Rugby Union World Cup 29 Everything Thread

by **Saint-Domingues** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:18 am

Saint-Domingue 0-8 Savojarna: Poor Attacking Display as Savojarna Battle to Victory
HT 0-8

A narrow defeat to Savojarna gave Saint-Domingue their first defeat in Group E.

Saint-Domingue struggled to begin and a series of loose balls highlighted how the side was lacking in fluidity. The disruption was made worse when both Fouché and Amalfitano complained of problems around twenty minutes in, forcing Les Oranges into some early changes - though by that stage they were already behind.

Savojarna went left down the blindside, REDACTED kicked on and REDACTED gathered before finding the winger on his outside shoulder to record the opening (and only) try of the match.

Saint-Domingue struggled to get on the front foot and never realistically looked like hitting back, despite the conversion miss giving them a good opportunity to chase the game. Les hommes de Noël spent much of the game pinned back and though they could offer a spirited rearguard display, never got going to reward the efforts of the backline. A penalty around half an hour in already had Savojarna looking out of sight.

The Dominguan held tight for the final forty and battled hard to prevent any opportunities being crafted. But with the team already down by eight they could not find anything to get points on the board.

Considering the style in which Savojarna had demolished newboys Quebec in gameweek one, it is difficult to be overly disappointed in the Saint-Domingue performance. Savjorna are the 16th-best team in the world and can boast an array of attacking talent - as highlighted by the tries they scored past Quebec - and for Les Oranges to restrict their opponents to so few openings must earn them some plaudits even if they could not score themselves. Such a narrow loss is still disappointing however, particularly when a winning margin by just one fewer point would have earned Saint-Domingue a bonus point. But to come away from a test with one of the world top sides relatively unscathed and even disappointed to not earn a point or more, it is sign that Saint-Domingue may indeed have a future on the world rugby stage.
Lineup:
Clichy
LeRoy
Lefèvre
Fournier
Kyungu <- Hauet 74'
Cocu
Bonnet <- Belanger 53'
Garde
Roux <- Allais 59'
Onana
Crépin <- Naudé 53'
Lambert <- Lortie 59'
Fouché <- Saint-Yves 20'
Montanier <- Nkonko 59'
Amalfitano <- Besson 20'

Saint-Domingue: N/A
Savojarna: Try: REDCACTED 15'
Pen: (1/1) REDCATED 32'
Venue: Awha Arena, Jata, Nevorn Island

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:01 pm

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Rugby Rundown
with Graham O'Doherty

THINGS ARE TIGHT AT THE TOP

Hello guys, and welcome back to another edition of The Rugby Rundown with me, your gay Irishman Graham O'Doherty. Well, after that exciting start things have settled down for our national rugby union team. I am of course speaking in terms of tries scored, but tries scored isn't really the end-all be-all of rugby. Yes, grounding the rock is a great occasion (so much so that they give you a bonus point in the Premiership and the Rugby Coalition for scoring four tries in a game) and scoring more tries than the opponent definitely helps our cause in terms of getting one step closer to the Rugby Union World Cup trophy, but solid and stalwart defense also plays its part in a successful World Cup campaign. It doesn't need to be a couple of dozen burly hunky muscular men crashing into each other all the time, although such a sight would definitely not go amiss if I'm being perfectly honest myself...

Honestly, watching this game felt like I was watching a game of chess. So much strategy involved, pieces being shuffled around, objectives being marked and taken or defended. Marouane Mahout was the grandmaster in charge of the table, and HUElavia ad their own general on the pitch. A penalty kick by Saladin Nursaladinov opened the scoring in this game, and the fact that it was a penalty that kicked off the scoring told the tale of the whole game: scoring opportunities were going to be hard to come by, and only those who could take advantage of it stood a chance of winning. The gaps in the lines of both teams were few and far between, and those few who did manage to squeeze through immediately found at least three bodies in their way to stop them from getting to the in-goal area.

Those who are more used to the gentlemen's game played by thugs (or football for those who are not so eloquently inclined) may well come to see the exchange of penalty goals in this game as something akin to a shootout, and indeed the contest was looking like something along the lines of who could concede less penalties within kicking range. So when Marouane Mahout managed to get on the right end of the offload from Mohammed Wilcox and found himself with a clear path to the in-goal, everyone was surprised. Maybe even Marouane himself. But he didn't let his surprise get the best of him, and he motored those short but thick legs of his as fast as he could, with HUElavian players falling and sliding along the ground in an ultimately futile attempt to stop him from grounding the ball. But Mahout was unstoppable, and Nursaladinov unerring as he sent the rock through the posts to secure the conversion and ultimately the win for the Revolutionaries.

So, as things stand, Abanhfleft are top of Group C. But we currently share that space with, well, Space, in a manner of speaking. Abanhfleft and Space are on the same number of points, but we hold the advantage in terms of the record (2 wins as opposed to 2 wins and 1 loss) and the point difference. But don't expect the parity to last, although whether that is a good thing or a bad thing for us is still a matter of debate, one best settled out on the field. XOXO from Graham....

HUElavia (6)
Pen: 30', 68' (2/2)

Abanhfleft (13)
Try: Mahout (63')
Con: Nursaladinov (1/1)
Pen: Nursaladinov 22', 54' (2/2)

by **Placely Placington** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:09 pm

Things were looking up for the test subjects of Placely Placington. Sure they lost their first game but they managed to go on to win their second, despite all of their players dying at least three or four times and their head coach A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke dying when an eagle dropped a piano on top of him, a regular occurance back home but a surprise to see abroad. 27-14 wasn't that bad of a scoreline for a team that was either "attack, attack, attack" or "die enough times that you can form a wall with your bodies". After all, they did ace all of their kicks and get three tries courtesy of Test Subjects #9, #12 and #15. And Test Subject #10, who was appointed captain because he drew the longest straw, did get all of the conversions plus an extra couple of penalties. Things were looking good.

And then they were up against a real team in Alice Bay. Their first actual proper opponents and someone they had no chance against. Sure they had only one win so far, a 20-0 shutout of Oscioru. The Crux were ranked seventh in the world and in the last tournament they managed to win all of their group stage games. They even managed to get a try bonus point, which really helped them out quite a bit. Too bad the Crux were up against Hutanjia for their Round of 16 game and they ended up losing 10-3. Placely Placington, on the other hand, were new to the competition. They would be in for a world of hurt. And they don't mean Test Subject #2 tripping over his laces and falling not just on the floor but through it all the way into the Earth's core. Somehow.

The match could've easily have been summed up in the first minute when Alice Bayian captain Athan Valerian bisected Test Subject #8 with the first tackle of the match. Upon realising what he had done, he had a massive shock and nearly broke down before teammate and possible relative Leo Valerian pointed out that they'll just clone a new one and get rid of the old one. Lo and behold, a newly regenerated Test Subject #8 came onto the pitch and immediately tripped over his corpse's legs and died upon impact. Rinse and repeat three more times.

When they were able to finally play, Alice Bay were in control and never looked back. 17 minutes in, they went 7-0 up thanks to a combination of perfect passes from the Bayian back row but also the Placely Placington players constantly diving in the wrong directions to try and tackle them. Hartley Weldon grounded the ball between the pots and Skylar Cohen nailed the conversion to add the extras. The same things happened over and over again for the rest of the match. In the 28th minute, it was Cohen scoring and converting his own try. In the 57th minute, Joffrey Daley (who came on five minutes earlier to replace Harry McCann) scored try number three and Cohen converted it. And, finally, in the 76th minute, it was Nick Benz with the last try and Cohen with his last conversion.

