NZ vs Aussie

[DeskJet]

Seven changes from last week, thoughts & predictions?

Starting XV:

1. Wyatt Crockett (5)
2. Keven Mealamu (83)
3. Owen Franks (22)
4. Brad Thorn (50)
5. Ali Williams (63)
6. Jerome Kaino (39)
7. Richie McCaw – captain (96)
8. Kieran Read (30)
9. Piri Weepu (46)
10. Daniel Carter (81)
11. Hosea Gear (6)
12. Ma’a Nonu (58)
13. Conrad Smith (47)
14. Sitiveni Sivivatu (44)
15. Mils Muliaina (96)

Reserves:

16. Andrew Hore (52)
17. Ben Franks (9)
18. Samuel Whitelock (15)
19. Adam Thomson (19)
20. Andy Ellis (18)
21. Colin Slade (3)
22. Sonny Bill Williams (5)

[Heresy]

It's not our strongest 15, but a good team nonetheless. I haven't seen much of Gear this year... I will be interested to see how he gets on.

[JERI]

Man I'm excited for this game.

ABs by 9pts

[Spoon1]

Originally Posted by DeskJet

11. Hosea Gear (6)

Yaaaay!

14. Sitiveni Sivivatu (44)

Nooooo!

[PhX]

AB's must be the most experienced team at the rwl.

[wazza]

Was surprised to see Sitiveni in there tbh. Not a fan!

Going to be a fucking huge game. Still unsure where I'm going to watch it. Had a few offers to go to the game but shit seating.

Pub or a mates, pub or a mates.

[CCS]

No Jane? Rotation under a different name?

[Heresy]

Originally Posted by CCS

No Jane? Rotation under a different name?

I think he's just giving people game time, who otherwise haven't much. Fiji can't really be considered fair opposition, so Sivi deserves a run against a decent opponent. That said, Jane is a better winger at the moment.

[_Incubus_]

I really really hope we win, if we dont we a)lose self belief and b)create self belief for the aussie team...both less than ideal for the rwc

[Macca@Work]

Dunno why Steve Hansen was upset over the Wallabies' lack of respect..It's not the first time they've talked themselves up then had to eat crow..

(Campo back in the day.."The all blacks forward pack...they suck lollol" when referring to Buck Shelford..the Whetton Brothers etc...)

[xor]

Holy fuck.

The Ab's are so mechanical. They just destroy.

[xor]

norwaysport.co.uk

[Savage]

Is the ref not seeing the Aussie forward passes? Am I imagining them?

[andre]

Originally Posted by Savage

Is the ref not seeing the Aussie forward passes? Am I imagining them?

yeah man, i was thinking the same thing.

[Maulmonk]

no you're not imagining them, i swesar coopers does liker 5 forward passes this half alone!

I hope the aussie make it close, need to build some confidence in winning close!

[Savage]

Yeah, a lot more interesting having three actual contenders in the tri-nations series ... now just need bloody De Villiers to use a real team (if the claims that he's playing a second rate team while resting his first stringers are true).

Great to see NZ bringing it through despite the forward pass oversights. Kinda feeling sorry for O'Connor tonight, even if it is going our way.

[Maulmonk]

well, looks like the refs just turning a blind eye to forward passess and knock ons today. From both sides,...the Abs have been pretty guilty!

Bring on SBW!

[xor]

Cya later, Gear. No place for you, son.

[Maulmonk]

to be honest, i don't think we can truly go wrong with any of our choices at wing,

Guildford,Sitiveni,Gear, Jane.

My pick would be sitiveni and jane, but wouldn't make that much of a difference IMO

[Deadmeat]

^xor
What makes you say that? Seemed to me the ball hardly went in his direction all game.

[xor]

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

^xor
What makes you say that? Seemed to me the ball hardly went in his direction all game.

I guess it could be a harsh judgement but he was never in the right place at the right time.

Best moment of the match was Elsom getting taken out by Owen Franks. That mofo tackled him with his chest!

[JERI]

The All Blacks played like the Wallabies owe them money. Damn Carter's work rate tonight was freaky!

[Deadmeat]

Yea i'll definitely grant you his name was almost never mentioned. The odd time he did touch he didn't embarrass himself though. Sivi's had enough games and his performance tonight will nail his slot, i'd like to see Gear/Jane for the next game.

Weepu was decent I thought, certainly a solid option as a start. Carter had a huge one, they just shouldn't let him kick goals in Wellington. Give it to Piri.

[BoyWonder]

Originally Posted by xor

Best moment of the match was Elsom getting taken out by Owen Franks. That mofo tackled him with his chest!

