Knockout Stages

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Originally Posted by Shaggy Alfresco

It's tongue in cheek. Nobody seriously believes we're better than New Zealand.

Haha! I do realise that... Seriously considering putting that in the Sig

Its still needless gloating though...

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

Is totally unnecessary. Its not celebrating your win.

Not my win mate, and there was a smiley at the end

[Shaggy Alfresco]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

Its still needless gloating though...

You have a problem with that?

If France hypothetically beat England in the semis and then mercilessly took the piss out of England afterwards, I would not have a problem.

[BoyBrumby]

Just stumbled back from the pub three sheets to the wind.

Whoooah. Who writes our scripts? Literally can't believe it. Not making any great claims for us, but (and it's a big but) you surely have to give credit to our chaps for their performances in clutch games. As Shaggy observes no-one is seriously claiming we're better than NZ, but (and this is the key) we do know how to manage games.

Kenny Rogers's good luck message clearly worked. The Gambler.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Perm

Well TBH, that's ****ing dire. I'm all for a team to progress if they play better on the day, but England have been **** since the 2003 World Cup, and now they have a chance to defend their title thanks to two good games. Attrocious.

Originally Posted by Perm

England are ****, they've played two very good games, pretty much the only thing they have done in the last four years. I'm not so much complaining about the format as such, but it's definitely a kick in the nuts for those teams that have played well for four years and then failed, whereas England have been utter crap and still manage to make the final. I hope the Saffies/Argies put 50 points on them.

Come on perm, I thought you were better than that.

Land of hope and glory, mother to us all



BTW, there is nothing better than being English. **** yeah. (ddrunk)

[GIMH]

BTW, we will win the WC, **** yes we will. I am no Rugby Expert, more of a 6 nations/WC man, delighted for the true Rugby fans of this nation, but we will win, believe me.

[Son Of Coco]

Thanks France and England for reinforcing why I don't like rugby...although this was better than 2003, at least England scored a try. What I want to know is, why do they bother running the ball (I know this happens very infrequently) in rugby at all? It's like basketball, so why not just let the other team a free run to your 40 metre line and then try to defend while they attempt to kick a field goal?

I understand that it serves a purpose, and rugby fans like to watch this sort of thing...but it's pretty boring.

[BoyBrumby]

You cut your cloth accordingly, basically.

We could try & throw the ball around and stand back and applaud as the teams with the more gifted backs carve us apart or we could shove the ball up our jumper & let our fly-half insert the knife. The latter option might not be pretty, but a team who was a national joke four weeks ago has made the WC final now.

It's seriously like a hack Hollywood film; gallant but piss-poor team are thrashed by the talented bullies, their injured hero is inspired to return by their wise but alcoholic (look at Ashton's cheeks, FFS) coach and they manage to jam their way to the final wherein they again face the bullies.

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

You cut your cloth accordingly, basically.

We could try & throw the ball around and stand back and applaud as the teams with the more gifted backs carve us apart or we could shove the ball up our jumper & let our fly-half insert the knife. The latter option might not be pretty, but a team who was a national joke four weeks ago has made the WC final now.

It's seriously like a hack Hollywood film; gallant but piss-poor team are thrashed by the talented bullies, their injured hero is inspired to return by their wise but alcoholic (look at Ashton's cheeks, FFS) coach and they manage to jam their way to the final wherein they again face the bullies.

I'm not just talking about England by the way, should have clarified this in my last post. I do understand why England play the way they do, and it was very successful for them at the last World Cup.

I'll also confess, I've never been a rugby fan.

I thought the England vs Australia game was a mess, and that wasn't England's fault.

Overall, I find it an immensely frustrating game to watch...and before people say 'why do you watch it then', I try to limit myself to a few games every 4 years and am quite successful at it

The only problem with the script is if Argentina win...although then it sets up the 'old foes' against each other again, so it's not really a problem at all!

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

I'm not just talking about England by the way, should have clarified this in my last post. I do understand why England play the way they do, and it was very successful for them at the last World Cup.

I'll also confess, I've never been a rugby fan.

I thought the England vs Australia game was a mess, and that wasn't England's fault.

Overall, I find it an immensely frustrating game to watch...and before people say 'why do you watch it then', I try to limit myself to a few games every 4 years and am quite successful at it

Spoken like a true league fan.

Seriously tho, I could see why it would be a turn off if you want to see end-to-end free-flowing Rugby, but me, I love the attritional stuff. The margins between defeat and victory are so slender; if Worsley had've missed his tap-tackle on Clerc with about 8 minutes to go we'd have been obliged to punt the ball to the corner when Szarzewski (sp?) caught Robinson high. As it was Jonny was able to slot the pen to give us the lead. Then he put the drop over meaning that when France got a pen, they did have to run it because we were 5 points to the good.

Tiny, tiny margins, as I say.

[GIMH]

Prospect of an England Argies final is enticing, alas I feel the Saffies will probably win tomorrow

[Perm]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Come on perm, I thought you were better than that.

Land of hope and glory, mother to us all



BTW, there is nothing better than being English. **** yeah. (ddrunk)

And I should've expected this from somebody like yourself, drunk or sober.

Like I said, full credit to England for reaching the final, but they're still ****.

[Perm]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Prospect of an England Argies final is enticing, alas I feel the Saffies will probably win tomorrow

Prospect of England being in the final makes it automatically less exciting.

[ohtani's jacket]

England making the Final is just bizarre. France choked. All the top sides are choking.
England were well organised in defence and put in some awesome scrums when the French were 5m out, but that's about it... The best performer on the pitch was Kaplan.

[Anna]

You're just bitter, the lot of you. It's all very well saying that teams like NZ & France are the best in the world, but they're obviously not when it comes to the crunch games, the ones that really matter.