Not to say that Placely Placington didn't TRY exactly. They did some form of defending and managed to get the Crux out of bounds a number of times. Plus the constant stopping and restarting to the point where it resembled an American or Canadian football match probably helped wear down their psyche. And the Placely Placington Placely Placingtonians were very close to scoring a couple of tries of their own. The first was when Test Subject #13 managed to make it past the try line, only to spike the ball once he was told to "put it on the ground". The second time was when Test Subject #21 made it to the try line and got mobbed by his teammates, who accidentally crushed him to death like an Enemy Crusher from the former Gregoryisgodistan but made out of a whole load of people sewn together; worst of all, the ball landed on the wrong side of the try line even if it was grounded so it couldn't have been given.

Longer than 80 minutes later, the match was finally over. Alice Bay were the 28-0 champions and it looked like their streak will continue as they face their next opponent. Placely Placington, meanwhile, not only has to scrape the flattened bodies of Test Subjects #3 and #17 off the pitch and maybe the goalposts they're still attached to but they also have the day off tomorrow. Though it's just a question of whether or not they'll still remember it's their day off and that's why they're not being allowed to play at the Kotahi Rau Manu Stadium until the day after. I'm sure someone will tell them. Hopefully.

OOC: As mentioned in my roster, I would like any RP bonus gained from this going towards my main nation (Elejamie) instead of this one. Also, while he hasn't posted a roster for his puppet yet, Lisander has said on the NSRB Discord that anyone RPing against him can use his RWC27 rosters to fill in the blanks until he gets them both up; I'm sure one of us could post a screenshot proving this or something like that.

by **Neu Engollon** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:31 pm

Dockside District
Eastern Vesselle
Northern Nesselberg, Hutanjia

She wiped at the bar again, mentally kicking herself.
When are you going to learn it’s that same weird dent that catches the light and looks like a spill?
She should know by now, but when her mind wandered to more important things, she went into automatic.

“Cora, one more!”

She moved down the bar, stopping in front of the man.
“I think it’s time to go home, Wellington. One more too many.”

“Aw come on, Cora! Don’t give me that shit!”

“Now I know you need to get the fuck out of here with that attitude, Well. Now! Finney bring ya home nah.”

While the Gull’s Neck had some rough moments, they were usually smoothed over very quickly. Especially by the loyal locals who backed Cora when someone, especially a stranger stepped out of line. It was a local bar, through and through.

Being a few blocks from the docks helped to contribute to the tough reputation of the Gull’s Neck, and that was fine with everyone who worked there, which was Cora, and her 4 employees - two bouncers, another bartender, and a bookkeeper/barback/housekeeper by the name of Cumberland.

Thurgood, a large top heavy muscleman, was the bouncer on duty that night. As voices became elevated and it looked like Wellington was going to be a problem, he wandered over. He still kept one eye on the door as he sidled over.

Cora smiled.
“It’s alright, Thurgood. I got it.”

Like the style for many women her age in Hutanjia, she didn’t straighten her hair, but had let it grow into a fine afro. She wore her years well, not having vices prematurely age her, although some might dispute her exposure to second hand smoke.
“You have a good night, Well.”

Vinny stood in an alleyway kitty-corner to the bar. The windows were too dirty and fogged for him to see much of what went on inside, but he was pretty certain his quarry was inside.

The issue was sitting out in an alley for this long in this neighborhood. It was as bad as things got in Vesselle, and with the amount of time he had spent here he should know better. It was now or never, and no amount of sulking outside was going to improve the inevitable moment.

Before he could even set out, it was already too late.

“Gin ask you for all ya tupa, mistah.”

Vinny smiled, turning, to keep from getting sucker punched by the man’s accomplice as they both moved out of the shadows from either side of him.
“Let’s play nice, friends. I was about to be on my way.”

“I said ya money, white boy.”

“Right. I have a previous engagement inside there.” He pointed to the Gull’s Neck.

The two men laughed.
“Yeh, I don’t think so. Dey don’ want ya kind theh.”

“I think you’re mistaken, friend.”

“I’m not ya friend, white man. I’m ya taxman. Da tax is everuhtin’ on ya now o ya life.”

“I’m not your piggy bank. My money is spoken for inside there. Maybe if you fellows are around when my business is concluded and I have some funds left over, I will give it to you. But...I doubt I will have any left over.”

“I’m not playin wit ya no more!”

Cora fiddled with the old TV, trying to get it to work while the men and women grumbled in the bar. They were replaying some highlights from last night’s match in Jeanville, where the Spiders had been fighting their way through the group stage of the World Cup. Every TV in the country was tuned into the World Cup, which they usually were, but not with this kind of fervor.

Every town had welcomed their visiting foreign teams with a parade and bands, escorting them to their hotels with a lot of fan fare. These couple weeks were the biggest moment since the end of the War.

She heard the door behind her open then shut as she continued to jam on the buttons on the remote, getting it to reset the connection.
She noticed that the grumbling had stopped. Then she looked in the reflection of the black television screen.

It was a white man, rare this far from the docks, but foreigners and sailors often wandered in lost. He looked pretty well roughed up, too. A torn shirt, and some blood on the face, and a large bruise near...She froze as recognition set in.

Then she walked away, towards the other end of the bar to where Grendell sat.
“Grendell, let me get ya another one.”

Grendell couldn’t even looked at her, his eyes riveted on the stranger at the end of the bar.
“I don think he okay.”

“Barkeep, can I get a drink?”

That voice.

She looked down, still not wanting to look down the bar, but willing herself to walk. She looked at the other puzzled patrons. Locals, friends. Then she was standing at the corner. She finally looked directly at him to lock eyes with him.
“You don’t look so good, Vinny.”

“There was a greeting committee outside I had to deal with. When it’s convenient, you might want to call the constables to pick them up.”

“Are they still alive?”

“They're not going anywhere. It’s been a helluva night, Cora. Can I get my usual?”

“Do I know your usual after the six years that you left me?”

“Yes, I think you do. Whiskey neat.”

“You’re a fuckin’ bastard, Vinny.”

by **Hutanjia** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:46 pm

RUWC 29
HUTANJIA

MATCH DAY FOUR

GROUP A

1 (Elejamie) 23–0 4 (Baggieland)
2 (United States of Devonta) 10–0 3 (Aji No Moto)

                                Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                               3    3   0   0    77   21  +56    12
2 3                               4    2   0   2    37   30   +7     9
3 2                               3    2   0   1    48   48    0     8
4 4                               3    1   0   2     6   47  −41     4
5 5                               3    0   0   3    17   39  −22     2

GROUP B

1 (Ko-oren) 24–0 4 (Kriegiersien)
2 (Neu Engollon) 8–0 3 (Terre Septentrionale)

                            Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                           3    2   1   0    48   14  +34    10
2 2                           3    2   1   0    39   19  +20    10
3 3                           4    2   0   2    51   35  +16     8
4 4                           3    1   0   2    20   46  −26     5
5 5                           3    0   0   3    17   61  −44     1

GROUP C

1 (Abanhfleft) 19–12 4 (Hebitaka)
2 (Kelssek) 6–10 3 (HUElavia)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       3    3   0   0    53   28  +25    12
2 5                       3    2   0   1    24   24    0     8
3 3                       4    1   1   2    23   33  −10     8
4 2                       3    1   0   2    37   31   +6     5
5 4                       3    0   1   2    22   43  −21     3

GROUP D

1 (Lisander) 34–12 4 (Krysha)
2 (Busoga Islands) 23–20 3 (Port Ember)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       3    3   0   0    70   20  +50    12
2 3                       4    2   0   2    66   56  +10     9
3 2                       3    2   0   1    41   51  −10     8
4 5                       3    1   0   2    11   23  −12     5
5 4                       3    0   0   3    32   70  −38     1

GROUP E

1 (Darmen) 22–3 5 (Saint-Domingues)
3 (Quebec) 21–7 4 (Rwekazaland)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       3    3   0   0    58    3  +55    12
2 2                       3    2   0   1    44   12  +32     9
3 5                       3    1   0   2    19   33  −14     4
4 3                       3    1   0   2    26   52  −26     4
5 4                       4    1   0   3    17   64  −47     4

