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[2014 Mid-Year Tests] New Zealand vs England (1st Test)
- Thread starter TRF_Olyy
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No, you're right, just the first 15. The bench, though was just conjecture on my part, but it isn't going to be far away.
I'd be more surprised if he could name current English players to be honest.
There is pretty limited coverage of NH rugby here, you have to buy the Rugby Channel which offers a handful of games from the NH. You really have to stream it if you want to keep in the loop. What I've noticed from talking to a lot of professional rugby players in NZ, they're not necessary mega rugby fans, they're just really good players. Read an article and you see SH players talking about a club they have just signed to, and have no f*cking idea of the teams history or players. I'm doubt he's even done opposition analysis yet, it would be pretty difficult considering the team they're putting out for the first test is hardly experienced. It's not unique to SH players anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzdrCf0Ky4
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goodNumber10
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*Can't watch the video at work*
The club point I can accept mate.
But I don't believe for one minute that with all the analysis they do - and whatever anyone says they do a LOT - that they don't know who their opposition are and what type of player they are.
I'm not saying they should know, or do know, every premiership, top 14 or pro 12 player, but there isn't a person on this planet can convince me that they don't know exactly who's who in the international game. they also meet all these players post game as well, especially as there is the tradition of a beer in the changing room etc...
We had the same with JP Pietersen - wasn't he the one saying who was brian o'drsicoll? it's all gamesmanship the same as Hansen saying England won't move the tests because we think it will give the AB's an advantage.
It's all about psychology, it's designed to portray the NH players and the teams as irrelevant. If an international NH player said, i don't know who Kieran Read is there would be uproar.
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This isn't really a case of apples and oranges to be honest.
Yes, we've fought against each other but much more recently we've fought together..
We've done similarly with the New Zealanders and Australians.
I don't really think that the sporting animosity between England and other nations can be explained by anything real that has happened recently, except in the case of Ireland.
If you look at the home nations culturally they're also extremely similar -when compared with rest of world that is. I might be wrong but I don't think the Scottish hate the English - except within sport that is. And rugby more than other sports. Its strange.
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I have come across a number of Scotch who do genuinely hate the English.
goodNumber10
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yep! especially when they've got a few sherberts inside them.
I can appreciate that many English who live in London or the midlands or whatever can be annoyingly metrocentric in the way we look at the world and the assumptions we make about the rest of the isles but, other than that I feel genuine animosity is just pretty medieval-provincialism and completely pointless.
I also sometimes think if we were exposed more to the rest of the world, we'd realise that by comparison we like each other rather a lot.
I also sometimes think if we were exposed more to the rest of the world, we'd realise that by comparison we like each other rather a lot.
goodNumber10
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I've lived overseas for the last 10 years, Belgium, Eastern Europe, France... been involved in some huge muliti-national setups and honestly.... we're really disliked.
No question about that, I'm just talking about the other home nations.
Also from my experience there are many Eastern europeans who are pretty fond of the UK and the openness with which is offers people opportunities regardless of nationality.
Also from my experience there are many Eastern europeans who are pretty fond of the UK and the openness with which is offers people opportunities regardless of nationality.
put a naked Rita Ora in front of them.... say what??
goodNumber10
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completely!
my post was a bit misleading, in i was just saying where i'd lived not making a reflection on those particular people.
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"Those Kosovans are alright, aren't they"
You go away for a few hours and suddenly I have no idea how this thread took this turn.
Maverick1987
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I'd be extremely surprised if he didn't know Courtney Lawes . I could understand if he didn't know who Henry Thomas was as he's new to the international scene but Lawes has been around for some years now . It looks a bit tongue in cheek **** taking to me . Not that I really care just what I feel about it
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Big Ewis
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maybe he's got a stereotypical idea that all black guys are named "Michael".
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Woohoo free pass!
Anyway on the Retallick thing I don't think it's psychological warfare or anything like that just genuine ignorance, which to be honest I'm not sure is much better. It's all very well to say the guys aren't big rugby fans but it's a big part of their job to know about the opposition. Jamie Heaslip isn't someone who's going to settle onto the couch after his match has been played and watch all the rugby that's on tv yet he does seem to have knowledge about his opposition when being interviewed. In fairness to Retallick he does seem a bit dopey (that's not calling him stupid by the way), about 30 seconds into the video below he can't remember the name of the player who he swapped his jersey with. Now Tuohy is hardly a household name even in Ireland but as an opponent in the same position as you that you swapped jersies with you'd think he have some idea. When New Zealand came to Dublin last year if I remember correctly Luke Romano didn't know who Paul O'Connell was. You know the big ginger lad who would be captaining Ireland...
[video=youtube_share;bB8Fk6c9CnU]http://youtu.be/bB8Fk6c9CnU[/video]
Sorry for bullying New Zealand locks
I've come across Scots who seem to have a real problem with the English. Probably more Scots than Irish.
My money says the cultural similarity is part of the reason for the animus that can be found in some Scots and Welsh. How do you know a Scot/Welshman isn't English other than the accent? They exaggerate their differences. Disliking the English becomes part of a separate cultural identity. The Irish seem a lot more relaxed about things as they don't have to.
i use to have real problems with the english untill i realised that we're all human and the fact that some english people are really nice and i felt unfair on them to dislike them cause they're english so i was anti-english till i realise its wrong
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All Blacks: Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Cory Jane, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (c), Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Victor Vito, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Malakai Fekitoa.
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