Woohoo! Just got home from the match

Best moment IMO was Weepu sending Cooper flying away from the ruck

[StN]

Hey Aussie - pro tip - you'd get more points if you didn't have Justin Beiber kicking...

[Deadmeat]

Last thought for the night...
They can take that overhead cam and shove it, most disorienting viewpoint ever. It's periodically useful to show a scrum after the fact but when you go to it every single time.

[Dazza]

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

Last thought for the night...
They can take that overhead cam and shove it, most disorienting viewpoint ever. It's periodically useful to show a scrum after the fact but when you go to it every single time.

You think it's bad now, wait till you see it in 3D !!!!

[Ab]

Originally Posted by JERI

The All Blacks played like the Wallabies owe them money. Damn Carter's work rate tonight was freaky!

This. Every second tackle seemed to be made by a guy in a black jersey with a 10 on it.

[StN]

Sometimes he even seemed to be tackling two people at the same time.

[pig]

Carter was awesome, I don't think i have ever seen him tackle so well. Cooper on the other hand was cack - also wtf is his problem with Richie he always seems to be trying to put the dirt in on him.
Pocock didn't seem to do much either, as far as wing options I wouldn't mind seeing Guildford & Jane get a shot as I like the way Zac gets himself involved. Ioane was dangerous for them given the little ball & opporunity he had.

[_Incubus_]

It made my eyes smile! Loved seeing Cooper totally at sixes and sevens, he had no idea how to deal with the pressure, throwing intercept passes, no look flicks in goal...and the sad panda close ups of him all night...what a wanker...hahaa

[Macca@Work]

Originally Posted by _Incubus_

It made my eyes smile! Loved seeing Cooper totally at sixes and sevens, he had no idea how to deal with the pressure, throwing intercept passes, no look flicks in goal...and the sad panda close ups of him all night...what a wanker...hahaa

And the slow mo replay of Ritchie shoving him in the face.Classic.

[Macca@Work]

Originally Posted by StN

Hey Aussie - pro tip - you'd get more points if you didn't have Justin Beiber kicking...

lol yeah my mate watching the game with me said the same thing

[CCS]

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

Last thought for the night...
They can take that overhead cam and shove it, most disorienting viewpoint ever. It's periodically useful to show a scrum after the fact but when you go to it every single time.

I didn't mind that camera so much but they seem to be still figuring out how they should use it. They really need to cut away from the overhead shot of the scrum before they engage.

[fixed_truth]

Loved this from the herald:

"Quade Cooper won't be in a rush to come back to Eden Park after the All Blacks shut him down and smacked him around a bit.

By the final quarter he had the look of a man that wanted to be back in Queensland, the sun on his back, a pina colada in one hand, his iPhone in the other merrily tweeting about just how great he really is."

[_Incubus_]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

Loved this from the herald:

Yeah but that doesn't sound too bad...because they left out the best bit....banging Stephanie Rice..

[Deadmeat]

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/08/07...-and-stand-up/

After the Thrilla-in-Manila heavyweight fight in 1975, Joe Frazier said of Muhammad Ali, “Man, I hit him with punches that’d bring down the walls of a city” and Ali said, “It was like death. Closest thing to dying that I know of”.

Compare, contrast and giggle. Whereas Ali and Frazier were both prepared to go to war and die, the all-a-Twitter Wallabies were perhaps prepared to go to an extra-hard pillowfight and come away with a tummyache.

[deh]

Originally Posted by _Incubus_

Yeah but that doesn't sound too bad...because they left out the best bit....banging Stephanie Rice..

seen her drunk at a couple of parties and fuck she turns into quite a cock chaser, grinding between 2 guys on dancefloor, dirty dancing, taking her top off etc pretty funny.

game last night was pretty awesome, was awesome seeing such innovative back moves/lineout moves pulled off. how fast the defensive line came up was also good. the workrate/fitness of the team is looking really impressive.

dan carter was on another level - best flanker/five eight on the field.

australia just seemed intimidated/nervous.. the only guys on the field who wernt had awesome games (higginbothim/ione), still didnt get why australia was hyped up so much, there 1-1 record really didnt give them anything to be so confident about. i think in a few more games they'll be a completely different team with some mental toughness and still be a threat come world cup time.

[ZoSo]

Where's the love for Smith. He was on fire. Carter got all the props, but Smith was MotM for me.

[Cinclant]

Originally Posted by StN

Hey Aussie - pro tip - you'd get more points if you didn't have Justin Beiber kicking...

Was in a pub with some Aussies. They were giving Carter a hard time saying "he needs the ball in front of the goal to get a shot at kicking them".

I told them that they weren't getting their goals as Bieber had hair spary in his eyes.