What has come out of the Tri-Nations...

[Te Kaha]

South Africa:

- They are a one trick pony. They have a swarming defence, they play over the offside line more often than not and the sweat on mistakes.
- They are VERY VERY good at their one trick. Is it enough to win the world cup? Probably not.
- In Habana they have one of the top three Wingers in the world. Give him space with the ball and watch out.

Australia:

- Have not only THE crapiest front rows, but one of the crapiest tight fives of the "tier A" teams.
- Dunning should be dropped for good.
- They can't win the world cup with this or their top team. They new a new front row at the least.
- Dunning should be dropped for good.
- Lote is over-rated. As a centre he makes a good winger. In Aussie we keep hearing he is the best winger in the world.CRAP. Roko, Sivi and Habana are all better.
- Dunning should be dropped for good.
- Aussie has no depth... well duh.
- Dunning should be dropped for good.
- Rogers may make a world class five eigth. Will they give him enoigh chance to develop?
- Dunning should probably go.

New Zealand:

- Now have the best forward pack in world Rugby.
- Wont win the world cup if they don't keep there foot on the throat. It cost them in SA but fortunetly not at Eden park.
- Luaki is not a patch on Collins. The Aussie breaks were made near the ruck. Luaki was missing every time. He may be more damiging with the ball in hand than Collins. but defence is more important at 6.
- Macdonald may be adequate as cover during a test match for Five eighth. But he is only barely international standard at it. With Merts and spencer gone, NZ needs to build a bit more depth behind Carter, just in case.
- Does Ali Williams want the five eighth role?

 

[Scott]

We are winning, SA are now a force again, Aust are in trouble.

If a World Cup was on next week, the final would be SA v NZ. France may have something to say about that though.

All in all, NZ are winning. Doesn't matter how it's done, as long as we win!

 

[Jackal Dog]

Saffa's:
Starting to build some momentum torwards 2007 have good defence, set plays and a bucket full of world class finishers just waiting in line (Habana, Chavhanga, Nokwe, Willemse, Paulse etc.) but desperately need to find some spark in attack.

Kiwi's:
Need more improvement they should of won their last 2 games comfortably but almost lost both. Possess depth in nearly every position now they just need to get their mind state right.

Aussies:
Relying on over the hill players, showed last night they have some great youngsters coming through they just need to give them a chance, forward pack is still piss weak though, and shows no signs of changing.

The Tri Nations table speaks for itself we were clearly the worst team while the kiwi's were the best.

 

[aussies1st]

SA:
Relied too much on intercepts to score tries.
Still haven't found that 5/8 to lead them around the park
Their forward pack was not the best in the comp which would piss them off.

NZ:
Best forward pack in the comp.
Backline was awesome.
Roko is back to his best.
Lineout was shakey against SA early on but seemed to be fixed.

Aus:
Pathetic forward pack.
Giteau isn't ready to lead his team around in the 10 yet.
Backs are still class.
Service to the backs wasn't great until the last game with balls been lofted above players head meaning they had to wait for it.
Rogers is ready to become a World Class 10.
Smith could be the next Number 8.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Smith could be the next Number 8.

I hope not for your sake. He's a great player but not a number eight, Australia have to accept that Smith and Waugh are both openside flankers and stop trying to fit them both into the same team at all costs. Smith should be at #7, Elsom at #6 and Finnegan orr maybe Fava at #8. Each loose forward position requires special attributes and players can't always be swapped around at will.

 

[Scott]

How has Scott Fava not played a few tests for Australia. A very good 'specialist' number 8!

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

Your right Te Kaha ! Lote Tuqiri is over-rated and I won't pick him in the top five wingers of 2005 .

 

[ThrashViking]

If Australia can find atleast two genuine world class front rowers in the next super 14 season they might be a genuine chance of winning in France but at the moment nobody looks capable of that. seriously, how can you even select Dunning? It's the biggest joke of a selection in the last ten years, nearly as bizare as Mitchell dropping Cullen.Bill Young & Al Baxter are only slightly better.
Larkhams still a fantastic first five but isnt getting any younger, im unsure if he'll last.

 

[aussies1st]

Smith for mind has lost that touch he had when he debuted. He isn't pinching as much ball as usual. He doesn't have the size for a number 8 but he has the ball skills. Roe and Lyons don't seem to be our answer to number 8 though.

The Waratahs have heaps of 8s so hopefully they can produce someone.

Fava should be given a go as Lyons has had a long time to cement his place.

 

[Iafeta]

If the All Blacks could consistently put together 80 minutes of football instead of clocking off for 30 minutes (and still winning comfortably) then I'll be damned if they're gonna blow another World Cup.

