Olympics Thread

mariner4life

Class showing out now, Yanks up by 8 with 2 minutes to play.
 
Could see this being a medal match down the track

Frank

Akira Ioane really is a Grade A douche.

taniwharugby

Yuss!!
 
So if Fiji win, they will surely win this too!
 
a line in the NZH article.
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
 
Don't fret about the missed opportunities in the men's sevens and equestrian â€“ New Zealand still sits near the top of the Olympics medal table that matters most.
</blockquote>
 
OLYMPICS MEDALS PER CAPITA
1 - Hungary 6 medals, 9,844,686 population, 1,640,781 people per medal
2 - Kosovo 1 1,859,203 1,859,203
3 â€“ Slovenia 1 2,063,768 2,063,768
4 â€“ New Zealand 2 4,595,700 2,297,850
5 â€“ Australia 9 23,781,169 2,642,352
6 â€“ Mongolia 1 2,959,134 2,959,134
7 â€“ Sweden 3 9,798,871 3,266,290
8 â€“ Georgia 1 3,679,000 3,679,000
9 â€“ Switzerland 2 8,286,976 4,143,488
10 â€“ Croatia 1 4,224,404 4,224,404

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Frank" data-cid="604902" data-time="1470872806">
<div>
Akira Ioane really is a Grade A douche.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Agree, show a bit of class when you've already lost the game.
 
Nobody cares how tough you are.

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="604901" data-time="1470872393">
<div>
Class showing out now, Yanks up by 8 with 2 minutes to play.
 
Could see this being a medal match down the track
</div>
</blockquote>
 
bugger, was watching and cheering hard for the Aussies.
 
Would be hilarious to see the "dream team" miss out on the gold

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Wurzel" data-cid="604882" data-time="1470869124">
<div>
I reckon about 18 months ago when Titch was told by the NZRU that he wasn't going to get access to any stars he developed that godawful, low-risk, look-for-contact, grind-'em-down game plan knowing it was his only chance of countering the pace of Fiji, USA and SA. Titch locked his squad in the gym, and then used the recent World Series to let the new game plane bed in. It was clear to everyone - Titch included - that it wasn't working but he had no other option to see it through.
 
I've not known a top class New Zealand rugby team that was unable to beat a man or create space through instinctual footwork and ballwork. Yet we just saw one stumble their way from Dubai to Wellington to Hong Kong, ending in a screaming heap in Rio.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I think the comments on the game plan are accurate - it's similar to 1987, when we knew we didn't have the big forwards to counter the NH teams so Sir Brian developed a fast running gameplan. Titch's theory actually looked a possibility when he had his best players together at a couple of tournaments when we finished over the top of the Jaapies a couple of times.
 
Not sure about the "access to stars" comment - he got SBW who's pretty much the biggest name on the shelf, Messam, Pulu, Ardie, the Ioanes. The problem for Titch is that it doesn't really make a lot of sense for someone of AB potential to give up a season to play sevens - which, I think Ardie worked out. One question for the future is how to make sevens attractive enough that the regular squad isn't just made up of the best of the guys who are not good enough to play Super rugby. The other question is how important is winning the Olympics?
 
I'm somewhat inclined to think it's not that important. I'm not sure if this analogy is correct, but in rowing, supposedly the eights is the blue riband event. So presumably there are countries who put all their best rowers in their eight - which means that we by focusing our best guys on singles and pairs do better. Maybe our efforts should be on getting XVs into the Olympics - if we really care.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="604901" data-time="1470872393">
<div>
Class showing out now, Yanks up by 8 with 2 minutes to play.
 
Could see this being a medal match down the track
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
I don't usually watch basketball, but its Australia so everyone at work is watching on the FO big screen in the main atrium. 
 
Scoring in the third quarter was something like 21-13 so you're not going to hang with the USA on that.

Donsteppa

You know it's grim when the four yearly articles start appearing that try to take the moral high ground on a per capita basis...
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83056367/rio-olympics-2016-new-zealand-near-top-of-medal-table-that-matters-most'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83056367/rio-olympics-2016-new-zealand-near-top-of-medal-table-that-matters-most</a>
 
"Table that matters most": Yeah Right.

Donsteppa

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="604903" data-time="1470873033">
<div>
Yuss!!
 
So if Fiji win, they will surely win this too!
 
a line in the NZH article.
 
 
OLYMPICS MEDALS PER CAPITA
1 - Hungary 6 medals, 9,844,686 population, 1,640,781 people per medal
2 - Kosovo 1 1,859,203 1,859,203
3 â€“ Slovenia 1 2,063,768 2,063,768
4 â€“ New Zealand 2 4,595,700 2,297,850
5 â€“ Australia 9 23,781,169 2,642,352
6 â€“ Mongolia 1 2,959,134 2,959,134
7 â€“ Sweden 3 9,798,871 3,266,290
8 â€“ Georgia 1 3,679,000 3,679,000
9 â€“ Switzerland 2 8,286,976 4,143,488
10 â€“ Croatia 1 4,224,404 4,224,404 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
On an economic basis, Kosovo and Mongolia for the win big time...

