Rugby...what rugby?

[MisterD]

I think all you chappies should start watching netball instead.

I would if they'd just get rid of that random whistling and arbitrarily giving a free go to one team or the other...wow is there a theme here?

[firefighter]

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

Ahhhh, that would actually be soccer......

[98tls]

Ahhhh, that would actually be soccer......

Thought he meant golf

[MisterD]

the superior code - Rugby League. Great defences (huge hits), well constructed tries

Repeating yourself endlessly like this is not going to make this come true...a game that is big in about four cities worldwide...

Here's how every team in this hemisphere plays:

Tackles 1-3: Big forward trundles up, gets tackled, falls over tries to make it look like the tacklers are stopping him getting up.

Tackle 4&5: Ball gets passed a couple wider to a "back" who may attempt to actually beat a tackler.

Tackle 6: Kick & chase.

How anyone watches 80 minutes of that is a mystery to me.

The Superleague (go Warrington) is a bit better, but not much...

[Winston001]

Great game of rugby, Enjoyed every minute of it.

Against a lesser team we would have done alright ,even in the first 40, But the boks, awesome, Best team in the world and well deserving of their World Champion status.

Me too. I expected the Boks to win but the All Blacks came back at them and deserve respect for a hard game. They could have won it which surprised me.

Too much pressure on Daniel Carter too. He played well, didn't miss the posts once, but he is only one guy. McCaw is over-rated as a captain but can't fault his commitment and play - he was everywhere.

At the moment the Boks are simply a better team. I don't find their game boring. Its intelligent and it works. As the Aussies found out.

As for the All Blacks, they are still by far the dominant team in world rugby. In Tri-nations they have won 41 out of 61 encounters. SA - won 26, Oz - won 24.

Indeed, a few years ago they won with such monotonous regularity that I didn't bother watching. Bit like the Ranfurly Shield when Auckland won nearly every game for 10 years. At least nowadays we have a proper competition.

[short-circuit]

Repeating yourself endlessly like this is not going to make this come true...a game that is big in about four cities worldwide...

Here's how every team in this hemisphere plays:

Tackles 1-3: Big forward trundles up, gets tackled, falls over tries to make it look like the tacklers are stopping him getting up.

Tackle 4&5: Ball gets passed a couple wider to a "back" who may attempt to actually beat a tackler.

Tackle 6: Kick & chase.

How anyone watches 80 minutes of that is a mystery to me.

The Superleague (go Warrington) is a bit better, but not much...

I wouldn't mind better that your understanding of Union is just as superficial...it's only because of this that New Zealanders continue to tune in to such shit

[Grahameeboy]

.

True enough, It was a massively arrogant campaign, and it failed miserably. Which is an excellent reason to have a superior team beat us, rather then a lesser team show us up for our arrogance.

So how are the AB's going to beat superior teams?

[Elysium]

I'm glad we lost. We need to lose a few games to expose the problems and try to blood some new guys before the world cup. I've always thought the All Blacks bombed out of world cups when they were on winning streaks.

Look what happened to Australia when they last won it, they lost so many games leading up to the world cup but out of no where they dominated and won games. Perhaps we need to loose this mentality that we're expected to win all the time?

Or maybe just too many pretty boys in the All Blacks these days

Best player-McCaw because he showed the rest how to get in and get dirty.
Worst player-Nonu-handling worse then his bloody hair.

[short-circuit]

So how are the AB's going to beat superior teams?

With great difficulty - wooden spoons anyone?

But seriously, who cares - Union's gay

[Elysium]

With great difficulty - wooden spoons anyone?

But seriously, who cares - Union's gay

Not as gay as AFL! Go those tight shorts!

[Hitcher]

The "coaching" team needs to take some blame: picking players out of position (Keiran Reid and Stephen Donald), lack of lineout strategy and practice, basic skills woeful, game plan undetectable.

The players need to take some blame: it's not just another game, you over-indulged pussies. Don't believe everything your PR advisers tell you or write about you. If I hear that the All Blacks have had an epiphany about "fronting up" for next Saturday's test, I shall be moved to violins.

The captain needs to take some blame. Richie you need to figure out what's happening on the park, and figure out a Plan B when Plan A is clearly not working. Pick and go works. So do short lineouts. Forget about the tri-nations, just win the fucking game. To do that you need to score more points than your opposition. It's simple really.

You were worse than the scoreline suggests. Pick a form team from the NPC for next week's test against Australia -- including the coaches.

[Elysium]

You were worse than the scoreline suggests. Pick a form team from the NPC for next week's test against Australia -- including the coaches.

Well a lot of teams to pick from this year, hell even little old manawatu almost beat Auckland today so there seems to be a lot of talent out there at the moment.

[Hitcher]

there seems to be a lot of talent out there at the moment.

Talent and passion. Except in the ABs.

[short-circuit]

The "coaching" team needs to take some blame: picking players out of position (Keiran Reid and Stephen Donald), lack of lineout strategy and practice, basic skills woeful, game plan undetectable.

The players need to take some blame: it's not just another game, you over-indulged pussies. Don't believe everything your PR advisers tell you or write about you. If I hear that the All Blacks have had an epiphany about "fronting up" for next Saturday's test, I shall be moved to violins.

The captain needs to take some blame. Richie you need to figure out what's happening on the park, and figure out a Plan B when Plan A is clearly not working. Pick and go works. So do short lineouts. Forget about the tri-nations, just win the fucking game. To do that you need to score more points than your opposition. It's simple really.

You were worse than the scoreline suggests. Pick a form team from the NPC for next week's test against Australia -- including the coaches.

Yep to all of the above, but I say it again: It's only Union.

If you want a truly Gladiatorial sport with hits, skill, speed and brilliant spontaneity then open your other eye and start watching League

[Grahameeboy]

The "coaching" team needs to take some blame: picking players out of position (Keiran Reid and Stephen Donald), lack of lineout strategy and practice, basic skills woeful, game plan undetectable.

The players need to take some blame: it's not just another game, you over-indulged pussies. Don't believe everything your PR advisers tell you or write about you. If I hear that the All Blacks have had an epiphany about "fronting up" for next Saturday's test, I shall be moved to violins.

The captain needs to take some blame. Richie you need to figure out what's happening on the park, and figure out a Plan B when Plan A is clearly not working. Pick and go works. So do short lineouts. Forget about the tri-nations, just win the fucking game. To do that you need to score more points than your opposition. It's simple really.

You were worse than the scoreline suggests. Pick a form team from the NPC for next week's test against Australia -- including the coaches.

But but isn't Plan B "she'll be right"