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And of course Ireland won't be facing the All Blacks - for that to happen Ireland would actually have to win a game that mattered, something Ireland has proved that they cannot do, whether it be in the 6 Nations or the RWC - So in other words your predicting Argentina to take the Pool? Interesting Choice.
And the French? :bana: Oh thats gold, please don't tell me there foward pack is going to bully us around again, I still have nightmares about that unbreakable defence which McAlister and Sivivatu shredded up like paper last year as the All Blacks won by 44 points in the rain (Ireland meanwhile couldn't even beat the French at Home.)
For a start you spell doom and gloom for the Boks for a lack of a Fly Half, where the French just seem to have been cycling around 20 Year Olds and Half Backs the previous four years. [/b]
LOL - you sniffed out the loophole in my first point. But promise you won't become a lawyer: it would just pile bitterness onto your sarcasm.
Maybe I'm too confident, but I can't see Arg as a threat. Anything is
possible in group D, but I think England's group will be the most intense.
Even with a slab of hormone beef at #10 SA can win, but England still has the muscle and the kicking-smarts to do it. Do you just write off the champions?
On Carney: he's looked dangerous whenever I've seen him over the last 3 years, so that does the trick for my predictions. I was thinking he'd be an interesting variation for us at #15, but others have told me no way, and I guess I have to agree. Still, it would be great to see an NH team try some AB adventure from deep.
France's fragility is weird - but you will be receiving their gold-plated attention in the quarters. Their pack will cause you trouble, as they showed in the 2nd November test, but that means nothing if the defence out wide is full of holes. The 3N has shown how to lock up the AB counter attack, and I'd be disgusted if France repeat their rabbit-in-headlights fear. And check out Mignoni #9 and Skrela #10 - they're the best half-back combination going, ahead of Australia.
My original point was about England - if they overcome SA, then it's all jam for them. Any views on that?
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The 3N has shown jack. We were counter attacking nicely against the Wallabies, we just couldn't hold onto the damn ball when it came to those final passes to send the speedsters into the corner. The Springboks game also showed that we can weather the storm, bash the **** out of each other for an hour and still have the ability to turn on the Jets in the Last 20 minutes and blow them away. Grasping for hope in the Wallabies loss is dead end as well, those circumstances will not be repeated, all I took away from that game is that Mauger sucks... funnily enough I already knew that.
The French seem to fear Henry, and Laporte is their John Mitchell, so even if they had the squad that was on a level near us I would still blow them off. And of course I write off the English - their Success Ratio since 2003 is hovering around the 50% mark, they hardly sent a message to the world in the 6 Nations, they still don't have a Backline... nor even a decent Foward Pack anymore. Nonu, the kind hearted chap he is, sported them 2 tries last year and they still could barely keep it within 20 against us. What have they shown that they have improved from the team that lost to Argentina?
France's biggest match in the last year was against Ireland. They won, away from home, with a championship at stake. But that was just a bunch of NH ponces fannying about the place, so you guys don't get it.[/b]
You can hardly blame us when you look at the fact the Henry Era All Blacks have played teams North of Equator 21 times, and only 6 times has the victory been by less than 20 points.
