RWC Quarter Final: All Blacks - Argentina (09-10-2011, 20:30)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Eden Park, Auckland (09-10-2011, 20:30)

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[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] All Blacks [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Argentina [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Mils Muliaina [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Martin Rodriguez [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cory Jane [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Gonzalo Camacho [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Conrad Smith [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Marcelo Bosch [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ma'a Nonu [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Felipe Contepomi (c) [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sonny Bill Williams [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Horacio Agulla [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Colin Slade [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Santiago Fernandez [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Piri Weepu [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Nicolas Vergallo [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Kieran Read [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Leonardo Senatore [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Richie McCaw (c) [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Juan Manuel Leguizamon [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jerome Kaino [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Julio Farias Cabello [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sam Whitelock [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Patricio Albacete [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Brad Thorn [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Manuel Carizza [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Owen Franks [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Juan Figallo [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Keven Mealamu [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Mario Ledesma [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tony Woodcock [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Rodrigo Roncero [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Andrew Hore [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Agustin Creevy [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben Franks [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Martin Scelzo [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ali Williams [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Marcos Ayerza [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Victor Vito [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Alejandro Campos [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jimmy Cowan [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Alfredo Lalanne [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Aaron Cruden [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Isaia Toeava [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Juan Jose Imhoff [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[BladeMode]

I guess you guys are still sleeping, so I'll post the first one here.

Another easy game for the Kiwi's. My concern is that after this game, you will come up against the number 2/3 in the world. And this after you have swept the floor with a long list of very poor/average teams (France included as seen in the Tonga game). My concern is that this is your potential choke match...but then again, the question is. Can you call it a choke if you are beaten by a very good team.

Your World Cup final will be in the Semi's. If you win this one, you will have a final exhibition match to fetch the cup:lol:

 

[nickdnz]

I'm not so confident about this game or any of the knock out stages. Argentina can cause upsets, and we're missing our best player. Man for man we still should be able to beat them, but you never know. The fact that the All Blacks have not played a game against Argentina since 2006 may come back to haunt them. And there is no doubt the All Blacks are a different side without DC.

 

[TNT88]

I'm interested to see if NZ play the same with all this pressure on them. Or if they change their style simply due to instinct. I don't think any team in history has ever had this much pressure on them.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

but then again, the question is. Can you call it a choke if you are beaten by a very good team.

Losing to the Wallabies or Springboks in the semi-final would be less of a "choke" than what happened in 2007. Many short-sighted fans would see it as one, but it would depend on how the game went. If we just got outplayed and eliminated that way then it wouldn't really be a choke job.

 

[BladeMode]

Losing to the Wallabies or Springboks in the semi-final would be less of a "choke" than what happened in 2007. Many short-sighted fans would see it as one, but it would depend on how the game went. If we just got outplayed and eliminated that way then it wouldn't really be a choke job.

I agree. I think the Kiwi's have 1 game left to choke and that is the Argies. But this is HIGHLY unlikely. SA or Ausies...nah, not a choke - may the best man win. Unless they play England in the final and lose. Now that would be a choke

 

[jabali]

I'm not so confident about this game or any of the knock out stages. Argentina can cause upsets, and we're missing our best player. Man for man we still should be able to beat them, but you never know. The fact that the All Blacks have not played a game against Argentina since 2006 may come back to haunt them. And there is no doubt the All Blacks are a different side without DC.

This is funny. With all my heart I want to think that we can win this game, but I have to be realistic. You said you are missing your best player (only one) but you still have the rest of the team which is awesome. We are missing our best pleyers (many of them: Contepomi playing injured, roncero, fernandez lobbe, ledesma, Juan Martin Fernandez not even making it to the world cup). We are playing with young inexperienced players, most of them.
I know we can make a good game for part of it, but at the end.... we stay among the best 8 and go home.
Since next year we will have more competition among us because of the 4 nations. That will help the Pumas improve a lot. Meanwhile, don't worry for this game.

