RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina
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I think you're right.
And, I'm kind of hopeful that we've got our preparation spot on and - in that regard - are in the best place of anyone.
If you look at the French, they played four warm-up games - Scotland twice, Fiji and Australia - prior to playing us - and made a lot of noise about the importance of getting off to a winning start in their home RWC. Maybe they were just a tad overcooked by the time they got to the quarters - and presumably, in hindsight, would have preferred to have skipped the Scotland game that cost them Ntamack.
Ireland played a couple of warm-up games - and then had to take both of the SA and Scotland games very seriously. Group of Death draw not really doing them any favours - and remember what Graham Henry used to say about the difficulty of winning three hard tests in a row.
The Jaaps followed the same path as Ireland - and now they're going to have England - on paper a tougher assignment than Argentina.
If they make the final they'll have played Wales, NZ, Scotland, Romania, Ireland, Tonga France and England. They might be getting a bit leg weary....
By contrast, with injuries, only one warm-up game and a relatively soft pool draw, if anything we went into the Ireland game a bit under-cooked. Now we should be done to a turn - and theoretically with the weakest SF opponent.
Let's hope they are.
I want us to win comfortably, with no injuries or cards, able to run the bench early (ish), have an extra day to prepare for the final, England and SA to smash seven shades of shit out of one another, and us to run out in the Final with every preparatory advantage!!!
Go us!!!
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
'98, we still won tests against good sides.
Name one
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@No-Quarter said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
For all the talk of the ABs legacy, the nature of the game today is that the RWC trumps all. You even get bonus ranking points during it.
Make no mistake, Ireland crashing out of the quarters has seriously undermined the legacy of that team, rightly or wrongly. They will only be remembered for crashing out in the quarters, not what they did leading up to it. Just like our 07 ABs.
So, it seems to me that our coaches have been targeting three specific games for a long time now. SA smacking us in a warm up game, as much as that sucked, will mean jack diddly squat if we win the whole thing. All of the talk will be about how great the ABs are at RWCs.
Yes we have a proud history where we have gone all out to win every single game we play. But in the professional era, with teams like France and Ireland really stepping up, it's just not possible to blow all and sundry away every time anymore. Hence the focus on winning the games that really matter.
We've joked about dry powder before, but in this instance that's exactly what we had. We figured out how to combat the Irish style of play, but gave them no indication at all beforehand that we had. We kept our cards close to our chest, and unveiled a new defensive system that they had no answers for in the end.
@Chris-B had been alluding to this for a while, and I think he's right, all of our planning for the last 2 years have centered around these three games.
And despite all that, we've still won every trophy on offer this year.
I get that. You arsehole millennials 😉know nothing of the pre-RWC era. I understand that the RWC is considered the pinnacle, like the Olympics, but it's just wrong IMHO that going out earlier than hoped lessens the achievements of the previous 3 years (the Irish now and us from 1991-2011). On the other side, I don't feel that RWC success makes up for 3 years of dross.
To each their own I guess and that win was absolutely glorious. But does it balance out the previous 3 years? Many appear to say yes and that's fair enough. I beg to differ.
And Foster is fat.
And Jordie should have been 12 long ago.
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@No-Quarter said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
For all the talk of the ABs legacy, the nature of the game today is that the RWC trumps all. You even get bonus ranking points during it.
Make no mistake, Ireland crashing out of the quarters has seriously undermined the legacy of that team, rightly or wrongly. They will only be remembered for crashing out in the quarters, not what they did leading up to it. Just like our 07 ABs.
So, it seems to me that our coaches have been targeting three specific games for a long time now. SA smacking us in a warm up game, as much as that sucked, will mean jack diddly squat if we win the whole thing. All of the talk will be about how great the ABs are at RWCs.
Yes we have a proud history where we have gone all out to win every single game we play. But in the professional era, with teams like France and Ireland really stepping up, it's just not possible to blow all and sundry away every time anymore. Hence the focus on winning the games that really matter.
We've joked about dry powder before, but in this instance that's exactly what we had. We figured out how to combat the Irish style of play, but gave them no indication at all beforehand that we had. We kept our cards close to our chest, and unveiled a new defensive system that they had no answers for in the end.
@Chris-B has been alluding to this for a while, and I think he's right, all of our planning for the last 2 years have centered around these three games.
And despite all that, we've still won every trophy on offer this year.
Disagree slightly that we didn't show our cards. Vs Italy we showed exactly how we would defend. Passive D. ABs stood back and waited for the attack to come to them then striked.
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@booboo said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
'98, we still won tests against good sides.
