth

  Group H                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Ko-oren                     5    5   0   0   137   73  +64    20      0     20
2 Prusy krolewskie            5    3   0   2   131   89  +42    12      3     15
3 The Sword Bloke             5    3   0   2   117   90  +27    12      1     13
4 Western Borderlands         5    2   1   2   112   99  +13    10      2     12
5 Québécois Commonwealth      5    1   0   4   100  132  −32     4      2      6
6 Quetzala                    5    0   1   4    45  159 −114     2      0      2

Legend:
Team - Group winners, advances to Round of 16
Team - Advances to Round of 24

---

Now, for the seedings.

                             Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
 1 The Royal Barangay          5    5   0   0   174   54 +120    20      3     23
 2 The Fair Republic           5    4   1   0   162   51 +111    18      3     21
 3 Hutanjia                    5    5   0   0   156   46 +110    20      1     21
 4 Abanhfleft                  5    5   0   0   137   62  +75    20      1     21
 5 Neu Engollon                5    5   0   0   143   71  +72    20      1     21
 6 Mapletish                   5    4   0   1   190   66 +124    16      4     20
 7 Ko-oren                     5    5   0   0   137   73  +64    20      0     20
 8 Estenia                     5    4   0   1   136   84  +52    16      2     18

 9 Riysa                       5    4   1   0   154   49 +105    18      3     21
10 Nova Anglicana              5    4   0   1   136   73  +63    16      2     18
11 Saintland                   5    4   0   1   136   60  +76    16      1     17
12 Darmen                      5    3   0   2   138   62  +76    12      4     16
13 Zhenherribae                5    4   0   1   102   99   +3    16      0     16
14 Uitbregen                   5    3   0   2   139   83  +56    12      3     15
15 Prusy krolewskie            5    3   0   2   131   89  +42    12      3     15
16 Ingla Terra                 5    3   0   2   128   79  +49    12      2     14

17 Green Jello Salad           5    3   0   2   153   81  +72    12      3     15
18 Apox                        5    3   1   1   140  101  +39    14      1     15
19 Polaaskan                   5    3   0   2   107   94  +13    12      2     14
20 Electrum                    5    3   0   2   116  108   +8    12      2     14
21 The Sword Bloke             5    3   0   2   117   90  +27    12      1     13
22 Ontorisa                    5    3   0   2   112  103   +9    12      1     13*
23 Semarland                   5    2   1   2   112   93  +19    10      1     11 
24 Kaboomlandia                5    2   0   3   101  111  −10     8      1      9*

*Kaboomlandia swap brackets with Semarland, likewise The Sword Bloke and Ontorisa because their respective opponents would have come from the same group. Should they advance, the original seeds will be used in the rearrangement of seeds.

Round of 24 Matchups

Riysa vs Semarland
(at StadiumSangti, Sangti)

Nova Anglicana vs Kaboomlandia
(at Estadio de Lorenz de Baoyam, Baoyam)

Saintland vs The Sword Bloke
(at Estadio Iscrachi, Gueti)

Darmen vs Ontorisa
(at Nueva Ryne Estadi, Ryne)

Zhenherribae vs Electrum
(at Hope Ground, Aarvedra)

Uitbregen vs Polaaskan
(at Lutternham City Park, Lutternham)

Prusy krolewskie vs Apox
(at Inglan National Stadium, Shiefield)

Ingla Terra vs Green Jello Salad
(at Freedom Arena, Freedom Island)

[Kaboomlandia]

Playoff Clinching Scenarios

Group B:

Banija advances with: Win or Draw against Kaboomlandia
Kaboomlandia advances with: Bonus point victory against Banija OR Win and lack of a bonus point victory for People's Emirates
People's Emirates advances with: Bonus point victory AND a non-bonus point victory for Kaboomlandia

Group C:
Polaaskan advances with: Bonus point victory over Vermark OR Win and lack of a bonus point victory for Kauuqliaq
Kauuqliaq advances with: Victory over Darmen AND draw or loss by Polaaskan

Group D:
Green Jello Salad eliminated with: Draw or loss to Ekoz

Group E:
Ingla Tera advances with: Draw or win against Borxinoia
Electrum advances with: Bonus point victory against Free Swiss States OR Non-bonus point victory against Free Swiss States AND draw or loss by Borxinoia

Group F:
Semarland advances with: Draw or win against Cosumar

Group H:
Western Borderlands advances with: Win or draw against The Sword Bloke
Prusy Krolewskie advances with: Win over Quebecois Commonwealth OR draw or loss by The Sword Bloke

OOC: Enjoy.

