NZ to bow out of the cup this weekend

Donald's back in the side. Enough said............................................................

blackcanelion wrote:Donald's back in the side. Enough said............................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................
You just may be right about that,But, well, their will always be 2015 RWC to try and claim the WEB ELLI CUP.

majesticimperialman wrote:

blackcanelion wrote:Donald's back in the side. Enough said............................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................................
You just may be right about that,But, well, their will always be 2015 RWC to try and claim the WEB ELLI CUP.

Er no, they aren't coming.

Donald will be there as the english 10 by then.

Stephen Donald

Though at least Hosea Gear is finally in the squad

Let me understand this correctly

Carter is out.
Slade is out
Cruden is left, (if he is fit)

Weepu can stand in and donald is all that is left, but because of hime NZ will bow out of the RWC.

I think that NZ has had quite a bit of bad luck with all those injuries to their pivot, but to suggest that NZ will go out of the world cup, becuase after going through the first three options and NZ doesn't have another Carter stacked away some where is disrespectful to the rest of the squad.

Where is you faith man!

Graham henry used to play 1st 5/8th.

aucklandlaurie wrote: Graham henry used to play 1st 5/8th.

Stop confusing me.

I wish that Kiwis would start to use the correct terminology for player positions. 1st 5/8th is not a position. Okay? Good.

Bitter Beer wrote:I wish that Kiwis would start to use the correct terminology for player positions. 1st 5/8th is not a position. Okay? Good.

Yep, i concur. It sounds more like the first slice of 5 out of a cake being cut into 8 pieces.

biltongbek wrote:

Bitter Beer wrote:I wish that Kiwis would start to use the correct terminology for player positions. 1st 5/8th is not a position. Okay? Good.

Yep, i concur. It sounds more like the first slice of 5 out of a cake being cut into 8 pieces.

I agree, complete jibberish.

Stephen Donald.... NZ own Charlie Hodgson.... oh dear.

No doubt he could do the job... but is he mentally up to test rugby? I think we already know the answer.

Aus will be licking their lips if he starts.

Gutted. I thought Donald was in Bath already.

Haha the Aussies are calling him 'The Don' for all the great things he's done for Australian sport!

Can't believe how unlucky NZ have been, after years of dominance. Once again a similar story unfolds...

Ignorant pedants,Nz Rugby does`nt have FH and IC ,they have first and second five eights.
Whatever happens you are as good as your last game,a certain world number one flyhalf Quadehas`nt exactly set the world alight.

emack2

I agree but the only thing about Quade is that bad performances don't seem to knock his mentality nor his confidence. He will play the same way next week for sure but I wouldn't back against him not pulling out a MOM performance given his pantomime villian persona in NZ.

Alan, anyone rating Quade as world’s no 1 is off their rocker. Aussie opinions should be ignored if they’re the ones saying that.

Carter’s demise has shown well and truly that there is daylight between first and second best in that position.

If Cruden can avoid doing another rabbit in the headlights act this weekend then actually we might be ok. His kicking game both out of hand and at goal has gotten remarkably better since Sydney last year, and he is an attacker of the highest pedigree. Very slight but doesn’t shirk making tackles – will be targeted by Samo though.

I love the pic going around facebook at the moment of Piri Weepu, “everybody just chill the f*ck out, I’VE GOT THIS”. Piri being there will give Cruden more confidence. Piri is a bloody good player and is proving his worth right now. We may like to remember how much he outplayed Genia by in Auckland this year and will be up for this one for sure.

Also worth noting both Genia and Cooper were poor on Sunday

Do Disney get an appearance fee for Donald Duck’s attendance?

New Zealand have made far too much of Carter being out. Psyhologically it can't be good for the rest of the team to think there is that much reliance on one player. Imagine trying to replace him as well.

mckay1402 wrote:New Zealand have made far too much of Carter being out. Psyhologically it can't be good for the rest of the team to think there is that much reliance on one player. Imagine trying to replace him as well.

