Sports & Fitness Rugby World Cup

Last time in a world cup was 2003 NZ 29 SA 9
The head to head is SA 2-1 '95 15-12 in the final and '99 22-18 so on a points differential it is NZ 14 ahead.
Interesting that you think the AB's are "show ponies" I geuss you mean by that they play entertaining rugby. I think most people would have enjoyed watching the "show ponies" running riot over the French rather than the one out bash it up hope for a penalty that the Boks played against the Welsh 3rd choice team.

 

The All Blacks are always those odds.
Have a look at the odds of every World Cup ever played and you will find the All Blacks are under $2 for everyone of them.
But they've only won 2 and they were 25 years apart which tells me that there is money to be made backing against them.

 

I wouldn't bet the house on them or you could be homeless next week

 

Also when you are betting you should check out the form guide...most punters do.

 

You must have been homeless at least 5 times in the past 28 years then.

I like to read the one written from a neutral perspective and I look for value and the All Blacks aren't it, expecially when more often than not, they bottle it at short odds.

 

Have you actually been watching them play lately?

 

Have you? Without the one eyed blinker on?

For what it's worth they are playing no different than they were before the bungled it in , 99, 03 and 07.
I left out 91 and 95 because they were simply beaten by a better side in both those World Cups.

 

'91 better team won no doubt. A drop kick in extra time in 95 could have gone either way I seem to remember Merhts missing a few as dropkicks were never and still aren't part of the AB's arsenal they prefer tries. But when you are playing knock out rugby they should be part of the plan!
Believe it or not I was pleased for the nation of SA when they won, it meant more to them than it would have to us especially with Mandela as the 16th man, I felt it was something that all Sth Africans could rejoice in Black or White and gave them a bond that didn't exist before. I don't know how old you are but pre Mandela the Blacks would support the AB's when in SA. Not now.

I do try and watch games objectively, I am a rugby tragic yes I am an AB's fan and yes we have been knocked out of world cups before and it will happen again. Yes the AB's are usually favourites because they have been the #1 team in the world for just about as long as I can remember and sometimes they get beaten...not often but it does happen but their win loss record is better than any other team going around.

All that aside based on matches played at this world cup I can not see SA beating the AB's when they struggled to put away a struggling Wales and they are hardly toughened by a pool of tier 2 nations apart from Scotland. 2 teams made it to the semis in convincing style the other 2 are lucky to be there.

 

All of the teams are through on merit, don't try and make it all about the All Blacks, the French are always in and out customers and can get pumped by anybody when they aren't in the mood.
It won't do the AB's any good to come through soft matches like they have.
As far as the AB's preferring tries, well the last World Cup final they managed a lucky try to Tony Woodcock through the lineout and that was it.
I don't think the AB's scored 1 in the 95 World Cup final either.
So their try scoring record in World Cup finals is nearly as questionable as their ability to actually get into a final.

As I alluded to before, the All Black win loss record against South Africa is flattered by the selection policy imposed on them.
Imagine if the All Blacks had to play a percentage of players in the team of Maori descent even if they wern't good enough.
Particularly if it were in the forward pack where the game is won and lost.

This is what South African Rugby is up against with every squad they entrust to the coach.

 

The current team South Africa have at the world cup is not good enough to beat the All Blacks. No other team could have beat the French the way the All Black's did on Sunday morning. What South African coloured players are not good enough to be in the current squad on merit?. To me they are the stars of the team and if South Africa had more coloured players they might actually have a back line that could run the ball against quality opposition.

 

Can you point to any time in the SA/Wales game where SA looked dangerous and might score a try? Wales just didn't have the killer instinct and experience to finish off SA in the last 10 mins when they could have. The try was a result of the fullback not being home having misread the scrum, that I think was a lucky and for you a game saving try.
The Wallabies were the recipients of some questionable refereeing at best and they are lucky to be there, on merit no, luck yes.
As for Woodcocks try I don't call a planned move a lucky try. Yes it was only a one point win but we lost our 1st and 2nd kickers to injury and then had Piri Weepu pull a groin in warm up it was only when Beaver came on and kicked the penalty late in the second half that a kick went over.

