Warren Gatland from here in Waikato has them playing like a provincial NZ side but has also had his men in a cryo-tank in Poland doing intensive physical conditioning.. they are hailed the fittest side here for the cup.
England France .. The French fans are brilliant here.. the colours, garb and singing is nothing short of fantastic..heck I kissed a big burly hairy French man in the middle of Queen St, Auckland last week haha.. the rest of NZ will support them too as after Aussie everyone hates the poms .. lol I'll be heading to Auckland first thing tomorrow - pick up the cussies from the airport and off we go: all in Black with a big black ABs flag for a cape!
Originally posted by Tirau DanYou and your cussie bros should try not being so racist as a lot of us in NZ actually come from England. Just because we like to pick up stray women doesn't make us bad people. And just because we like to kick the ball away instead of run it doesn't make us dumb.
Warren Gatland from here in Waikato has them playing like a provincial NZ side but has also had his men in a cryo-tank in Poland doing intensive physical conditioning.. they are hailed the fittest side here for the cup.
England France .. The French fans are brilliant here.. the colours, garb and singing is nothing short of fantastic..heck I kissed a bi ...[text shortened]... the cussies from the airport and off we go: all in Black with a big black ABs flag for a cape!
Go Aussie!
Originally posted by Trev33Who knew the French were going to turn up on the day? To be honest I don't watch much northern hemisphere rugby. Enjoyed watching Irealand how they are so good around the rucks and mauls and can process the ball lots of time. Good rugby I'm sorry they got knocked out but it looks like it is going to suit the running backline rugby that the AB's play more than anything else.
Only idiots had England favorites to beat France.
Originally posted by dan prestonEngland were awful in the group stage, i know what you're going to say so were France. There's a different, England were really trying to win and in doing so almost lost to both Scotland and Argentina, two sides that are not very good at all. France went into the match against NZ knowing a loss would result in an easier route to the final, after the first 10 mins when they looked good but didn't score they went to sleep and did what they were supposed to do - lose. Against Tonga, had they needed the win they would've got it, it wasn't a huge sock they lost a game that didn't matter - that's the French. Regardless of group stage form France were always capable of winning this WC. England never were, English rugby is fundamentally flawed at the moment, their domestic game is in a mess because of the number of foreign players (not to mention the style of rugby played) and they have a coach who is in his first coaching job who doesn't have a clue what he's doing.
Who knew the French were going to turn up on the day? To be honest I don't watch much northern hemisphere rugby. Enjoyed watching Irealand how they are so good around the rucks and mauls and can process the ball lots of time. Good rugby I'm sorry they got knocked out but it looks like it is going to suit the running backline rugby that the AB's play more than anything else.
I could go on but won't.
Originally posted by Trev33Well fill us in next time. You have to give France credit for the way it handled the pool stages I guess. One of the past AB's was saying he hoped NZ would lose that game but we have too much pride. 🙁. That game with Tonga though if they lost by a margin I think the French would have been knocked out on bonus points.
England were awful in the group stage, i know what you're going to say so were France. There's a different, England were really trying to win and in doing so almost lost to both Scotland and Argentina, two sides that are not very good at all. France went into the match against NZ knowing a loss would result in an easier route to the final, after the first 10 ...[text shortened]... irst coaching job who doesn't have a clue what he's doing.
I could go on but won't.
Originally posted by dan prestonIf France had lost by more than 7 points with Tonga getting a bonus point for scoring 4 trys they would've been knocked out, Tonga were never going to get a bonus point though. If an Irishman rugby fan knows only one thing about the game it's never say the French are beaten until the final whistle is blown. I really hope they can go on and win the cup now, although i still think Parra playing at #10 is madness.
Well fill us in next time. You have to give France credit for the way it handled the pool stages I guess. One of the past AB's was saying he hoped NZ would lose that game but we have too much pride. 🙁. That game with Tonga though if they lost by a margin I think the French would have been knocked out on bonus points.
Jeez, Bryce Lawrence turned that game into schoolyard quality. What a horrible referee.
I couldn't have said it better myself: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/8816349/Rugby-World-Cup-2011-Bryce-Lawrence-reduced-breakdown-to-a-farce-in-Australias-win-over-South-Africa.html
I called the Pocock factor before the game. For some reason he is alowed to just whatever he feels like at the breakdown. The IRB needs to sort this kind of crap out ASAP. It's turning the game ugly.
Anyway, the boks dominated and just didn't finish. At one stage it looked as if Cooper would just break down and cry.
Bad decision making, bad handling, some heroic defense, horrible refereeing and just pure blind luck got the Aussies over the line.
It's too bad that the best team on the day didn't win, but at least now the New Zealand fans can stop moaning about being the best side who never win a world cup.
No-one can stop the All Blacks now.