RWC 2011: THE FINAL!!! France vs. New Zealand

[nix0000]

I think the Abs have had the rub of the green from the refs all thoughout this tournament-none moreso than last night and teh Argentina game. What I will say is that decisions come and go; that is, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. Don't forget 07 Ab fans when we were screwed out of the quarter. The French were very hard done by last night- i don't think many people deny this. Certainly worth another review of the game to check out some of thoses calls.

I just think- and i know i'm not alone in this- that in no other sport does the ref have such control of a game. I mean in a tight tight final with so much on the line, it's hard to know what goes through a refs mind, especially when he's in such a hostile environment. I'm not implying anything, I just want something to be done about it, because I think it's ruining the game. SA were screwed out of a semi, we were undone in 07, and the french last night could have been champs if that had a few more things go there way by the whistle. Maybe bring in a challenge system or something like in American football, or reduce the amount for penalties; i don't know, i'm just pulling ideas out of thin air. I just don't want rugby to turn into a lottery with the penalties.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

We don't usually replay kicks at goal in the Southern Hemisphere unless there is something questionable, e.g. some people thought Steven Donald's kick missed. It didn't.

Usually, only tries and dropped-goals are replayed, as far as scoring goes.

I understand this, because for penalties (and conversions) the referee and assistants know well in advance that the kick is being taken and position themselves in the best way possible to see whether it goes over or not. If the referee doesn't check it's because he's certain of his decision.

 

[Black Heart]

I'm just watching the build-up to the parade down Queens Street for the All Blacks.

Apparently they've got green and gold ticker tape... a nice touch to the Boks and Wallabies no doubt

 

[Sam Owen]

I just think- and i know i'm not alone in this- that in no other sport does the ref have such control of a game. I mean in a tight tight final with so much on the line, it's hard to know what goes through a refs mind, especially when he's in such a hostile environment. I'm not implying anything, I just want something to be done about it, because I think it's ruining the game. SA were screwed out of a semi, we were undone in 07, and the french last night could have been champs if that had a few more things go there way by the whistle. Maybe bring in a challenge system or something like in American football, or reduce the amount for penalties; i don't know, i'm just pulling ideas out of thin air. I just don't want rugby to turn into a lottery with the penalties.

What do you think will rectify this problem which is as old as the game itself?....

Can there really be anything done about it?....and if so why hasnt it been done already?...

 

[Tricia McMillan]

You know, I just realized, unless I want to watch the Wallabies play the Barbarians and Wales (hah), there will be no southern hemisphere rugby until 24 February when the Blues host the Crusaders at Eden Park.

Guess I'm watching cricket for the next 4 months...

 

[france]

On the French rugby boards and in the French media, Joubert's performance is all the talk--that and how we played a fantastic game. See Libération, for example: "Malgré un match héroïque, les Bleus s'inclinent en finale contre les Blacks (7-8). Une défaite marquée par des décisions arbitrales contestables." Heroic match on our part and debatable decisions by the ref... Are we not missing something here?

Praise our guys all you want and blame the referee if it's going to make you feel better, but don't ignore the obvious: we choked and we choked big time, like we've always choked when it really matters on the world rugby stage. In our position (trailing by one but playing in the opponent's half of the field with more possession than them as was the case in the second half), New Zealand (or Australia, or England for that matter) would have never lost the match. We did... No one else to blame but ourselves.

 

[Sam Owen]

There's an air of arrogance throughout NZ tonight. Hopefully it hasn't rubbed off on the players. As much as i'd like us to pull off a performance like the Bulls did in the 09 SUper final I'll remain modest and respect this very unpredictable french team. People seem to have forgotten our so-so performance agianst Argentina only a couple of weeks back. The french forwards and scrum are lightyears ahead of the Aussies, and all thoughout the tournament their backs have looked the best of all the northern hemisphere teams.

THe longer the FRench stay in the game the more dangerous it is for the ABs; We still haven't been put under the sufficient pressure for mine, so if the game's still alive in the last 10 my money would actually be on the French.

Are you just pretending to be a kiwi supporter?...who does that lol?...

You are very critical of the ABs for an All Black supporter.

 

[Sam Owen]

Praise our guys all you want and blame the referee if it's going to make you feel better, but don't ignore the obvious: we choked and we choked big time, like we've always choked when it really matters on the world rugby stage. In our position (trailing by one but playing in the opponent's half of the field with more possession than them as was the case in the second half), New Zealand (or Australia, or England for that matter) would have never lost the match. We did... No one else to blame but ourselves.

Choked you say, well if yous did, that wouldve been the 3rd time in the tournament that yous had "choked".

