2016 Olympic Games, Rio

[ratsapprentice]

Men's 77Kg weightlifting about to kick off.

If you watch any WL this Olympics - make it this session.

Lu Xiaojun.

 

[unrated]

The first choice players really stepped it up for this game. The Blitzbokke should take tomorrows game against team GB. The GB defence is good but so is ours and i cant see them outscoring South Africa.

 

[Superalexmarket]

And no gold for New Zealand sevens in male and female, any kiwi to say something about this??

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ihab (Mahmoud) is legit in the WL too.

 

[Five Meters Out]

And no gold for New Zealand sevens in male and female, any kiwi to say something about this??

Yes!. I absolutely loath 7 aside rugby. Refuse to attend the Wellington 7's, even though it just down the road, and didn't watch one game at Rio. I would prefer it to be "Rugby League 7's" so Union could divorce itself completely.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Game on in the weightlifting... I implore everyone to watch right now.

- - - Updated - - -

Lu Xiaojun breaks another world record!

177kg snatch.

One of my favorite Olympians of all time.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

And no gold for New Zealand sevens in male and female, any kiwi to say something about this??

Meh. It's nice to win but I don't think it has a very committed following - most of the players wouldn't cut it at Super Rugby level so it's hard to get too excited about the team.

Sevens as a whole is a game I'm not too interested in, it's too all over the place for my liking.

It is amazing how the competition has changed though, I remember when NZ use to win 90% of their games by over 50 points!

 

[InsaneAsylum]

South Africa and Fiji look like the teams to beat in Men's 7's

 

[ratsapprentice]

The Armenian's elbow has gone.

We have our first dislocation, ladies and gentlemen. A brutal one too.

 

[james5000]

I do enjoy 7's rugby and I am proud of our history in 7's but I am not devastated even with the 1 win 3 losses record.
I didn't watch the Japan game but we showed a lot of heart in the GB and Fiji games.

Down 21-0 against GB we battled back and did enough to sneak in to the QF's

We were seriously depleted as well with Webber and Curry out and unable to be replaced and Ormond getting injured during the game.
Gilles Kaka had been poor all year from what I have seen but he was very good here and he was my NZ player of the tournament.

This definitely wasn't a choke as we weren't even the Favourites coming in to the tournament, and in poor form.

With a bit of luck we could have beaten Fiji and they look a class above to me. Big, physical and fast they will be hard to beat.

We lacked the cattle here, we didn't have enough pace. If Joe Webber stayed injury free we might have won one of those games, he was a bigger blow then SBW, atleast he has a bit of pace and elusiveness that we were lacking. SBW is very good but he is similar to a lot of the other boys and doesn't possess the speed we were lacking.

I actually thought we played our best when we had both Pulu and Kaka on (When Pulu wasn't thinking he was 6ft4 and 110kg and trying to run over blokes)

 

[ratsapprentice]

Holy ****!

The Khazak needed to beat the WR clean and jerk by 4kg to win gold... he went for it and got it.

That's ****ing insane.

Disappointed that Lu Xiaojun didn't win, but good lord, that last lift was crazy.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Meh. It's nice to win but I don't think it has a very committed following - most of the players wouldn't cut it at Super Rugby level so it's hard to get too excited about the team.

Sevens as a whole is a game I'm not too interested in, it's too all over the place for my liking.

It is amazing how the competition has changed though, I remember when NZ use to win 90% of their games by over 50 points!

Most long distance runners wouldn't cut it as sprinters, but I don't hold that against the sport!

When were NZ winning 90% of their games by over 50 points? I remember some good teams, but never that level of dominance.

- - - Updated - - -

Holy ****!

The Khazak needed to beat the WR clean and jerk by 4kg to win gold... he went for it and got it.

That's ****ing insane.

Disappointed that Lu Xiaojun didn't win, but good lord, that last lift was crazy.

An exciting way to round off my Olympic day.

 

[nik]

Disappointing really from NZ men. Couple of years ago they were genuine Gold Medal contenders. After the results in the series this year the expectation of Gold Medal probably waned, and I would have been happy with silver or bronze. But they are not going to medal at all. At best they can finish 5th.

