Rugby World Cup

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
Rusty ABs did it all wrong for 60 minutes then blew the tired juggernaut boks out of the water. The last 15 of the game showed that the reconditioned ABs are very very fit indeed.. when they get the fine tuning right they are going to be a great side.

Lets see how they go this weekend against our Wallabies,be a great game and the wallaby defense is a lot better than the Boks.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
Rusty ABs did it all wrong for 60 minutes then blew the tired juggernaut boks out of the water. The last 15 of the game showed that the reconditioned ABs are very very fit indeed.. when they get the fine tuning right they are going to be a great side.

The AB's are allready a great side. This past weekends game showed that the depth of the SA side is not as good as we all would want to believe. The boks had 5 of teir best players off due to injury, and the remianing guys in the squad just couldn't keep up the pace. Having said that, i allso think there is no team in the world who would beat the AB's in a match where tey play like they played the last 15minutes of Saturdays game. -They were brilliant, and if they had played like tat the whole game the score would have been much higher in their favour.
But i still say the Boks will win the world cup.

Originally posted by Senta
The AB's are allready a great side. This past weekends game showed that the depth of the SA side is not as good as we all would want to believe. The boks had 5 of teir best players off due to injury, and the remianing guys in the squad just couldn't keep up the pace. Having said that, i allso think there is no team in the world who would beat the AB's in a mat ...[text shortened]... ould have been much higher in their favour.
But i still say the Boks will win the world cup.

Ali Williams and Chris Jack our #1 locking partnership should be back for the Wallies game. Count more rotation from Mr Henry and you can bet the Wals will have five or six with meals on wheels rota commitments too.

Originally posted by Senta
The AB's are allready a great side. This past weekends game showed that the depth of the SA side is not as good as we all would want to believe. The boks had 5 of teir best players off due to injury, and the remianing guys in the squad just couldn't keep up the pace. Having said that, i allso think there is no team in the world who would beat the AB's in a mat ...[text shortened]... ould have been much higher in their favour.
But i still say the Boks will win the world cup.

Please, the boks played very well against 16 men on the day, just like last weekend. I can't understand how the 2 referees could allow the Kiwis and Wallabies in 2 consecutive weeks to slow the ball down THE WHOLE BLOODY GAME and then a Springbok gets sent off for the same offense.
It's a bloody disgrace.

Anyway, our backline just needs a little imagination. Once they get 'in the groove' nobody will be able to stop us, our forwards are just by far the best in the world at the moment - if we can put our first choice on the field.

Originally posted by Senta
The AB's are allready a great side. This past weekends game showed that the depth of the SA side is not as good as we all would want to believe. The boks had 5 of teir best players off due to injury, and the remianing guys in the squad just couldn't keep up the pace. Having said that, i allso think there is no team in the world who would beat the AB's in a mat ...[text shortened]... ould have been much higher in their favour.
But i still say the Boks will win the world cup.

You can only play as good as the opposition allow you .
It was the All Blacks fitness that got them up in the end.
Look what pressure did to Carter ,When he was pressured the backline didn't fire,but when the Boks eased up then they scored.
I think you will find the same tactics employed by the Wallabies and the Aussie pack is a little stronger than the Boks .
Bring on the Bledisloe ,Time for redemption i think.

Bold prediction Wallabies 27 All Blacks 20

Man of the match .......Matt Giteau

Originally posted by Crowley
Please, the boks played very well against 16 men on the day, just like last weekend. I can't understand how the 2 referees could allow the Kiwis and Wallabies in 2 consecutive weeks to slow the ball down THE WHOLE BLOODY GAME and then a Springbok gets sent off for the same offense.
It's a bloody disgrace.

Anyway, our backline just needs a little imaginat ...[text shortened]... st by far the best in the world at the moment - if we can put our first choice on the field.

Well putting the best team on the field wont happen when you are sending out a second string team to Australia and New Zealand.

Originally posted by Crowley
Please, the boks played very well against 16 men on the day, just like last weekend. I can't understand how the 2 referees could allow the Kiwis and Wallabies in 2 consecutive weeks to slow the ball down THE WHOLE BLOODY GAME and then a Springbok gets sent off for the same offense.
It's a bloody disgrace.

Anyway, our backline just needs a little imaginat ...[text shortened]... st by far the best in the world at the moment - if we can put our first choice on the field.

I think the ref was O.K. Whether you blame a ref in he world cup or not the cup would still go to New Zealand. I do agree with you tat the boks have the best forwards in the world.
On Saturday SA played without 5 of their key players. John Smith was missed as a captain, Brian Habanna (best wing in the world), Fourie Du Preez (best scrumhalf in the world)
I think if SA send a b team to the tri-nations so their top players can have a well earned rest, they will kick ass in world cup, and my money would certainly be on them.

Originally posted by boarman
Well putting the best team on the field wont happen when you are sending out a second string team to Australia and New Zealand.

The coaching staff (apparently) reckoned / gambled on winning our 2 home games and then sending a 2nd string team overseas to hopefully clinch the Tri Nations for us, while resting our 'top' players for the WC.
I don't necessarily agree with that philosophy, but you could see the long season took its toll on the players those last 10 minutes.

Originally posted by Senta
I think the ref was O.K. Whether you blame a ref in he world cup or not the cup would still go to New Zealand. I do agree with you tat the boks have the best forwards in the world.
On Saturday SA played without 5 of their key players. John Smith was missed as a captain, Brian Habanna (best wing in the world), Fourie Du Preez (best scrumhalf in the world)
I t ...[text shortened]... ve a well earned rest, they will kick ass in world cup, and my money would certainly be on them.

