I have a lot I want to say about the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand, and specifically about the Tri-Nation teams, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Northern Hemisphere teams as I do not know their best players, or those fighting to become the first choice.
I’ll start with the obvious favourites New Zealand, Graham Henry has by some margin in world rugby managed to instil a habit of winning in his team, he has advocated changes of the break down laws and implemented them to his advantage and that of his team. What he has also managed to do similar to 2007 is create a group of players with depth in positions that few teams can boast, and then only perhaps in some positions.
The All Blacks have won 2 Tri-Nations tournaments since the last RWC, they have also won 1 Super Rugby tournament during that time and has won 40 Tests out of 48, significantly losing 3 Tests to Australia, 1 Test to France and 5 Tests to South Africa. Three of these Test losses were at home.
Australia during this time has really been the Cinderella team of the three Tri-Nations countries having won no trophies in that period until this year when they won the Super Rugby Competition and now clinched their first Tri-Nations trophy in over a decade. Their record has not been very inspiring indeed when looking at them winning only 28 out of 48 Tests, having lost to New Zealand 11 times, SA 4 times , England twice, Scotland once, Wales once and Samoa once. Significantly only 6 of those losses were at home.
What must be taken into consideration though is that Robbie Deans has started anew, building a squad effectively from scratch. There will only be 8 players from the previous Rugby World Cup squad travelling to New Zealand.
South Africa won two Super Rugby tournament trophies in this time and 1 Tri-Nations Trophy and beat the British and Irish Lions in 2009, but their fortunes can really be looked at as a game of two halves. Since their first match after RWC 2007 until the end of the Tri-Nations 2009, they had 17 wins from 23 Tests. From then on their fortunes dipped, having won only 10 of their last 21 matches, which means they go into this World Cup having won 27 out of 44 Test matches. Losing 7 times to the Wallabies, 6 times to the All Blacks, and once to Ireland, Scotland, France and the British and Irish Lions. Significantly losing 6 Tests at home.
There is much to be said for each of these three teams.
Opinion has it that Peter de Villiers has been the culprit and has not adopted or adapted to the New Law Interpretations after 2009, there is also a thought that injuries of 2009 after the British and Irish Lions series and Tri-Nations of that year had an impact, and the most common excuse amongst South Africans, a lack of motivation and hunger. That still remains the biggest question to be answered at this coming World Cup, with 18 players of the previous World Cup winning squad. How hungry would these players be and would they put everything on the line when faced with a situation of being 10 points down in the last 5 minutes?
South Africa is for me the biggest unknown quantity of the three Tri-Nations teams. On their day and if motivated they will beat anyone, but nobody really knows what is happening in the Springbok camp.
The Wallabies on the other hand, has shown promise and peaked to their potential just in time, where one can almost forget the poor performances of the last few years, whilst Deans was preparing a squad for this World Cup. They have the belief and the backs to win it all, but their forward pack remains their biggest challenge.
The All Blacks as always, have all the right ingredients, the best coach, arguably the best squad, debatable on whether they have the right game plan for finals rugby, but are no doubt the best placed amongst these three teams. The only mistake if you can call it that, was to allow South Africa and Australia to beat them in the last two Tests before the Rugby World Cup. But, and this is a big but, this is perhaps just what they needed to go into a World Cup tournament with their feet on the ground.
Chances are South Africa and New Zealand will meet in one semi final, a hell of a match-up that would be. The perennial finals tactics team vs the most complete team.
Australia should meet either England or France in the other semi final, I would think that they would not deem France as their biggest challenger, but rather those Englishmen from the other side of the world.
Bring on the WORLD CUP!!!!! I cant wait anymore!!! I actually feel fairly confident about the bokke!!! unbelievable as it may seem hahahahaha
Welcome back! THe WC is now certainly a lot more exciting now, and Aus have blown it wide open with NZ really starting to doubt themselves. I still think NZ are favourites to win, but, as with Tripples, I am much more confident in the Bokke.
Yes, can’t wait myself.