GROUP F

1 (Alice Bay) 23–10 2 (Sajnur)
4 (Oscioru) 0–8 5 (Placely Placington)

                           Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                          3    3   0   0    71   10  +61    12
2 2                          3    2   0   1    51   40  +11     8
3 5                          4    2   0   2    38   63  −25     8
4 3                          3    1   0   2    45   47   −2     5
5 4                          3    0   0   3     0   45  −45     0

GROUP G

1 (Nova Anglicana) 15–3 4 (Silvedania)
2 (Pratapgadh) 17–14 3 (Hannasea)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 3                       4    2   1   1    77   41  +36    11
2 1                       3    2   1   0    39   13  +26    10
3 5                       3    2   0   1    37   40   −3     8
4 2                       3    1   0   2    20   35  −15     5
5 4                       3    0   0   3    12   56  −44     0

GROUP H

1 (Hutanjia) 10–0 4 (Quintessence of Dust)
2 (Northwest Kalactin) 18–13 3 (Megistos)

                            Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                           3    3   0   0    59   25  +34    12
2 4                           3    2   0   1    17   17    0     8
3 2                           3    2   0   1    50   57   −7     8
4 5                           3    1   0   2    31   29   +2     5
5 3                           4    0   0   4    34   63  −29     1

* How to read the tables/results: Your group # is first, with your nation (team) name in parenthesis in the match results; In the table, your current group ranking is first, with your group # as listed, second.

by **Baggieland** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:08 pm

The Daily Boing

Baggieland's Brave Battle

Elejamie 23 – 0 Baggieland

Baggieland were up against Elejamie in their latest World Cup match. This was the game that most Baggies had feared, as Elejamie are currently the number one ranked team in the tournament, and a bloodbath was predicted by many. The bloodbath never materialised though as the Throstles gave an excellent account of themselves.

Although, yet again, they scored no points on the field, the fact that they restricted the Elejamie attack and frustrated them for long periods, showed how they can mix it with the best in the world. The manager, Billy Wilkinson, will be disappointed that the Throstles haven't scored a single try in the tournament to date, but their battling displays will give hope for progression in future tournaments.

Our next opponents are 10th ranked side, United States of Devonta. Wilkinson's side will no doubt be the underdogs, but our improving performances give hope of an upset. Or a try at least.

by **Port Ember** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 4:37 am

Port Ember Times
Special Section: Rugby Union World Cup 29

Bittersweet Loss for Dragons

Port Ember 20 - 23 Busoga Islands

The Port Emberian "Dragons" lost their second consecutive loss as part of their World Cup 29 campaign, against Busoga Islands this past Matchday, after having launched their campaign in such a hopeful fashion, winning their first two games back to back.

Due to the loss suffered at the hands of the Busoga Islands, the hopes and dreams of making it through to the knockout stages have been diminished - as they now have to rely on Busoga Islands losing with more than 7 points, in order to pass the group stages - which seems statistically impossible at this current moment.

Despite this bad news, coupled with the despair which comes paired with the actual losing of a match - all is not lost. The fact remains that our inexperienced rookies took the fight to the 14th best team in the world, and nearly damn well won it too - losing with a measly margin of 3 points.

From the very onset of the match, the Busoga Islanders went onto the offensive, hoping to catch the Port Emberians sleeping before they could settle into their surroundings.

The plan worked.

Minute 7 saw the Busoga Islander #14 winger Beyar Zaybek burst through the flank, after an amateurish overlap was created on the 50 meter line, allowing the devil dog to breeze all the way past a sleeping Port Emberian fullback Danny Sprita.

The #10, Latif Torabi, had a difficult conversion, as the ball was touched down near the corner, yet he managed to maintain a professional posture to convert the kick perfectly, right between the uprights.

The stunned Port Emberians failed to recover to the initial onslaught in time as their opponents launched another wave of spectacular assaults open the defending lines, the speed and efficiency of the attack leading them to be penalised for being caught using hands in ruck on their 22, with Latif Torabi converting the penalty with ease.

The scoring of additional points seemed to only motivate the Busoga Islanders, whilst draining the confidence of our national team. Yet another terrible overlap was created at the rucks on the Port Emberian 22, with the inside center, Ferdous Kashkouli sidestepping his way to glory, right between the uprights in minute 32, leading to yet another easy conversion.

The first half ended, much to the delight of the Port Emberians, trailing 16-0.

Whatever the Neu Engollen coach of Port Ember, Alex Renvier said to the squad remains unknown - but it obviously instilled the fear of the devil in them - as the team which came back to the field for the second half, was not the same team we saw during the first half.

The Port Emberians finally managed to slow down the pace of the high octane offensive strikes coming from their opponents, turning the match into a game of attrition instead. The Busoga Islanders did not enjoy this at all, as the Port Emberians could now bring their hard hitting giants into action, smashing the Creator's fear into the opposition.

Our superior scrum caused a scrum collapse penalty, which was converted with ease by our flyhalf Ryley Mićjo in minute 50.

In minute 59, a beautiful yet extremely powerful and dangerous "truck and trailer" manoeuvre executed from a stolen line out saw #8, Kennedy Miéla slot home our first try, which was converted with luck, as the ball bounced off through against the posts.

The brilliant momentum gained even more traction when team captain, #9, Archie Fajra launched a brilliant tactical kick, which was collected by #11 Winger Steward Rozabela, slotting home a try with a follow up conversion in minute 67.

The momentum was temporarily brought to a halt when Port Emberian fullback knocked on an incoming high ball, which led to a converted penalty in minute 75.

Our superior scrum once again caused a scrum collapse penalty, which was converted with ease by Ryley Mićjo in minute 78. The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying, as the teams were now level in score - with a mere two minutes of gametime remaining on the clock.

The entire stadium was left shocked to the core as a sly drop kick from Latif Torabi stole the match in overtime, closing a spectacular game - truly one for the ages.

Matchday 4 Overview

Port Ember vs Busoga Islands

Final Score: Port Ember 20 - Busoga Islands 23

Point Scorers:

Port Ember:

- Penalty Kick (Minute 50) (#10 Ryley Mićjo)
- Try (Minute 59) (#8 Kennedy Miéla)
- Conversion (Minute 59) (#10 Ryley Mićjo)
- Try (Minute 67) (#11 Steward Rozabela)
- Conversion (Minute 67) (#10 Ryley Mićjo)
- Penalty Kick (Minute 78) (#10 Ryley Mićjo)

Busoga Islands:

- Try (Minute 07) (#14 Beyar Zaybek)
- Conversion (Minute 07) (#10 Latif Torabi)
- Penalty Kick (Minute 15) (#10 Latif Torabi)
- Try (Minute 32) (#12 Ferdous Kashkouli)
- Conversion (Minute 32) (#10 Latif Torabi)
- Penalty Kick (Minute 75) (#10 Latif Torabi)
- Drop Goal (Minute 80+7) (#10 Latif Torabi)

Venue Played: King Popilu I Stadium, Molnitha, Nevorn

From our Analyst:

Although we lost our second consecutive match, which most probably will spell the end of our cup campaign, our nation can still be extremely proud of our lads, as they held their own against a very effective and experienced team on the field. Every match must be seen as a learning experience for our team, and we can truly learn a lot from both our mistakes and successes here. We did however demonstrate once again that our scrums are near unstoppable.

by **Port Arthur PE** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 4:40 am

Port Arthur Times
Culture Section

The Tales of "Mad Jack". Part 4

This is the fourth installment to the "Tales of Mad Jack", an attempt to capture the oral folklore tales which have originated within the Colony of Port Arthur, the first true evidence of the emergence of a new unique culture within the Colony.

This specific tale seems complex, much like the previous installment, and builds upon Mad Jack's character traits and gives us a further glimpse into his true personality. Furthermore, much like the previous tale, this tale seems to teach the reader some life lessons, indeed still in a gruesome fashion - still appearing to hold Mad Jack in the light of the Port Arthurian "Boogeyman".

