@taniwharugby said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@canefan inside a year you say...
He was announced on 21st April 2022. Just over 6 months....
WRWC Final
Match thread
NZ v England
@Victor-Meldrew said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Dan54 said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@canefan said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
Watching the BFs win the RWC with CF Sr and mum, and CF Jr. Pretty special
Was actually watching it with Mrs Dan, and I have to say to see her dance around the floor in tears at end has given me much joy. She's only a little thing to but when she leapt into my arms I suddenly remembered how old I was, just about knocked me over! Really good stuff I think!
You must give us an update at some point...
Haha mate, nothing to update after I said I remembered how old I was getting!!
@broughie said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
So trying to find the highlights for this game is a nightmare. Any ideas?
World Rugby have not been posting highlights to YouTube immediately after the game (and I assume have been blocking unions from doing the same) because they want you to go to their own website.
It's bullshit. The quality of the video resolution is poor and it's difficult to cast to a smart TV.
I hope they don't try the same shit next year.
@Bones said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@taniwharugby horses for courses too right? I think Wayne is probably a genius at unlocking handling and awareness in players, as well as the fact women's rugby is probably at mid to late 90's level men's rugby.
England especially is very reminiscent of their own mid 90s men's team. Maybe they need old woodentop to introduce them to Total Rugby
@Billy-Tell said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
Don’t think we were winning that without the red card. Nevertheless well done. Fluhler is fantastic. DC was a great 10 but he is a shît goal kicking coach. We need to learn how to defend a maul.
I think the game offered up some clear and obvious evidence to WR that mauls need to be brought back to having some form of contestability. England were so massively dominant in their own maul showing great organisation and power yet the same attributes offered nothing in defending them.
Mauls are just such an unbalanced part of the game. The primary playing option at many levels of rugby now is to get into a position to maul, such is the advantage offered in that facet.
Of course the NH will cheer the 'beauty' of it because they don't want to dilute a strong part of how they play without seeing what an unbalanced, boring part of the game it is for spectators.
I was watching with a few non rugby geeks and they were all confused as to why the ball could be protected with players in front of it and defenders were unable to defend. It just looks all wrong.
I think there was even a penalty for collapsing a maul when the maul didn't even collapse but continued up field. One player was dragged to ground by one other player. In a ruck, that's a clearcut and is encouraged. In a maul it is a penalty. Go figure.
@Bones said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Damo I don't think she would have missed from in front and wasn't there still time after that? England then just needed to hold the ball and work their way up the field as they'd just done fairly easily. I don't think NZ would have challenged any lineouts unless 5m out.
Pressure kick in the last moments of a RWC final is never a gimme. It wasn't from straight in front. I'd say 80% chance is fair.
Why would England opt to take a risk at extra time only to then have to get back to the same position again to score. It’s a non option.
First you have to make the kick or lose. Then you have to play yourself back into your scoring option position.
Extra time isn’t golden point either so NZ also get chances to score.
I can’t even see why this is an argument.
Given that NZ competed at the first lineout it was obvious they would do so again so England did have to bank on taking the throw. If there was another option available it may have been a tap. NZ have shown vulnerability against one off runners close to the line. But, as others have said, a little knock on or a held up are more likely from that than from a maul.
If England had won from a lineout drive it would have been a real downer on the night. Not just because of the loss but because a celebration of the game and an intent to play free flowing entertaining rugby would have lost as well.
@taniwharugby said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@canefan yeah I was more meaning we have less than a year to some other WC...
And no Wayne.....
What do we have to give him to join the ABs for 6 months next year....
@canefan said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
What do we have to give him to join the ABs for 6 months next year....
Wouldn’t make any difference. Smith has always been his own man or has been good when a head coach has given him full control over certain aspects.
If he retires it’s a great note to go out on.
@Davesofthunder said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
Not just the World cup we claimed tonight
Did you get to present it to anyone on behalf of?
Spoke to the crowds after left in the pub but I was essentially the only kiwi there!
Pretty somber mood as they were all a bit shell shocked. Most of their fans really did not think they could lose.
Camera crews following a couple of people clearly expecting a different result and you could see the collective confusion that this wasn't the story they wanted/ expected to tell.
The All Blacks caravan comes to Twickenham next and since I live there I would love to do a mini ceremony where some of the men could do a lift on behalf of the Ferns
After a year of watching teams rime wasting due to poor fitness (looking at you Ireland), it was particularly sweet to watch time wasting backfire so spectacularly.
@Damo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Bones said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Damo I don't think she would have missed from in front and wasn't there still time after that? England then just needed to hold the ball and work their way up the field as they'd just done fairly easily. I don't think NZ would have challenged any lineouts unless 5m out.
