2021 Rugby World Cup [IC|Closed|Kylaris Only]

[Norcandy]

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SATAVIA WELCOMES YOU!

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Satavia and her people are excited to welcome you, to this, the 2021 Rugby World Cup! This marks the first time it has been hosted by Satavia, and we are honoured that the International Rugby Board chose Satavia for the 2021 Rugby World Cup. 20 Countries have made it to the Group Stages; an achievement which their people should be immensely proud of. However, this is a competition - 20 teams will compete, but only one can emerge victorious.

So, as they say; may the best man win!

Sincerely, The Satavian Rugby Football Association

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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Opening Ceremony - Wednesday, 13th January
Group Stage Begins - Friday, 15th January
Group Stage Ends - Tuesday, 26th January
Quarter Finals - Friday 5th January & Friday 6th January
Semi-Finals - Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th January
Bronze Final - Saturday 13th February
The Grand Final - Tuesday 16th February

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VENUES

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Port Hope International Stadium | Port Hope
Fort Kinnon Arena | Port Arthur-Fort Kinnon
Stadium of the Satavians | Port Hope
King's College Jago Sports Arena | Port Jago
Port Edward Arena | Port Edward
Satavian Airlines Oval | Adamstown

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POOLS

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Caldia
Halland
Rwizikuru
Etruria
Montecara

Nuvania
Satavia
Alsland
Sivathra
West Miersa

Garambura
Masari
Tengaria
Gapolania
Cassier

Estmere
Gaullica
Soravia
Azmara
Galenia

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OTHER

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Rugby World Cup 2021 on IIWiki|Full Fixture list

[Eskaeba]

[Norcandy]

[The Kingdom of Glitter]

CALDIA HOPES TO SCORE ANOTHER MEN'S RUGBY CUP IN SATAVIA

Cathal Ó Loingsigh (@cathalosports)
^{29 December 2020 | Clyte, Caldia}

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Caldia hopes to secure its fifth victory at this year's Rugby World Cup.

CLYTE – With the 2021 Rugby World Cup less than three weeks away, the Caldish men's team is hoping to clinch the nation's fifth cup in Satavia.

The 31-one man team will head out over the weekend, arriving in Satavia early to get their footing prior to the start of the competition. Peadar Ó Scolaighe, a hooker for Shanbally, will serve as captain. This is Ó Scolaighe's fourth showing at rugby's biggest international tournament, having been on the Caldish team for the 2017, 2013, and 2009 competitions.

At a press conference at the national team's traning center in Clyte, Caldia's head coach, Tadhg Mac Domhnaill, said that selection was "focused on the balance".

"It was one of those typical selection meetings where maybe half of the players are listed straight away and it’s those ones where you’re are trying to get balance where it’s very difficult to choose between two players and two players offer slightly different things.

"You’re trying then to narrow down and trying to get the best balance across the entire squad. Even though you can replace players, there is obviously a big time delay in that. This summer we put together a squad that worked well, thankfully we never had any delays caused by replacements."

The Caldish squad was first announced at the beginning of the month after a selection process that spanned the fall months.

"I am incredibly proud of this team, they will do us right and make all of Caldia proud" Tadhg Mac Domhnaill said.

This will be Mac Domhnaill's third and final cup as head coach. He led previously led the team in 2013 and oversaw the squad's 2017 victory.

"Another would be nice, but I can't be too greedy" he remarked. The head coach is stepping down due to health complications.

Caldia is in Group A alongside friendly rival Halland. Other nations in the group are Rwizikuru, Etruria, and Montecara.

Caldia has had four victory's at the Rugby World Cup, having won the 1989, 2005, 2009, and 2017. With four wins, Caldia has been the most successful team at the tournament. The team has also been runner-up three times and taken third twice since the tournament began in 1981. The popularity of Caldia's domestic rugby league has contributed to its many successes at the competition.

"The second we were selected those rivalries from our own league all go away. We are brothers now, and it's time to deliver for Caldia" captain Ó Scolaighe said.

"You just have to leave that all behind now. No matter how much I hate Shercock when I'm on Shanbally's pitch, well none of that matters now."

Caldia is set to face off with Rwizkuru at 9:00 am EST on 15 January.

[Gapolania]

[Norcandy]

[Norcandy]

ALS 7 - 21 SIV

1 Try (Converted) '263 Try (3 Converted) '16, '59, '64

Group B

Fort Kinnon Arena, Port Arthur, Satavia

19:00 kick-off

Referee:
James Edwinson (SAT)

Assistant Referees:
Jean Claude (GAL)
Arthur Millhouse (EST)

TMO:
John Smokere (SAT)

Match Description:
Neither side dominated the first half, with the score standing at 7-7 at the end of the first half. Alsland were worn out, and Sivathra soon began dominating, scoring two more tries in quick succesion.