Mad Jack and The Battle Of Beasts

Immediately following the destruction which laid waste to the entirety of Port Arthur, the new pioneers came from across the oceans, in order to rebuild the broken, to give life to that which was dead, to instill hope to where there were none.

Amongst these brave pioneers were a man famed all across the oceans as the greatest collector, breeder and trainer of fearsome beasts in all the lands, bringing his terrible and exciting creations alongside him to his new hearth.

Mad Jack came to hear of the man's reputation and pride, and thus tracked him down for a verbal parlay, where Mad Jack set the stage to play himself as rival against the Beastmaster.

Without haste, Mad Jack proclaimed his contest - each party was to groom a beast to meet at a specified battlefield, three years to the hour, and do fatal battle. The foolish but proud Beastmaster accepted the challenge.

Confident, but knowing Mad Jack for a trickster, the Beastmaster secretly bred an abomination. The resulting nightmare had the head, mane and posture of a massive lion, yet it had the scales of a crocodile, and the teeth of an orca, nestled in the jaw of a hyena. Its muscular legs were rounded off with the paws and claws of a grizzly bear. When the creature reached maturity, the Beastmaster knew he had bred a truly unspeakable horror, which had no peer.

In the third year, on the given day, the Beastmaster appeared at the agreed upon battlefield, where Mad Jack leaned comfortably on a stone, whistling absentmindedly to himself, with boredom in his mad eyes. The Beastmaster revealed his monstrosity to behold the nightmarish, rabid behemoth. Puffing upon a smoking pipe, Mad Jack wore a soft smile as he stepped aside to reveal a tiny, colorful bird perched atop the stone. Shyly it chirped in the strong winds present, scarcely being audible.

In a twisted, springing heap, the beast was upon the stone, leaving only rubble where the boulder had been. Thinking itself victorious, the monster's rabid jaws curled into a mock grin, when suddenly a subdued song drifted in the air. The tiny bird lightly hopped along the snout of the furious beast, and almost inside of his eye. Mad Jack looked on, quietly cheery, as the rabid creature attempted to rid himself of the pest before him. With howling fury, the beast blinded itself trying to pluck away the nuisance. And so it continued for hours, the Beastmaster looking on in shame while his finest beast gradually destroyed itself in pursuit of the seemingly oblivious bird, all the while chirping a joyful tune.

Turning on his heel, Mad Jack beckoned the miniscule songbird to perch atop his shoulder, and strolled down the fields, whistling in tune with the tiniest champion ever to exist.

About the author

Doctor (PHD) Monique Clerice was born in the Republic of Port Ember, where she completed her Doctorate Degree in folkloristics.

She immigrated to the Colony of Port Arthur in 2018, as part of the first wave of pioneers who commenced the establishment and rebuilding of the Colony.

Dr Clerice is currently employed as a senior professor at the Port Arthur State University, where she is in charge of folkloristics. She regularly writes articles for the Port Arthur Times as a freelancer.

Matchday 4 Summary

Bye Day for Port Arthur

Matchday 5 Preview

Port Arthur vs Nova Anglicana

Venue: Peahi Peita Stadium, Port-au-Rex, Nevorn

Brief Summary:

Port Arthur will face off against Nova Anglicana Lions next, as part of match day 5 - the final match of the group stages of the world cup. The Port Arthurian Red Pandas will enter the match as complete and utter underdogs, due to facing the strongest team in the group, and the 8th best team in the world. All possible odds are stacked against our young squad, yet if they can perform a miracle and actually win here - they will advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

by **Hannasea** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:36 am

Posted on the In Brief section of the SuperSport website.

Hamsters qualify despite loss in a squeaker (note to self: check whether hamsters actually squeak or just make … hamster-related noises)

Pratapgadh 17 (11)
Tries: (20’)
Conversions: 0/1 (~~20’~~)
Penalties: 4/6 (~~10’~~, 32’, 39’, 42’, ~~50’~~, 61’)
Yellow cards: (42’ → 52’)

The Hannasean Federation 14 (0)
Wright; Ball (Stevens’), Campbell, Walsh (Parker 43’), Price; Pickett, Rhodes (Vargas 44’); Francis (Hopkins 57’), Burke (Connor 50’), Bennett (Hewson 59’); Ross (Harvey 72’), Hill (Williamson 74’); Horne, Hunter, Perry

Tries: Perry (56’), Connor (69’)
Conversions: Pickett 2/2 (56’, 69’)
Drop goals: Parker 0/1 (~~78’~~)

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:03 am

Lichmal yTebetwd after the Kriegiersien match: "We had heard that there were some predictions saying our arrogance would become our downfall? I see no arrogance here, we're just really, really good."

"To mitigate the words of my colleague there," Linwood French interrupted, "we're coming off of a title-winning run. The only way to go from there is down. You might win two in a row, but ultimately, you're never going to have it as good as that moment. That's not arrogance."

The next question was for Sinclair Ewell, the fullback credited for some fantastic last-ditch tackles: "The score was 24-0, but it could've been much different."

yTebetwd: "It could've been 31-0 tho-"

"It could also have been 24-14. I mean, we're still here to win a World Cup, and you can call that arrogant. As Linwood said, the only way is down, and we're here to prevent that from happening just yet."

"Still, we're winning that Cup though. Just shows that you shouldn't trust an oracle, especially not after she's had a couple. That's why alcohol is banned in Ko-oren, as well. KO OR EN! KO OR EN!"

Meanwhile, as Ko-oren wins its second match, the team is all but qualified for the second round. Terre Septentrionale sits out the final round and their eight points are just enough to keep them in third. They are unable to overtake either us or Neu Engollon, which leaves Kriegiersien with the opportunity to move on to the next round if they can beat Neu Engollon, by more than seven points. Even if Kriegiersien win, Ko-oren's only way to drop to third place is by losing by about 40 points to Dursea, which would keep Neu Engollon's point differential above ours. Effectively, things would have to get extremely odd to kick us out of the top 16. At the same time, the Dragonflies should be looking at some of the better runners-up of the tournament, as that one draw likely sees us out of a top four seeding. The leaders of the other groups (except Hannasea) all have played three and won three, so we can expect most of them to pick up a win against their unranked opponents. And so, as the dust clears, we see that most first and second pots are in the Round of 16, provisionally, with Aji no Moto, Port Ember, Quebec, Placely Placington, Quintessence of Dust, Port Arthur, and Space looking to mess up the rankings.

by **Saint-Domingues** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:42 am

Darmen 22–3 Saint-Domingue: Exciting Darmeni Performance Eliminates Hopeless Oranges
HT 13-0

A very disjointed performance by Saint-Domingue meant that they were easily swept aside by Darmen and handed a heavy defeat that also ended their chance of progression from Group E.

The same ineffective attack was once again on display, though this time Les Oranges' defence was just as poor meaning that the team never looked in the match at all, sloppily playing the ball around and frequently giving away penalties. The only real question was how many penalties they would give away and how many the opposition could put away. The scoreline flattered Saint-Domingue heavily who really should have been put to the sword by Darmen.

A win was not expected against the multiverse's 6th-ranked rugby team but a second successive lifeless and dull performance left little positives to take for the Dominguan fans at the Awha Arena who gave the team a muted reception. Those watching back home were even less enthusiastic, as Hervé Lejeune took a beating on social media for "boring" tactics and what one pundit called "stale, repetitive substitutions". Captain Steven Lefèvre was also on the end of criticism amid accusations that he was incapable of motivating his team for the big games.

