[Closed] Rugby world cup

NZ v France final will be fun for the ABs

bump

By the above, I take it you have only ever watched one final? A LONG time ago!

Glitchyagain

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Wow,what a team. 7 & 6 were absolutely brilliant. Dag & Jane fantastic.. Didn't get to see much of Sonny Bill...

Has 4000 posts broken the thread?

4000 glitchy bumps maybe

Yes!

[url= http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16102011/58/world-cup-warburton-gets-three-week-ban-tackle.html ]Warburton banned for three weeks![/url]

First reaction is "WTF", followed by "hmmm". You could see it coming but it still seems pretty harsh

Harry Ordinary and his pack arent mugs but they must of watched that and gone oh merde 🙂

Flash after that you have to admit Mcaw is a genius an astonishing performance.

Holy shit I'm not going to be able to sleep. Cory Jane was immense. Fantastic fantastic. France you are fukked

Do not write off the French!

France you are fukked

France have been absolutely terrible and will be crushed.

As much as its sounds stupid France are at their most dangerous when they have been sh*t and are written off

NZCol - Member

France have been absolutely terrible and will be crushed.

I wouldn't bet on it 🙂

Do you honestly think thatbtheybcan win, do you think that the ABs won't be out to smash them to bits. 1987 was a long time ago and we are happy to,prove we are not choking. France will panic when the abs come out andnhammermthem formthe off.

I should drink,less

You see: bragging and bigging yourself up really isn't a solely English preoccupation. It's greatly distasteful whoever's at it, and it seems to have affected the Welsh and now the Kiwis too.

Now complete this well known phrase:

Pride comes before a....

I France play as they did in the first half against England........?

Just don't count your chickens. France will be much fresher - didn't really exert themselves to win their semi........

Looking forward to it. NZ were awesome tho

pride comes before..... the french stun the rugby world???

Pride comes before an 81st minute Yachvili drop goal!

England spent the week prior to their demise to France expecting a win to be automatic. The Welsh did the same. Lets see how it affects the Kiwis...

France will get smashed.

Now calm down people and sleep it off - NZCol - behave ! The french chickens often pull something out of the bag, we know that well.

Game on for next weekend. I am watching it with a french person, winner buys the champage I think this is one day it will be OK to start drinking at 1100.

P.S and Sonny Bill is lucky he is so pretty...

Pride comes before... McCaw lifting the trophy with a massive grin on his battered face.

[i]I wouldn't bet on it[/i]
I'm not a gambling man, but if the odds were decent, I would!

I France play as they did in the first half against England........?

The ABs would still have to play as badly as England did 😆

France will be much fresher - [s]didn't[/s] couldn't really exert themselves to win their semi........

FTFY

England spent the week prior to their demise to France expecting a win to be automatic.

No they didn't.

Solid performance by AB and a well deserved but not surprising result.
Have to agree to some of the opinions above: DO NOT WRITE THE FRENCH OFF

NZ Col is a plastic Kiwi isn't he?

I remember being in NZ when they beat South Africa in the quarter and had to play Australia in the semi and got well beaten.

Remember George Gregan taunting the kiwis with his "four more years"

Cool heads are needed and another 80 minutes of rugby like that will win the cup but dont diss the French they could suprise us all.

Stats make interesting reading - Australia made 400+ m run, NZ200 pretty even on most other stuff - NZ advantage in turnovers NZ low penalty count.

http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93503.html

Warburton banned for three weeks!

First reaction is "WTF", followed by "hmmm". You could see it coming but it still seems pretty harsh

Minimum ban isn't it...wonder what will happen to Kahui

That's very interesting reading, back in the real world. 😛

DO NOT WRITE THE FRENCH OFF

When all they can bring to the table is the possibility that they [i]might[/i] emulate the majestic displays of previous French teams - but I don't recall a French rugby team ever looking so frail in every previous game they've played.

If the All Blacks put in the sort of performance we've seen throughout the tournament, they'll win, probably with a fair margin of comfort.

Wales v NZ would have been a great final, and I'd have been rooting for Wales, but I'd still have expected the kiwis to take the win, as they have that extra level of power and invention that Wales don't quite have (yet). However, if Gatland can build on this performance over the next couple of years, with young players like Warburton, Priestland, Halfpenny and so on, it's realistic to imagine Wales going all the way next time round, especially if they keep reinforcing their strength in depth through their national playing structure.

