This has happened in all of their games, they concede very few points in first halves. New Zealand only scored their first try in the 66th minute, Australia we just saw today, the Springboks got away with a lucky kick interception near the end (having won every single match in their history against Argentina before that) in Mendoza and even on their first game they held quite well. They just can't hold it for the full 80 minutes, they're not used to such level of intensity against such competition.
Rugby Union 2012!
- Thread starter Takhisis
- Start date
Springboks rape the Wallabies 31-8 in the biggest defeat of the year… New Zealand are four points away with one match remaining so any points will make them champions. Right?
I also read that Australia has many injured players after today. Oh how I wish I could be in Rosario…
I also read that Australia has many injured players after today. Oh how I wish I could be in Rosario…
Pieman
Prince
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Radike Samo, Digby Ioane, Tatafu Polota-Nau all suffering injuries in the game... after having already lost James Horwill, Will Genia, James O'Connor, Stephen Moore, David Pocock, Wycliff Palu, Sekope Kepu, Drew Mitchell and ARGH IT DOESN'T END, OVER TWO DOZEN PLAYERS ALL INJURED, WHAT IS GOING ON, WHY RUGBY GODS, WHY? Might as well have the Pumas put us out of our misery, what a dire year. Thank God there are other sports to watch.
Meanwhile, that self-obsessed, petulant Cooper is welcome to leave the Wallabies for league if has so little pride in playing for his country. An utter waste.
And end rant. Go Pumas.
Meanwhile, that self-obsessed, petulant Cooper is welcome to leave the Wallabies for league if has so little pride in playing for his country. An utter waste.
And end rant. Go Pumas.
Pieman
Prince
Wallabies survive. Congrats to them, and commiserations to the brave Pumas. They're definitely the 3rd and 4th sides in the Rugby Championship though. Meanwhile, no one looks anywhere near the All Blacks. One of their best sides of all time.
Oddly enough, Australia had more wins with 101 - 137 and 12 points while the Springboks were 120-109 with also 12 points. I guess this tells a bit about the current Australian side, eh? Never a bonus point.
[pre]Place Team Games Points Bonus points Table pts
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Diff. 4Tr 7PL
1 New Zealand 6 6 0 0 177 66 +111 2 0 26
2 South Africa 6 2 1 3 120 109 +11 1 1 12
3 Australia 6 3 0 3 101 137 -36 0 0 12
4 Argentina 6 0 1 5 80 166 -86 0 2 4[/pre]
About Argentina's performance, the last two matches they were just exhausted mentally as well as physically, they aren't used to this style and pace of competition. Six matches in the same year against SANZAR (without counting their upcoming end-of-year European tour) is more than they've ever had to handle. Still, getting 4 points in all, getting points in three out of six matches, scoring tries in five of the games, and not losing all six is a better opening performance than other teams have done.
Australia continues to be crap, they nearly lost it today at one point a couple minutes before they scored their own try. I think they'd've done a lot better without so many injuries.
South Africa, yes, second best. Although they could have lost to Argentina in Mendoza, they were better than Australia overall and showed it in the head-to-head last week.
The All Blacks well, they're brilliant. What's more to say? Ruling world champions, 26 points, perfect score
[pre]Place Team Games Points Bonus points Table pts
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Diff. 4Tr 7PL
1 New Zealand 6 6 0 0 177 66 +111 2 0 26
2 South Africa 6 2 1 3 120 109 +11 1 1 12
3 Australia 6 3 0 3 101 137 -36 0 0 12
4 Argentina 6 0 1 5 80 166 -86 0 2 4[/pre]
About Argentina's performance, the last two matches they were just exhausted mentally as well as physically, they aren't used to this style and pace of competition. Six matches in the same year against SANZAR (without counting their upcoming end-of-year European tour) is more than they've ever had to handle. Still, getting 4 points in all, getting points in three out of six matches, scoring tries in five of the games, and not losing all six is a better opening performance than other teams have done.
Australia continues to be crap, they nearly lost it today at one point a couple minutes before they scored their own try. I think they'd've done a lot better without so many injuries.
South Africa, yes, second best. Although they could have lost to Argentina in Mendoza, they were better than Australia overall and showed it in the head-to-head last week.
The All Blacks well, they're brilliant. What's more to say? Ruling world champions, 26 points, perfect score
MCdread
Couldn't she get drowned?
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Another factor contributing to the Pumas' dip in performance was that their last 2 games were officiated by referees that had a very strict interpretation of ruck laws, which negated them their strongest area and the ability to play the game to their favoured tempo. That said, they barely did any player rotation, especially in the forwards and that told yesterday.
New Zealand is just at another level, even if they rarely set the world alight earlier in the competition, at least not by some of the past standards. Even yesterday, they hardly had any ball in the first half, but then wiped the floor with Boks at will in open play. They have a bunch of guys in their 30s or thereabouts (Woodcock, Mealamu, Hore, McCaw, Thomson, Weepu, Carter, Nonu, C. Smith, Jane). It'll be interesting to see how they evolve and rejuvenate the team in the next few years.
The Boks have a pretty young team with some quality guys coming through, but still can't create much apart from setpieces and scrappy ball. Amazing strength in depth in the forwards though: several injured absentees, but no problem in finding replacements.
