Right. Here in Lyon. Going to the game. Can see why Kiwis like it here. More of a laid-back feel to it than Paris. Weather is good, very warm, clear, cloudless blue skies. Food is tasty, beer is cold, and everthing in good walking distance, although the Rugby Village is a bit shit, it is made up for by the charm of the old city which is slow to wake up but comes to life at night....or is that just me...lol. Certainly a lot more bonhomie here. Plenty of Kiwis and AB supporters thronging in the streets, all doing the same touristy things just waiting on the match to start. Cant wait. C'mon Black!
Jailbreak7
Posts
-
-
What a game! What a night! Loved the Lyon stadium set-up. Got to yarn to a few Kiwis and supporters over cold beer. JB was immense in midfield and made a real mess of their defence. Frizz was huge on defence as well, Ardie seemed to revel in more freedom. DMac was smiling, Roigard showed his quick feet, and by jeez that boy does have a slick pass! Telea the eel was his slippery self, BBBR put in some decent shots and RMo was in control. Even the shit crowd control system at the end couldn't take away from the match it was a great spectacle. On the way back we spied a crowded Italian pizzeria that was still open, so grabbed a bite to eat and downed a few cold ones. The Italians there were good value and jovial too, and we swapped anecdotes about the game over the meal and drinks. They were impressed by our strength in depth felt their boys were a bit overawed by the occasion, lamented Colt leaving and the state of their domestic league. All in all it was a fantastic and fun night, bring on Uruguay!
-
For mine Coles has been top notch today
-
That was worth every second of getting up early on a cold grey England morning. Well done BFs!! Challenge is now for NZ Rugby to put a decent comp in place befitting the womens game.
-
@nostrildamus said in RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina:
I really like the consistency and calmness of the front row when Lomax plays. And De Groot. While they keep winning I leave it to the coaches as to hooker. So lucky we have 3 v good v different styles of hooker.
Big shout out to the 4 young props. They have handled the last couple of weeks with aplomb. All 4 have played their part. Our scrum has been a different animal, hungry, mean, and balanced too. EDG and Lomax keep building their stocks and will only get better.
-
Righto here at the stadium. Atmosphere iis crazy, all in good spirits. They are setting up for the opening ceremony. It is stupidly hot and humid, phone says 34 degrees, man it is gonna be hellishigly hot and ball will be like soap. Stadium filling up nicely, waiting on beer!
GO BLACK!! -
Thing is I want to get RM, DMac, BB in a room and make them watch this game, ad nauseam. THIS IS YOU SHAPE AND CONTROL A GAME. Especially when a player down. Change it up. Do something different, something the opposition wont expect. Make it work for YOU.
-
Here he comes Ardie aka Muttley of the wacky races
-
Looking forward to this, (even with the 23 named being somewhat not unexpected) me and the missus are heading to the game. Leaving early tomorrow on the redeye, weather is humid as here in England, and is due to be more so in Paris (27 degrees) on Friday evening. Me and the missus will wear our best best Black in an effort to hold the Kiwi end up among 85k rabid, baying French. Should be a good night.
-
To all our rugby brothers in arms....
Congrats to Bokke you were magnificent - bokke supporters - party hard and party long!
Comisserations to England and all supporters....we know how gutted and emptyyou must be feeling...
Thank you Japan for a great tournament - you were brilliant hosts
Roll on 2020! -
Anyone else think that Fozzie has got it wrong with the props selection for Ireland...?
-
Just hope Roigard's injury is not as bad as first looks.
-
I actually think Big Red's best position is at lock. I like the tight, nuisance game he brings. He made an absolute mess of the tahs ball in the contact areas, and stole a number of LOs. Was it Ofa and Nepo that literally threw him up like a beacon at one stage to pinch a tahs LO before the tahs even had time to react.
He and Akira were into everything that was wearing white/light blue that moved. Big Red will be a big loss for the Blues next season.
Shame Choat wasnt fit, would have liked to have seen him in that mix. My preferred loose trio would be Choat, Paps and Akira with Hoskins running them ragged off the bench.
Nepo had his best game in blue, destructive in the carry and in the scrums, Ofa too was strong, and Telea must have a grease bath before games, no-one can hold him, really making a statement. Prefer AJ on the wing to CC, as above, think he offers more in the way of skillset and always looks to be involved. RR has been good for the Blues, solid and dependable performs his core roles well. Should be a cracker next week. -
80 mins is up on the clock. ABs down by two have a scrum on their own 22. Big Shannon and Nugget are back in the stands watching nervously and Easy Company is on. Water carriers tend to the Bok front row. Niche stares at the water bottle for a moment seemingly transfixed. A look of ice cold steely resolve passes between Cane and his forward troops. This is it. Last roll of the dice. Rain cruelly lashes the scrum as it goes down, both packs straining under their torrid work. Ball is out, Ardie gathers, with an outrageous dummy to his right, feints, but goes left, driving powerfully on through the would be tacklers. He is finally brought down though, placing the ball for ever present Whitelock, who clears quickly and ABs work a move through Richie popping an inside ball to Jordan who slices through besting defenders on a nice arcing run. Etzebeth manages to get a hand on him though, does just enough to check and change the angle as PSDT arrives to complete the tackle. Cane weighs in with a herculean effort to clear bodies, for a fast and ever alert Paps to seize the ball, breaking away from the ensuing ruck 22 meters out.
Kriel and De Allende look to have him covered forcing him to the left flank, then just as Kriel makes the covering tackle, suddenly a ginger mop looms to his right, out of nowhere..it is Christie! In one movement as he is falling in the tackle Paps miraculously lobs the ball in true basketball fashion over the outstretched arm of De Allende where Christie magically plucks it out of the air...only the FB to beat.
But wait....Aura (who has been sunning herself on the beaches in Ireland, now speaks perfect French) and Suzy sit huddled together deep in conversation, look to have done a deal!
...Christie sees the danger, what will he do? Then with an effortless grace he steps off his left foot leaving the hapless defence grasping at air, and scampers in under the posts. ABs win by five. It is done.
..Somewhere in the crowd I can hear the deep booming laughter of Aura reverberating around the stadium.... -
Really enjoyed that. Feel like SR had been lacking in intensity of the regular season and we had to wait for the semis and final to bring it. Chiefs were so good all season right mix of resilient defence and superb attack. Surprisingly the discipline which had been so good deserted them tonight. Our time will come.
Saders are such a remarkable finals team. Well played Razor & co congrats , I look forward to the next chapter in Black.
. -
Harmon should have started
-
Fuck this ref
-
@Billy-Tell Yes thank fark we've got all the tears, tantrums and throwing toys out of the way already. Now we can just go and stand in the corner and sulk.
-
Roigard, well done son.
-
Notice DMacs pass is much more crisp
RWC Week 4: All Blacks v Italy
RWC Week 4: All Blacks v Italy
Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October
WRWC Final - NZ Vs England
RWC SF: All Blacks v Argentina
RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
RWC Week 1: England v Argentina
RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool B)
RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
RWC Final: England v Springboks
Final: Blues vs Crusaders
Highlanders v Hurricanes
QF: Blues v Tahs
RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks
Final: Chiefs v Crusaders
Japan XV v All Blacks XV
All Blacks vs Springboks - Twickenham
All Blacks vs Springboks - Twickenham
RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia
RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia