well, of course the Kiwis should walk the final but good god, I’ll find it hysterically funny if they do the Kiwi Choke again 🙂

boing

Yeah I’m a dual passport holder that is correct, but I find supporting my birth nation usually means short tournaments. 😀
We’ve already horsed France 37-17 in this tournament you know, yes France are erratic but the ABs will come out charging and hopefully smash them to bits.

Another glitchywankybumpy?

ggggggglitch

bumpy

4040!

4041?

Can some IT dude explain why it seems to be taking more “glitchywankyfuckybumpies” to move the page on as the thread gets more and more gargantuan?

I’nt le clubbér a bit of a plastique as well?

Just back tracking a bit to the spear tackle argument (sorry) I understand the whole premise of wether it is red or not comes down to what strikes the ground first, which seems a bit questionable as the recipients athleticism could potentially save the tackler.

If the players head and / or upper body come into contact with the ground while the feet are still elevated, then its a red. All the teams, along with the refs were warned of a zero tolerance policy prior to the competition starting.

As far as i am aware the ref is not permitted to use video footage for such instances, which could be addressed ????

That said I’d say we will be without SBW next week for his return to the league hit up style, and rightly so, that was a blatant shoulder drop.

DD I reckon it’s because some posts got deleted but the count doesn’t recognise that so the pages and posts are out of sync.

as to plastique, maybe, maybe not. I’ve got dual nationalité. Always lived in England but French mum. Dad and Grandad half English by virtue of growing up in England like me. All bilingual, often speak French when together. Oh and we all smell of garlic 😉

…and will be longing for the glory days of Serge Blanco next Sunday… 😉

Ah right, half plastique then. 😀

probably but I can live with that. I’ll still be hoping that the world champions of choking don’t let me down 😀

I shall be cheering on Les Bleus too clubber. I have no idea why but I just want to see them win it.

Celtic thing isn’t it. historically everyone against les rosbifs 😉

Google the “Auld Alliance” Our reason for favouring the French over our colonial masters. However ‘mon the Scottish Exiles! NZ live and breathe the game, taking into account the French use of “le plastique” in the hull of boats,and use of “le Nuclear” in the Pacific,and most importantly how gash they have been so far,I want NZ to win,ideally by a lot, after the French have had THEIR entire back row red carded.(JUST FOR YOU A-A) I then hope Mr Livremont has a dodgy bulb of garlic at the post match wake and spends the entire flight home crapping himself.

Not that I am sitting on a fence.

Dirty litter bugs the Welsh 🙂

Lol at duckman. NZ supporter here, because I hope to see some exciting rugby in the final. And hoping for third place obviously, as AA says we NEED to step up and actually start winning games.

I want to see a NH team beat one of the three big SH teams (once more anyway) 😀

zokes you do type some shit and seem to have a complete inibility to read.

Well, you seem to have spent most of this thread being quite offensive towards anyone who dares mention England, so why stop at that when you can resort to personal insults? I pity the kids you teach… (I am aware of the irony of this, but you’re getting more than slightly tiresome).

The main reason most of the sporting world dislike England teams (as you have so eloquently put yourself before) is because they are cocky, boorish and feel they deserve to be there. This is a given. What is puzzling me is why is it ok when you’re Welsh to yabber on all week about how you’ll be tonking the Aussies in the final. Then, when it all goes wrong, there’s 6 pages of crying and anguish about the ref – very similar to an English football thread actually.

And now, it seems the ABs are going to ‘smash’ the French. Well, we’ll see on that one.

I would suggest it is you who needs to take your blinkers off and look at what has been written on this thread.. No, not all Welsh or Kiwis are behaving like this, but i think you’ll find that contrary to your hateful prejudices (and you used that word), neither do all the English.

Laughs at Zokes trolling,until this bit.

I pity the kids you teach… (I am aware of the irony of this, but you’re getting more than slightly tiresome).

