Freefallguy Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Ken… I know you’re keen on following Rugby Union, and when there the boys and I loved watching the Reds (thanks Smithy for the mini lesson). I also caught a local match in Taranaki, NZ the first time there. Amazing how the stadium rocks when those guys get into the scrum and the whole crowd heaves. That said, what outside the quadrennial World Cup is RU’s top annual event? Is it Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup or the Grand Slam? I found the website below that sheds some light on the matter, but it doesn’t indicate the top annual comp. I see the Kiwis one all three so it may be moot for 2008. When does the new season begin? As well it indicates the Kiwis having two teams in the top five for ’08 but none for Australia. Are the Kiwis really that good? Do the Aussies compete on an international level? Is it typical for a U20 team to be named among the Top Five? Questions, questions, questions; can you help out a brother? http://www.scrumoftheearth.com/rugby_news/...ms+Of+2008.aspx
mef Posted January 13, 2009 Posted January 13, 2009 G'day Freefallguy, I'm not Ken or Prez but a fan of rugby union. I used to play the game at college and I'm sure Prez has more rugby brains and playing experience than myself. My time in Auckland, I've seen the ups and downs of NZ rugby. The team is call All Blacks from the legendary silver fern on the black jersey. I avoid calling the team "Kiwis" as they are the name for NZ national side in another code of rugby - rugby league. Prez and Ken may dispute this, but in my opinion the All Blacks are the best team by results in between the rugby world cup (every 4 years with the first held in NZ in 1987). The All Blacks won the first world cup and chocked, tripped in all their previous world cup appearances 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. The next world cup 2011 is back in NZ. Rugby World Cup Winners:- 1987 - NZ 1991 - Australia 1995 - South Africa 1999 - Australia 2003 - England 2007 - South Africa Besides the disappointing performance during the world cups, the All Blacks have won most top competitions in the last few years ie. Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup and Grand Slams agains the Northern Hemisphere nations. I rate (my personal opinion) the following competition according to the order of importance:- 1. Rugby World Cup 2. Bledisloe Cup - test between Australia (Wallabies) and All Blacks 3. Tri-Nations - competition between Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks (South Africa) 4. Grandslams - competition against Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland 5. Super 14 - competition involving 14 franchise teams from NZ, Australia and South Africa 6. Air NZ Cup - NZ's local provincial teams competition ie. Taranaki Super 14 fixtures http://rss14.co.nz/index.cfm?layout=s14fixtures Tri-nations / Bledisloe Cup & All Blacks 2009 fixtures http://www.allblacks.com/index.cfm?layout=fixtures (Bledisloe Cup is contended during Tri-Nations when the Wallabies and All Blacks play each other) The All Blacks will also have a year end tour to Northern Hemisphere. The fixtures are usually announced arround mid year. Hope these helps. Any more questions please feel free to ask. Enjoy the game. Cheers mef
Ken Gargett Posted January 13, 2009 Posted January 13, 2009 rob, having massive computer probs at the moment and so will check the site etc and get back to you. very briefly, and sadly as in the old days, every test counted, these days the complete focus is on the world cup. bledisloe and others important but miles away from the world cup (kiwis rested all the top players from the super 14 showed that they think so too - and didn't that work well for them). kiwis have become the world's greatest team of chokers re world cup. only team on the planet that can get the champagne cork back in the bottle and haven't they had some practice. complete chokers. shameful, really.
El Presidente Posted January 13, 2009 Posted January 13, 2009 As a trainer of Ausralian Rugby all I can say is "Shame,.......shame .......shame!" I hate our NZ bretheren in terms of Rugby. I coach Wasps.....White Anglo Saxon Protestants/Catholics and our nadir is alll Nz / samoan/ Tongan sides.
Ken Gargett Posted January 13, 2009 Posted January 13, 2009 had a quick gander at the site. past history. the all blacks always do well in between world cups but when it comes to the real thing, they crumble. leave aside the 87 win when there were about 8 sides in an experimental event that didn't even draw enough interest to fill the grounds at games (nowadays it is the third largest sporting event in the world after the soccer world cup and the olympics) and they avoided us because that welsh idiot, clive norling - ref to the stars - missed a last minute knock-on to put the french thru instead of us (to be fair, i strongly suspect we would have gone down in a final against the all blacks but who knows, they have been sure things many times before only to choke). 91, campo and horan tore them apart in the semi, when they were supposed to thrash us and move on to an easy win against england (which we managed). 95, they choked in extra time as hot faves, to the yarpies (though strong rumours re food poisoning underhanded tactics by the yarps persist). 99, they lost the semi to france after leading by a million miles. perhaps the most enjoyable game of rugby ever played. then we bat the french to win. 03, they were massive faves to beat us in the semi but, wait for it, they choked. england beat us - probably deserved to but if flatley's kick doesn't hit the post and go out, we win - that is not choking, that is bad luck. 07, they are thumping france in the quarter final and would then have played argentina for a spot in the final against an underdone yarpie outfit - they would ahve been hot faves, but wait, what is this? france are coming back and yes, the kiwis........ CHOKE. 11, the hot faves, they choked in the game against namibia.
Freefallguy Posted January 13, 2009 Author Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Ken, et al. I was hoping to follow the RU action a little more closely... looks like it doesn't get serious until '11. Namibia??? Rob- I know you teach your wannabe Wallabies to hate the black and blue from early on, but who are the blue? Cheers mates.
El Presidente Posted January 14, 2009 Posted January 14, 2009 ......you are just playing with us Rob I teach my kids/teams to hate the "Black " of the Allblacks and the putrid "Sky Blue " Jersey of New South Wales. My eldest son detests both and struggles with his conscience when a New Zealand team plays a New South Wales team. In the end he just prays for acid rain. My job as a Queenslander is done
Ken Gargett Posted January 14, 2009 Posted January 14, 2009 ......you are just playing with us Rob I teach my kids/teams to hate the "Black " of the Allblacks and the putrid "Sky Blue " Jersey of New South Wales. My eldest son detests both and struggles with his conscience when a New Zealand team plays a New South Wales team. In the end he just prays for acid rain. My job as a Queenslander is done as much as i absolutely hate the kiwis, i do find myself a strong supporter for any kiwi team playing nsw. what really galls me is when the kiwis play the english. bugger acid rain - nuclear testing.
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