Speaking as someone who's rugby imagination was fired by the likes of Phil Bennet and JPR Williams, it's really good to see Wales starting to look like the rugby powerhouse of old.

Stats make interesting reading - Australia made 400+ m run, NZ200

Yep, Australia did have quite a lot of possession in their own half 😆 Whilst the penalty count was 11-7, the Kiwis had 8 kicks at goal and the Aussies had 1. I think that tells you quite a lot about which team was exerting the pressure. Those two long range kicks were disappointing though, would have liked to see them try and turn the screw.

[img] [/img]

NZ Col is a plastic Kiwi isn't he?

Joins the ranks then.

TeeJ, O'Flashearty and NZCol. Anymore to declare? 😉

Yep, saw that hit on Cooper gwaelod. And thought hmmm....

And thought hmmm....

It will go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... 🙂

Did I miss the Free and even Fore Fahsands? 🙁

Gutted....

Ah what? And the Wunundredth page, too?

[img] [/img]

It's greatly distasteful whoever's at it, and it seems to have affected the Welsh and now the Kiwis too.

zokes you do type some shit and seem to have a complete inibility to read.

well, of course the Kiwis should walk the final but good god, I'll find it hysterically funny if they do the Kiwi Choke again 🙂

[img]www.seabreeze.com.au/Img/Photos/Other/1284350.jpg[/img]

boing

Yeah I'm a dual passport holder that is correct, but I find supporting my birth nation usually means short tournaments. 😀
We've already horsed France 37-17 in this tournament you know, yes France are erratic but the ABs will come out charging and hopefully smash them to bits.

Another glitchy****ybumpy?

ggggggglitch

bumpy

4040!

4041?

Can some IT dude explain why it seems to be taking more "glitchy****y****ybumpies" to move the page on as the thread gets more and more gargantuan?

I'nt le clubbér a bit of a plastique as well?

Just back tracking a bit to the spear tackle argument (sorry) I understand the whole premise of wether it is red or not comes down to what strikes the ground first, which seems a bit questionable as the recipients athleticism could potentially save the tackler.

If the players head and / or upper body come into contact with the ground while the feet are still elevated, then its a red. All the teams, along with the refs were warned of a zero tolerance policy prior to the competition starting.

As far as i am aware the ref is not permitted to use video footage for such instances, which could be addressed ????

That said I'd say we will be without SBW next week for his return to the league hit up style, and rightly so, that was a blatant shoulder drop.

DD I reckon it's because some posts got deleted but the count doesn't recognise that so the pages and posts are out of sync.

as to plastique, maybe, maybe not. I've got dual nationalité. Always lived in England but French mum. Dad and Grandad half English by virtue of growing up in England like me. All bilingual, often speak French when together. Oh and we all smell of garlic 😉

...and will be longing for the glory days of Serge Blanco next Sunday... 😉

Ah right, half plastique then. 😀

probably but I can live with that. I'll still be hoping that the world champions of choking don't let me down 😀

I shall be cheering on Les Bleus too clubber. I have no idea why but I just want to see them win it.

Celtic thing isn't it. historically everyone against les rosbifs 😉

Google the "Auld Alliance" Our reason for favouring the French over our colonial masters. However 'mon the Scottish Exiles! NZ live and breathe the game, taking into account the French use of "le plastique" in the hull of boats,and use of "le Nuclear" in the Pacific,and most importantly how gash they have been so far,I want NZ to win,ideally by a lot, after the French have had THEIR entire back row red carded.(JUST FOR YOU A-A) I then hope Mr Livremont has a dodgy bulb of garlic at the post match wake and spends the entire flight home crapping himself.

Not that I am sitting on a fence.

[img] [/img]

Dirty litter bugs the Welsh 🙂

Lol at duckman. NZ supporter here, because I hope to see some exciting rugby in the final. And hoping for third place obviously, as AA says we NEED to step up and actually start winning games.

I want to see a NH team beat one of the three big SH teams (once more anyway) 😀

zokes you do type some shit and seem to have a complete inibility to read.

Well, you seem to have spent most of this thread being quite offensive towards anyone who dares mention England, so why stop at that when you can resort to personal insults? I pity the kids you teach... (I am aware of the irony of this, but you're getting more than slightly tiresome).

The main reason most of the sporting world dislike England teams (as you have so eloquently put yourself before) is because they are cocky, boorish and feel they deserve to be there. This is a given. What is puzzling me is why is it ok when you're Welsh to yabber on all week about how you'll be tonking the Aussies in the final. Then, when it all goes wrong, there's 6 pages of crying and anguish about the ref - very similar to an English football thread actually.

