[2015 RWC] Quarter Final 2: New Zealand vs. France (17/10/2015)

[KeyboardWorrier]

I think it's important to keep our heads on straight. Yes it was a good petformance but with no disrespect to France, their team was a bit ****. I just hope this win doesn't go to the All Black players heads, and they recognise the need to approach all games with the same manner they would usually.

 

[smartcooky]

The ghosts of 2007 have been well and truly exorcised

 

[RoosTah]

Gotta say, that was pretty sublime stuff from the ABs... 62 points and they actually bombed a few tries. Just incredible, and Savea in particular had some brilliant Lomu-esq moments.

If there was any doubt before, the All Blacks are now easily way out favourites after that performance.

 

[ABs2011]

So you turn a $50 friendly bet into a gouging $3250 one and think thats being realistic? LOL im actually semi keen on taking that bet but my wife wouldnt like that so much id probably have to sign some divorce papers before taking that one.
Its gotta be three for me.

Realistic? To be fair I think the odds are realistic - whether or not its realistic for you to take those odds is dependent on how strongly you feel I guess (and how much your wife will let you wager). I did say you could negotiate the bet size down - so at 50:1 I risk a dollar for your $50. I'd be more than happy to take u on in that The thing that is funny though is that despite your criticsm of Savea the only thing you would be willing to bet on is that he wont bump off three SAs to scrore a try LOL That's not exactly putting your money where your mouth is really is it!!

So if he plays like he has the rest of the year in the next game what are you going to say?

To be fair if he can play like he did against France again against SA I'd be surprised, cause it was genuinely a MoM performance. If he has a shocker against SA I will acknowledge that for sure.

But my point is, and has always been during this RWC, that Savea deserves his spot in the team. On form he is devastating, and IMO he was worth persisting with and if the selectors were picking him, they were seeing good things behind the scenes and it was only a matter of time until he got back to his best. Throughout the RWC many of us have noticed him steadily improving and the blinder he just played has proved everyone who had faith in him and the selectors to be right. It is now at the point where you would have to find yourself a complete muppet to find someone that felt he shouldnt be in the team next week for SA. QED I reckon!!

 

[shtove]

For all the grief England have been getting for not making the 1/4 I am kind of glad we didnt get there given the quality on show today in both games.

I watched the crowd-pleasing clown show of Eng v France in the last 6N and thought, That's not rugby. And I was right.

Glad both teams went down in flames, because now they get to rise from the ashes.

Interesting to see the ABs go wide from the get-go against France, but they won't try that with the remaining opponents.

 

[ABs2011]

I think it's important to keep our heads on straight. Yes it was a good petformance but with no disrespect to France, their team was a bit ****. I just hope this win doesn't go to the All Black players heads, and they recognise the need to approach all games with the same manner they would usually.

I wouldnt worry about that! A lot of these guys have been there and done that. They know what it takes to win a RWC. Richie said it a couple times in his post match speech. "All this win does is win them 1 more week". There is still a heck of a lot to do.

That being said, what we witnessed was the most dominant finals performance of RWC history. As suppoters of the ABs we should lap the sh ! t out of it! Brilliant all round performance - loved it

 

[nightmarehitter]

I watched the crowd-pleasing clown show of Eng v France in the last 6N and thought, That's not rugby. And I was right.

Glad both teams went down in flames, because now they get to rise from the ashes.

Interesting to see the ABs go wide from the get-go against France, but they won't try that with the remaining opponents.

ABs will play exactly the same way against the boks. Make no mistake the boks looked decidedly average against a poor Wales side. The boks are totaly one dimensional, one forward of the ruck, no continuity in the back line. The reaction of their coach to winning the game against a poor welsh side said it all, total and complete relief, There is no way that boks beat the All Blacks and I expect a 20point+ victory to the men in black.

This in not arrogance this is based on the evidence we have seen so far from this tournament.

 

[austingtir]

The thing that is funny though is that despite your criticsm of Savea the only thing you would be willing to bet on is that he wont bump off three SAs to scrore a try LOL

I think I made my point, nobody is willing to bet he will bump off three players and score against SA because everybody knows he damn well wont!

You'd think that french wing was Mike Catt after some sort of anomaly time travelling forward from 1995...... such was the state of the tackling.

 

[ABs2011]

I think I made my point, nobody is willing to bet he will bump off three players and score against SA because everybody knows he damn well wont!

No, I am! I've been very clear about that. The only thing that is apparently stopping us is your wife, LOL!

 

[nzlizard]

Based on the 2 games today you would say AB's by 10-15 against the boks.

However it is knockout rugby and as we all know king one week and a jester the next, so until the dust settles and we see injuries settle and training start again I will wait.

 

[ianw16]

Excellent performance. Too many players to mention that really played well. Much will be made of the Savea wrecking ball try, the Carter offload, Faumuina and Moody doing SBW impressions, but the one piece of play (unremarked) that summed up the utter difference in the two teams, was the calmness and awareness of Aaron Smith for the Savea 2nd try. Got the ball with a lot of stragglers still coming back, and no obvious pass to make that wasn't blocked. Simply runs to his left, then forward into a little space to give him a clear pass to Retallick, who puts Savea away for the try. Nothing out of this world, just clear thinking in the heat of battle.
Best 9 in the world by a distance.
And Kaino was immense. As I read somewhere online, I imagine Jerry Collins would have watched with approval.

