Rugby World Cup 2011
- Thread starter bezs
- Start date
There have already been a couple of cracking matches.
Really can't understand England fielding the black 'change' kit. Perhaps if it was covered in graphics like previous away kits (e.g the recent navy one) it would be passable, but it's almost identical to the All Blacks (I know the RFU gained the permission of NZ Rugby beforehand).
England really need to improve, and move the ball faster, but over such a long tournament there is plenty of time to improve and build some momentum and a sense of belief.
Will be interesting to see whether the Bok veterans still have anything left in the tank.
Really can't understand England fielding the black 'change' kit. Perhaps if it was covered in graphics like previous away kits (e.g the recent navy one) it would be passable, but it's almost identical to the All Blacks (I know the RFU gained the permission of NZ Rugby beforehand).
England really need to improve, and move the ball faster, but over such a long tournament there is plenty of time to improve and build some momentum and a sense of belief.
Will be interesting to see whether the Bok veterans still have anything left in the tank.
Not quite.
Very nervy performance by the defending champs.
The subs coming on had a great impact on the game. Bismarck, Alberts and Hougaard edged it in the end.
Not a great performance but a win is a win.
Go BOKKE!
DragonBlaze
Hall of Fame
Are you from NZ bezs???
Yea, All Blacks better not choke, Federer has been doing enough of that lately
. Tennis has been a disaster this year for me (save that one match at the FO), but India won the WC in cricket, and I shall hope that the All Blacks can do so here.
obsessedtennisfandisorder
Professional
RWC 2011 >>Go AB's
Well i am from NZ...and I think we can do it this year.
I'm a huge AB's supporter..(met many of the crew before the last WC, awesome bunch of guys) and I really hope we win this year.
I think this will be an awesome WC at least in terms of suppport...etc..
I went to the 1987 WC game samoa vs wales in Palmy..but now I'm not in NZ
If I was i would go to some games.
I think NZ, aus and SA have a good chance for the win...
NH sides are...generally..overated by rugby media but Wales were awesome today.
about the choker thing...not entirely correct...I'll take 2003 as a choke maybe
1991...aussie were just better...nz didn't choke...campese,horan,noddy,etc too good
1995...ok..part choke here...but SA played inspired stuff and wre good.
1999...France played awesome second half vs us....Aussie deserved title
2003....yeah...bad loss to aussie...aussie played passionate but we had better side on paper
2007...now don't get me started on the ref. just disgraceful referreeing.
at any point in second half ref could have given us 1,2,3,5,10 penalties
NZ wins 27-20 no fuss. NH couldn't handle all SH semis(lose $$$). not sure if we get past good SA team though...so i was happy they won and not Eng/Fra.
Now...more positive..this year....as long as SWB doesn't start a game, we have a good chance....we need conrad smith in centres as an influence.
smith-nonu is good combo....
GO AB'S
Well i am from NZ...and I think we can do it this year.
I'm a huge AB's supporter..(met many of the crew before the last WC, awesome bunch of guys) and I really hope we win this year.
I think this will be an awesome WC at least in terms of suppport...etc..
I went to the 1987 WC game samoa vs wales in Palmy..but now I'm not in NZ
If I was i would go to some games.
I think NZ, aus and SA have a good chance for the win...
NH sides are...generally..overated by rugby media but Wales were awesome today.
about the choker thing...not entirely correct...I'll take 2003 as a choke maybe
1991...aussie were just better...nz didn't choke...campese,horan,noddy,etc too good
1995...ok..part choke here...but SA played inspired stuff and wre good.
1999...France played awesome second half vs us....Aussie deserved title
2003....yeah...bad loss to aussie...aussie played passionate but we had better side on paper
2007...now don't get me started on the ref. just disgraceful referreeing.
at any point in second half ref could have given us 1,2,3,5,10 penalties
NZ wins 27-20 no fuss. NH couldn't handle all SH semis(lose $$$). not sure if we get past good SA team though...so i was happy they won and not Eng/Fra.
Now...more positive..this year....as long as SWB doesn't start a game, we have a good chance....we need conrad smith in centres as an influence.
smith-nonu is good combo....
GO AB'S
obsessedtennisfandisorder
Professional
Respect to The USA
Just on a side note....big send of commiserationsand support to the US for 911 remembrance..the US played in my old town (NP) and lost to ireland.
Tough day for the americans on the board today.