Finally, hard to write anything about Australia. They won 3 games while dealing a major injury crisis, so I guess that's good. But apart from some flashes here and there, they weren't very inspiring at all. Lots of people asking for the coach's head as well, so he'll be under severe pressure in the November Internationals in the NH, whether his players are back healthy or not.
New Zealand is just at another level, even if they rarely set the world alight earlier in the competition, at least not by some of the past standards. Even yesterday, they hardly had any ball in the first half, but then wiped the floor with Boks at will in open play. They have a bunch of guys in their 30s or thereabouts (Woodcock, Mealamu, Hore, McCaw, Thomson, Weepu, Carter, Nonu, C. Smith, Jane). It'll be interesting to see how they evolve and rejuvenate the team in the next few years.
The Boks have a pretty young team with some quality guys coming through, but still can't create much apart from setpieces and scrappy ball. Amazing strength in depth in the forwards though: several injured absentees, but no problem in finding replacements.
Finally, hard to write anything about Australia. They won 3 games while dealing a major injury crisis, so I guess that's good. But apart from some flashes here and there, they weren't very inspiring at all. Lots of people asking for the coach's head as well, so he'll be under severe pressure in the November Internationals in the NH, whether his players are back healthy or not.
del62
Deity
Wow - Looking at that table the All Blacks have crushed all before them.
classical_hero
In whom I trust
Yes they are clear a cut above the rest of the world. 
Argentina wins in Cardiff 12-26, conceding no tries (a first after the Tri Four Nations). But they lose a couple key players to injuries.
Ireland… I thought that 12-3 meant they had it controlled, I switch the TV back on after a while and it's 12-16.
England beat Fiji 54-12, as expected.
Who're the All Blacks playing against?
Ireland… I thought that 12-3 meant they had it controlled, I switch the TV back on after a while and it's 12-16.
England beat Fiji 54-12, as expected.
Who're the All Blacks playing against?
MCdread
Couldn't she get drowned?
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Not sure. But I have a ticket for that match
so hopefully, whoever it is, they'll put up a good fight. Also, France thrashed Australia 33-6 with some nice and flamboyant offloads and runs à la France of the old days, and total scrum domination (on a scrum that ended up a penalty try, the Aussie front row collapsed and the French tight five just lifted them up from the floor and kept driving to the try line
).
Lambert Simnel
One across
France-Australia spear tackle
I admire the honesty of the referee in this. I guess he's not allowed to refer to the video ref for issues like who should be sent off?
I admire the honesty of the referee in this. I guess he's not allowed to refer to the video ref for issues like who should be sent off?
MCdread
Couldn't she get drowned?
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I think the video ref can only be used to determine whether the ball has been grounded for a try or not. I think that in the English Premiership there is the possibility, from this season onwards, and in some games, to also check if there was any infringement in a play leading to a try (e.g., a forward pass). Presumably it is a response to that try a couple of a seasons ago in an Ireland v. Wales where a try was scored from a quick line-out with a different ball than the one that had been kicked into touch (which is against the laws).
Maybe yesterday's mess-up will contribute to further changes.
Anyway, decent game by Scotland. Ok, sometimes you got the impression New Zealand was only in first gear and when they switched to second they were scoring tries from line-breaks at will, but 3 tries, the commitment in the lose play and the positive attitude in trying to score tries rather than conservative penalty kicks were nice.
Except for an intercepted pass, Carter was truly sublime!
Lambert Simnel
One across
Good atmosphere at Murrayfield?
The Scots tend to be quite accepting of (and positive towards) sporting excellent from other nations - so in football, we don't mind losing to Brazil as they are the best (but we resent defeat by lesser, but self-important teams such as England), and with rugby union, we can accept defeat by the All Blacks as being the best there is (but defeat to self-important nations, such as, say, England, is again not received as well).
The Scots tend to be quite accepting of (and positive towards) sporting excellent from other nations - so in football, we don't mind losing to Brazil as they are the best (but we resent defeat by lesser, but self-important teams such as England), and with rugby union, we can accept defeat by the All Blacks as being the best there is (but defeat to self-important nations, such as, say, England, is again not received as well).
MCdread
Couldn't she get drowned?
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I see. 
Yeah, there was a good atmosphere. Except for that 20 minute period or so when the All Blacks were scoring tries and orchestrating awesome moves at will. Then there was muteness and, as you say, a quiet acknowledgement of the difference in class between both teams. But hope came back again just before the half time break. As a neutral observer, a self sustaining cycle with bouts of extreme optimism followed by extreme depression and back to optimism again seems to be the defining characteristic of scottish rugby at large, so this game was just a sample of that.
Yeah, there was a good atmosphere. Except for that 20 minute period or so when the All Blacks were scoring tries and orchestrating awesome moves at will. Then there was muteness and, as you say, a quiet acknowledgement of the difference in class between both teams. But hope came back again just before the half time break. As a neutral observer, a self sustaining cycle with bouts of extreme optimism followed by extreme depression and back to optimism again seems to be the defining characteristic of scottish rugby at large, so this game was just a sample of that.
Lambert Simnel
One across
Scottish rugby, Scottish football, Scottish politics, Scottish just about everything. 
Nobody
Gangster
Bloody England ruining a perfectly good season
del62
Deity
Still thinking about the great performance by England, even now, really put the All Blacks under pressure, causing them to crumble, 2nd highest defeat for AB's in their history if I am not mistaken
Bring on Aus and Wales in 2015.
Bring on Aus and Wales in 2015.
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