Lejeune was given a tough task in having to face two of the top teams in his group, but then this is a similar problem faced by the coaches in the majority of groups at the tournament. A win against Darmen or Savojarna was not expected, but the limp performances and failure to secure a bonus point in either - particularly against the latter when Saint-Domingue did not secure a single point which would have won them the bonus - mean questions may be asked of the coach. Les Oranges has one final game to restore pride in the side against Quebec, a team in similar circumstances to their own. Both teams managed a win against Rwekazaland but were in turn beaten comfortably by the higher-ranked sides. With world-rankings and national pride still at stake it is difficult to argue that it is a complete dead rubber, particularly when Lejeune's job may be on the line.
Lineup:
Hauet <- Clichy 41'
LeRoy
Lefèvre
Fournier
Kyungu
Cocu
Bonnet <- Belanger 73'
Garde
Roux <- Allais 47'
Onana <- <- Amalfitano 41'
Crépin <- Naudé 53'
Lambert <- Lortie 59'
Fouché <- Saint-Yves 23'
Montanier <- Nkonko 59'
Besson

Darmen: Try: Hafner 28'
Con: (1/1) Fitzory 29'
Pen: (5/7) Fitzroy 10', 33', 47', 61', 74'
Saint-Domingue: Pen: (1/1) Cocu 52'
Venue: Awha Arena, Jata, Nevorn Island

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:20 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Rugby Rundown
with Graham O'Doherty

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, IT'S TIME TO GET EXCITED

Hello guys, and welcome back to another edition of The Rugby Rundown with me, your gay Irishman Graham O'Doherty. It's the third game played by Abanhfleft in the 29th Rugby Union World Cup, and at the time of writing it's three victories in three games. And after an initial flurry of tries in our first game of the tournament, a good share of our points have now been scored via penalties. I've already said before that I don't really mind that we're getting a lot of points through penalties; I'm just noting that there's a bit of a pattern going on here.

On the one hand, both teams were solid in defence, forcing each other into kicking penalties to put points on the board. On the other hand, both teams were sloppy in defence given the number of penalties that had been conceded (15 for Abanhfleft and 9 to Hebitaka). Both teams were committing rookie mistakes such as high tackles, scrum collapses, and the occasional hit on a player not carrying the rock. It was a messy affair, and I'm not even talking about the game itself. The players were messy, what with that brief rain shower that turned the pitch into a thick slurry. Those pristine uniforms of theirs were not pristine anymore the moment they set foot.

Neither side really threatened to ever ground the ball in the right place, what with the mud making it very difficult for a runner to gain momentum. They might as well be playing in a pit of quicksand out there for all the suction that mud had on their boots. Sneaky offloads down the flanks weren't going to cut it. Slow and steady, almost metronomic advances towards the in-goal were the key, and eventually the honour of the first try went to Alfred Bang Si-hoo, who found himself in just the right place at the right time to use his substantial bulk to bulldoze through a number of Hebitaka defenders. Sadly the wind wasn't really in favour of Saladin Nursaladinov, and the normally accurate kicker shanked the conversion wide left due to an unexpected gust.

Korean power was the name of the game in terms of tries scored as it was another ethnic Korean, Lee Jae-sang, who scored Abanhfleft's second try. It happened deep in the middle of the second half, and it took seven phases and a maul of seven players to carry both Lee and the rock into the in-goal. Unfortunately the wind once again played its cruel tricks on poor old Saladin as another breeze blew his kick wide left once again, even though he had already tried to compensate for the wind. But in the end it didn't cost us the game, and Saladin will be the more relieved for that, but it could very well end up being the difference somewhere down the road. And that's not a good thing to have in the back of your mind, surely.

So that's it; Abanhfleft are top of the group with one game left to play, against Space. Depending on results, this match could very well decide who wins Group C and gets a potentially easy draw in the knockout stage. Based on current form Abanhfleft could most definitely get a win over Space, but given my track record of jinxing the bookies' favourites, it would be just so Fleftic for Space to pull a quick one on us and snatch top spot. XOXO from Graham....

Abanhfleft (19)
Try: Bang 38' m
Lee Jae-sang 65' m
Con: Nursaladinov (0/2)
Pen: Nursaladinov 12', 29', 56'

Hebitaka (12)
Pen: Totuko 21', 33', 43', 67'

by **Nova Anglicana** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:43 pm

Lions control own destiny going into final matchday

Coming into the 29th edition of the Rugby Union World Cup, the Nova Anglicana Lions were ranked 8th and coming off a disappointing 12-10 Round of 16 loss to hosts Kelssek in RUWC 28. The Lions were excited to try out some new starters, get back into the rugby swing of things, and make a deep run, which they had not done since RUWC 26, when they finished fourth.

In their first game, the Lions would face 17th-ranked Pratapgadh, the second seed in the group, and the only other ranked team. Despite a sluggish offensive effort, the Lions' defense held incredibly well, and two tries were more than enough to carry them across the finish line, 14-0. With the only other ranked team down, the Lions probably expected an easy road through the rest of the group. Unfortunately, it would not be so easy. On a windy day, the Lions took on the Hamsters of the Hannasean Federation. Despite going up early thanks to an 11th-minute try from flanker Nathan Boone, Brendan McKinney missed his conversion due to the wind factor, and the Lions conceded in the 33rd minute, while the Hannasean kicker Pickett managed to make his conversion. Pickett would convert a penalty later in the first half, and the Lions headed in to the break down 10-5. They eventually got it back when Clement Langlois, who had entered for centre Bobby Manning, scored in the 59th minute to tie the game. But, as was the story of the game, McKinney missed his conversion. He missed two conversions, two penalties, and two drop goals on the day, a conversion on any of which would have resulted in a Lions victory.McKinney acknowledged the swirling winds, but blamed himself more, saying, "I had a shit day. Let's call it what it is. I'll be better next game and pick up my teammates, who played well today. Hats off to Hannasea for hanging with us."

In the Lions' most recent game, they faced last-place and unranked Silvedania. This side had managed just 9 points and conceded 41 in their two losses. Their feeble offense continued, with only a drop goal to be tallied on their side, but their defense held strong for most of the game. McKinney made a drop goal early, and the score was 3-3 going into the halftime break. Manning dove across the try line in the 52nd minute, but McKinney again missed the conversion, and the score was 8-3 until Kerry Warner rumbled across the try line in the 86th minute and McKinney nailed the conversion from the center of the pitch. The final score of 15-3 represented a Nova Anglican win, but the Lions had fought much harder and controlled much more of the possession than had Silvedania, so doubtless they felt they should have won by more.

Still, going into the final matchday, the Lions hold their fate in their own hands. They will take on 2-0-1 Port Arthur, an unranked team that has nonetheless looked good so far. Despite a 34-8 rout by Hannasea, they ground out a 7-3 win over Pratapgadh and easily defeated Silvedania, 22-3. They are not to be underestimated. The Lions stand at 10 points, Hannasea at 11 (from 4 games played), and Port Arthur at 8. If the Lions win, they'll be top in their group, on 14 points. If they draw, they'll be top in their group, on 12 points. However, should they lose, Port Arthur will leapfrog them and Hannasea into first place in the group, leaving the Lions out in the cold. It would be an ignominious way to go out, especially considering that this is likely the weakest group the Lions have faced in some time (three unranked teams). So avoiding a loss is imperative, but the Lions can't play not to lose, they must play to win or else an abundance of caution could turn into an abundance of time on their hands, spent at home watching the other teams compete for the title.

by **Kriegiersien** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:02 pm

Oracle, you told us their arrogance would be Ko-orens downfall. But we lost.

I did not say that their downfall would come in this match, dear Baron. It was your grandiose tactic that cost you the game so decisively.

Everyone spinning around all the time should have swooped through their defense like a drill. However, what is your prediciton for the match against Neu Engollon?

Do you have offerings?

The best bottle of Whiskey, aged in ancient barrels, created under the flames burning the turf from a foreign nation, from Brewmasters which names are as holy as yours.

...
..
.
The verdict is done. The champion in is this match will be new.

