Knockout Stages

[sideshowtim]

The C word will come out a lot now, and rightly so.

[sideshowtim]

Originally Posted by Clapo

Gah, shocking performance from the Wallabies. Credit to England though, smashed our forwards again and controlled the entire match barring that last 10 minutes of the First Half. Gregan was also rather ordinary, his delivery was on a whole dire.

Great stuff from the French as well, their defence was outstanding! Once again the All Blacks have a massive choke when the games was there to be won. How old is that Evans bloke? It's the first i've seen him play and he looked like he has a bit of talent. Made a few good runs in his short time on the field.

Yep, England were just plain and simple a better team than us on the night. Their game was the perfect antithesis to ours and they deserved to win.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Originally Posted by Clapo

Great stuff from the French as well, their defence was outstanding! Once again the All Blacks have a massive choke when the games was there to be won. How old is that Evans bloke? It's the first i've seen him play and he looked like he has a bit of talent. Made a few good runs in his short time on the field.

It looks like 75% of this all blacks team will be heading to Europe after the World Cup, but fortunately the young talent coming through - Evans, Leonard at the World Cup and the plethora of talented players coming through this year's NPC will give the All Blacks another great chance of losing in the knockout stages with extreme talent in 2011.

[Francis]

Gregan was also rather ordinary, his delivery was on a whole dire.

Can't really blame Gregan, Australia's forwards made it damn hard for him. It was slow ball. Australia couldn't maintain any continuity after the second phase. It's quite glorious really, it's all entirely down to their forwards and there was nothing they could do about it. I knew when Australia had an important scrum feed they'd blow... just beautiful.

Nothing's as beautiful as watching New Zealand lose... that people in New Zealand are suffering brings new life to my soul and fills it with grace.

[chaminda_00]

So gutted when i saw Australia lose to England. Then i saw the All Blacks lose to France and i didn't feel as bad.

Argies to win the WC btw now.

[Athlai]

Mum put money on the French TBH.

[BoyBrumby]

What a day of Rugby.

The northern hemisphere strikes back. I could see England beating Oz (called it in the tipping comp) given the Australians' lack of a pack, but for the French to down NZ as well... Man.

What can New Zealand do? They're in the same position now as they were four years ago; palpably the best team in the world (more so now than then) but choke when it matters. Mitchell got the arse so I suspect Henry will too.

[Perm]

Continues to amaze me how **** the Australian scrum is.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Perm

Continues to amaze me how **** the Australian scrum is.

Quite. Hats off to Roland for not falling for any of the Oz front row's crap either. Sheridan & co absolutely tore them a new one. What was just as impressive was how we dominated the break-down too; we must've turned over at least half a dozen Oz balls.

We could even afford Jonny to be able to kick like a drain today.

[cbuts]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

It looks like 75% of this all blacks team will be heading to Europe after the World Cup, but fortunately the young talent coming through - Evans, Leonard at the World Cup and the plethora of talented players coming through this year's NPC will give the All Blacks another great chance of losing in the knockout stages with extreme talent in 2011.

Only Hayman, Oliver, Jack, Kelleher, Macalister, Howlett, Mauger going. Only position we would struggle to fill right now would be second five, but after next years super 14 someone will put up their hand.

This was always gonna be the game we would loose. I was not worries about Australia/England/South Africa. But France so often pull something specail out. 1987 against the Wallabies, very nearly in 1995 against the Boks, of course us in 1999 and now 2007.

I think at the same time as the french defended amazingly, the ref was poor. Macalister to the bin was a big call. Frances second try came from a massive forwarrd pass, and we should have got a penalty for the french turnover in the 75 minute.

But full credit to France, they deserved their win, i dont think its fair to say we choked - its just finals football.

In my books this All Black squad 2004-2007 still goes down as probally the greatest since the Invincibles. They won an amazing 39 out 44 games. Swept the Lions, Won the grand slam, were unbeaten at home (world record).... the world cup was the only thing missing!

[sideshowtim]

Originally Posted by cbuts

Only Hayman, Oliver, Jack, Kelleher, Macalister, Howlett, Mauger going. Only position we would struggle to fill right now would be second five, but after next years super 14 someone will put up their hand.

This was always gonna be the game we would loose. I was not worries about Australia/England/South Africa. But France so often pull something specail out. 1987 against the Wallabies, very nearly in 1995 against the Boks, of course us in 1999 and now 2007.

I think at the same time as the french defended amazingly, the ref was poor. Macalister to the bin was a big call. Frances second try came from a massive forwarrd pass, and we should have got a penalty for the french turnover in the 75 minute.

But full credit to France, they deserved their win, i dont think its fair to say we choked - its just finals football.

In my books this All Black squad 2004-2007 still goes down as probally the greatest since the Invincibles. They won an amazing 39 out 44 games. Swept the Lions, Won the grand slam, were unbeaten at home (world record).... the world cup was the only thing missing!

Yet the World Cup is the most important thing. And it's one of the biggest black marks you can have on your record.

Dunno why England beating us surprised many people. Their pack is great, our pack is ****. We're the perfect team for them pretty much. Most people who follow rugby a fair bit would've been able to pick it.

[SirBloody Idiot]

What a **** game the Wallabies/England was. I have absolutely no idea about rugby half the time (the rules do confuse me) and I only really ever watch when the Force or Wallabies are playing - but jeez that was crap.

Though happy to see the French win (or rather the Kiwis lose).

[cbuts]

Originally Posted by sideshowtim

Yet the World Cup is the most important thing. And it's one of the biggest black marks you can have on your record.

Dunno why England beating us surprised many people. Their pack is great, our pack is ****. We're the perfect team for them pretty much. Most people who follow rugby a fair bit would've been able to pick it.

there is far to mush emphasis on the world cup. and it is ruining rugby for the other 4 years. The IRB need to do something about it

[age_master]

Originally Posted by Francis

Can't really blame Gregan, Australia's forwards made it damn hard for him. It was slow ball. Australia couldn't maintain any continuity after the second phase. It's quite glorious really, it's all entirely down to their forwards and there was nothing they could do about it. I knew when Australia had an important scrum feed they'd blow.

No, Gregan was dire, not as dire as the forwards though. Our lack of class in the front row was humiliating. England's forwards had all the answers (if you could even say the Aussies asked any questions of them...).

[age_master]

Originally Posted by sideshowtim

Dunno why England beating us surprised many people. Their pack is great, our pack is ****. We're the perfect team for them pretty much. Most people who follow rugby a fair bit would've been able to pick it.

Did you see any of the other English games, they were abysmal across the park for the most part. They weren't far of getting beaten by Tonga and not being in the quarter finals either.