Eight Becomes Four
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@Frank said in Eight Becomes Four:
@mariner4life said in Eight Becomes Four:
South Africa v Wales will he brutal trench warfare, no chance the winner is less softened up than the winner of NZ v England.
South Africa had to do a heap of work last night as well, probably as much as us.
Can't see any real advantage to anyone
If we get past England, we have one more day of recovery because we play our semi one day earlier. Advantage?
Don't forget our extra week off...
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Honestly, I couldn't care who is favourites now. The All Blacks are two wins from a lot of glory. Glory like never before.
2011 was the monkey off the back, 2015 was proving we could win away from home, 2019 is about showing beyond any doubt that these All Blacks are the most dominant team in Rugby.
If England, South Africa or Wales get one over us from here then so be it. But it ain't gonna be down to a lack of effort or desire to win. Go Black!
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@MiketheSnow Each of these teams is capable of beating each other. And a fair few of the Welsh boyos have beaten the ABs as Lions. They know what it takes.
But what it takes looks to be beyond what England, Wales and the Boks are capable of delivering right now.
The English were gifted their QF by as tactically braindead Australian side as I've ever seen. And what was shocking was how the Aussies persisted with their run from anywhere strategy even as it was repeatedly shown to be beyond foolish. While you can only play what's in front of you, I didn't see anything to suggest that this English side will be able to contain the AB attack enough and generate enough points to win.
Ditto Wales. As admirable as that win was given the half-time score, its hard to imagine any of the other remaining challengers giving up the stranglehold the French had on that game. In glorious French fashion they snatched that result from Fate's jaws. But the manner in which the French penetrated Wales' defence suggests that the ABs won't be contained by this Welsh team (and I don't think Davis recovering changes that.)
And the Boks, well they have to get past Wales and they haven't been able to do that for four years. And there's a reason for that. This Welsh team is bloody good. And it plays a style that is a bad match for SA. I have serious doubts that there are enough points in this Bok attack and in Pollard's misfiring boot for this result to start a reversion to the mean. Then again, at some stage you'd expect the boks' passes to start sticking and for Pollard to start nailing them again...
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@Duluth said in Eight Becomes Four:
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Almost an asterisk title if they get up 😏
Just like 2007
and 1995
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@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
because you are guaranteed 2 more games and will see the RWC through to conclusion.
Nope.
The game that no one wants!
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@junior said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Frank said in Eight Becomes Four:
If we get past England, we have one more day of recovery because we play our semi one day earlier. Advantage?
Don't forget our extra week off...
For a while it was looking like all 3 teams that had their final pool match cancelled were going to win their QF matches.
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@Bovidae said in Eight Becomes Four:
For a while it was looking like all 3 teams that had their final pool match cancelled were going to win their QF matches.
but for a thuggish act, they probably would have.
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@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Let me know in advance and I'll take you to a game
@voodoo Two ways to go there - a very rested liver, or a well trained one.
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@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb The word "kak" has to be one the greatest gifts SA has given us. That and "tackies" (or takkies?), and "oke" for the lads.
Nothing beats a stiffy for a 3 1/2 inch floppy disk, obvious it's a stiffy as the larger sizes were actually floppy in the hand!
ps how is okes pronounced?
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@Machpants said in Eight Becomes Four:
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb The word "kak" has to be one the greatest gifts SA has given us. That and "tackies" (or takkies?), and "oke" for the lads.
Nothing beats a stiffy for a 3 1/2 inch floppy disk, obvious it's a stiffy as the larger sizes were actually floppy in the hand!
ps how is okes pronounced?
😅
Oke(s) is pronounced "oak(s)". You can be "a good oke" or wonder "what are those bloody okes up to?"
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@Snowy said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Let me know in advance and I'll take you to a game
@voodoo Two ways to go there - a very rested liver, or a well trained one.
Sounds scary
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@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Snowy said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Let me know in advance and I'll take you to a game
@voodoo Two ways to go there - a very rested liver, or a well trained one.
