Posts by WH
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Who knew that watching rugby put you on a continuum with wifebeaters, virulent nationalists and people who don't care about Myanmar.
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I have just been increasingly depressed by the meanspirited ways in which some people are expressing their disappointment with the result
I caught five minutes of Deaker on Radio Sport on the way out, and five minutes of Grant Nisbett on Re:Union before Outrageous Fortune. Deaker was howling at the moon, Nisbett was his usual sensible self. Apparently some of the players are reluctant to come home right away, which is unsurprising in light of the treatment we have dished out to previous All Black sides. Do we have a bi-polar rugby culture, or do losses just give... less positive elements a chance to take the microphone?
To answer my own question, I think Evans and Nacewa would make great All Black second-fives, and Atiga is a great centre. I am from Auckland obviously, but Nacewa has been on fire.
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Some fans could do well to remember that. Winging about the ref should not be a core value of NZ rugby
The All Blacks, to their credit, have been gracious in defeat.
I think people prefer to take responsibility for their own performance, if only because its more constructive to focus on what you can control.
That said, I thought Barnes was more inclined to penalise All Black infringements (such as Richie McCaw's penalties (3?), All Black forward passes, and McAlister's obstruction) than French.
My own view is that the All Black backline wasn't quite ready for primetime. I think Henry should stay, but Robbie Deans would make a good backline coach. Choosing a new second-five/centre pairing is going to be interesting.
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/4229143a10.html
I guess its inevitable that knives will come out for the players and coaches, but do we really have to sh*t on our team after every World Cup? Will we do to Carter and McCaw what we did to Carlos Spencer and Andrew Mehrtens?
Barnes didn't have a great game. At times it looked like he was only watching one team. Still, our scrum and lineout were strong, our forwards were generally outstanding, particularly Williams. We played some good rugby. We didn't disgrace ourselves. France turned up, and fate did that horrible twisty thing it seems to do every four years.
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Richie McCaw looked pretty gutted after the game. You've got to feel for the team.
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Whisky Galore: Not even winning the rugby can make a Steinlager taste this good.
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Grizz has words of wisdom
There should be a world cup haiku competition for the semis.
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Or don't kick it out
Yeah, I might rephrase that. In the years after our 50-21 win in 2003, the Australians stopped kicking the ball to our back three so much and tried to put the ball out in our 22, backing themselves to disrupt our lineout.
With a 34% defensive lineout win rate during the current tournament, that would still seem to be a pretty good strategy. Thats 1/3 against the throw compared to the AB's 1/5. I think its Grant Nisbett who often says that the AB's should contest lineouts more. Stats from the early rounds can be misleading, but they do tend to show areas of relative strength.
Our front row is excellent, and due props for that, but I'd rather have an excellent lineout and an adequate scrum than the other way around.
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Shit. DEFINITE signs of 2003.
Heh. Yep. Still, I tend to think we will beat the French. This team does not have the defensive and tactical frailties of our 1999 side.
IMO the Mitchell/Henry All Blacks have been and remain the best rugby team in the world, as assessed by their world ranking and win/loss record over those years, World Cup results notwithstanding.
The Australians looked pretty impressive in those statistics, especially their defensive lineout (We should totally get us one of those. Who cares about our scrum if we keep dropping the ball and can't kick it out?) The Aussies have mobile forwards, excellent locks, and have a backline that might not be superior man for man, but is organised well and always dangerous.
I don't really want to think about the possibility of another 2003 style ambush any more than that.
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What does that mean? Cakewalk?
Apparently it has something to do with hoecake.
Great stats. With all those turnovers and tries per minute of possession, all we have to cut down on the unforced errors and hope the lineout still works.
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