2014 edition: predictions ?

[Big Ewis]

yeah okay sooooo.....who gon weein dishear ? c'mown, name droppin', lehgoo

*Animated gif of Sylvester Stallone firing tommygun at will which exceeds the 19.5kb limit and cannot be posted*


Yeah, no, seriously: the All-Blacks still haven't lost a game, have they ?...Boks look the best they have in this past 4-year cycle, by far. Wallabies - clubs doing "FEEN-tastic" but France doesn't know what Rugby is atm so hard to take anything away from green and gold form thus far in 2014. And Argentina just beat the mighty Grenoble club, so I think they'll win their first ***le this year, for sure. Put all my bank account savings on it. Nah but I dunno why but I think they'll be better than we've seen them recently.

I'm gonna go no risk at all and say All-Blacks. The safe route, nice and mainstream. Those might lose one game; probably in Jo-Burg if; but I'm not buying the Wallaby hype. It wouldn't be a major surprise if Aus got the All-Blacks at home, stunned them on that first weekend, but I'm gonna go for another 2-0...maybe Aus can get them in Bledisloe 3 later on this year in Brisbane, they've done well in the last Bledisloes of the year since about 2010 for some reason.

Pumas to win a game this year ? They've come *awful* close against the Boks both times, such a cruel fate for the home side; but ironically have done a lot better on the road against the other two than as they've hosted them. I'm really not sure atm (they can win one), too soon to say: their last tour of Europe was a joke, and we haven't seen them play at all as of 2014...(the actual Pumas, I mean).

 

[RoosTah]

This is genuinely a very tough year to pick - all of the big three countries look pretty solid around the park, so realistically you'd have to think the All Blacks will finally drop at least one match unless they can take things to yet another level.

My head still says the All Blacks for the win because they grew into they managed to beat England 3 zip whilst playing pretty poor in the first two, and then for the final one - when England were apparently supposed to have a "turning point win" according to one of their players - then just blew them off the park.

Meanwhile, the Springboks started very well by carving the Welsh up in the first game, but it seemed that Gatland had all but worked them out by game II and the Welsh were making them look very very beatable.

That said, I like the look of our boys across the park and am backing Link to do something special, so the heart says Wallabies.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'm going to post what is a combination of my hopes and expectations; Bokke and NZ to beat the others 2-0 (though ideally Aussie takes Bledisloe 1 in Sydney to deny NZ going past our shared 17 game win streak- is that hoping for too much though?), both with a home win against each other but the Bokke taking the ***le with 1 BP.

 

[Big Ewis]

Good points sanzar, agreed. I'm actually quite reluctant to say I'm picking NZ for 2-0 Bledisloe series win, because the Wallabies really have as you said one heck of a nice squad around the park, forwards are looking seriously dangerous and that backline is alive and well again. And it's true, the Boks looked very beatable against Wales, and it was at home...so the Wallabies might be better than we think, the Boks not as formidable as we think, there may be gap there; but the All-Blacks clearly sit atop everybody though. Even above the Pumas who beat mighty Grenoble.
They've shown time and time again an ability to reinvent themselves a little, adjust in-game to all kinds of situations, attack on different angles and aspects of the game, are constantly the best all-around side in the world in each match, and have the ability to react very quickly and play under pressure. I thought they were a bit febrile at a point, as I saw them lose a big lead in Twickenham in 2013, or in other matches where they all of a sudden didn't look themselves anymore, but eventually, regardless, they would make a comeback and win the game.
BUT although they're riding one smooth unbeaten streak, it isn't redundant to repeat that they struggled big time recently. 5 or at least 4 straight games they had a really tough time against 6N teams, from Paris 2013 to England 2014 Test 1 (or 2, arguably). If one-dimensional France and England could do that at home in 2013, and a hungry Irish team really should've won, I think South Africa and Australia will relish the chance of beating them when they come to visit.

I'm going to post what is a combination of my hopes and expectations; ......... but the Bokke taking the ***le with 1 BP.

yeah yeah but what about if you had to put money down, stormer. MONEHH !ç!!!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

yeah yeah but what about if you had to put money down, stormer. MONEHH !ç!!!!!

That depends on the amount of money. If I am putting money don willingly it means it's an amount I can do without. SA will give me better odds so I'll probably go with them and it's not such a farfetched bet.

Just last year we were the team with more bonus points for 4+ tries scored. Reasons being our dry surfaces at home and clobbering the Wallabies in Aus which NZ didn't do. If those stay the same (big if, I know) and we win at home then SA take the ***le.

