Rugby...what rugby?

[short-circuit]

All Blacks: Hammered once again, and comprehensively so. Don’t be fooled the scoreline – the Boks took the foot off their throats for long periods of the game.

Face it, they've been a team with no composure for more than 3 seasons now. No international sides (beyond the minnows) fear them. Making their Haka all the more excruciating.

Last night they looked like the Warriors on a bad day.

Danielle Carter ain't looking to me like the cure for all the All Black's problems. He had a shocker overall last night: Gifting a try to S.A with a lovely intercept pass. Single-handedly bombing a try with a terrible pass over the sideline to Rokocoko on the break with only one to beat. They were many other instances were he was pressurised and he looked like it was getting to him (maybe he believed the NZ media wish that he would make the difference)…. Sorry, the gap is in reality quite a bit wider than that.


Doesn't help that the “brains trust” of Henry, Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee are unable to learn from their portfolio of past mistakes. Even when they eventually do, they just make new ones anyway. The Steven Donald experiment worked well eh? He had his arse felt yet again. And what was all this bullshit about switching 1st and 2nd Five positions all about? Like that was gonna make a difference.

Beyond Nonu (who's hands were like feet), the backline didn't have a shit show of troubling the defence until Toeava was introduced after 50 mins.

The forward pack appears to be nigh on retarded at line-out time. However I’m not convinced that it’s just an absence on quality ball that makes the All Blacks shit – they either make mistakes through lack of skill when they do have it, or they are indecisive, purposeless or clueless when they have it

General decision-making is terrible: Cowan is thick and one-dimensional. Their kicking is mostly aimless. Most are guilty of trying to run on occasions that seem completely incomprehensible. What about McCaw opting for a scrum rather than taking points in front when behind by 10 late in the second half? Yes Captain Fantastic(ally overrated)

Ask the NZ Warriors how successful relying on aerial cross kicks out wide to score tries is. But then, I guess you have few other options when you don't have the skills to play a running/passing game - as most rugby (union) teams clearly don't.



All and all...most enjoyable watching them (once again) get taken apart. And lets not pretend (like the media are) that it was just a superior kicking game that made the difference.

Really looking forward to another momentous World Cup choke, but not as much as I'm enjoying the constant excitement and quality of games on offer throughout the NRL competition in the superior code - Rugby League. Great defences (huge hits), well constructed tries (which decide games as opposed to shots at goal for infringements all the time).
The Great Game – a fast paced free flowing contest that retains shape and continuity through the skills and speed of quality athletes (from halves through to 120kg props).


RIP Rugby Union.

[ynot slow]

Same ol same ol,between world cup we learn nothing.Not a fan of Toeava,but he fired last night.Hore play was good at kick off,if only the jumpers could time the leaps,and his throws more accurate.And guys teams will contest the opposition throws,just because we don't doesn't mean they won't.

[Dirty_Harri]

All I can say is Carter needs some tuition from Francois Steyn- he made him look like childs play.

[MIXONE]

Tell me again why you bothered watching a sport which you appear to hate?

[James Deuce]

There's a hilarious summary of the game deriding the 'boks one dimensional kicking/running game on Stuff.

Fucking works, dunnit?

[short-circuit]

Tell me again why you bothered watching a sport which you appear to hate?

Cause I knew the beat up was bullshit and that the All Blacks would get duffed despite the hype...

I love the anguish on their faces and the ensuing teeth nashing and excuse making by the NZ media and public.


I watched both the NRL qualifiers as well though and actually enjoyed the games themselves - not just the result . How's that for a concept?

[jaymzw]

All Blacks - Hammered once again, and comprehensively so. Don’t be fooled the scoreline – the Boks took the foot off their throats for long periods of the game.

Face it - they've been a team with no composure for more than 3 seasons now. No international sides (beyond the minnows) fear them. Making their Haka all the more excruciating.

Last night they looked like the Warriors on a bad day.

