BF2S Forums Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2011

So obviously this is a pretty big deal here as Rugby is out national game and we're hosting the tournament. The New Zealand All Blacks have long been considered the best team in the world but generally they choke or they peak too early meaning the team hasn't won the cup since 1987 when I was just a couple of months old. South Africa are the current champions after they won in 2007 in... well fortuitous circumstances for them. Their two great rivals having been knocked out unprecedentedly early with New Zealand pancaking against France and Australia being kicked off the park by England. South Africa have been very hush-hush about their training, only sending their B squad out to play NZ and Australia fror the Tri Nations and using their A team in the last match against New Zealand's B team which they won although without scoring any tries. They don't look particularly strong but they're crafty and should never be underestimated.

New Zealand... I'd hate to say it but it looks like once again we're going to be the best team in the world between World Cup years. The team is probably one of the oldest teams we've fielded, there are injuries a-plenty and the pressure on them is gargantuan. But they want to win. The old hands have been through the upsets and disappointments of past world cups, they know what can happen and they want this. But they're far from invincible and like I said, they're not the team they have been during the past three years. Basically they will be relying onthe home-field advantage and pure determination to win.

The other team in the top three, Australia, has had some tough times. Coach Robbie Deans has tried numerous strategies and tactics that have never really paid off in the way they have for the team in the past. Recently they suffered a massive upset to Samoa although they've come back from that to win the Tri Nations - the final match against the All Blacks in particular showed what power and passion they have. It seems just like the Wallabies to peak just when they need to.

I'm not game enough to try and make a prediction. I would love to see an Australia-New Zealand final, there is really nothing like that rivalry. If this is the case it will only come down to who wants it more. The young Australian team full of energy, skill and desire to prove itself or the old veteran New Zealand team with decades of pressure and absolute need to win.

lol the US has a rugby team that's competitive enough to make it into the world cup?

AussieReaper wrote:

Roc18 wrote:

lol the US has a rugby team that's competitive enough to make it into the world cup?

And America vs Canada baseball = the World Series.

Can't help it that everyone else plays it with flat bats

To see England humiliate Scotland again?

AussieReaper wrote:

The top row are the only real contenders.

Go Australia.

I fancy Samoa to beat the Taffs & Reaps I thought that your mob were suffering lately with poor form?

Hope ya smash the cunts. Seriously, I can't stand Peter De Villiers and love it when he's forced to think up excuses for his team's poor form. Judging by the last Boks game I saw he's changed the team's style to more a northern hemisphere kicking game and as Wales has more experience with that sort of game it may be a lot closer than people assume.

@Monkey Spanker: I thought so too until the Tri Nations final. Australia can never be written off and it seems to be their style to peak just when they need to.

It's a tough ask, especially when we'll have our first choice front row out, and the lads stepping in seem to collapse at the scrum.

I just can't wait for it to kick off, there's too little international rugby on, and sevens just doesn't satisfy me enough.

Opening ceremony is on mute on the TV at work. Doesn't look too tacky so that's a bonus. Expect hakas fucking galore over the next few weeks.

Impressive fireworks display. I'm sitting here thinking "how much of the Christchurch recovery money was pissed away on this?"

Good first game. All Blacks win 41 - 10 against Tonga. Not a particularly convincing display from the ABs but one can only hope that they're restraining themselves. It has been the habit of past World Cups to go full out in the Pool stages to try and see just what sort of scoreline can be achieved thinking that this will intimidate teams later in the competition. It doesn't, and the ABs take that same cocky attitude into the later rounds and are punished for it.

Italia, Italia, Italia, Italia!

That is all.

The haka seems so stupid and pointless to me, and is done way too often it loses all meaning. If it was used only on important games, finals or grudge matches etc it would probably be more meaningful and not just bunch of dudes sticking their tongue out before a game of run ball.

Coz those all in black were England?

Aww, bad luck Wales. 16 - 17 though, way to teach the Springboks that they're not all that De Villiers thinks they are.

There was a dumb decision to go for a drop goal in there when Wales had some real momentum and could have possibly scored a try. A shame about Hook's missed penalty too. Good game though.