Excellent.

by **Hutanjia** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:28 pm

RUWC 29
HUTANJIA

GROUP MATCH DAY FIVE

GROUP A

4 (Baggieland) 23–16 2 (United States of Devonta)
5 (Fancy Bois) 17–37 1 (Elejamie)

                                Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                               4    4   0   0   114   38  +76    16
2 3                               4    2   0   2    37   30   +7     9
3 2                               4    2   0   2    64   71   −7     9
4 4                               4    2   0   2    29   63  −34     8
5 5                               4    0   0   4    34   76  −42     2

GROUP B

4 (Kriegiersien) 27–30 2 (Neu Engollon)
5 (Dursea) 7–20 1 (Ko-oren)

                            Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                           4    3   1   0    68   21  +47    14
2 2                           4    3   1   0    69   46  +23    14
3 3                           4    2   0   2    51   35  +16     8
4 4                           4    1   0   3    47   76  −29     6
5 5                           4    0   0   4    24   81  −57     1

GROUP C

4 (Hebitaka) 10–27 2 (Kelssek)
5 (Space) 7–20 1 (Abanhfleft)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       4    4   0   0    73   35  +38    16
2 2                       4    2   0   2    64   41  +23     9
3 3                       4    1   1   2    23   33  −10     8
4 5                       4    2   0   2    31   44  −13     8
5 4                       4    0   1   3    32   70  −38     3

GROUP D

4 (Krysha) 6–9 2 (Busoga Islands)
5 (Sannyamathland) 0–15 1 (Lisander)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       4    4   0   0    85   20  +65    16
2 2                       4    3   0   1    50   57   −7    12
3 3                       4    2   0   2    66   56  +10     9
4 5                       4    1   0   3    11   38  −27     5
5 4                       4    0   0   4    38   79  −41     2

GROUP E

5 (Saint-Domingues) 27–3 3 (Quebec)
2 (Savojarna) 0–22 1 (Darmen)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       4    4   0   0    80    3  +77    16
2 2                       4    2   0   2    44   34  +10     9
3 5                       4    2   0   2    46   36  +10     8
4 4                       4    1   0   3    17   64  −47     4
5 3                       4    1   0   3    29   79  −50     4

GROUP F

2 (Sajnur) 14–3 4 (Oscioru)
3 (United Hemand Insia) 0–9 1 (Alice Bay)

                           Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                          4    4   0   0    80   10  +70    16
2 2                          4    3   0   1    65   43  +22    12
3 5                          4    2   0   2    38   63  −25     8
4 3                          4    1   0   3    45   56  −11     5
5 4                          4    0   0   4     3   59  −56     0

GROUP G

4 (Silvedania) 17–6 2 (Pratapgadh)
5 (Port Arthur) 17–25 1 (Nova Anglicana)

                        Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                       4    3   1   0    64   30  +34    14
2 3                       4    2   1   1    77   41  +36    11
3 5                       4    2   0   2    54   65  −11     8
4 2                       4    1   0   3    26   52  −26     5
5 4                       4    1   0   3    29   62  −33     4

GROUP H

4 (Quintessence of Dust) 6–0 2 (Northwest Kalactin)
5 (Vdara) 18–43 1 (Hutanjia)

                            Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 1                           4    4   0   0   102   43  +59    16
2 4                           4    3   0   1    23   17   +6    12
3 2                           4    2   0   2    50   63  −13     8
4 5                           4    1   0   3    49   72  −23     4
5 3                           4    0   0   4    34   63  −29     0

* How to read the tables/results: Your group # is first, with your nation (team) name in parenthesis in the match results; In the table, your current group ranking is first, with your group # as listed, second.

ROUND OF 16 MATCH UPS

Darmen #1 v Neu Engollon #9 (Fera Darjugko Stadium, Jotaku, Nevorn)

Elejamie #2 v Sajnur #10 (King Popilu I Stadium, Molnitha, Nevorn)

Alice Bay #3 v Quintessence of Dust #11 (General Wakala Stadium, Vesselle, Nesselberg)

Lisander #4 v Busoga Islands #12 (Awha Arena, Jata, Nevorn)

Hutanjia #5 v Hannasea #13 (King Otumlo Stadium, Chastille, Nevorn)

Abanhfleft #6 v Kelssek #14 (Kotahi Rau Manu Coliseum, Talibati, Nevorn)

Ko-oren #7 v Savojarna #15 (Peahi Peita Stadium, Port-au-Rex, Nevorn)

Nova Anglicana #8 v Aji No Moto #16 (Queen Urtea Sports Complex, Jeanville, Nevorn)

by **Baggieland** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:17 am

The Daily Boing

Baggieland Cause Shock!

Baggieland 23 – 16 United States of Devonta

Baggieland, who hadn't scored a single try in the previous three games, pulled off one of the upsets of the tournament. The Throstles were facing the 10th ranked side in the competition, Devonta, in their final game of the group stage. Most pundits had Devonta as odds-on favourites to win the game, but Baggieland had other ideas.

The Throstles got themselves on the board by virtue of two penalty kicks, Pilkington making no mistakes with his trusty right foot. Towards the end of the first half, David Gunn raced down the touchline and as he was tackled into touch near the try-line, managed to off-load just in time to Vincent Tank, who made no mistake from just a couple of yards out. The travelling Baggieland fans went mental as they were finally able to cheer their first try of the tournament.

As Devonta came back hard during the second half, the Throstles held their nerve – helped by another three points from Pilkington. Then, as the half wore on, Baggieland had a line-out inside the Devonta 22. From the line-out, Hearn threw the ball over everyone lined up, for Alan Watts to grab the ball and force his way through for the unranked team's second try; and to secure victory.

Baggieland finished fourth in the table, but were just one point behind second place. Not bad for their first ever foray into an international rugby tournament.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:46 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Rugby Rundown
with Graham O'Doherty

ABANHFLEFT VERSUS KELSSEK 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

Hello guys, and welcome back to another edition of The Rugby Rundown with me, your gay Irishman Graham O'Doherty. Don't mind the title just yet; we'll get to that later. It is, though, a consequence of what had happened in our game against Space, and that, my friends, is going to be our topic of discussion for the foreseeable future.

So, so far Abanhfleft have been doing well in the Rugby Union World Cup. Three wins out of three games, with one more still left to play, against Space. Potentially, this game could have well decided the order of Group C, such as the winner of the group and the team that will be in second place. As things stood at the start of the game, Abanhfleft were on top and Space hanging right on our tail hoping to capitalise on a slip-up on our part. Things were shaping up for this to be a tough match. And it was, just not really in the way we expected.

We had all come to expect this to be another kickabout, what with penalties having been the main means by us of scoring our points, but our opponents' defense was not as solid as the likes of HUElavia or Hebitaka. Shame. I really did come to enjoy the sight of our boys in blue scrumming and mauling it out with the others. When the conditions are just right, you can literally see the steam rising from their bodies as they form the scrum. A lovely sight to behold, if you ask me.

Anyway, to the game itself. Alain Lymer had named a changed XV from the one that played against Hebitaka that was noticeably lacking some of the established players like Moritz Zilner, Radomir Rakitic, and most notably team captain Adam Sforza. It was by no means a weak side, but at the same time it was definitely not the strongest lineup Lymer could have sent out there. A brave play on his side, given that qualification to the next stage wasn't fully assured just yet. And yet it worked. Abanhfleft got the win against Space despite the changed fifteen, and while at times things maybe got a little bit sketchy, ultimately it was a calm and controlled affair which we saw over the line with minimal fuss. We the viewers had thought that tries were going to be a somewhat rare thing, but I guess the key to the Fleftic game plan was to strike fast, strike hard, and strike first, and they succeeded in doing just that when Mohammed Wilcox (starting in place of Ignacio Kaba) punched his way into the in-goal after a passage of ten phases. Saladin Nursaladinov (who was one of the lucky ones to stay in the starting fifteen that played against Hebitaka) finally got the winds back in his favour today, a welcome relief given that he had had no luck previously, missing both conversions in our 19-12 victory over Hebitaka. Jake Porterhouse then scored his first international try in three tournaments to give the Revolutionaries a 12-0 lead, and Saladin turned that into 14-0 a few moments later, another welcome relief for the left winger and proof that he still had his kicking boots on.

