RWC Semi: Wallabies V All Blacks

[Joel]

Well the Wallabies are into the world cup semi-final, does anyone think we stand a chance against New Zealand? We played alright against Scotland, but nothing special, and have failed to produce really good rugby (except against the no names, i.e. Namibia and Romania). Unfortunately, I think the All Blacks might be a little too good for us.

[Newelly]

The blacks will be fired up. It will be hard without Kefu and potentially Smith to beat the All-blacks. As for a chance, we always have a chance. See the way Wales played against England and the All-Blacks gives me hope. Last time they played it was 21-17 in New Zealand. The Wallabies never gave up and played some solid defence and were unlucky when a Kiwi player reached over the ruck to illegally obtain possession of the ball which culminated in a try to the Blacks.

[commonwombat]

Since the Boks are now out, it's the Blacks all the way.

The Poms just haven't looked good enough and can't expect to keep scaping thru the tough games.

The Frogs look the best chance of knocking the Blacks. Blacks v Frogs final could be a good 'un.

The Bleaters??? Nah, frankly they really haven't looked the part and have too many players in key positions off form not to mention a pig headed coach who has no plan B.

Why do I call them the bleaters. Cos that's what they do when they lose. Haven't you noticed that they're never fairly beaten; it's either the ref was against us or the other team played dirty or both. They dish out as much dirt as anyone else, but unlike others squeel when they get it back.
Hence the bleaters tag.

[Newelly]

With all due respect commonwombat RSA are the dirtiest team in rugby. All my pommy and kiwi mates are in agreeance with me on this one.

[Newelly]

With all due respect commonwombat RSA are the dirtiest team in rugby. All my pommy and kiwi mates are in agreeance with me on this one.

[commonwombat]

Ah Mr Newelly,

Why do I support the Boks?? Quite simply I spent much of my life there and since my return to Australia, if have found precious little incentive in supporting a bunch of supercilious GPS boy wankers; that's the Wallabies.

Boks a dirty team. Yes, will not debate that fact. Some of their activities have certainly crossed the line into X certificate stuff. Dirtiest team in the world??? Maybe, but let's face it they all dish it out, including those choirboy Wallabies with the Frogs and Blacks certainly having spent time with this title.

My bug bear with the nancyboys is that all other teams operate under the premise of dish it out, you cop it back as a result (real X cert stuff like gouging and biting are obvious exceptions). Not the Wallabies, you hear the bleats after nearly every match esp when they lose. They dish it out like everyone else and have seen Wallabies induldge in as ugly stuff as any others but squeel when they receive it back.

Sorry, but I find them contemptable.

[Joel]

'Smash Carlos' the call
By Peter Jenkins and Jim Tucker
November 11, 2003

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,7832106-29160,00.html

[Donny]

Why Australia can win
By former Wallaby captain Nick Farr-Jones
November 15, 2003

DESPITE all the spoken and written words about the Wallabies' recent form, there is no doubt they can win today.

If you picked an Anzac team today, maybe one or two Wallabies would get a jersey - but they still have the talent to turn the All Blacks over. They must stand up and be counted.

I have been amazed at the perception some former Wallabies have turned against the current crop. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are all still connected by an umbilical cord and would love nothing more than seeing George Gregan and his troops roll the All Blacks.

But the guys have to be accountable and accept they have not performed up to public expectations and, more importantly, lived up to their own expectations, whatever they may be. They have to transform the training performance on to the main stage.

I said some months ago that closing ranks when confronted by criticism was the wrong way to go. It reminds me of the All Blacks of 1991.

By doing so, they put pressure on themselves and it manifests in performances riddled with simple mistakes.

The Wallabies have to accept that much of the recent criticism has been constructive, face it, and answer it with a huge performance.

But relax, chance your arm and the crowd will respond hugely in kind.

Eddie Jones has been talking up the fact that the All Blacks may well unravel around their playmaker Carlos Spencer.

He is right. If Spencer plays well, then Goodnight Irene for the Wallabies. It was the same in the late '80s when our game plan centred on making life a misery for Grant Fox.

If the playmaker can be frustrated and unsettled, the Wallabies could be destined for bigger things come November 22.

Easier said than done. The only way to unsettle King Carlos is to take his time and space - and to do this, the Wallaby forwards have to rip and tear.

Each Wallaby forward has to go out to dominate and intimidate his opponent.

THE Kiwis can and will implode if things go pearshaped for them tonight. There are not enough hard heads in their team, guys who have had the blowtorch turned up and responded accordingly.

When things were going awry against Wales, there seemed to be some blank gazes.

One exception has been halfback Justin Marshall. He is full of confidence and at the height of his game.

His playmaking has been terrific and he has varied the use of ball. His clash against old rival Gregan will be one of the many highlights of this clash of the southern hemisphere heavyweights.

In the other semi, I have finally gone off the tournament favourites, England. With a wry smile, I talk up the fact that we love England's tradition of peaking between World Cups.

I had a close look at a number of their ageing forwards, particularly Jason Leonard, Martin Johnson, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio.

For all their tremendous contribution to English and British Lions rugby, they are on the slippery slide downwards. They have played their best rugby.

Predictions are that tomorrow in Sydney will be hot. The French will revel in moving Dad's Army around the park. France should find themselves in their third Rugby World Cup final, while the English will be sent homewards to think again.

