Olympics Thread
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="604549" data-time="1470784138">
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<p>I'm gutted for the equestrian team - but, I think it puts the ghost of Spinning Rhombus to bed. If I understand things right, maybe it was karma for all the harsh things Toddy's thought about him over the years. I daresay I'll understand more about this as the sevens progresses.</p>
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<p>I think though Leonidas II is just a good, patriotic German horse. Could have used a bit of German precision though and dropped three rails instead of four - but, he doubtless wanted to be thorough. I also note Toddy saying - "he just went rigid on me and there's nothing I could do". Spoken like a true passenger, Toddy - give those medals to the horses! </p>
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<p><strong>Sevens, meh - knock out matches come one round early. That will work in our favour because we will have additional practice when we get to the Quarterfinals and we couldn't possibly lose to Great Britain now. Could we? :)</strong></p>
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<p>It's actually not quite knockout - a close loss SHOULD see the NZ 7s through the quarters thanks to their good for/against - the Aussies look in the most danger of missing out at this stage. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="604528" data-time="1470779629">
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<p>If what you are saying is true then I don't really see the point in even competing in the World Series. Just turn up two weeks before. All good. None of the other teams have done this so this certainly is not why we are losing.</p>
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<p>Even if we did a camp two weeks before the only players you could have picked from would be the Blues and the Crusaders. Someone like Moala probably didn't want to give up a probable starting spot in Sydney either.</p>
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<p>all of the 2nd paragraph supports my other contention that they're leftovers and shouldn't be called ABs. </p>
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<p>we are losing because we are not selecting our best players, and the game has progressed to the extent that to dominate we need to - whereas previously we could get away with it - the only way for us to do that is to either neglect the 15s (never going to happen) or allow players to come in late.</p>
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<p>no idea of how difficult the scheduling would be, but it would be great for the olympic 7s if a window could be created to get as many international superstars as possible on the park.</p> -
What penance would you take for Olympic gold? Losing the Bledisloe? Losing the Rugby Championship? Being defending champions like England in 2004?
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="reprobate" data-cid="604559" data-time="1470786198"><p>
all of the 2nd paragraph supports my other contention that they're leftovers and shouldn't be called ABs. <br><br>
we are losing because we are not selecting our best players, and the game has progressed to the extent that to dominate we need to - whereas previously we could get away with it - the only way for us to do that is to either neglect the 15s (never going to happen) or allow players to come in late.<br><br>
no idea of how difficult the scheduling would be, but it would be great for the olympic 7s if a window could be created to get as many international superstars as possible on the park.</p></blockquote>Are the other top teams stacked with 15s ring ins too? I'd have thought 7s should be treated as a separate game and supported accordingly by the NZRFU -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="604564" data-time="1470786317">
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<p>What penance would you take for Olympic gold? Losing the Bledisloe? Losing the Rugby Championship? Being defending champions like England in 2004?</p>
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<p>All Blacks > Olympics all day long.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="604561" data-time="1470786238">
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<p>The Football Ferns are not going well either. Not that that is really a surprise against France, but still ... France leading 2-0 with 5 minutes to play.</p>
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<p>Same old story, can't score against the better teams. I doubt a -4 GD will be good enough to advance as one of the best 3rd placed teams.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiMurph" data-cid="604555" data-time="1470785843">
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<p>It's actually not quite knockout - a close loss SHOULD see the NZ 7s through the quarters thanks to their good for/against - the Aussies look in the most danger of missing out at this stage. </p>
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<p>True - but, we don't want to be grovelling through as lucky losers - though it would be quite amusing to play the Jaapies in the quarterfinals. :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="604576" data-time="1470788057">
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<p>True - but, we don't want to be grovelling through as lucky losers - <strong>though it would be quite amusing to play the Jaapies in the quarterfinals</strong>. :)</p>
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<p>It'll only be amusing if we win</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="604580" data-time="1470788379">
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<p>I completely lost track of hockey at the Olympics. Does anyone know how the men and women Black Sticks are going?</p>
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<p>Not well I don't think</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="604580" data-time="1470788379">
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<p>I completely lost track of hockey at the Olympics. Does anyone know how the men and women Black Sticks are going?</p>
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<p>I think the women thumped South Korea, but lost to Germany (4-1 and 1-2 if my memory serves me correctly). The loss to the Germans was worse than the score suggested - Germans could easily have put another couple past us.</p>
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<p>I think the Men have two losses and a draw, but I haven't followed them.</p> -
<p>Further to this - I think the top four from each group make the Quarterfinals, so the women really need to beat Spain in their next game and that should at least qualify them. After that we have the Netherlands who are usually bloody good and China, who are doing quite well, but I think we beat recently.</p>
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<p>Still a long way to go in the 7s, I wouldn't be writing off NZ yet.</p>
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<p>As for the debate on 15s players, I think the evidence of 2016 so far has been that 7s is very hard to adapt to, and you can't just bung blokes in with a few months training and expect them to thrive. It's highly specialised, and almost every attempted convert has been shown up - Habana, Cooper, Speight, de Jongh, Cummins, Hougaard, Messam etc. SBW is the only one who has committed a full year to the program, and he is far from NZ's best player.</p>
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<p>Sevens is quite a fickle game, which is why IMO it's a fraught exercise to make the Olympics a referrendum on the success or failure of a whole program. NZ have won multiple World Series titles this year, and are clearly one of the best sides in the world. An Olympics failure would obviously be disappointing, but doesn't totally invalidate everything Titch has done.</p> -
<p>And make that 20 golds for Phelps. Maybe 21 later today. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="604632" data-time="1470796864"><p>
If our Sevens team happens to win a medal (not the brightest prospect right now) does SBW get one?</p></blockquote>
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Is there any point? He'll just give it to some undersized, over-pampered kid who charges onto the field.