And now we can talk about that title. Some tournaments like to give a good shuffle to the teams that make it into the playoffs to make sure that teams that were in the same group don't play each other immediately afterward. Apparently, the 29th Rugby Union World Cup isn't one of those tournaments, hence why we're about to play Kelssek once again. On the one hand, it's a chance for Abanhfleft to potentially advance further into the tournament because we've already played Kelssek before, and therefore know their tactics. On the other hand, Kelssek know how we play, and therefore have a chance to adapt their tactics to counter ours. Also, there might be a percentage of fans out there who prefer to see the team square off against unique opponents and not have a repeat opponent. I may or may not be among that percentage of fans. But we the fans can't do anything now other than support the team against Kelssek once again, and once again give them the confidence and self belief that they can win the game and head further into the Rugby Union World Cup. XOXO from Graham....

Space (7)
Try: Fullback 66' c
Con: Fly half (1/1)

Abanhfleft (20)
Try: Wilcox 7' c
Porterhouse 29' c
Con: Nursaladinov (2/2)
Pen: Nursaladinov 37', 54'

by **Saint-Domingues** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:05 pm

Saint-Domingue 27–3 Quebec: Les Oranges Round Off World Cup with Victory
HT 10-3

Saint-Domingue capped off their World Cup campaign by finally putting in the attacking performance which supporters had been waiting for, as they handily defeated Quebec to finish third in Group E.

With Hervé Lejeune under increasing pressure from fans back home, it was vital that his team got the win to give the coach a chance at continuing in the role beyond this tournament.

Returning to the starting XV which garnered Les hommes de Noël their only win so far, Saint-Domingue began with attacking purpose. The deadlock was broken when much-maligned captain Steven Lefèvre raced through for his first try at the tournament, and just his team's second. The conversion was put away but Quebec hit back not long after with a penalty. But two fine Cocu penalties either side of half-time but Saint-Domingue in firm control.

Saint-Domingue attacked time after time, pinning their opponents back and dominating possession. Two clever pieces of play - almost identical - allowed Amalfitano to run up a brace of tries which were both converted by Cocu, who is able to boast a flawless kicking record in the tournament.

Despite the win Lejeune was combative at full-time, hitting back at critics who had questioned his side's style of play. Perhaps in protest at the focus on his substitutions, the coach bizarrely did not make a single sub until the final minute, when he used them all.

Saint-Domingue head coach Hervé Lejeune: "I always choose the fifteen who I think are most likely to win us the game. I have faith in them, and to say my changes are too repetitive underestimates - I believe - the value of a settled side where everyone knows their roles. Today we proved that, and have hopefully proved some of the doubters wrong. I think people forget what a tough group we had when they criticise me. Savojarna and Darmen are some of the best sides in the game - to say we should have finished above them is harsh. But still, we were just one point behind Savojarna. Our points difference was the same, we actually scored two points more. A penalty, a drop kick, a missed penalty... one of those means we get the bonus point versus Savojarna and we progress ahead of them. The margins are very fine and we need to get a sense of perspective."

On his future: "I worked extremely hard to be in this position, to be the first person to be in charge of this country at a World Cup. Rugby is my life, and in this position you have to back yourself. Of course I think I'm the right man for the job, and I think I am also the right man to lead Saint-Domingue at the next World Cup."
Lineup:
Clichy <- Hauet 79'
LeRoy
Lefèvre
Fournier
Kyungu
Cocu
Bonnet <- Belanger 79'
Garde
Roux <- Allais 79'
Onana
Crépin <- Naudé 79'
Lambert <- Lortie 79'
Fouché <- Saint-Yves 79'
Montanier <- Nkonko 79'
Amalfitano <- Besson 79'

Saint-Domingue: Try: Lefèvre 17', Amalfitano 57', 74'
Con: (3/3) Cocu 18', 58', 75'
Pen: (2/2) Cocu 35', 50'
Quebec: Pen: (1/1) REDACTED 25'
Venue: Awha Arena, Jata, Nevorn Island

by **Nova Anglicana** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:40 pm

Lions escape Port Arthur, earn surprisingly favorable Round of 16 draw

Before the Nova Anglicana Lions national rugby team took the pitch against Port Arthur for their final group stage game of the 29th Rugby Union World Cup, they held their fate in their own hands. A win or a draw over this unranked team would propel them to first place in the group, over the Hannasean Federation. A loss would condemn them to missing out on the playoffs entirely as Hannasea and Port Arthur would advance to the next round. In the end, the Lions triumphed, but not before the Red Pandas gave them a good fight.

In the first half, the two teams traded kicks early, as Brendan McKinney made a drop goal and a penalty, while the Red Pandas' Raymond Memeth converted a penalty of his own, making it 6-3 25 minutes into the game. On the ensuing possession, Kerry Warner dispossessed a Red Pandas back before the pack could come to the downed player's aid, starting a Nova Anglican attack. After several minutes of phase play, the Lions' Guy Dupont crashed through a Port Arthur tackle and collapsed over the try line to put the Lions up 11-3, with McKinney converting to make it 13-3. Although the Lions and Red Pandas battled valiantly in the closing moments of the first half, neither side could turn possession into points, leaving it 13-3 at the half.

In the second half, however, Port Arthur came out with their hair on fire. Their passes were crisp, they dummied effectively, their pack protected the ball at all costs, and at the end, they typewritered the ball to their wing Faanti, and he was off to the races, beating Lions fullback Darren James for a try which Memeth subsequently converted, making it 13-10. After receiving the ensuing kickoff, they were at it again. The Lions, perhaps caught up in the pace of play, failed to maintain a consistent defensive line, and players were caught out of position, leading to gaps that Port Arthur ruthlessly exploited. Following a successful dummy, Daniel Asaku burst through a hole in the line and sprinted past everyone else to touch the ball down in the center of the try zone. The conversion made it 17-13 Red Pandas, and it looked like the Lions were running scared. But coach Errol Anderson gave his team a pep talk (or tongue-lashing, as the case may be) and inserted a pair of substitutes, Clement Langlois and Armand Cloutier. The fresh legs gave the Lions a bit of a boost, as they turned on the Red Pandas, tackling well and stonewalling their attempts at advancement. Donald Spente booted the ball long for the Pandas in an attempt to turn the tables on the Lions and make them the pursued in their own end, but the Nova Anglicans would not be contained. Out of a scrum, Gabe Lambert got the ball out quickly, and McKinney, Langlois, and Emmanuel Laurin slipped through tackles, passed well, and shimmied their way over the try line. McKinney could not convert, however, and the lead was a slim 18-17. The Lions got the ball back, and, in a daring play, with the hour growing late, Langlois popped it over the heads of the Red Pandas' defensive line, then sprinted like a madman to catch his own kick, beat the Port Arthur fullback, and score a try to salt the game away. McKinney's conversion made it 25-17, which is where the game finished.

With this win, the Lions improved to 3-1-0 and stood on 14 points. However, this was only good enough to get them the 8th seed in the playoffs, as most of the other top seeds won all their games. Still, they earned a break when they learned they would be pitted against 16th seeded Aji No Moto. This was certainly preferable to taking on #9 rugby powerhouses Neu Engollon, which they had expected when they learned of the seeding. The Aji No Moto side had gone 2-0-2 in their four matches, defeating unranked Baggieland 21-0 and unranked Fancy Bois 9-7, while falling 13-7 to #1 Elejamie and 10-0 to #10 United States of Devonta. But despite their low seed and two losses, don't expect the Aji No Motans to be a pushover. Their combined margin of defeat to two top-10 teams was just 16 points, or about a try with a conversion in each game. They're no scrubs; the Lions had better watch out.

by **Hannasea** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:25 pm

Posted on the In Brief section of the SuperSport website.

