Who is easier for Australia to beat?

[the_chief]

All-Blacks or England??

 

[dimitri]

romania and namibia are certainly easy

 

[thomo]

I'd say NZ at the moment. Not because England are the better side of the 2 but England's style of game is one that the Wallabies really struggle against. If Australia are to win Bill again then they will probably need the frogs to knock out England in the semis.

 

[bayrep]

I would have to say All Blacks. The all blacks go into their third pool game against Tonga with out their top side trying to get some combos going. In this game we are going to have Daniel Carter as our Backup half back, Leon McDonald as our center and we have swapped our loosies around again. I am starting to wonder if Mitch and Robbie have a clue about what they want in an All Black team. To still be playing around with Combos in the world cup when they have had the last 2 years to get the plan they wanted to play is just a little bit of a worry.

 

[Bengal]

I'd say NZ at the moment. Not because England are the better side of the 2 but England's style of game is one that the Wallabies really struggle against. If Australia are to win Bill again then they will probably need the frogs to knock out England in the semis.

I agree

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I would have to say All Blacks. The all blacks go into their third pool game against Tonga with out their top side trying to get some combos going. In this game we are going to have Daniel Carter as our Backup half back, Leon McDonald as our center and we have swapped our loosies around again. I am starting to wonder if Mitch and Robbie have a clue about what they want in an All Black team. To still be playing around with Combos in the world cup when they have had the last 2 years to get the plan they wanted to play is just a little bit of a worry.

Thats what I love about Kiwis and Rugby, only a Kiwi could be unhappy after his team had dished out two 60 point hidings in succession. They have scored more points and more tries than any other team, and conceded only one try (less than any team except England). It should also be noted that both of our opponents so far while far from Rugby superpowers are not exactly the easybaets of the competition either, both Canada and Italy are sides capable of beating quite a few of the teams in the tournament (Italy are a 6N side with a thriving professional competition). Were the ABs to come up agains Georgia, Namibia or Romania for example I think a 100 point scoreline would be seriously threatened. If Australia or England had had the ABs results so far their respective press and fans would be already proclaiming them certainties to win the cup.
You can't blame Mitchell for shifting his combinations around at this stage, he is simply trying to give as many of the squad game time as possible in games that he knows we will in all likelihood win by 50+ points no matter who takes the field.

 

[Bengal]

I like what Eddie Jones is doing.
He's building much needed momentum in the Wallaby camp.

The All Blacks sure are disadvantaged with their draw.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I like what Eddie Jones is doing.
He's building much needed momentum in the Wallaby camp.

The All Blacks sure are disadvantaged with their draw.

I agree that the ABs are disadvantaged by the draw. The only half decent opposition we will face will be Wales, and they will probably roll over anyway because they'll have second spot sewn up by then. It would have been a very good thing for us had Tonga beaten them, as they would bhave had to go all out against us to have any hope of surviving, although hopefully the Tongans at least will give us a bit of opposition this week. That said I'm not sure that Australia have much more in the way of opposition; Argentina aren't far ahead of Italy or Wales IMHO. I think that Mitchell is doing as much as he can in the circumstance.

 

[Marcus]

All Blacks for sure.

England is just too tricky at the moment for Australia. NZ will be easier cause their forwards are on even par with Australia. While our backline is questionable, we still got enough time to sort a few things out.

I think the injury to Umaga has been a big blow for NZ. His experience and leadership is what holds the mid-field together. While Nonu is good, he lacks experience and his defence is not as good as Umaga's.

 

[zulu]

Well because there's only three sides who can realistically win it, I'd have to say All Blacks or England. Pretty easy really. Could have said that a year ago.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

All Blacks for sure.

England is just too tricky at the moment for Australia. NZ will be easier cause their forwards are on even par with Australia. While our backline is questionable, we still got enough time to sort a few things out.

Australia's forwards on a par with NZ? I think not. If you were to make a combined Australia/NZ team the only australian forward likely to be picked would be Smith. Apart from the dodgy lineout NZ have it all over the Wallabies.

 

[Mango]

The only way to keep 'BILL' is to beat whoever is in front of us. Think we can do NZ in the semi or SA. Would rather play england than France in the final. the current French team is the most talented (in the extroverted sense) team in the world but if they are distresed then we will take it out.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The only way Australia can beat either NZ or England is if you actually get your backline (specifically your centres) to start producing the goods. You're never going to win against NZ or England with uyour forwards, they're ok but the most they're going to manage is to hold their own, you simply don't have the grunt there to dominate.
Australia has plenty of backline talent especially out wide, but the problem seems to be gregan and your inside backs not getting enough quality ball out to them in good position. if this happens then Australia can have a chance of taking out the cup.

 

[zulu]

this aint much of a discussion when only a handful of teams can win it. 3 or 4 at most. Great contest.

 

[Mango]

Vacant Ape,

You don't seem to understand the workings of the front eight in Rugby. If OZ win the Rwc it will be because of the forwards, if we do not win it will be because our extraordinarily talented backs have not been able to express themselves as a unit. Teams win RWC's not individuals. The AB's have shown they have the backline combination in place to beat anyone, provided they can gain possession. Can they secure more than 35% against the major nations? England have the forward power, but can they match it in the loose against the much younger Wallaby and Bok backrowers, Can the SA and OZ backs capitalise on the possession they will enjoy, Can the Poms survive an injury to JW? Can the Frogs be countered if they hit their straps?

Ape,
Just address some of these issues with a supported argument and I might drop the vacant prefix to APE.

 

[iggy plop]

Vacant Ape,

You don't seem to understand the workings of the front eight in Rugby. If OZ win the Rwc it will be because of the forwards, if we do not win it will be because our extraordinarily talented backs have not been able to express themselves as a unit. Teams win RWC's not individuals. The AB's have shown they have the backline combination in place to beat anyone, provided they can gain possession. Can they secure more than 35% against the major nations? England have the forward power, but can they match it in the loose against the much younger Wallaby and Bok backrowers, Can the SA and OZ backs capitalise on the possession they will enjoy, Can the Poms survive an injury to JW? Can the Frogs be countered if they hit their straps?

Ape,
Just address some of these issues with a supported argument and I might drop the vacant prefix to APE.

care? nah.