GAR 31 - 5 TEN

4 Try (4 Converted) '7, '14, '22, '62; 1 Drop Goal '261 Try (0 Converted) '36

Group C

Satavian Airlines Oval, Adamstown, Satavia

15:30 kick-off

Referee:
Siobhan O Cleirigh (CAL)

Assistant Referees:
Jean Claude (GAL)
Tulio Andriola (MON)

TMO:
Pieter de Vreis (NUV)

Match Description:
Garambura dominated, smashing Tengaria. Tengaria clawed back a try in the thirty-sixth minute, but at this point, the match was a foregone conclusion. In the second half, Tengaria's solid defence resisted tirelessly the Garamburan onslaught, only losing one try.

EST 19 - 14 SOR

3 Try (2 Converted) '59, '72, '792 Try (2 Converted) '47, '66

Group D

Port Arthur International Stadium, Port Arthur, Satavia

18:00 kick-off

Referee:
Richard Johnson (EST)

Assistant Referees:
Alexander Craig (SAT)
Janet Barbanario (MON)

TMO:
Felix Cormack (EST)

Match Description:
At the end of the first half, neither side had scored, with Estmere coming close to a try on multiple occasions but Soravia's solid defensive line holding them off. In the second half, both sides were exhausted and began to score one after the other, Soravia scoring in the 47th minute, followed by a slew of tries. Estmere were down at the end of the match as they had not converted one of their tries, until they scored in the last minute, converting it successfully, and winning the match.

[Norcandy]

LIVE COVERAGE: RWIZIKURU vs CALDIA
FT: RWI 3-7 CAL
Welcome to the International, Live Coverage of the Rwizikuru vs Caldia match. Caldia is the incumbent world champion and holds the most titles, whilst Rwizikuru has never placed in the top four. However, in recent years Rwizikuru has joined the rest of the Bahia, climbing up the poll steadily.

17:27 - Welcome to the live coverage of Rwizikuru vs Caldia in the DePex Stadium, Port Hope. The match is being reffed by Edward Scott (SAT).

17:30 - That's kick off! Caldia are one of the greatest teams ever, but can they face off Rwizikuru, one of Bahia's rising stars?

17:35 - First impressions after five minutes. Rwizikuru may be more of a challenge than Caldia may have expected, with most of Caldia's advances repelled fairly quickly.

17:42 - Caldia are inching closer and closer towards Rwizikuru's '22. Rwizikuru's defences are stemming the tide for the moment at least.

17:49 - Play has been halted by the ref. It appears that Kuchema Mushohwe, Rwizikuru's tighthead, has been injured. He's bleeding from the head, so he'll have to be taken off the pitch.

17:51 - Play's now been resumed. TMO confirmed that their was no foul play involved, but for Mushohwe his first match of the 2021 championship has been rather cut short. We don't know how serious his head injury is yet.

17:51 - Caldia is inching ever so close to Rwizikuru's try line, now well into the '22.

TRY!
17:58
Caldia - Caldia's loosehead prop has scored a try! Score: 0-5

17:59 - Caldia has coverted the try successfully as well. Score: 0-7

18:06 - Caldia's keeping up the pressure on Rwizikuru. Possession has mainly been with Caldia so far.

18:10 - Half Time

18:21 - Rwizikuru is being pushed back again. Caldish fans now singing as well

18:23 - For the first time, Rwizikuru have pushed Caldia back into the Caldish half.

18:25 - Rwizikuru are now inching towards Caldia's '22. Steadily but surely Caldia is being pushed back.

18:26 - Rwizikuru are now in the Caldish '22. Caldia's defence is sloppy. Into phase four .

18:27 - Could Rwizikuru score a try against the Caldish Giants? It's possible, as Caldia are pushed back even further.

18:27 - Rwizikuru are now on the Caldish try line. Some of the Caldish players getting quite agitated and violent.

18:28 - Caldish players now tackling very aggressively. This could get messy.

18:31 - Turnover during a strong and aggressive Caldish counter-ruck. Caldia are now in possession.

18:35 - Disaster for Caldia as they kick it straight into the hands of Tashinga Towungana, Rwizikuru's full-back.

DROP GOAL!
18:38
Rwizikuru - Towungana Drop Goal. Score: 3-7

18:40 - That was an unbelievable drop goal! Absolutely amazing play from Towungana.

18:42 - Rwizikuru in possession again. Caldia are facing a tough fight!

18:48 - Caldia facing slim win here today. Angry Caldish players and fans.

