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[RWC2019][3rd & 4th Place Playoff] New Zealand vs. Wales (01/11/2019)


It just ticks me off that the some people WANT sexy rugby in a world cup final. It's not going to happen. The 2 best teams in the Competition has at this stage reached the peak of their defensive capabilities, and at this point both teams just want to win, they don't car by how much, or how they do it, just that they have to win. They don't care if the media or the fans write bad things about their performance in a final, they only care that they put everything on the line, went 100% did their best and get the win.

Playing sexy rugby is what got the teams out of this tournament.
 
It just ticks me off that the some people WANT sexy rugby in a world cup final. It's not going to happen. The 2 best teams in the Competition has at this stage reached the peak of their defensive capabilities, and at this point both teams just want to win, they don't car by how much, or how they do it, just that they have to win. They don't care if the media or the fans write bad things about their performance in a final, they only care that they put everything on the line, went 100% did their best and get the win.

Playing sexy rugby is what got the teams out of this tournament.
Of course any neutral wants sexy rugby like...

To be honest I don't care who wins the world cup at this stage. I prefer the English team and most of their players but would rather the winner be far away from me. The rugby in this world cup hasn't been particularly aesthetically pleasing with the exception of NZ dicking us in my opinion, it was too humid in the pools. I'd like to enjoy some rugby like that rather than watching it through my fingers, this game is the last chance.

It's nothing for you to care about though... Lion and the sheep n all that!
 
It's nothing for you to care about though... Lion and the sheep n all that!
More a case of sheep and more sheep.

No-one really cares, but I can't really see anything beyond a highly irritated ABs handing out a bit of a beating irrespective of selection.
 
Of course any neutral wants sexy rugby like...

To be honest I don't care who wins the world cup at this stage. I prefer the English team and most of their players but would rather the winner be far away from me. The rugby in this world cup hasn't been particularly aesthetically pleasing with the exception of NZ dicking us in my opinion, it was too humid in the pools. I'd like to enjoy some rugby like that rather than watching it through my fingers, this game is the last chance.

It's nothing for you to care about though... Lion and the sheep n all that!

All good. I think the weather and the climate has played a massive role as to why sexy rugby didn't work as well as it could.
 
As someone mentioned, it's very odd that these games are Friday Saturday ... I've had Saturday Sunday on my calendar for months, I'm glad somebody mentioned it. Should be interesting for Wales on Friday, depending on what kind of side shows up, the downcast and defeated AB's, or the WE MUST CRUSH YOU squad... I was utterly shocked how they just didn't show up versus England, it was just devastating to watch them roll over.

Hard to know who to root for, as a neutral. I guess I'll just hope for a close game, but the whole thing feels like a bit of a let-down, eh?
 
It just ticks me off that the some people WANT sexy rugby in a world cup final. It's not going to happen. The 2 best teams in the Competition has at this stage reached the peak of their defensive capabilities, and at this point both teams just want to win, they don't car by how much, or how they do it, just that they have to win. They don't care if the media or the fans write bad things about their performance in a final, they only care that they put everything on the line, went 100% did their best and get the win.

Playing sexy rugby is what got the teams out of this tournament.

I get the banter side of things, but that "sexy rugby" beat you in the pool stage, which funnily enough gave you an easier road to the final, so you should be thanking sexy rugby, not trying to have a dig at it :D

Personally feel it's a little disingenuous to claim SA are one of the 2 best sides in the tournament too given the context of the draw. But hey, technically you are right, but I wouldn't be going around seriously trying to push that.
 
I get the banter side of things, but that "sexy rugby" beat you in the pool stage, which funnily enough gave you an easier road to the final, so you should be thanking sexy rugby, not trying to have a dig at it :D

Personally feel it's a little disingenuous to claim SA are the 2nd best side in the tournament too given the context of the draw. But hey, technically you are right, but I wouldn't be going around seriously trying to push that.

Come on dude... We lost that game on purpose... how else do you think we got here...
 