[Donny]

Australia shock NZ
November 15, 2003 - Fox Sports

Australia 22 New Zealand 10
THE Wallabies have broken off the shackles of a difficult Rugby World Cup campaign to score a memorable and unexpected 22-10 semi-final win over New Zealand tonight.

Largely written off as serious contenders after scrappy performances in their pool games and a far from convincing effort against Scotland in the quarter-final, Australia were given little hope against an All Black team near the top of its game.

But a re-invigorated attacking performance, brilliant defence and spoiling work by the loose forwards and a sub-par effort from the 1987 champions helped Australia into their third World Cup final.

Stirling Mortlock was the hero in the backs, scoring an intercept trying and threatening to break the New Zealand line almost every time he touched the ball.

He was ably supported by five eighth Stephen Larkham, who also made a bagful of busts as well as fleet-footed winger Lote Tuqiri and the goalkicking prowess of Elton Flatley who bagged five penalty goals and a conversion.

Equally it was the pressure exerted by the Australian pack who worked tirelessly at the breakdown and then forced the usually fluid Kiwi backline into uncharacteristic errors.

The Wallabies will now play the winner of the match between England and France here tomorrow in the final.

Australia had taken a surprise 13-7 halftime lead after showing from the opening whistle it was prepared to use deep runners – and manage to hold on to the ball.

The weight of early possession – the All Blacks did not get the ball in hand until five minutes of the match had passed – looked like it might turn out to be fruitless with hooker Brendan Cannon penalised for obstruction when Mortlock looked to have a clear run to the line from 50 metres out.

But Mortlock shook of the disappointment of his missed chance just a few minutes later, intercepting a misfired pass from All Blacks five eighth Carlos Spencer to race 75 metres and score untouched under the posts.

Elton Flatley converted for Australia to take a 7-0 lead after nine minutes.

A penalty goal after a heavy hit by New Zealand No.8 Jerry Collins on Australian lock Nathan Sharpe took the home team to 10-0 while another three-pointer after the Wallabies cruelled a likely try took the margin to 13-0.

But New Zealand responded with a crucial try five minutes from halftime when Australian five eighth Stephen Larkham spilled a ball 40 metres out from his line.

Some magical footwork by Spencer set up the New Zealander's try, the five eighth bamboozling the Australian defence before linking up with captain Reuben Thorne who crashed over.

MacDonald converted to make it 13-7 at the break.

New Zealand came out firing after halftime but a procession of errors from the likes of Spencer – who the Australians said would be targetted before the match – did not help their cause.

Flatley slotted three second half penalty goals and the Wallabies relied on their superior fitness and composure to seal the result.

The only low note for Australia was the loss of prop Ben Darwin who was taken from the field midway through the second half after ending up underneath a collapsed maul.

AUSTRALIA 22 (Stirling Mortlock try; Elton Flatley pens 5 con) bt NEW ZEALAND 10 (Reuben Thorne try; Leon MacDonald con pen). HT: 13-7. At Telstra Stadium, Sydney. Referee: Chris White (Eng). Crowd: 82,444.

[Newelly]

[Donny]

At last the Wallabies stand up
By Mike Colman
November 16, 2003

AUSTRALIA were on song at Telstra Stadium last night . . . even before kick-off.

There had been much conjecture about how the Wallabies would counter the haka in last night's semi-final.

Even more about whether the crowd could get it together with a rendition of Australia's quasi-national song Waltzing Matilda.

The answer to both came within seconds of each other.

The Wallabies lined out across the 10-metre line, Wendell Sailor a little closer to the Kiwis than his team-mates, and eyeballed Carlos Spencer and the Blacks for all they were worth. And as soon as Spencer's feet had touched the ground after his ceremonial leap, it was Aussie Joe Public's turn.

If Telstra had a roof they would have lifted it. Rarely, if ever, has Waltzing Matilda been sung by so many, so loudly. Never with as much passion, for there was nothing fake or manufactured about last night's singing.

Australia's supporters sang, not because they were told to, but because they wanted to. Australian crowds have been criticised in the past for sitting back and not involving themselves in a match. Not last night.

It was as if they picked the Wallabies up bodily and propelled them forward with the strength of their voices.

With the strains of Banjo Paterson's words still echoing, the Wallabies threw themselves into the New Zealanders from the kick-off, throwing the ball wide and running in situations where in weeks past they would have faltered.

The more they ran, the more the crowd sang the song and the more the Wallabies responded. Ball skills and defensive patterns non-existent a week ago were suddenly rediscovered.

For the crowd it was as if a close friend thought lost at sea had just walked up the front path.

Stephen Larkham was ghosting through gaps which slammed shut against Ireland and Scotland, Mat Rogers picked up balls off his toes and Stirling Mortlock, the so-called saviour was, well, the saviour.

Even the sight of coach Eddie Jones on the giant screen was enough to bring a huge ovation. If ever Jones needed proof of how fickle the sporting public can be, this was it.

For months Jones has had the look of a man who knew a secret that the rest of us weren't in on. Now we know. He did, and last night he shared it with us.

When the All Blacks' bus drove them from Sydney Airport to their hotel on Friday they passed, lined up beside the road, a series of giant inflatable figures dressed in gold jumpers. George Gregan, Steve Larkham and Wendell Sailor among others.

Last night, against all odds, the real Wallabies stood up and played like giants.

With a little help from their friends.

[CQ]

[Joe]

Very disappointing result.
Happy now.

[CQ]

that would be diSaPPointing joe.

[London Dave]

That would be Joe!