RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1)
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Eddie is a sly operator. Think Brumbies 2002/2003 etc. Finegan Gregan etc. He strategizes like a chess player. Starting with telling Marler to go over halfway during Haka. At that point my 10 point prediction in ABs favour changed to 30. I was upset at lack of respect. But it started what Eddie is good at. Niggle.Psychological edge. He is very good at that and I expect Etzebeth to be targeted for his temper in final if we get past Wales. Sad for Sam Cane and maybe Brodie wasn’t at his best. Sublime player but today Itoje jumped from “ meh” to wow ok....TJ didn’t really do much wrong but Hansen has to take flak for not changing Eddies plan I reckon. I’m bleak for you all as AB fans and hope Bokke can keep cup in the Southern Hemisphere. Can’t even begin to think how many decades the crowing will go on if Eng win after getting the cricket a few months back....aaaaargh
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Dear England fans,
I wish my team played as good as yours.
I wish my coach didn't get outdone by his opponent.
Eddie and England were remarkable today. From the haka to the first 2 minutes, Eddie got your boys fired up just right.
A sincere doff of the cap, England, you won the rugby fair and square and if the boot was on the other foot, I'd watch that replay hundreds of times over.
Congrats England, good luck in the final
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@Nepia The Breakers also got tipped over with the Phoenix likely to follow suit tomorrow. Then there is also the Constellation Cup coming up soon for the Silver Ferns as well. And to cap things off I watched the local cricket team get rolled by about 140 runs in a 50 over match this afternoon. At least my Napier Tech guys had about a 150 run win up in Hastings on Friday!
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Like you guys have been a rabid ABs fan all of my life and have never ever missed a game
I can not recall a match where our forwards have been so dominated for the entire game
Just come back from the pub in the UK - shell shocked ! -
@Nepia I have never been convinced by the strategy we have had to negate the rush defencesby kicking the ball away ( with chip kicks and cross kicks ) rather than holding. It doesn’t matter whether it has been Beauden or Richie we have persisted. Tonight against a team that kicked long our game looked really naive.
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What about that box kick by Smith when we finally got attacking ball on their 22. What in the god damn fuck.
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@SammyC said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
The criticism of Itoje is NZ rugby fan arrogance at its best.
Not from me. It is because he was a dickhead with all the shouting and arm waving at lineouts not because he wasn't a good player.
It also wouldn't be arrogance to think another player isn't very good. Ignorant maybe, and certainly opinion. -
@Victor-Meldrew said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@Toddy said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
omebody mentioned shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic and I reckon that fits pretty well here.
the TWM have been shuffling players around right, left and centre for 3 seasons.
Hansen settles on a good Read/Ardie/Cane combination and picks a lock to play at 6 for a pivotal RWC game.
Go figure
Yeah, I've been a Foster apologist but everything I've seen from the TWM since Perth has been reactionary, disguised as dry powder.
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@kev said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@Nepia I think the selectors in the end got caught out with an ageing forward pack The Franks change was late in the piece but so necessary. BBBR was off his best and Scott Barrett should have started at lock. Add to that Taylor looked to have peaked a season ago. I thought Read played quite well but no one looked good tonight. We looked flat this week and if it’s because the Irish game took too much out of them then that is an issue.
I'm not sure it was so much an aging forward pack as, what they planned for and expected to happen - didn't. The lineout was a complete reversal on what i expected to happen - need to go back and look at how we lined up in that, because somehow we let Itoje just fucking kill us - seemed to be winning uncontested ball on their throw and getting up in front of our jumpers on ours -despite that we supposedly had four jumpers and they had two.
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@Victor-Meldrew I was really busy this week so didn't post about it, but I was wondering what the hell had gone wrong that they didn't pick Cane. Really weird.
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@MrDenmore said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Wind back 24 hours, start Cane instead of SB; Coles starting instead of Taylor; Bender on the bench instead of Jordie. Would it have made a difference?
No
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@mantissanet he’s a quality coach for sure. The Brumbies had quality players during his tenure 98-01 and got to the big dance and even won the choccies. He’s a true tactician. Remember he left the Brumbies after 2001 because he got the Wallabies job. Nucifora then got the Brumbies job and made some changes and got to the finals before the player revolt....
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@Chris-B said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
we let Itoje just fucking kill us - seemed to be winning uncontested ball on their throw and getting up in front of our jumpers on ours -despite that we supposedly had four jumpers and they had two.
And we let that happen time and time again. Did we ever throw it to the front?
Sort of thing indicated lack of leadership.
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Okay that was just very very painful. Not as much of a shock to the system as 2007 though because this was meant to be a tough game from the outset - especially when you look at the way the English developed through the season.
In one way this is nowhere near as bad as the CWC final, because of the comprehensive way we were outplayed in this game. So I'm able to move on to Cricket season once more.
But it still hurts, just not in the same heart ripped out way.
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@Duluth said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@Will_G said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Itoje
Oh, hi
What brings you back here?
I believe Blackadder called those types "gloaters". There are other words of course.
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Cane would have made a difference.
Also think he adds a lot in the leadership department - sadly lacking today.
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@Devon-Kiwi said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Like you guys have been a rabid ABs fan all of my life and have never ever missed a game
Have to ask, did Bob Deans score or not?