Personally feel it's a little disingenuous to claim SA are one of the 2 best sides in the tournament too given the context of the draw. But hey, technically you are right, but I wouldn't be going around seriously trying to push that.
They are in the final, that is all that matters, how anyone feels about that is just forum banter
 
There has been plenty attractive rugby in competitive fixtures:

Oz vs England
England vs New Zealand
Uruguay vs Fiji
Fiji vs Wales & Oz
Japan vs Scotland & Ireland
France (in patches) vs Pumas and Wales
Tomasso Allan
Bits of Pumas vs Tonga and Tonga vs US
Even Wales had some moments against Oz
 
Although I'd imagine it quite unlikely it would be pretty cool if Gatlands Wales could beat the All Blacks (the only team Wales haven't beaten under his stewardship) on his last game in charge. I mean screw the bronze medal etc the achievement for Wales would be to beat New Zealand.

I'd imagine the All Blacks will be hungry for blood after last Saturday though, so I can't really see it happening.
 
For all Gatland has done, there is still a huge question mark about his coaching styles limitations. We have had grand slams yes, championships, 2 semi-finals. But the one I always struggle with is his record against the big 3 southern hemisphere teams. It's currently 14.6% having played 43 games against these 3. That to me is just not good enough after that long in the job. I know posters will probably point me to the talent pool available etc but this is something that has always hugely disappointed me. In short, I don't hold much hope for Friday
 
They are in the final, that is all that matters, how anyone feels about that is just forum banter

I see your point but finishing second is really no better than finishing 16th.
Winning is all that matters.
 
For all Gatland has done, there is still a huge question mark about his coaching styles limitations. We have had grand slams yes, championships, 2 semi-finals. But the one I always struggle with is his record against the big 3 southern hemisphere teams. It's currently 14.6% having played 43 games against these 3. That to me is just not good enough after that long in the job. I know posters will probably point me to the talent pool available etc but this is something that has always hugely disappointed me. In short, I don't hold much hope for Friday

Notes from 'A Cautionary Tale':

I do get where your coming from but as a guy who was born in the late 70's, I had to watch Wales **** the bed almost every match for over 20 years. There was the occasional match where the bed linen would come out ok but on the whole we got massacred... consistently.

Graham Henry and Steve Hansen got the 'tanker' to ever so slowly start turning around in the right direction, eventually resulting in the Ruddock coached Grand Slam of '05 but even then there was the ignominy of the 2006 6 Nations as well as the 6 Nations and World Cup of '07.

What Gatland has done, with the raw materials available is very near miraculous. I understand that we are not too pleasant on the eye and I also lament our lack of a World Cup final but the consistency of Wales being able to consistently 'compete' at the highest table seemed like a pipe dream to me for the first three decades of my life... particularly when we were conceding almost 100 points in one match to the SH big 3.

There is no doubts Gats isn't perfect but I for one am extremely concerned about how we'll manage without him. I hope I'm wrong. I hope we play infinite-plays with the quality never dipping below that of 'the try'. I hope we reel off Grand Slams for fun and expose Gatlands limitations by reaching our first World Cup final in 2023 by cutting all opposition to shreds. Do I think it will happen though?

No! Sadly I think we'll become part of the lower half of the 6 Nations. In all probability it'll be us and Scotland 'competing' for the most easy on the eye play style, while avoiding the Wooden Spoon.

I take it from you're username that you were born in '91... which means by the time you started seriously watching Wales on the international stage we would soon win our first slam for 27 years. Then another in '08, and another in '12 followed by a championship in '13 and another Slam in '19. I totally get that to you, it must just be cyclical right, and we'll have a transitional year, maybe two and we'll be back on top... but all bar one ('05) were under Gats or his influence ('13).

I'd brace yourself for some lean times if I were you, then if I'm wrong and Pivac coaches us to the same level of success or more than Gats did, while we are also playing sexy rugby you haven't lost anything. But if I'm right, at least you'll be prepared... and it won't hit you by surprise cause it's the ones you don't see coming that hit you the hardest.
 