 

[france]

You are very critical of the ABs for an All Black supporter.

Personally, I'd hate to be an uncritical supporter. When France plays, I'm behind the guys 100%, but that doesn't stop me from constantly analyzing the match and make a note of what we're not doing right or what we could do better. If I were an AB fan today, I'd obviously be thrilled to be world champions, but I'd also be very critical of my team barely squeaking by when everyone expected total domination.

 

[Sam Owen]

Personally, I'd hate to be an uncritical supporter. When France plays, I'm behind the guys 100%, but that doesn't stop me from constantly analyzing the match and make a note of what we're not doing right or what we could do better. If I were an AB fan today, I'd obviously be thrilled to be world champions, but I'd also be very critical of my team barely squeaking by when everyone expected total domination.

My quote that you used for your reply above, you had cut out the important part and now its out of context.

 

[nickdnz]

Well. All Blacks are champion again. Wahaay.

Now to be honest:

We won the World Cup and I'm stoked about that. I was in a popular pub (especially amongst uni students) called Hotel Bristol, I got ahold of the couch in the best position to the big screen at around 4pm and saved them for some mates who came at 6pm. It was brillaint because it was the best seats and so many people had to stand (or sit on the floor) so it was worth the wait. The 80 minutes of game time I've never felt anything like it. Hundreds squeezed into the pub, with it eventually being closed off, singing loudly the national anthem, cheering etc. It was really electric. Afterwards, the streets in town had tens of thousands of people (probably upwards for 60 thousand drinking and celebrating. The roads weren't closed off, but that didn't stop the masses celebrating there. In Auckland it must have been mental, because in Wellington it was fanatic.

As for the game. Pleased we won, pleased it was exciting, but honestly it was a poor advertisement for the game. If we played a running game, there is no reason why we wouldn't have scored more points. As it so happens we played like Australia and France did in the semi's and just kicked the ball back to them continiously. It made no sense. It was pretty much like a game of force back and considering we have lamented England and South Africa from playing boring kicking-based rugby, it just seems weird. If anyone told me we'd have scored 8 points to win the final with Woodcock the only try scorer and Stephen Donald scoring the winning penalty, I would have thought it was a joke.

On a side note the last two names don't really seem to fit..Fox, Lynagh, Stransky, Larkham, Wilkinson, James, Donald. I guess you can win World Cup finals with out world class 1st 5/8ths. Gotta hand it to Donald, everyone in the pub were pulling their hair and biting their nails when Cruden went down, but it's great to see Donald get a bit of redemption as there doesn't seem to be a nicer and more hard working guy out there. I admit I went mental when he literally ran it out while on attack, not being held, and then threw it back in after he'd taken two steps past the touch line, but I guess if he didn't we wouldn't really believe it was him.

As for France, amazingly played. People all around NZ say that with the way that they played, they probably should have won. Don't blame Joubert, he did pretty well in honesty and I can recall some offside calls missed against France. Some people in NZ were hoping the other, more lackluster France side would turn up and lose by 40 points, but they certainly didn't, in fact they seemed more ready for the match than NZ. I think if France get consistant selections with a new coach (why they've named Philippe Saint-André coach I have no idea) then they could expect to be in the finals for the next RWC.

 

[france]

Choked you say, well if yous did, that wouldve been the 3rd time in the tournament that yous had "choked".

I wouldn't say we choked against New Zealand in the first match... We were never in a position to win it. As for Tonga, maybe so, but because of the stupid pool format, the match was as close to meaningless as could be. OTOH the final was a choke--certainly not as bad as say, Van de Velde at Carnoustie in 1999 (for you golf fans out there), but a choke nonetheless.

 

[Sam Owen]

I wouldn't say we choked against New Zealand in the first match... We were never in a position to win it. As for Tonga, maybe so, but because of the stupid pool format, the match was as close to meaningless as could be. OTOH the final was a choke--certainly not as bad as say, Van de Velde at Carnoustie in 1999 (for you golf fans out there), but a choke nonetheless.

Fair enough, hey yous are (according to the RWC) are second best team in the world, despite having three losses lol, I guess thats something.

 

[france]

My quote that you used for your reply above, you had cut out the important part and now its out of context.

Point taken. What I was trying to say though is that it's not necessarily being a "bad" supporter to point out the shortcomings and flaws of your team. The guy you were responding to was saying that with 10 min to go in the game in a close one, his money would be on France. He didn't say he wouldn't root for the AB with all his heart; he seemed to just be afraid of all the pressure there would be on New Zealand if it came down to that and thought a France win would be more likely under those circumstances (and he was almost right).

