World League, Leg Two: Berlin Decides a Three-Way Tie

Second leg of the World League went to rugby union. Same three flags as the golf at Ashveil - Scotland, France, Germany - but this time I rated all three from scratch rather than using anybody real. These are not the national sides you know. They share a flag and nothing else.

Making them

Over the Line has a random generator for this: a d6 each for attack, defence and kicking, then an optional archetype on top to give the side a character. I rolled all nine numbers cold and took what came.

France came out counter-attacking. The best attack in the group and the best defence, and a goalkicker who could not hit a barn door. Scotland and Germany then rolled identically - the same three ratings, and then the same archetype on top of it. Both finished as kicking sides who could not score a try to save themselves and never missed from the tee.

One side who make chances and waste them, two who make nothing and bank everything. That turned out to be the whole tournament.

How I played it

Quick Play, which settles a match in about two minutes. Expected tries off the ratings, one roll for variance, one for conversions, one for penalties, and you have a scoreline.

Worth saying where it is, because it is not where you would look: page 4 of the Premiership 2024-25 ratings pack, not the core rulebook. I use it for every match I am not playing out in full and it deserves a better home than that. I will move it.

The rugby

Scotland 34-15 France, Murrayfield. France had the better of it and crossed twice. Scotland took every three points on offer and converted all four of theirs without a miss. Nineteen points between two sides who were level on the run of play.

France 25-23 Germany, Paris. Four tries to two for the hosts and they nearly lost it. Three conversions missed, one of them from in front. Germany kicked three penalties, got within two with the clock red, and could not win a fourth kickable offence.

Germany 24-23 Scotland, Berlin. The identical twins, and neither of them rolled a single point of variance - home advantage was the entire margin. Scotland were one behind in the last minute with a kickable penalty and went to the corner instead. Berlin held them out.

Every side won one and lost one.

Scotland take it on the losing bonus they earned in Berlin, going for a try they did not score. France finish bottom having scored more tries than anybody: eight tries, six missed conversions, last place.

World League after two legs

Three nations, two sports, nothing to separate them. Leg three is a different sport again.