JonS Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Predictions for the weekend: 30 Sep, South Africa vs Samoa 1 Oct Australia vs Russia France vs Tonga England vs Scotland 2 Oct Argentina vs Georgia New Zealand vs Canada Wales vs Fiji Ireland vs Italy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I see you like taking risks with your tips. Regards KR 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 more so than you, apparently 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Hurrah! I was wrong and Tonga beat France! w00t! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW0Fp16XhZo&feature=relmfu 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpie_Oz Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 OOOOOOHHHH, Scotland so close 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 OOOOOOHHHH, Scotland so close Yes but again that Northern hemisphere thing of just trying to outplay each other for 3 pointers. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Be interesting to see how the ABs do without Carter. I suspect they will have the depth to make up for it though. Whereas Australia will be scrambling again after losing Mitchell yesterday. Nothing worse than seeing a player in any sport suddenly go into that back thigh clutching hop. I saw that one bookmaker here had Israel Dagg at $15.00 to be leading try scorer of the tournament. Thought that was well worth a punt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Yes but again that Northern hemisphere thing of just trying to outplay each other for 3 pointers. That was pretty much all Ben Youngs' fault, IMO. Once Wrigglesworth came on, service from the breakdown was faster and more accurate, and less encumbered with shuffling about at the base of the ruck. England's backline does have pace and penetration (not in all positions, though Tindall has actually had a good game here and there recently), when it's allowed to play. I thought it was interesting that the English try came at almost the same point in the game, and at the same point on the goal line as the Argentine try that scuppered the Scots the previous week. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Yes but again that Northern hemisphere thing of just trying to outplay each other for 3 pointers. I don't see it that way - it doesn't matter how you get the points on the board - the only thing that matters is how many each side has when the final whistle is blown. I'll be delighted if the AB's win the final with 10 penalties and 2 drop goals against 5 converted tries! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 So much for "a festival of rugby," then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I don't see it that way - it doesn't matter how you get the points on the board - the only thing that matters is how many each side has when the final whistle is blown. I'll be delighted if the AB's win the final with 10 penalties and 2 drop goals against 5 converted tries! The point is though that they won't. Any team who think they can beat the 2011 AB's by scrapping for penalties is unlikely to be left holding the Cup. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 30 Sep, South Africa 13 vs Samoa 5 :-) 1 Oct Australia 68 vs Russia 22 :-) France 14 vs Tonga 16 (but ) England 16 vs Scotland 12 :-) (but ) 2 Oct Argentina 25 vs Georgia 7 :-) New Zealand 79 vs Canada 15 :-) Wales 36 vs Fiji 6 :-) Ireland 38 vs Italy 6 :-) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Predictions for this weekend: 8 Oct, Ireland 15 : 12 Wales England 25 : 13 France 9 Oct South Africa 15 : 12 Australia NZ 45 : 6 Argentina 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 The point is though that they won't. Any team who think they can beat the 2011 AB's by scrapping for penalties is unlikely to be left holding the Cup. I certainly hope so - but then atm I hope NZ make the finals - hopefully aus & SA will hammer each other good & hard so the victor comes out as walking wounded for the semi's, and NZ get's an easy run vs Argentina. Of course I also hope Argentina are kind enough to let that happen....or at least incompetent enough not to be able to stop it! :cool: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 I certainly hope so - but then atm I hope NZ make the finals - hopefully aus & SA will hammer each other good & hard so the victor comes out as walking wounded for the semi's, and NZ get's an easy run vs Argentina. Of course I also hope Argentina are kind enough to let that happen....or at least incompetent enough not to be able to stop it! :cool: All bias aside, the comment I made about scrapping for penalties means I think the Wallabies are the only team that can stand in NZ's way. The SA game of late has been set around goal kicking and I just don't see that is an adequate remedy for the NZ back line, which is perhaps the best in the world at converting opportunism to points on the board. You make a mistake against the ABs and you will pay with 7 points. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 1 RWC final has been won against the AB's with kicks.....without a single try scored. And last time the AB's were KO'ed by France by 2 points without even attempting a 3 point drop goal in the last 10 minutes camped in the French 22 trying to score a try - IMO a telling inability to keep purpose of the match in mind - which is to win, not to score more tries! I want the AB's to be able to score points any way they can - there are good defensive teams in the knock-out stages, and if we find ourselves camped in their 22, 2 points behind, with 5 minutes to go, I bloody well want to see a barrage of drop goal attempts!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I'm wondering when Sarah Williams, that Rugby World Cup reporter god, does a piece that reads something like.... And the fact that it wasn’t just the Kiwis and the Irish, but the English, the Samoans, the Italians, the Scots and pretty much every other nation at the tournament celebrating the victory says more about the world’s feelings toward the French rugby team than anything else. Oh wait.... Regards KR 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Why would she write somethign like that when it would not be true?? Now that it's the knock out stages I think the only obvious underdogs would be the Argentinians - and I suspect she won't be writing in such glowing terms if they win...even if it is true!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Why would she write somethign like that when it would not be true?? Now that it's the knock out stages I think the only obvious underdogs would be the Argentinians - and I suspect she won't be writing in such glowing terms if they win...even if it is true!! If the Argies beat the All Blacks, it will be because they played out of their skins against an All Black team that forgot why they were there for the entire 80 minutes. Everyone, I believe, including all but the most one-eyed All Black supporter (singular, I reckon) would applaud the 'plucky south americans', were that the case. Reactions to such an All Black capitulation would vary from scorn and derision to pity, but no one would begrudge the blue and whites their victory, because even against a sub-par AB performance it would have been an achievement, such is the gulf between the sides, and the ethos of the sport. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Reactions to such an All Black capitulation would vary from scorn and derision to pity, Don't forget the ritual sacking of the coach! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Don't forget the ritual sacking of the coach! Oh, Henry seems to be coated in teflon. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I think 2 quarter final losses in a row might be enough to see the teflon turn to something brown and sticky.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Interesting... you could easily argue that it's not the coach's fault if the players screw up that badly. He got them to the point where they, to be frank, look unbeatable, gave them the tools and the structure and the cohesion to beat anyone if they only try. If the ABs of today don't close out the game against opposition of Argentina's calibre, I'm not sure there's anything the coach can do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Let's face it, NZL being beaten by ARG is a fairly unlikely scenario. The other 1/4 finals will be much more even, particularly if France has one of its 'good' days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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