I’ll take that score line..

Just need to ramp it up. The ABs look rattled..

OT but did anyone else just see the Audi R8 advert and think its a little bit unusual to be advertising a car like that on TV? Maybe they think rugby fans have a lot of disposable income!

AB backs disappointing – Nonu aside – esp Mlner Skudder. Poor in the air so far

Andy, was more worried by Apple watch as sat navigation on a scooter advert!

SA scrum is mullering them.

McCaws pass was NZ-forward. ie: if it was a good phase of running rugby, then what’s half a metre between friends?

Cracking game so far. Proper arm wrestle.

Good drop goal.

Poor scrum management from NZ. If you’re under pressure, then the ball should go route 1. In, out, gone.

Was hoping for an upset but as Wales proved against RSA, you can’t be camped in your own half and expect to win.

Well the ABs will be glad to get that one out of the way.

The Boks did well to hang in there – with a bit of help from the ref – but they should have been put away.

Despite the conditions the ABs kicked it away far too much. Endless useless grubber kicks too.

Aaron Smith was poor and threw some awful passes. Kieran Read was terrible. He’s had a really poor RWC. Hansen should’ve dropped him and it would be a big call to leave him out for the final – but he should. Read’s previously limpet like hands seem to have been coated with teflon this RWC.

The pre-planned sub of SBW for Nonu was silly too. Nonu was immense and had just beautifully set up the 2nd try and then got hauled off. SBW was ok but he blew a 3-2 overlap with another pointless grubber.

Still, the ABs usually play superbly after a poor performance so look out Aus/Arg.

Bit disappointed over here in SA. But the guys did as well as they could. So many points through penalties – so few points (!) through tries! The AB’s were the better team.

Anyway, has anyone else spotted that on the pitch, there are a lot of times when McCaw appears on camera, and he looks like he’s the least enthusiastic bloke on the pitch?

I would be stating the obvious if I said I thought he might retire after his one, but he does look tired of it.

There’s nothing much else to do over there, apart from look at hills, or join a comedy folk duo.

I always thought Gatland’s law was to not select more than 2 overseas players at a time but he was already starting more “overseas” players than that each game this RWC???

I guess too that Preistland is probably feeling a bit “Hook-like” and a bit of a spare part in the current setup and feels he needs a bit of time to challenge Biggar more for a starting position… seems fair enough

😆

Wow, did you watch me play?

When I played 8 and was going backwards I’d be telling my No9 to be getting the ball away as fast as possible. I was in no shape or form a good player, but these things are the simple basic stuff you teach kids. Pro players must like to make it hard for themselves.

Argentina v Australia is shaping up to be another cracker.

I always though it would be the water carriers. Quickly on and pass on messages.

What is in the rules about coaching from the sidelines?

Water carriers dont tend to have earpieces but they are given instructions to take on. Medics and physios do tend to have earpieces and are often asked to pass on coaching messages. The legality of this is dubious to say the least, but who is going to say anything to the physio or doc?

My dad is fuming about that pass for the tey that he swears was forward. To me it looked like it appeared forward because it went upwards. A long conversation ensued about what constitutes forward.

If there was no tmo and the commentators didn’t mention it it can’t have been that forward surely?

it is all about the direction as it leaves his hands, if it moves in the air and goes forwards it is still counted as a good pass – how the hell the ref judges that I have no idea