Rugby World Cup 2007 - Twiddling Our Thumbs!

[Havak]

It had better be wishful thinking Finbar

I’m just finishing watch the Wallabies totally hammer Japan - and that after watching a truly awesome NZ display.

at you concerns about where the Pumas coach is going of course…

I’ve never seen a game won as quickly as NZ managed today – over after 11 minutes really. And Italy didn’t even play badly! The ABs look ready for this tournament in every way.

I don’t wish to add to LdiC’s pain but the halves were not both invivisible – the scrum half was quite visible making error after error. Well played Argentina and my word what a game we will now see when France takes on Ireland.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Still, their game plan was to rely on the opponent's errors rather than producing play themselves.

I think that might have been England's plan. I'm sure they had one. Somewhere. Left in B. Ashton's hotel room presumably. But to add to your argument - which, by the way, I don't agree with! - the difference between the Argies and England was that the Argies did capitalise on their opponents' mistakes. England couldn't even do that. And their opponents were freakin' amateurs, for crying out loud! I've never seen such a constipated England performance.

Cripes, who would be an English rugby supporter? Now I know why you drink, Havak. Hopefully Nose has played his way out of the team for good. He was a slow, lumbering liability. S. Perry is a slow, lumbering forward wearing #9.

Hopefully the judiciary will examine the skipper's nasty footwork on the American #13. We might not see him - the skipper - for the rest of the tournament. We certainly won't see the American #13 for the rest of the tournament after his spear tackle. It should have been a red card.

The All Blacks were simply scary.

Wallabies surprised me. They always take a while to get going after a break from matches. The best thing for me, after a rusty first 20 minutes, was their ongoing clinical ruthlessness. In games like that, they're often guilty of losing concentration. Good, especially, to see R. Elsom maturing. He's going to be an outstanding flanker in time.

Play of the day? Has to be G. Smith's smashing tackle on the Japanese player, snatching the ball from him, and bolting over the try line.

[Havak]

Yes I would agree with that. Smithy looked in fine fettle.

With England all I can say is I thought it was very telling that the two better players were Barkley (25) and Rees (22). Coincidentally the two youngest men who started the for us.

And I have to confess I was wrong about Barkley - he was much better than I expected.

Dayglo was a liability and our skipper has to be dropped for Stevens. Cueto as FB? Oh dear! But then i could go through the whole team in similar fashion...

But hell we do need a radically different 22. Including some of the players that got cut preferably!

Now I am going to go and get hammered!

[finbar]

Mmmm. With the Boks up next, your liver is going to turn green. Or a darker shade anyway.

Yes, T. Rees looked handy. O. Barkley at least showed some initiative. I still don't think he's a good enough #10 because he doesn't seem to be able to manage a game. Isn't he a converted #12? Put him back there.

I noticed R. Andrew with a frown on his face a couple of times. Well he should frown, it's all his fault.

[finbar]

Wales -v- Canada was fun till halftime. I thought Wales deserved to lose on their fashion sense alone. Whose idea was it to use coal sacks as an alternate strip?

[LDiCesare]

NZ vs Italy was impressive. A pity the ref didn't allow the last Italian try. He should have awarded a penalty against the NZ for preventing Bergamasco from running toward the ball!
Anyway the All Blacks were very impressive.

I only saw glimpses of South Africa vs. Samoa, but the Boks' 13 looks like a very good player.

[finbar]

Jaques Fourie. He's top class. Injured during the last SH season. Unless B. O'Driscoll lifts his game, Fourie will soon rank as the best #13 in the world.

Gee, not a long weekend of rugby to gladden the heart of a NH rugby fan. At least France lost to a professional team. I can't decide whether Ireland or England were worse than the other. It was eerie watching, yet again, a minnow finish over the top of a professional team. On balance, I've come down in favour of England over Ireland. England were constipated; Ireland were, too often, just plain incompetent.

At least Wales and Scotland finished over the top of their minnow opponents, though that's about all.

Boks looked good. On their day, Samoa can do a lot of damage. Be afraid, Havak, be very afraid.

[LDiCesare]

a professional team.

You mean, except for one winger.

[Barnabas]

How did England win the last time? I thought Australia and NZ were very superior

[LDiCesare]

Australia, NZ and South Africa all got the high scores you'd expected. England didn't even score 30 points against the all mighty USA team. This doesn't really bode well for them.

[Nugog]

It is just the opening round - time will tell - but not many of the NH teams got monster scores from memory....

[Havak]

I'm more resigned than afraid Finbar.

It's completely back to the drawing board after this tournament.

At least Ashton didn't try to spin things -- he admitted he was as bemused as the rest of us.

Should have integrated some of the youngsters Brian - it's far too late now. We will see a much younger England (and probably a much younger head coach) in the six nations.

*edit* It might not bode well for us LdiC but lets remember that we didn't lose our opening game. Can Ireland play that badly again?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Barnabas
How did England win the last time?

The pursuit of the answer to that question could well fill a couple of episodes of Leonard Nimoy's "In Search Of".

At least Ashton didn't try to spin things -- he admitted he was as bemused as the rest of us.

Bemused? Then he's either stupid or in denial. The answers are achingly screamingly obvious. To us, anyway.

[Havak]

Even the aged 22 should have played better than that though Finbar. There is more wrong than just the obvious I feel.

And they won last time because they were the best side in the world for the 18 months leading up the the Cup. Anyone who truly thought NZ (or even more ridiculously Australia) were better sides in 2003 is simply indulging in rose tinted revisionism.

Speaking of the aged Owen Finegan skippered Tigers in their last warm up game. They have won all five warm up fixtures.

[Andydog]

What a fantastic weekend of rugby!

Argentina - another performance like that will beat Ireland, who are playing like crap at the moment. That would mean the Argies will probably play Scotland in the QF and therefore they have a realistic chance at a SF berth. This is huge for them!

France - if these guys don't wake up they're looking at a QF against NZ in Cardiff. Given their unpredictability, this is somewhat of a concern for the Kiwi fan, but considering we've flogged them the last 4 times we've played them we should be alright.

England - what a laugh. They will surely lose to SA, and will struggle against Samoa with that sort of form. Nothing would make me laugh harder than to see the 'World Champions' killed off in the pools. England captain Phil Vickery has been cited and is facing being banned playing against SA this Friday.

Boers - faced a quality opposition and dispatched them with a polished performance despite pressure, especially in the first 20 or so. These guys are looking like probable finalists and they will be hard to beat.

Convicts - hard to tell, they put on a good performance but it was against Japan. They did what they needed to do and won convincingly, but they rely on their stars a lot don't they. Injuries to any of them are a big risk to their team. Still, never write off Aussie, as NZ has learn a time or three.