What's the point in a third/fourth playoff?

I don't see one.

Two desperately disappointed sides playing for a footnote in history...

Portnoy wrote:I don't see one.

Two desperately disappointed sides playing for a footnote in history...

more $$$ for the RWC organisers

Didnt it used to be a way to guarantee being in the next world cup?
After England lost the 1995 one to France they had to play the Netherlands and someone else (Romania?) to qualify for the 1999 one I think?

I've never seen the point of them.

Do sides bother playing anything like their first XV in these games? It's a real dead rubber.

Also, nobody wants an injury for the more important domestic/international games coming up.

whocares wrote:

Portnoy wrote:I don't see one.

Two desperately disappointed sides playing for a footnote in history...

more $$$ for the RWC organisers

That's the only excuse whocares. But for the majority of rugby supporters you are the perfect poster to make the first respondent.

I would think the point is the Bronze medal?

biltongbek wrote:I would think the point is the Bronze medal?

Yeah, but who has ever said "bronze-medal winning rugby player..."

No point whatsoever, so get rid of them forthwith.

If you gave me the opportunity of being a springbok and going home or playing for the Brinze medal, I would go for the Bronze medal.

But hey, that's me.

The same applies to a bronze medal winner in the olympics. should they cancel that too?

'What's the point in a third/fourth playoff?' Well the answer's in the question, isn't it?

It's a game neither side would have wanted to play, of course, but owt's better than nowt.

I would happily cancel it, if there was a plate competition for those who dint qualify for the quarter finals.

Seem to remember the one in 2007 being a good match, and the Argies were very much up for it - as I hope Wales are this weekend. I quite like it.

money for the irb- nothing else. its a waste of time, noone cares.

Bet you wouldn't be saying this if ENGLAND had reached the semi's hahahaha...

walesworldcup wrote:Bet you wouldn't be saying this if ENGLAND had reached the semi's hahahaha...

lol are you serious- you think id care about getting 3rd or 4th lol. what planet are you on- id be gutted about losing to wales or whoever else- england have won this thing before- we wererunners up last time- semi final- quarter final- out in groups- who gives a rats.....

Sorry my grandmother wasn't born and we don't have any documents regarding to that world cup it was so long ago. Just some cave drawings of a drop goal found near Stonehenge.

What a terrible attitude to consider this game meaningless

walesworldcup wrote:Bet you wouldn't be saying this if ENGLAND had reached the semi's hahahaha...

Bingo.

I reckon its another day out for the fans to thank their team for a great tournament.

More rugby and these fairies are complaining!! Keep them I say!!!

walesworldcup wrote:Sorry my grandmother wasn't born and we don't have any documents regarding to that world cup it was so long ago. Just some cave drawings of a drop goal found near Stonehenge.

you mean a world cup a few years ago lol- but then i did assume you were 3 - so it makes sense

It had some point to it back in the early RWC days because rugby games were few and far between, proper tours still existed and the top 6 or 8 teams didn't see each other multiple times a year.

But it's a hold over from that era, it has little interest now. Player management is more important, clubs relying on returning players will be crossing their fingers no one gets hurt for what is more or less a meaningless extra match. Wales v Australia in November or July has more riding on it.

did you not watch the Arg v Fra 07 playoff..?

they ALL played like their lives depended on it... on of the best games of the RWC

damage_13 wrote:did you not watch the Arg v Fra 07 playoff..?

they ALL played like their lives depended on it... on of the best games of the RWC

and yet nothing depended on it- look not gonna patroinize argentina here- but they are going to take great pride in going for 3rd for reasons we can understand, maybe the weslh see this as well- i dont know- what i do know is the OZ surely wont give a monkies either way- its just a money making excersise, which i suppose is also fair enough!

mystiroakey wrote:

damage_13 wrote:did you not watch the Arg v Fra 07 playoff..?

they ALL played like their lives depended on it... on of the best games of the RWC

and yet nothing depended on it- look not gonna patroinize argentina here- but they are going to take great pride in going for 3rd for reasons we can understand, maybe the weslh see this as well- i dont know- what i do know is the OZ surely wont give a monkies either way- its just a money making excersise, which i suppose is also fair enough!

