Some pain for south in autumn internationals?

[CoxC]

South Africa, Australia and New Zealand may be in for an awakening in their clashes with the four home unions. One, they play away…two, they are all predictable and thirdly, the northern sides are fitter through more game time, quite the opposite to when the June internationals were played.

In addition, South Africa is seriously in rebuilding mode, the Australians have already played their best match of the season and the Kiwis always freeze up when the opposition does anything opposite to expectations.

 

[rusty_lock]

LOL nice troll

 

[Thingimubob]

Of course because France and Italy are just the silly kids in the corner that no one cares about... it'll be an interesting tour, i expect New Zealand to walk away with a clean sheet, no idea about Australia since they're all over the shop with injuries, yet pulled off a cracking draw against the ABs, and can't comment too much on SA due to not seeing much of them!

With Wales, I'm worried. Expectation will be 3 wins, I won't be happy with less than that if we want to continue the development of this team and finally break the duck against the SH teams. However the regions haven't performed at all in the Heineken, despite a bit of success from the Scarlets and Ospreys in the Rabo, and injuries to key players (Adam Jones ) might be crucial.
Can't wait for the Argentina match, gonna take a hell of an effort to beat them but at home we're more than capable of it! Also, after the RC, was interesting to see how a lot of Argie fans and pundits we're commending their team on running Australia very close and that draw with SA, and didn't seem to stop and say' Well why on earth didn;t we beat them,we should have!'which is something Wales fans love to moan on about, especially after that bloody tour to Australia <_<

 

[Feicarsinn]

Of course because France and Italy are just the silly kids in the corner that no one cares about... it'll be an interesting tour, i expect New Zealand to walk away with a clean sheet, no idea about Australia since they're all over the shop with injuries, yet pulled off a cracking draw against the ABs, and can't comment too much on SA due to not seeing much of them!

With Wales, I'm worried. Expectation will be 3 wins, I won't be happy with less than that if we want to continue the development of this team and finally break the duck against the SH teams. However the regions haven't performed at all in the Heineken, despite a bit of success from the Scarlets and Ospreys in the Rabo, and injuries to key players (Adam Jones ) might be crucial.
Can't wait for the Argentina match, gonna take a hell of an effort to beat them but at home we're more than capable of it! Also, after the RC, was interesting to see how a lot of Argie fans and pundits we're commending their team on running Australia very close and that draw with SA, and didn't seem to stop and say' Well why on earth didn;t we beat them,we should have!'which is something Wales fans love to moan on about, especially after that bloody tour to Australia <_<

Good thing no Welsh internationals play for the regions any more then eh?

Seriously though, this thread has amazing comedic potential.

 

[psychic duck]

Of course because France and Italy are just the silly kids in the corner that no one cares about... it'll be an interesting tour, i expect New Zealand to walk away with a clean sheet, no idea about Australia since they're all over the shop with injuries, yet pulled off a cracking draw against the ABs, and can't comment too much on SA due to not seeing much of them!

With Wales, I'm worried. Expectation will be 3 wins, I won't be happy with less than that if we want to continue the development of this team and finally break the duck against the SH teams. However the regions haven't performed at all in the Heineken, despite a bit of success from the Scarlets and Ospreys in the Rabo, and injuries to key players (Adam Jones ) might be crucial.
Can't wait for the Argentina match, gonna take a hell of an effort to beat them but at home we're more than capable of it! Also, after the RC, was interesting to see how a lot of Argie fans and pundits we're commending their team on running Australia very close and that draw with SA, and didn't seem to stop and say' Well why on earth didn;t we beat them,we should have!'which is something Wales fans love to moan on about, especially after that bloody tour to Australia <_<

I agree totally with you here.

Argentina threw away two golden opportunities to beat the sides ranked #2 and #3 in the world and their fans were just pleased that they weren't completely useless rather than actually asking questions as to how to improve and what went wrong in two matches they had a great opportunity to win.

Of course the draw against South Africa was a good result for them, but they need to improve and strive to win and take the next step forward.

What struck me more than those performances in the RC though, was the Argentine satisfaction with their performances in the RWC. They blew a good opportunity to top the pool (missed kicks vs an off form England who were very beatable) and were very lucky to sneak past Scotland (Contepomi a mile offside).

Yet at the end of the tournament, the polls were all saying what a successful World Cup it had been for them and congratulating themselves on "the great effort". In Argentina it sometimes seems that their main concern is the side playing with heart and soul for the jersey, if they do that thing then they forgive things that are the Pumas weak spots such as goal kicking and actually scoring tries, as long as the players have tried their best it's fine their missing their kicks and not scoring tries in Pumas fans minds.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I agree totally with you here.

