Rugby World Cup 2019 aka Squishy McSquish goes into a meltdown thread

RooneyLegend

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They have the best coaches and coaching systems as well. Something like 40% of the coaches at the World Cup are kiwis and from the age of 5, their kids are being coached to a level you rarely see elsewhere on the planet. Their skill levels, particularly among forwards, are night and day from what would have traditionally been expected of big guys in South Africa or the Northern Hemisphere.

Other countries are catching up, largely from having spent years copying NZ models and structures or poaching kiwi coaches, but they are a long way back. The standards set in domestic rugby over there just keeps driving standards up and they don't have the same issues other countries have with bigger sports taking playing numbers, resources and market share away from them.
I also think one of their strengths is they stick to their identity. No coach has ever gotten away with moving away from their brand of rugby. They all play that way from club rugby, to super rugby and all the blacks. Its quite a contrast to Brazilian football where sometimes they don't believe in their 'football'.
 

diarm

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I also think one of their strengths is they stick to their identity. No coach has ever gotten away with moving away from their brand of rugby. They all play that way from club rugby, to super rugby and all the blacks. Its quite a contrast to Brazilian football where sometimes they don't believe in their 'football'.
Agree completely.

It's much like the modern well run football club we complain that United isn't - where everyone from the academy, through the scouts, coaches and first team are all on the same page and pulling in the same direction.

Kids are taught the same fundamentals across New Zealand with an emphasis on handling skills and running at space rather than at the man. It means that players from all over the country are familiar with the game plan that doesn't change all that much as you move up through the levels.
 

diarm

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This Snyman fella shouldn't really be allowed to play sports with human beings.
 

RooneyLegend

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This Snyman fella shouldn't really be allowed to play sports with human beings.
Love the bloke, my favourite rugby player by some distance. My heart sank when i heard he's leaving the Blue Bulls. The most skilled forward there is imo.
 

diarm

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Love the bloke, my favourite rugby player by some distance. My heart sank when i heard he's leaving the Blue Bulls. The most skilled forward there is imo.
He's outrageous. He's about 6 foot 19, built like a brick shithouse, has serious wheels and ridiculous ball skills. I heard Rassie call him the most athletic player in your squad.

Playing him is like having a cheat code.
 

Offsideagain

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Another reason that the All Blacks are consistent is the school system. They actually want to learn. I watched a programme about Dan Carter and he was 100% dedicated to Rugby and to improve at every level. The school ethos instilled that character in all the pupils whether they were good at sports or not. People say New Zealand is like we were 50 years ago. I can’t quite see that, but they certainly can turn out top sportsmen for such a small population which is smaller than Scotland. Let’s hope England can give them a good game if we meet them.
 

RooneyLegend

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He's outrageous. He's about 6 foot 19, built like a brick shithouse, has serious wheels and ridiculous ball skills. I heard Rassie call him the most athletic player in your squad.

Playing him is like having a cheat code.
You forgot that he's also a lineout specialist, both in terms of securing our ball and stealing opposition ball. Honestly, once Matfield and Botha retired i never thought i'd revere a bulls lock like them then the past 2 seasons happened.

His biggest strength imo is the ball skills. The things i've seen him do on a rugby pitch i haven't seen even Broddie Retallick do. At times its like playing SBW in the forwards. He's a clean break assist waiting to happen every time he has the ball.

Yet Rassie doesn't start him... the team selection at the Boks has been a mystery in recent years. I guess our talent pool is too big for our coaches and selectors to be sensible.
 

diarm

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You forgot that he's also a lineout specialist, both in terms of securing our ball and stealing opposition ball. Honestly, once Matfield and Botha retired i never thought i'd revere a bulls lock like them then the past 2 seasons happened.

His biggest strength imo is the ball skills. The things i've seen him do on a rugby pitch i haven't seen even Broddie Retallick do. At times its like playing SBW in the forwards. He's a clean break assist waiting to happen every time he has the ball.

Yet Rassie doesn't start him... the team selection at the Boks has been a mystery in recent years. I guess our talent pool is too big for our coaches and selectors to be sensible.
Rassie wants to keep him safe to bring with him when he comes home to Munster.

Don't worry though, we'll give you Jean Kleyn back instead.
 

RedDevilRoshi

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Good comfortable win in the end for the Springboks but I thought before the red card, Italy were making a good fist of it. They had chances to score and defended pretty decently against a very powerful South African forward line. Game changed when the two stupid Italian’s performed a tag team move you see on WWE on The South African number 8 Duane Vermeulen. What on earth were the both of them thinking? Only Andrea Lovotti got sent off but the other culprit, Nicola Quaglio should have been red carded too. You’ve just won a penalty a few metres away from the South African try line and if you score a converted try there, you reduce the deficit to just 7 points and get a bit of momentum behind you. But you then go and do that? Stupidity beyond belief! Once the red was shown, South Africa just steamrolled the Italians scoring 5 tries and a penalty to win the game 49-3. Also special mention to the wee South Afrcian wing wizard - Cheslin Kobe. An absolute talent! I hope the unfortunate ankle injury he picked up towards the end of the game is nothing serious.

Tomorrow we have 3 games which are - Australia vs Uruguay, England vs Argentina & Japan vs Samoa. A fantastic morning of Rugby before the football begins!
 

JPRouve

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I just realized that it was better if England wins. Let's go England!
 

Dan_F

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It should have been a yellow.
It was a red according to the law. Shoulder to chin. Don’t think it was as dangerous as the other reds we’ve seen in the WC so far.

England needed a test today, so I don’t think it’s actually ideal.
 

JPRouve

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It was a red according to the law. Shoulder to chin. Don’t think it was as dangerous as the other reds we’ve seen in the WC so far.

England needed a test today, so I don’t think it’s actually ideal.
I said yellow due to the other leg but you have a point.