Parker to start at 12, but few other changes

by **Quintessence of Dust** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:37 pm

Posted on the In Brief section of the QBS website.

“Not a fan of these high-scoring shootouts”

Quintessence of Dust 6 (3)
Yamada; Cockburn McNee (Brynjarsson 69’), Koizumi, St. Martin (Fox); Lennon (Dexter 52’), London (Guillaume); Sugiyama, Bellamy (Shvets 61’), Bishop (Daugherty 61’); Wortham (Sigurðsson), Zhu; Echeverría (Chevalier 40’), Feldt, Rosenfeld
Penalties: Koizumi 2/2 (9’, 59’)

Northwest Kalactin 0 (0)

by **Kelssek** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:08 pm

RUGBY WORLD CUP
Kelssek scrapes into knockout rounds after dismal pool play
Kelssek scraped a win against Hebitaka by a flattering scoreline of 27-10 in a final match of the group stage that summed up Kelssek's tournament so far. A mix of luck and determination saw them get barely across the line despite playing some very shoddy and uninspiring rugby at times.

With the wind coming straight down the field and gusting to gale-force 70 km/h, conditions were going to favour the team able to do better on the ground and Kelssek had no answers in the early going as that’s exactly what Hebitaka set about to do. Kelssek’s scrum struggled to hold its ground for the first half as Hebitaka piled on the pressure early. Getting a bounce always helps as Ron Evillene poked the ball through the line for Rahul Roy to claim after 12 minutes.

Hebitaka got their second try running into the teeth of the gale against a forward pack that couldn't do more than force their opponents wide. As they got their big guys forward to pick and drive, Namako Bakugo was the one to carry it across at the corner flag, making for a difficult conversion that was missed for the second time. Kelssek were lucky to earn two penalties with the wind in their favour, and Xavier Émond fancied a wind-assisted 48-metre kick that got Kelssek onto the scoreboard with 19 minutes played, and a late penalty for the tackler failing to release the player which sent the teams into the locker rooms with Hebitaka leading 10-6.

Head coach Leigh Kirwan certainly stiffened some spines in the dressing room at half time and Kelssek came out and immediately put together an impressive passage of play that saw slick passing to create an overlap that Hayden Dennelin exploited to break through the defence. He managed to run in between the sticks to ground the ball – something that proved important if any kick was going to be scored for Kelssek.

Kelssek finally put some pressure on the ruck and Hebitaka’s defensive discipline began to crack. But they were now attacking into the wind, and Xavier Émond went 3-for-9 in second half penalty kicks as the gusts made any aerial play a fairly ludicrous affair.

Unless directly in front of the sticks, kicking for touch proved the smarter choice and it was off one such line-out - on a penalty that saw Hebitaka finally have a player sin-binned - that Kelssek’s second try came. Martin Tang collected the pass and got just through a tackle right at the try line to ground the ball.

Asked if he thought Kelssek deserved to advance, Kirwan suggested the results speak for themselves.

“We finished second in the group. Finishing second in the group means you play in the knockouts. ‘Deserve’ is irrelevant, we have made it and that’s the fact. The team can be proud that they were able to grind out a win in conditions like this. The opponent quite literally had the wind at their backs and we showed our determination to overcome that.”

by **Hutanjia** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:58 pm

RUWC 29
HUTANJIA

ROUND OF 16 CUT OFF

by **Placely Placington** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:07 pm

A disappointing end for a disappointing tournament for Placely Placington. While nowhere near the favourites to a single one of their games let alone their group or the tournament, they still tried their darndest and put up some good games. They didn't do as badly against Alice Bay as people were expecting (such as four figure scoreboards), they even managed to win a couple of games, they even got a shutout! But unless Sajnur ended up losing their last game during Placely Placington's bye day by at least 35 points then they'd make it through! They won 14-3 instead. What a shame.

So it was time for the team to fly back home. Making another giant paper aeroplane because the first one was used to bring the Clonomat back home, the team got on board and they didn't get anywhere. Unfolding it and refolding it, the second launch was much more successful and they eventually made it back home. They hit a massive breeze coming in but it was enough to help them avoid getting eaten by one of the eldritch abominations currently inhabiting the waters. Then their plane got caught in a cloud somehow. And then exploded. And then the explosion exploded.

Meanwhile, back home, Chief President Man Dave McDaverson was busy trying to watch television in his office.. Trying to. Instead he was looking at Television Director, a fisherman for shopping trolleys in one of the many horrifically polluted rivers in Placely Placington by trade but also the head man behind the national broadcaster Wait, We Have A Broadcaster? which regularly pulls in around 0 viewers every day. Dave turned the TV on that was Television Director's head, who instead started to scream in horrible agony as static started to blare from his screen. Trying to get a signal, Dave kept Television Director's head still and slapped the side panel five times to try and get it to work. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!" Television Director said after each hit.

Dave turned the TV off just as Television Director stood up straight and sorted himself out. "Sorry Television Director, I didn't know it was you." Dave said.

"You have a guest to see you." Television Director said, pointing at the door.

Dave turned around. It was A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke. "Sir I have news sir." He said, walking into Dave's office. "Sir it's about the prize money sir."

"Go on, what is it?" Dave was a bit excited for it. After all, it was the main reason why he had signed them up for so many tournaments. Their modus operandi, if you will. To enter a number of different tournaments to try and get enough money to fix their economy that their Chief Economist banned after getting incredibly intoxicated. Try not to think about it too hard.

"Sir I discovered sir that there is no sir prize money sir." A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke said, keeping the same expression on his face.

Dave was completely disappointed. He headbutted the wall to try and vent his frustration. A roof tile came off and immediately flattened A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke to death, his legs bending upwards like a U-shape somehow. Granted the prize money probably would've ended up being embezzled or going towards something else instead of fixing the economy they once banned. And plus they can always clone a new A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke like they had done for the fourth time this month. Luckily Dave had an idea. "How about we bring the competition here?!"

"We might have to build some more stadums [sic], Chief President Man Dave McDaverson." Television Director said in a rare moment of sanity.

"OK, it means we'll have to go with our Plan B to get more money. See if you can find the original plans." Dave said.

"I lost them." Television Director said.

"We'll make some more then!" Dave said, getting excited by this new idea. "We'll make a video to bring the Contest over here!"

"Good idea sir." Television Director said. Of course they had to find the cassette tape they normally use to film things but I'm sure it won't mind being rewritten for the 10th or 15th time already. Dave, now confident with this new money making scheme to try and get more money, went back to his desk and went back to work. By sleeping in his chair. He'll have to remind Television Director or Chief Economist, maybe their science guy Dave the Hobo if he's not busy in one of his boxes, to clean up A Different Coach Man Blokey Thing Person Man Thing Man Persony Person Bloke's body and maybe clone a new one of him.

OOC: Again, any RP bonus for this should go towards my main (Elejamie) instead of this one. My usual post group-stage RP should be up tomorrow should I still be in the competition, sorry about that.

by **Sajnur** » Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:09 pm

Rugby Union World Cup 29: Group F

Sajnur 21-3 Placely Placington

Sajnur
Try: Kabora 9’; Parjolta 40’; Kurba 61’
Con: Lesieri 3/3

Placely Placington
Pen: Subject #10 1/1

Sajnur 20-14 United Hemand Insia

Sajnur
Try: Parjolta 37’, 56’
Con: Lesieri 2/2
Pen: Lesieri 2/2

Sajnur 10-23 Alice Bay

Sajnur
Try: Kabora 70’
Con: Lesieri 1/1
Pen: Lesieri 1/1

Sajnur 14-3 Osciori

Sajnur
Try: Lesieri 16’; Parjolta 67’
Con: Lesieri 2/2

Rugby Union World Cup 29 Everything Thread

Who is online