RWC 2015 Final - Australia v New Zealand, Twickenham, Sunday 1 November, 3:00 AEDT

Pfitzy, I'm predicting that your pre-RWC final therapy will need to include another Friday night session at the Concourse Bar (for relief only) with a gathering of the true believers throng.

There would also be the delicious irony of Foley slotting the winning penalty goal from a McCaw infringement but you'd have to believe pigs fly to see a final of any ilk thus decided twice in a lifetime.

A minor issue - I think the only two national coaches at the RWC who wear coat and tie to matches are Cheika and Hansen.
Their teams are in the final. Coincidence?

Hey Redsman, don't be that guy.

WTF?

No, I've been spending a bit of time on a Kiwi rugby site, and actually get a real sense of where they're coming from. It has become like Serbia and Croatia - the reasons behind the hatred are so far in the past no-one cares any more about what start it, just that it is.

And I've already promised my abstinence for the next three months to the Rugby Gods if we crush the ABs, so Concourse Bar is NOT going to help that situation.

Spose I'll have to do my bit assuage the Rugby Gods: I'll be attending a meeting of Waratahs Old Boys in the sporting capital of the western world, Wagga Wagga, on Friday night, and while I'm there I'll encourage them to sprinkle some of their magic dust over the Wallabies. Am I tempting fate?

NO Concourse Bar for me. Sadly.

Plenty of joy here thanks Tex. Win or lose.

Yes some of my fellow country men are at opposite ends of the spectrum (rugby stability one that is..) but after all is said and done it's just a game.

ABs to win 96-19

Yeah, we did miss a few. You must take into account that the Pumas were able to mount repeated attacking moves moving the ball through the hands and were one of the best attacking sides in the RWC.
The Boks..not so much

It matters because this is supposed to be an elite, professionally run event. Official announcements as to who is going to referee the final should come from World Rugby, not the selector of one of the competing teams. Process and procedure actually do matter.

If all the competing teams were told, one assumes that it was not to be made public. If Fox received it unofficially and no-one else did it's actually quite important and a bit of a worry.

Gotta say - I love being an All Black fan. Since Henry took over and even more do under Hansen, they have really embraced some of the best things about rugby and sport in general and make me damn proud to be a kiwi.

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/all-blacks/news/article.cfm?c_id=116&objectid=11534169

Think they meant to tell Foxsports but one of the unpaid interns mistakenly passed it on to Grant Fox.

The funny thing about that is that the general consensus was that he would never again be as influential even if he regained fitness because he was too limited. He was a one-trick pony and his trick -- pilfering -- had been rendered anachronistic by current rules and interpretations. The proof of the pudding being that Richie no longer heavily contests the breakdown. If GOAT doesn't do it then it can't/shouldn't be done.

Then he came back and was immediately terrorising breakdowns again. Brussow must be loving it, because without the example of Pocock's effectiveness his international career was probably over.

I'll stick my hand up here. I got it totally wrong. I claimed he would never make a big impact coming back from his injuries.

But Cheika is the only one who wears a hoodie under his suit coat.

Ahh - that's Day One of the World Cup without the Englischers and the South Africans. I Like It. I like it Alot!

As to our Pommy Mates, ( and however inelegant it might sound), I have not missed them for even One moment.

I might even have a Son, just simply so I can tell him about this World Cup!