I remember my sister in law being worried sick about her sister who worked for manhattan law firm and passed under WTC every morning on subway.
Luckily she ok.
despite my anti-usta rants..and general annoyance with US sports media,
big RESPECT from an AB's supporter....hope no terror attacks ever again like that
Just on a side note....big send of commiserationsand support to the US for 911 remembrance..the US played in my old town (NP) and lost to ireland.
Tough day for the americans on the board today.
I remember my sister in law being worried sick about her sister who worked for manhattan law firm and passed under WTC every morning on subway.
Luckily she ok.
despite my anti-usta rants..and general annoyance with US sports media,
big RESPECT from an AB's supporter....hope no terror attacks ever again like that
Uvijek Argen
Semi-Pro
Argie here...VAMOS PUMAS!! hahaha.
To answer your question maxx, in the beginning it was more rich people playing it. But now its more common with middle class as well. (This is from the feedback I get from my old friends over there since I live in USA for 18 years now)
But still a very amateur sport. Its beyond me how good they got in the past 10 years.
Regards!!
bezs
G.O.A.T.
The Fiji team is sponsored by KooGa but they wear Nike N98 track jackets.
I like how the national anthems are done with a small choir singing it nice touch and adds to the atmosphere.
http://youtu.be/bmSNN7vZt_o Flash Mob Haka in the Gold Coast :twisted:
I like how the national anthems are done with a small choir singing it nice touch and adds to the atmosphere.
http://youtu.be/bmSNN7vZt_o Flash Mob Haka in the Gold Coast :twisted:
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Zildite
Hall of Fame
Yeah I like it better than a solo artist singing.
When Coopers 'creative' passes go bad, they do go bad. Last two I remember were either forward or intercepted.
No tries but a few close calls, Ireland happy
All great, except for the 6am kick off in the UK! :evil:
Based on performance so far and remaining team strength, who do you all rate as the strongest team in each half of the draw?
For me, I'm surprised to be saying Ireland (from what's now the Northern Hemisphere half) and the Boks (from the Southern half).
I am going to make a prediction.
Boks in the finals (only because I am South African) against Ireland.. They have got better as the tournament has gone on. The game against the aussies is going to be a cracker! and whoever wins... the game against the All blacks will be just as good (AB will crush argentina). I am very nervous for Boks though.
Top half of draw.. the other finalist will come from Wales/Ireland quarter. They have been very impressive.. France have been woeful and England inconsistent!
Going to be an exciting weekend of Rugby!
Boks in the finals (only because I am South African) against Ireland.. They have got better as the tournament has gone on. The game against the aussies is going to be a cracker! and whoever wins... the game against the All blacks will be just as good (AB will crush argentina). I am very nervous for Boks though.
Top half of draw.. the other finalist will come from Wales/Ireland quarter. They have been very impressive.. France have been woeful and England inconsistent!
Going to be an exciting weekend of Rugby!
DragonBlaze
Hall of Fame
Well that was closer than I would have wanted in the first half!!
Wallabies next week, it shall be interesting!
Wallabies next week, it shall be interesting!
Can't believe the Boks lost that.
Dominated almost all areas, but turned the ball over inside the Wallaby 5 metre line about 7 or 8 times, whereas the only time the Boks had to defend inside their 5 they turned the ball over and conceded a try. Credit to the Aussies for immense defence for the whole 80 minutes; they were great in the tackle and breakdown.
Cooper was appalling, showing no composure under pressure, and lived up to the criticisms from some that he's a bit of a flat track bully.
Anyway, a fantastic match - hopefully the All Black vs Wallaby semi is a good one!
Dominated almost all areas, but turned the ball over inside the Wallaby 5 metre line about 7 or 8 times, whereas the only time the Boks had to defend inside their 5 they turned the ball over and conceded a try. Credit to the Aussies for immense defence for the whole 80 minutes; they were great in the tackle and breakdown.
Cooper was appalling, showing no composure under pressure, and lived up to the criticisms from some that he's a bit of a flat track bully.
Anyway, a fantastic match - hopefully the All Black vs Wallaby semi is a good one!
crosscourt
Professional
These tournaments are tests of character. Just about every World Cup the South Africans go in with the best players and whether they win or lose is in their hands. Most of the time they lose. Their coach has made awful selection errors, their style of play is self defeating. Even so, it is a mystery that they managed to lose to Australia. By contrast the Australians find themselves in a semi-final against New Zealand and must really regret relegating Giteau. New Zealand are very vulnerable but I can't see Australia having the guile to beat them.
