Review of the last International year for your team?

First topic message reminder :

I was wondering if any of you would be kind enough to write a few words on how you feel the season went for your National Team this year. I guess for you antipodeans this comes a little late though it is still prior to the start of your new season, and for those non-antipodeans, ("podeans" sounds wrong so ill run with a double negative) for the sake of a conclusive style thread lets just consider the International season to close with the club season. The forth coming summer tours and Barbarian games to be part of the future.

Some Results should you have forgotten....!

RWC - NZ 1st, France 2nd, Aus 3rd, Wales 4th
3N - Australia 1st, NZ 2nd, SA 3rd
6N - Wales GS, Eng 2nd, Ire 3rd, France 4th, Ita 5th, Scots 6th

IRB Rankings top ten

1 NEW ZEALAND
2 AUSTRALIA
3 SOUTH AFRICA
4 ENGLAND
5 WALES
6 FRANCE
7 ARGENTINA
8 IRELAND
9 TONGA
10 SAMOA



In the endeavour to create an interesting thread minus pointless trolling mocking and jeering. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do to encourage a review of your own club before you start to pass opinion on what other board members have contributed as opinions of their own clubs.

Oz would be disappointed at losing anything-that's their way and it's admirable so even though 3rd would be par for them as far as matching rankings go they'd still be bitterly disappointed about losing to us (and losing their unbeaten record vs NZ at WCs).

Wales really need to win in Oz-despite injuries. Otherwise they'd go back to the drawing board confidence wise. Remember their Cup record was 4-3 so reflects inconsistency.

We do have it great Kia, and I'm still scratching my head about being able to watch rugby this time every four years without the hint of nausea. We have had certain things, such as the Cup drought, to keep us honest and driven though. I hope that we can continue to keep being that driven. The pain of the failed WCs won't go away-well 95 and 07 in particular-so I hope the guys still use that as motivation. No side has worn the mantle of World Champions as well as the 87 team and I'd like to see the team strive to emulate that. Though it's not bloody likely (three test losses in those four years leading up to 91).

No side has worn the mantle of World Champions as well as the 87 team and I'd like to see the team strive to emulate that

Well we didn't do to badly under Mallet, 72% win ratio and 17 wins in a row. got knocked out of the 99 world cup by a freak drop kick by Larkham.

Not too shabby with all the other that went on during the time.

Yeah I remember that streak Biltong-basically we were gonna get thumped by whoever won your semi so I'm not bitter about the semi result (am cheesed off that noone stood up to the biting and ball grabbing that went on though-very un AB like). But half the period of SA's tenure was dominated by the ABs who lost one match in that time and was possibly the best AB team I've seen in the flesh. The 4-1 result over the Boks was not only significant as it included the first series win in SA, it was very much revenge for the World Cup Final and all that went on there.

Part of that was Markgraaf's era wasn't it? Boy that fella wasn't too crash hot.

biltongbek wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Biltong,

would take PDV in a second over Robinson. In fact would take Lady Gaga as coach over Robinson (and Townsend at Glasgow next season too).

At least PDV would find a way of excusing Hamilton's latest rampage. Rugby isn't ballet!

So he managed to get to you guys, eh?

Why would we want P Divvy when my half blind and mildly racist Aunty Janis is available to coach instead?

George Carlin wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Biltong,

would take PDV in a second over Robinson. In fact would take Lady Gaga as coach over Robinson (and Townsend at Glasgow next season too).

At least PDV would find a way of excusing Hamilton's latest rampage. Rugby isn't ballet!

So he managed to get to you guys, eh?

Why would we want P Divvy when my half blind and mildly racist Aunty Janis is available to coach instead?

The question here, George, is your Aunty Janis as entertaining as PDV?

biltongbek wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

biltongbek wrote:Not much to say for the era of PDV last year is there?

There were still a few high points though Bill...

Onwards and upwards mate...!

You are right of course, high points were when PDV left and John Smit retired.

Without being disrepectful to Wales, we always expect to win our pool, that isn't supposed to be an achievement, if we did lose to Wales it would have created uproar in SA.

Funnily enough Bil I found myself celebrating with the Boks after the game and proper humble they were too obviously massively relieved but all ' you should have won' and 'you were unlucky'. Rugby fellowship eh. Great OP, Maes. Spot on

Don, I reckon the fans at home were even more relieved, I personally think tat is the best Wales has ever played against us.

Right through the game we were never in control, it was a shock to see how ineffective our forwards were in controlling possession and the pace of the game.

I perscribe that win to Francois hougaard being at his best.

We finished well, the only thing we did do well in that match, apart from some proper gung ho defence.

If you take that match in comparison to the Australia QF (apart of course of my dearest friend Bruce Lawrence), we did exactly what wales did against us, control territory, possession and failed the same way Wales did against us, we never finished.

My team primary is New Zealand,RWC winners,Bledisloe Cup Winners,Womans RWC winners,Junior RWC winners, Sevens World Series winners[repeated today].Just two blots on the Horizon the Super 15 and the 3Ns title,the 3Ns sacrificed for a RWC.That ANY member of an AllBlacks Coaching team should say who remembers a 3Ns title is shameful in my opinion[also applies to the Boks].That ANY Tournament concerning THE greatest Rivals in the games history so Cavalierly is to me a disgrace.I know most of my NZ friends g don`t see things in the same light,but all know my ethos.You play EVERY Test to win and field the strongest available side.I am not a hypocrite that has aLWAYS ben my stance.Of my two Native Teams England had a good 6Ns winnig it plus wins over Australia pre RWC,poor RWC,then done pleasingly well since.
Scotland just can`t seem to score tries.difficult to beat but little progress,Wales had a good RWC,and kicked on 3 Grand Slams in 7 years not to be sneezed at.
Ireland a good RWC win versus Australia but disappointing.France well there France brilliant one match dire the next..Australia Super 15 and 3Ns winner ,good RWC ,look dangerous.