 

[Mcfadden]

No, I am! I've been very clear about that. The only thing that is apparently stopping us is your wife, LOL!

Isn't that what stops every man? Lol

Hey look, I don't think the ABs will get too cocky. With the amount of caps they have in their squad, if they can't work out it was a poor French side, then they'd be mentally retarded. I just think they can take SOME confidence out of it. Yeah the opposition was poor, but we still had to execute. And for me, that was the main concern. Catching the ball isn't holding back, no matter what Hansen says. But that level of intensity, aggression, organisation was definitely a step up from what I was expecting.

I know Savea is the big talking point of this match, and I never once advocated dropping him. The only one who I was wrong about is Kaino, and I think I'd still like to see him in action again really. But for me I'm not worried about all that. I'm just so happy for Moody. That's two games now that Carters been convincing as well. I hope the Carter of old is back and can hold up against tougher opposition. I have faith he can. Even if he had a poor game, I don't see how anyone in the squad could clear that ball as far as him.

 

[otapouri]

All blacks whoop whoop ! Nothing more needs saying[emoji41]

 

[austingtir]

Based on the 2 games today you would say AB's by 10-15 against the boks.

However it is knockout rugby and as we all know king one week and a jester the next, so until the dust settles and we see injuries settle and training start again I will wait.

I dunno I still feel that SA was heavily stiffled by Barnes. (theres a trend with Barnes). I truly think they dominated that match without doubt the second half and most of the stats. Barnes stopped them from putting more points on them I reckon.

 

[shtove]

ABs will play exactly the same way against the boks. Make no mistake the boks looked decidedly average against a poor Wales side. The boks are totaly one dimensional, one forward of the ruck, no continuity in the back line. The reaction of their coach to winning the game against a poor welsh side said it all, total and complete relief, There is no way that boks beat the All Blacks and I expect a 20point+ victory to the men in black.

This in not arrogance this is based on the evidence we have seen so far from this tournament.

Agree with the analysis, not the conclusion - the ABs will not go wide early, because it risks SA's wings nicking a score or two before the Boks power up in the second half. And poor is a harsh description of Wales - just weakened so they couldn't put out their full game.

 

[Manti]

Mc Caw, up to his old tricks again horrible to watch, and that French team didn't turn up allowed NZ to knock em like skittles, wouldn't get my hopes up if I was an AB, Oz gonna destroy em.

Can't see AB's doing it, only time they win is when the rest are poor, like 2011 and 1987.

 

[Mcfadden]

Well aren't you a bundle of positivity. Does that mean McCaw isn't on your Christmas card list?

 

[austingtir]

Mc Caw, up to his old tricks again horrible to watch, and that French team didn't turn up allowed NZ to knock em like skittles, wouldn't get my hopes up if I was an AB, Oz gonna destroy em.

Can't see AB's doing it, only time they win is when the rest are poor, like 2011 and 1987.

LOL

Seeing as your Irish atleast you guys are still in the tournament I guess.... So I can put up with this BS from you. But I will be cheering Argentina on of course.

 

[ABs2011]

Isn't that what stops every man? Lol

Hey look, I don't think the ABs will get too cocky. With the amount of caps they have in their squad, if they can't work out it was a poor French side, then they'd be mentally retarded. I just think they can take SOME confidence out of it. Yeah the opposition was poor, but we still had to execute. And for me, that was the main concern. Catching the ball isn't holding back, no matter what Hansen says. But that level of intensity, aggression, organisation was definitely a step up from what I was expecting.

I know Savea is the big talking point of this match, and I never once advocated dropping him. The only one who I was wrong about is Kaino, and I think I'd still like to see him in action again really. But for me I'm not worried about all that. I'm just so happy for Moody. That's two games now that Carters been convincing as well. I hope the Carter of old is back and can hold up against tougher opposition. I have faith he can. Even if he had a poor game, I don't see how anyone in the squad could clear that ball as far as him.

Hopefuly the Carter thing is cleared up now. Me and a couple other people have been trying to say it for a while, but there are two performances that DC puts on the field: there are the ones where he is clearly holding back (or more likely being told to hold back), in particular where his running game is basically non-existent, and there are the games where he actually puts his foot down. He has clearly been purposefuly held back for much of the last 4 years I can only assume to preserve him for this RWC, but as we have seen when he does put his foot down he is still by far the best 10 in the world. Eden park was a good example, Tonga too, and now today he was pretty darn good as well! When he is on form so much space is opened up for the rest of the team as well. It will only get tougher from hear on in, but hope he will finally lead us to an on-field RWC! He deserves it I reckon!

2 More games!!

 

[Mcfadden]

Just typical excuses to summarise one players career based on a penalty here or there. Cause yknow, people like Pocock are saints. Lol. Dunno what they'll do when he retires! No one to spread myths and lies about.

The main thing I love is how they whinge about his trip being a red card but punching people is absolutely fine. ****in idiots.