Was the Aus game the big choke this year for NZ, or is there still one more waiting for them?
No i don’t think that was a choke, you need to lead the game and then fold like a deck of cards.
We can still hopefully look forward to the “choke”
Too many players in AB squad have ben there and done the choke. Besides the pressure of being home team, and all the silly ad campaigns, they will be putting more pressure on themselves to do better, so the choke will def come sometime in the tourney.
Not completely back yet guys… still sorting out a few issues… propagation and speed not yet done… but talk so long, I’ll work in the background.
AAAAAAAAH, good to have you back.
Ok, now on to the un-fun part.
As long as SA is picking John Smit, the Steyns are NOT on top form, and SA’s backline remains as flat as the Kalahari, there is NO WAY we will win the World Cup.
I was honestly impressed with the Aussies on the weekend, as well as some of France’s showings.
I think NZ might just slip against France in the pool stages, but we will have to wait and see…
Eng, Ire and Scot. Are gonna be no-shows. Eng doesn’t have the inspiration, Ireland doesn’t have the…errr, package.
I really hope that either one of Wales, Arg or even Italy or Japan could give us a few close and good games.
FLUCK I missed this site.
Prediction is Springbok Aussie final, with NZ stumbling on the way and maybe even before the semi’s.
Must say though, they were awesome 2nd half against the Aussies, but they were playing our type of game. Ali Williams is going to be a big factor in this WC.
Propagation of the site, new as is, has not happened all over the world yet, and certain ISP’s will take longer than others to get rid of the cache, bearing the old Domain Name Servers
It is hampering me somewhat as well, because certain of the pages are “see-able” whereas the Admin Panels must still propagate, before I cam streamline more!
😆
Welcome back guys.
@ grootblousmile:
En….wat lag jy nou? 😉
15@ 4man:
Was just testing the smilies
@ grootblousmile:
😆
Hey, back in business….Well done GBS
@ grootblousmile:
cool….sorry I have been multitasking online. The fact that its a bank holiday in the UK has thrown the FOREX market into turmoil as the bankers who do most of it in the world are on holiday. Markets well below capacity and New York is manipulating things their way. Irritating.
@ 4man:
Hello you old wheeler dealer….!
Has it been work, work, work all day?
See the little line under the COMMENT BOX which reads: [+] Zaazu Emoticons Zaazu.com?
Click on the + ….. and there you have some brand new Smilies!
It is 3 years today since GBS Maksimus passed away… I miss the old wise fella!
So who ended up winning Winter tours on bru?
@ grootblousmile:
23
Ai ou vriend die tyd vlieg, die wonde heel maar die letsels bly. Die ou grote het n mooi seun vir ons gegee, jy kan baie trots voel om sy seun te wees. Wat ek in jou sien laat my besef hoe groot yster hy was. Hy is ook in my gedagtes vanaand, drink n ekstra Jerepikotjie namens my op hom.
@ rugbybal:
@ rugbybal:
Ooo sou ou met ovaal vormige balle
Ooo sou ou met ovaal vormige balle
@ rugbybal:
@ rugbybal:
@ rugbybal:
@ rugbybal:
veels geluk rugbybal jy het die deurmekaarste 3 Nations ooit loshande gewen, en weereens bewys dat geen mens Superbru ernstig moet opneem nie.
veels geluk rugbybal jy het die deurmekaarste 3 Nations ooit loshande gewen, en weereens bewys dat geen mens Superbru ernstig moet opneem nie.
veels geluk rugbybal jy het die deurmekaarste 3 Nations ooit loshande gewen, en weereens bewys dat geen mens Superbru ernstig moet opneem nie.
veels geluk rugbybal jy het die deurmekaarste 3 Nations ooit loshande gewen, en weereens bewys dat geen mens Superbru ernstig moet opneem nie.
27@ superBul:
Flok, het jy intussen beginne hakkel?
Nee die bleddie smillies maak so
29@ superBul:
Ek sien hulle is moeilikheidmakertjies!
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