Danielle Carter ain't looking to me like the cure for all the All Black's problems. He had a shocker overall last night: Gifting a try to S.A with a lovely intercept pass. Single-handedly bombing a try with a terrible pass over the sideline to Rokocoko on the break with only one to beat. They were many other instances were he was pressurised and he looked like it was getting to him (maybe he believed the NZ media wish that he would make the difference)…. Sorry, the gap is in reality quite a bit wider than that.


Doesn't help that the “brains trust” of Henry, Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee are unable to learn from their portfolio of past mistakes. Even when they eventually do, they just make new ones anyway. The Steven Donald experiment worked well eh? He had his arse felt yet again. And what was all this bullshit about switching 1st and 2nd Five positions all about? Like that was gonna make a difference.

Beyond Nonu (who's hands were like feet), the backline didn't have a shit show of troubling the defence until Toeava was introduced after 50 mins.

The forward pack appears to be nigh on retarded at line-out time. However I’m not convinced that it’s just an absence on quality ball that makes the All Blacks shit – they either make mistakes through lack of skill when they do have it, or they are indecisive, purposeless or clueless when they have it

General decision-making is terrible: Cowan is thick and one-dimensional. Their kicking is mostly aimless. Most are guilty of trying to run on occasions that seem completely incomprehensible. What about McCaw opting for a scrum rather than taking points in front when behind by 10 late in the second half? Yes Captain Fantastic(ally overrated)

Ask the NZ Warriors how successful relying on aerial cross kicks out wide to score tries is. But then, I guess you have few other options when you don't have the skills to play a running/passing game - as most rugby (union) teams clearly don't.

All and all...most enjoyable watching them (once again) get taken apart. And lets not pretend (like the media are) that it was just a superior kicking game that made the difference.

Really looking forward to another momentous World Cup choke, but not as much as I'm enjoying the constant excitement and quality of games on offer throughout the NRL competition in the superior code. Great defences (huge hits), well constructed tries (which decide games as opposed to shots at goal for infringements all the time).
The Great Game – a fast paced free flowing contest that retains shape and continuity through the skills and speed of quality athletes (from halves through to 120kg props).


RIP Rugby Union.

I've commented on everything i highlighted in red. I think you have made some very valid points. But others?

So the All Blacks lost last night? They played an average first forty which had them on the back foot and they failed to execute when the situation meant they had to play expansive footy.
But i dont think that no-one fears the AllBlacks anymore. They showed with 20 to go that they do have the ability to dig deep and show some pride which was before last night absent under Henry. They are still a worldclass side. For the first time in 13 years the Tri-Nations has been a tight competition.

Now to move on to Carter, he kept us in the game last night for as long as he could. He didnt miss a kick all night, and slotted the crucial conversion from the sideline in 3 seconds to keep us in with a sniff. Composure was something he did lack however. Not that this is neccesarily his fault. He was at his best when he had front foot ball. The forwards couldnt give this. Not from a ruck, a maul, a scrum and deffintitely not a lineout.
The intercept pass can be forgiven, DeVilliers, along with Habana are the worlds best exponents of executing the intercept.
The only other bad plays i can think of from DC were the overcooked kickoff and yes, maybe that pass could have gone to hand. But it was Isaac Ross not Smokin Joe and he was well out of position to recieve it.

Yes, the general kicking last night was poor, however i believe this can be partially attributed to the pressure that the Saffs were allowed to put on at the breakdown. Donald at secondfive is a joke. He directly and indirectly cost us points with his fluffed bomb and the numerous occasions he decided to run whilst being completely isolated.

I think McCaw's reasoning for taking the scrum, which in hindsight was completely wrong, was that the AllBlacks actually had to win by more than 7. I wouldnt knock McCaws performance either, he was at the bottom of every ruck he could be. However he is competeing against 8 green and gold jerseys which appear exempt to being offside, off their feet etc.