Pressure kick in the last moments of a RWC final is never a gimme. It wasn't from straight in front. I'd say 80% chance is fair.
I thought the first penalty was pretty much in front of the posts?
@Kirwan said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
After a year of watching teams rime wasting due to poor fitness (looking at you Ireland), it was particularly sweet to watch time wasting backfire so spectacularly.
That was brilliant. Fair to say though that I haven't seen the men's game reffed by a team of 4 before. Not to the extent that they are looking at things other than foul play. It did actually work well as the TMO would clarify stuff without the ref even having to look. Made for far less stoppage time.
On Wayne Smith, he must like finals at Eden Park.
Crusaders 1998
All Blacks 2011
Black Ferns 2022
@Kirwan said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
After a year of watching teams rime wasting due to poor fitness (looking at you Ireland), it was particularly sweet to watch time wasting backfire so spectacularly.
Only a year?
@Crucial said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
Has anyone seen any reaction from NZR over this win? Lots of SM posts doing the rounds and apart from bog standard corporate style congrats `i haven't seen a thing.
The comms last night pointedly called out Mark Robinson to get behind things as quite a dig.Good old NZR at risk of missing the boat again.
What are you expecting?
Announce a fully planned, fully funded full time professional comp?
Pretty much all they can do at the moment is "yay".
The Ferns try last night straight after halftime will surely win try of the year. That was something else.
what an amazing game and fantastic, although slightly fortuitous win.
the colors of the uniforms and playing styles made it appear at times like Black Panthers Vs Polar Bears
I recommend watching the video in this article (the photos are great, too):
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
Showed great leadership. And she probably could have kicked more because Demant didn't seem confident to kick at all, and the one touch finder I remember her taking flew less than 20 metres
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
A lot of heat on her on the Fern during the cup. There was a Black Ferns thread where it was almost alternating between posts complaining about her selection with posts about how great a coach Smith was. I did chuckle to myself.
@Nepia said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
A lot of heat on her on the Fern during the cup. There was a Black Ferns thread where it was almost alternating between posts complaining about her selection with posts about how great a coach Smith was. I did chuckle to myself.
Quite frankly Cocksedge deserved it. She was much better in that last game but still not great.
Her tackling is shocking, just trying to grab a jersey, she missed several key tackles leading to a try or two.
Her passing is weak.
Yes, credit to her that she improved her kicking but that was all IMHO.
@RoninWC said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Nepia said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
A lot of heat on her on the Fern during the cup. There was a Black Ferns thread where it was almost alternating between posts complaining about her selection with posts about how great a coach Smith was. I did chuckle to myself.
Quite frankly Cocksedge deserved it. She was much better in that last game but still not great.
Her tackling is shocking, just trying to grab a jersey, she missed several key tackles leading to a try or two.
Her passing is weak.
Yes, credit to her that she improved her kicking but that was all IMHO.
The main point of my post was more about the fawning over Smith who was selecting her while complaining about her. 
@Nepia said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@RoninWC said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Nepia said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
A lot of heat on her on the Fern during the cup. There was a Black Ferns thread where it was almost alternating between posts complaining about her selection with posts about how great a coach Smith was. I did chuckle to myself.
Quite frankly Cocksedge deserved it. She was much better in that last game but still not great.
Her tackling is shocking, just trying to grab a jersey, she missed several key tackles leading to a try or two.
Her passing is weak.
Yes, credit to her that she improved her kicking but that was all IMHO.
The main point of my post was more about the fawning over Smith who was selecting her while complaining about her.
Fair enough @Nepia, wasn't having a go either.
I certainly agree with you there... There were a few things like some sketchy selections and sticking with Renee Holmes to prove Smith isn't a god but damn, in the after glow of that win, he's damn close :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:
@RoninWC said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Nepia said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@Hooroo said in WRWC Final - NZ Vs England:
@booboo a lot of heat on her coming into the WC. She was superb in the final. Exceptional kicking came. I wish A Smith had her kicking smarts.
A lot of heat on her on the Fern during the cup. There was a Black Ferns thread where it was almost alternating between posts complaining about her selection with posts about how great a coach Smith was. I did chuckle to myself.
Quite frankly Cocksedge deserved it. She was much better in that last game but still not great.
Her tackling is shocking, just trying to grab a jersey, she missed several key tackles leading to a try or two.
Her passing is weak.
Yes, credit to her that she improved her kicking but that was all IMHO.
Yeah I thought we could have done with dragging Cocksedge a bit earlier to speed up the game, England were already out on their feet after two phases, I reckon we coulda had more points
Lol, so who said England wouldn't be pushing for the twenty minute card now?