South Africa v New Zealand. 21 Aug 2010. What is your prediction?

[woodward]

Your dreaming if you thought the AB's had no chance in any of those games last year and they were clearly better in Hamilton. What let them down were their mistakes, uncharacteristic mistakes made under pressure. Fair enough game plan too, the All Blacks don't rely on mistakes from the opposition however, they can win it themselves with their skill. The Boks can score good tries occasionally with set moves, the All Blacks can do it at any moment even twice in a couple of minutes at the end of a tight game. It wasn't the rules fault, but we've seen a rematch this year under proper rules and the Boks are a distant third.

Edit: the part you saying better game plan is blaming the coach, total rubbish the Springboks would have just a few players in the 3N 15 and based on form they would have none

 

[admartian]

AB's faaar too good for the Bok's. To win in SA, at altitude, with 94,000 people, John Smit's 100th game, and be behind at halftime and come back at the death with 2 tries (not drop goals or penalties) is mighty impressive. Add in the fact the Boks had been thrashed twice already by the AB's and this win just gets better. Mighty defensive effort by the Bok's but they paid the price towards the end when they ran out of puff. That Steyn guy must be gutted I think that ball he kicked dead from the penalty lost the game for the Bok's as well as the free kick they gave away after Carter had dropped the gigantic 22m kick. Good teams must punish and the ABs did just that.

Too true mate.

Not taking away from the Boks though, much improved.

I'd be hating to be the Wallabies/NH teams for later, right now.

You blamed the ref and coach by saying that the Springbok players are equal, what is your reason for their thrashing this year? Last year the All Blacks came much closer in their third home test and were not beaten by close to 20 points. They also had to win with kicking penalties mostly apart from intercepts and loose ball from mistakes gifting them the goal line, the reason this was able to win them the games was because of the stupid rules as much as superior line out, goal kicking and less errors. All Blacks being able to score 4, 4 and 3 tries against 0, 2, and 1 shows the have superior ability. If the All Blacks lost the way the Boks have this year I would admit the team I supported was inferior

Agreed.

 

[*Axe*]

Your dreaming if you thought the AB's had no chance in any of those games last year and they were clearly better in Hamilton. What let them down were their mistakes, uncharacteristic mistakes made under pressure. Fair enough game plan too, the All Blacks don't rely on mistakes from the opposition however, they can win it themselves with their skill. The Boks can score good tries occasionally with set moves, the All Blacks can do it at any moment even twice in a couple of minutes at the end of a tight game. It wasn't the rules fault, but we've seen a rematch this year under proper rules and the Boks are a distant third.

Edit: the part you saying better game plan is blaming the coach, total rubbish the Springboks would have just a few players in the 3N 15 and based on form they would have none

Yeah i agree, the ABs have had a fraction of the errors compared to last season AND they are making their opposition pay for theirs.

Going back to Juan Smith, I think he has to face something, even if it is just a couple of weeks. I can see no justification for pushing the referee. It probably took longer for him to push him than it would have to just step around him. It was a dead-set brain melt. Full credit to Owen for getting up and the players for stopping.

Also, great to see the development of Ma'a Nonu in the last three years. he was solid in that test and his passing game is class.

 

[squirrel]

you make me laugh woodward, i suppose the all blacks are gonna solve world hunger and global warming,how can you say the were the better team in hamilton last year,its like me saying the boks were better yesterday, besides rugby is not just about scoring tries if that was the case then the blues are the best super rugby team

yes well done all blacks you deserved the victory,but woodward you remind me of the typical kiwi supporter at a neutral pub goading opposition supporters for daring not to support your precious team

 

[Duckdee]

I think I'm a bad person, because I receive such a warm and fuzzy feeling when seeing an opposition captain crying...(no one mention the RWC QF).

That is a bit mean.

 

[woodward]

There's so much to like about Nonu but something I've been noticing this year is the lines he runs and the way he frees the players outside him eg. Woodcocks try last night JDV is pretty much stationary as Nonu is running at him, that and the fact the Springboks' midfield was made of the frontrow is what created the easiest of tries.

 

[woodward]

you make me laugh woodward, i suppose the all blacks are gonna solve world hunger and global warming,how can you say the were the better team in hamilton last year,its like me saying the boks were better yesterday, besides rugby is not just about scoring tries if that was the case then the blues are the best super rugby team

yes well done all blacks you deserved the victory,but woodward you remind me of the typical kiwi supporter at a neutral pub goading opposition supporters for daring not to support your precious team

I thought they were a better team at Hamilton, they game was theirs to lose, which the did emphatically


Rugby is about crossing the opposition goal line and stopping them from crossing yours, penalty kicks are a deterrent and to separate close teams same with drop goals. More or less this is the way NZ'ers feel about rugby and we view trying to shut a game down and keep the scoreboard ticking over with kicks as negative play. Not saying this is what the Springboks are about just that last year that was the way to play

 

[nickdnz]

you make me laugh woodward, i suppose the all blacks are gonna solve world hunger and global warming,how can you say the were the better team in hamilton last year,its like me saying the boks were better yesterday, besides rugby is not just about scoring tries if that was the case then the blues are the best super rugby team

yes well done all blacks you deserved the victory,but woodward you remind me of the typical kiwi supporter at a neutral pub goading opposition supporters for daring not to support your precious team

squirrel, we all know your opinion of the All Blacks. It gets boring. You don't rate the team or players highly, and thier victories aren't because they're the better team, but by luck or external factors...Now you've let it very clear, please stop with just anti AB posts (which count for over half of your posts on this forum).

woodward, stop biteing at every anti-AB troll. There is no need, and it just encourages them to continue.

