Touche!
RWC 2011 SF2: Australia vs. New Zealand
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Touche!
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chriscullen
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Obviously the All Blacks will start faves regardless of injuries, they are on home turf and although not playing great nor are the wallabies. I hope it's a cracker of a game and just to be different I'm tipping a draw. Extra time draw, 2nd extra time a draw, and woodcock to win it with the place kicking competition.
aussie1st
Alfred Walker (16)
Too late to be changing our 10, just have to hope Cooper doesn't go any worse. Barnes would be good to have at 12, we were well beaten in the kicking department by SA and if we give that much to NZ we might not be as lucky. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) seems to go missing a bit too much for my liking but again too late to be trying new players.
#1 Tah
Chilla Wilson (44)
now this is where we will miss Benn Robinson :fishing
Don't you mean Matt Dunning?
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Playing a centre to protect inside channel and cover cooper didn't work. Poor sod has too much work to do
Cardiffblue
Jim Lenehan (48)
Let's hope Beale's ok, else attacking optins will be limited. Whilst on, he was magic
lincoln
Bob Loudon (25)
I may have missed some low points but I thought today he was simply ordinary whereas he previously showed a propensity for stunningly bad option taking - I expect him to start next week but pray and hope we see no stunningly bad options. Guys, every other team has been watching the videos and know how to reduce QC (Quade Cooper)'s options. The Darkness will close him down early which hopefully opens up opportunities for Bieber and KB (Kurtley Beale).
Bruwheresmycar
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
We have Pocock, so we have a chance!
Seriously though, NZ at Eden Park are always going to be favorites. We just need to get the basics right and hope they are off their game, or the pressure becomes too much.
Argentina got most of the basics right against NZ, went in only 5 points behind at half time. Their defence seemed to fall to pieces in the 2nd though.
Seriously though, NZ at Eden Park are always going to be favorites. We just need to get the basics right and hope they are off their game, or the pressure becomes too much.
Argentina got most of the basics right against NZ, went in only 5 points behind at half time. Their defence seemed to fall to pieces in the 2nd though.
No, he did take some stunningly bad options. It's time for him to put in one of his top notch games. And I don't mean fancy-freak manouevres, but smart play as we saw in the S15 at times.
jollyswagman
Ron Walden (29)
I was freaking out a little after last nights match as what I watched from the Aussies was nothing like I have ever seen, in recent times, from a Wallaby side. At the end of the game I was left scratching my head thinking we have got zero chance next and that the ABs are going to tear us apart. After a good nights sleep I am actually feeling quite confident about our chances. If Genia can improve his option taking 50%, if QC (Quade Cooper) can improve his form 50%, and we can defend with the same commitment then we have a better than good chance......and it wouldn't be bad if we had the same lady running the luck department also.
For me QC (Quade Cooper) has been in poor form of late, with the Italian game being the last time I gave him a pass mark. The longer his form slump goes on , the better his chances of bringing out the big one in my opinion and if there was ever a match for him to silence his critics, then next week would be the one. It would be a huge moment for him to have a blinder next week and bring the ABs to their knees. I believe it will be his biggest test to date and his performance next week may be a career defining moment for him. Should he manage to pull off what we all know he his capable, then the Abs are going to have along day at the office as even the best side in th world is going to have a very hard time beating AUS with Cooper on fire and brick wall defense.
For me QC (Quade Cooper) has been in poor form of late, with the Italian game being the last time I gave him a pass mark. The longer his form slump goes on , the better his chances of bringing out the big one in my opinion and if there was ever a match for him to silence his critics, then next week would be the one. It would be a huge moment for him to have a blinder next week and bring the ABs to their knees. I believe it will be his biggest test to date and his performance next week may be a career defining moment for him. Should he manage to pull off what we all know he his capable, then the Abs are going to have along day at the office as even the best side in th world is going to have a very hard time beating AUS with Cooper on fire and brick wall defense.
Langthorne
Phil Hardcastle (33)
I'm feeling more optimistic than I expected to, even though I have no good reason to be. We have loads of issues, but after the SA match I feel that the ABs aren't perfect and we seem to have worked out how to jag a match.
teach
Trevor Allan (34)
As shaky as we are at 1st V, at least the AB's don't have to constantly rearrange the backline to compensate for Cooper's poor defense. He is going to be tested and you saw last night how just one try can do it.
Not sure if Pocock will be quite as invisible this week. As has been noted by australian posters (so the moderators don't edit me!), Pocock got away with what was clearly cheating last night, well it would be under any other ref. It was not pushing the rules, it was playing to a ref who clearly though anything goes. While I have no doubt that McCaw would have done something similar if he could see that he was going to get away with it, Pocock might find that this week's referee saw the game, knows he does it, and could well be looking just that little bit harder.
Bet we hear "Hands off Gold 7!" just as much as "Hands off Black 7". Be interesting to see who judges the ref the best early on. I think a small bet on first stoppage of play being a penalty against gold or black 7 might be in order.
Not sure if Pocock will be quite as invisible this week. As has been noted by australian posters (so the moderators don't edit me!), Pocock got away with what was clearly cheating last night, well it would be under any other ref. It was not pushing the rules, it was playing to a ref who clearly though anything goes. While I have no doubt that McCaw would have done something similar if he could see that he was going to get away with it, Pocock might find that this week's referee saw the game, knows he does it, and could well be looking just that little bit harder.
Bet we hear "Hands off Gold 7!" just as much as "Hands off Black 7". Be interesting to see who judges the ref the best early on. I think a small bet on first stoppage of play being a penalty against gold or black 7 might be in order.
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