[hkgaise69]

Hi guys,

This sunday at 3am come to watch the rugby game France/NZ at Delaneys (Wanchai). Party time before the game on sat evening in LKF and then Wanchai.

French supporters i'm counting on u! All Blacks supporters welcome as well, it's just a game!

c u all!

[Lammarite]

May well be a better game than the final!

[J-y!kes]

That would be interesting...

I'm an NZ fan because my family is from NZ... But i guess the whole staduim whould be cheering for France since they are playing in France.

[PDLM]

Er, in fact the game is in Cardiff.

[jonnye]

Originally Posted by J-y!kes

That would be interesting...

I'm an NZ fan because my family is from NZ... But i guess the whole staduim whould be cheering for France since they are playing in France.

You'd think that, wouldn't you? However, due to a bit of a cock up this game is being played in... Cardiff!

I think the French bigwigs (wrongly) assumed they'd win their group and it would be the pesky Argentines or Irish who would be packed off to play the All Blacks (nothing like keeping them travelling - after all, they had to go to Murrayfield too). So it's actually quite amusing to see the French being hauled off to damp and cold Cardiff to face the All Blacks.

I wouldn't say it would be a better game than the final. The French have been pretty poor (like most of the Northern hemisphere). Any of the Tri-Nations playing against each other would in my view be a better game, and Fiji and Argentina have shown how to play the game to a few of the 'established' teams.

Jonny (who is Irish, and reckons they got what they deserved)

[Lammarite]

I would be more supportive of the French if I hadn't had to endure their road tolls over the summer but I still think that they can produce an upset (again). The Kiwi's haven't been challenged yet and I'm not sure that any team who can put up a gritty fight until the end wont walk away with a win or at least get close.

[jonnye]

I hear that a lot about the All Blacks... they haven't had a game yet. You can only beat the opposition against you on the day. Their recent record is phenomenal. As far as I can remember Aus pipped them in Aus in the tri-nations, but they beat SA home and away.

Their recent record against France is pretty stunning - I read recently they've averaged a winning margin against the French of 30+ points over the last 7 or so games. This includes an absolute battering they gave them in France last year I think.

The All Blacks have been meticulous in their planning, and haven't been too over the top in their statements about winning, so I don't think they've put themselves under unnecessary pressure (yet). I'll be predicting a safe win for the All Blacks, but not 30+ (I suspect they'll want to hold back and not peak too soon).

Surely the really interesting QF must be Eng v Aus...

[Lammarite]

If you look at records you will se ethat france have previously won the RWC and the Kiwis have mastered the art of peaking betwen RWC's!
Unless Australia send out their ladies team I don't think they have too much to worry about!

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by Lammarite

If you look at records you will se ethat france have previously won the RWC

Really? I'd love a link to those records. The IRB site says:
1987 New Zealand
1991 Australia
1995 South Africa
1999 Australia
2003 England

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/statist...matchlist.html

[jonnye]

Originally Posted by Lammarite

If you look at records you will se ethat france have previously won the RWC and the Kiwis have mastered the art of peaking betwen RWC's!
Unless Australia send out their ladies team I don't think they have too much to worry about!

Granted - that is true that the All Blacks have historically peaked between world cups. You're surely not clinging to that hope, really are you? From memory, France won the world up in their own backyard, so they have no home advantage on Saturday/Sunday. The Welsh will all be too miserable to be particularly behind either France or the All Blacks.

I'll grant you Aus are favourites on Saturday against England, but it's easier being the underdog, and England are not a bad team (not a great team either). They'll raise their game for the Aussies I'm sure. Just like the Aussies raised their game in the last final - they almost did enough to beat what was a great English team...

SA v Scotland for the other semi, and NZ v Aus for the first one I reckon