What did we learn from last night??

[Te Kaha]

Australia STILL has a pussy front row... in fact the wannabies forward pack is pretty much ratsh*t.

Wayne Smith should never ever ever again utter the words "flat backline in attack"... attacking with depth STILL is the best use of backs.

The Wannabies can talk the talk, but they cant walk the walk.

Australia STILL has a pussy front row... I know i have already said it, but its such a BIG point it needs to be said twice.

James O'C hates to play the All Blacks... falls apart each and every time

Gits is far far far from being the best 10 in world rugby.

Deans is not the coach he is made out ehen he doesnt have the talent in the stable.

Unless the wannabies learn to win in NZ soil again... they wont go far in the world cup.

 

[Iafeta]

On the Australian myth front row, I can't believe the fat prop they have (Alexander?) wasn't penalised full arm more often. Pretty much every scrum that collapsed (and there were a mile of them) was due to this bloke buckling every time and going straight to ground.

James O'Connor=Pat Howard at Dunedin. Brilliant, loved it.

Their much talked about loosies were destroyed.

They got a flukey yellow card on Toaeva for a tackle that started on the bicep, yet got beaten in that stanza of play all over the park. If they couldn't even compete with the ABs with 14 men, how could they go with 15?

It was funny, there was a glitch on Fox at the end so we ended up getting the Kiwi commentary in the post match, and Murray Mexted said "I think the scoreline flatters the All Blacks"... WTF? The Wannabies would have been beaten by Wairarapa Bush with that sort of performance. I will give the Wannabies one thing, they defended stoutly in midfield. If their defence in that area matched the rest of their game they'd have been done by 50.

Well played Graham Henry and his team of merry-men, all is well in rugby again... Australia finished last in another tournament. Oh, and the All Blacks line out functioned quite well, aside from one throw early on Andrew Hore was back on the mark. Good to see.

 

[Iafeta]

I see in the papers John Eales and Simon Poideven have spoken of the tour the Australians are about to go on and about how they could build a dynasty off it. LOL, sure they can.

 

[Parra]

Front row was the least of the Aussies problems

 

[Te Kaha]

Front row was the least of the Aussies problems

By no means the least of the problems... its a HUGE problem...

But then you also need:

A fullback who isnt afraid of his own shadow
A first five who can direct a team
A tight forward pack who arent afraid to put their bodies on the line
A media who talk up the team AND put down the oppisition team
A team that doesnt believe its own hype.
And cant forget a front row that aint a bunch of pussies!!

 

[Iafeta]

I'm still laughing over James O'Connor. Wow, I reckon you could have put Graham Purvis at his current age no less at fullback and he would have shown more get up and go than O'Connor. The dude is a big time pussy and got pummelled accordingly.

 

[Thomas]

I don't mind the cockiness of the kiwis. I mean it is 2 years out from the RWC...this will give them enough time to talk themselves up and then choke as they inevitably do.

The Aussie front row wasn't that bad on Saturday night and they certainly have had the measure of the South African front row in the last few tests. Benn Robinson is fast becoming a rather good prop...but I don't expect any NZ'ers to acknowledge that. He pretty much destroyed the SA scrum a few weeks ago.

Where Australia lost was at the breakdown (sure McCaw et al did their usual 'flopping' technique which the ref said he was keeping any eye on but only penalised them once or twice)...the All Blacks were hungrier for the ball. Pure and simple the Wallabies lacked passion.

This Wallaby team will be a good team in a year or so. Anyone, other than a one-eyed kiwi, can see that.

 

[Te Kaha]

I don't mind the cockiness of the kiwis. I mean it is 2 years out from the RWC...this will give them enough time to talk themselves up and then choke as they inevitably do.

The Aussie front row wasn't that bad on Saturday night and they certainly have had the measure of the South African front row in the last few tests. Benn Robinson is fast becoming a rather good prop...but I don't expect any NZ'ers to acknowledge that. He pretty much destroyed the SA scrum a few weeks ago.

Where Australia lost was at the breakdown (sure McCaw et al did their usual 'flopping' technique which the ref said he was keeping any eye on but only penalised them once or twice)...the All Blacks were hungrier for the ball. Pure and simple the Wallabies lacked passion.

This Wallaby team will be a good team in a year or so. Anyone, other than a one-eyed kiwi, can see that.

Translation for non australians... WAH-WAH-WAH!!!!

Betting the yarpie scrum is no feat these days... Smit sucks as a scrummager... he is there purely on his captaincy.. whether that is enough remains to be seen...

And i seriously dispute that the wannabies will be a "good team in a year or two"... they are 4-5 years from it... due to their extreme lack of depth they are throwing babies in against men... O'Conner and pocock are prime examples... and when George smith goes you guys are screwed until pocock is up to international level...

Thanks not including the lack of mental toughness that comes with years of top level rugby... its very rare for players to have it until their late 20s.. England won in 03 with an aged team of hard nuts who didnt give up... The Aussie team is just two young at the moment... the skill level will improve... but its the toughness they need to worry about...

