[RWC2019][Semi-Final 1] England vs. New Zealand (26/10/2019)

[Chief Pete]

That is true, corroborated with constantly playing people out of position, selected them on past merits/favoritism and coming to a WC without having a settled midfield/backline.

Or you were beaten by the better team on the day...

Last week you were superb, so my above comment seems apt...

 

[Goodey]

A very enjoyable if quite indulgent bit by Andy Bull (Grauniad) here.

"Generations from now they will still be talking about some of those tackles. The All Blacks' grandchildren will still be telling their kids to behave or else Sam Underhill will come and get them."

 

[TommiG88]

@The Alpha Bro get off my patch

 

[Rich Taff]

Best England performance I've seen in years.
Outplayed them in just about every area.
Thought the flankers were outstanding again, and Watson looked dangerous every time he got the ball.
Only downside was May. Not sure what he was doing starting, as he was obviously injured. Unless he underplayed it to the coaching staff.
Hoping for a N.Hem final, and that England have got this performance out of their system

 

[ncurd]

Who did they roll a D12 to determine who to give a MOTM medal in the end?

 

[TW27BA]

What a game! I was one of the pessimists who didn't give England much of a chance. I take it back, they were superb.
That has to be the best I have ever seen them play and that includes the 2003 campaign and the 2012 Twickers result.
From 1-23, everyone put in a shift and Underhill, Curry, Itoje, Tuilagi, Watson and Ford went above and beyond.

Can they repeat this performance? Too right they can.
I have high hopes Wales can make their first final and make it an all NH affair, but again I fear the Saffas have too much for a weakened Wales.
I can be wrong twice can't I?

Finally, great to read the Kiwi posters praising this win along with the Welsh, Irish and Saffas. Like all true sports fans, they have acknowleged the better team on the day won.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Wales Online's super computer predicted that England would lose the quarter final to Australia and then that they would lose the semi to NZ. I'm hopng that it predicts we'll lose the final and then England's got the cup in the bag!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest Wakes Online really know their audience.

 

[Swper Ted]

So it's happened.
The stars have aligned & the perfect storm for the rest of the Rugby World is sweeping in from a North Westerly approach - England have appointed the man who is the weld, nah, the glue that has the ability to perform at a domination level, not exclusively, but dominate all the same the 6N & possibly onwards to 2023 RWC too.
It may pain me as a GOG to say it, but England played the beautiful game beautifully today. No team could have coped with them & barring the lineout try, the ABS would have been pointless, & rightly so, when if ever did that last happen?
Who will they play? My heart says Wales.
Result? 60/40 England but more often than not, that 40 has been enough for Wales to grab victory when needed.

 

[ncurd]

Who has scored a try this world cup against England that wasn't because they did something stupid or just switched off with minutes to go with the game already won?

 

[Gena_ZA]

Having watched every game of the All Blacks the last decade and got to know them as well as any non NZ person ever could I am of the opinion that three things caused their demise today:
1- they were not allowed to be disruptive, their clever off the ball tactics were picked up and blown - dirty uncle Sam and his knack of pulling and pushing players off play; tackling people of the ball, side entries, offside line etc.
2- their inability to handle brutally honest in your face defense and a **** load of continuous pressure.
3- coaching staff losing the plot in the last 6 months - yes leaving one of the most destructive runners in Laumape at home, carrying semi injured players & over the hill ones based on past legacies and playing a past world rugby player of the year out of position - they created their own downfall.

England did the basics well, very well and thoroughly deserves this final, whether they have the mental aptitude to have two fabulous performances in a row remains to be seen

 

[Chief Pete]

I honestly think having a SH coach was a massive reason for today, our press, pundits, fans etc see NZ as some mystical beings who are gods amongst men and you should be grateful they bother to play you in the first place, I'm sick of Sir Clive, that numpty Barnes etc reel out the same old "let's hope they have an off day rhetoric", b.. Locks to that, we fronted up and played the game on out terms...

