Rugby - See You In Ten!

[Frozzy]

Result of interest to the thread:

Otago 6 -d- Auckland 3

An inert match. Even Northern Hemisphere games aren't as boring as this one. Interesting ending though. Tony Brown puts the ball out, but the hooter hasn't gone (one of the Aucklanders probably said it was over). Suddenly, an inert match comes to life! Auckland advance 40m down the field, only to knock it on.

Eighty minutes of dull, boring rugby, and a minute of exiting rugby ends... with a knock on. Story of the game, really.

[Havak]

Tryless games are as rare as rocking horse poo here these days.

Remember who is number one in the world - clearly this boring kind of rugby now exists only in the lower ranked nations.

[Havak]

No agreed margin guys?

Lets look to next weekend then. Wales 7 points start over England seems fair...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Andydog
Any thoughts on this weekends betting margin? Sure we may have a stronger forward pack but I do think it will be much tougher than Sydney - it will be similar to last week's match in Dunedin. The Aussies will work their arses off to starve the back three of the pill and the dewy night conditions (with a chance of rain) will again restrict scintillating backline moves.

NZ by 9.

They will run tries past Wendell all night.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Which reminds me – the captaincy is fitting Vaughan like Humility fits an Aussie cricketer – he scored a huge 1 in the first innings of the third test. Butcher got a century and strangely Nasser resumes this morning on 108 in an almost respectable total of 296-3.

Yes, and they finished up 400+. I suspect Vaughan has to be one of the worst fieldsmen ever to captain a side.

Two I would say. Plus I think the Kiwis have one too many – and I’m with the Kiwis on the fact that I don’t think Australia can possible field a 4th quality franchise. After all there aren’t three decent front row forwards in the entire country.

I think they'll scrape togethe a competitve team. I did hear someone talking about one beyond that, which is ridiculous.

I think we got caught out be signing to the two Kiwi games first to be honest – but Scotland are certainly a waste of time for the Wallabies at the moment. Ask Ireland back – Fester (Woodsy) is fit again as it O’Gara – they might recreate last Novembers form instead of this June’s abject surrender.

I'd rather play Ireland. I'm sure the ARU would, too, because they would draw better. There's probably some sort of protocol involved somewhere. I don't know how these things are organised.

Margins gents? Based on the ABs form and the last fixture it has to be 21 to the Aussies?

I honestly have no idea. The Boks put it to the ABs last week with a game that we certainly can't play. Return matches, though, can have a way of evening up after the first one has blown out. I think, probably, 14.5, which is close to Frozzy's mark.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
No agreed margin guys?

Lets look to next weekend then. Wales 7 points start over England seems fair...

I think we left it too late again.

[Caligastia]

Thank God! The power is back on before the big game!

[Tamerlin]

Sorry, I am not very active on Poly these days... I am still to catch up with the Rugby thread...

Originally posted by finbar
A tad warm in your part of the world at the moment, I gather?

I must admit the weather was hot but we bathed everyday in the river flowing near the house we were living in...

We wait, as ever, with unbated breath.

Listen! I defended you against a scurrilous attack by Frozzy!

I will forever be your debtor...





This message is for all the moneygrabbers around here:

DON'T TOUCH MY GOLD...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
This message is for all the moneygrabbers around here:

DON'T TOUCH MY GOLD...

If you're not around, you're not going to notice it diminishing, are you.

[Tamerlin]

My accountant will...

[finbar]

*wonders whether to let him know that his accountant is the one siphoning off the funds*

[Tamerlin]

Give me back my money you crook...

I have seen New-Zealand/Australia this afternoon and I must admit I have been very surprised... it was almost a real game of Rugby.

So when they want to the SH teams can use their forwards. But was it because of the bad weather and the need to tighten the game?

Far more entertaining than the two other Tri-Nations games I have seen this year.

IMO the Aussies have been really unlucky, though the All Blacks were better they could have lost the game.

Where is Gregan? He seems to be only a shadow of the great player he was: slow, unable to direct and influence the game, unimaginative play, not defending... should the players had tried something other than indifinitely bumping into the AB wall near the scrums they could have won this game, IMO of course.

[finbar]

All Blacks 21 -d- Wallabies 17

Yeah well, more of the same. The Wallabies lift for the occasion, but commit suicide with their sheer impotence in attack and some appalling kicking that hands the ABs tries on a platter.

The Wallabies could easily have won. What on earth Kaplan was thinking when he let Collins pilfer the ball that led to Howlett's second try? Collins was in an offside position, Kaplan was calling "Leave it Black!", and, with no change in the situation, he let Collins reach down and pick up the ball. Larkham's non-try with the ball against the post was just as ludicrous. If he hadn't touched the ball against the post, and the video evidence was inconclusive, a penalty try should have been awarded for McCaw illegally diving on top of him to prevent the try. So there's a 12 point swing, regardless of Carlos' - yet again - incompotent kicking.

Whether the Wallabies deserved to win or not is a different matter. They had ample attacking opportunities in the second half, but persisted with their mindless hammering head-first up the middle - or up the blindside - into the AB defence. Lote Tuquiri must wonder what he's doing in this team. Where is the vision when in possession and attacking? The imagination? And when, if ever, will Matt Rogers pass the ball? His sole intention seems to be to break the line, ignoring the crucial option of off-loading to exploit the gaps left by the defenders committed to tackling him.

On the plus side, Larkham had his best game for a long time. Sadly, his field kicking, which used to be very good, has deserted him. Our back row also managed to put Carlos under some - but not enough - pressure. Our forwards lifted their game against the ABs' A pack. And, Mialamu's speed and mobility aside, I thought our forwards more than held their own, which should be a worry for the ABs. Debutant Al Baxter did well when he got his chance and has to replace Noriega. David Giffen's organisation of the lineout exposed - yet again - the ABs' real problems in that area. Nathan Sharpe, when he came on, proved to be much more effective than Vickerman driving the ball forward. Sadly, Kefu obviously wasn't fit after his calf injury, and shouldn't have started.

Oh, and I'm sure Havak burst a pyjama button with delight when David McHugh, on the touchline, pinged the AB runners for being in front of Carlos when he kicked.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Give me back my money you crook...

I'm posting from my new house in Lot!

I have seen New-Zealand/Australia this afternoon and I must admit I have been very surprised... it was almost a real game of Rugby.

So when they want to the SH teams can use their forwards. But was it because of the bad weather and the need to tighten the game?

It was partly the weather, but it was also a case of the Wallabies trying to do what the Boks did last week - attack the ABs through the forwards, pressuring them, keeping it tight.

IMO the Aussies have been really unlucky, though the All Blacks were better they could have lost the game.

I agree. It was the Wallabies' impotence in attack - when they had the opportunities - that cost them.

Where is Gregan? He seems to be only a shadow of the great player he was: slow, unable to direct and influence the game, unimaginative play, not defending... should the players had tried something other than indifinitely bumping into the AB wall near the scrums they could have won this game, IMO of course.

You've hit le clou sur la tête, as we say. It's the same thing every time - head-first into a brick wall. And I don't know why!

[Frozzy]

Two points about the game.

Why is it when the ABs have the best backline in the world did they kick it so much?

Carlos stepped up to the mark when he was needed. The Doug Howlett try was a thing of beauty.