EDIT; but of course NZ go into this as favorites.

 

[Big Ewis]

That depends on the amount of money. If I am putting money don willingly it means it's an amount I can do without. SA will give me better odds so I'll probably go with them and it's not such a farfetched bet.

Just last year we were the team with more bonus points for 4+ tries scored. Reasons being our dry surfaces at home and clobbering the Wallabies in Aus which NZ didn't do. If those stay the same (big if, I know) and we win at home then SA take the ***le.

EDIT; but of course NZ go into this as favorites.

Plato...uhm Heracli....Aristot..........ahem. A person....once said: "no amount of money is an amount that you cannot live without, except it may be both necessary and a catalyst to the absence of necessity". He was ah, a great. Person. Always looked up to by his contemporary pears..PEERS !...*his contemporary peers. A pear is a fruit, that's just ridiculous...

And yes you are right, there are ways around beating the best in such a tournament and still winning it. I hope for South Africa they do well, but the big question for me and probably everybody else is the Pumas' form. But overall we can really say this is a more entertaining, exciting anticipation of the tournament than last year's. Didn't take long for the Wallabies to return to form, or the Boks to become dominant again...

 

[Jaguares]

The Pumas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!












































:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Seriously speaking, I would like to end with the All Black's dynasty. I would be happy if Boks or Wallabies win this year. I have more faith in Aussies, but it will be difficult. It's very boring if All Blacks always win, for the sake of rugby I want to see a new champion, it would be more entertaining championship as 6 nations where every year we have different champions. I'm not sure if Wooollabies can win the Bledisloe Cup but maybe they can win the Championship such as 2011, winning even one game against ABs and then Boks must help getting at least a victory against ABs.

 

[Big Ewis]

the most important thing for me is seeing the Pumas win a game tbh. The Big 3 have all found their mystical powers again, All-Blacks had it all along of course, so they're set and can dominate any other team on a given day in the old classic way SANZAR teams have done. But the Pumas are the question mark.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

TBH the Pumas' best chances were the two previous tournaments; Bokke and Aus rebuilding and NZ on a post-RWC high (not that the ABs are ver anything other than ruthless) and then the 'unknowns' of the new format for everyone to get used too. We'll probably see more of the same regarding the Puma's unfortunately though I'd love to be proven wrong.. maybe even if it were my own team to take a 'hit' if it were deserved (like it would/could/should have been 2012) and it meant something to Argentine rugby on the whole. Despite them not being able to take a game just yet I still feel their inclusion is fully warranted and a breath of fresh air. The wins will come later for them.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

even though i voted the all blacks on the poll. but i do think the Australians has a huge team and a huge chance off taking something this year.

 

[Big Ewis]

TBH the Pumas' best chances were the two previous tournaments; Bokke and Aus rebuilding and NZ on a post-RWC high (not that the ABs are ver anything other than ruthless) and then the 'unknowns' of the new format for everyone to get used too. We'll probably see more of the same regarding the Puma's unfortunately though I'd love to be proven wrong.. maybe even if it were my own team to take a 'hit' if it were deserved (like it would/could/should have been 2012) and it meant something to Argentine rugby on the whole. Despite them not being able to take a game just yet I still feel their inclusion is fully warranted and a breath of fresh air. The wins will come later for them.

quite noble of you, I like your complete fairness approach. It's true, the Pumas had the Boks two years in a row and especially that first time, in 2012, unbelievable they let that chargedown happen, immediate try. Drawn game. And you're right about their chances passing, but they can never look back, they were incredibly valiant those first two tournaments although the second was inconsistent as it gets for a Rugby team. Like, beyond France level
So another winless campaign is easily anticipated for the Pumas...we'll just have to see.

even though i voted the all blacks on the poll. but i do think the Australians has a huge team and a huge chance off taking something this year.

well that's the thing, everybody's waiting on the Waratahs' (and other Aus clubs) form to take the Wallabies to the promised land. They're a lot better up front and in the backs, and Foley controls the game really well. They lacked a lot of girth up front last year and lacked a fully operational backline, now they've got those sorted. They can absolutely beat the Boks, in fact I believe they have the potential to knock em out pretty hard the way we'd seen them do during that 2008-2011 years span. Wallabies can be quick as hell and the Boks may be too big and relatively slow and be subjected to that insane pace and command of skill the Aussies possess, and with the Wallabies if you're not really really careful, the tries just pile up and pile up...
Beat NZ though ?...still would say no.