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Official Rugby Thread
- Thread starter KennyD
- Start date
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BoyBrumby
Englishman
I'd be interested to see what the spread for Saturday is. I'd be surprised if it's as high as 30 tho.
Obviously if NZ get anything like parity of posession we're right up against it. I can't see the ABs scrum being as poor as Oz's was, but with Vickery & Sheridan there we're going to ask questions of anyone up front.
Our backs are somewhat less of a cause for optimism. Tindall certainly isn't a 12, I think the Oz game showed that. The big prob we have now is that since Greenwood's legs went we don't have a natural inside centre worthy of the name. Our best option is probably Barkley who's essentially a fly-half slumming it.
I take NZ by about two scores (12-15 points sounds about right).
Obviously if NZ get anything like parity of posession we're right up against it. I can't see the ABs scrum being as poor as Oz's was, but with Vickery & Sheridan there we're going to ask questions of anyone up front.
Our backs are somewhat less of a cause for optimism. Tindall certainly isn't a 12, I think the Oz game showed that. The big prob we have now is that since Greenwood's legs went we don't have a natural inside centre worthy of the name. Our best option is probably Barkley who's essentially a fly-half slumming it.
I take NZ by about two scores (12-15 points sounds about right).
BoyBrumby
Englishman
ABs XXII for England
From the beeb's website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4439358.stm
M Muliaina; D Howlett, T Umaga (capt), A Mauger, S Sivivatu; Dan Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, K Mealamu, C Hayman, C Jack, A Williams, J Collins, R McCaw, R So'oialo.
Replacements: A Hore, N Tialata, J Eaton, M Tuialai'i, P Weepu, J Rokocoko, L MacDonald.
With Oliver not considered it looks like something not unadjacent to a full-strength pick. I'm really trying to see a cause for optimism, but am failing.
From the beeb's website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4439358.stm
M Muliaina; D Howlett, T Umaga (capt), A Mauger, S Sivivatu; Dan Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, K Mealamu, C Hayman, C Jack, A Williams, J Collins, R McCaw, R So'oialo.
Replacements: A Hore, N Tialata, J Eaton, M Tuialai'i, P Weepu, J Rokocoko, L MacDonald.
With Oliver not considered it looks like something not unadjacent to a full-strength pick. I'm really trying to see a cause for optimism, but am failing.
Tim
Cricketer Of The Year
I suppose Howlett & Sivivatu over Roko & Gear was interesting but other than that it was reasonably predictable.
I think this will be the most demanding match for the forwards on tour but I expect that we'll either hold them or get on top of them, not the reverse. Then I guess it'll come down to which backline plays better and right now we're a fair way ahead of England in that department.
I notice that the Aussie backline coach came out today and said he rates the Aussie backline as the best. It's that kind of short-sightedness which is their un-doing right now!
I think this will be the most demanding match for the forwards on tour but I expect that we'll either hold them or get on top of them, not the reverse. Then I guess it'll come down to which backline plays better and right now we're a fair way ahead of England in that department.
I notice that the Aussie backline coach came out today and said he rates the Aussie backline as the best. It's that kind of short-sightedness which is their un-doing right now!
I would predict a margin in excess of any of the previous 2 games, because of the exchange that has happened preceding this game WRT Andy Robinson and Graham Henry and the secret camera men (who were videoing the ABs and when interrogated claimed to be from the ReutersBoyBrumby said:
) .I expect the ABs to be fired up and wanting badly to prove a point here .
My prediction ABs to win by over 45 points .
WRT the all blacks doing the Grand Slam, my personal opinion is it will be all of no use if they cannot win the World Cup in 2007 , because they have let it slip away several times before in World Cups and in France in 2007 if they cannot bring the World Cup home, they will be forever regarded as under achievers at World Cups, regardless of what they do between World Cups.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
What a great first half of test Rugby. NZ have had far more of the ball but we're hanging in there. If Charlie H hadn't shanked a reasonably straight forward penalty we could be level. & that's without whinging about Carter's ever-so-slightly forward pass for Umaga's try.
TBF NZ could've put us away by now, Mauger's ball-handling has pretty much kept us in it. Our front row has definitely been in the ascendancy in the scrum, Woodcock collapsed it early on only for Wally to come up with a typically turd line-out throw. Our line out has been shocking, NZ getting uncontested ball.
Sanderson has had a good game, playing two natural 7s seems to be paying dividends to some extent. Carter has been superb, but one almost expects it of the boy now.
All-in-all I think my shout of 12-15 to NZ is still good.
TBF NZ could've put us away by now, Mauger's ball-handling has pretty much kept us in it. Our front row has definitely been in the ascendancy in the scrum, Woodcock collapsed it early on only for Wally to come up with a typically turd line-out throw. Our line out has been shocking, NZ getting uncontested ball.
Sanderson has had a good game, playing two natural 7s seems to be paying dividends to some extent. Carter has been superb, but one almost expects it of the boy now.
All-in-all I think my shout of 12-15 to NZ is still good.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
A genuinely proper test match. Fair play to NZ, superb defensive effort in the 2nd half. The 2nd was more like I imagined the game was going to be: us having all the ball & our backs being too shoddy to make the break that counted. Really, I don't think our backs ever once looked like scoring a try.
Cynical killing of the ball & hands in the ruck from NZ, but fair play. We didn't have enough about us to make the extra man (men once, for about two minutes) count.
Our pack is still there or thereabouts, but (Lewsey aside) our backs look decidedly average.
So wish I'd been there. Oh, well. Next week.
Cynical killing of the ball & hands in the ruck from NZ, but fair play. We didn't have enough about us to make the extra man (men once, for about two minutes) count.
Our pack is still there or thereabouts, but (Lewsey aside) our backs look decidedly average.
So wish I'd been there. Oh, well. Next week.