I think you owe him an apology for that, or is it ok for you to complain about insults, but question somebody’s ability to teach? Or does he have to like the English team as a requirement for GTC registration?

Bravo only took 4000 posts to bring this thread to the usual level.

Just one thing that I don’t think has been mentioned much is France’s remarkably low penalty count in both the England game and the Wales game. I can’t find any stats but I don’t think they gave away a single kickable penalty in the first half of the England game.

Given the amount of time they spent defending in the Wales game they gave the Welsh few opportunities to kick for goal. Of course it doesn’t help that the ones they did give away weren’t kicked between the posts.

France’s discipline in the last two games has really surprised me.

Wales should have won the game regardless of red card, should have beat SA too but failure to close out these games will be a question mark over their claim to being a great side. Loads of ability and some very exciting young players they could develop into the best team in the world.
It does seem that because of the ABE attitude that lots of the northern hemisphere sides just view beating England as being a great team, and performances are not consistent enough.
Refs and coaches were informed that they want to stamp out the dangerous tackle so could have just been yellow but don’t think red was totally unjustified. Feel for him because he has been magnificent and would like to see how he coped with RM.
AB were very good, incredibly physical and hope they bring this game to the final. They are the best team in the world, have been for a long time and deserve another world cup.

Bruce Wee – stats galore on
http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93502.html

France 6 penalties against Wales – but Wales only 8

France 12 penalties against england, england only 6
http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/match/93499.html

Zokes – you really do do what you complain of others doing – and are one of the worst. Maybe you don’t feel that way but you come over very bitter, angry and one eyed

Interestingly for the England game, even though France gave away twice as many penalties England never attempted to kick any of them. This suggests to me that in defence they are very good at avoiding getting pinged.

They gave away far more kickable penalties against Wales but given the amount of time the Welsh spent in the French half on the attack I still think they were far more disciplined than many teams in the tournament.

Either that or they didnt compete very hard for the ball at the break down 😉

They gave away far more kickable penalties against Wales but given the amount of time the Welsh spent in the French half on the attack I still think they were far more disciplined than many teams in the tournament.

Or had an extra man?

Yup, both are valid points, I just find it interesting that France who have a reputation for being temperamental and prone to moments of madness are proving to be keeping a very level head these days.

By the way, during this years 6N, France was the only team to go the whole tournament with no yellow cards. Wales got three, Scotland and England two, and Irealand and Italy one. Not conclusive at all but interesting.

France who have a reputation for being temperamental and prone to moments of madness are proving to be keeping a very level head these days.

This French team are lacking a lot of things that French teams from the past had. Including their lack of discipline.

In theory the ABs should win at a canter. Les Bleus have been hopeless despite getting this far. If only Tonga had beaten Canada we wouldn’t be in this mess. 🙁

However, anybody remember the last RWC? Powerhouse in-form team annihilate hapless clods in group phase only to meet them again in the final and barely scrape past them (aided by some dodgy refereeing).

Personally, I wish the French were not in the final. I’d love to see them get the 50pt thrashing they deserve but there’s that tiny bit in me, as a true rugby fan, that will still root for the French if they actually turn on the style and make a game of it.

What namastebuzz said ^^^

The best team won on Saturday.
The best team won on Sunday.
The best team will win and pick up the World cup next weekend.
That is beyond debate in my eyes.

So, what are the welsh options for covering the openside now? Lydiate?

So, what are the welsh options for covering the openside now? Lydiate?

Does it really matter? The prize has gone.

I know it’s a game of rugby and it’s there to be won but 3rd place play-offs are a waste of time.

The thing is, we have been waiting for the whole cup for France to spark,and they haven’t. I don’t think they can,certainly off the scraps they will get off the AB’s.

Surely wales will start with Ryan Jones/faletau/lydiate as the back row.

or possibly the other way around…as I have no idea how the standard notation goes and I always **** it up…but shewerly it will be a straight swap…Ryan for Sam…leaving Toby and lydiate where they are