 

[TRF_heineken]

I honestly think having a SH coach was a massive reason for today, our press, pundits, fans etc see NZ as some mystical beings who are gods amongst men and you should be grateful they bother to play you in the first place, I'm sick of Sir Clive, that numpty Barnes etc reel out the same old "let's hope they have an off day rhetoric", b.. Locks to that, we fronted up and played the game on out terms...

well they did have an off day...

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Who has scored a try this world cup against England that wasn't because they did something stupid or just switched off with minutes to go with the game already won?

That is a little harsh on the Wallabies surely? Their excellent ball retention really asked some questions of England and their execution for their tries was pretty decent. I see where you are coming from but maintaining concentration is a major part of defending, even when a match is effectively dead and buried.

And I was wrong, NZ somehow got 638 metres on the ground, so about the same as the Wallabies if their try hadn't been chalked off. It sure didn't feel like it!

 

[Reiser99]

well they did have an off day...

Did they honestly? Yes they were beaten, but they weren't terrible by any means. Broke the gainline quite a few times. However England gave them nothing and didn't panic once. Yes they made more mistakes as the game wore on, but that was purely the pressure England put them under. I think playing like they did they still would have beaten anyone else last weekend except England and possibly S.A. For me an off day is where you play badly or make mistakes without the pressure. This was all down to English pressure.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

This is why I love watching sport so much especially when you have a changing of the guard. It felt to me The handing of the torch from one former great team to next, the way England totally nullified and outplayed the ABs.

The ABs have been great for so long, but all sporting runs come to an end. For a lot The 2015 vintage it finished as a fairytale. But today certainly wasn't for Hansen, Read and others who won't play in another RWC.

Signs were there 2 years ago, when they went only drew the Lions series at home. Any team losing the likes and experience of McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Conrad, Kaino plus the likes of Read, Ben Smith no longer in their prime are up against repeating another World Cup, when they are facing a younger, hungrier team; especially one hurting from getting chucked out of their own World Cup in their back yard.

 

[Chief Pete]

well they did have an off day...

They did, but I'd argue England were that good and that's my point...

How many times today did the itv commentator say this proved that NZ are human after all, one thing being respectful of the opposition another being in awe of the opposition.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I predicted last year a NZ v SA final and had a bet with someone on this forum who said it wouldn't be. The loser donating a tenner to their chosen charity. Happy to say I was wrong and just made good the bet and donated £20 to the wonderful MacMillan Cancer support, plus gift aid of £5.

 

[Ferrari333SP]

Ben Spencer of Saracens has been called up to cover Heinz's spot on the bench

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/breaking-ben-spencer-is-being-flown-to-japan

 

[User1245]

Having watched every game of the All Blacks the last decade and got to know them as well as any non NZ person ever could I am of the opinion that three things caused their demise today:
1- they were not allowed to be disruptive, their clever off the ball tactics were picked up and blown - dirty uncle Sam and his knack of pulling and pushing players off play; tackling people of the ball, side entries, offside line etc.
2- their inability to handle brutally honest in your face defense and a **** load of continuous pressure.
3- coaching staff losing the plot in the last 6 months - yes leaving one of the most destructive runners in Laumape at home, carrying semi injured players & over the hill ones based on past legacies and playing a past world rugby player of the year out of position - they created their own downfall.

England did the basics well, very well and thoroughly deserves this final, whether they have the mental aptitude to have two fabulous performances in a row remains to be seen

Gotta agree with you on that point. Sam also tackled Owen Farrell out of a tackle in the game as well, he definitely was not competing for the ball and the tackle was not completed so it wasn't a ruck.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Gotta agree with you on that point. Sam also tackled Owen Farrell out of a tackle in the game as well, he definitely was not competing for the ball and the tackle was not completed so it wasn't a ruck.

Plus I saw earlier in the game where Farrell was on the floor and a Kiwi appeared to accidentally on purpose give the side of Farrells head a bit of a scrape with his studs. He clutched the side of his head immediately after it happened. All a long way from where the ball was. Would have liked to have seen exactly what happened because it looked dirty.