BF2S Forums Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2011

Dilbert_X wrote:

On the plus side France are going to get squished.

Here's hoping anyway. NZ beat France by a convincing margin before but since the knockout phase begun France has been playing like a completely different team. Not well as such but in a way that wins World Cup matches. The thing about the French is that they're unpredictable, they could have the best match of their lives come the final. The last team that beat the All Blacks at Eden Park was France. Granted it was in '94 but they are definately capable and they have enough experience with the All Blacks to know how to take them on. It should be a good match.

Edit: It's a credit to Australia that despite the hurt of defeat, (which I'm hearing a lot of in the Aussie media,) they are still supporting NZ to win. I can honestly say had the game gone the other way I wouldn't be so kind hearted towards the Wallabies.

Edit:
This tackle:





Epic.

go france.

the northern hemisphere must prevail.

Except Harinordiquy, I like him and Bonnaire, Medards sideys are silly, I do like the way Trinh Duc is pronounced though

How so?

Ty wrote:

How so?

Lifted off the ground beyond the horizontal.

Keeping tabs on the game. Nothing all that exciting. Wales currently leading Australia by one point, (which is how much they won by in the 1987 Bronze Final against Australia.)

Barnes once again proving his worth as a referee. That man has an inability to see when a pass is forward and when it isn't.

Edit: Australia back in front due to a couple of penalties. Wales at the breakdown just hand out points and Australia is all too willing to take them.

Edit: And a drop goal from the non-blind Barnes on the field. This may mark Australia's first victory at Eden Park for 24 years.

Edit: A try to Australia sealed the deal but Wales, despite having victory denied, hit back with a deserved converted try in the 83rd minute. That's class. Final score 18 - 21 to Australia. Not a hugely exciting match for the most part, maybe because the stakes were gone, but both teams played well and can leave the tournament satisfied, (as satisfied as you can be after being denied finals spots.) The Wallabies can afford to rest their multitude of injured players and Wales can be confident that 2007 was just an unfortunate event that shouldn't repeat itself, (Wales bowed out at the pool stages last time,) and World Cup glory is very much a possibility in the future.

One match to go.

Now all of NZ is silently bricking itself for Sunday's match. How this country will be if the World Cup is denied isn't worth thinking about. After the Pike River disaster, the Christchurch Earthquake, the Rena disaster, (industrial, natural and environmental disasters respectively,) being denied the World Cup yet again would be probably the last thing the country could deal with. France being all but written off by the world media has only strengthened their resolve and the All Blacks will have to play the game of their lives and deny every opportunity the French get to ruin this party.

France did a pretty noble thing just before. When the ABs and French play their uniforms are too similar, (apparently,) and one has to opt for their alternate strip. It happened in 2007 when the All Blacks were forced to wear their muted grey uniform. This time, despite winning the toss, the French manager respected New Zealand's status as host and opted his own team to wear their alternate white uniform. This pissed off a number of French players, (who seem to be pissed off at their management and coaches constantly,) but I think it's an incredibly classy thing to do. Much respect.

Yeah Australia would have been spitting if Wales won by less than five points.

Hook's kicking was poor and ended up costing them the game. I still say he should be made captain one day just so Wales could have a Captain James Hook.

gg

Europe to prevail.

down with the southern hemisphere.

It's all on.

You could cut the tension and excitement here in Aotearoa with a knife. Everyone expects a New Zealand win but few are daring enough to voice it.

I've been pretty impressed with how NZers have reacted to all this. The focus has always been on providing a great arena for a top-teir international event and less so on the result. It's been a pretty good atmosphere here overall but things have changed a bit now. Now it's all about the result. The elation in the event of a win is likely to be on an incredible scale. The depression in the event of a loss is barely worth thinking about. Either way we're backing the boys in black 100%, not with the pressure of expectation as in the past but with the confidence that they're good enough to take on any opponent and win. Even if it is the unpredictable France.

People have been saying "we have to give France respect." Do we? See I don't think so. They had a poor pool stage where they lost two matches and only got through by the merits of the result of the Tonga vs Canada game, they played fairly well against an English team that seemed to be falling asleep and they overcome Wales on the merits of a referee's decision and even then they didn't look once like they had any control in a game Wales should have won. The All Blacks should respect France, they know the past, they know the team's uncanny ability to be worst in the world one week and best in the world the next. The rest of us? Hell no, completely undeserved finalists.

They can't be written off and if France somehow causes an upset tonight I will respect them for that result. Everything else? Nah.

It may be better for the ABs that France is in the final rather than Wales. Wales are mates, both on and off the field. We're the sheep-shagger countries. We both have funny accents. We wouldn't mind seeing Wales win, even in a final against us. France though... fuck France. There's a deep history there, and not only on the rugby field. They haven't done the best thing ahead of this match by saying they would actively work to injure Richie McCaw off the field by targeting his problematic foot. Oh really? See how well Quade Cooper, (poor bastard,) did out of targeting McCaw. They claim that with Dan Carter gone and McCaw off the park the ABs will be leaderless and cave. I doubt that. With Piri Weepu taking up a leadership role in Carter's absence, with people like Kevin Mealamu and Andrew Hore well used to taking up leadership roles and with the collective experience of the team I don't think this tactic will do anything for them. They're actually going to have to play better rugby or rely on a choke from New Zealand.

But I don't think that's going to happen this time. There's too much passion and determination in the side, it isn't the side with the dismissive arrogance of the past. It has lived through past disappointments, learned from them and it has been preparing for this moment for four years. It has the task of immortalising the likes of McCaw, Brad Thorne and of course Graham Henry. It's going to take one Hell of a French performance to knock the wind out of them. Or, you know, Stephen Donald.

I'm heading into town pretty soon to join the crowds. Kick-off is in around three hours time. Should be incredible, (even if we lose although that will be a different kind of incredible.) NZers are generally good sports except when it comes to rugby. Fuck that though, feels right this time. Go All Blacks!

I just hope both teams lose.

The good: France didn't win the world cup.
The bad: New Zealand did.