Just seen that this game isn't going to be on TV in NZ because they didn't bother getting the license for the 3rd place game - any truth in that or just a social media meme?
 
Notes from 'A Cautionary Tale':

I do get where your coming from but as a guy who was born in the late 70's, I had to watch Wales **** the bed almost every match for over 20 years. There was the occasional match where the bed linen would come out ok but on the whole we got massacred... consistently.

Graham Henry and Steve Hansen got the 'tanker' to ever so slowly start turning around in the right direction, eventually resulting in the Ruddock coached Grand Slam of '05 but even then there was the ignominy of the 2006 6 Nations as well as the 6 Nations and World Cup of '07.

What Gatland has done, with the raw materials available is very near miraculous. I understand that we are not too pleasant on the eye and I also lament our lack of a World Cup final but the consistency of Wales being able to consistently 'compete' at the highest table seemed like a pipe dream to me for the first three decades of my life... particularly when we were conceding almost 100 points in one match to the SH big 3.

There is no doubts Gats isn't perfect but I for one am extremely concerned about how we'll manage without him. I hope I'm wrong. I hope we play infinite-plays with the quality never dipping below that of 'the try'. I hope we reel off Grand Slams for fun and expose Gatlands limitations by reaching our first World Cup final in 2023 by cutting all opposition to shreds. Do I think it will happen though?

No! Sadly I think we'll become part of the lower half of the 6 Nations. In all probability it'll be us and Scotland 'competing' for the most easy on the eye play style, while avoiding the Wooden Spoon.

I take it from you're username that you were born in '91... which means by the time you started seriously watching Wales on the international stage we would soon win our first slam for 27 years. Then another in '08, and another in '12 followed by a championship in '13 and another Slam in '19. I totally get that to you, it must just be cyclical right, and we'll have a transitional year, maybe two and we'll be back on top... but all bar one ('05) were under Gats or his influence ('13).

I'd brace yourself for some lean times if I were you, then if I'm wrong and Pivac coaches us to the same level of success or more than Gats did, while we are also playing sexy rugby you haven't lost anything. But if I'm right, at least you'll be prepared... and it won't hit you by surprise cause it's the ones you don't see coming that hit you the hardest.
I think you're being a bit pessimistic there Bushy! Ireland were a bit earlier to the professional party than Wales and probably have a better platform from their clubs but we've more or less been the next best after whoever in the "Big 5" have their **** together since our 08 and 09 slams, the exception being Argentina in 2015. You lads are better in competition while we have a knack for sticking it to the SH sides. (have since the turn of the millennium with the exception of NZ)

I'm not convinced by what we've put together but I'll give them a chance, they have been excellent outside of world cups wherever they've gone really. Pivac is probably less convincing but I doubt anyone's falling to Scottish levels of pish and I doubt Pivac will be all out attack either, Joe was lauded for his attacking back play in Leinster, never really got it to Ireland.
 
I think you're being a bit pessimistic there Bushy! Ireland were a bit earlier to the professional party than Wales and probably have a better platform from their clubs but we've more or less been the next best after whoever in the "Big 5" have their **** together since our 08 and 09 slams, the exception being Argentina in 2015. You lads are better in competition while we have a knack for sticking it to the SH sides. (have since the turn of the millennium with the exception of NZ)

I'm not convinced by what we've put together but I'll give them a chance, they have been excellent outside of world cups wherever they've gone really. Pivac is probably less convincing but I doubt anyone's falling to Scottish levels of pish and I doubt Pivac will be all out attack either, Joe was lauded for his attacking back play in Leinster, never really got it to Ireland.
I admit that my 'formative' years have in all probability made me a massive pessimist and I'd be extremely happy to be proved wrong (I'm different to most people like that ;)). And I do agree that Wales and Ireland probably equate to each other quite well but you guys have done it with 3 (I think) coaches while we have done it with 1. Hence, on the current evidence I feel that Ireland are better placed to perpetuate their level when transitioning between coaches than Wales are. That and our gawd-awful regional game.
 

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