RWC Semi Final: New Zealand - Australia (16-10-2011, 21:00)

[Dizzy]

had the same conversation with my wife this morning, she asked me if i'd rather lose to the all blacks or lose the final. she's a kiwi by the way so very nervous/tense household this weekend.
we're trying as much as we can not to not talk about rugby.

i'm not going to speculate, but just say every game is a new game, none of us know what's going to happen.

Lol, my mrs isn't Austalian but she tends to cheer for the Aussies just to tick me off and boy do the frustration levels reach new heights, especially when Aussie win then she goes on after the match like "Aren't the All Blacks supposed to be the best in the World hun?, so does that mean Australia's the best team in the world???" AAARRRGGHHHH!!!

Im with you as I treat everygame as a fresh new competition, I don't base any of the predictions on whether we're at Eden Park, we've lost so many games and won so many, it's all about what happens on the day, and that should be the main concern.

 

[Blacktrick]

Judging by recent games the ABs are going to be fired up for this one, I'm not sure of when was the last time Australia won two on the trot against us but it would be a pretty rare occurrence, if I was an AB in this game I would be thinking ' you guys have ruined our Tri-nations, 2 semifinals and you're saying we've "never beaten you in a World Cup" ( Nick Farr-Jones quote ) time for a nice cold dish to be served ' I. Would. Be. PUMPED for a win. There's too many nerves as is always the case with the kiwis, let's get a bit more confidence happening, I'm fed up with the constant patronizing of the kiwi cause.....time to prove a point !! )


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.386236,153.094802

 

[james5000]

Judging by recent games the ABs are going to be fired up for this one, I'm not sure of when was the last time Australia won two on the trot against us but it would be a pretty rare occurrence, if I was an AB in this game I would be thinking ' you guys have ruined our Tri-nations, 2 semifinals and you're saying we've "never beaten you in a World Cup" ( Nick Farr-Jones quote ) time for a nice cold dish to be served ' I. Would. Be. PUMPED for a win. There's too many nerves as is always the case with the kiwis, let's get a bit more confidence happening, I'm fed up with the constant patronizing of the kiwi cause.....time to prove a point !! )

Agree with this

 

[Dizzy]

It doesn't matter whether the Aussies haven't beaten us twice on the trot recently. There is a 1st time for everything and we have so much more to lose than the Aussies. There definitely is an advantage with being the underdog in this game.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

that's the thing, you can pull stats, history, hoodoos, and what not out to justify your argument for and against... but each game is different.

blacktrick, what is the constant patronizing of the kiwi cause?

 

[Blacktrick]

Too right to James5000 observations on Cruden AND the platform the ABs lay with their forward pack, what an awesome bunch; Kaino, Read, McCaw, Thorn, Franks, Mealamu, not forgetting Whitelock, who I reckon is a bit of an unsung hero.
I have said to my Aussie mates here recently, it's the forwards that win you the game, but so often everyone talks about the brilliance of the backs. This may sound a little like sacrilege to some but I tend to think that DC had lost a little of his brilliance before his injury anyway, but was still a great reader of the game, that's what I love about Weepu he can sniff an opportunity from anywhere !! Barring a bad case of the Yipps, which I think is unlikely, The ABs SHOULD win by 10 or more this Sunday )


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.386234,153.095008

No offense to my more sporting friends in the Aussie sector, of which i know many, it's just unfortunate that there have been some unkind things and unwise comments lacking a bit of grace made by the media in certain sectors toward the kiwis. It just pushes the kiwi buttons at times like this.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.386282,153.094898

 

[nickdnz]

This may sound a little like sacrilege to some but I tend to think that DC had lost a little of his brilliance before his injury anyway, but was still a great reader of the game, that's what I love about Weepu he can sniff an opportunity from anywhere !!

Yes. It does.

Carter looked just as good as ever. He runs a game like a fine tuned machine and at this rate I'd still be happy with him running the team in the next RWC unless Cruden/Barrett/Anscombe/Sopoaga/Bleyendaal becomes truly brilliant and forces him out (like Carter did to Spencer/Mehrtens).

I think we can win it with out him, but it's foolish to play down just what a fantastic player he is.

 

[Blacktrick]

Yes. It does.

Carter looked just as good as ever. He runs a game like a fine tuned machine and at this rate I'd still be happy with him running the team in the next RWC unless Cruden/Barrett/Anscombe/Sopoaga/Bleyendaal becomes truly brilliant and forces him out (like Carter did to Spencer/Mehrtens).

I think we can win it with out him, but it's foolish to play down just what a fantastic player he is.

True, and agree wholeheartedly with the mans DCs talent, he is a legend of the game, but I had thought he hadn't been as on song this year ....


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.386230,153.094771

 

[Shaggy]

I really think the Eden Park factor will be carry the All Blacks home ... not because the Wallabies haven't won there since 1986, but the crowd will be right behind the All Blacks (think Australia V Ireland, but with supporters in Green, now wearing black)


Couldn't help but agree with the comments on what Greg Martin says ... Martin, Kearns, Kafer etc, always back the Wallabies, just as the NZ commentators will probably talk up the All Blacks chances

 

[Sam Owen]

that's the thing, you can pull stats, history, hoodoos, and what not out to justify your argument for and against... but each game is different.

