[2015 RWC] Semi Final 1: South Africa vs. New Zealand (24/10/2015)

[austingtir]

All Blacks shocking discipline kept the Boks in that one. South Africa didn't create anything as expected and really should have played for the drop goal. Still suspect New Zealand would have won regardless, although I reckon if they were playing Australia or Argentina, they would have lost on that display. Both of those teams would have scored tries which would have been enough to get over the line. Anyway, I doubt they will play that badly again next week. Cracking semi final and final in stall. I cannot wait!!!

The thing you dont seem to take into account is no other team in the world would of beat the Boks in this game tonight.

I dont see how you think Arg in particular would score tries against that defence. Australia maybe one but I dont even think they'd of got over 10 points against that bok team tonight.

 

[Dirty Ape]

I don't think there is a best.

There is a small elite group of players who are the greatest to have played.

I can get on board with that. Some names that spring to mind: Cullen, M.Jones, Lomu, Z.Brooke, Campese, Horan, Farr-Jones, Eales, M.Johnson, Wilkinson, O'Driscoll, Sella, Blanco, Joubert, van der Westhuizen, Matfield.

McCaw and Carter I think are in a category above all of these. Emphasis on my lifetime here. There are bound to be, for example, a bunch of Welsh players from before my time that will be on this list.

 

[first5eight]

Wouldn't call Carter and McCaw the two greatest ever pro players.

2 of the greatest yeh but not the.

Easily both the greatest of all time. Both are absolute prototypes for their positions and the 2 most successful and decorated players to play the game. Highest points scorer in history & and most capped player and longest serving captain ever - both have individual winning percentages that are incomparable to anyone else outside of the ABs. Both have been the best players, in the best team for a long long time - one more chapter and history will be complete.

 

[donmcdazzle]

SA should really try adding rugby to their gameplan

 

[The Jones Boy]

Amazing game management in the second half by Richie and Dan. Both tactically and for the conditions.
Well drilled by Hansen.
The Boks were impressive, they gave it everything and their defence was special.
The Bok backs simply could not get into the game. Not with go forward ball.
They can be proud of their performance though they were tough and stretched the AB's into making some serious mid game changes in tactical approach.
We have a crack at the final and it will be wonderful to see Carter and McCaw play a RWC final together.

 

[ncurd]

Is Carter more decorated than Wilkinson?

Note I'm being partially pedantic here would be interesting to see Wilkinsons record had he not been injured for prolonged periods when he should of been in his prime.

 

[nik]

At half time I was thinking the ABs should slot a couple of drop goals, that need to come away with points whenever they get deep into SA territory. That Carter drop goal was not planned move. Near the end of the game when he tried again he just hesitated even though he had more time. Too much time to think maybe.

All in all well done to Boks for hanging in the game till the finsl whistle. Didnt exactly trouble ABs with attack. Boks defence looked good, the rain helped boks hence why NZ kicked ball away. Bit frustrating how many times ABs kicked the ball when deep in attack. However can understand why. Boks wingers coming up on defense so there's always a risk of an intercept.

 

[Dirty Ape]

Kainos try was four feet forward.

No it wasn't.

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.†― Christopher Hitchens

 

[Corum]

Honestly, that was a sh*t game to watch.

South Africa only came second as rugby is a two team game. So you can scrum; f*cking yay. Pretty pointless if the scrums are being awarded as a result of your own knock-ons.

The defense was okay, probably helped a massive amount by the wet conditions, and by the fact that the All Blacks looked like they were running through treacle. Honestly, I've never seen All Blacks move that slowly. Did we try and poison them again?

Line-outs? Lood and Eben got taught a lesson today. I know Matfield got pinged, and possibly cost us the match, but the All Blacks dismantled the Bok jumpers today.

As for our kicking game. I've seen schools level players kick further. Not sure what was wrong, but Pollard just couldn't kick it further than 20 meters today out of hand.

Our attack was completely non-existent. Our best move came in the first 2 minutes of play; such a clean line break, and no clue how to finish it off. Somehow we have managed to turn ourselves into Italy.

