RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1)
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Sitting in a bar in Balian, Bali, it was great listening to comments after we killed the Paddies.
Mainly along the lines of "geez they'll be bloody hard to beat", and mainly from Aussies. It's funny I was sitting there thinking the same about the Poms after they'd dismantled the wreck that is Aussie rugby.
I'm still slightly kaking my Saks for this weekend's game, but then I was worried as fuck about the Irish, so go figure!
But if our fatties can play as well as that again, we should be fine, being it on I say.
Sam Cane, a defensive rock to come on at half or just after, Barrett to bench or replace one of the locks...?
I'm happy with team.
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Dunno what happened here, but given that it's a world cup semi final, the way it's been derailed is genuinely worthy of commendation.
Back to the team:
I remember Jones first press conference as England boss, and it was about THIS game. It was about the All Blacks in the world cup. His words were all about ensuring don't get sucked into the AB game, play the England game and that is what gives the best opportunity.
Isn't switching Cane for Barrett, i.e - upping our size, us playing the England game plan?
Something to mull over.
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@MajorRage said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
I remember Jones first press conference as England boss, and it was about THIS game. It was about the All Blacks in the world cup. His words were all about ensuring don't get sucked into the AB game, play the England game and that is what gives the best opportunity.
The thing is, which AB side do you prepare for? They feel like shapeshifters at the moment, Ireland were chasing ghosts out there, but it wasn't slapdash, it was weirdly structured unstructured play. That Ireland game is going into the AB legendary games
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Out of interest, and giving the ritual Pommy complaints about NZ raiding the ‘south sea islands’ (despite being an, err, south sea island), how many of their team for this Saturday were actually born in England?
Billy Vunipola is Australian born of Tongan heritage; Mako Vunipola is NZ-born of Tongan heritage. Tuilagi was born in Samoa. Willi Heinz is from Christchurch. Sam Underhill is American isn’t he?
Has Nigel Farage approved this squad? Shock horror.
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@MrDenmore said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Out of interest, and giving the ritual Pommy complaints about NZ raiding the ‘south sea islands’ (despite being an, err, south sea island), how many of their team for this Saturday were actually born in England?
Billy Vunipola is Australian born of Tongan heritage; Mako Vunipola is NZ-born of Tongan heritage. Tuilagi was born in Samoa. Willi Heinz is from Christchurch. Sam Underhill is American isn’t he?
Has Nigel Farage approved this squad? Shock horror.
It's a boring argument to be honest, which I think most people are bored of (well, I am anyway).
They are playing for England, they are England.
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@MrDenmore said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
Out of interest, and giving the ritual Pommy complaints about NZ raiding the ‘south sea islands’ (despite being an, err, south sea island), how many of their team for this Saturday were actually born in England?
Billy Vunipola is Australian born of Tongan heritage; Mako Vunipola is NZ-born of Tongan heritage. Tuilagi was born in Samoa. Willi Heinz is from Christchurch. Sam Underhill is American isn’t he?
Has Nigel Farage approved this squad? Shock horror.
England have 6 New Zealand 4 born overseas
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@nzzp said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@MajorRage said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
I remember Jones first press conference as England boss, and it was about THIS game. It was about the All Blacks in the world cup. His words were all about ensuring don't get sucked into the AB game, play the England game and that is what gives the best opportunity.
The thing is, which AB side do you prepare for? They feel like shapeshifters at the moment, Ireland were chasing ghosts out there, but it wasn't slapdash, it was weirdly structured unstructured play. That Ireland game is going into the AB legendary games
Yes, absolutely.
That Irish game won't be remembered for shit though if we get bundled out here.
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@MajorRage I think it’s boring too. I’m just pointing out the irony of a country that been lecturing us for years about ‘poaching’ Samoans and Tongans (who are part of community anyway) drift-netting their players from 12,000 miles away while thumping their John Bull drum. Please.
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@MrDenmore Where you based? If you go off their media and think people on twitter represent the population, you'd genuinely think people were actually interested.
The poms are well aware of the irony of their previous poaching claims!
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@MajorRage said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@nzzp said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
@MajorRage said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
I remember Jones first press conference as England boss, and it was about THIS game. It was about the All Blacks in the world cup. His words were all about ensuring don't get sucked into the AB game, play the England game and that is what gives the best opportunity.
The thing is, which AB side do you prepare for? They feel like shapeshifters at the moment, Ireland were chasing ghosts out there, but it wasn't slapdash, it was weirdly structured unstructured play. That Ireland game is going into the AB legendary games
Yes, absolutely.
That Irish game won't be remembered for shit though if we get bundled out here.
Exactly , I remember sitting in the crowd watching us put in a really good display beating South Africa in the quarter final in 03. No one remembers that game now.
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@MrDenmore said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):
In truth, if it’s going to go the way of football where players go where the money is, it won’t be really about national pride anymore. I find it hard to believe a team is ‘England’ when half of them came from elsewhere.
I think that is where Pichot was going with the 5 year residency.
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