True that, I think stats, history and whatever all goes out the window when its time for some action BUT, I do think the ABs are just that much stronger at Eden Park.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

i don't think DC has dropped off at all. he was a standout in 2005, i think the only thing now is that he doesn't have to do as much as he's surrounded by better players.

 

[Dizzy]

I really think the Eden Park factor will be carry the All Blacks home ... not because the Wallabies haven't won there since 1986, but the crowd will be right behind the All Blacks (think Australia V Ireland, but with supporters in Green, now wearing black)


Couldn't help but agree with the comments on what Greg Martin says ... Martin, Kearns, Kafer etc, always back the Wallabies, just as the NZ commentators will probably talk up the All Blacks chances

From my years of watching rugby, the NZ commentators have probably been the worst when it comes to NOT talking up the All Blacks, especially when they deserve it.

i don't think DC has dropped off at all. he was a standout in 2005, i think the only thing now is that he doesn't have to do as much as he's surrounded by better players.

True, but he may even just decided to play a more "director" type of game instead of playing the hard running that he used to do. You still see glimpses every now and then but I think overall he's decided to play the role of distributor because it's better for the entire team unlike the guy that plays in the yellow No.10 shirt

 

[InsaneAsylum]

I think overall he's decided to play the role of distributor because it's better for the entire team unlike the guy that plays in the yellow No.10 shirt

Sorry, I didn't take much notice of the Romanian number 10


is anyone buying into the Matt Todd has flown up to auckland to hang out with his girlfriend? what are the chances mccaw wont play? i know he will pull out all stops to play as it's do or die, but that foot doesn't seem to get any better and they would still have 1 more game after this one.

 

[Black Heart]

Sorry, I didn't take much notice of the Romanian number 10


is anyone buying into the Matt Todd has flown up to auckland to hang out with his girlfriend? what are the chances mccaw wont play? i know he will pull out all stops to play as it's do or die, but that foot doesn't seem to get any better and they would still have 1 more game after this one.

I heard Todd was brought in only as a training partner. If he was to join the squad it would only be because they were cutting McCaw loose completly and I can't see that happening while the bloke can still stand. He would have to have both legs amputated to be left out of this game. I'm sure he will mentally bring himself up to his top playing standard, even if he isn't 100% That's the kind of player he is. Remember he was carrying that ****le last week and he seemed to pull through all right (allbeit he didn't play his best)

 

[TRF_heineken]

Is it wise to let Mccaw play at all then? Look what happened to Brussouw in the QF? he had bruised ribs before the match but they kept quiet about it hoping that he will be able to put in some effort, but he only lasted 19 minutes and then had to go off... our bench then didn't have that much of a big impact later on in the match as it usually did...

or do they want to play him, and in the event of him getting hurt, and then eventually losing, use it as an excuse that the AB's top 2 players got injured and that the team is nothing without them??

 

[Black Heart]

Is it wise to let Mccaw play at all then? Look what happened to Brussouw in the QF? he had bruised ribs before the match but they kept quiet about it hoping that he will be able to put in some effort, but he only lasted 19 minutes and then had to go off... our bench then didn't have that much of a big impact later on in the match as it usually did...

or do they want to play him, and in the event of him getting hurt, and then eventually losing, use it as an excuse that the AB's top 2 players got injured and that the team is nothing without them??

Do we risk playing him?

Quick answer, who do we replace him with? The only viable options are Vitor Vito (who is not an openside) or Adam Thomson (who is coming off injury and who is poor at #7 anyway)

If they bring Matt Todd in, they need to replace him with Thomson not McCaw.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Do we risk playing him?

Quick answer, who do we replace him with? The only viable options are Vitor Vito (who is not an openside) or Adam Thomson (who is coming off injury and who is poor at #7 anyway)

If they bring Matt Todd in, they need to replace him with Thomson not McCaw.

Seriously though... if you have to ask who do you replace him with DURING the World Cup, then you really need to rethink how your coaches are operating! South Africa knew they needed a back-up fetcher in case brussouw got injured and they Brought in Francois Louw who did a pretty good job when he was on the pitch...

Mccaw's back-up should already have been in the damn squad from the start!!

If you guys choke this weekend, it will be your own dumb-ass fault this time!

 

[nickdnz]

It's a semi-final of a World Cup. McCaw is going to play. No question. After the World Cup he'll get what ever he needs to fix it, and have an extended holiday, till then he'll play on.

 

[Gay-Guy]

I have concerns about the ABs winning this game.....memories of 2003 are returning. Australia went in as the underdogs and ambushed the All Blacks with a better gameplan. Sundays game will be won by the coaches....the final challenge between Deans and Henry. IMO it is more a case of Henry losing it rather than Deans winning it. I have not seen any evidence that Deans has found the winning formula for the Wallabies. For Henry the challenge now is to quickly get his team going WITHOUT Carter after spending so much time building the team around McCaw and Carter. Whichever man quickly finds the answers to their problem will win this game.

 

[Ostrayian]

i don't think DC has dropped off at all. he was a standout in 2005, i think the only thing now is that he doesn't have to do as much as he's surrounded by better players.

DC plays differently because of who is inside of him. Nonu now and Mauger previously. Aaron Mauger was still an excellent player but just had a different skillset to Nonu.