 

[cardassian]

This is funny. With all my heart I want to think that we can win this game, but I have to be realistic. You said you are missing your best player (only one) but you still have the rest of the team which is awesome. We are missing our best pleyers (many of them: Contepomi playing injured, roncero, fernandez lobbe, ledesma, Juan Martin Fernandez not even making it to the world cup). We are playing with young inexperienced players, most of them.
I know we can make a good game for part of it, but at the end.... we stay among the best 8 and go home.
Since next year we will have more competition among us because of the 4 nations. That will help the Pumas improve a lot. Meanwhile, don't worry for this game.

Of course we're worried about this game.
When it comes to knock out stages in the world cup we've been beaten too many times when we weren't meant to be worried for us to feel confident.
The loss of Carter makes us even more worried as our replacement options aren't really tested at International level.
Us Kiwi's are a frail bunch when it comes to world cups.

 

[nachouni]

One thing i can say about this match is that i am REALLY excited to watch it. Besides Los Pumas my favorite team is All Blacks

 

[Siva Tau]

Argentina have a good pack but backs are pretty ordinary unit apart from FB. I expect and easy AB's win.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

Of course we're worried about this game.
When it comes to knock out stages in the world cup we've been beaten too many times when we weren't meant to be worried for us to feel confident.
The loss of Carter makes us even more worried as our replacement options aren't really tested at International level.
Us Kiwi's are a frail bunch when it comes to world cups.

I agree with you here.

 

[Isurus]

Losing to the Wallabies or Springboks in the semi-final would be less of a "choke" than what happened in 2007. Many short-sighted fans would see it as one, but it would depend on how the game went. If we just got outplayed and eliminated that way then it wouldn't really be a choke job.

2007 was not a choke. It was....... something else.

Unless of course you are in the club which says that any New Zealand loss is by definition a choke. That club has a very large membership I have noticed.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

2007 was not a choke. It was....... something else.

Unless of course you are in the club which says that any New Zealand loss is by definition a choke. That club has a very large membership I have noticed.

I think I'll just have to disagree with you that 2007 wasn't a choke. However, some of the other times we've "choked" at the World Cup I would agree. Losing the final in 1995 was by no means choking, in my opinion.

To me, coming up short and failing to play the way you're capable of is choking. Did we do that in 2007? Well, I guess a little, but that's more up for debate. Is that what happened in 1995? No, and we almost won it on a late drop goal by Andrew Mehrtens anyway. 1999 I wouldn't really say so either, nor 2003. Perhaps I still think that 2007 was a choke job because it's so recent in my memory. I can look back on the other ones with a different perspective.

Now, if we go out to Argentina, I'd be most likely to call that a choke job.

 

[Isurus]

Another easy game for the Kiwi's. My concern is that after this game, you will come up against the number 2/3 in the world. And this after you have swept the floor with a long list of very poor/average teams (France included as seen in the Tonga game). My concern is that this is your potential choke match...but then again, the question is. Can you call it a choke if you are beaten by a very good team.

Your World Cup final will be in the Semi's. If you win this one, you will have a final exhibition match to fetch the cup:lol:

Pretty much agree with this. We will win against Argentina comfortably, and I say that not through gritted teeth and without any angst. There is ~0.1% chance of us losing that match.

After that however it very quickly turns to custard. It won't be a choke though, it will be a close match between two ***ans of the game. It will be an arm wrestle with South Africa where both sides throw everything at each other for 80 minutes and the yappies probably come out on top for various reasons: slight advantage in the set pieces, slight advantage in the goalkicking, slight advantage in the match conditioning thanks to a more favourable pool. Oh, and the absence of one Daniel William Carter.

If I am wrong - and I do so hope that I am wrong - then we can all get excited about playing a final against the best of the North

 

[Isurus]

I think I'll just have to disagree with you that 2007 wasn't a choke. However, some of the other times we've "choked" at the World Cup I would agree. Losing the final in 1995 was by no means choking, in my opinion.

To me, coming up short and failing to play the way you're capable of is choking. Did we do that in 2007? Well, I guess a little, but that's more up for debate. Is that what happened in 1995? No, and we almost won it on a late drop goal by Andrew Mehrtens anyway. 1999 I wouldn't really say so either, nor 2003. Perhaps I still think that 2007 was a choke job because it's so recent in my memory. I can look back on the other ones with a different perspective.

Now, if we go out to Argentina, I'd be most likely to call that a choke job.