[Kaboomlandia]

Kaboomlandia Advances to Round of 24 in Upset over Banija

Kaboomlandia can exhale, as their team is off to the Round of 24 after a 20-6 upset of Banija.The failure of The Peoples Emirate to get the bonus point against Devonta meant that Kaboomlandia clinched by a point. Frederic Allemande, the head coach, was overjoyed as the team celebrated on the pitch. "The guys were great in the game, holding Banija to a low-scoring match."

NEXT UP: Nova Anglicana. This team finished second in Group F, but lost 28-21 to Abanhfleft in their final match.

OOC: In the 24th seed, with a sub-.500 record. Doesn't get much closer than that.

[Prusy Krolewskie]

The Reprezentacja Pruski advance to round of 24

With The Sword Bloke beating Western Borderlands 28-10 in the afternoon (Royal Barangay time), The Reprezentacja Pruski had to beat the Québécois Commonwealth in the evening (Royal Barangay time) to advance to the round of 24. That's what we did, Prusy Krolewskie beat the Québécois Commonwealth 29-23 and advance to the round of 24! Once again, it was an hard fough game, Prusy Krolewskie was trailing for the most part of the game and came away with the win at the last minute. Québécois Commonwealth scored a try at the 9th minute and Max Brandenburger striked back immediately with a try at the 15th minute. The score was 7-7. Québécois Commonwealth made a drop kick at the 18th minute. Prusy Krolewskie took the lead at the 29th minute on a try by Szymon Sokolowski but Philipp Schweinsteiger missed the conversion. The score was 12-10 Prusy Krolewskie. Québécois Commonwealth took the lead back at the 36th minute on a penalty goal. Prusy Krolewskie added 3 points on a drop kick at the 39th minute and were leading 15-13 at the halftime.

Québécois Commonwealth made a drop kick at the 46th minute and scored a try at the 56th minute. The score was 23-15 Québec. Prusy Krolewskie striked back at the 71st minute on a try by Dariusz Kaminski. The score was 23-22 Québec. At the 78th minute on their last offensive drive, the Reprezentacja Pruski scored a try, thanks to Agata Grudzinska and Prusy Krolewskie leads 29-23, it's the final score and Prusy Krolewskie advances to the round of 24!

GAME SUMMARY
9th minute - Try by NUMBER 9 (conversion by Number 10)
15th minute - Try by MAX BRANDENBURGER (conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
18th minute - Drop Kick by Number 10
29th minute - Try by SZYMON SOKOLOWSKI (unsuccesfull conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
36th minute - Penalty Goal by Number 10
39th minute - Drop Kick by Philipp Schweinsteiger

46th minute - Drop Kick by Number 10
56th minute - Try by NUMBER 13 (conversion by Number 10)
71st minute - Try by DARIUSZ KAMINSKI (conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)
78th minute - Try by AGATA GRUDZINSKA (conversion by Philipp Schweinsteiger)


Standings and Round of 24

The Reprezentacja Pruski finished 2nd in group H with 15 points and are ranked 15th overall. The top 8 teams has a bye for the 1st round and Prusy Krolewskie (15th) will face Apox (18th) in the 1st round. It will be a tough game for Prusy Krolewskie, Apox are ranked 9th in pre WC 23 rankings.

  Group H                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total
1 Ko-oren                     5    5   0   0   137   73  +64    20      0     20
2 Prusy krolewskie            5    3   0   2   131   89  +42    12      3     15
3 The Sword Bloke             5    3   0   2   117   90  +27    12      1     13
4 Western Borderlands         5    2   1   2   112   99  +13    10      2     12
5 Québécois Commonwealth      5    1   0   4   100  132  −32     4      2      6
6 Quetzala                    5    0   1   4    45  159 −114     2      0      2

Now, for the seedings.

                             Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts  Bonus  Total

15 Prusy krolewskie            5    3   0   2   131   89  +42    12      3     15
18 Apox                        5    3   1   1   140  101  +39    14      1     15

Round of 24 Matchups
Prusy krolewskie vs Apox
(at Inglan National Stadium, Shiefield)