South Africa completely overpowered them, don't think I've ever witnessed a more disjointed performance from New Zealand.
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Yeah I thought New Zealand looked very poor, albeit some credit goes to SA for that.
I love watching New Zealand play, but I think the quality of their forwards has been in decline for a few years, which is affecting their set piece abilities and to a lesser degree their breakdown work. That said, their backs are magnificent, Will Jordan is in the conversation for best winger in the world at the moment, Beuden Barrett, Jordy Barrett, Damien Mackenzie is electric (but rarely gets on the pitch for some reason), Rieko Ioane.
Excellent crowds at Murrayfield for these warm-up games. Have they been well priced?
I think so - based on my season pass, it worked out about £30 a game (which includes the 6N games vs England and France).
Another game of 2 halves today - we were shocking first half, and relentless second half. We cannot start that slowly against the Boks (who looked scary last night).
Ben Healy looks a very decent player.
FT France 41 Australia 17, easy enough
so here we are, the WC begins tonight
France v New Zealand
Really looking forward to this. The draw made years ago has shafted Scotland unfortunately. South Africa or France the winners for me
These anthems are AWFUL.
Watching this on delay, disappointed by the NZ display, apart from their 2 tries they've been very meh! Scotland had 2 very good ganes against the French recently, look like nothing to fear from these 2 teams.
Yes, the Welsh support in full voice takes some beating.
Terrific performance by the French. Under a lot of pressure to get off to a good start and they came through a really tough test in a game that was for a long time much closer than the final scoreline might suggest.
France deserved the win, thought the all blacks looked disjointed and couldn’t get any foothold really. After the defeat to South Africa in the warm ups, you wonder if they’ve lost form at the worst time.
Do referees actually look out for forward passes any more? There were at least 4 obvious ones not called last night, with the NZ 2nd try the worst. How the TMO didn’t give that I don’t know.
Of course despite the fact that it was clearly forward and didn’t reach the player it was intended for ITV’s pundits decided it was a brilliant pass and “absolutely spot on”.
watching Italy/Namibia wtf is going on with these national anthems, laughable
It's not that the anthems themselves are bad, it's this abysmal choral thing they're doing with them. I've never not enjoyed La Marseilles before but last night was painful.
That was a really poor game of rugby - Italy looked good, but so completely imbalanced. Other than take another 3 thumpings, what are Namibia actually going to do?
ah well bang goes my Romania +52, huddies
this is what the groups would have been if the draw had been done using common sense just several months ago and not over three years ago
Group A
South Africa
Fiji
Japan
Uruguay
Namibia
Pool B
Ireland
Scotland
Australia
Tonga
Romania
Group C
New Zealand
Argentina
Italy
Georgia
Portugal
Group D
France
England
Wales
Samoa
Chile
yep good work Beaumont :rolleyes: ridiculous doing a draw away back then
i would have fancied us against the Aussies, as it is we have no chance going through and plucky wee England have a great chance of making it right through to the SF, imo
instead we will lose two from New Zealand, France, Ireland, South Africa in the QF, grrrr