You are kind of suggesting that ANY test match that is not part of a competition is meaningless and that teams don't care about the result. We should probably scrap the autumn internationals in that case

But fans and players look forward to the autumn and summer tours. Nobody wants to be in the 3rd/4th place playoff. It will be very hard to get up for it.

Hopefull Edwards' mentality will rub off on them.

He said in interview that its a game of rugby and he wants to go into every game wanting to win otherwise whats point in taking part.

Spot On

mystiroakey wrote:

walesworldcup wrote:Sorry my grandmother wasn't born and we don't have any documents regarding to that world cup it was so long ago. Just some cave drawings of a drop goal found near Stonehenge.

you mean a world cup a few years ago lol- but then i did assume you were 3 - so it makes sense

+1

IronMike wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:

damage_13 wrote:did you not watch the Arg v Fra 07 playoff..?

they ALL played like their lives depended on it... on of the best games of the RWC

and yet nothing depended on it- look not gonna patroinize argentina here- but they are going to take great pride in going for 3rd for reasons we can understand, maybe the weslh see this as well- i dont know- what i do know is the OZ surely wont give a monkies either way- its just a money making excersise, which i suppose is also fair enough!

You are kind of suggesting that ANY test match that is not part of a competition is meaningless and that teams don't care about the result. We should probably scrap the autumn internationals in that case

nope not at all- other test matches can be considered great practise games, a 3rd and 4th play off is abit of a gutting match to be involved in and no team is going to be looking at it in a way of a building process for future cups- although in affect they certainly could. But we all know that a week after a defeat on the way to a wcf is not long enough to get over the pain of losing out

As I've mentioned on another post, 4rd or 4th doesnt matter as far as I'm concerned but this game is important for Wales. They need to show that they can beat a SH side. Psychologically it could be huge for a young side to finish the WC on a high.

Portnoy wrote:I don't see one.

Two desperately disappointed sides playing for a footnote in history...

Its probably the best way to decide the top four teams and how they rank.

That aside it also benefits the semi finalists with extra ranking points. This is still a world cup game and therefor extra points.

Australia were pumped for it anyhow.

Our spare tyres were pumped Glas...

I heard that the reason for the 3rd/4th playoff match had something to do with determining seedings for the next RWC in 2015.

Unfortunately, this means that the loser (4th) will be placed in the Group alongside the Host? (or No. 1 seed?) whilst the winner (3rd) will be in the same Group as the No. 7 seed.

Seedings for the next world cup are based soley on world rankings. Wales are in a spot of bother at the moment as they will be down to 8th in the word. The Aussies will either be 2nd or 3rd in the world rankings depending on what France do tomorow, either way they will be classed as one of the 'top' seeds. As it stands NZ as top seeds will play the bottom placed 2nd seed teams which will be Wales in 8th etc

Need to check when the draw for 2015 is made but I see what you're saying wrfc.

So the fact that that playoff match affects the rankings may have consequences on the draw?

It does seem a bit unfair on the likes of Wales, for example they are the only team out of the last 4 teams in the tournament to go home with out any medals at all.

Also with it being the end of the tournament to see the likes of Kirkley Beel,and Quade Cooper get injured like they did, it does make you think, is it worth it.

i suppose the worst case scenario if your 8th is that you may be in a group with scotland and new zealand.

would that be correct or is it all out of a hat- so in theory its immaterial to wales as they could be 5th to 8th and have no signifiucant difference

Somebody better get chapter and verse on this now as my interest has been pricked.

The top three from the groups have qualified. The other 8 will qualify through a new World Trophy competition.

Therefore:
NZ AUS RSA ARG ENG SCO IRE WAL FRA ITA TONGA SAMOA are in.

I'd have thought that there are draws within the seedings, ie the top four seeds are allocated to their groups, the next four seeds are drawn etc. If so the difference between 5th and 8th is of only academic interest.

Glas a du wrote:The top three from the groups have qualified. The other 8 will qualify through a new World Trophy competition.

Therefore:
NZ AUS RSA ARG ENG SCO IRE WAL FRA ITA TONGA SAMOA are in.

I'd have thought that there are draws within the seedings, ie the torules are set in stone p four seeds are allocated to their groups, the next four seeds are drawn etc. If so the difference between 5th and 8th is of only academic interest.

So long as the qualification rules are set in stone. I would imagine that they are for 2015, but I can't find a definitive reference.

Neither could I, which is niggling me now.