Name one
Fuck me. Took that out of context didn't ya.
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@Chris-B Rassi emtnions how his team have individually played less minutes that Eng, He's pretty confident I think
Rassie Erasmus predicts England lineup and expects ‘very physical’ test
Springboks head coach takes centre stage at theatre to name opponents’ team who he says ‘will have some beef with us’
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@booboo said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
'98, we still won tests against good sides.
Name one
Fuck me. Took that out of context didn't ya.
My middle name
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@Machpants England played four warm-up games as well - Wales twice, Ireland and Fiji.
They've only had an easy run against Chile.
The Jaapies should have too much for them, but I don't trust those English bastards and I'm pleased it's not us who has to play them.
I don't think they'll go quietly.
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@Bovidae said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
The ABs need to attack the Arg scrum and get some easy penalties.
I think there is a real opportunity there. It certainly made a difference in the QF, not only the field position but the confidence to the pack.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel if we do manage to pull this off, it will be interesting how people judge Fozzie.
There was a thread (with a poll) before the RWC about this wasn't there?
If we do though, sure it improves Fozzies standing as a coach, and probably shows he was playing the long game, that plenty here joked about, but probably think was the case, as was the whole dry powder thing, joked about at RWCs since 2007?
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@taniwharugby said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@Rancid-Schnitzel if we do manage to pull this off, it will be interesting how people judge Fozzie.
There was a thread (with a poll) before the RWC about this wasn't there?
If we do though, sure it improves Fozzies standing as a coach, and probably shows he was playing the long game, that plenty here joked about, but probably think was the case, as was the whole dry powder thing, joked about at RWCs since 2007?
If we win he'll be able to dine out on that forever. Just look at Jake White. He was coach during some appalling loses but RWC winning coach negates all that.
Actually think about that. G Henry was a drop goal away from never winning a RWC. Yet look at what he achieved in his 8 years in charge. Would Foster be considered the more successful coach if he won a RWC and Henry didn't?
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@taniwharugby said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
if we do manage to pull this off, it will be interesting how people judge Fozzie.
fat bloke who failed every test in the course, rolled up hungover to the exam and happened to get the questions he studied for and finished iwth an 'A'.
Still unemployable.
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@Crazy-Horse said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
I think this game will give us a good indication of where the ABs are at. Ireland was a great win but jeez it took a near perfect handling game and one hell of an emotional effort. Unfortunately some of the usual problems were still there.
Often what it takes to beat a very good side. Plus a little luck (bounce of a ball etc).
We’ve been on the end of near perfect games from opposing sides and tasted defeat. I remember a test against the Aussies back during the Deans era, we were heavy favourites but the defensive effort from the Wallabies, particular how they nullified Nonu was exceptional. We lost.
When I think about both our QF and the Boks/France QF, for all intents and purposes they could’ve gone either way. All teams put themselves in a position to win the match, but some of those things - defensive effort, discipline, lack of errors, also the intangibles - desperation, trusting the system, don’t do anything dumb/selfish - came to the fore and were the difference.
That’s why I love do or die, knock out style sport.
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@Chris-B said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@Machpants England played four warm-up games as well - Wales twice, Ireland and Fiji.
They've only had an easy run against Chile.
The Jaapies should have too much for them, but I don't trust those English bastards and I'm pleased it's not us who has to play them.
I don't think they'll go quietly.
Indeed. I remember in 1999 when Freddy Kruger De Beer potted 5 DGs against England in the QF. I think England may do the same to the Boks this time round.
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@ACT-Crusader said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
@Bovidae said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
The ABs need to attack the Arg scrum and get some easy penalties.
I think there is a real opportunity there. It certainly made a difference in the QF, not only the field position but the confidence to the pack.
It's just as much about the Arg scrum not being very good. They have been under pressure in most games in the RWC. We just have to hope there are a few of them (only 5 vs Ireland).
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last week really took the wind out of the sails aye? by this point of the week we had 600 more posts than this week.
Team selection met with a shrug. Rotate the old locks, Telea back from the naughty corner, ST back to have a run at them late.
I hope there is a bit more oomph at training than online. -
@mariner4life well a few weeks back many thought making the semi would be a good result for this team
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@mariner4life said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
last week really took the wind out of the sails aye? by this point of the week we had 600 more posts than this week.
Team selection met with a shrug. Rotate the old locks, Telea back from the naughty corner, ST back to have a run at them late.
I hope there is a bit more oomph at training than online.Perhaps some Ferners haven’t been discharged yet from cardiac wards or mental health clinics post last weekends game.
