RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1)
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I had a long chat with a Paddy colleague this week about NZ fans.
Was thrown all the usual things - counting chickens, arrogance etc. I actually don’t know how this can be challenged.
For us, there is no second place. We either win it, or we don’t. End of. So if I’m talking about who to face in final, it’s not because I think this weekend is a done deal. Far from it. It’s because there is only one goal. That’s just the way it is. If that’s arrogance or whatever, fine. But the same people who say that, are the same that gave us shit for close to 20 years, where we didn’t win it. So which is it? We play to win it and nothing else, or we say semi / final etc is ok by us. Can’t have both.
This weekend? I fear, properly fear, the Eddie Jones factor. His whole England career is THIS game. He said it in his first interview, he said it in his last. And his track record in these games - phenomenal.
If we lose to a better team, so be it. No real fear of that, honestly.
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@pakman said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@TeWaio said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Eddie has been preparing to beat the All Blacks for the past 4 years.....but the trouble is, he's prepared for the 2018 team. He's worked out how to blunt SBW's penetration at 12, how to restrict Beauden's space at 10, how to exploit Franks' lack of mobility at prop, and how to test Ben Smith at 15 under the high ball.
The trouble is we're a slippery shapeshifting* ninja of a team that has evolved massively in the last 12 months, even the last 6 months! No opposition coach, not even Golden Eddie, can come up with a new plan and implement it in such a short timeframe. Credit to Shag and the team for being brave and changing things up. Beaunga, two brand new wingers, neither of Crotty/SBW starting, and Jordie coming on at 60mins is a fucking nightmare for the opposition because it's SO different to what they thought they'd be dealing with. Which is why we pump them tomorrow, and look great doing it
*borrowed that from another poster, but great word for it!
Reflecting on the match 23, interesting that Rieko and Bender have never recovered from Perth. But perhaps the biggest surprise to me is that Crotty doesn't seem to have had a look in, despite not that long ago being probably first choice midfielder?
Funny enough that he is a 13 and Crotty is more of a 12 ,but I think his Crusader teammate has sort of pushed him out ,from what they ideally prefer from a balance point of view ,
Because with both of them you possibly get a little bit of the same , if we had no Goodhue available , i reckon we get Crotty 12 , ALB 13 ,
A bit of flair with the steady as you go type is a nice mix
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@sparky said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
He's a Kiwi.
Unlike Brad Shields.
He's "as English as fish and chips" apparently
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@MiketheSnow whether we are under more pressure or not is irrelevant, the fact we've been here and done that before is the difference, and learnt from it.
This England team haven't, so this is a whole new set of pressure for them to deal with, similarly Ireland last week (and all tournament as one of the Faves) and Wales next week if they make it.
Nervous energy here now...hope it is a great game and people remember it for that and Owen's is remembered only as he reffed it, not cos of some call/s he made.
Lets go!
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@taniwharugby said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@MiketheSnow whether we are under more pressure or not is irrelevant, the fact we've been here and done that before us the difference, England haven't, so this is a whole new set of pressure for them to deal with, similarly Ireland last week (and all tournament as one of the Faves) and Wales next week if they make it.
Nervous energy here now...hope it is a great game and people remember it for that and Owen's is remembered only as he reffed it, not cos of some call/s he made.
Lets go!
Agreed! Just hope no 'protocol' red cards to spoil things.
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@pakman said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@BartMan said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Well if we lose, silver lining. Foster won't be new head coach....
And of course there's chinks in the armour, but the armour is constantly evolving. I mean, I haven't seen the All Black forwards play that directly since first Lions test last series.
And as an aside, all this 'knowing how to beat All Blacks' shit past players are spouting.
Lion's second test last series? So they need to get an AB sent off after 24 minutes, that's a tough game plan to implement on a regular basis methinks!
Boers last year? Get the ABs to gift you 21 points and then hang on!!I think the only real beating up of the ABs the last few years is Paddies in Chicago and Convicts in Perth. The rest of the losses are just the ABs running out of time to win 😉
In Hong Kong airport sweating on my flight to Tokyo!
No complaints about Perth.
Perth was valuable IMO. They played passively and got well beaten by a better team and guess what? The world didn’t end. Hansen didn’t get fired, no players got threatened by the public, a handful of nutters calling up ZB and the troll journos with their clickbait and that’s it. Compare that to the reaction at previous losses. I think the general public would like the ABs to win, and believe they have the tools to do it, but nobody is going to die if they don’t. That’s got to be a great relief of pressure on the team right there.
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@pakman said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
This seems appropriate at this juncture:
There is never an inappropriate to remember what a fabulous player and a truly wonderful human being Jonah Lomu was. He made the jersey even more special for every All Black since.
He would have loved the game tomorrow. His All Blacks, his club, playing the mighty England in the fixture where he changed Rugby Union forever.
No one would be willing this generation of All Blacks on more than the Big Man. A great opportunity tomorrow for a new legend of the Black Jersey to rise. Go Black!
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Haha love this from Greenwood on Reece:
His insane, dancing, power-packed feet could beat you in a phone box
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has it stopped raining
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Bloody fascinating game this one ,
The type of game that would be far more enjoyable if you were a neutral
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@BerniesCorner said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
has it stopped raining
Bloody hell, all the old boys are coming out. Lack of staff at the care home I guess. Welcome back BC.
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@kiwiinmelb said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Bloody fascinating game this one ,
The type of game that would be far more enjoyable if you were a neutral
Yep. Everybody hates us both and wants us both to lose.
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@Hooroo said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
To be fair, it is much better in here now that a few of the morons are gone.
Not quite gone ….
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@Catogrande I'm back for biggest game in 4 years very nervous can't sleep imagine Reads last game losing to the English, the stuff of nightmares
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is it raining
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@Catogrande said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@BerniesCorner said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
has it stopped raining
Bloody hell, all the old boys are coming out. Lack of staff at the care home I guess. Welcome back BC.
Jeez, almost as many old ghosts appearing as in John Carpenter's "The Fog"...
Only need that English chick who always wanted to be a mod to drop by if England win. Didn't Kirwan made her "Princess" or something?
