Rugby World Cup

[Alan Medic]

A shorter version.

[Alan Medic]

The rugby outlaw who never came back

Quite a sad story. Can't imagine it happening these days.

[Mick Mac]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Jeez Mick, you're complaining you've got 13/1 and

> not 7/1. Did you spend all that time worrying

> then?

I have checked back and actually got 18 to 1 so seems a more logical reduction now. I'm sure if quids were here he would tell me how to.hedge this.

[Mick Mac]

Is anywhere showing the final and also doing a good breakfast on Sunday?

[gabrielnagy]

England gone out on quite a shame...so many scandals.

[Alan Medic]

So any predictions? I wouldn't begrudge the AB's a win by why the hell are they allowed do a Haka in the WC? If it's against Fiji, Tonga or Samoa by all means, they have their own war dance. They threw their toys out of the pram in Cardiff a few years ago when the Welsh said that's fine but do it before our anthem.

If France get their act together they could win. The problem with them is they are so unpredictable. I'll go for France by a small margin.

[Pickle]

I genuinely believe that the AB's deserve to win. I am feeling nervous, wish I was back in NZ for the game!

[Mick Mac]

How can they deserve to win, if the match has not even started yet? ;-)

[Alan Medic]

Well they beat Australia. Oh I forgot, Ireland did too. There must be a reason. What is it Pickle apart from home advantage and trying to scare the bejaysus out of your opponents before a ball is kicked? Your best back isn't playing and your best forward has a screw loose (in his foot). May the best team on the day win.

[taper]

All Blacks by 25.

[Pickle]

One of my friends back in NZ has bet stupid money that Cruden will score the first try. I'm hoping for a good game, don't want it to be too one sided as it's not good viewing... but not so close that I go into early labour ;-)

The haka is the highlight for every kiwi - love the throat slash version they've been doing this world cup, must be quite a sight if you're the other team!

[taper]

Weepu choking, Donald on. The only difference between the two teams is Joubert, who is everywhere for the Blacks.

[Pickle]

Nerves completely shot, well done boys!

[Mick Mac]

Going back to.your original post I'm not sure they deserved to win for any reason other than they have been waiting so long. France were better on the day.

[nashoi]

New Zealand acquitted themselves far better throughout the tournament than France. As to who were the best team on the day, that would be the team who scored the most points, the sole objective of the game. If you have the majority of territory and or possession and don't score the most points you are not the best team.

[Pickle]

I think they played consistently well throughout the competition, and arrived at the top spot unbeaten. If it had been the All Blacks team of 4 years ago playing today I'm not sure they would have withstood the pressure that they were under. Both teams played well in defense, and France were formidable opponents on the day that it mattered.

Would love to know what the odds on Stephen Donald scoring the winning points for NZ were!

It's lucky NZ have a public holiday tomorrow, there are going to be some very sore heads.

[Mick Mac]

taper Wrote:

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> Weepu choking, Donald on. The only difference

> between the two teams is Joubert, who is

> everywhere for the Blacks.

Agree with that.

All Blacks are deserved winners of the world cup in that they have been the best team in the world for some time and performed well throughout the tournament, until today. But today they did not turn up especially in the second half and could easily have blown it. The pressure was too much perhaps. In that respect they did well to get over the line.

[taper]

The ref made some very odd decisions, although he seemed to even out in the second half.

I was pleased to see the ABs win though. The performance against Australia in the semi was a superb and brutal demolition. But they so nearly blew it today. Hairy Donkey and Dussatoir were incredible.

[Alan Medic]

I don't agree that the AB's didn't turn up. More a case of France finally showing what they could do. The AB's defence and managing not to concede penalties won it for them.

[Mick Mac]

The All Blacks - comfortably the best team in the world, were outplayed by France. And they did turn up? I'm confused.

[Alan Medic]

Not sure what you're confused about. Who says the AB's are comfortably the best team in the world? Well I don't for one. It's not long ago they were stuffed by Australia in the tri-nations. They had home advantage. I think they have had better teams in the not too distant past but this one played to its maximum to win. If you were to pick a world XV how many AB's would be in it?

[david_carnell]

The BBC go for 10 out of 15 for their team of the tournament.

Although some of these are wrong. Very wrong.

[taper]

you've got to find space in there for:

Healy

Servat

O Connell

Dussatoir

Pocock

[david_carnell]

Quite. I think having McCaw at flanker is actually ignoring the fact he was below par except perhaps the game against Oz where he taught Pocock a lesson.

Dussatoir was a much better player for the whole tournament. So was Warburton aside from one moment of madness.

Servat was better than any other hooker including Mealamu.

No England players in that XV - and no complaints from me on that count.

[taper]

Tualagi the only possibility (bench). And Corbs maybe had he played much!