At the beginning of the end of Italy’s waylaid World Cup campaign, a South African journalist suggested trickery on behalf of their head coach. “I’m not sure what could have been done,” said Conor O’Shea of the natural disaster-enforced cancellation of the New Zealand game. Every junior coach, every schools coach, so [this World Cup] has been the perfect way for people to re-educate themselves from club level up to European Cup level. “I’m not saying Ireland can’t play [an offloading game] but the weather this weekend will help them.”West Tokyo is expecting rain. “If you were looking logically at the outcome of the quarter-finals it would be New Zealand, South Africa, England, Wales but this World Cup has asked other questions.

Source: The Irish Times October 16, 2019 17:35 UTC