All Blacks

Daylight

Springboks

Daylight

Daylight

Daylight

More Daylight....

Depending on the draw, it shouldn't be anything but NZ v SA for the World Cup Final, the best attacking side against the best defensive side.

 

[Jackal Dog]

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves kiwi's:roll:

You won the Tri Nations on bonus poins pure and simple, SA won the same amount of games as you and contrary to all your country's boasting the Lions are not the best the Northern Hemisphere has to offer, it's a bit far fetched to be talking up your chances of 07 already.....

 

[Iafeta]

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves kiwi's:roll:

You won the Tri Nations on bonus poins pure and simple, SA won the same amount of games as you and contrary to all your country's boasting the Lions are not the best the Northern Hemisphere has to offer, it's a bit far fetched to be talking up your chances of 07 already.....

Who is the best Northern Hemisphere side?

Wales won the Six Nations (I think), their premier competition. They combined with England, Scotland and Ireland and couldn't get within cooey of New Zealand. Who then? France? We put 40 on them last year in Paris.

Won the Tri Nations on bonus points... pffft. We're not rated #1 in the world for nothing. We've beat them all of late, Wales, The Lions, South Africa, Australia, France - I could accept its a stretch if our team was aging, but aside from Umaga there's no doubts age wise on the rest of them being there. If anything, the likes of Carter, Rockocoko, Sivivatu, Weepu, Woodcock etc are all on form at the moment the best in their positions, they'll get better before 2007.

 

[Jackal Dog]

As a mate put it:" Evaluating the strength of NH rugby based on the Lions tour is pure nonsense.
The Lions were nowhere near the sum of the individuals talents that composed the team, cause of the spin, coaching or whetever reasons.
They have achieved their goal as a profit orientated spin machine, not as a rugby team.
It would be foolish to think that Wales/England/Ireland and France will surrender in November like the Lions did last June. "

I would wait to NZ play Wales, England and Ireland (I know Scotland is a foregone conclusion) this November before bad mouthing them.

And only the ignorant would right off the French, they have extremely good depth and are some of the most forward thinkers in world rugby, when they toured SA and AUS this year the French coach Bernard Laporte stated he was here for 2 reasons: blood new players and score tries, which he did successfully winning wasn't that important.

The AB's beat the Boks at home, the Boks beat the AB's at home and correct me if I'm wrong but SA came a lot closer to winning at the House of Pain then NZ did at Newlands.

If you win both Tri Nations in the next 2 years sure maybe you should be raging hot favourites but right now I think the rubgy world is more even then New Zealand likes to think.

 

[Iafeta]

Its even between the top 2 IMO.

South Africa have the game plan to beat New Zealand on a fairly consistent basis.

All bias aside though, if there was a market for the world cup now I'd be surprised if New Zealand was not raging hot favourites.

Surely they can't stuff it this time round!!!!

 

[aussies1st]

That sounds all to familar to previous World Cups. NZ always look the goods in between WC but when it comes to the WC they choke. I will say though that the NZ depth, gameplan looks way better than previous times. But there is still 2 years to go which is way too long to start predicting who will win the WC.

 

[aqua_duck]

Lets not forget NZ played the whole tournament with 2 big liabilities in MacDonald and Gear, and without Carter.

 

[bayrep]

SA has the game plan to beat the AB's but the big negative for SA is that they don't travel very well. As for SA beating us they were playing against an AB side that had not played in 2-3 weeks and the AB's don't handle long rest periods very well. Which will be a negative for the AB's going into the World Cup. I also rate Wales chance in beating the AB's on the end of year tour as they are our first game. Its a pity we couldn't have played Wales last as they are the team to beat from the north.

I definitely don't rate Aus and SA's chances against France on the end of year tour. France pushed both sides on their down under tour and are going to be so much better at home.

 

[Jackal Dog]

Nice excuse there Bayrep: "SA only beat us because we were rusty" by that way of thinking you only beat SA because they had just played 4 tests in 5 weeks......

 

[lockyno1]

Nice excuse there Bayrep: "SA only beat us because we were rusty" by that way of thinking you only beat SA because they had just played 4 tests in 5 weeks......

South Africa have dead set the worst style of play. How they ever win still bemuses me. Kick, Kick, kick goal, score from counter:roll:. That is South Africa! South Africa got the benefit of some of the more shocking decisions in that match! As much as I HATE New Zealand, it would have been more painful if South Africa won it!

 

[bayrep]

Nice excuse there Bayrep: "SA only beat us because we were rusty" by that way of thinking you only beat SA because they had just played 4 tests in 5 weeks......

lol no excuse the AB's are shockers for slow starts to comps. The reason why we play Samoa, fiji, British Isles before we get to the serious stuff