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RWC 2015 Semi Final 1 - NZ vs RSA Twickenham

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FrankLind

Colin Windon (37)
I think your over-rating them. Nonu has had some quiet games in the pool stages and SBW was pushing hard a spot. Although I agree he is world class. His Rugby Championship form was superb.

Carter and Smith, whilst experienced are no-where near where they use to be. They certainly don't scare me like they use too.

Don't get me wrong, It's still the best back-line in the world but it's far from unbeatable.

Carter, Nonu and to a lesser extent Smith were superb against France last week.

SBW played one good game against Argentina in the RC and then has been very good as a sub when the game loosens up in the last 20 minutes. He was poor in our loss in Sydney.

I expect Conrad Smith to be subbed off at say 55-60 and Nonu to move to to center. This combo has been working very well.

I think 10,12, and 13 are very strong for the Boks playing wise, but weak in experience of pressure footy. We'll see.
 

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
Experience is a funny thing. Some players mature much younger and are just capable of handling the pressure. Poey and Hooper as prime example.

So Kriel and De Allende are coming in as unknowns. Going to make an interesting match either way.
 

aeneas

Tom Lawton (22)
Experience is a funny thing. Some players mature much younger and are just capable of handling the pressure. Poey and Hooper as prime example.

So Kriel and De Allende are coming in as unknowns. Going to make an interesting match either way.


Are you seriously saying Hooper is mature? If there was anyone in the Wobs that I'd pick to have a brain explosion at the worst possible time it's Hooper followed by Phipps. Hooper is a phenomenal player but mature he is not.
 

Dewald Nel

Cyril Towers (30)
Experience is a funny thing. Some players mature much younger and are just capable of handling the pressure. Poey and Hooper as prime example.

So Kriel and De Allende are coming in as unknowns. Going to make an interesting match either way.


Hoping they take after Frans Steyn and the way he matured in 2007 as a 20 year old. Same for Pollard.
 

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
Are you seriously saying Hooper is mature? If there was anyone in the Wobs that I'd pick to have a brain explosion at the worst possible time it's Hooper followed by Phipps. Hooper is a phenomenal player but mature he is not.


Doesn't seemed to be affected by pressure though. Sure he has the occasional brain explosion, but so does Bismark, or Burger.

Although I get your point I probably should have used a better example.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
I think your over-rating them. Nonu has had some quiet games in the pool stages and SBW was pushing hard a spot. Although I agree he is world class. His Rugby Championship form was superb.

Carter and Smith, whilst experienced are no-where near where they use to be. They certainly don't scare me like they use too.

Don't get me wrong, It's still the best back-line in the world but it's far from unbeatable.

In my view, Carter was best on ground against the French. Looked like the Dan Carter of old, controlling play, making line breaks and off loading for other (notably Savea) to score the meat pies. Add to that, his goal kicking is back to the highest standards. He definitely still has what it takes to be the best No 10 going round.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Goodness me if the 30 seconds of radio sport that I just listened to is any guide then I hope Steve Hansen has banned any form of media contact with NZ in the next 7 days.

Arrogance meter running at about Muhammed Ali level of self confidence.

Before last week I thought he was delusional.

Just not the NZ way to be so confident.

But the guillotine job in the quarters shows he isnt deranged.

Now I think Hansen's blase thing be a fuckin master stroke. He knows history lumps the weight of a nation onto these poor young exalted bastads, leave them prone to shitting the bed bigtime in these RWC games.

So change it up.

Exuding such a preternatural calm can only assuage the rampaging yips. So what if he looks like an arrogant fluffybunny. He'll wear it for the win. If he loses he can say "so what do you want me to do, front up to press conferences cock all-tremble for the lads to see?"

There are magic beans in the dry powder tank.

We've seen them.

Jesus, I was so excited during the Nappy Bonerfarte Jailbreak Massacre of 015 I was rubbing my own little magic beans.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
Experience is a funny thing. Some players mature much younger and are just capable of handling the pressure. Poey and Hooper as prime example.

So Kriel and De Allende are coming in as unknowns. Going to make an interesting match either way.

I really liked De Allende on Sunday morning. Attack and defence. Gonna be a world great in the next couple of years
 

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
In my view, Carter was best on ground against the French. Looked like the Dan Carter of old, controlling play, making line breaks and off loading for other (notably Savea) to score the meat pies. Add to that, his goal kicking is back to the highest standards. He definitely still has what it takes to be the best No 10 going round.


Yeah I didn't get to watch the whole France match but that's not what I wanted to hear :(

Looks like he picked the perfect time to return to form in the past 3 years, although I guess he deserves it given his injury run and his outstanding skill-set as a player.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
Looking forward to a tight hard contest full 80m contest of hard running rugby for SA vs AB's semi final so who ever faces us Aussies in the final are completely buggered:)
 

Jellic87

Chris McKivat (8)
Doesn't seemed to be affected by pressure though. Sure he has the occasional brain explosion, but so does Bismark, or Burger.

Although I get your point I probably should have used a better example.


He can definitely handle the pressure in close matches, but he is prone to the odd brain fade!
 

ACT Crusader

Jim Lenehan (48)
Mank - much is said about the forwards winning games etc, however last week before the French test I wrote that how Carter and Nonu play will largely determine the result.

Both of them were standouts and we put on a big score. The Boks need to crowd them, particularly Nonu. Force him to catch the ball behind the gain line with no space to work with. Of course Nonu has been in superb international form for a number of years now. He's playing with a huge amount of confidence and will be tough to stop. However a few years ago when Deans was coaching the Wallabies, they did this very tactic and it not only shut down Ma'a but it shut down our attack and we were forced to do some very risky stuff that resulted in turnovers and errors. Wallabies won that test.

The other key is Aaron Smith. Whilst Carter and Nonu really set the tone of our attack, Smith's influence can't be understated. Take away his time and force him to kick (not a great kicking game) or dig around, it will starve or at the very least not provide Carter and Nonu the time to control the game.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Goodness me if the 30 seconds of radio sport that I just listened to is any guide then I hope Steve Hansen has banned any form of media contact with NZ in the next 7 days.

Arrogance meter running at about Muhammed Ali level of self confidence.

Reminds me why im on this forum and not a NZ one.

Hell teeth aenas do you think the ABs would be listening to talkback radio from home whilst in London, I sure they not or reading rugby forums, hell even on this one just a week or so again you could read a kiwi poster saying that the ABs had no chance at all against France and Ireland were 95% sure of beating them, not sure if you would remember who posted that;).
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Hell now we got a French ref for this important test. and WP got Rasta for the final. Not looking good.
 

Cardiffblue

Jim Lenehan (48)
Hell teeth aenas do you think the ABs would be listening to talkback radio from home whilst in London, I sure they not or reading rugby forums, hell even on this one just a week or so again you could read a kiwi poster saying that the ABs had no chance at all against France and Ireland were 95% sure of beating them, not sure if you would remember who posted that;).
Is it really a surprise that your fans and coach are cocky given the way all but one team have been clambering over each other to reach the other side of the draw and hoping that someone else will beat you. South Africans deserve credit for being the only team to see the all blacks as just another match in a v long series
 
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