Post #121,794
10/18/03 3:26:52 AM
10/18/03 3:54:19 AM
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World Rugby: Kanaks play good game (but still go down 59-6)
But to their credit, they -were- up against the world's best team - The All Blacks (Reformed cannibals & head hunters from polynesian New Zealand).
Whilst the score looks one sided, the Kanaks (considering they come from N America) played a damned good game & kept playing their best up to the end.
(Just to put this score into perspective, have just finished watching Australia play Romania & defeat them 90 to 8. NZ is considered a better team than Australia at this point in time. 90 is a new record score for Australia in a world cup)
The Japs earned a great deal of respect for their gutsy performance and determination last week against Canada (Kanuks). The locals up north in Townsville, where the Japs are temporarily based, also adopted the little guys. Most Australians were not expecting such a spirited game from them - they kept getting better as the game went on - it looked like they could even win but Canada got two tries in the last few mins of the game & doused any hope the Japs had for a surprise victory. Locals now refer to them as the kamikazes. But, they did get some excellent coaching from one of Australia's best ever player - a part aboriginal called Mark Ella (he has been belatedly called the Tiger Woods of Rugby due to his nationality and outstanding past skills).
The Japanese say their mission is to defeat at least one other nation & have named the US as that target. Will keep you posted on who wins this battle of 'midway' :-)
More games are on tonight.
Cheers Doug M
#added Aust vs Romania score
Edited by dmarker
Oct. 18, 2003, 03:54:19 AM EDT
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Post #121,800
10/18/03 5:45:27 AM
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Correction.
They were up against the second-best team in the world.
Peter
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Post #121,801
10/18/03 5:47:54 AM
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I didn't realise you rated Australia that highly...
<gd&r>
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
| |
Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
| -- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. |
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Post #121,852
10/18/03 7:17:00 PM
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Hmm- last night watched dismal match between UK & Sth Africa
25 to 6 in UK favour but in order to get that score UK only got 1 try & the rest were penalties & field goals. SA would have scored higher had they not missed so many penalty kicks.
Lots of handling errors on both sides, both teams seemed flat footed. Sth Africans just don't look in contention now & UK not far ahead <g>
Cheers Doug
(now who were you thinking of as #1 ??? :-) Can only be New Zealand - Australia might get to 2 or 3.
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Post #121,883
10/19/03 4:37:02 AM
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Blithering nonsense
Do you know ANYTHING about rugby, Doug? Because from that post, a chap would say not. Apparently you also can't read, because the match was between ENGLAND and South Africa. >:-)
There are no "field goals" in rugby; points scored from a kick are either a penalty, or a drop goal.
The first half was nervous, with neither team really playing their own game; SA were very aggressive in the rucks and mauls, but didn't get their passing going. England let SA do their thing in the close play, but didn't take advantage of their superior passing and running. Half-time score was 6-6, two penalties kicked by each side. The SA kicker was rubbish, hitting only 2 from about 8. Jonny Wilkinson got 2 from 2.
In the second half, England were dominant, as you'd expect. There were one or two small handling errors but on the whole they played their game, didn't let SA get into their rucking, and played it wide. They won, and if they'd played in the first half like they did in the second, it'd have been 50-6. I expect the first half score is explained by the fact that a couple of injuries led to a last-minute team reorganisation.
As it stands, it was a reasonable score against very respectable opponents - you underestimate the Springboks at your peril.
NZ and Australia are strong contenders for the semis, along with France and South Africa, but without doubt England are the strongest team in the world right now.
I predict an England/NZ final, with England winning.
Peter
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Post #121,885
10/19/03 8:26:56 AM
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Re: Blithering nonsense
Does Scotland have a side?
Wales?
N. Ireland?
Free Ireland?
-drl
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Post #121,887
10/19/03 9:02:49 AM
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Re: Blithering nonsense
Scotland, Wales and Ireland are all represented in the World Cup.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
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Post #121,902
10/19/03 4:54:07 PM
10/19/03 5:29:11 PM
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Nup, I'll only conceed that Wilkinson's foot
will save England from having to play a proper game :-)
They only scored 1 (one) try in that game, no bonus points, & as always the game never got up to speed once field goals (what we call them in Australia) become the order of the day. [link|http://www.rugby.com.au/aus.rugby/pages/1079/group/9619|http://www.rugby.com...s/1079/group/9619] (see words Field Goal in middle of 2nd para)
Everyone is saying that even the Japs play a more interesting game - heros of the series (even if their total bonus score is 0 :-)
Cheers
Doug
NZ is the team.
