Pool C - New Zealand, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Scotland

[Magrat Garlick]

Meaning?

Power to Italy and long live Romania, respectively.

The sentiment applies only to the rugby union teams.

 

[Piper]

Power to Italy and long live Romania, respectively.

The sentiment applies only to the rugby union teams.

Oooooh cooooool lol

 

[Jamee999]

Power to Italy and long live Romania, respectively.

The sentiment applies only to the rugby union teams.

Why only the rugby teams?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Why only the rugby teams?

Because Florin Raducioiu has retired, so the Romanian football team lacks unpronouncable names. (Admittedly there aren't too many in the rugby team, either, but Brezoianu and Calafeteanu will do.) (and I'm not a fascist tosspot)

 

[Jamee999]

Borderline national hatred, tbh

 

[Stefano]

Romania was a very good team in the 80s. There were some rumors about a possible inclusion in the Five Nations tournament. They beat France, Scotland, Wales (both at home at Cardiff Arms Park) However, in the next decade Romania began to fall.

The All Blacks would be able to win this group even with their third best team. These are my predictions:

NZL vs ITA and NZL vs SCO: NZL win by 50-60 points. I would not be surprised if Pierre Berbizier (Italy's coach) would not use his best players. Since Italy has no chances to beat New Zealand, it is better to have the best players rested for the other matches.

NZL vs ROM: 100 points

NZL vs POR: 200 points???

Other matches: Italy should beat Romania by 25-30 points. And Scotland should do the same. Last year Italy played against Portugal: final score 83-0. So, we should expect easy victories for Italy and Scotland vs Portugal.

The final match (Italy vs Scotland) will decide the second team of the group: Italy defeated Scotland at Murrayfield some months ago. Italy never qualified for the quarterfinals: this year they have a great chance.

I am Italian, so I am rather happy about this group. However, I don't think it is fair. Think about the other groups with France, Ireland and Argentina. Or England, South Africa and Western Samoa. All these six teams are much better than Italy and Scotland (Italy has never defeated Samoa), but two of them will be out of the quarterfinals.

--------
FORZA ITALIA!

This mean: COME ON, ITALY! However, nowadays lots of people (and I am among them)
do not like to say this. But this is related to politics.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

In the last World Cup NZ's pool play was a debacle. I hope Henry doesn't rotate the team too much through pool play.

 

[Craig]

But wasn't that typical of John Mitchell? Win one Test and make 13 changes to the next and basically giving out a cap in a brown paper bag from your nearest supermarket. Make a few changes that is fine but that was OTT.

 

[Fiery]

But wasn't that typical of John Mitchell? Win one Test and make 13 changes to the next and basically giving out a cap in a brown paper bag from your nearest supermarket. Make a few changes that is fine but that was OTT.

yeah, worst AB coach ever. His treatment of some of our great players like Cullens and Mehrtens was disgraceful imo

 

[Craig]

yeah, worst AB coach ever. His treatment of some of our great players like Cullens and Mehrtens was disgraceful imo

TBH I was surprised John Hart still had a job going into the '99 WC after how dire '98 was.

 

[Stefano]

Power to Italy and long live Romania, respectively.

The sentiment applies only to the rugby union teams.

Forza Italia does not mean Power to Italy. It means "Come on Italy". Italian is my first language. .

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Forza Italia does not mean Power to Italy. It means "Come on Italy". Italian is my first language. .

Sorry! Good to be corrected. Just thought the word Forza meant "power"

 

[Stefano]

Forza also means force or power. But not in this context.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Forza Italia does not mean Power to Italy. It means "Come on Italy". Italian is my first language. .

You gave a triple rolleyes, that was dire


Added the smiley incase anyone misunderstood it.

 

[Piper]

Come on dudes! Don't start..

This is how I think the table will look by the end of it:
NZ
Italy
Scotland
Romania
Portugal

 

[Craig]

Forza also means force or power. But not in this context.

Hate words that have three different meanings tbh.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

yeah, worst AB coach ever. His treatment of some of our great players like Cullens and Mehrtens was disgraceful imo

I don't think he was the worst coach ever. He had an 82% winning ratio.

It was time for those players to be dropped & many of our current players were selected under Mitchell, some of them with little or no Super 12 experience.

He was better than Laurie Mains at any rate.

 

[Perm]

Mains and Mitchell are/were both good coaches. I find it ridiculous how often Mitchell gets slagged off, considering he had one of the best records and worked better with the majority of the players than any other coach.

 

[atisha_ro]

I hope Romania can get two wins, Scotland didn't look so well in the Six Nations and Portugal is pretty accesible. The NZ game will be holiday - last game in the group at 2pm.
And with Italy... who knows...?
Tbh our rugby fell down a lot, only the Bucharest team has put out some good matches in the European Shield.

 

[Fiery]

Mains and Mitchell are/were both good coaches. I find it ridiculous how often Mitchell gets slagged off, considering he had one of the best records and worked better with the majority of the players than any other coach.

Mitchell was a nightmare...awful with the media, made appalling decisions at the WC which cost us the thing. Robbie Deans basically had him on a string and brought in a ton of average Canterbury players. His treatment of players, especially some great ones and man-management was shocking. Worst coach ever by far imo...I stand by that.