18:50 - That's full time, 3-7 to Caldia, marking a Caldish victory. What should've been an easy match turned out to be quite the opposite! Will this set a trend for the rest of the tournament?

FULL TIME
18:50
Score: 3-7

[Eskaeba]

[Caltarania]

[Norcandy]

[Norcandy]

MON 3 - 35 HAL

1 Drop Goal '335 Try (5 Converted) '7, '22, '54, '58, '62

Group A

Port Hope International Stadium, Port Hope, Satavia

19:00 kick-off

Referee:
Ruvim Ó Nualláin (CAL)

Assistant Referees:
Edward Baller (SAT)
Boris Kovalyov (SOR)

TMO:
Chelsie Sharman (EST)

Match Description:
Halland dominated the match, scoring withing the first ten minutes. Montecara struggled to defend effectively against the overpowering Hallandic side. Possesion remained in the hands of Halland throughout the match.

WMZ 12 - 28 NUV

2 Try (1 Converted) '27, '364 Try (4 Converted) '19, '56, '69, '73

Group B

Port Edward Arena, Port Edward, Satavia

15:30 kick-off

Referee:
Monroe Jacobs (HAL)

Assistant Referees:
Rudolf Masson (GAL)
Gaz Ó Cathasaigh (CAL)

TMO:
Aubrey Girard (GAL)

Match Description:
The first half was, to everyone's suprise, a relatively even match, with West Miersa actually up at half time with a score of 12-7. Nuvania's coach said that the team played "poorly" at the start of the match. In the second half, however, Nuvania began to start playing well again, scoring multiple tries in the later part of the match, ending up at 12-28.

GAP 21 - 21 MAS

2 Try (2 Converted) '22, '682 Try (2 Converted) '36 , '73

Group C

King's College Jago Sports Arena

15:30 kick-off

Referee:
Arnaud Forestier (GAL)

Assistant Referees:
Conor Breckinridge (SAT)
Pieter Willemsen (NUV)

TMO:
Mervyn Ó Nualláin (CAL)

Match Description:
Gapolania defied expectations and held solid against Masari, one of the best teams out there. Whilst Masari is undeniably a better team in terms of ability, Gapolania were dedicated and fought for every inch of the pitch. This lead to a rather unexpected, but deserved, draw.

[Norcandy]

LIVE COVERAGE: AZMARA vs GAULLICA
FT: AZM 12-0 GAL
Welcome to the live coverage of the Azmara vs Gaullica match, held in the DePex Stadium of Port Hope.

17:00 - There's kick off! Neither side is expected to dominate here, but pundits believe a Gaullican victory is likely.

17:04 - Azmara has already lost possession to Gaullica in a Scrum. Gaullica's heavy pack outweighs Azmara's pretty massively.

17:06 - Gaullica now pushing into Azmara's half. Azmara needs to organise their defence better.

17:08 - Mattéo Abraham has just broken through Azmara's first line of defence and is bolting his way towards the try line.

17:09 - Mattéo Abraham knocked down by Azmara's full back, Leif Jonssun. He's halted any hope of a quick try for Gaullica.

17:13 - Azmara's defence now rebuffing Gaullica very effectively. Clearly they weren't quite in the mood earlier.

17:14 - Frei Karlssun seems hurt after a high tackle by Laurentin Mercier. Ref hasn't stopped play yet.

17:15 - Ref stopped play. Karlssun is being tended to by medics.

17:17 - Azmara and Gaullica now in a fight. It appears to have been started by an Azmaran player, who's team have responded to his 99 call.

17:19 - The fight's now been broken up. The ref's having a look at the TMO to see who's instigated it. Karlssun's been taken off.

YELLOW CARD
17:20
Yellow Card - Laurentin Mercier (GAL), High Tackle. Ten Minutes Sin Bin.

17:22 - Ref's spoken to both captains. He won't discipline for the fight, but he's given a yellow card to Mercier for his high tackle that's injured Karlssun.

17:22 - Play now resuming. Timer didn't stop.

17:23 - Lineout.

17:23 - Gaullica's lost this lineout to Azmara, despite Gaullica being the taller team. Poor communication between teammates, it seems, especially since they're now a man down.

17:25 -Siimun Helmutssun's got the ball and he's not stopping. Multiple tackles by Gaullican defenders have been botched.

TRY!
17:26
Azmara - Helmutssun has scored a try! Score: 5-0

17:25 -They've converted it now as well, giving them an additional two points.

17:30 -Play's slowed. Into phases now. Mercier back on the pitch.

17:32 - Gaullica losing and getting quite agitated. Can they squeeze in a try before half time?

17:35 - Five minutes to half time and still no opportunity for Gaullica to equalise.