Mokey

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Donsteppa" data-cid="604908" data-time="1470873662">
<div>
You know it's grim when the four yearly articles start appearing that try to take the moral high ground on a per capita basis...
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83056367/rio-olympics-2016-new-zealand-near-top-of-medal-table-that-matters-most'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83056367/rio-olympics-2016-new-zealand-near-top-of-medal-table-that-matters-most</a>
 
"Table that matters most": Yeah Right.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
It's just embarrassing when they start saying things like that. So cringey little sibling ish.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="604907" data-time="1470873516">
<div>
I don't usually watch basketball, but its Australia so everyone at work is watching on the FO big screen in the main atrium. 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
To whit:
 
[attachment=2065:bigscreenwork.jpg]

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="604905" data-time="1470873210">
<div>
bugger, was watching and cheering hard for the Aussies.
 
Would be hilarious to see the "dream team" miss out on the gold
</div>
</blockquote>
 
yep, me too.
 
Aus look good, Lemanis is a good coach, and they have some talent (Delly and Mills both great) but smashed in the rebounds, and the Yanks have so many guys who can repeatedly hit big threes.

ACT Crusader

Great bball game between OZ and US. With Delly and Mills they have an awesome combo of quickness and smarts, passing and getting to the basket, and defensive hustle. 
Melo was on fire and then the 3rd and 4th qtr play of Kyrie and KD was big. 
Bogut is so important. Defensive presence and rebounding creates opportunities down the other end. Anderson was excellent on the offensive end. 
High quality game. 
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="WillieTheWaiter" data-cid="604876" data-time="1470868257">
<div>
fark me the argies.. golden point, GB have a man in the bin. You win a pen, tap it, then boot it out.
 
Gives the ball back to GB, guy back from the bin. They score, you lose.
 
Easily one of the most retarded things I've seen on a rugby field.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I reckon the Argie player didn't realise his bloke was back on the field. 
 
Thought he was doing the smart thing by booting it out and allowing him to come back on, when actually he was doing the worst thing possible.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="604904" data-time="1470873137">
<div>
Agree, show a bit of class when you've already lost the game.
 
Nobody cares how tough you are.
</div>
</blockquote>
I cared how tough he was for the other 13 minutes of the game but sadly he didn't show up!!

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="604918" data-time="1470876004">
<div>
Bogut is so important. Defensive presence and rebounding creates opportunities down the other end. Anderson was excellent on the offensive end. 

</div>
</blockquote>
 
And the occasional hip n shoulder ;)
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://vine.co/v/5bwdt0X3MiD'>https://vine.co/v/5bwdt0X3MiD</a>

barbarian

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="604890" data-time="1470870361">
<div>
But, for all that, this should probably generate a rethink at board level about our sevens program. The Aussie girls team looks like a fairly good blueprint (i can't believe i just typed that). Find the right athletes, build a side based around sevens and sevens only. Make it attractive. 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I don't actually think the model will work in Men's. Or it certainly won't be as easy.
 
The Women's 7s had a number of advantages. The players didn't have 15s as a viable option, let alone having it as the pinnacle of the sport. They also didn't have other sports to compete with, and could recruit top amateurs from across the country by paying a decent (but not outstanding) wage.
 
Male rugby players are still going to grow up wanting to be All Blacks, or Wallabies, or Springboks. 15s is still going to be king, and creating a successful 7s team is going to involve a big series of compromises. It's also going to involve a lot of cash for a very limited return.
 
There is no easy answer here, sadly. Not that you are saying there is. 
 
I think centralisation is the obvious answer for NZ. Get them living and training in the one city, paid a decent enough wage. That's step 1 for me, and what most other big nations are doing.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="604828" data-time="1470862388">
<div>
Seems Sir Clive Woodward has been laughing it up on the BBC coverage which alot of other countrys pick up and really hammering home 'The All Blacks' lost to Japan, 'The All Blacks' are out at the quarter finals, 'The All Blacks' only won 1 out of 4 games .
</div>
</blockquote>
They aren't the ABs, no matter what it says on the jersey

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="604922" data-time="1470876704">
<div>
I don't actually think the model will work in Men's. Or it certainly won't be as easy.
 
The Women's 7s had a number of advantages. The players didn't have 15s as a viable option, let alone having it as the pinnacle of the sport. They also didn't have other sports to compete with, and could recruit top amateurs from across the country by paying a decent (but not outstanding) wage.
 
Male rugby players are still going to grow up wanting to be All Blacks, or Wallabies, or Springboks. 15s is still going to be king, and creating a successful 7s team is going to involve a big series of compromises. It's also going to involve a lot of cash for a very limited return.
 
There is no easy answer here, sadly. Not that you are saying there is. 
 
I think centralisation is the obvious answer for NZ. Get them living and training in the one city, paid a decent enough wage. That's step 1 for me, and what most other big nations are doing.
</div>
</blockquote>
I agree with it being a lot easier for women. For men we have already seen that most All Blacks aren't interested and only a couple of Super Rugby players are. The way the team went isn't going to inspire many young rugby players to want to go to Tokyo.

antipodean

The Silver Fern

Olympics Thread