I don't easily whine about a ref, but these last 2 games the boks got the short end of the stick.
The ABs continually infriged at breakdown and were almost never pinged for slowing the ball down, but just because we infringed in our 22 Wannenburg got sent off. The same thing happened to Skinstad the week before.
That's bull. The laws should be applied consistently across the span of the game.

If the boks got the quick ball we deserved we would've won both games convincingly.

Originally posted by Senta
I think the ref was O.K. Whether you blame a ref in he world cup or not the cup would still go to New Zealand. I do agree with you tat the boks have the best forwards in the world.
On Saturday SA played without 5 of their key players. John Smith was missed as a captain, Brian Habanna (best wing in the world), Fourie Du Preez (best scrumhalf in the world)
I t ...[text shortened]... ve a well earned rest, they will kick ass in world cup, and my money would certainly be on them.

I rate the abs very poorly at present. They are very fit but lack match fitness and finesse.. most have only had a couple of games this season. This will improve before the cup and they will go well.
The Aussies are down on form too, have injury worries and will improve.
The SAs have peaked early and helped make this SA team seem better than it is.

The abs played their 3rd rate locks and managed to push the sa scrum all over the place at the end of the game.. it is a game of 80mins.

It's early season stuff yet.. wait until the business end to make claims of superiority & as for the ref etc.. kick the record player.

Originally posted by Crowley
I don't easily whine about a ref, but these last 2 games the boks got the short end of the stick.
The ABs continually infriged at breakdown and were almost never pinged for slowing the ball down, but just because we infringed in our 22 Wannenburg got sent off. The same thing happened to Skinstad the week before.
That's bull. The laws should be applied cons ...[text shortened]... game.

If the boks got the quick ball we deserved we would've won both games convincingly.

The All Blacks have infringed at the breakdown for so long now ,and they never get penalised like other teams do.It is the one factor that gives them a slight advantage over other teams ,Richie McGraw is very good at it.

Originally posted by boarman
The All Blacks have infringed at the breakdown for so long now ,and they never get penalised like other teams do.It is the one factor that gives them a slight advantage over other teams ,Richie McGraw is very good at it.

Ritchie McCaw is targetted by opposition because he's so quick to the ball. He has had a number of serious head injuries after copping dirty play. Only recently Graeme Henry took the step of pointing this out to the ref's association. From the ABs point of view they are sick of teams that can't keep up the pace so they lay all over the ball killing the game..
The bash the ref thing has been done to death by all.. I just don't buy it.
First France... sent hens not roosters into battle
now SA ... sending pox not boks leaving 20 players at home in the Tri Nations... that is a disgrace! Aus and NZ have sent a please explain to the IRB and I hope they get sent home.
We kept 22 abs out of the super14 to recondition them and brought them back for the Tri-nations ready to match condition and play international test rugby and you take 20 players out..
This stuff is spoiling the game.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
Ritchie McCaw is targetted by opposition because he's so quick to the ball. He has had a number of serious head injuries after copping dirty play. Only recently Graeme Henry took the step of pointing this out to the ref's association. From the ABs point of view they are sick of teams that can't keep up the pace so they lay all over the ball killing the g ...[text shortened]... ay international test rugby and you take 20 players out..
This stuff is spoiling the game.

Wallabies played all their players in super 14,plus tests ,they only rested lote Tiquiri for a couple of games.
With the non rucking law in effect this year McGaw wont be stomped as much ,face it with the old laws if a player was lying on the ball he was fair game.
Its not a matter whether other teams cant keep up with the All Blacks ,they clearly flaunt the offside rule.The law states that you must remain behind the last blokes feet and you can clearly see the All Blacks(namely Ritchie McGaw ) in front ,the also come into rucks from the side .
So from my point of view its not ref bashing its asking for a ref to have the balls and start penalising them for indescetions at the breakdown.

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
I rate the abs very poorly at present. They are very fit but lack match fitness and finesse.. most have only had a couple of games this season. This will improve before the cup and they will go well.
The Aussies are down on form too, have injury worries and will improve.
The SAs have peaked early and helped make this SA team seem better than it is.

...[text shortened]... l the business end to make claims of superiority & as for the ref etc.. kick the record player.

The Boks haven't peaked yet. It's more a matter of things starting to fall in place. They will peak in the world cup when all their players is back.

Originally posted by boarman
Wallabies played all their players in super 14,plus tests ,they only rested lote Tiquiri for a couple of games.
With the non rucking law in effect this year McGaw wont be stomped as much ,face it with the old laws if a player was lying on the ball he was fair game.
Its not a matter whether other teams cant keep up with the All Blacks ,they clearly flaunt t ...[text shortened]... asking for a ref to have the balls and start penalising them for indescetions at the breakdown.

In the 60s & 70s the English Beer Bellies used to lie on the ball for a breather. The boks and abs used to give them a huge lesson in real rucking. It was hard and fair, never on the head. Many a great punch up evolved from careless head hits. They were good days to play rugby.

I know where you are coming from and do see your point of view but you have to know that opposition teams : particularly France, England and the Boks reported that belief to the IRB referees committee and have been told several times that his play is centres around the break down of the ruck, he's fast but legal.

It's okay to disagree but won't help slamming refs as biased.
A few are slow or bad but they really aren't biased.