The Rugby World Cup

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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
luka said:
The all blacks don't look remotely out of shape. They look comfortably the best team in the tournament. The last competitive game they played they beat Australia by about 50 points!
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Australia have looked better in this tournament, no two ways about it. In the game against Argentina, the All Blacks were making silly mistakes, very unlike them. But that could be a good sign for NZ, given that most times they look all-conquering in the group stages, they tend to falter later on.

Can't see Wales winning, much as I'd like them to. The inability to score vs 13-man Australia (as well as they defended) was horrendous
 
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luka

luka

Well-known member
Well Australia who have a much better backline than SA failed to score against a ragged, injury depleted Wales. So it cuts both ways. Australia have had to be good because they've played 2 top test nations. The all blacks played Namibia
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
True, but the ABs have traditionally looked far better in the pool stages against the weak teams. This time, not so imperious. They also lost the Rugby Championship (for the first time in 4 years I think?)

Yeah, maybe I'm overestimating SA's backline based upon their team of a few years ago. Maybe Wales can just about win in a war of attrition, if Biggar can kick everything. Still don't rate Gatland's ability to plan victory vs SH teams tho.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
Australia have looked better in this tournament, no two ways about it
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The all blacks look well out of sorts
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Result? All blacks beat France by 49 points, and France played very well.
Probably the most complete performance by any team I've ever seen in my life
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
The offloads. The lineout. The lines. The breakdown. Every try was a thing of beauty. Appreciate what you just saw cos you won't ever see that standard of rugby again in your life
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
"But that (making silly mistakes) could be a good sign for NZ, given that most times they look all-conquering in the group stages, they tend to falter later on."

So it was a good sign indeed. They don't look out of sorts any longer, and were able to improve immensely when it really counted.

The offloads from Carter (and others) were amazing in particular - it always seemed to me that this is one of the big differences between the SH and NH teams, the difference between taking your chances and not (see Vermeulen's part in SA's try today, no better proof than that).

France were in it until the 50th minute or so. They made the stupidest mistake when their guy was sent to the bin and the penalty in the NZ 22 was reversed because he "touched McCaw's face with his fist, but didn't punch him". They looked like they might score a try for 29-20, which would at least have made a game of it.

Can the ABs offer a repeat against SA? Should be a fantastic game.
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
As to Wales... you can't win playing 75% of the game in your own half (as Wales did for the last 40 minutes). The extent to which they kicked ball away, only for South Africa to run it straight back at them, was criminal. Great Springbok try to win it though, don't see how that couldve been stopped.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
The offloads were incredible. I did notice Scotland scoring with at least one last night. Australia were massively overhyped by the English press on the grounds that if they can beat England they must be the world's greatest ever rugby team. The quarter finals gave a much more accurate picture of each teams capabilities
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
the argentina comments about being glad that the 6 nations refused to take them in 2007 were very telling.

it's almost as if the northern hemisphere sides can't be bothered to work out why they all lost, aside from some vague comments about needing a better grassroots game.
 
WashYourHands

WashYourHands

Cat Malogen
Ref couldn’t read the scrum but no sour grapes, NZ are never less than absolute intensity and your man Savea was justifiably motm
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
A surprisingly authoritarian position. I mean I don't give a single fuck about rugby, but can't they do what the fuck they want before the game starts?
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Any rule the government brings in to control peoples's behaviour in an attempt to counter a fatal disease is automatically and axiomatically disgraceful government overreach and a clear example of brutal totalitarianism... but fifteen men doing a little dance before a game of rugby is morally wrong and must be stamped out with extreme prejudice.

How come people in Britain get the right to be free from control as long as they don't impinge on anyone else, but you don't extend this right to brown people from the other side of the world - is it because you don't see them as human?
 
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