On the other side of the draw Wales have played very well. Whether for all their skill and tactical ability they can compete with the power of first France and then Australia or New Zealand I doubt. I would love to see them go on though. They have ridden the injuries and loss of players who were supposed to be their big chance of success.
England is my team and what we all feared has come true. The management doesn't know what it is doing and that is partly explained by the lack of good players. Losing Sheridan was a blow. But the back row is underpowered and doesn't have the necessary speed or ball handling skills to compensate. The best centre pairing is a mystery unfathomed by the coach. We all know that it doesn't include Flood. Wilkinson is not England's best stand off. Youngs, who can paper over a lot of the team's cracks when he gets on the front foot was taken off against France just as the French started to lose the intensity that would have allowed him to make inroads. There are lots of very good players in England who might have been in New Zealand.
As for France, they have some brilliant players. For 30 minutes yesterday they played too quickly for England. Predictably all England could say was that they missed tackles and conceded soft tries. Rubbish. France made them miss. Yashvili is the outstanding half back - with du Preez - in the game. When Lievremont took him off he gave England a chance they couldnt quite take. But the French front row were very good, their back row excellent, and some of their three-quarters played well.
Overall this does not strike me as a vintage World Cup. Neither was the last one. The best thing is that Argentina and some of the smaller countries are starting to stay at the top table. This may reflect their increasing success in the seven man game. Whatever it is I love it. Some of the less fancied teams have a flair that the increasingly muscle bound Southern Hemisphere sides really lack.
Enough of this rant. It is another frustrating weekend for lovers of English rugby. I met some friends in a local restaurant this evening. A man came who looked like Nick Easter. We all glared at him and he left.
cc
On the other side of the draw Wales have played very well. Whether for all their skill and tactical ability they can compete with the power of first France and then Australia or New Zealand I doubt. I would love to see them go on though. They have ridden the injuries and loss of players who were supposed to be their big chance of success.
England is my team and what we all feared has come true. The management doesn't know what it is doing and that is partly explained by the lack of good players. Losing Sheridan was a blow. But the back row is underpowered and doesn't have the necessary speed or ball handling skills to compensate. The best centre pairing is a mystery unfathomed by the coach. We all know that it doesn't include Flood. Wilkinson is not England's best stand off. Youngs, who can paper over a lot of the team's cracks when he gets on the front foot was taken off against France just as the French started to lose the intensity that would have allowed him to make inroads. There are lots of very good players in England who might have been in New Zealand.
As for France, they have some brilliant players. For 30 minutes yesterday they played too quickly for England. Predictably all England could say was that they missed tackles and conceded soft tries. Rubbish. France made them miss. Yashvili is the outstanding half back - with du Preez - in the game. When Lievremont took him off he gave England a chance they couldnt quite take. But the French front row were very good, their back row excellent, and some of their three-quarters played well.
Overall this does not strike me as a vintage World Cup. Neither was the last one. The best thing is that Argentina and some of the smaller countries are starting to stay at the top table. This may reflect their increasing success in the seven man game. Whatever it is I love it. Some of the less fancied teams have a flair that the increasingly muscle bound Southern Hemisphere sides really lack.
Enough of this rant. It is another frustrating weekend for lovers of English rugby. I met some friends in a local restaurant this evening. A man came who looked like Nick Easter. We all glared at him and he left.
cc
As far as spear tackles go it wasn't bad. He lets go of the player in the air rather than driving him into the ground. The player also land on his back rather than his head / neck.
In general he's a good ref, but this is rugby's biggest stage and if that is a red card rather then just a penalty, or a penalty and a yellow, then everyone might as well stop playing.
Ref chooses to be the big man / centre of attention and ruins what promised to be a great match for millions around the world.
In general he's a good ref, but this is rugby's biggest stage and if that is a red card rather then just a penalty, or a penalty and a yellow, then everyone might as well stop playing.
Ref chooses to be the big man / centre of attention and ruins what promised to be a great match for millions around the world.
Crayola Oblongata
Hall of Fame
Oh man, everyone is going to be in terrible mood/drunk today.
Crayola Oblongata
Hall of Fame
Damn.......... oh my god, so close.