#2 - Peter, We must be watching different games - Here is accurate press opinions
Rugby: England's 'worst performance for months' say English papers
[link|http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/53047/1/.html|http://www.channelne...iew/53047/1/.html]
***************************
Here are realistic comments from England Rugby chat forum by Englanders
[link|http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.showthread/threadid/3193.cfm|http://www.rfu.com/i...threadid/3193.cfm]
Extract
>>
Pretty good assessment. We didn't play very well, the Boks missed their chances, but at the end of the day we'll take the win. I was initially very disappointed with the performance, but on the plus side we've got two more fairly easy games to improve in
<<
Again, NZ is the team & OZ are already looking a good 2nd, with Japs as heros of the series
Cheers D
Edited by dmarker
Oct. 19, 2003, 04:55:17 PM EDT
Edited by dmarker
Oct. 19, 2003, 05:23:13 PM EDT
Edited by dmarker
Oct. 19, 2003, 05:29:11 PM EDT
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Post #121,917
10/19/03 10:32:25 PM
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Gadzooks, cobber, you invented a new smiley
The "rugby player with a subdural hematoma"
O:-)
-drl
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Post #121,922
10/19/03 11:19:26 PM
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Tks will piggyback off your post, more bad news (4 England)
[link|http://rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/19/1066502070724.html|http://rugbyheaven.s...066502070724.html]
"World Cup blown wide open"
One excerpt ...
"While impressed by England's commitment and ability to rally, Australia also noted that they lacked inspiration in attack and had to rely on South African mistakes and the 100 per cent kicking success of five-eighth Jonny Wilkinson to put the Springboks away. It was more a case of South Africa losing it than England winning the big one".
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Post #121,933
10/20/03 2:15:27 AM
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Given....
...that of the past 11 games Down Under, the collective power of the roos and the kiwis have only been able to win 3 against England, what makes you think anything's going to change?
Peter
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Post #121,937
10/20/03 3:16:36 AM
10/20/03 3:30:46 AM
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The way they played against RSA :-)
As one of the people said in the links I posted. Past performances have a habit of going out the window in a new comp.
BUT, If it were just the backs from each team playing & with Wilko's magic boot, I'd give England a very good chance :-)
Anyway, the supposed favorites, ain't favorite no more :-( Keeps bringing the odds back to the magic K-1-W-1 team. Just take a look at young Daniel Carter & Ma'a Nonu who are newcomers & relatively unknown outside NZ - these are budding stars already making a dramatic mark, esp Carter. Carter has allowed Carlos Spencer to focus on his tacktical kicking and backline management whilst young Daniel just keeps popping penalties & conversions twixt the posts from anywhere in the field. Yup, he hasn't got round to emulating Wilko's drop-goal talent but Wilko doesn't have a monopoly on that. Ma'a has stepped in as a clone for Tana Umunga - even looks like him, had to bleach his dreadlocks so that people could tell them apart. This is one firey young lad).
Cheers
Doug
#2
Alright, a compliment to England - if it were *just* Wilkinson vs his opp number in almost any other team, I'd back England.
Edited by dmarker
Oct. 20, 2003, 03:30:46 AM EDT
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Post #121,942
10/20/03 7:22:25 AM
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Dude.
The England/RSA match was a GOOD GAME. It was hard, technical, rugby-for-purists.
Your commentators either don't get to see much rugby union, or else they're confusing what they're seeing with rugby league, which is a different game altogether.
England are going to win the World Cup. New Zealand are going to receive a nasty shock from the Boks, and the French are going to surprise the Aussies.
Peter
[link|http://www.debian.org|Shill For Hire]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
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Post #122,051
10/20/03 3:47:49 PM
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Mon ami, Non non non!, regardez le Japonais
They gave the French such a fright!!!.
Re predictions ...
Turn your TV the other way up :-)
Cheers Doug
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