After that we only managed to stay in the game from what I can only describe as very poor All Black play. Honestly, the way the All Blacks played today, South Africa could have played them 20 times, and never been given a better opportunity to win. There were some posters (NZ-supporters and others) suggesting it could happen. Well it did. We witnessed a really poor effort from the ABs, and SA still lost. That is how poor South Africa were.

In spite of everything I've said, the All Blacks deserved to win. You don't deserve to win if you can't play.

Possibly a repeat of 2007 and 2011 coming up, with finalists coming from the same pool.

 

[austingtir]

Carters record on wiki:

• Kelvin Tremain Memorial Trophy (NZ Player of the Year) 2004[36]​ and 2005[36]​
• Rebel Sport Super 14 Player of the Year 2004 and 2006
• IRB Player of the Year 2005[37]​ and 2012[38]​ (Nominee in 2006 and 2008)
• All Time Super Rugby Leading Points Scorer[39]​
• All Time International Rugby Leading Point Scorer[40]​

Canterbury[edit]

• NPC/Air New Zealand Cup Champion, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010[41]​
• Ranfurly Shield holder[42]​

Crusaders[edit]

• Super Rugby Champion 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008
• NZ Conference Winner, 2011[43]​
• Super Rugby Centurion[44]​

Perpignan[edit]

• Top 14 Champion 2009[45]​

New Zealand[edit]

• Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship Champion, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012,2013 and 2014
• British and Irish Lions Series Victory, 2005[46]​
• Home Nations Grand Slam Tour, 2005,[47]​ 2008[48]​ and 2010[49]​
• Rugby World Cup Champion, 2011[46]​
• All Black Test Centurion[50]​

- - - Updated - - -

And the Best Johnny could muster:

Newcastle Falcons[edit]

• Premiership: 1997–98
• Powergen Cup: 2001, 2004

Toulon[edit]

• Heineken Cup: 2012-13, 2013-14
• Top 14: 2013-14

International[edit]

• Rugby World Cup: 2003
• Six Nations: 2000, 2001, 2003 (Grand Slam), 2011

 

[RyotoTheDragon]

RyotoTheDragon sadly he knows exactly what he was doing players have mental breaks sometimes when they are in that situation and do completely stupid things. My favourite one is Danny Care
https://youtu.be/FCsPN1FyqKE

hmm maybe haha maybe you're right and Im just biased but I just can't think of why he would do that because he just does not seem like the player to commit that kind of blatant foul play. How about the locks today. Mate, those turnovers from the lineouts. How good were they??haha very nice. The entire team played well today and those subs, haha we dont lose much or nothing at all when we sub players on/off.

Regarding some of the kiwi posters about Carter and McCaw being the GOAT. Cmon guys, settle down with that talk.

- - - Updated - - -

Amazing game management in the second half by Richie and Dan. Both tactically and for the conditions.
Well drilled by Hansen.
The Boks were impressive, they gave it everything and their defence was special.
The Bok backs simply could not get into the game. Not with go forward ball.
They can be proud of their performance though they were tough and stretched the AB's into making some serious mid game changes in tactical approach.
We have a crack at the final and it will be wonderful to see Carter and McCaw play a RWC final together.

Mate, really? Why is it you have to single out Richie and Dan? It's a team game not a two person sport. Quit riding Dan and Richie and give credit to the entire team they deserved it.

 

[smartcooky]

Would say SA were robbed

Robbed? You almost had it handed to you on a plate (six penalty goals!).

Kainos try was four feet forward

You could be right; it may well have been four feet forward, but since the the ball travelling forward over the ground is not the criteria by which a forward throw is judged, the pass was not necessarily forward.

It looked thrown flat to me.

and that were the softest neck roll pen ever seen

A neck roll is a neck roll! You can't grab players around the neck, no matter how softly you do it.

The game was not really as close as it looked on the scoreboard. New Zealand had 57% possession, 67% territory, 400-150 metres gained, 19-3 defenders beaten, 5-2 clean breaks, 4-0 offloads.

South Africa never looked like scoring a try, and only really stayed in the game through the All Blacks own ill-discipline.

