Rugby World Cup 2007 thread

[CarlK]

Gav asked for it - let's get into the Rugby.

If the All Blacks lose the Bledisloe i'm going back to the shrink. I can't handle the fact that the AB's are so dominant between World Cups, yet fall at the ultimate hurdle :-(

I remember them winning in 1987. Since then nothing. Thats 20 years of heartache. Please, if there is a God, have mercy...

[BentFishBoy]

pfft, world cup, who needs it. Top ranked team pretty much perenially = no. 1. Who cares about a little tournament every four years that's more a money making venture than a true test of who the best is?

[BentFishBoy]

Ok, so we all care about it and we're going to spend the next couple of months with our hearts in our mouths waiting for the all blacks to screw up what should be a sitter.

It was worth a try though.

[Nicky]

I'm glad you called bulls**t on that last one yourself Benson because otherwise I was going to have to do it.

Though last time I think I would have even preferred to see NZ win than the bloody boring poms.

PS. Field goals should be worth 1 or 2 points at the most.

[BentFishBoy]

I so concur. I think I b*tched to Hamish about that very thing just a couple of weeks ago. Field goals have no place in the modern game. Especially not for same amount of points as a penalty.

If NZ screw up, then go anyone else from the Southern Hemisphere.

[CarlK]

I disagree - field goals are the result of attacking pressure that culminates in execution under pressure of a difficult skill.
Penalties suck - they slow the game down & reward slow attacking teams by giving them a subjective advantage (the referres point of view). They culminate in a carefully executed place kick without any defensive pressure on the kicker.

Rugby is perfect - don't mess with the rules ;-)

[BentFishBoy]

Nah bollocks. Anyone can get field position for an attempt at goal, it's just boring as hell. Look at the english for gods sake. The most effective and economical way to play rugby would be to push upfield and always take the first opportunity for a field goal. It remains the easiest way to score points - i.e. it's a complete wuss out. Fortunately, nobody (not even the english) dares face the backlash such a style of play would create.

[CarlK]

The Pom's are the World Cup Champions.

I could care less how the AB's win be it food poisoning, drop goals, anything- as long as they win i can't take it anymore.

[atapene]

well,if you look at the stats the ABs winning it with drop goals would be pretty unlikely... we dropgoal the least out of anyone, and our kickers have the lowest dropgoal stats of all the internationals in those positions from all the other countries.

the last kiwi to dropkick a goal at a world cup was probably zinzan brooke in SA!

[CarlK]

Time to get some practice up then - maybe at Eden Park.
We need to score from every attack in the World Cup