Sports & Fitness Rugby World Cup

Lucky lucky aussies. Hopefully the argies show em a couple of things next week like the door.

 

Feel bad for the Scots, but happy we won. Looks like we get two Rugby Championships this year.

 

So are you saying based on that performance Aussie will win the World Cup?

 

It pays to remember that NZ have never made it to a final in the northern hemisphere and they have had a very easy time of it so far. The French white flagged it a long way out.
South Africa will not be easy at all.
It also pays to remember that NZ have not won anymore World Cups than SA or Australia and have never won outside their own country which both SA and Australia have done.

 

Maybe it will be Australia vs New Zealand in the finals,both hard teams but Australia may just be a bit stronger..

 

After the last time we met and handed out a 41-13 defeat where do you think Australia are stronger?

 

Just by some of the media after game speeches some have made from the Australian team it's all focus on the things that are important..

 

All good points but history really counts for nothing. All the news media said France were the AB's bogeyman and were going to send them home based on what happened 8 years ago. Plus they were making too many errors etc etc. The Boks are playing their "Jakeball" rugby that won't deliver a victory over this AB side. They never looked like scoring against Wales until they had a scrum within touching distance of the line and the Welsh fullback was out of position. Australia's scrum got dealt to by a Scottish scrum that is not even rated and Aussie went missing at the breakdowns. If we meet in the Final Nonu and co will run over the likes of Foley and Giteau, they are just not big enough, big hearts but not physically. Would love to see both teams in the Final.

 

Such as?

 

All Blacks don't have a terrific scrum, certainly not up with the Boks in that department.
Have lost Woodcock on top of that.

History does count for everything. NZ have won 2 world cups, both on their own cabbage patch a quarter of a decade apart. They were very lucky to win the last one by a point.
They have never made it to a final in the northern hemisphere and the Boks are tournament tough at World Cups.
How many times does a Kiwi have to get cocky before a world cup finishes before he finally gets it?

 

I agree we were lucky to win the last one by one point I was there watching in the stands and that last 15 mins was excruciating, but you know what they stuck to their plan and won it, bit like Aussie this morning 1 point is all it takes.
Well if history counts for everything then the AB's are a walk in for the cup. They have scored 300 test tries the next best is not even at 200.
Have beaten Aussie 105 to 42 with 7 draws. South Africa 52 to 35 with 3 draws and Argentina 21 to 0 with 1 draw.
Tournament tough Boks and they get beaten by Japan?
Yep we do get cocky.

 

They only reason they have a better head to head against the South Africans is because the South Africans are hamstrung by the politics surrounding their stupid selection policy.

There is no denying the increase in the head to head statistics between the 2 sides correlates with this policy.

Up until South Africa were sanctioned in the late 70's, they had a dominant head to head against NZ.

 

The 87 and 91 World Cups were not legitmate World Cups as they did not include South Africa so to that end South Africa have won 2 legitimate World Cups to the AB's and Australia 1 each.

 

As a tennis player used to say "You can't be serious!" So you are saying that all sporting events that occurred while SA were banned because of their aparthied regime that they may have been eligible to play were not legitimate....come on.

 

South Africa was the only team that had a better head to head against the All Blacks and they were not included in the 87 and 91 World Cups because of sanctions.
As soon as they were included in World Cups, they won immediately. Then again in 07 away from home
New Zealand took 16 years to win a World Cup once South Africa were included. By a point at home.
Do the Math, it's not rocket Science.

 

Yep that is why Kiwis value wins over the Boks higher than other countries cause we have had such hard games and an even record prior to the tri nation competition beginning, they were almost impossible to beat at home and we won't mention refs.
So are you saying that the Boks will win this world cup when they haven't managed to beat Aussie or the AB's this year as well as going down to Argentina at home?

 

I'm saying don't get ahead of yourself.
As we all well know when the All Blacks do fold up under pressure, it is usually on the biggest stage of all.
I will be taking the $3.60 on offer for South Africa to do it. It is far better value than watching the All Blacks bow out at a $1.20 like they usually do.
South Africa have been building for some time.
They have a better forward pack then NZ, partuclarly the 2nd row pairing and they will play to their strengths.
Anybody who thinks NZ are going to walk over the Springboks in a World Cup match is deluding themselves.

 

I am deluding myself then. NZ is going to beat South Africa by at least 20 points. Don't know which world cup your watching but NZ forward pack is way better and more mobile than South Africa whose forward pack got caned by Japan and has looked mediocre. NZ v Argentina final.

 

When was the last time NZ beat South Africa by 20 points.
When have they ever beaten South Africa in a World cup match?
What is the head to head in that regard?
I'd hazard a guess and say the South Africans come out ahead.

It's all about building towards the finale, not show pony stuff.
It will be dour because the Springboks will make the game played on their terms.

 

I don't think history really counts for much and if it does I would hold recent history much higher than previous world cups. There's a reason the bookies are paying $1.20 for the ALl Blacks to win.

One could argue the All Blacks are building quite nicely, the last game was a big step up from the Pool matches.