1991 - lost to Australia in semi. Aus were the favourites and a better team. Not a choke.
1995 - lost to South Africa in very tight final. New Zealand were the significantly better team going into the final but the combination of illness (which not only affected our performance on the day but also the preparation - it is doubtful we could have fielded a team 24 hours earlier) and the huge home crowd support with Mandela and the whole destiny thing going on very much evened things up. Not a choke.
1999 - Lost to France in the semi. Beaten by quite possibly the best 30 minutes of rugby ever played by any side anywhere ever. Not what I would call a choke.
2003 - Lost comfortably to Australia in the semi. This one could just about be called a choke but no other team in the world be accused of that losing to Australia in Sydney.
2007 - Lost to France in Quarter final. No other team on the planet would have got close to winning that match facing the obstacles we had to. And yet we very nearly did win it. I regard this result as one of the greatest injustices in sporting history. We were absolutely robbed. Yes we could have played better and it's possible we could have overcome everything and still won but to call it a choke is to ignore everything that happened on that day in 2007.

 

[Teh Mite]

1991 - lost to Australia in semi. Aus were the favourites and a better team. Not a choke.
1995 - lost to South Africa in very tight final. New Zealand were the significantly better team going into the final but the combination of illness (which not only affected our performance on the day but also the preparation - it is doubtful we could have fielded a team 24 hours earlier) and the huge home crowd support with Mandela and the whole destiny thing going on very much evened things up. Not a choke.
1999 - Lost to France in the semi. Beaten by quite possibly the best 30 minutes of rugby ever played by any side anywhere ever. Not what I would call a choke.
2003 - Lost comfortably to Australia in the semi. This one could just about be called a choke but no other team in the world be accused of that losing to Australia in Sydney.
2007 - Lost to France in Quarter final. No other team on the planet would have got close to winning that match facing the obstacles we had to. And yet we very nearly did win it. I regard this result as one of the greatest injustices in sporting history. We were absolutely robbed. Yes we could have played better and it's possible we could have overcome everything and still won but to call it a choke is to ignore everything that happened on that day in 2007.

Please tell me you're taking the **** and don't genuinely believe that tripe?

 

[FlukeArtist]

I hope we can still do it without Carter.

I have massive doubts about Slade though, and hope the coaches select Piri when it matters.

 

[Isurus]

Please tell me you're taking the **** and don't genuinely believe that tripe?

I assume you are referring to 2007. Not taking the ****, yes I believe it.

 

[Saintjay]

1991 - lost to Australia in semi. Aus were the favourites and a better team. Not a choke.
1995 - lost to South Africa in very tight final. New Zealand were the significantly better team going into the final but the combination of illness (which not only affected our performance on the day but also the preparation - it is doubtful we could have fielded a team 24 hours earlier) and the huge home crowd support with Mandela and the whole destiny thing going on very much evened things up. Not a choke.
1999 - Lost to France in the semi. Beaten by quite possibly the best 30 minutes of rugby ever played by any side anywhere ever. Not what I would call a choke.
2003 - Lost comfortably to Australia in the semi. This one could just about be called a choke but no other team in the world be accused of that losing to Australia in Sydney.
2007 - Lost to France in Quarter final. No other team on the planet would have got close to winning that match facing the obstacles we had to. And yet we very nearly did win it. I regard this result as one of the greatest injustices in sporting history. We were absolutely robbed. Yes we could have played better and it's possible we could have overcome everything and still won but to call it a choke is to ignore everything that happened on that day in 2007.

I do not think the AB's have ever chocked. Of all those games you mentioned. When it comes down to knock out rugby, the best team on the day over 80mins wins.

Regardless of form, you can take lots of factors into account but should have won is not the same. You can nearly win a game but the fact is you still lost.

The only concern I have with the AB's at the moment is that they have not been tested. Your first test is in a crucial game in a world cup semi. I still think yo are good enough to step up and win.

 

[Teh Mite]

I assume you are referring to 2007. Not taking the ****, yes I believe it.

Barnes. What a *******.


Clearly when McAlastair blocks a player he shoulnn't be binned.

And obviously it was an injustice against NZ because they didn't take the easy droppie in the end. 10 minutes of not scoring a try. The world was against them...