Yes your selection policies are stupid. But I am sure you wouldn't want ot swap Habana (even if your game plan consists of not giving him the ball) , Kirchner, Pietersen or the Beast.
Hardly fair to compare the Maoris we have a few and they make up a pretty good team on their own and have beaten plenty of international sides in their day.

 

Every single one of them except for Bryan Habana.
Special mention to JP Pieterson and Mitawira, but neither of them play out a full 80 mins solidly and both should only be coming on as replacements late in the game.

BTW I've seen plenty of quality All Black back lines that couldn't run the ball past quality oppositon.
Just look at a replay of the 95 World Cup Final to see evidence of that.

 

What a complete load of gutter tripe.
Scotland only got as close to the Walabies becuase of the lucky intercepts and questionable refereeing. they were totally flattered by the score.

So you are saying Woodcock's try was a planned move in 2011.
What about Du Preez on Saturday night, you don't think that was a planned move.
South Africa just wore the Welsh out, squeezed them until they coughed the points.
That is how they play.

The Maori comparison is fair, the standard falls away dramatically where the Maori All Blacks are concerned, particularly in the forward pack where a high level of fitness and resolve is required.

 

How many of the starting AB forward pack are of maori extraction, most notably the tight 5?

How many in the backline?

 

I count Jerome Kaino as the only forward in the starting 15 of maori extraction.

 

Lucky intercepts? Yes from a team that was under pressure, thats what happens when you put teams under pressure they make mistakes, questionable reffing, absolutely that's why Australia won. Deliberate knock down....even Phil Kearns who is one of the most one eyed around thought Joubert should give himself an uppercut. A penalty for an accidendal offside which even replays can't decide who it came off and he had given a scrum on the same infringement previously in the game .....Please.
And if that is the best that SA can offer by way of "squeezing" a Welsh team that should have been put away easily your forwards will be "wheezing" trying to chase down the AB's next week.
Just keep practicing your kicks and give the ball back to the dynamic back 3 of the AB's and then practice your tackling. Someone has forgotten to tell Heyneke that ' You can't score tries without the ball" oh sorry I forgot it is the Sth African way in the coaches manual. Pick huge immobile forwards smash your way upfield and wait for a penalty.....exciting stuff.
If you don't think Woodcock's try was a planned move you don't know much about rugby.

 

If you don't think Du Preez's try was a planned move, then you know anything about rugby.
But then again you've already proved that.
You think the AB's are going to beat South Africa by 20 points.
You have obviously never seen a rugby ball, much less played against a South african with one.
There's nothing wrong with the Welsh either, they are the pick of the Northern Hemisphere sides and they gave SA an excellent warm up into the semi final.

 

Planned move? it was oportunistic there was no one home the winger had gone walk about!
I didn't say we would beat you by 20 points that was someone else.
You are right with one of your statements, I have never played against SA in rugby I was never good enough.
I doubt you were either.
If you think the Welsh was a good warmup for the AB's I suggest you do another couple of laps.

 

Thinking about it the score will be All Blacks 34 South Africa 6. Not surprisingly the South Africans will not score a try and get two early penalties, before their forwards run out of steam in the 20th minute. NZ will dominate the forward exchanges and run the Springboks off their feet. Lineout, ruck, maul and scrum dominance by the All Blacks will leave them feeling that they should have scored 50 points. However it will be evident to everyone that they take the foot off the pedal in the 60th minute to save themselves for the final. Anything else you want to know????.

 

Yes, I want to know how come you know all this but you don't know how to spell Sonny Bill properly?

Bro

I tend to think it will be Deja Vu for Ab's supporters as they get the life sucked out of them by the rampant physical play of the Springboks.