17:37 - Confirmation from Dockyards General Hospital, Karlssun has broken his collarbone. His tournament is over.

HALF TIME
17:40
Score: AZM 7-0 GAL

17:45 - Half Time analysis: Azmara have been playing really well, helped in part by the fact that one of Gaullica's players were sinbinned, meaning they were playing with a man down. Gaullica really needs to improve it's defence, which so far the Azmarans have been able to push through, which given the fact that Gaullica's team is much bigger, shouldn't be happening.

17:47 - The weather is really turning for the worse, and it's beginning to tip it down in Port Hope.

17:50 - Match resuming now, despite the rain. Azmara are 7-0 up, and it'll be interesting to see wether they can keep that lead.

17:53 - Knock on from Gaullica. The rain and sloppy handling lead to the ball just flying out of his hands.

17:56 - Cédric Fabien has intercepted the ball and is on the home straight, heading for the try line

17:57 - Fabien's had to offload at the try line. Azmara have caught up.

17:57 - Entering phases as Azmara desperately defends it's try line.

17:59 - Azmara still desperately holding the Gaullicans off.

18:00 - Gaullica nearly had a try there, held up right on the try line. They're going to try and pass it out to the wings.

18:01 - C'est une catastrophe! Passing it out onto the wings has backfired, as Thierry Desrosiers has just walked into touch!.

18:04 - Azmara have now reversed the tide, and are pushing Gaullica back to their 22.

18:06 - Azmara now on the Gaullican Try line. How the tables turn, huh?.

TRY!
18:07
Azmara - Þurisas Toomassun has scored a try! Score: 12-0

18:07 - Azmara haven't been able to convert it. The pressure may have got to them.

18:11 - Gaullica's coach looking very sad. He know's he's lost it.

18:13 - Azmaran fans are already celebrating. Seventeen minutes left is not realistically enough time to claw back two tries with this level of resistance from Azmara.

18:16 - Gaullican fans are now leaving the stadium. Police outside should probably start getting worried, if they aren't already.

18:19 - Gaullica has possession again. Perhaps they could score another try?

18:22 - Gaullica running for Azmara's try line. It's possible for them to score another try!

18:26 - Gaullica are at Azmara's try line! Can they get the ball across?

18:28 - Gaullica are so close! They just need to push it across! They have two minutes before it's full time though. Any hope at victory will have flown out the window, but getting onto the scoreboard would be nice for them

18:30 - It's a sad day for Gaullica. They were so close to scoring at the end there. Score: AZM 12-0 GAL.

FULL TIME
18:30
Score: AZM 12-0 GAL

[Gapolania]

[Norcandy]

[Azmara]

[Nuvania]

Domestic|International|Rugby|Football|Cricket|Motorsport|Other|Opinion

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Pumas Struggle Against West Miersa In Opening Pool Match

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Ricus de Beer (@RdeBeer)
17 January (1:00pm)|PORT EDWARDS

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Pumas coach Stefan du Plessis after last night's 28-12 victory over West Miersa

The Pumas have "a lot of work to do" going forwards from their opening match against West Miersa in Port Edwards, Satavia last night.

While the Pumas won 28-12, Pumas coach Stefan du Plessis said that the performance put on by the Pumas was "not what we would have hoped for."
"Honestly I can't say we put one hundred percent into the game," he said. "We went out expecting to win by a huge margin, and honestly, we got our arses kicked by a second-rate team." du Plessis said that they would look at what went wrong during the match and look to fix mistakes made.
"I know we can do better and that's what we're looking to do. We can be better, and we will be better."

The match began with a relatively even set, with Nuvania struggling to maintain dominance in light of a significant and spirited fightback from the West Miersan side. While possession was relatively even, the Pumas handed over more penalties and turnovers, giving the West Miersans an edge in the opening half. Nuvania would score first blood in the match with loose forward Danie Erasmus scoring a try after nineteen minutes of a scrappy and at times, desperate, West Misersan defence, with Eon Rautenbach kicking a successful conversion to put Nuvania up 7-0.

West Miersa return serve with two unanswered tries in the first half, the first coming from the swift feet of forward Hanusz Konieczka, who exploited a punt from Izydor Krygier to break through the Nuvanian defence and score one of the few tries any West Miersan player has made against Nuvania. A successful conversion from Krygier equalled the score, causing some consternation in the coach's box as du Plessis watched on. The second try came just before half time, with 22 year old Julian Zak, a rising star within super rugby in Euclea, showed the kind of brilliance and speed that has made him in-demand on the continent, zipping past the much larger Nuvanian players to score a second try for West Miersa. An unsuccessful conversion attempt from Krygier left the score at 12-7 to West Miersa at half time.

du Plessis looked panicked in the locker room as the Pumas wondered why they were now losing to a team that was ranked at the bottom of the standings, and as typical of the style of du Plessis, the Pumas were whipped back into shape in time for the second half of the game.