If you'd asked me, I would have said the exact opposite: 10 min to go in a close one, my money as a French fan would have been on the AB--and yet you should have seen me in front of my TV, totally behind my team, screaming like an idiot as if they could hear me (you know what I mean, we've all done it...).

 

[Sam Owen]

Point taken. What I was trying to say though is that it's not necessarily being a "bad" supporter to point out the shortcomings and flaws of your team. The guy you were responding to was saying that with 10 min to go in the game in a close one, his money would be on France. He didn't say he wouldn't root for the AB with all his heart; he seemed to just be afraid of all the pressure there would be on New Zealand if it came down to that and thought a France win would be more likely under those circumstances (and he was almost right).

If you'd asked me, I would have said the exact opposite: 10 min to go in a close one, my money as a French fan would have been on the AB--and yet you should have seen me in front of my TV, totally behind my team, screaming like an idiot as if they could hear me (you know what I mean, we've all done it...).

You still dont get it. I dont think he is really an All Black supporter, theres a few fakies on here, I dont know why they do that. You dont get it because that was between me and him, you just jumped in with a totally different perspective on our discussion.

He was wrong bottom line. Bottom line France lost, talk all you want because thats what our forum is for but at the end of the day France lost. France played great and shouldve, couldve, wouldve and if only this and only that but no France lost. The referee made mistakes, the referee shouldve been perfect because all the other referees have been and it was an absolute suprise that the reff made mistakes but at the end of the day France lost.

France lost and thats all she wrote.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

The new Facebook page for Steve Donald http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Believe-in-Stephen-Donald/237559126297951

My group actually existed BEFORE the semi, which is more than can be said for most of em...

 

[france]

Sam--Yes I do get it... I might be French, but I'm not that dumb, gee... I just have a different take on his original post. You say the fact that he wrote what he did is a clear indication he's a troll... Well, I'm not so sure. To me, it's perfectly understandable to have a real AB fan say he'll be nervous to the point that he would objectively favor France in a close game with 10 min to go (see: 1999, 2007)... Strange you're not even willing to concede that, troll or no troll...

As for your rambling second paragraph, yes, who said otherwise? And why do you even mention the ref? Funny how defensive you seem to be almost 24 hrs later... Still a bit on the edge after sweating it out for 80 min when you thought you were just going to roll over our guys?

 

[M Two One]

New Zealand won, France lost—both teams finish with pride knowing that they gave everything on that field. That's about it. France may not have won, but they return home with the rest of the rugby world knowing more than ever before that they can turn it on with passion and that, soon enough, the big prize will be theirs.

 

[TRF_heineken]

On a side note the last two names don't really seem to fit..Fox, Lynagh, Stransky, Larkham, Wilkinson, James, Donald. I guess you can win World Cup finals with out world class 1st 5/8ths. Gotta hand it to Donald, everyone in the pub were pulling their hair and biting their nails when Cruden went down, but it's great to see Donald get a bit of redemption as there doesn't seem to be a nicer and more hard working guy out there. I admit I went mental when he literally ran it out while on attack, not being held, and then threw it back in after he'd taken two steps past the touch line, but I guess if he didn't we wouldn't really believe it was him.

To be fair, Butch James was our fly half, but he didn't do the kicking as we had sharpshooter Percy

As for France, amazingly played. People all around NZ say that with the way that they played, they probably should have won. Don't blame Kaplan, he did pretty well in honesty and I can recall some offside calls missed against France. Some people in NZ were hoping the other, more lackluster France side would turn up and lose by 40 points, but they certainly didn't, in fact they seemed more ready for the match than NZ. I think if France get consistant selections with a new coach (why they've named Philippe Saint-André coach I have no idea) then they could expect to be in the finals for the next RWC.

You probably mean Joubert??

 

[Icemn]

We are the champions - my friends / And we'll keep on fighting - till the end - / We are the champions - / We are the champions / No time for losers / 'Cause we ...

anyways....

I had a feeling before the game, in fact the whole of last week that the French are going to stirr up something... and we let them... i'm a bit disappointed about the way we won it... but to compare the whole 4 year build-up with excellent rugby and this WC to the last +-20 min of the final game and say the AB don't deserve it is injustice...

man I was emotional after the game... I was so close to tears... esp after seeing John Mitchell cry in our SA studio.... when the boyz lifted the trophy it seem like the trophy had to be there all along.... the AB and the Cup seem a perfect match, I can't really describe or explain it.... I also feel that the cup will not leave NZ for 24 years....

poor Hosea Gear was a bit "shy" to receive his metal as he prob felt he didn't deserve it, cuz he didn't feature...