RWC FINAL 2011

On Sunday we have a repeat of the First RWC 1987 FINAL,strangely enough the same Semi-finalists as well.
The All Blacks have won all there matches on the way to it in doing so,they now equal Englands record of
reaching 3 Finals,having won and lost one to date.SO even if they lose only SA/OZ can justifably call them chokers now.
France have struggled,lost two matches,but are in the Final on merit,IF they win on Saturday they will have equaled
England`s record too.
History says two things,France can win when not expected too,but it also shows no side losing a match has won a RWC.
BOTH sides if they turn up are capable of winning it,all week we have the mind games come Sunday we will know.
Good Luck to BOTH teams here`s to a great match,hopefully both sides will finish with 15 aside.

I believe the All Blacks will win no matter what the French throw at them.

biltongbek wrote:I believe the All Blacks will win no matter what the French throw at them.

+ 1

NZ by 16pts

Honestly I think its going to be a hammering for the French. NZ are justifiably the best team in the world. Whilst I would loved Wales to have had a shot at them in the final NZ deserve their place.

I dont think the French have got anything that can trouble the blacks but as usual I think they will target the setpiece and try and set up drives from the lineout. However with the Allblacks centres running straight at the halfbacks I think France will crumble. I expect as big a score as in the group games.

New Zealand will destroy the French in every aspect of the game, 20 to 40 point win depending on how france play. I hope it will be close and exciting however I doubt it will be.

Heres hoping.
Good luck to wales and oz tonight.
Good clash of styles and oz with an all new front row.

To think in 60 odd hours this will all be over.

France scraped through against 14 Welshmen by the skin of their teeth, seriously, what hope do you give them against 15 All Blacks? Is there anybody here who does not think that it will be the most one sided final in RWC history?

Just looked at the records, RWC finals have all been quite close- except the ones in which France played in.

Good point... they prefer the surprise factor- no one hears them coming through the door. The attention is all on the other team then BANG, theyre in.

Happened to us 99 and 07, and just happened to England and Wales.

In the final, theres no hiding and the AB's certainly know this and thats been all the talk, the French ability to surprise.

This time all cards are out on the table...

I just hope for a competitive credible Final.Otherwise those who advocated blind adherence to the "letter of the law" will have something to ponder.Not bitter,just sad.

I just watched a re run of 1999.

C'est La France, c'est le rugby

Great lomu try wasnt it...Carried 5 players on his back to the line almost. One of the freakiest tries I've ever seen...Love to see George 'Lomu' North try that one...

I hope its a good game. I hope I get there and don't get stuck in Auckland traffic, or on public transport (which I'm trying for the first time). Hoping the atmosphere is as good as the Wales/Australia semi and win or lose kiwis are good fans. I'm hoping the game is a better spectical than the knockout games so far. Here's hoping that like many games this world cup (Ireland/Australia, Wales/France, SA/Australia) that the post game commentary isn't dominated by discussion of the referees performance.

Taylorman wrote:Great lomu try wasnt it...Carried 5 players on his back to the line almost. One of the freakiest tries I've ever seen...Love to see George 'Lomu' North try that one...

one of the greatest, he did the same to england in 1995 when he picked up going backwards between 10 m and 22 and then went round the outside, over a few tacklers and in. shame that he never saw a RWC win as he was , in the words of WC, a freak of nature.

but who would compare george with jonah?

Lots of certainty by the supporters....and who wouldnt be certain. France have lost to Tonga no less. Been well beaten by the ABs already and fell over the line against Wales.
It will be a massacre....for certain..

but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTuR7Pr9Csg&feature=related

First two lines...

Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Arise, children of the Fatherland,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
The day of glory has arrived!


Of course they couldnt....

I went to Marseille in 2007 to watch Aus beat England, of course England shocked everyone and beat Aus and that night a bunch of very happy England fans drifted to Rugby Alley in Marseille to watch the NZ take their rightful passage into the semi final.

Have to say after a RWC, several Hong Kong Sevens, numerous games at Twix the Millenium and Paris I have never had a rugby experience like it. Seeing ordinary Frenchmen get emotional and being cheered on by the English was something unique in my rugby experience.

Of course NZ are slated to win and if ever there was a team ready to do that you would say it is this one, but you could say that about 2007.

The total variable here is, which France will show up. We will know within about 5 minutes and i expect NZ to come out all guns blazing to try and keep France in their box.

The nay sayers have written les bleus off, do that at your peril.

Agree...the other thing is how many times can they keep relying on the element of 'surprise'.