It took sixteen minutes for Nuvania to make a response, with captain Pieter Scholtz scoring after a numerous attempts to break the West Miersan defences, putting one under the posts and setting up Rautenbach with an easy conversion, putting Nuvania ahead 14-12. It became clear as the second half continued that the West Miersans had run out of steam, Nuvania dominating possession and forcing more errors against an increasingly desperate West Miersan side, the West Miersans conceeding sixteen unforced errors and six penalties. In a show more indicative of Nuvania being the second highest ranked team in world rugby behind Caldia. Danie Erasmus scored his second try of the game and of his world cup campaign with a try sixty-nine minutes into the game after breaking through the West Miersans following a scrum. The final try of the match came from the swift feet of Alex de Smidt, who made use of a successful turnover to push through the West Miersan line to get his first try of the World Cup. Reutenbach capped off a successful night for him with a fourth successful conversion, the game ending after 82 minutes with Nuvania having pulled it back.

Captain Pieter Scholtz said it was "disappointing" that the team conceeded two unanswered tries in the first half of the match but said that it was "only the beginning of the campaign".
"It's been a couple of months since the Super League ended so we're going to be just getting back into it," he said. "Still it was disappointing at the start but we'll be back in form for the next game."

Many of the tens of thousands of Pumas fans that packed the Port Edward Arena are certainly hoping so, with many of them looking despondent at half time. Despite this, many of them are confident that the Pumas will win the Rugby World Cup for a record fourth time this year. Johan Booysens, from Philipsbaai, Mahaika, said that they have what it takes to win the final.
"This is one of the best, best teams we've had in ages," he said. "We're gonna win, no doubt."

Elsewhere, Garambura got their campaign off to a winning start with an emphatic 35-5 win over Tengaria to take command of Group C, and Estmere edging out Soravia 19-14 to go top of Group D. Current number one team Calida barely edged out Rwizikuru 7-3 in a scrappy Group A clash, while Halland went to the top of the pool after a dominating 35-3 victory against Montecara.

The Pumas now face middle-ranked Sivathra, who won their opening match against low-ranked Alsland 21-7, with many pundits having Nuvania as the favourite for a win, with the Pumas now sitting at the top of Group B above Sivathra with their bonus point win last night, the match later tonight. Coverage will begin live on NBC/NUK Sports from 8:30pm, and delayed coverage will be available on NTV from 9:30pm.

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© Nusport 2021

[Norcandy]

ETR 11 - 0 MON

1 Try (0 Converted) '39; 2 Drop Goal '57, '74

Group A

Port Edward Arena, Port Edward, Satavia

19:30 kick-off

Referee:
Nikolaas De Witte (NUV)

Assistant Referees:
Goodwin Lyndon (EST)
Cainneach Ó Braonáin ()

TMO:
Kenzie Romeijnders (HEN)

Match Description:
Neither side dominated, but Etruria just beat out Montecara at every stage, leading to an Eturian victory.

RWI 18 - 37 HAL

2 Try (1 Converted) '26, '39; 2 Drop Goal '47, '594 Try (4 Converted) '15, '19, '64, '75; 3 Drop Goal '7, '31, '79

Group A

Port Hope International Stadium, Port Hope (Breybach Sands), Satavia

15:30 kick-off

Referee:
Rayner Shine (EST)

Assistant Referees:
Daniel de Veers (NUV)
Ernest Collingwood (EST)

TMO:
Arvel Mulloy (CAL)

Match Description:
In this high-scoring game, Rwizikuru put up a valiant fight against the overpowering Hallandic side, who've been doing really well this year so far. Halland were in the lead consistently, and appeared to be in complete control of the situation, despite conceding 18 points.

SAT 28 - 5 ALS

4 Try (4 Converted) '11, '26, '48, '671 Try (0 Converted) '52

Group B

Satavian Airlines Oval, Adamstown, Satavia

15:30 kick-off

Referee:
Micha Ó Braonáin (CAL)

Assistant Referees:
Georges Hubert (GAL)
Johnathon Martel (EST)

TMO:
Wilhelm de Witte (NUV)

Match Description:
Satavia thoroughly beat Alsland, but showed that they also had gaping holes in their defence, which the Alslandic team exploited to score a try just four minutes after a Satavian try.