Argentina threw away two golden opportunities to beat the sides ranked #2 and #3 in the world and their fans were just pleased that they weren't completely useless rather than actually asking questions as to how to improve and what went wrong in two matches they had a great opportunity to win.

Of course the draw against South Africa was a good result for them, but they need to improve and strive to win and take the next step forward.

What struck me more than those performances in the RC though, was the Argentine satisfaction with their performances in the RWC. They blew a good opportunity to top the pool (missed kicks vs an off form England who were very beatable) and were very lucky to sneak past Scotland (Contepomi a mile offside).

Yet at the end of the tournament, the polls were all saying what a successful World Cup it had been for them and congratulating themselves on "the great effort". In Argentina it sometimes seems that their main concern is the side playing with heart and soul for the jersey, if they do that thing then they forgive things that are the Pumas weak spots such as goal kicking and actually scoring tries, as long as the players have tried their best it's fine their missing their kicks and not scoring tries in Pumas fans minds.

I agree with most of this, and thingimubob's post. Mite often harps on about the SANZAR teams being put on a pedestal essentially because of the dominance of New Zealand while the other two essentially hang on to the All Blacks' coat tails. This has rarely been more true than at the present. Ireland, Wales, England, France and Argentina have absolutely nothing to fear against either Australia or South Africa and losses at home to these teams should be unacceptable imo. Argentina were certainly guilty of setting the bar a bit too low for themselves in TRC, but I imagine it's something that they'll shake off after a bit more exposure to playing the SANZAR nations.

 

[Draggs]

Argentina remind me of Wales.
OK with being second best, as long as they feel OK after decent performances.

 

[Superalexmarket]

I agree totally with you here.

Argentina threw away two golden opportunities to beat the sides ranked #2 and #3 in the world and their fans were just pleased that they weren't completely useless rather than actually asking questions as to how to improve and what went wrong in two matches they had a great opportunity to win.

Of course the draw against South Africa was a good result for them, but they need to improve and strive to win and take the next step forward.

What struck me more than those performances in the RC though, was the Argentine satisfaction with their performances in the RWC. They blew a good opportunity to top the pool (missed kicks vs an off form England who were very beatable) and were very lucky to sneak past Scotland (Contepomi a mile offside).

Yet at the end of the tournament, the polls were all saying what a successful World Cup it had been for them and congratulating themselves on "the great effort". In Argentina it sometimes seems that their main concern is the side playing with heart and soul for the jersey, if they do that thing then they forgive things that are the Pumas weak spots such as goal kicking and actually scoring tries, as long as the players have tried their best it's fine their missing their kicks and not scoring tries in Pumas fans minds.

Much of this has to do with the amateur vision that still there is in Argentina about Rugby. From children are taught to play for love to the Club and Country and fraternize with their team mates like brothers, enjoy a beer at the "third time" with occassional rivals, etc, etc. Since in the 90s the top players began to migrate to the top leagues in Europe, this "amateur vision" changes a bit.
But there is still a great reluctance to changes especially in the top leadership of the UAR. (By the way Argentina is the only country that reached a semifinal of a RWC, with a league absolutely amateur)

 

[Big Ewis]

loving Scotland making the picture over France !

 

[Thingimubob]

Feic: Exactly the hope that I'm clinging on to

Draggs: Not sure if all fans are like that anymore, we seem to have slipped away from the 'As long as we beat the English' days and moved on to bigger and better things. That's one of the reasons I find this years Grandslam the most impressive, we were expected to do well and the Grandslam was on everyones minds before a ball was kicked, unlike 2005 and 2008. As a team they're starting to build the confidence of a team that can win every game, I just hope the disappointment of the Oz tour can fuel that even more.

 

[Draggs]

Feic: Exactly the hope that I'm clinging on to

Draggs: Not sure if all fans are like that anymore, we seem to have slipped away from the 'As long as we beat the English' days and moved on to bigger and better things. That's one of the reasons I find this years Grandslam the most impressive, we were expected to do well and the Grandslam was on everyones minds before a ball was kicked, unlike 2005 and 2008. As a team they're starting to build the confidence of a team that can win every game, I just hope the disappointment of the Oz tour can fuel that even more.

Used the wrong tense, you are correct. I'd say pre-2008, to make it more accurate.