Sounds scary
Worth the trip though.
Small tip -probably avoid the sevens - 2 days (or 3 in HKG) compared to 2 hours. Oh and don't invite @gman he's trouble as well.
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I wish there wasn’t a 3rd/4th playoff, what a waste of a game. You lose this week, you should go home.
I’d much prefer we had a bowl final for the teams who qualified 4/5 in each pool, playing off through to get one qualifying spot for the next WC (as 3rd place getters in the pool have already qualified).
Also means no Argentina, Scotland, Italy, or Fiji (which would make a nice plate semi final, I’ll admit).
Would have something fun to watch and should be a cracker - would likely be Georgia and Tonga in the bowl final, but maybe Uruguay or Samoa there too. I’d love to see that game, rather than some loser final.
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@gt12 said in Eight Becomes Four:
I wish there wasn’t a 3rd/4th playoff, what a waste of a game. You lose this week, you should go home.
I’d much prefer we had a bowl final for the teams who qualified 4/5 in each pool, playing off through to get one qualifying spot for the next WC (as 3rd place getters in the pool have already qualified).
Also means no Argentina, Scotland, Italy, or Fiji (which would make a nice plate semi final, I’ll admit).
Would have something fun to watch and should be a cracker - would likely be Georgia and Tonga in the bowl final, but maybe Uruguay or Samoa there too. I’d love to see that game, rather than some loser final.
Agree its shit. What about an All Star game instead, the captains of the 2 losing SF's get to select their teams playground style, from the pool of all non-final playing players still left in Japan, on live telly. I'd watch that.
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Wales v Boks: reffing group
Jerome Garces of France will referee Sunday's Wales-South Africa clash, with England's Wayne Barnes and New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe as his assistants and Ben Skeen, also of New Zealand, as the TMO.
Hopefully I am not referring to them as the effing group after this match.
If the Boks lose, I'd like it to be without any controversy.
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@Smuts said in Eight Becomes Four:
@MiketheSnow Each of these teams is capable of beating each other. And a fair few of the Welsh boyos have beaten the ABs as Lions. They know what it takes.
But what it takes looks to be beyond what England, Wales and the Boks are capable of delivering right now.
The English were gifted their QF by as tactically braindead Australian side as I've ever seen. And what was shocking was how the Aussies persisted with their run from anywhere strategy even as it was repeatedly shown to be beyond foolish. While you can only play what's in front of you, I didn't see anything to suggest that this English side will be able to contain the AB attack enough and generate enough points to win.
Ditto Wales. As admirable as that win was given the half-time score, its hard to imagine any of the other remaining challengers giving up the stranglehold the French had on that game. In glorious French fashion they snatched that result from Fate's jaws. But the manner in which the French penetrated Wales' defence suggests that the ABs won't be contained by this Welsh team (and I don't think Davis recovering changes that.)
And the Boks, well they have to get past Wales and they haven't been able to do that for four years. And there's a reason for that. This Welsh team is bloody good. And it plays a style that is a bad match for SA. I have serious doubts that there are enough points in this Bok attack and in Pollard's misfiring boot for this result to start a reversion to the mean. Then again, at some stage you'd expect the boks' passes to start sticking and for Pollard to start nailing them again...
I wouldn't be so sure about that - all it takes is a good plan, perfectly executed, and / or a generous / nervous / cautious / out-of-his-depth referee
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@Snowy said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Let me know in advance and I'll take you to a game
@voodoo Two ways to go there - a very rested liver, or a well trained one.
Don't let @Snowy scare you @voodoo . He more than held his own on his trip out here, and that was over multiple days at the Sevens.
Usque ad mortem bibendum
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@gt12 said in Eight Becomes Four:
I wish there wasn’t a 3rd/4th playoff, what a waste of a game. You lose this week, you should go home.
Rugby followed the football model as this game is still a money generator.
Cricket doesn't bother with 3rd/4th playoffs but most other team sports do.