NUV 45 - 0 SIV

6 Try (6 Converted) '7, '12, '26, '33, '48, '59; 1 Drop Goal '71

Group B

King's College Jago, Port Jago, Satavia

16:30 kick-off

Referee:
Cornelius Van Tonder (SAT)

Assistant Referees:
Georges Hubert (GAL)
Pádraig O'Hara (CAL)

TMO:
Domnall Woods (HAL)

Match Description:
Following Nuvania's semi-poor performance yesterday, the Pumas dominated over Sivathra, not conceding a single try.

CAS 3 - 28 GAR

1 Drop Goal '794 Tries (4 Converted) '19, '27, '51, '66

Group C

Fort Kinnon Arena, Port Arthur-Fort Kinnon, Satavia

16:30 kick-off

Referee:
Amand Abel (GAL)

Assistant Referees:
Theofilus Van der Aart (HEN)
Zhenya Nikolaev (SOR)

TMO:
Newton Sinclair (SAT)

Match Description:
Garambura dominated here, scoring four tries evenly spaced throughout the match. Cassier made several attempts to score tries on the Garamburan try line, spending thirteen minutes on the try line, before eventually passing back to score a drop goal with just minutes before the end of the match.

TEN 24 - 28 GAP

3 Try (3 Converted) '47, '59, '72; 1 Drop Goal '794 Tries (4 Converted) '19, '27, '51, '66

Group C

Northport Stadium, Northport (Orange Province), Satavia

16:30 kick-off

Referee:
Elliot Hummel (SAT)

Assistant Referees:
Antoon Kreager (SAT)
Dubhghall MacClery (CAL)

TMO:
Cirino Ventimiglia (ETR)

Match Description:
Once again, Gapolania, officially the worst team in the tournament, have proven that perhaps they shouldn't have been judged so quickly. The Kolibri punched hard, narrowly beating Tengaria in this unexpected result. Both Gapolania and Tengaria were awarded a bonus point; Tengaria for losing by less than 7 points, and Gapolania for scoring four tries.

SOR 0 - 0 AZM

Group D

Port Hope RFC Grounds, Port Hope, Satavia

14:30 Kick Off

Referee:
Caolán Cavanagh (CAL)

Assistant Referees:
Ermenegildo Martel (ETR)
Finnán O'Shaughnessy (CAL)

TMO:
Enea Di Stefano (ETR)

Match Description:
Neither Azmara nor Soravia could score any points in this match, with the majority of play being stuck around the half way line.

GAL 17 - 24 EST

3 Try (1 Converted) '33, '49, '574 Try (2 Converted) '23, '64, '71, '78

Group D

DePex Stadium, Port Hope, Satavia

18:30 Kick Off

Referee:
Pieter Van Nifterick (SAT)

Assistant Referees:
Eric Sala (GAP)
Anton Kuznetsov (SOR)

TMO:
Rayner Dries (NUV)

Match Description:
In this tightly contested match, Gaullica, still reeling from defeat, played with all their heart, as did Estmere. It was a close run battle, that was snatched by Estmere in the last ten minutes with a try in the 71st minute and then also in the 78th minute. Both teams played exceptionally.

[Caltarania]

[Eskaeba]

[Gapolania]

[Norcandy]

SPORTSREVIEW.co.sv

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RUGBY: Satavia 28-5 Alsland
Despite Satavia win and bonus point, coach Clark says "more to work on"
Pieter de Witt (@real_pieterdewitt )
^{Sunday, 17th January | The Hope Province}

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Satavia 28-5 Alsland
Photo courtesy of WorldRugby.

ADAMSTOWN, Northern Hope-
It isn't only Stefan du Plessis who was left reeling following the opening matches of the Rugby World Cup this weekend - Dolphin's Coach James Clark, despite the win against Alsland, and the bonus point picked up for scoring over four tries was still dismayed at the Dolphin's performance.

"Alsland was an easy win but we shouldn't have conceded that try. Whilst they failed to convert it, it showed a level of complacency, and that attitude that 'y'know, we've got this in the bag'".

Clark, a former player himself, and the captain of the Satavian team that defied expectations and stormed to victory in Gaullica, 1997, knows only too well what it's like to play against teams that are worse on paper but excel themselves unexpectedly. He captained the team in 2001, where they were defeated - rather embarrassingly for the defending champions - in the quarter-finals by Gaullica. He's said that it's because they "went in with a mentality of 'you're gonna win. You're the world champions'".

The match itself began with an early Satavian try in the 11th minute by captain and fullback Jonty Warwick, which was successfully converted by fly-half Richard "Dicky" Reeve. This was followed by a lot of pitch action, mainly around the Alslandic 22-meter line, with a desperate but efficient defence from Alslandic players, eventually ending following a pass by Reid Van Houtum, out towards the right-wing and Oliver Wheatly, who ran the try home. Once again, Dicky Reeve's magic foot scored Satavia another two points, ending the first half 14-0 up.

