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Rugby - RIP Jonah Lomu.


The Anti-Targ

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Too bad for Aussie there. They were the better team for about 70 minutes of the game but not for the first time the All blacks prove that 10 points in the last 10 minutes is more than just a 50/50 chance. Good mental resolve there. Again Aussie fails to capitalise on a one man advantage!



So now the Southern teams head North to duke it out for South/North supremacy. Starting with what can only be described as an exhibition match between the All Blacks and the US Eagles in Chicago. I hope it's not total embarrassment but I think the Eagles will be very lucky if the margin is under 50 points.



The way Aussie has looked away from home I think they are in for a struggle when they head up north.


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Might as well use this thread now since the other one is close to the end.

Is the game in Chicago in the international window? It'll help the US if they can get their European based players back for the game. They still won't win but you'd think having the likes of Manoa will make them a bit more competitive.

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Too bad for Aussie there. They were the better team for about 70 minutes of the game but not for the first time the All blacks prove that 10 points in the last 10 minutes is more than just a 50/50 chance. Good mental resolve there. Again Aussie fails to capitalise on a one man advantage!

So now the Southern teams head North to duke it out for South/North supremacy. Starting with what can only be described as an exhibition match between the All Blacks and the US Eagles in Chicago. I hope it's not total embarrassment but I think the Eagles will be very lucky if the margin is under 50 points.

The way Aussie has looked away from home I think they are in for a struggle when they head up north.

Coach could be sacked and some players may be gone due to the way they handled the Beale debacle.

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Might as well use this thread now since the other one is close to the end.

Is the game in Chicago in the international window? It'll help the US if they can get their European based players back for the game. They still won't win but you'd think having the likes of Manoa will make them a bit more competitive.

I don't know the international window for the northern hemisphere. The match is on the first weekend of November. Aussie plays the Barbars the same weekend. The North/South test matches all start the following weekend.

TOUR 08 NOV 2014 England 0 - 0 New Zealand Twickenham TOUR 08 NOV 2014 Wales 0 - 0 Australia Millennium Stadium TOUR 08 NOV 2014 Italy 0 - 0 Samoa Stadio Cino e Lillo Del Duca TOUR 08 NOV 2014 Georgia 0 - 0 Tonga Mikheil Meskhi Stadium TOUR 08 NOV 2014 Ireland 0 - 0 South Africa Aviva Stadium TOUR 08 NOV 2014 Scotland 0 - 0 Argentina Murrayfield TOUR 08 NOV 2014 France 0 - 0 Fiji Stade Velodrome

What a weekend (nay a day) of International Rugby that is.

My picks are: NZ, Wales, Samoa, Tonga, South Africa, Argentina, France.

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That sure was a tough loss for Aussies. In every aspect except the set pieces they were the better side and it was only because of those two cheeky AB backs sneaking in for tries (and a great angled Colin Slade conversion) they lost. Accuracy is going to have to be a lot better if we don't want England to put us to the sword.


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That and not taking easy points when they are on offer. I'll never understand why a captain elects to forego an easy 3 points in the first half and go after a try instead, and normally fail to score against a side like the All Blacks. Is it because people want to prove they can score tries against the All Blacks? Within the time it took Aussie to score one try they could have scored a penalty and a try if they'd only taken the 3 points when it was offered up. Aussie could have been 9 points up with a couple of minutes to play and that would have meant a last gasp try not giving them the lead. Sure, scoring a try is a lot more damaging psychologically, but only against teams that are psychologically vulnerable. Scoring a try against the All Blacks just pisses them off, and not in a disruptive way.



Of course if Barrett hadn't missed a conversion that he would normally get 99% of the time that would have meant not needing to rely Slade's conversion at the death for the win. So early events on both sides meant for a more nail biting finish than what might have been.


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Is the game in Chicago in the international window?

Afraid not - no way would the ABs sacrifice the money of touring Europe in favour of US - even though they'd have a good chance at selling out the stadium, and probably a better %age of the gate - they'd risk losing the return fixture.

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The England Squad for the Autumn Internationals has been announced. Not many surprises in it although the absence of Tuilagi through injury's going to be a big loss with the midfield looking pretty unsettled still. The only selections I'd take much issue with would be the lack of Cipriani, who's been the best English 10 for me, and Calum Clark over someone like Kvesic or Fraser. It's a selection for what will probably be the non playing backrow anyway (and they can still pick a few more players apparently) so it's doesn't make a great deal of difference but it is an indication of the pecking order.

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So apparently the US/AB game at Soldier Field has sold out. To put that in context Soldier Field has a capacity of over 60,000, which is a slightly higher capacity than Eden Park when its capacity was temporarily boosted during the RWC in 2011. Its normal capacity is 50,000. So a sold out Soldier Field means a bigger crowd than has ever been seen in New Zealand for rugby game, including the 2011 RWC final. And it probably rates up there in terms of biggest crowds at a rugby game on a global scale. Pretty damned good for a country where Rugby isn't even a 3rd string sport on a national scale.


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The Autumn Internationals start this weekend with the USA-All Blacks game in Chicago. I actually quite looking forward to it, there's no way the USA is going to win but it should be a pretty good occasion with Soldier Field sold out.

Hopefully the US will manage to keep it competitive though. Looking at the sides the back five of the US pack looks reasonable with Manoa and Lavalla playing and the back three's probably serviceable as well. The issues look to be, unless US club rugby's a lot stronger than I think it is, the front row and, in particular, the midfield. Cruden and Sonny Bill Williams might both be a bit rusty but you'd still think the US will struggle to live with them.

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The Springbok squad for the upcoming tour. No major suprises in the selection. Although five uncapped players have been selected, Meyer has stressed the importance of continuity and ruled out any wholesale experimentation. I expect the lineup against Ireland to be the same as the one that defeated New Zealand.

Forwards (20): Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Marcell Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Eben Etzebeth, Lodewyk de Jager, Jaco Kriel, Victor Matfield, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Julian Redelinghuys, Gurthro Steenkamp, Adriaan Strauss, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley

Backs (16): Damian de Allende, Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux, Seabelo Senatla, Jan Serfontein, Morne Steyn, Jean de Villiers (captain)

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