Don't read too much into that. It's guy wearing the 10 jumper who will be feeling the pressure. Everyone else knows their role. There's a reason why we've had a leadership group for four years now.

Weepu, Cruden, Nonu, Smith. That's the Hurricanes right there. No wonder Cruden looked assured on Sunday.

Man for man, we are better players than Australia. Can't think of anyone that would get in this NZ team from Australia and that includes Genia, based on his performance against SA - maybe Digby would (he should be playing for us anyway AND with the Hurricanes!). Call me crazy, but I think Piri Weepu is going to go into another stratoshpere of class. He's our 'go to' guy. He's doing more than leading the haka, he's bringing the direction and goalkicking

I totally agree. I think Australia looked poor in the first half and managed to score off a mistake. SA should feel angry with themselves for not winning that.

Weepu was taking the extra responsibility yesterday. He did a gran job doing the goal kicking - straight down the middle with all his kicks - and he did most of the clearing kicks as well.

Cruden did a great job considering he´d been skateboarding with his mates and grazed his knee just a week before the call-up. Slade is now out and Donald has been called in. McCaw seems like he´s stuck together with sellotape and could come apart at any moment. Muliaina is officially an ex-All Black.

But I´ll tell you this. NZ never go into a game giving up thinking they´ve lost. Expect a big game from the pack and the likes of Nonu and Weepu to shoulder the responsibility for Cruden. It won´t be easy but it was never going to be easy. But I have faith in the boys. Plenty of class in Smith, Nonu, Thorn, Woodcock, Mealamu, Dagg, Kaino...

Great caption of Weepu saying harden the f up. I´ve got this. That display from Sunday certainly said as much. kia kaha

Weepu v Phillips and Nonu V Roberts in the final. They are two battles I would really look forward to

Does anyone have a link to that cartoon of Piri?

mckay1402 wrote:Weepu v Phillips and Nonu V Roberts in the final. They are two battles I would really look forward to

Typical arrogant Welsh fans (not all welsh fans some are a decent bunch) you've got to play France yet.

fa0019 wrote:emack2

I agree but the only thing about Quade is that bad performances don't seem to knock his mentality nor his confidence.

That's because he doesn't have a mentality.

I'm not sure about pantomime villain, but he does look like a thunderbird puppet and has a face like a mules arse.

Big fan then, GG

Not at all aitchw, I'd love to see him play well.

In the 3rd/4th place game.

It'd be just typical if he stepped up and had a blinder against NZ after looking like a muppet last week.

TheGreyGhost wrote:Not at all aitchw, I'd love to see him play well.

In the 3rd/4th place game.

It'd be just typical if he stepped up and had a blinder against NZ after looking like a muppet last week.

Agree GG.
For me that is the focus of this week.
In any other situation cooper would typically turn it around.
Im just hoping the eden park jinx and coopers own mind doesnt let him.
Like it or not cooper holds the oz keys to the final.

I don`t believe in hoodoo grounds,every hoodoo has to be broken.
Australia have won 12 games in Nz since 1903,Boks 8 since 1921.
Dunedin`s house of pain was a bigger hoodoo the Boks won there in 2008,and also won the following year 2009.
No SH side has beaten Australia in a RWC,but if Australia win.Then the RWC
will have been won for the first time by team who has lost at the group stage.
Australia are sweating on injuries to Mc Cabe and Kurtley Beale,Berrick Barnes starting alongside Cooper would be a big plus for Aus.
Both sides are carrying bruises,for them this is there RWC Final,if both teams front up.
It will be a titanic battle the bench maybe the key,the thought of Jimmy Cowan there sends shudders thru my spine.
Craig Joubert is the pick of the Refs, and Pocock or McCaw won`t get away with much at the breakdown.
I don`t think this will be the flowing game expected,certainly more forward orientated.

...and it depends which Cooper decides to turn up...

the loosies have got to be targetting him.

Oz really were terrible last week after watching it again last night so they'll need to improve quite a bit. I reckon Cruden will go fine...