The second half began with a bang, with Arthur Goodwin, Satavia's eighthman, scoring a try just eight minutes after the match resumed, which was once again converted successfully by Dicky Reeve. However, Satavia's celebrations were cut short - just four minutes later, Alsland's number 12 scored perhaps what will go down as one of the greatest tries in Rugby World Cup history - and one that he was deservedly named man of the match for. Bendert Walstra, having intercepted the ball from a wide pass, sprinted towards the Satavian try line from his own - and despite multiple Satavian players catching up to him, and attempting to tackle, he was untouchable - even Jonty Warwick - undoubtedly one of the best players in the world - failed to take Walstra down. Walstra scored the first and only try for Alsland this match. Walstra took advantage of a gaping hole in Satavia's offensive line, meaning when it was spun around and the line became a defensive line, nobody was there to patch the hole up. Sadly for Alsland, they failed to convert the try, leaving them 21-5 down.

To add insult to injury, Goodwin scored again in the 61st minute but was offside so the try was disallowed. The team scored again just seven minutes later, this time it was Dicky Reeve - who then also converted the try. The match ended after eighty minutes as a decisive Satavian victory, even earning Satavia a bonus point.

©sportsreview.co.sv

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MORE HEADLINES

• Halland: Yesterday's Losers, Today's Winners?
• Callgate: Elliot not directly involved
• Opinion: Elliot may not be involved; he'll still have to resign
• Are Alsland really the shitiest team? Yes, to be honest
• Gaullica descend, Gapolania ascend

[Nuvania]

Domestic|International|Rugby|Football|Cricket|Motorsport|Other|Opinion

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Pumas Defeat Sivathra In Pool B Whitewash

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Ricus de Beer (@RdeBeer)
18 January (1:00pm)|PORT JAGO

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Duane Dikana celebrates with teammates after scoring the Pumas' final try during the 40-0 victory over Sivathra

The Pumas have made up for their poor performance on Saturday by defeating Sivathra 45-0 in what is the largest winning margin so far this world cup, the match being played earlier than advertised at Port Jago, causing some confusion among fans who were expecting a match later in the evening due to a scheduling error.

Despite this, many of the Nuvanian fans were treated to a domineering performance on the field from the Pumas, who conceeded zero tries and dominated possession, forcing numerous unforced errors and penalties from the Sivathrans, who put up a spirited defence but failed to prevent the Pumas from pushing through their defences multiple times, the Sivathrans conceeding six unanswered tries.

The first came within the first ten minutes of the game beginning, with the Pumas showing their dominance from the start. Danie Erasmus scored the first of his two tries at the start, intercepting a bungled pass and sprinting to the other end of the field, out pacing many of the Sivathran players. Eon Rautenbach would be called on to demonstrate why he is one of the most valuable players in the Super League, successfully converting all six tries. Barely three minutes later, Alex de Smidt punched a hole in the Sivathran defence, scoring another try twelve minutes into the first half. Sean Carter nabbed his first try of the world cup twenty-six minutes into the first half, and saw Erasmus score his second try at the thirty-third minute. By half time, Nuvania was up 28-0, and coach Stefan du Plessis was undoubtedly buoyed by the performance so far.

The second half of the game was less eventful than the first half, the Pumas largely consolidating rather than pushing forwards, exploiting errors made by the Sivathrans and continue to dominate possession. The Pumas were down a player six minutes into the second half when Rory Ellis charged Ashik Shankar, prompting the awarding of a penalty and Ellis being yellow carded, and sent to the sin bin. Despite this, the Pumas managed to score, with Pieter Scholtz scoring his second try of the world cup two minutes after the yellow card. This was followed up with a final try, this time by Duane Dikana scoring his opening try of the world cup. Eon Rautenbach rounded up the dominating performance, with a drop kick in the seventy-first minute of the game, the game ending just over the end of eighty minutes.

Coach Stefan du Plessis said that he was pleased with the Pumas' performance but still said there was a lot of improvement to come.
"We've definitely improved from yesterday but there's still a way to go before I'm happy with where things are," he said. "Look, the boys know I'm like this and they're used to it, it helps them improve their game and it's taken us back up to second in the rankings." Du Plessis reserved most of his criticisms for officials off field, saying that he "expected a lot better" from game officials.
"I can't understand why they messed up so badly," he said. "They've organised large games here in the past, somehow this too much for them? It's ridiculous." Du Plessis said that he'd hoped that the scheduling would be "properly sorted" by the next Pumas group match, scheduled for Wednesday.

Captain Pieter Scholtz said that he was pleased with the performance, saying that "this is where we should be" in terms of dominance of the lower ranked teams.
"This is what our fans expect, this is what we expect, and I think we've delivered that today," he said. "The boys played really well, and we're looking forwards to the next pool game."