They've already caught out England and Wales with it, both favourites even with the bookies.

They are easily the tournaments biggest enigma and just consistently throw the spanner in the works... no ones writing them off. they just have to find 'yet' another rabbit in a hat that seems to be a very big one!

Cette lapin ist gefahrt

loosely translated

That rabbit is a fecker

As one enigmatic Frenchman once said...

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

DOD wrote:As one enigmatic Frenchman once said...

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

Ginola or Cantona?

cantona

Disappointed Gatts...Ginola could never have come up with that...he would have been too busy checking himself out in the mirror....

he is talking about the media to the media- it was classic- not sure if they got the point at the time- probally abit bemused as gatts is

Funny thing is it seems one of two things will happen. France A will turn up, spring one on us and win it, or France B will turn up and the AB's- fully expecting a France A++ will slaughter them. Can't see it any other way.

Weird.....

Taylorman wrote:Funny thing is it seems one of two things will happen. France A will turn up, spring one on us and win it, or France B will turn up and the AB's- fully expecting a France A++ will slaughter them. Can't see it any other way.

Weird.....

Remember what the doormouse said: One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small....don't go chasing rabbits T man!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HmJQyS8QVw

Personally I dont see the slaughter happening...

In 87 they were wrecked from the semi...
In 99 they were so delighted with beating the ABs they forgot the final and never beleived they could win it.
In 95 they were beaten by a ref who did not award benazzi a try in the last minute of the game (no one screams about that) and that was the team that won the series in NZ in 94 and also beat NZ in early 95 to make it 3 in a row) one of the best French teams ever.
In the other years when they have expected to get through they have failed through a rabbit in the headlights approach like England in 07...

This time they have got through to a final with no one appreciating it and playing relatively poorly (although I think they beat England handily and to a large extent against Wales they controlled the game easily).

Its not so cut and dried...the worry is that the NZ players subconscious doesnt think its all over...and even if they dont...how nervous will they be?

The Media as is to be expected making a meal of it ,conspiracy theorists say it is a cunning French Plot.
Only doing enough to win,keeping there secrets from the analysts eyes before the big one.
In any two horse race either result is possible,taking nothing for granted if it`s played the traditional way.
Defence and goal kicking France have the advantage Yachvili and Parra are the most consistent goal kickers in this RWC.
Most of there players are experts at the humble drop goal,something alien to the All Blacks.
The All Blacks are fielding there strongest possible side,if turns out to be a try fest.
Despite France`s capable backs the all Blacks have the fire power to outscore them.
Both sides will try for an early lead,having to come from behind is difficult in a RWC final.
When the talkings done,it`s time to walk the walk now come Sunday we will know.

Taylorman wrote:Agree...the other thing is how many times can they keep relying on the element of 'surprise'.

They've already caught out England and Wales with it, both favourites even with the bookies.

It wasn't surprise that caught out Wales

"
They've already caught out England and Wales with it, both favourites even with the bookies"
-
firstly the bookies dont offer good value odds- in GB its more about who is betting on who, invariable england will be bet on by british punters more than in frnace for example-the bookkeepers need to 'hedge' this exposure somewhat(in real terms they need to make a profit/break even either way) therefore you may get relatively good value on france- Look my point being is that there is no point saying 'both favourites even with the bookies' because thats what you will get anyway in tight situations and one team is british in britain-Wales on the other hand were so close that i know for a fact that in france - france would have been favourites by the bookies, just as wales were only slight favs here.

Will the French be able to apply sustained pressure? NZ has been briefly put under pressure by Tonga and Argentina (Australia was a pressure match the whole way through but they were unable to cause pressure through scoring consistently).

If the French can score regularly then that might create doubt in the ABs. If they fail to score and ship points themselves then the ABs have the players to close out the game whilst not doing anything fancy.

biltongbek wrote:I believe the All Blacks will win no matter what the French throw at them.

Absolutely agree.
The All Blacks by a boatload.

I think this French team is even worse than the 2007 England team, previously the worse RWC finalist. So, despite the historical record of the French to pull off spectacular upsets, I can't that happening here. And that takes into account this is not a great All Black team either. But, obviously, the best in this RWC.

Other than Carter out, how is this not a great All Black team doctor grey? I can think of far worse teams that have turned out for NZ.

I'd normally want France to win, but now I find myself wanting them just to make a game of it at least. NZ deserve a worthy opponent in the final. If they blow away a flaky France, it will devalue the job and I will be gutted for them.