 

[squirrel]

mate i thought the abs played well and have said so,i just think the south african players are of equal quality, no excuses for the loss last night

 

[smartcooky]

I hope they don't make a big deal of Juan Smiths push, because it will mask what is a bigger issue for me, and that is the poor positioning of Nigel Owens. If they punish Smith, I fear this will validate Owen's positioning.

Nigel Owens gets in the way of players and passes more than any other elite referee. When ONE referee is the only Elite level referee that has been pushed out of the way by players, and it has happened twice, you have to question why that is.

My main criticism of his is that he spends a lot of time in what we call the "chariot" position; directly behind the ruck (like he's driving a chariot). This position has the potential to severely restrict the scrum half's options, which is why we teach referees not to stand there. The other reason we don't recommend it is that the view from there is poor. You may be able to see the odd ruck infringement, but you cannot see accurately when the ball is out, and you cannot judge players ahead of the hindmost foot.


Dan Carter out for Eight Weeks


From: <cite>www.sportspredict.co.za</cite>

An ankle injury will sideline All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter for the next eight weeks.
With the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup ***le already secured, Carter will have surgery to fix his troublesome ankle. He's carried the injury throughout the 2010 Tri-Nations, a campaign where New Zealand remain unbeaten. He will miss the last two Bledisloe Cup fixtures as he recovers from the operation, but should be back to tour the northern hemisphere.
'Given that movement in my foot is being affected, it's obviously in my best interests to have the surgery now,' Carter said.

Great chance for Aaron Cruden to start against Australia

 

[squirrel]

other than positioning i thought he had a good game,whats your thoughts cook

 

[Intercept King JDV]

Congrats to the All Blacks, they probably deserved to win the 3Nations this year, doesn't matter if it was by hook or by crook, they did it.Although I have a lot anger inside of me due to the refereeing decisions that went against the Boks and went for the All Blacks, I'm not really one to go on a whining-spree, so I'll just leave it at that.

Just one "refereeing error" that stood out for me in this game was when the Boks were somewhere in New Zealand's 22, it was a ruck and MR. Owens was busy teaching NZ's defensive line the ABC about 10-15 meters away from the actual ruck with his back to the ruck, NZ player(think it was Tom Donnelly) joins the ruck from the side and gets away with it because neither the ref nor the assistant ref saw it.Aren't the refs, including assistant refs suppose to watch the ball at all times?

 

[woodward]

Yea they probably deserved the Tri Nations I think lol

 

[woodward]

Just noticed after Owens was knocked down Burger trying to rip the ball off Cowan after everyone else had stopped, then he looks up to see the ref on the ground hurt then tries harder. All done with that fiendish look on his face of course, worst sportsmanship in rugby that guy.

 

[cardassian]

Good game both teams.
Stoked to see the ABs win of course but really happy to see the springboks back playing well.
This game could of gone either way and had me on the edge of my seat right til the end.
Thought the boks 9 was outstanding, can't believe he hasn't been starting right through the trinations.
Think S.A. are going to crush Aus and just wish this S.A. team had of turned up earlier in the season.
Oh and on a final note Dagg is awesome

 

[Sam Owen]

they were beaten by a better TEAM,witha better game plan this year,last nights game could have went either way, last year the all blacks had no chance in all 3 games and the last agme flattered them,this year the boks were completely out played in 2 out of 3, but it still stands the ABs won but it say that the springbok players are inferior is ********, and i suppose it was the rules fault that the abs keep throwing intercept passes then last year?

28-19, 31-19, 29-32 those were the scores for last years 3 tri-nation Springbok victories. There were chances for the ABS last year I thought.

i dont think these guys realize their strength if it was another player he pushed it would have been gentle but fotr us mere mortals it sends us flying around like rag dolls

You might have gone flying around squirrel but if I was Nigel Owens for that moment I would have got up quickly and pushed him back.:rahh:

I thought Juan Smith had a good game though and like Cooky pointed out may've been frusterated at Owens positioning. There was a time early in the game where the 'boks were about a metre out and attack looked promising for a try out to their left, McCaw got in from the side and menaced for a bit by the time the ball got out Owens impeded Houggards ability to feed his backline. Maybe this frusterated Smith later on and the next time Owens was in the way he must of thought to himself 'oh get out of the way!!', and pushed Owens thats my speculation anyway.

Gio Aplon played good at the back. Habana and Rocokoko worked hard for the wings. Burger showed why hes in the 'boks. Carter is Carter the man, might need to go back home in his backyard he's got a paddock and some Rugby posts, he might want to spend the day (as they say in the states) 'just kickin it', after hes recovered fully of course. McCaw rhymes with war. Go to sleep on Nonu and you'll be on your knees. We all here agree Thorn is good?...GOOOD. I thought Id pay special mention to those players otherwise both teams played well. Hmmm???...'boks or Wallabies.

 

[Shaggy]

I'm happy of course that the All Blacks won, but I don't agree that they were way better ... that game could have easily gone either way, which is what made it so good.

I must have been one of those that was dreaming with the Hamilton match last year, which is odd because i was at the ground ... I didn't think the ABs were as good as the springboks ... my recollection is that the backline had a shocker, and that things only started to improve when Toeava came on ... and yes, I realise that they could have won it in the last minute

 

[squirrel]

i agree shag man to even teams in a almighty tussle , thats what we love about sport

 

[Marble Eye]

I think the All Blacks have proved in this series of the Tr-Nations that they are, without doubt, the best. Well done to them.

 

[Logorrhea]

I hope they don't make a big deal of Juan Smiths push, because it will mask what is a bigger issue for me, and that is the poor positioning of Nigel Owens. If they punish Smith, I fear this will validate Owen's positioning.

Holy ****. Juan Smith intentionally knocks Owens over for no reason and you take the opportunity to make an issue of his positioning, which was text book for that phase of play?

Do I take it then that you fully approve of Smiths shove on the referee?