The Pumas now face low-ranked team Alsland, who were taken down 28-5 by Satavia. Asland has a rating of 4.9, one of the lowest of all the teams that play international rugby, with the Pumas only having played the team six times in the past; four of those coming from previous world cup pool matches, and two others from friendly games while the Pumas toured Euclea, the previous encounter being a previous group game at the where the Pumas won 66-0, with Alsland only having scored against Nuvania twice.

Today's win puts Nuvania at the top of the Pool B table five points ahead of hosts Satavia, who move into second with their opening victory against Alsland. In Pool A, Halland consolidated its lead in the Pool with a bonus point 37-18 win over Rwizikuru, and Etruria opened its own world cup campaign with an 11-0 victory over Montecara. In Pool C, Garambura continues to lead that pool, pulling off another bonus point 28-3 win over Cassier, while Gapolania continues to close the gap, winning a close game against Tengaria 28-24. In Pool D, Estmere continues to lead that pool, taking a bonus point 24-17 victory over Estmere. Azmara and Soravia struggled to a nil all draw in a difficult and often scrappy match for both mid-ranked teams.

The Pumas now have two days off before they face off against Alsland on Wednesday. Live coverage will again be provided by NBC/NUK Sports, and delayed coverage on NTV. NuSports will also be providing both Asteriaans and Estmerish language streams on its website.

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© Nusport 2021

[The Kingdom of Glitter]

DISSAPOINTING MATCH AGAINST RWIZIKURU MARKS LACKLUSTER OPENING FOR CALDIA

Cathal Ó Loingsigh (@cathalosports)
^{18 January 2021 | Port Hope, Satavia}

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Coach Tadhg Mac Domhnaill has said he remains confident in his team, but some fans are uneasy.

PORT HOPE – Caldia may have won its first match at the Rugby World Cup, but few are happy about it.

A disappointing opening match on Friday saw Caldia best Rwizikuru 7-3, a final score that came as a surprise to fans and players alike. Caldia is a giant in international rugby, but the team's poor performance against their Bahian counterparts could expose the giant's weakness.

Caldia started with an aggressive opening, pushing hard and fast against Rwizikuru. However, that did not last. For much of the second half of the match, it was Caldia on the defensive. A drop goal by Tashinga Towungana, Rwizikuru's full-back who is garnering international attention, put Rwizikuru on the board.

Fans were visibly frustrated with Caldia's lack of progress during the match while players reacted aggressively. Some have contributed the team's poor performance to the anger of its players.

Coach Tadhg Mac Domhnail has said he remains confident in his team's chances to win the tournament.

"The team you saw on Friday is not the team I brought with me to Satavia. That is not Caldia, and you will see that we are a serious competitor on Wednesday".

Caldia faces off with Halland on Wednesday. So far, the Hallandic team is undefeated. Yesterday, they beat Rwizikuru 37-18. The Hallandic team is one of the more serious competitors in international rugby and maintains a friendly rivalry with Caldia. Should the match go poorly for Caldia, it could spell trouble.

After Halland, Caldia is set to face off with Montecara on Saturday and Etruria on Sunday before the close of the group stages.

[Navack]

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MASARI DEBUTES WITH A DRAW AGAINST GAPOLANIA

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Kanyabahayadha - Unbeaten though not victorious, the Masahari national rugby team's debut in the 2021 Rugby World Cup was not as sweet as fans expected. In a tight opening game against Gapolania, the Jaguars failed to secure a win and ended up tying 21-21 with the Asterian side.

The tie is considered by many to be the fairest of the results; Masari is indeed considered one of the strongest teams in the competition but failed to impose their quality facing an extremely well-organized, well-trained, and bloodthirsty Gapolania. The Jaguars were never ahead on the score, meaning that they did nothing but run after the surprising Asterian game.

Surely, Gapolania had many opportunities to seal the win and take the victory points away with them, but the Masahari experience helped the Bahians to at least secure 2 table points. Both Masahari tries were scored by Klemens Duma-Hamisi in the 36’ and 73’ minutes.

“This is not the way we wanted to start, but our fans can be sure that we did our best today and we will work hard to fix our mistakes to win our next match.” Said Klemens at the end of the match against Gapolania.

The Jaguars will takes on Garambura next on Jan 20, in what is one of the most anticipated matches in the group stage. Masari and Garambura will face again for the first time since 2017 when the Zebras eliminated the Jaguars in the quarter-finals after a rocking 38-10 victory. The rivalry goes on and surely everyone will be tuning in to watch the “Bahian Clash of Titans” next Wednesday.