And now, it seems the ABs are going to 'smash' the French. Well, we'll see on that one.

I would suggest it is you who needs to take your blinkers off and look at what has been written on this thread.. No, not [i]all[/i] Welsh or Kiwis are behaving like this, but i think you'll find that contrary to your hateful prejudices (and you used that word), neither do all the English.

Laughs at Zokes trolling,until this bit.

I pity the kids you teach... (I am aware of the irony of this, but you're getting more than slightly tiresome).

I think you owe him an apology for that, or is it ok for you to complain about insults, but question somebody's ability to teach? Or does he have to like the English team as a requirement for GTC registration?

Bravo only took 4000 posts to bring this thread to the usual level.

Just one thing that I don't think has been mentioned much is France's remarkably low penalty count in both the England game and the Wales game. I can't find any stats but I don't think they gave away a single kickable penalty in the first half of the England game.

Given the amount of time they spent defending in the Wales game they gave the Welsh few opportunities to kick for goal. Of course it doesn't help that the ones they did give away weren't kicked between the posts.

France's discipline in the last two games has really surprised me.

Wales should have won the game regardless of red card, should have beat SA too but failure to close out these games will be a question mark over their claim to being a great side. Loads of ability and some very exciting young players they could develop into the best team in the world.
It does seem that because of the ABE attitude that lots of the northern hemisphere sides just view beating England as being a great team, and performances are not consistent enough.
Refs and coaches were informed that they want to stamp out the dangerous tackle so could have just been yellow but don't think red was totally unjustified. Feel for him because he has been magnificent and would like to see how he coped with RM.
AB were very good, incredibly physical and hope they bring this game to the final. They are the best team in the world, have been for a long time and deserve another world cup.

Bruce Wee - stats galore on
http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93502.html

France 6 penalties against Wales - but Wales only 8

France 12 penalties against england, england only 6
http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93499.html

Zokes - you really do do what you complain of others doing - and are one of the worst. Maybe you don't feel that way but you come over very bitter, angry and one eyed

Interestingly for the England game, even though France gave away twice as many penalties England never attempted to kick any of them. This suggests to me that in defence they are very good at avoiding getting pinged.

They gave away far more kickable penalties against Wales but given the amount of time the Welsh spent in the French half on the attack I still think they were far more disciplined than many teams in the tournament.

Either that or they didnt compete very hard for the ball at the break down 😉

They gave away far more kickable penalties against Wales but given the amount of time the Welsh spent in the French half on the attack I still think they were far more disciplined than many teams in the tournament.

Yup, both are valid points, I just find it interesting that France who have a reputation for being temperamental and prone to moments of madness are proving to be keeping a very level head these days.

By the way, during this years 6N, France was the only team to go the whole tournament with no yellow cards. Wales got three, Scotland and England two, and Irealand and Italy one. Not conclusive at all but interesting.

[i]France who have a reputation for being temperamental and prone to moments of madness are proving to be keeping a very level head these days.[/i]

This French team are lacking a lot of things that French teams from the past had. Including their lack of discipline.

In theory the ABs should win at a canter. Les Bleus have been hopeless despite getting this far. If only Tonga had beaten Canada we wouldn't be in this mess. 🙁

However, anybody remember the last RWC? Powerhouse in-form team annihilate hapless clods in group phase only to meet them again in the final and barely scrape past them (aided by some dodgy refereeing).

Personally, I wish the French were not in the final. I'd love to see them get the 50pt thrashing they deserve but there's that tiny bit in me, as a true rugby fan, that will still root for the French if they actually turn on the style and make a game of it.

What namastebuzz said ^^^

The best team won on Saturday.
The best team won on Sunday.
The best team will win and pick up the World cup next weekend.
That is beyond debate in my eyes.

So, what are the welsh options for covering the openside now? Lydiate?

So, what are the welsh options for covering the openside now? Lydiate?

Does it really matter? The prize has gone.

I know it's a game of rugby and it's there to be won but 3rd place play-offs are a waste of time.

The thing is, we have been waiting for the whole cup for France to spark,and they haven't. I don't think they can,certainly off the scraps they will get off the AB's.

Surely wales will start with Ryan Jones/faletau/lydiate as the back row.

or possibly the other way around...as I have no idea how the standard notation goes and I always **** it up...but shewerly it will be a straight swap...Ryan for Sam...leaving Toby and lydiate where they are