Portugal beat Fiji with a converted last minute try for their first ever World Cup victory. Fortunately Fiji got the losing bonus point that puts them into the quarter finals and the Aussies on the plane home.
Only caught the last 20 minutes or so but looked a cracker of a game. Japan v. Argentina at lunchtime was an absolutely we if a game. Great to see some of the less fancied team give it a right good go.
14 Oct Cymru v Argentina Ireland v New Zealand -- winners of these two games play each other in semi-final - 20 Oct. 15 Oct England v Fiji France v S. Africa -- winners of these two games play each other in semi-final - 21 Oct.
Winner Reach Final France 11/4 6/5 Ireland 11/4 6/5 New Zealand 7/2 11/8 South Africa 7/2 11/8 England 12/1 7/2 Cymru 22/1 5/1 Argentina 33/1 8/1 Fiji 50/1 10/1
The rugby ball's distinctive shape is supposedly due to the pig's bladder, although early balls were more plum-shape than oval. The balls varied in size in the beginning depending upon how large the pig's bladder was. Around 1862, Richard Lindon was desperate to find a replacement for the pig’s bladder and used an India rubber bladder instead. Hey-ho!
In the rugby World Cup you get a losing bonus point if you lose by the equivalent of a converted try or less - so you get a losing bonus point by losing by seven points or fewer. You also get a bonus point if you score four or more tries in a game - so in theory teams could get two points for losing if it’s an end to end high scoring game. Fiji lost by only one point so got the losing bonus point which was enough to equal Australia’s points total; meaning they went through on their head to head result. Quarter finals now so it’s straight knock out here on in.