I agree TM. Cooper has come a cropper in this RWC and has not delivered at all. Yes he might deliver, however I think that is unlikely because:

1. Behind his cocky facade I think he really is doubting himself and if just one of his little "tricks" doesn't come off early against the AB's then pyschologically I think he's gone.

2. He's going to get very little time on the ball and Genia is going to be forced into delivering average ball - AB's will push the Wallabies around, will make 2nd phase very messy and will target Genia.

3. The AB's loose and tight forwards will run at him every chance they can and the AB's backs will chase and target him whenever he drops back.

Aus generally have been pretty poor in the RWC and yes they might get up this week, however I can't see it as the AB's have learnt a lot from Brisbane (as was seen with the way they played the first 40-60 mins against Argentina) and maybe most importantly Kieran Read is back and with him comes some very astute decision making during games - I've said a number of times that he is key and you saw the shambles in Brisbane when he went off early and the AB's couldn't work out what was going on. For me Read is the key NZ forward.

Considering his foot injury Ritchie McCaw was immense,Read was injured early.Thomson ditto.Kaino was missing and with his two buddies missing games,he has been in immense form.

Well now I'm a little more confident again...
I think we'll get more of the tight control stuff early on like against Argentina.

I don't think the Oz defence will be so keen as Argentina's as they will want to get on with it. I expect GH to turn the tables and become the suffocaTOR for the next 2 matches- try to get the cup in the cabinet and let them get back to their running game next year where there's not so much tension.

Still waiting to see what is happening with Beale and his hamstring strain. Can't be good even if he's playing as he wont be 100%.

No one has the confidence or abilities that he has from the back and he is often the initiator of their raids when coming in off Cooper or sparking it himself. Dagg's getting there but for sheer presence Beales always everywhere looking for something. Like Ioane and JOC, has no fear.

No Beale and a Cooper in disarray will hurt them. World cup semi final is not really a place to try and get some form back

If Beale is out then Deans has plenty of options. Don't be surprised if he drops Cooper back to fullback with Barnes at 10. His only reluctance would be that the SF might not be the best time for such a move. McCabe is no certain starter either. If he is out then Barnes will start at 12 with AAC dropping to fullback if Beale is also out.

In any event I think this will be a forwards battle; tight play; field position and massive defense. If Genia gets the protection he needs then I think Cooper will be fine. Form doen't count for a lot in these one offs. W won last week with no possession. Who knows what they can do even if the snaffle 40%. They have tendency to be able to score points living off scraps. I agree Read's form will be key, as will Pocock's.

emack2 wrote:Ignorant pedants,Nz Rugby does`nt have FH and IC ,they have first and second five eights.
Whatever happens you are as good as your last game,a certain world number one flyhalf Quadehas`nt exactly set the world alight.

Yeah, in the 1930's. There was a 7 man pack then as well - get over it.

5/8ths was an English expression that they abandoned, whilst NZ continued to use it.

The English now follow the Welsh way of naming positions, mostly.

It's largely irrelevant though. If we're going to bicker about trivialities we'll fail to focus on the larger issues, like is Kurtley Beale out for the Wallabies, or is it a Dingo rouse? If Cooper goes to FB and Barnes is at 1st five then how will that influence the game plans? Will Australia go for the ball in hand onslaught of 2003? or will they play for some of the territory they had none of last week? Will Coopers erratic nature get the better of him at FB? Is he a weakness or a strength?

biltongbek wrote:Let me understand this correctly

Carter is out.
Slade is out
Cruden is left, (if he is fit)

Weepu can stand in and donald is all that is left, but because of hime NZ will bow out of the RWC.

I think that NZ has had quite a bit of bad luck with all those injuries to their pivot, but to suggest that NZ will go out of the world cup, becuase after going through the first three options and NZ doesn't have another Carter stacked away some where is disrespectful to the rest of the squad.

Where is you faith man!

I second billtongs point...

Wales are down to their third choice hooker, someone that has been slatted pillar to post on here we are looking forward to the next match with some ambition.

And we don't have anywhere near the talent at hooker that you have at flyhalf mate...!