As james5000 points out, Joe Webber's injury hurt NZ's chances more than SBW. NZ team was stacked with big players but not many speedsters and/or elusive players. Webber is definitely quick and elusive. Would have shared the play making duties with Pulu and Kaka. The criticism I have of Pulu is that he goes into contact too quickly for a 7s playmaker, putting the team in a compromising position where the ball gets turned over at the ruck.

We got beaten by quick and elusive players in the pool matches. I thought NZ defended well against Fiji and limiting them to just 2 tries. But Fiji controlled possession better, they kept the ball alive for longer periods of time by passing around and throwing offloads reducing the risk of turning over ball in the ruck. NZ turned ball over too quickly and made errors.

With selections and injuries, the play making hasn't been good enough. The retirement of Tomasi Cama last year hurt NZ, he did a lot of the creative playmaking. He would be drawing a number of defenders and putting players through gaps. Gillies Kaka was mean't to take over that role but obviously not exactly up to the task.

Will be great if Fiji can win the Gold! However I do have to point out they have choked every time in Commonwealth games and they are always gold medal contenders.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The first choice players really stepped it up for this game. The Blitzbokke should take tomorrows game against team GB. The GB defence is good but so is ours and i cant see them outscoring South Africa.

GB and then f we manage most probably Fiji. Thats a big ask but we have a good blend of firepower and an aggressive defense. I too see us as slight favorites for GB but anything can happen and we have to watch the discipline as a yellow might decide it.

Where's Werner Kok and Branco du Preez though? Off form or injured maybe? I like to watch the 7s when convenient but don't follow the game 'off field'. I'd have thought they'd be right up there with Smith, Africa, Senatla and Brown as core players. Hougaard also seems to be out of favor. I saw him as more effective at 7s than De Jongh from our 'XVs converts'.

 

[TRF_heineken]

GB and then f we manage most probably Fiji. Thats a big ask but we have a good blend of firepower and an aggressive defense. I too see us as slight favorites for GB but anything can happen and we have to watch the discipline as a yellow might decide it.

Where's Werner Kok and Branco du Preez though? Off form or injured maybe? I like to watch the 7s when convenient but don't follow the game 'off field'. I'd have thought they'd be right up there with Smith, Africa, Senatla and Brown as core players. Hougaard also seems to be out of favor. I saw him as more effective at 7s than De Jongh from our 'XVs converts'.

Kok played against Australia in the pool match, and in the QF he was the water boy. I think his match fitness isn't where it's supposed to be yet. Du Preez is injured. I have to say that De Jongh is doing a great job in organizing our defence. Without him we wouldn't have been so solid against Australia in the QF.

 

[WaterboySA]

I think Fiji must be favorites to take gold. I would love SA to win but they just don't look good enough to take Fiji.AND we must still get past GB, and WE have the tendency to choke!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think Fiji must be favorites to take gold. I would love SA to win but they just don't look good enough to take Fiji!

Really?
Based on the Olympics alone SA look a clear step above fiji, who haven't looked like themselves.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yeh SA and GB have been the two form teams really IMO.

Fiji look nervous.

 

[WaterboySA]

Really?
Based on the Olympics alone SA look a clear step above fiji, who haven't looked like themselves.

Did you see the SA group game against Aus? We looked really bad....Fiji looked as if they have lots in the reserve tank. Able to up the game when needed. They are ranked 1 for a reason.

 

[unrated]

Did you see the SA group game against Aus? We looked really bad....Fiji looked as if they have lots in the reserve tank. Able to up the game when needed. They are ranked 1 for a reason.

Keep in mind that we changed most of our team for the last group game against Australia as we already had the qualification wrapped up. In the Quarters we played with all of Afrika, Brown and the likes again and it showed.
but if you want to win your whole squad has to be good. In the first group game we only got one attacking opportunity and then it was knock on after knock on and the ref trying gain some widespread publicity by becoming the center of attention of the game.
That french ref keeps on calling the players back if it the tap was not exactly taken on the spot. Thus nullifying the counter attack and limiting the attack of both teams. In the GB vs Argentina game that guy just kept blowing the whistle for the most petty of offences this guy should really go look at how the other refs are managing the games and take some tips.