 

[Dirty Ape]

hmm maybe haha maybe you're right and Im just biased but I just can't think of why he would do that because he just does not seem like the player to commit that kind of blatant foul play.

He made the tackle, then got up and started to run back to the other side of the ruck and all of a sudden the ball was at his feet. There wasn't any premeditation in it but it was a brain-fart and I am sure he regrets it.

How about the locks today. Mate, those turnovers from the lineouts. How good were they??

Yeah the lineout was excellent all day.

we dont lose much or nothing at all when we sub players on/off.

Our bench is the best and it makes a huge difference in many many games.

Regarding some of the kiwi posters about Carter and McCaw being the GOAT. Cmon guys, settle down with that talk.

C'mon yourself. They will still speak of McCaw and Carter in hushed tones 100 years from now.

 

[nzlizard]

In regards to McCaw being the best, well he most probably is.

Not just from an AB's fan perspective, but listen to the international rugby community talk, most current and former players rate him as the best, I have been watching rugby for 35 years and no one comes close to achieving the consistently high performance he has put in over the years, he is so fit he is a machine, how many times has he single handily saved his team, more than any other player. His record speaks for himself.

Dan didn't get to be the top point scorer in rugby for no reason, not sure he is the 2nd best best player ever but he would be in that elite group to pick from.

Kinda funny how some of the NH fans are coming in here criticizing the game and the style of rugby, where are your teams playing this weekend? oh wait they aren't, England didn't make it out of the pool and the rest went home in the 1st knockout round.

Was an interesting AB's performance, I have to admit at half time I was so worried we were going to lose, we looked so out of shape, then in the second half we kinda found our feet.

It was exactly the type of game I was expecting, hard fought and a few points in it, SA never looked like scoring a try and we could have had a couple more, but our discipline kept letting us down, no way we can afford to do that next week.

We will need to up our game something chronic if we want to win next week, esp in the discipline department.

 

[Yobbo]

All Blacks shocking discipline kept the Boks in that one. South Africa didn't create anything as expected and really should have played for the drop goal. Still suspect New Zealand would have won regardless, although I reckon if they were playing Australia or Argentina, they would have lost on that display. Both of those teams would have scored tries which would have been enough to get over the line. Anyway, I doubt they will play that badly again next week. Cracking semi final and final in stall. I cannot wait!!!

I doubt that either Oz or Arg would have put the ABs under the same pressure that SA managed to apply.

 

[nzlizard]

I doubt that either Oz or Arg would have put the ABs under the same pressure that SA managed to apply.

In a WC semi you would expect nothing less, 2011 WC is a prime example, we dominate France in pool play and they they beast up in the final. It is what you expect at this stage of the tourney.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

BOD would be the GOAT if here ever was one.

Easy.

 

[austingtir]

Im not sure that it matters now but Id consider benching Read for the next game. His 8 play today at times was amateurish for me. Great in the lineout but. The most concerning thing about Read's play is its pretty predictably bad.

I honestly think Kaino at 8 and victor, messam or Kane at 6 might be better for Aust or Arg.

 

[Dirty Ape]

Im not sure that it matters now but Id consider benching Read for the next game. His 8 play today at times was amateurish for me. Great in the lineout but. The most concerning thing about Read's play is its pretty predictably bad.

I honestly think Kaino at 8 and victor, messam or Kane at 6 might be better for Aust or Arg.

No, no, no. Read is out of form for sure but on form he is one of the best players on the planet. I expect a performance out of him at some point and there is only one game left so here it comes.

 

[ncurd]

In regards to McCaw being the best, well he most probably is.

Not just from an AB's fan perspective, but listen to the international rugby community talk, most current and former players rate him as the best, I have been watching rugby for 35 years and no one comes close to achieving the consistently high performance he has put in over the years, he is so fit he is a machine, how many times has he single handily saved his team, more than any other player. His record speaks for himself.

I think you'll find punditry talk up current greats more than past greats a lot of the time. Nothing wrong with that but it's hard to measure what they really think.

I'm with tigs man I'm very reluctant to call players the best ever. I prefer to have a lit of players than trying to rank them.