And as for Kiwi cockiness??? are you kidding??? nobody takes anythign for granted over here... its going to take a lot to beat the yarpies and the french at the world cup... its just that how can you rate a team like the wannabies when they have lost 6 games in a row to the All Blacks???

 

[Thomas]

its just that how can you rate a team like the wannabies when they have lost 6 games in a row to the All Blacks???

2 of the 3 games this year the Wallabies should have beaten the All Blacks. They just don't have the composure to hold out teams in the last 20. That was evident on the weekend when they just gave up.

They'll get better...as will the AB's who also have a young-ish team.

But I don't care if other countries don't rate Australia. We weren't rated in 2003 having been smashed by the AB's a couple of times only to trump them when it matters.

I just wish Mortlock wasn't injured. He was sorely missed.

 

[Te Kaha]

2 of the 3 games this year the Wallabies should have beaten the All Blacks. They just don't have the composure to hold out teams in the last 20. That was evident on the weekend when they just gave up.

They'll get better...as will the AB's who also have a young-ish team.

But I don't care if other countries don't rate Australia. We weren't rated in 2003 having been smashed by the AB's a couple of times only to trump them when it matters.

I just wish Mortlock wasn't injured. He was sorely missed.

Woulda... coulda.. shoulda... didnt... they simply arent tough enough... in 4 years maybe... in 2 years... no chance.

 

[Thomas]

We'll see.

On thing is for certain, there'll be plenty more pressure on the AB's to perform than the Wallabies in the RWC. There always is.

I will enjoy seeing the inevitable choke followed by the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

[shiznit]

We'll see.

On thing is for certain, there'll be plenty more pressure on the AB's to perform than the Wallabies in the RWC. There always is.

I will enjoy seeing the inevitable choke followed by the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

choke???

in order to choke you need to be a contender to win it... im happy with being a contender...

you guys though.... you guys arent even a serious contender. you would be lucky to make it past the 1/4 finals. :lol:

when was the last time you guys actually won a game against a good side away from home?? :lol:

your guys traveling record is a joke...

 

[Thomas]

And your RWC record is worse.

Seriously, how can a team be number one for so long but only win 1 world cup?

It all points towards some sort of mental fragility on the big stage, doesn't it? ;-)

 

[shiznit]

And your RWC record is worse.

Seriously, how can a team be number one for so long but only win 1 world cup?

It all points towards some sort of mental fragility on the big stage, doesn't it? ;-)

the rugby world cup is played once every 4 years.... half your games are away from home...

how pathetic is it that you guys lose half your games.

youve lost to Wales & Ireland recently.... i mean how pathetic is that...

you want to talk about mental fragility... ill quote you from a couple of posts back...

2 of the 3 games this year the Wallabies should have beaten the All Blacks. They just don't have the composure to hold out teams in the last 20.

:lol: thats pretty much the definition of mental fragility...

 

[Te Kaha]

And your RWC record is worse.

Seriously, how can a team be number one for so long but only win 1 world cup?

It all points towards some sort of mental fragility on the big stage, doesn't it? ;-)

Or it points to teams lifting their games when they play the best, especially the French... and despite popular media myth the All Blacks have not been the best team leading in to every world cup... 91 was Aussie, 03 was england and 95 we almost did win depsite half the team having food poisoning the days before and invluding the final... that leaves 99 and 07 as the only "chokes" and the french.

However this time its at home... on Eden Park... where the All Blacks havent been beaten since Jesus played halfback for the deciples.

 

[Thomas]

In '03 you guys walloped us all over the place...except in the one game which mattered.

Deny it all you want. When it comes to the penultimate tournament of world rugby, New Zealand have a history of falling flat.

I guess the only way you can win a world cup is to host it. Fair enough

 

[Te Kaha]

In '03 you guys walloped us all over the place...except in the one game which mattered.

Deny it all you want. When it comes to the penultimate tournament of world rugby, New Zealand have a history of falling flat.

I guess the only way you can win a world cup is to host it. Fair enough

And we lost that game due to a coach putting a favoured player out of position in, over a fit better player... and which country is that coach in charge of again??? it does explain 5-1 loss/win ratio tho.... oh and in 03 we would have lost the final... England knew how to win that year.

 

[Thomas]

And we lost that game

That's all you need to say.

Although your forwards got smashed that day as well. There's no denying that. You can't blame a loss on one player out of position.

 

[Te Kaha]

That's all you need to say.

Although your forwards got smashed that day as well. There's no denying that. You can't blame a loss on one player out of position.

Smashed???? if you consider aussie getting parity as smashing the forward pack then i guess so....

Mcdonald got owned that day.. and spencer was crap... thats what caused the loss... oh... and who picked spencer and left merhts ar home?? mr 5-1 loss ratio...

But then thats all history... its the next world cup that counts... in that one the current wannabie team will be lucky to make it out of pool play.

 

[African Monkey]

Mcdonald got owned that day.. and spencer was crap... thats what caused the loss... oh... and who picked spencer and left merhts ar home?? mr 5-1 loss ratio...

Surely you're not saying that Spencer shouldn't have been picked in 2003 ? The guy was unbelievably good that season for both the Blues and up to that semi where he will be remembered for that pass he threw but he was head and shoulders above everyone else that year.