Warched one of the union games that involved one team (NZ?) having twenty plus drives from forwards one out of the ruck each making less than a yard eventually after about 5 minutes touching the bottom of a Canberra Raiders milk bottle style post protector with the ball to be awarded a try.

The ball didn't get within 6 inches of the try line and impossible to defend once you are near the posts.

Honestly I was so excited. Fortunately there was a scrum awarded shortly afterwards so I had at least 5 minutes to compose myself before the ref awarded the inevitable scrum penalty for a random unattributable offence allowing for an attempt on goal giving another three minutes of edge of the seat excitement to find out whether the kick was successful.

Rugby Union media and fans are constantly positive about the game to the extent of Emperor's new clothes whilst the general media and its own fans like nothing better than talking rugby league down.

Super League fans, especially Wire fans, criticising RU for lack of entertainment brings one saying to mind - something about glass houses and stones?....

I quite like the other code too, don't get me wrong I much prefer league. Their professionalism (for the most part) and organisation has to be admired. I've enjoyed the world Cup so far.

Apparently 50m Japanese watched that game between Japan and Scotland.

It was a good game, the quarter final lineup looks good.

Was a great game. Best game of Rugby from either code this weekend.

Japan have done really well. With their home advantage, I would fancy them against any northern hemisphere side. Their match with the Springboks will be a belter.

The All Blacks are still massive favourites though. Will take them having an off day to blow this.

Japan are so quick ... feet, hands & thought. Lovely to watch.

Agree, they haven't beaten ireland and Scotland by accident. Japan v South Africa will be a brilliant game. I think they all will, great match ups in the quarter finals.

Always thought our refs and video refs are shocking but for the TMO to say that forward pass was inconclusive was laughable, at least the actual ref had the good sense to over turn the TMO. Why can’t our refs do that. Btw it was that far forward it could of been a Saint Helens special

He didn't say inconclusive he said he was happy with both passes in a very Australian accent! What's the point in him being there if he can't see that, not only was it forward the receiver was I front by 2 yards when the ball was passed! As blatent as it gets.

I said to a mate superleague should do that with the video officials, the video ref shows the game ref and they can discuss it. Game ref has final say.

England were great, looked like scoring everytime we got field position.

Something definitely seems to have slipped in terms of both media coverage and also general enthusiasm/awareness in the population compared to a decade or so ago.

This was a world cup quarter final, England beat Australia comfortably. Yes its being covered, but it's not got the same dominating coverage that it did before. The benchmark that stands out to me is not 2003 but 2007. 2003 was mega hyped obviously because England were favourites and hadn't won a world cup in anything for years. In 2007 though, England went in in terrible form and the sporting headlines were dominated for weeks before about how bad England were, same through the early rounds then it hit a fever pitch of excitement when England beat Australia in the quarter final and then France in the semi en route to a final which they lost to South Africa. The hype/excitement about this world cup is not even close to that.

I'm not saying the media is ignoring it, far from it, I just think something has slipped for RU compared to a decade or so ago. I don't think the game is really growing.

I really noticed when I moved down to London and so out of my former northern bubble, that RU is smaller than I thought it would be. When the six nations come around, all the Welsh/Irish people that I know from work etc all seem to make it a big deal. For the English it's just a certain social class, and they don't seem to follow it particularly fanatically either. It feels like the same dynamic as you get with cricket. A lot of people who will watch the internationals on TV, read about it on the internet/papers and have an opinion on it without actively going to games or following a club team.

We always talk about how RU is great at marketing itself and so on but I wonder if it really is. When I went to Australia a few years back I was also surprised at how RU seemed to be seen as a minority sport there and was trailing way behind cricket, league and AFL in the nation's consciousness.

It can only be described as a passing interest in Union (if that) for me, however, I watched the last hour of the Wales v France QF and missed most of the tries.
Wales got away with a fortunate win, after the French were in control until the elbow incident. Once France were down to 14 men, they still looked like the team more likely to score. I was surprised that they tried a hail Mary drop kick from miles out, and then didn't bother with ball in hand under the Welsh posts. This would have extended their lead to 9 points, and in my opinion seen them home.
The French number 13 would be worthy of consideration if persuaded to switch codes.

Union is a lot better than it used to be but ruddy Nora it's easy to waste time in that game. Think France touched the ball once in the last ten when trying to chase the game. As well as just standing over a ball at the back of the ruck you could also easily waste 5 mins faffing around at a scrum when, weirdly, the clock isn't stopped and no side who is behind seem remotely bothered.

What annoys me are the technical infringements that are penalised at the scrum. OK the scrums may be nice & tidy ,but the ref still watches the scrum half feed his own front row making all the pushing & shoving largely irrelevant .

I've seen the scrum half feed his loose forward in another game, with 13 men in each team.