Tri Nations: All Blacks - Wallabies @ Eden Park (06-08-2011, 08:35 GMT)

[TRF_Olyy]

At the risk of posting on topic, I can't wait for this match!
Need to remember to set several alarms - I have a tendency to wake up at half time (i.e the Australia vs Samoa match)
I thought I'd done it for the ABs first match, but I'd read the kickoff time wrong and woke up just in time for the Haka, not at halftime like I thought

 

[Thingimubob]

At the risk of posting on topic, I can't wait for this match!
Need to remember to set several alarms - I have a tendency to wake up at half time (i.e the Australia vs Samoa match)
I thought I'd done it for the ABs first match, but I'd read the kickoff time wrong and woke up just in time for the Haka, not at halftime like I thought

I want to get up and watch this but I'm bloody awful at getting up early! Cracking day of rugby ahead, pity the Scotland vs Ireland is the same time as England vs Wales. I shall be up the pub as bloody Sky have it <_<

 

[Draggs]

At the risk of posting on topic, I can't wait for this match!
Need to remember to set several alarms - I have a tendency to wake up at half time (i.e the Australia vs Samoa match)
I thought I'd done it for the ABs first match, but I'd read the kickoff time wrong and woke up just in time for the Haka, not at halftime like I thought

Hah, same here. Getting up this early on a Saturday is shocking for me, it had better be a good match!
I'd like to watch the Otago v Southland match as well, but that would be too many alarms.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

How would it be too many alarms? Just stay awake

 

[shtove]

I think we'd cover better if Carter got injured than you if Cooper got injured.

This is the issue for the ABs - it cost them RWC 07 (although very unlucky with a second injury at 10 against France). So who is the cover for Carter?

I'm pretty sure Aus are better prepared with replacements at 10. In fact, I reckon Cooper's unpredictability will cost them exactly when it matters most.

Anyway - looking forward to a 3N game that DOESN'T involve the zzzzzzzboks!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Speaking of "zzzzzboks", I heard this in the crowd last match

 

[Darwin]

This is the issue for the ABs - it cost them RWC 07 (although very unlucky with a second injury at 10 against France). So who is the cover for Carter?

I'm pretty sure Aus are better prepared with replacements at 10. In fact, I reckon Cooper's unpredictability will cost them exactly when it matters most.

Anyway - looking forward to a 3N game that DOESN'T involve the zzzzzzzboks!

Colin Slade is cover for Carter. He has looked very comfortable at International level so far. I'd actually feel pretty confident with him starting in an important RWC match (obviously not as confident as I would if Carter was starting) - we will likely get to see him start against either South Africa or Australia in one of the final two Tri-nations matches.

While I don't necessarily think think Slade is as good a backup for Carter as Beale/O'Connor/Barnes/Giteau are for Cooper (largely due to Slades inexperience at test rugby), I do think Australia relies on Cooper more than the AB's do on Carter. That is not to say that the AB's don't rely on Carter - they clearly do, indeed he is probably the most important member of the team. I just think that Australia rely on Cooper more - if you take Cooper out (as they did against Samoa) their style of play has to change dramatically, as their attack revolves entirely around getting the ball in Cooper's hands. In contrast Carter and Slade both play very similar games - while they are important in the attack, they are not the entire focal point of it, so replacing one with the other makes very little difference to the style of play the AB's will adopt.

 

[Sneaki]

Should be pretty awesome to see the atmosphere 55k fans bring to Eden Park. I wont be there tonight (though I will be there on a certain sold out match in a couple of months ) but still it's not often you see that many people at a rugby game in NZ!

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

INVICTUS
Aus are better covered for Carter they have O'Connor and Beale.

Also please don't try and wind me up saying that the NH is subpar and Elsom is actually crap. Was good enough last year and has only played basically two matches this year!

I'm not saying NH is subpar, I'm just saying Elsom has not performed since he returned - he has hardly looked like one of the top flankers in the Southern Hemisphere, let alone the world.

And O'Connor may be a decent first five, but Beale has never performed particularly well regularly at first five. He is undoubtedly contesting the top fullback in the world with Muliaina, but I don't think he's a great five-eigth.

 

[Thingimubob]

having actually managed to get myself up, I know can;t find a stream that doesn't stop every 5 seconds <_< tempted to give up and go back to bed

 

[TRF_RC]

This build up for the game is awesome. The feel in town for this game is awesome. It's wonderful to feel the Kiwis are actually nervous for this game. This is the first real test i've ever experienced on new zealand soil and it's wonderful that these fans are just like all the fans around the world. They hope they can win, even some of them think they'll end up sneaking a win, but by god they're nervous coz they know they Wallabies can screw everything up.
Wonderful humility and great banter going on as well!!!

 

[dullonien]

having actually managed to get myself up, I know can;t find a stream that doesn't stop every 5 seconds <_< tempted to give up and go back to bed

Check your e-mail. You have your PM's disabled btw.

Edit. On topic, haven't they realised from the 6 nations that 'spider cam' sucks?

 

[TRF_RC]

Edit. On topic, haven't they realised from the 6 nations that 'spider cam' sucks?

Get off, new zealand are just getting sky plus, they're a little behind! Let them have this!

 

[TRF_RC]

That was a shocking anthem sung for the aussies!

 

[TVH11]

My god i'm actually awake this early

Fair play both singers are alrighty

Quite like the AB's kit, simple but does the job. Can't wait for this, expecting some quality stuff

 

[Thingimubob]

Check your e-mail. You have your PM's disabled btw.

Edit. On topic, haven't they realised from the 6 nations that 'spider cam' sucks?

Ah cheers, yeah no idea why they'd be disabled :huh: was on there earlier looking, just think my connection might just be awful so cant get one to work...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wheeyyyyy, I'm up

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Where was Ali Williams off to in that Haka?
Everyone stayed in the same spot but he inched forward and ended up several feet in front of the rest of them

 

[KingsHolmKid]

Woke up at 5.30am due to excitement, and went for a bike ride. I'm already knackered so it may prove to be a massive error.
I think NZ by 7-10 pts. Does the countdown ticker on the home page annoy anyone else as it does me?

 

[dullonien]

Get off, new zealand are just getting sky plus, they're a little behind! Let them have this!

Pah, already ruining the Haka with the stupid spider cam, couldn't see their faces through half of it, and why do we want to see the Haka from behind?