Sounds very positive for the USA. Puts them at the top of the Atlantic qualifying group, then again its the first match of the qualifiers.


19 October 2011 - South Africa V Jamaica
23 October 2011 - Jamaica V United States

Well I have to say I am quite surprised - not so much by the result as the margin of victory. With Canada having played both teams I would have expected a much closer result and even a SA victory. Perhaps SA froze on the day. Or was the ref 70 years old again?

I cannot see Jamaica beating the USA so I suppose that just about wraps things up!

looks like you are going to be in for a shock mate on wednesday night , you obviously have not seen the reggae boys line up. the usa will be regretting the decision to rest their danger men in the second half, jamaica are capable of running in 80 against these rhinos and it will be a close game against the USA but jamaica although not playing together as a unit so much, they are young lightning fast in all departments and hungry for success with a good few of them looking to step up into super league this coming season these guys are my favourites to enter the 2013 WC tournament and avenge their brothers in cape town

Don't think Richard Silverwood will thank you for that. Plus Paul Byrne was one of the TJs

Time will tell! I think Jamaica being competitive against USA is more likely than an 80 point margin of victory though. SA are lilkely to want to atone for what sounds like, judging by the scoreline, a terrible performance.

Yes, tongue was firmly in cheek with that one. The ref could have been a factor though - perhaps SA are not used to such high standards and got penalized at the play the balls. I am just trying to explain the surprising margin. Perhaps someone who was at the game could tell us the story of what happened.

www.wearerugby.com/news/articles ... dle-rhinos

www.wearerugby.com/news/articles ... dle-rhinos

Thanks - injuries could have played a part but it seems like USA were just too good on the day.

actually mapleyther you have misunderstood my point entirely, i was in fact saying it will be a very close thing between jamaica and USA possibly a draw, thats why the USA may regret easing off in the second half yesterday because jamaica will i think beat the south african rhinos by a bigger margin than the USA did and that points difference could be crucial as to who qualifies for 2013, if i may just add for the record

Not entirely misunderstood - I don't see Jamaica running in 80 against SA - but as I said before time will tell. I was hoping for 3 close contests before the tournament started - so I hope the next match is not 40-4 or 80-0!

Quite surprised by this result. The South Africans looked dangerous going forward against Canada so I expected a few more tries from them. Sounds like a great defensive effort from the Tomahawks. Anyone know what the penalty count was? I know the Rhinos got penalised a fair bit against Canada, especially around the PTB.

Hope all of the injured players recover OK.

I thought that SA were quite sloppy executing their PTB during the Canada game and this may have hurt them.

It's a real shame that Canada are not participating in this - a 4 team tournament would have given SA a chance to redeem themselves. I am sure Canada would have conceded significantly less points than Serbia and Russia (the former who are, by the way, full members of the RLEF)..I just don't get it..

It's just a timing thing. Things started to come together in Canada just a little too late for them to be considered for the WCQ. They'll be in there for the next ones.

Apparently the USA fielded an ineligible player in this match.

Joseph Paulo, the Tomahawks' MOM against South Africa, played for the USA at the weekend but had previously played for Samoa less than a year ago.

Interesting. Is there a specific punishment for this or is it all vague and bullty like the Challenge Cup used to be before Hull did the same thing and didn't get kicked out?

Yeah, I know it is timing - but they should still have the flexibility to admit teams at relatively short notice - how hard can that be and really whats the harm?

The International Board don't seem afraid of 90 point one-side contests as we have had 2 in the last week!

Yes it will be interesting to see what the response is. Its very unlikely to have swayed the end result which might go in their favour, except if the competition is decided on points difference of course.

I am sure it was just an innocent mistake from one of the inexperienced nations.

Given that the RLIF allow players to change nationality on a whim I would be very surprised if they do anything.

rob's right. The Aussies set the precedent by wrongly allowing Uate to switch from Fiji after he'd already played for Fiji in a WC cycle i.e. 2009-2013. Paulo is the same. It will be swept under the RLIF carpet which must be almost touching the ceiling by now.

They do seem to be afriad when it comes to a world cup though with sticking the top four ranked teams in the same group so you would not get the big one sided scores.

That's not the format in 2013 MOT but England and Australia are in the same group surprise surprise.

Group A
ENGLAND
AUSTRALIA
FIJI
IRELAND

Group B
NEW ZEALAND
FRANCE
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SAMOA

Group C
SCOTLAND
TONGA
EUROPEAN QUALIFIER (Lebanon, Serbia, Russia or Italy)

Group D
WALES
COOK ISLANDS
ATLANTIC QUALIFIER (USA, South Africa or Jamaica)

so will it go from 14 to 8 (if so how) or straight to the semi's?I assme it has to be the former.

Jamaica beat South Africa 20-6 in Philadelphia tonight. By all accounts it was a very scrappy in the rain. The Jamaican victory sets up an all or nothing final game against the USA Tomahawks on Sunday.
The winner of that one earns the Atlantic Zone seed for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup to be co-hosted by England and Wales. The Atlantic Zone representative will go into Pool D with Wales and Cook Islands.

At least it wasn't a whoopin for the Rhino's. I really hope they become more competitive, i think RL really needs a strong SA in international RL.