I dont agree with your comments about the kicking game being the difference between the two teams however. I believe it was. Frans Steyn kicked two from 60 metres. Can we do that? No. DuPreez try was scored off a bomb which the back 3 couldnt deal with. Their entire game is centred around their 10, who KICKS THE BALL. Their forwards set a platform, and the flyhalf kicks the drop goal, penalty, etc. Simple? Yes. Boring? YES! Effective? Deffinitely.

Comparing the Warriors cross kick to the AllBlacks is completely unreasonable. The Warriors used it because on their 5th, they had nothing but the cross kick. Last night it wasnt premeditated. The SouthAfrican umbrella defence made it near impossible for us to outflank them. The cross kick was the effective answer. It worked twice and created gaps in the SA defence because they were forced to spread to width of the field. Again in hindsight, the 3rd time was maybe one too many, because as we saw DC overcooked it and the match was over.

I deffintely dont understand the psyche of the NewZealand rugby supporter. You say you look forward to another NZ choke in the World Cup. THIS TOURNAMENT IS 2 YEARS AWAY. I think you will find that a lot of talent being blooded in the Air New Zealand Cup will be going on tour in November with the AllBlacks. There are players proving themselves week in week out at provincial level. This can only be a good thing. If we were to go undefeated through until 2011 im sure you would accuse Henry and the team of peaking to early. You cant win all the time. And we didnt deserve to win last night. But even putting together only 20 minutes of quality footy we were only just off the pace.

But i do agree with you on the NRL. Isnt it excitng. How about Billy the Kid grabbing 4 against Manly. At the moment the NRL is miles ahead of the TriNations in terms of entertainment.

[dogsnbikes]

Think becoming the coach is more political than ability..Henry's Provincal history as a coach may look good but his international history is far from it,

Where the high profile ex AKLD coach couldn't take a team to 6 nation glory a ex waikato guy could

From where I sit the Allblack backline is a forest gump repeat"Run forest Run" with the addition of "what about the fucking ball forest"

The players have to stand up and take charge and be able to change the game plan on the field not wait until halftime,interchange,injury or other stoppage in play to recieve instructions and it is plan as day that they do not have that ability to do so......despite henry being a muppet

My pick for the next world cup is a Aussie/wales final allblacks knocked out in the 1/4s

the end

[sil3nt]

I find it funny how people go into deep analysis of what has to be the most over rated sport in the world.

[Quasievil]

All Blacks - Hammered once again, and comprehensively so.

Really ?? I must have watched a different game, the game I saw was only lost by 3 points.
The second half the AB's did well, not becasue the SA went to sleep but because they played well.......................give them some credit ya miserable bastard

[jaymzw]

I find it funny how people go into deep analysis of what has to be the most over rated sport in the world.

Yes, i should have said this

Really ?? I must have watched a different game, the game I saw was only lost by 3 points.
The second half the AB's did well, not becasue the SA went to sleep but because they played well.......................give them some credit ya miserable bastard

[short-circuit]

I find it funny how people go into deep analysis of what has to be the most over rated sport in the world.

I agree the overrated comment, but it's hardly in depth analysis...

It's just having an understanding of a game and watching it with two eyes as opposed to one. Many New Zealanders seem to be more concerned with the scoreboard than the game.

Well now the scoreboards are looking just as unpalatable (from a NZ point of view) as the sport itself.

[Ragingrob]

Hammered? I would have thought they really controlled quite a lot of the game excluding line-outs. Their loss was based on inhuman penalty kicks and an intercept. It's not like the south africans built up their play through several passages leading to them scoring points or anything, they won by picking up on our scraps.

We do need to learn how to hold on to the fucken ball though, oh and how to get Donald outta the team.

[fatzx10r]

the all blacks suck, and rugby is gay

[Kendog]

Rugby has lost the excitement for me.

Last night I watched the League and enjoyed a 7 try to 6 (40-32) win for the team I support. No need for 4 try bonus points, or 5 points for a try.