Road to World Cup 2015

Discussion in 'Rugby Union Discussion' started by Magrat Garlick, Dec 4, 2012.

Page 6 of 43

  1. Athlai JJD Heads

    In the professional era NZ has only lost one game at Eden Park.

    France in 1994.
     
    Athlai, Dec 24, 2013
    #101

  2. Notsure SM Green

    I think in the past the All Blacks have definitely been the best team but that doesn't mean the World Cup was ever their right. In 2015 the All Blacks will have to be favourites for the World Cup. They probably will have say a 40% chance of winning the tournament. What that means is that they have a greater chance of winning it than any other team but it is more likely that someone else wins it than the All Blacks. The All Blacks can actually not win a World Cup by not choking like in 2003 where they were outplayed by the better team. 1999 was the biggest choke because they lead by so much. 2007 was quite bad too how they couldn't nor did they try to kick a drop goal but there were other factors involved.
     
    Notsure, Dec 24, 2013
    #102

  3. Notsure SM Green

    Isn't the professional era 1996 onwards?
     
    Notsure, Dec 24, 2013
    #103

  4. Athlai JJD Heads

    Technically yes it was opened up in 1995 but I pretty much see the beginning of the professional era as being the start of the 1990s and as reflecting the careers of the proper professional players.
     
    Athlai, Dec 24, 2013
    #104

  5. Athlai JJD Heads

    My sort of view of the history of rugby combines the 5 point try changeover and professionalism as being the real sort of products of the modern game. To a lesser extent I include the first World Cup as being the modern game but I tend to just consider it the harbringer of it and the game as we see it today as beginning in the 1990s and actually properly coming into being during the 1995 world cup.
     
    Athlai, Dec 24, 2013
    #105

  6. Athlai JJD Heads

    Athlai, Dec 24, 2013
    #106

  7. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Huh. Wobblies have a much better record versus NZ than yer Yarps. Wouldn't have guessed it.

    NZ are definitely the team against which others measure themselves tho. The first time I really believed we were a chance for 2003 was when we beat them down there.
     
    The Boy Brumby, Dec 24, 2013
    #107

  8. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    Hurricane, Dec 24, 2013
    #108

  9. Furball G Furball

    Wouldn't that be a 1990s hangover?

    Australia were pretty much the premier team when I was growing up.
     
    Furball, Dec 24, 2013
    #109

  10. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Yeah, looks that way. NZ v Oz in the 90s

    Early & late 90s especially; Wobblies won 5/6 from 91-92 & then 4/5 from 98-99.

    Obvz we had WCs in 91 & 99 which they won, so yer crims were definitely peaking at the right times too, because NZ still hold a winning record in the decade.
     
    The Boy Brumby, Dec 24, 2013
    #110

  11. Starris ER Starris

    Yeah Australia had a stint there where we lost 5 on the trot.
    Hated every minute of it.
     
    Starris, Dec 28, 2013
    #111

  12. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Yanks qualify.

    Into the same group as SA, Samoa and yer Sweaties.
     
    The Boy Brumby, Mar 30, 2014
    #112

  13. Howe JHF Howe

    Group A looks tougher every time I look. Turns out the 4th team in there will be Fiji, Goneva and all, who would probably challenge for 2nd place in group B or C.

    Japan have pretty much qualified btw, they only have to win the Asian 5 Nations. It's a competition in which they've won 24 matches out of 24 so far (all bonus point wins) and last year they scored 300 points and conceded 8 in the four games.
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2014
    Howe, Mar 30, 2014
    #113

  14. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    It will be a dog fight but England will go through.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2014
    Hurricane, Mar 31, 2014
    #114

  15. Howe JHF Howe

    Hurricane I like your BS :(
     
    Howe, Mar 31, 2014
    #115

  16. Alex Mediocre MBE A Mediocre

    Gutted.
     
    Alex Mediocre MBE, Apr 2, 2014
    #116

  17. Cribbage RG Cribb

    And yet Ireland can't play Bangladesh in a cricket Test because it'd be apparently be too one-sided.

    That's just so pointless in general though. Surely they should be removed from that level and form a competition with someone else; Canada and USA perhaps?
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2014
    Cribbage, Apr 2, 2014
    #117

  18. Magrat Garlick M Garlick

    The IRB and ICC, famously made up of exactly the same people.
     
    Magrat Garlick, Apr 2, 2014
    #118

  19. Cribbage RG Cribb

    I wasn't trying to call out hypocrisy or double standards; just short-sightedness.
     
    Cribbage, Apr 2, 2014
    #119

  20. Magrat Garlick M Garlick

    Yeah the ideal probably lies somewhere in between the two.
     
    Magrat Garlick, Apr 2, 2014
    #120
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